Tag: Incursion

Bookish Travels: October 2026 Destinations

I saw this meme on It’s All About Books and decided to do it once a month. Many thanks to Yvonne for posting this initially!!

This post is exactly what it says: the places I travel to in books each month.

Enjoy my travels, and please let me know if you have read these books or visited these destinations.

Countries I visited the most

  • United States
  • China
  • Mexico

States/Provinces I visited the most:

  • Texas
  • New York
  • Virginia
  • California
  • Georgia
  • Arizona
  • Florida
  • Maryland
  • Pennsylvania

Cities I visited the most:

  • Dallas
  • New York City
  • Houston
  • Nanjang
  • Los Angeles
  • Phoenix
  • Tampa
  • Savannah
  • Baltimore
  • Philadelphia
  • Washington D.C.

United States

  • Without Apology by Aubrey Bondurant
    • Texas
      • Dallas
      • Coppell
    • New York
      • New York City
  • Without Regret by Aubrey Bondurant
    • Texas
      • Dallas
      • Houston
    • New York
      • New York City
  • Without Judgment by Aubrey Bondurant
    • Texas
      • Houston
      • Round Mountain
      • Austin
    • Alabama
      • Mobile
  • Infection by JT Sawyer
    • Virginia
      • Langley
    • Maryland
      • Baltimore
    • California
      • Los Angeles
    • Georgia
      • Atlanta
  • Infestation by JT Sawyer
    • Virginia
    • California
      • Eureka
      • Los Angeles
    • Hawaii
      • Pearl Harbor
    • Oregon
      • Klamath Falls
  • Incursion by JT Sawyer
    • Georgia
      • Savannah
    • California
      • Los Angeles
      • Calexico
    • Florida
      • Tampa
    • Arizona
      • Phoenix
  • Eradication by JT Sawyer
    • Arizona
      • Phoenix
      • Lake Havasu
    • California
      • Lake Havasu
    • Florida
      • Tampa
    • Georgia
      • Savannah
    • Arizona
      • Palo Verde
  • Extinction by JT Sawyer
    • Georgia
      • Savannah
    • South Carolina
      • Charleston
      • Jamestown
    • Florida
      • Key West
      • Tampa
      • Miami
    • Mississippi
      • Biloxi
  • Annihilation by JT Sawyer
    • Arizona
      • Lake Havasu
    • Maryland
      • Annapolis
    • Texas
      • Corpus Christi
  • The Alpha Solution by JT Sawyer
    • Florida
      • Tampa
    • Texas
      • South Padre Island
    • California
      • Baja
    • Pennsylvania
      • Philadelphia
  • Fallout by JT Sawyer
    • Maryland
      • Baltimore
    • Florida
      • Tampa
    • Pennsylvania
      • Philadelphia
  • Gryphon’s Pride by Kaye Draper
    • Michigan
      • New Paradise
  • Above All Things by Deborah Raney
    • Missouri
      • Hanover Falls
      • Springfield
  • Nightfall by Jessica Meigs
    • Washington D.C.
    • Arizona
    • Texas
      • Dallas
  • The Unnaturals by Jessica Meigs
    • Texas
      • Dallas
    • Washington D.C.
    • Minnesota

South China Sea

Philippines

China

Taiwan

Marshall Islands

Belize

Mexico

Cayman Islands

Cuba

Bahamas

France

England

Czech Republic (Czechia)

Bolivia

Columbia

October 2026 Wrap-Up

Personal Highlights from this month:

