Been a minute since I got to post a book review. But I am getting back into a reading schedule and am excited to post a review for 1st to Die, a Women’s Murder Club novel by James Patterson. This has been on my bookshelf for FOREVER as a friend got it at garage sale and knew I loved cop thrillers so gifted it to me when they couldn’t get into it. I know Patterson has a reputation for being… problematic so there was always something else I’d rather read. But I was in a mood towards the end of February so decided to give it a go.
Genre:
Serial Killer Thriller
Synopsis
Four crime-solving friends face off against a killer in San Francisco in the Women’s Murder Club novel that started James Patterson’s thrilling series.
Each one holds a piece of the puzzle: Lindsay Boxer is a homicide inspector in the San Francisco Police Department, Claire Washburn is a medical examiner, Jill Bernhardt is an assistant D.A., and Cindy Thomas just started working the crime desk of the San Francisco Chronicle.
But the usual procedures aren’t bringing them any closer to stopping the killings. So these women form a Women’s Murder Club to collaborate outside the box and pursue the case by sidestepping their bosses and giving each other a hand. The four women develop intense bonds as they pursue a killer whose crimes have stunned an entire city. Working together, they track down the most terrifying and unexpected killer they have ever encountered–before a shocking conclusion in which everything they knew turns out to be devastatingly wrong.
Full of the breathtaking drama and unforgettable emotions for which James Patterson is famous, 1st to Die is the start of the #1 New York Times bestselling series of crime thrillers.
Man…. I don’t know where to start. I actually finished this book 3 weeks ago. It took me a couple of weeks to choose which of those three to read and then another week to finally open the sucker up. But only a week to devour this 462-page book. There were some plot points that even when I was deep in the thick of it had me rolling my eyes, but despite that the story kept me moving in part because of the nonstop action and in part because of the team-up of women in male-dominated professions supporting one another.
This book was published in 2001. I was in the thick of college and experiencing sexism on a previously inexperienced scale in my life. This book is problematic, but it was addressing a real issue that happened to women back in the day. While there is still gender bias today, obviously; it was much more blatant and far less policed in the 1990s and early 2000s. (Despite there being tons of laws already in place to address it.) I remember dealing with the “casual sexism” the same way Lindsey did. A caustic teasing remark or brush-off and aggravation to rage depending on the number of times it happened that day.
I remember having to fight twice as hard to be acknowledged as my male counterparts.
I remember having a long conversation with my female manager who was going to promote a male colleague to trainer over me and having to spend far too long to convince her I was the better choice and why.
So yeah, that felt real. The camaraderie between women struggling in male-dominated professions also felt real. It wasn’t just about that, there was some real development of why they liked and connected beyond that they were all slighted by men.
But the eye roll moments are spoilers so here is your spoiler alert warning.
Why did she fall for Raleigh? It is obnoxious how they get caught up in a whirlwind relationship in the middle of the biggest case of her career. And then her response to how it ends? I mean…. so problematic. IDK, maybe it would ring true with other women, but for me it was such an eye roll. I get that romance in the workplace happens. My marriage is a product of it. But I was 21 not 34. It was a temp job, not my career job, and I hadn’t been diagnosed with my degenerative disease yet.
In my 30s when I was diagnosed I had no bandwidth for romance with my partner. Admittedly, mine didn’t have a high chance of death at a young age and I was in a very established relationship so perhaps that accounts for the differences, but IDK. it jut really rubbed me the wrong way because in so many ways I really connected with Lindsay so to have this be so different from how I think I would respond is just… it was weird for me. And the prologue also seemed so incongruent.
Also, it had the perfect Gotcha with the villain and then it proceeded to screw it up. What had the potential to be a very women empowerment story ended up falling flat for me.
Which is a shame because it really gripped me. I could not put it down. I caught myself reading during breaks and pretty much any chance I got.
If you like a good thriller that makes you think, and you can overlook these problems, then this might be worth checking out.
I still haven’t decided if I am going to get the next books in the series. Gonna give it time to settle while I read some other books and if I still long to know what happens to the women’s murder club then I will give the next book a try.
Have you read 1st to Die? What were your thoughts? Let us know in the comments below.
Happy February. So glad to say that. January was a disaster! I got Covid the first of the month and was down in bed for almost 2 whole weeks. I am still struggling with a nasty cough and getting winded during random activities. It has also put me behind on my goals. But I keep trucking. I finally got my 2022 resolutions sorted after a lot of soul-searching. I created an aggressive schedule to get me back on track and while I have yet to maintain the schedule, I am definitely seeing a lot more progress towards goals. I began seriously tackling my PMP certification requirements, am on schedule to re-release Elements of a Broken Mind this month and hopefully will have Angel’s Dance ready end of Feb, early March for a big promotional push for the series in March. *fingers crossed*.
