All The Feels: Boba Fett Chapter 6 Review

Firstly, I should start off by saying I am a huge Star Wars junky. I told Mr. C a few months ago that for my big 4-0 I want a Star Wars themed party. Not sure if that is going to happen, but hey, let’s see what happens in December.

While I know The Book of Boba Fett is getting mixed reviews, I am hardcore here for this. I go in with zero expectations and just go along for the ride. My post is less of a review and more of me just needing to get out all the feels I’m having about a few aspects of the episode. So be warned, some spoilers ahead.

Let’s just skip to chapter six of this saga, where there is just so much going on. We have Din Djarin, aka Mando, helping Boba. Timothy Olpyhant’s character Cobb Vanth is back and we meet a new baddie, Cad Bane. Ok so he’s not new but he is so new to me. Remember when I said I’m a Star Wars junky? Well I was never into the animation BUT don’t hate me too much, as I am making up for it and getting into the animation in recent times. On top of that Din finds Grogu and Luke, only to be stopped and guilt tripped by Ahsoka Tano. Yeah that’s right, I felt like she totally guilt tripped Din.

I get it, I do. She is after all only looking out for Grogu and his focus on training. To learn how to protect himself. I think all of us who love the lil green guy want him to survive and be around for a long time to come. But I’m a sucker for reunions. And I am here for the “I’m a bad ass but the kid melts my heart, I will die to protect them” trope. And finding out Grogu misses Din too is another gut punch. I legit yelled out “Mind your own biz, lady!” while watching the show.

Din ends up giving her the gift he brought for Grogu, where Luke later takes it out. And yet another sucker punch to my heart: Luke shows Grogu the cutest little set of armor, followed by a light saber, and wants him to choose. Either take the armor and go back to The Mandalorian, or stay, forget the armor and learn how to wield the saber.

Here is my question: WHY CAN’T THIE KID KEEP THE ARMOR AND LEARN TO USE THE SABER??

Baby Yoda-The Mandalorian by Wolf-Dog art corner on DeviantArt.

Ever since season one of The Mandalorian, I have been seeing some awesome fan art of Grogu wearing Mandalorian armor, images of him where he melded the two into his life. So, for the first time since I fell hook line and sinker for Star Wars, I was pissed at Luke Skywalker.

We don’t know what little Grogu picked. I am doubtful we will learn of his choice in the last episode but I’m pretty sure we are going to find out in season three of The Mandalorian.

So, are you a Star Wars junky too? Have you been watching the new series and if so, how are you enjoying it? Any geek feelings you need to get out like I did? LOL 😉

Book Review: Ananias By James Case

Book Blurb:

When Ananias Case boards a ship in Fowey, England in 1826 bound for Carbonear, Newfoundland, he’s not looking for adventure; he’s a man on the run. The strictures of class division are left in the wake, while a fractured society in the throes of rapid evolution awaits beyond the sea. An historical novel based on real events, Ananias is the story of a man seeking a new life while struggling with the ghosts of his past. This sweeping adventure of discovery, connection and heartache is also a moving tribute to a rugged island place and its people.

I finished reading this book less then a half an hour ago. Part of me wants to sit and let it all soak in, but the impatient part of me wants to get this down and share this with you. As a writer, I’m expected to always have the perfect words for any situation. But right now words can not express just how much I loved this story. I’m sitting here emotional, if I am to be honest.

Ananias Case is not only the main character of this tale, but he was my fourth great grandfather. And thanks to research compiled by the author James Case (whom is my newly discovered cousin) as well as others in his family, James penned an amazing tale of our ancestor and his life.

I read this with not just the eyes of a reader, but with the eyes of someone learning more about her roots and her family. Of someone learning what her ancestors went through. And not just Ananias. Many of my ancestors left England and migrated to Newfoundland. In the places that is mentioned in the story, I had other ancestors who lived in these places as well. In the last year, I have become slightly obsessed with learning my history. Every so often I would pause and put down the book to take in what I’d just read. My ancestors are long gone, but for awhile, James has brought them back. So, maybe I’m a bit biased in this. But this really is a fantastic story. It’s well written and James makes you feel like you are back in the past, next to Ananias.

*Spoiler Alert*

When Ananias was a teenager, he learned that his youngest sister was being beaten by their stepmother, Mary. Ananias ended up beating Mary, left her for dead, and fled England. He ended up in Newfoundland. He was left to start over, with his guilt and his thoughts, in a new land. It dawned on me one day that had he not done so, I wouldn’t exist today. He met my fourth great grandmother while creating his new life in Newfoundland.

James took all of the research he and his family compiled and wrote the story of Ananias using these real events and people, and in between he wove in fiction to create this wonderful story. It’s a story of second chances, love, heartbreak, hope, family, and lessons learned. This story had me laughing at times, while at others the words became fuzzy with tear filled eyes. Even though I knew the events in this story, I still found myself rooting for Ananias.

If you have a love of historical stories (both fiction and otherwise), you can find the book in several places including Nevermore Press. I can’t wait to read James’s next novel. I will be sure to be posting updates and a review when the time comes!

Want To Start Researching Your Family Tree? Here’s A Few Tips To Get You Started

I got hooked on my family tree after Mr. C gave me a DNA kit from Ancestry on Christmas of 2020. After I sent my DNA off and waited for the results, I began to work on my tree. Which quickly became an obsession. While I am not near being an expert, here’s a few tips I learned in the last year, for anyone starting on their journey.

My great grandfather, Robert Patey. He was killed in a mining accident (runaway trip) as a young man.

Get a DNA kit. Honestly, this has been a huge asset. It’s helped me connect with cousins I never knew existed, and helped me fill in parts of my history. Several cousins have become friends and we even help each other out and update each other with new finds. Whatever company you get your kit from, once you get your results, download your raw DNA. This can be uploaded to several other sites for FREE. Which means you get more DNA info PLUS more matches. I had given hubs a kit as well that Christmas. It wasn’t until he uploaded his DNA to My Heritage that he connected with one of his half sisters. (Mr. C is adopted, and in 2021 he found his birth father’s family, which has been amazing. Bio dad has passed away, but Mr. C has been getting to know his awesome aunts, uncles and cousins). Also our DNA is uploaded to GEDmatch and Family Tree DNA. Oh, and wait for sales. Certain times of the year these DNA companies put their kits on sale.

Talk to family. I wish I had started this years ago. The more time that passes, more of the stories and info you lose when loved ones pass away. Start talking to parents, grandparents, aunts, etc… My mom had dementia when I started this, but on her good days she could tell me stories and she helped identify people in old photos. Her mind was in the past so she was able to help me for a little while. And she loved it. At every visit, soon as I’d walk into her room, she would ask “Did you bring any pictures today?” My aunt was practically a family historian, and I’d give my eye teeth to have one hour with her to pick her brain. So, reach out. Talk to your loved ones. Any little piece of info or photo is a piece of the bigger picture.

Obits are gold. The best obituaries to find are the ones that list as much info as possible. Children’s names, where they lived, if they served in the war. All of these tidbits huge! When my mom passed last year, I wrote her obit. I made sure to mention all her kids and step kids, that she was a grandmother, great-grandmother and more recently a great-great grandmother. I also made it personal, of coarse. I didn’t want her to have a generic obit. I wanted people who didn’t know her to read it and felt that they knew her. This might also help future generations know their great great nan.

Start Small. Start with your parents. Your mom’s maiden name, their details on where they were born, when etc….Then start your grandparents. If they have passed, look for those obits. (And save them! I reached out to a library service program here in Nova Scotia. They located my nan’s obit, sent it to me. It’s been since printed off and added to my records) Look for marriage certificates, birth records, etc…

Join Groups. There are only two reasons I haven’t left Facebook. And one of those reasons is for research purposes. I joined genealogy groups for various provinces my family came from, groups in England and Scotland. There I have learned of websites to read into, and even found distant cousins. One woman in a group based in England pointed me to a distant cousin and a book he had published, which happened to be my 4th great grandfather. I contacted him right away and purchased the book as well. (Book review coming of that in the not to distant future).

My last tip: be prepared for what you find. There might be old skeletons lurking about. I went into this prepared for the good, the bad and the ugly.

What else do you think should go on this list? Are you thinking about digging into your family tree?

New Year, Fresh Start

More like a fresh outlook.

Just because it’s now a new year doesn’t mean that the past two years have been wiped clean. But I am choosing to deal with it differently.

A new way to look at things. *not my image-credit to owner*

Last year was an epic dumpster fire, and I had a hard time feeling positive about anything. I had a lot going on in my personal life, not to mention the mental burnout of the pandemic.

At the end of 2021, I started to *slightly* feel better mentally. And more like my old self. And I want to hang onto that with all that I got.

Over the years I have flipflopped between making new years resolutions and not caring either way. While this year I’m not exactly making resolutions, I am making a bit of a plan.

The biggest thing for me is to keep my focus on the positive as well as projects. I have a massive TBR pile, a secret book project I’m putting together for family in honor of my mother, and getting back to writing daily. Even something small. I won’t beat myself up when I have unproductive days. My goal however is to have many more productive days then I did last year. (Which shouldn’t be hard since I can practically count them on one hand)

In hindsight, the best thing I did last year was write my mom’s obituary and eulogy. Those were hard for me to do, especially having to speak in front of everyone. Family or not, I’m not a fan of doing that. But I did it. And I did it for her. They were the last things I could do for her, and I feel like I did it well. So in that I am proud of myself. I think she’d be proud of me too.

I think a part of my mental burn out was the doom scrolling and so much pandemic talk. This year I won’t be doing so much doom scrolling. And using my creative outlets to think about other things.

Well, if you’d excuse me, I’m off to finish binge watching season four of Cobra Kai.

What do you hope to get out of 2022?

Hello? Is this thing on?

*Steps in and looks around*

It’s been awhile. Almost a year, actually, since my last post. And some of you probably forgot you even followed me and are wondering where did this random woman come from.

I had this whole dream of 2021 being a better year then 2020. Oh my sweet summer child, how wrong I was.

The year wasn’t a total bust. Thanks to DNA kits I bought hubby and I for Christmas last year, I have found new family, discovered some very cool connections (that I plan to write about at a later time) and I also helped Mr. C find his bio paternal family. His birth father sadly passed away a few years ago, but he’s in contact and meeting his new, massive family. (We live in a small area. One uncle lives so close that Mr. C could hit his house with a rock).

Off the top of my head, that’s probably the best thing that happened this year outside of the chaos of our lives.

Mr. C started hemodialysis in January, which in some ways helped but also drained him. In the summer he went in for surgery to have tube inserted into a membrane by the stomach. So now he is on home therapy, something called Peritoneal Dialysis. This has improved his health drastically as well as his mindset. He’s got a lot of normalcy again. So that’s a plus.

My mother’s Lewy Body Dementia progressed, making her decline farther. On October 6th of this year, my mom suddenly passed away. Thankfully is was peaceful and there was no suffering. But God do I miss her.

Last week while at the hospital for more training on another way of doing home dialysis, I sat in the cafeteria at lunch deep in thought.

The last two years have been full of nothing but bad news and other upsets. It’s taken the good out of me, and the things I loved doing have been put on the back burner or I didn’t have it in me to do any of it. So I made a plan. Well, more like determination set in.

Next year is going to be different. I know there is a lot of things I can’t control, but there are lots of things I can control. I already signed up for a virtual event for nerds like me who are into family trees/ancestry. I told my husband we are getting him on the transplant list next year. Step one of that is for him to lose some weight. This new therapy has given him more freedom and wellness, and already he is a bit more active and making better food choices. The road ahead won’t be perfect but we will take it one day, sometimes one minute, at a time.

I also have a massive stack of unread books calling my name, so I hope to get back to my book reviews. I also plan to write more. I am starting small with a goal of writing a few lines a day, or a blog post or maybe some flash fiction. This blog won’t sit dormant like it has. If it does I may as well just scrap the thing this time next year.

Maybe if I’m lucky, by this time next year I might find the old me. The ‘me’ that existed before heartbreak and pandemic burnout.

New Year, But Not A New Me

Like this photo I’m taking a leap of faith for the new year. *Photo not mine*

2020 is finally over, and we’ve moved onto what I can only hope to be a better year.

At the end of 2019, I had been hopeful for 2020. In 2019, my mother was diagnosed with Lewy Body Dementia, put into a hospital, and my husband (who was born with polycystic kidneys), was told that he had a large tumor on his right kidney, and they weren’t sure if it was cancer or not. He under went surgery at the end of the year.

When 2020 came, we found out he didn’t have cancer, the remaining kidney wasn’t great but holding its own. My mom was put into long term care and started to improve. I felt good. Like the nightmare was over. I got back to reading, I even started using a planner and getting organized.

But before long, the corona virus was world wide, my business was mandated to shut down (which lasted for two and a half months). I wasn’t able to see my mom for a long time (for her safety), and when I could it was limited but I was grateful. I worried about the future of my business, my creative side of my brain was too busy worrying and feeling uncertain that my plan to write a novel during shut down went quickly down the toilet.

On top of all that, my husband got the news his kidney took a drastic decline, he was told he wasn’t allowed to go away for work by his doctor since he now needs a kidney transplant. We don’t know how long this will take. The process is a long one, and I am still waiting to hear if I am a match or not.

By this time, the hope I had for 2020 was down the toilet, too. With everything that was going on, a lot took a back burner. Including this blog.

But, in all the mess there were good moments. Work reopened and I was busy. My husband is otherwise healthy and soon will start dialysis. I wrote 50,000 in November for National Novel Writing Month (not the full novel but a good chunk), and of coarse the news broke that there was a vaccine. Hope to eventually get back to normal. Or, “normal-ish”.

Not to mention the second season of The Mandalorian was EPIC. (I am obsessed with Baby Yoda/Grogu). I hit the books and read seventeen novels. I know there’s people who read way more then me but I’m happy with the number. My book club, The Happy Bookers, kept going. We met online. We didn’t let a pandemic slow us down! 😉 It helped give me something to do and focus on. Things like snail mail started making a come back and people began to connect more and even re-connecting with people from their past. I’m happy to say I created a stronger friendship with one person, and I heard from a former pen pal of mine, and we have picked up where we left off.

At the end of December I was hesitant coming into the new year. I felt happy and hopeful and to be honest, that scared me. Because in the last two years I have learned that when I feel that way, it doesn’t last long.

So I decided to tip toe into 2021. With some hope and keeping my enthusiasm to a minimum for now. I’m not making any plans or resolutions. There’s things I want to do but that has nothing to do with a new year beginning. I just have some major catching up to do. 😉 I also plan to get back to my Nano novel soon, as I forgot how much I loved to write and turns out, I can still do it. I can still get words in, create new worlds and characters.

So, it’s a new year but same old me. But I’m okay with that. I do hope that each one of you have a wonderful year. That good things happen for you and to you. I think we all deserve that after this crazy time that will go in the history books.

.

Book Review: Kingdom of Sand and Stars: Book 1

Gosh guys, it has been ages since I have been here. I did get the odd notification here and there about comments on various posts. My bad for not responding. A global crisis has a way of zapping away your…well, everything.

This post isn’t going to be about why I haven’t been around and what I have been up to. I will save that for another day.

One thing I have been doing is READING! I have had my nose stuck in precious books on a regular basis. The most recent being a new novel by one of my faves, Candace Osmond. I’m on her ARC (advanced reading copy) team, so I get first crack at her newest creations.

The latest is another time travel romance, this time taking place in ancient Egypt.

Book Blurb:

Young archaeologist, Andie Godfrey must conquer her addiction and accept the opportunity to uncover the Egyptian cave where her father and boyfriend were last seen two years ago. But, the pain of the past is hard to forget when you’re thrown at its feet.

Using her father’s secret research, Andie pieces together a clandestine conspiracy, centuries old, that will shatter the world’s idea of ancient Egypt. But before she can solve her father’s cryptic puzzle, Andie’s betrayed by the leader of the expedition, and finds herself left for dead at the bottom of a pit where she accidentally activates a portal carved in stone.

Unsure whether she’s dead or thrown back in the midst of time, Andie discovers an advanced civilization unlike anything she’s ever known and is soon faced with a ruler among Gods; a man from her own past who once ruled her heart.

I finished off this book in two days. I devoured it every chance I got, including my little bit of free time at work. I even pushed through a rotten headache reading this. Usually when I have a headache or migraine, reading is a hardcore no-go. But I couldn’t put it down. It’s like a cross between ‘Outlander’ and ‘The Mummy’. I am a sucker for time travel romance, and romance in general if I am being honest.

Candace is a history buff when it comes to ancient Egypt, and her passion for it shows. While I love history, Egypt hasn’t been on the top of my list for interesting topics. However Candace’s words not only had me wanting to learn more, I also felt as if I was immersed in her setting. At times I found myself hitting up Google. Not because I didn’t understand a topic or anything. But because I was curious as to what characters were based from mythology and what came from the depths of her active and creative imagination.

Andie is a bad ass, strong willed woman who slowly becomes an alcoholic after her father and love of her life were killed in an ancient cave. A few years later she learned that not everything is what it seems. She’s transported to an ancient time that is much different then of the one she learned. And to a place where Gods and other creatures exist. While facing her own demons, she’s trying to save the man she loves from his brother. Luckily she has help of her father, Anubis, God of the underworld and Shadow, a lizard like creature who has taken to Andie.

This book was everything and more that I expected from Candace. If you’ve read other reviews of mine, you know I am a huge fan. And I feel like, even though I have loved all her books so far, that this is her best one yet. The plot flowed, the characters were believable and she took me on a journey I didn’t expect to go on.

This story is has a little bit of everything: adventure, mystery,  betrayal, romance, the supernatural, time travel and a piece of jewelry that is much more then it seems.

Book Review: The Guilded Stone

My 2020 has been going well so far. So well in fact that I slightly forgot about my blog. Well, not forgot about it, but I haven’t had much time for it.

One of those reasons is because I have had my nose stuck in a book half the time, which is how I wanted my year to go! 🙂 Between my new book club (a post on that later) and my massive TBR pile, I have been enjoying catching up on some good reads.

One of my faves so far of the year, is a book I was SO EXCITED to finally get my hands on. I was lucky to get an ARC of ‘The Guilded Stone’, by Candace Osmond, which is book five in the Dark Tides series.

What good is a happily ever after if it’s all ripped away by the hands of a devilish siren?

When Dianna’s children go missing, she and Henry are left with no choice but to do something they swore they’d never do again…travel back to the 1700s. But with their children’s lives in the hands of an unpredictable siren, they must make a hasty decision; trust that the sea creature will return their kids…or find a way to go back in time and risk never coming home again.

They soon realize they’ll have to travel further than they’ve ever gone; beyond our world to the mythical realm of Faerie to save their children. A task easier said than done. The rumored entrance lays across the ocean. They needed a ship.
And a crew…

In hopes of saving the family they started in the future, Dianna and Henry must search for the family they left behind in the past and travel across the sea to an unknown world. But four years is a long time and things aren’t quite as they left them.

Can they sail across the sea and uncover the entrance to Faerie before it’s too late? Or will they find themselves broken hearted and lost in time with nowhere to go?

I couldn’t wait to sink my teeth into this book! If you have read my past book reviews, then you know I am in love with this time travel series, that has a pirate with a dark past, a strong and sometimes stubborn woman, a band of ragtag people who are fiercely loyal, magick, witches, sirens and more.

After the huge cliffhanger of book four, I started reading this as soon as I hand my ARC (advanced reading copy).

One thing I love about this series is that Candace’s writing is consistent,  it flows and there is always something happening. We are always on our toes with adventure, mystery, or some other plot that is a foot. If I didn’t know better, I’d say these novels are written as if she sat down, wrote an epic tale, and then decided to break it up into smaller novels. I always know what I am getting into when I read something by Candace. She is an excellent story teller and writer.

The story starts off with Dianna getting a threat of sorts from a siren. Return to the past, or have her children taken away from her. Instead of telling Henry, she tries to deal with things on her own, not wanting to worry him. And I think in her own way, she thought the siren would give up eventually. That is, until one day her children are missing.

Dianna and Henry are heartbroken, and must return to the past to find their babies. But things don’t go so well for them. Dianna ends up in the past, alone. Henry is nowhere to be found, she can’t find the kids and so she sets out to find her friends.