  • For the week of September 28th through October 3rd:
    • Miss R’s birthday is this week. She turns 13!! We had a party for her on Sunday with her best friends and family.
    • I also took Miss R to an orthopedic doctor this week. I don’t remember if I mentioned it in last month’s post, but she had injured her knee while getting off a ride at a carnival. Three weeks later, it was still hurting her, and I took her to Urgent Care, and they referred her to the orthopedic doctor. He is almost certain that she tore her meniscus (or partially tore it) and has referred her for an MRI. She is also on complete rest, which means: no riding, no climbing stairs, no running until after the MRI.
    • Miss B’s car broke down while she was driving to work in SC (she travels all over GA, SC, NC, and part of TN). BK and I drove 2 hours to help her install a part.
    • Miss B’s car kept breaking down, even though what we installed should have fixed it. She took it to Miss J’s grandfather (who works on cars), and it turned out to be her water pump. He replaced it for her, and just in time, she has a 4-hour drive to Georgia (just outside Atlanta) for this week’s job.
    • I ended up getting sick with an awful head cold.
  • For the week of October 4th through October 10th:
    • And the school fundraiser starts. Miss R brought one home for chorus (puff pastry). The teacher has a goal of $3,000 for supplies, and she told the kids that they need 16 sales each (which realistically won’t happen). So far, 3 people bought from her (her dad and two neighbors). Maybe 3 more people will buy, so we probably did a little better than most… lol.
    • Also, school-related: Miss R was chosen to go to a chorus competition with two other girls. She is thrilled.
  • For the week of October 11th through October 17th:
    • BK went to Texas for a work meeting. Since moving up in the company, he doesn’t travel that much. At one point, he was traveling every week (Tues-Thursday).
    • I went to IKEA with my bestie, Mrs. H, on the 11th. It was a blast, and I found a kitchen table that I am going to buy before Christmas.
    • During the same trip, we also hit up World Market (which I had never been in before), TJ Maxx, and Marshalls.
    • Miss R also went to the barn this week, and it didn’t go as she expected. Her knee was killing her by the time we got home (so we elevated it, alternated ice and heat, and she put her brace on). She also got very sad that she couldn’t ride with her friends.
    • Miss B and Miss J’s apartment ceiling was having issues (it was soft and bulging after an intense rainstorm thanks to Isasias). So, they brought their cats here, and we are keeping them while repairs are made. Their landlord doesn’t know when the drywall or roof people will be there, so we might have them a while. My cats were not happy (lots of hissing, growling, and hiding the first three days).
    • I ended up with a migraine for most of this week. They are getting more common, and I think I need to bring it up with my Dr.
    • First-quarter grades ended this week, and Miss R is on the A/B honor roll.
    • They also gave the kids their first good-grades/good-behavior reward this week. To attend, kids need a grade above a C and no trouble on the bus or at school that resulted in ISS or OSS. Miss R said it was boring, just hanging out in the gym.
  • For the week of October 18th through October 24th:
    • Miss R had her MRI. There was no tear to her meniscus!! We still don’t know whether she’ll need to go to PT or continue with the brace a little longer. But it was very good news!!
    • I took one of my brown tabbies, Vinnie, to the vet on Friday. It was his yearly appointment, and I also wanted advice on some behavioral issues he was having. He got his 3-year rabies shot and had a bad reaction to it. He threw up continuously for 30 minutes (about 20 times) after we got home and then continued puking off/on for the rest of the day. I did let my vet know, and she is making a note in his chart about the reaction. I have never had an animal (cat or dog) react to the rabies shot before.

Week of October 25th through October 31st will be on the November post

Books I Read:

  • The Without series by Aubrey Bondurant: Another quick turnaround with my reading. I went from Regency England to present-day Texas. I have the entire series (3 books) downloaded and cannot wait to read them!!
  • The Emergence series by JT Sawyer: Another quick turnaround. I went from romance to post-apocalyptic zombie horror. So, sorry for the whiplash. I got almost all the books on KU (two free). And talk about perfect timing because I started this series on October 1st!!
  • The Gesa’s Menagerie series by Kaye Draper: And yet another quick turn to a different genre, paranormal romance. I got the first book for free, but I need to buy the rest. So I’m waiting for them to either go on KU or become free.
  • The Night Drop: Resistance in the Wetland by Ian D. Wright: This book takes us back to WWII France and 1960s France in the same area. I haven’t been reading much WWII fiction. Update: I got stuck on this book for a week. Because I was reading it for a challenge, I refused to DNF it. But man, it was very dry and a little boring.
  • Above All Things by Deborah Raney: Another reading-challenge book, and another book I didn’t love. This was a Christian contemporary fiction book. It wasn’t overtly preachy. I also didn’t get closure at the end. Part of the storyline was left unanswered.
  • The Unnaturals series by Jessica Meigs: And we switch to paranormal. I mean, who doesn’t read a paranormal urban fantasy right after a Christian contemporary book… lol. I got the first book in the series (not the prequel, but book 1) for free. I was fortunate that the other 4 books were on KU. I am also reading one of the books for a reading challenge.

Monthly Playlist

Featured Song(s) of the Month

WWW Wednesday: September 30th, 2026

WWW Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Sam at Taking on a World of Words.

The Three Ws are:

What are you currently reading?

What did you recently finish reading?

What do you think you’ll read next?

Here is what I am reading, what I recently finished, and what I plan to read from Thursday to Wednesday.

Let me know if you have read or plan to read any of these books!!

What I am currently reading:

Do you know what I got for always being the good girl? A cheating ex, fake friends, and now a scandal that has even my own father ashamed of me.

No one believes it isn’t me on the video. My new bodyguard is no exception. Mason is not only my brother’s best friend,
but my newly assigned babysitter who wishes he was anywhere but here.

He’s both hot and judgmental. It’s a maddening combination that has me wanting to push all his buttons.

With his bad boy vibe, alpha demeanor and the way he calls me princess, I’m convinced my draw to him is crazy. Until I learn
under the tattoos and piercings there may be more than meets the eye. Turns out I may not be the only one fighting the attraction.

I’m determined not to be the helpless girl everyone thinks I am, even if it means taking drastic measures.

The question is whose side will Mason be on in the end?

*** Without Judgment is a standalone romance for mature audiences due to steamy bedroom scenes that are in no way contained to just the bedroom.***

What I recently finished reading:

Rejection and I have an understanding: I don’t put myself out there and it doesn’t screw with my life any more.
I keep my feelings hidden, and my heart locked away.
It was working well until he came along and threatened my impenetrable armor, one honeyed word at a time.

With his clean cut looks, and southern manners, I’m convinced he’s not my type. Until I learn Trevor isn’t the same gentleman
in the bedroom as he is in the boardroom.

But once he learns my secrets, and my carefully constructed facade starts to crumble, it’s my turn to do the rejecting.

I only hope he doesn’t listen.

*** Without Regret is a standalone romance for mature audiences due to steamy bedroom scenes that are in no way contained to just the bedroom.***

What I plan on reading Thursday through Sunday:

An epic struggle for survival between humans and a twisted mutation of undead begins in Emergence—the first book in a pulse-pounding post-apocalyptic series by author JT Sawyer. When a CIA bioweapons ship goes dark, operative Will Reisner and his team are sent to the South China Sea to investigate. As their mission unfolds, a deadly parasitic virus takes hold in cities around the globe, turning its victims into worm-riddled creatures bent on infecting others to increase their numbers, linked by a mysterious mental connection. After barely making it out alive, Reisner reluctantly joins forces with epidemiologist Selene Munroe, who has been trying to discover the origins of the virus to prevent humanity from being completely consumed by the horrific fiend that has been unleashed upon the world. Emergence is a bold reinvention of the well-worn zombie theme that will have you gripping the edge of your seat.

