Not Microwave Safe: A Halloween Story

October 12, 2020August 23, 2020 ~ Ofelia Gränd ~ Leave a comment

Not Microwave Safe: A Halloween Story by Kyle Adams

Most years, I write something for Halloween despite never having celebrated it in my entire life. Mostly, it’s because I have American friends, and for years we did a collaboration in time for Halloween. I’ve written something for this Halloween too, but I’ll talk about that in another post.

It’s always fun to write something since it’s all the Halloween I’ll get. My other way to experience Halloween is to read…

I saw Not Microwave Safe last year right after Halloween – it’s the cover! – and thought I’d read it, but then I forgot all about it. But when I went searching October stories, I found it again.

So… We have Kent and Uriah who are going to a haunted house. Kent hates scary things, and Uriah loves them. But things don’t go as planned, and soon there are scary clowns everywhere LOL.

I was part amused, part horrified. This story taught me one thing – I’m not the forgiving kind. Had hubby pulled anything like they did here, he’d be sleeping in the dog house for a month…but then I don’t do well with scary houses and murderous clowns.

Jokes aside, this is a short little story about an established couple walking through a haunted house. Scary things will happen, but it had me laughing too.

books2read.com/NotMicrowaveSafe

Kent has always hated Halloween and anything else that’s scary. But when his boyfriend, Uriah, wants to take him to a haunted house, he can’t say no.

Uriah can’t contain his excitement and loves creepy surprises. However, as the evening progresses and everything seems wrong, can he convince Kent to see the night through?

For Kent and Uriah, Halloween starts with a pop and ends with a bang, and life will never be the same again.

October Spice | K.L. Noone

October 9, 2020October 3, 2020 ~ Ofelia Gränd ~ 2 Comments

It’s October so we need some October Spice, do we not? This little short story by K.L. Noone is filled with autumny scents and flavours.

I admit having a weakness for stories with bakers, cake decorators, pastry cooks and so on. I tried writing a story about a baker once. Or I did write one, but it’s hard knowing what everything is called on a language that isn’t your own. And cinnamon rolls for me aren’t what cinnamon rolls are for an American – frosting?! WTF people? LOL

But reading a story and writing one are two different things, and here, I was swept away by cinnamon pumpkin cupcakes, chocolate whiskey cakes, butternut squash bread. So I came for the cakes and stayed for the meet-cute, floury fun.

Evan is a baker who is in his bakery, on a day when they’re closed, to bake a cake for his friends. A customer knocks on the locked door, and after having communicated with the customer through the window, Evan lets him in.

Sparks, mixed with sugar and spice, fly.

This story is just 14 pages long, but it’s oh so cute.

books2read.com/OctoberSpice

October Spice Evan Goldman loves fall, October, and Halloween. He’s decorated his bakery, he’s made cinnamon-pumpkin cupcakes, and he’s spending his day off inventing a new cake recipe. He isn’t expecting customers, and he’s busy with chocolate and ginger.

But a delivery mix-up has a customer knocking at Evan’s door. Matt’s right out of Evan’s fantasies: a deliciously adorable off-duty firefighter who compliments his cupcakes and makes Evan smile, and looks at him like Evan’s the tastiest treat of all.

They’ve only just met, but Matt might bring all of Evan’s fantasies to life … with extra spice.

A – Z | Until Next Time

October 6, 2020October 3, 2020 ~ Ofelia Gränd ~ Leave a comment

Until Next Time by Xara X. Xanakas

I had forgotten Xara X. Xanakas. When I was a newbie (I still consider myself a newbie, though I’m starting to realize that, maybe, I’m not?) Xara was active. I’ve read a few of her books, and I especially remember The Party Boy’s Guide to Dating a Geek which is filled with cute geekiness LOL.

So, having read Villian from the Love’s Landscapes event, I figured I’d check for a story starting with a U and when there was a book from the LL event starting with a U, written by Ms Xanakas, I figured it was meant to be.

I searched for her, thinking maybe it’s just that she’d disappeared from my feed, but no, she hasn’t posted anything on her blog in years and there haven’t been any new releases. Until Next Time is still available through Goodreads, though.

True to my nature, I didn’t read up on what this book was about, and I’m glad I didn’t because I might not have read it if I had. It’s a BDSM (bondage) story, a cop and thief story…and I liked it a lot!

I do have my pet peeve I just can’t get rid of – speech tags!!! Why oh why? LOL – but apart from that, I enjoyed this a lot. It’s cute and funny, filled with cat and mouse games, and I loved the way it ended.

Get it here!

And that, people, was the end of it. Or should I say until next time? The A-Z Title Challenge is complete! Are we moving on to Halloween stories now?

Until Next Time Dear Author,
Fuck, this was supposed to be such a simple assignment. Get in, get the information and get the hell out. It should have been a piece a cake but I just couldn’t resist getting a closer look at the guy. There’s just something about him that sets me on edge. He was prey that I enjoyed stalking. Whether to kill or fuck I wasn’t sure. How the hell did he get the upper hand? Instead of being the predator I’m suddenly the prey. I may be bound, but I’m never helpless. It seems I may have finally met my match, and I’m going to enjoy teaching him a lesson he’ll never forget.