The reunion is bittersweet. Finn and Dianna prove that, no matter what, a true friendship can survive distance, secrets and the bad times. While Finn is thrilled to have her back, the same can’t be said for the others.

During the book, more secrets are revealed, a relationship put to the test, heartbreak and also in true Candace form, another cliffhanger. But that’s okay because there’s going to be a book six. 😉

I could ramble on and tell so many spoilers, but I think you should grab the book yourself and dive into this book! It’s now available wherever books are sold. Here are a couple of links:

Amazon

kobo

 

Another Spin Around The Sun

My feelings about 2019 summed up perfectly.

I think most of us can agree 2019 was for the pits.

Mr. C needed major surgery (and we are still waiting on biopsy results);  my mother is in hospital while waiting for a nursing home (and rapidly declining while she is there), several other loved ones got bad news, my depression was bad and my anxiety started getting out of control. Between hospital visits and the like, I became exhausted and I stopped taking care of myself.

If you are reading this and can take just one thing away, please let it be this: self care is important. I learned this the hard way.

But 2019 had light spots along the way. We learned who our true friends were, D&D nights are the best way to spend time with friends, and our Greyhound is still coming out of her shell, even becoming a cuddle bug. We must be doing something right.

Thanks to a doctor I spoke to when getting a med refill, she referred me to mental health, and now I am doing a program called ICAN, which is helping me gain control of my anxiety. It’s forced me to take care of myself, and I am starting to feel like my old self again, a little at a time. (My couch is amazing. He’s helped me more then he could ever know).

The end of 2019 has had me gaining control and getting organized. While I have said before I don’t do resolutions for the new year, I do plan to continue my progress for 2020. Staying more positive, continuing to work on my anxiety, and getting back to the things I love. I have started a book club and have made a plan to get organized in the new year. Change and progress doesn’t happen overnight. But I am feeling pretty good about the new year.

Hello 2020, I look forward to meeting you.

Book Review: Wicked Magic

 

Earlier this month I read an ARC (advanced reader copy) of Wicked Magic (A touch of Darkness, book 1) , written by Candace Osmond and Rebecca Hamilton.

Every Wicked Born must accept whatever fate the Sorting Ceremony grants them…

Being the Daughter of a Light High Priestess means Lydia Laveau has one fate: the life of a light witch. But when her ceremony chooses her for the Dark Faction—something deemed impossible—her world crashes down around her.

Soon, Lydia finds herself wrapped up in a clandestine whirlwind of blackmail, illegal magic, and betrayal. She has one goal: keep her head down, get through her five year pledge at the school for dark witches, and return to the human world she calls home.

But when she meets Anson Abernathy, a drop dead gorgeous third year Wicked Born accused of murder, she finds herself drawn to him…and all the danger that comes with their attraction.

Can Lydia survive her five-year pledge without unraveling centuries of tradition? Or will her own secrets unlock answers that threaten her very existence

I couldn’t wait to sink my teeth into this novel. Being a fan of witches, magick, books like Harry Potter, I knew I would love this book from the start. It did not let me down! It was so good, that when I finished the roller coaster ride I would have lit a cigarette if I smoked. 😉

Lydia is certain of her life and its path. Turn eighteen, have her sorting ceremony, attend Arcane Academy and then get back to the human world and be a reporter with her best friend. But her life and her plans make a drastic turn when she is sorted into the Dark Faction, instead of the Light.

She is thrown into a world where she can’t trust anyone, aside from the small few who befriend her. But even when it comes to them she can’t know who to fully trust. Her fellow students dislike her, as she’s not ‘one of them’. On top of that she falls for Anson, who allegedly murdered another student, and the Dark Dean is pressuring her into an event she wants nothing to do with. Lydia is trying to find her place, get through her five years, but it’s hard when she’s being black mailed over a secret she can’t risk getting out.

Wicked Magic flows so well, is full of twists and surprises, and kept me wanting more. I needed to know the answers: who could Lydia trust, what was Anson really capable of and what are the Dark Dean’s real motives.

I can’t wait for book two, and to see what fate has in store for Lydia.