In the aftermath of the pandemic, humanity is on the cusp of extinction as the mutant undead sweep throughout the world. The deadly virus has created a new predator that is far more intelligent and ruthless than anything mankind has ever faced. And the threat from the alphas is increasing as they evolve. Epidemiologist Selene Munroe comes up with a daring solution for gaining a foothold against the deadly virus, but will it be enough to save the human race before it’s too late? On another front, CIA operative Will Reisner and his team need to join forces with an unlikely ally to prevent another cyber-attack that could thrust the entire country into the dark ages. Battling legions of parasite-ridden creatures to get to their objective, Reisner finds his resolve stretched to the limit. Loyalties are tested and he must come to grips with a shocking reality that could jeopardize his team’s already uncertain future.

The battle against one enemy from abroad has just ended while another on the ravaged streets of L.A. has just begun for Will Reisner and his team. A deadly game of pursuit is underway as Reisner and his fellow operators evade the Paras hunting them as they make their way through the burned-out shell of the city while awaiting a rescue that may never come. Volume 3 in the pulse-pounding Emergence Series picks up immediately after the events of the second book and will have you clutching the edge of your seat.

With the Paras relocating to numerous nuclear bases around the U.S., Will Reisner and Doctor Selene Munroe are in a race against time to complete the new bioweapon and employ it against the growing legions of mutant creatures bent on exterminating the human race. Little do Reisner and his team of elite operators know that this battle is only the beginning as the emerging leader among the Paras has a broader plan for invasion that will put all of the country’s remaining military units in the crosshairs.

Incursion (Catalyst Moon: Book 1) by Lauren L. Garcia

Publisher: Lauren L. Garcia

Date of publication: July 15th, 2016

Series: Catalyst Moon

Incursion—Book 1

Breach—Book 2

Storm—Book 3

Genre: Fantasy, Young Adult, Dystopia, Magic, Romance, Fantasy Romance, Epic Fantasy, Science Fiction

Purchase Links: Amazon | B&E | AbeBooks

Goodreads Synopsis:

Mages, held captive since magic first manifested in the world, seek to break their chains. Sentinels, warriors with an unnatural immunity to magic, are oathbound to keep the magic-users prisoner – at any cost.

Kali, an atheist mage fleeing her painful past, travels to a powerful healer in Whitewater City, hoping to mend more than her broken heart. One of her sentinel escorts is Stonewall, a man left with only his faith after the death of his brother. But when monstrous bandits destroy Kali’s other escorts, the two unwitting companions must join forces to survive demonic creatures, bloodthirsty nomads, and a dangerous magic never seen before.

Meanwhile in Whitewater City, the sentinel commander struggles to keep control as the mages plan a daring escape.

Opposing worldviews collide in Catalyst Moon: Incursion, the first book a fantasy-romance series where magic is new and a mage rebellion is on the horizon.

The Catalyst Moon Saga:
Book One – Incursion
Book Two – Breach
Book Three – Storm
Book Four – Surrender (Coming 2020!)

This book was interesting for me to read. This society feared mages and kept them sequestered from other people. I was fascinated by it.

The story was great. A mage is getting transferred from an old bastillion to a new one, and her envoy gets attacked. Desperate to protect herself and the sentinels, she does magic through her bonds. She ends up transporting them far away from the scene of the battle.

It would have been boring if the author had continued writing the story from Kalinda’s perspective. Adding Gideon/Eris’s story would have completed the story. But when I got into Milo/Flint’s issues, it became confusing and dragged the story down.

I liked Kali and Stonewall’s characters. I liked that the author did a slow burn for the romance instead of Instalove. I didn’t feel them as a couple at all. Because the romance was later on in the book, and she was taken away from him before they could bump uglies. I’m not too sure if they did have sex. The scene where they were in the inn and making out didn’t say if they did or not. I went with no, but I could be wrong. It was vaguely written.

The book ended as I thought it would. There was no huge twist, and I saw what happened from a mile away. With the way the book ended, there was no doubt that there is a 2nd book coming.

I would recommend Incursion to anyone over 16. There is violence and non-graphic sex.

If you enjoyed Incursion, you will enjoy these books: