Sunday, September 14, 2025

Your next favorite author?

We are at the end of summer, and are heading into fall.

If my friends are looking for some cozy books in the urban fantasy genre, I have a recommendation,
I’ve recently gotten into the Blood Trails series by rock-tumbling gamer, Jennifer Blackstream. It follows Shade Renard, a village witch turned private eye. Each book has been a contained case so far, with a some overall arcs weaved through the series. The characters act believably, and the mysteries seem fair.
Think of it as a cross between Supernatural and Murder She Wrote. (Or MSW and Granny Weatherwax, or Tucker’s Witch depending on your age.)
I am five books into the series and have not been disappointed yet. Shannon is four books ahead of me, and tells me I have nothing to worry about.

If you are intrigued, but don’t trust me enough to commit, or are just younger than I, you can also sign up for her newsletter at www.jenniferblackstream.com and, after the first couple intro emails that you get over the next few days, you will be provided with a code for a story (Temptation) that leads into the first book (Deadline). I would tell you more about it but we haven’t yet figured out how to download it.
If you a fan of e-readers, and you like her writing, you can get them right from her site. She even has bundle deals available. If, like me, prefer a more dead-tree version of the story, you can also order the books online.

But wait you say, I’m a fast reader. I don’t want to get into another series with an author who takes forever to write the next book. Not to worry. Jennifer is pretty prolific. This series is already 19 books long. Plus she has two other series (Blood Realm, and Blood Prince) that are 5 and 5+ books each respectively. These are more or a paranormal romance genre. We haven’t read those though but again, there are links to samples in her newsletter.

For reading this long, I leave you a haiku:
Red coat, witches hat
Peasblossom, tactical pouch
Mother Shade Renard

Saturday, September 6, 2025

Books Read - May to August 2025

May

Academ’s Fury by Jim Butcher

Deadline by Jennifer Blackstream

Monster by Jennifer Blackstream

Odd Hours by Dean Koontz

 

June

Absolute Emperor: Napoleonic Wargame Battles by Boyd Bruce

Xenos Rampant by Daniel Mersey & Richard Cowen

Taken by Jennifer Blackstream

Wars of the Republic by Eric Farrington

 

July

Teenagers from the Future: essays on the Legion of Super-Heroes edited by Timothy Callahan

Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir

Corruption by Jennifer Blackstream

Stargrave – Science Fiction Wargames in the Ravaged Galaxy by Joseph A. McCullough

 

Aug

The Doomed: Apocalyptic Horror Hunting by Chris McDowall

61 Hours by Lee Child

Mercenary by Jennifer Blackstream

Hairfoot Jousting by Joseph A. McCullough

Avengers Campus the official cookbook by Jennifer Fujikawa + Marc Sumerak

 

Tuesday, September 2, 2025

Figure Painting Total - August 2025

While on our way back from Vancouver, we stopped in to the Sentry Box.  I was very tempted by the Silver Bayonet forces, and the Hairfoot Jousting minis.  I did manage to get an older Blood Bowl team, as well as some Frostgrave figures.  

I had picked up the Model-in-a-month figure from Warhammer, and had built, primed, and base coated it before we left.  I stayed up late when we got back on the Friday and finished it in time to take it in for August 30.

 

Bought

Blood Bowl – Scarcrag Snivellers – 12

Blood Bowl – Gnome Treeman – 1

Unmatched – Battle of Legends – Volume 3 – 4

40K – Primarus Marine - Space Wolf Bloodclaw – 1 (model of the month)  

Frostgrave – Soldiers II – 20

Frostgrave – Wizards II – 8

 

Painted

40K – Primarus Marine – Infernus – 1 (model in a month)

40K – Model in a Month – Space Wolf Bloodclaw – 1 (model in a month)   

 


 










Aug total – figures bought 46, figures painted 2

Running total 2025 – figures bought 79, figures painted 2