#IWSG February Question of the Month
Purpose: To share and encourage. Writers can express doubts and concerns without fear of appearing foolish or weak. Those who have been through the fire can offer assistance and guidance. It’s a safe haven for insecure writers of all kinds! Posting: The first Wednesday of every month is officially Insecure Writer’s Support Group day. Post your thoughts on your own blog. Talk about your doubts and the fears you have conquered. Discuss your struggles and triumphs. Offer a word of encouragement for others who are struggling. Visit others in the group and connect with your fellow writer – aim for a dozen new people each time – and return comments. This group is all about connecting! Be sure to link to this page and display the badge in your post. And please be sure your avatar links back to your blog! Our Twitter handle is @TheIWSG and hashtag is #IWSG.
You ready?
Let’s rock the neurotic writing world!
February 2 question – Is there someone who supported or influenced you that perhaps isn’t around anymore? Anyone you miss?
After walking away in 2019, I lost touch with a lot of my network. I was hardly online, and did nothing with the book world for over a year. When I came back in 2020, I was focused on doing the work, not rebuilding relationships. And even with that, I struggled a lot. It wasn’t until late 2020 early 2021 that I started reaching out to rebuild relationships. I was shocked to find so many reviewers and authors who also hit burnout and walked away in a similar time frame.
And as I work to republish my books, I find more and more to miss. One of my earliest connections was a book reviewer named Justin. He seems to have walked away from his book blog and his GoodReads librarian work. I’m sad.
Amanda Baily, who founded OWS, seems not to be doing much with her writing and that is a shame. She still is passionately sharing memes about reading and creating, but is too focused on a day job to pursue re-publishing her works. Which is a shame as she was a very gifted writer.
Joshua Robertson and his wife Diane both walked away from writing as well, again a huge shame as both are extremely talented fantasy writers. Though, I see teasings of both maybe exploring coming back or at least promoting their current publications and this makes me so happy!
While Rebekah Jonesy and Isa McLaren, who were on the board with my at OWS, have started their own publishing house and are releasing books like crazy, I haven’t been able to really reconnect with them and I miss the good times working together via video chat.
Angela Chrysler and Timothy Bateson, who were amazing connections I made through B2B CyCon also seem to have left the book world.
There are so many more who’ve gone on to other things and it makes me sad. But at the same time, I am grateful for the good times we had. Grateful for the ways that they inspired me to keep going on my journey, and hopefully I was able to inspire them too.
The reality is that whether you are reviewing or publishing, the book world is very transitory. We are all seeking a connection and often looking for monetary goals as well (as anyone in business should do, nothing wrong with that.) but when we don’t hit those goals, many move on to other things.
This is why it is so important to support creatives- whether it be book reviewers, authors, or other creatives. Buy from those you can, but even just a comment on a video, or a blog post, lets us know you care. The internet gives us a great opportunity to reach so many but it also is a massive sea that we can easily feel adrift upon. For many, we are working full-time jobs and pursuing our passion, that life imbalance is a recipe for burnout!
So please, let us know you care with a like, a comment, a purchase. Help us keep providing for you by letting us know you appreciate us.
Welcome to the biggest 12 Days of Indies event I have ever done! For those who’re new, this is the 6th year that I gathered indie auhors who will have e-books priced $2.99 or less and showcase these sales and pick at least one book each day to purchase. In the past, we’ve had a different list each day but last year several readers suggested a master list to see at the beginning of the event and allow them to plan out their 12 days of purchase would be preferable. So here we are!
This list is divided 1st by genre, then by e-book price point within each genre, and some of the authors will also have paperbacks on discount. If there is a paperback discount you will see that after the book’s description section.
Come back each day to see which top 5-10 books I am recommending and which of the books from that list that I am purchasing that day!
Be sure to join our Facebook event page and experience other fun events, see what other book bloggers are purchasing, and get to know some of our amazing authors!
On to the amazing books!
Children’s Books
$2.99
Carnie Loves Books by Toi Thomas
Carnie Loves Books by Toi Thomas
Carnie is a bookworm with one love in his life- books. When Carnie loses his reading glasses, he goes on a search to find them. Read along as Carnie searches for his glasses and professes his love for reading books. 100% of proceeds supports Lit Carnivale, a book fair in the making.
How can one child end the long, fierce Winter?
Original Fairytale in rhyming verse with colorful illustrations.
This story has the magic of friendship, for young readers 9 to 99.
* * * * * * * * * * *
Winter has lasted for many long years;
No babies were born during this time of fears.
Mariah surprises the world with her birth.
Can she bring back Spring, with its laughter and mirth?
The kids have grown up and they work hard each day.
She’s too young to help, so she’s left out to play.
At last she cries out, “I feel so alone!”
The Wind’s heart is melted like ice on a stone.
He shares vivid stories as their friendship grows.
Can the magic of friends end the Winter they know?
Welcome to the tale of Royal Prince Vince, a spoiled little prince. His parents don’t know how to make him happy and get him to stop throwing fits. The help comes from the most unlikely source!
A great story for children 3+ to learn the joy and pride of accomplishment.
Paperback is on sale Normally $14.99, now only $8.99
Water & Fire (The Dragon Pillars Book 1) by Sanzaki Kojika
Cover for Water and Fire Dragon Pillars Series book 1 by Sanzaki Kojika
There is a legend that everyone knows- the legend of the Dragon Pillars. Every several hundred years, darkness befalls the land. The Dragons awaken and choose their Pillars, humans strong enough to withstand their powers, and together they drive back the darkness.
In the towering cathedral of Vivdaugas, students flock to study the archives built upon the legend and train to reach the glory of its heroes. Garred Conway is preparing for his test to become a true Defender when a storm threatens to destroy the citadel, and the land around it. Trapped in the catacombs, desperate to save those he cares for, he finds help from the most surprising place- the Water Dragon Aysu. Now, as Aysu’s new pillar, he finds himself with more responsibility thrust on him than he could have ever imagined.
A Whisper In The Shadows: (Rangers of Laerean, #1) by Tom Fallwell
A Whisper In The Shadows: (Rangers of Laerean, #1) by Tom Fallwell
When the Ranger Baric meets the exotic and alluring woman from Vaar’da, called Whisper, he agrees to assist her on what seems a simple rescue mission that soon turns into something far more complicated than he expected. Their journey soon becomes a deadly and suicidal quest into the Great Divide, an area of Hir where men fear to travel, into the realm of the demonic Manenase, who live under a great volcano in the center of the Boiling Sea.
The fate of Hir depends on the courage and skills of the heroic Rangers and their small Vaar’da companion, as they struggle to save the world of Hir from impending disaster.
Paperback is also on sale: normally $19.99 on sale for $16.99
When the Rangers discover that a deadly and horrific dragon of unspeakable power has been loosed upon their world, they must find a way to destroy the monster before the creature of shadows burns them all into oblivion. Complicating their efforts, the discovery of a secret and hidden dragon cult that worships the monster, and a conspiracy of dark forces from the realm of shadows, threatens to destroy the peace their world has known for centuries and bring war to the people of Hir.
Struggling to survive the deepest of betrayals, the Rangers face a dark and foreboding time, as the world of Hir changes dramatically around them.
Paperback is also on sale: normally $19.99 on sale for $16.99
The world of Hir now stands on the brink of war with the demonic Manenase and their massive horde of Morok minions. Baric and his friends journey to the haunted Ghost Swamp to find the lost Amulet of Thiranor, which holds the key to stopping Doomrage, once and for all.
In the epic conclusion to the Shadows Trilogy of the Rangers of Laerean series, much lore from the ancient past is learned, while the shadow of the great Dragon Spirit, Narwyrm, looms over them all.
Paperback is also on sale: normally $19.99 on sale for $16.99
Orphaned as a young child and growing up alone in the forest, Delina lives a life of isolation; her only companion a saber-toothed panther. Her strange eyes frighten those she occasionaly encounters, so she keeps to herself, until a young, wounded warrior ends up at her doorstep. As she nurses him back to health, she discovers she is more than just a young woman with unusual eyes, she is a dragonblood, destined to become the ruler of Almar.
Now hunted by the dark sorcerer who murdered her father, usurped his throne, and killed all her kin, she must find out how she can release the essence of the dragon inside her to defeat him. Everything depends upon her willingness to embrace her legacy and reclaim the Dragon Throne.
Paperback is also on sale: normally $19.99 on sale for $16.99
Divinity’s Twilight: Rebirth by Christopher Russell
WINNER: 2020 Chanticleer International Book Awards for Fantasy (OZMA)
Divinity’s Twilight Rebirth By Christopher Russell
Enter the world of Divinity’s Twilight, a gripping fantasy epic from the mind of Christopher Russell. Ancient forces will rise, realms will be shattered, and a band of unsuspecting heroes will shoulder a cosmic struggle two millennia in the making.
Teaser
A world consumed by war . . .
An ancient evil resurrected . . .
A millennia old bargain comes due . . .
When two blades clash, the third will fall, and the fate of all will be jeopardized. To save Lozaria, the failures of the past must be atoned for by a new generation of heroes. The time has come for mortals to cast off sight and, in doing so, truly come to see . . .
Victory is never absolute.
Seven centuries ago, the forces of order won the Illyriite War on the plains of Har’muth. Darmatus and Rabban Aurelian slew their elder brother, Sarcon, the despotic architect of the conflict, then sacrificed themselves to banish the cataclysmic vortex opened with his dying breath. The first advent of the Oblivion Well was thwarted. Even without their vanished gods, the seven races of Lozaria proved themselves capable of safeguarding their world.
Or so the story goes.
The year is now 697 A.B.H (After the Battle of Har’muth). Though war itself remains much the same, the weapons with which it is waged have evolved. Airships bearing powerful cannons ply the skies, reducing the influence of mages and their spells. Long range communication has brought far flung regions of Lozaria closer than ever before. At the center of this technological revolution are the three Terran states of Darmatia, Rabban, and Sarconia, who have fought a near ceaseless campaign of 700 years in an attempt to best each other. The roots of their enmity lie buried beneath the wasteland of Har’muth, a place all three nations consider best forgotten.
However, an ancient power sealed within Har’muth has not forgotten them, and the descendants of those who fought on that field must now take a stand to rectify the mistakes of the past.
Or grab the discounted paperback (Normally $19.95, sale $12.95) from the author’s website
Special Features: Signed, Includes a bookmark and one poster of your choice (Put: Pyrevant, Airship, Lilith, or Valescar in the check-out notes)
99¢
The Legacy by Frank Montellano
The Legacy by Frank Montellano
“Hurry Reynard! It’s poor Anna. She’s fallen into the lake!”
On a frightening winter evening, three witches chase after their eldest sister Anna. Reynard the Hunter dives into the frigid waters in a vain attempt to rescue her, but the hole ices over. Anna and her would-be rescuer are gone.
Family members, including Anna’s lost son August, return home for the wake, only to find a power struggle rages among the sisters, both living and … dead? Power in this family of witches and warlocks is handed down, but if neither Beth nor August received Anna’s legacy, where did it go? Is the old witch truly dead or did she have some witchcrafty tricks up her sleeves?
Jamie’s mother has vanished and his father is falling in and out of an inexplicable coma. Now he and his dog, Shem, have been tasked with saving the world’s dreams. Their quest will take them from Michigan’s Upper Peninsula to Dartmouth College where a neurophysiologist has developed a dreaming computer named Ann. Along the way they get help from the Guardians of the Moon, creatures who carry our dreams to and from us, and some heroic people who’ve lost the ability to dream. But one division of the NSA and especially Earl Pangiosi knows that dreaming is powerful and important, and will use all their power to stop Jamie from succeeding.
What does it mean to dream, to hope? To wake up each morning with the belief that today will be better than yesterday? And if we lose the ability to hope, to dream, to wish, to believe in better tomorrows? What happens when people don’t want to dream yet can’t wake up? And what if humans aren’t the only ones who can dream? Jamie McPherson and his dog, Shem, discover where dreams are kept and who guards them, and why people are losing the ability to dream. Jamie is willing to help but to do so he must make what seems a boy’s ultimate sacrifice, the loss of his best friend, and with it the loss of his innocence.
Paperback is normally $14.95, sale $12.99 Dream on today
Fairy Tale Fantasy
$2.99
Princess of Undersea by Leslie Conzatti
Princess of Undersea Leslie Conzatti
Mermaid princess Ylaine has only ever wanted one thing: her father’s recognition and approval. King Davor of Undersea, however, is obsessed with launching a war against the ignorant, pact-breaking humans. Ylaine believes that if she can convince her father that not all humans are evil, he might listen to her, and call off his plans for war. Such an outcome seems so far out of reach, till the day she willingly trades a most precious gift to have the thing that she hopes will help her make peace between the realms: magic that transforms her into a human.
Safe in the palace of Overcliff, Prince Nathan seeks his own comfort, and dreads the day when the people of his failing kingdom will depend on him for their well-being. His father, King Theodore, remains distant and forgetful, while the Royal Council runs things–and as far as the Prince is concerned, he is free to continue doing as he likes. When a mysterious young woman arrives on the island, he begins to realize that all is not as it seems–and threats can come just as easily from across the sea as under it.
Father Christmas and his elves up in the North Pole, ask for the Christmas wish fairies help that live on a cloud in the sky, because they were too busy to solve the situation themselves, with a panic, realising that there were too many people on the naughty list.
The Christmas wish fairies that live in the fairy-tale cottage in the sky, help a young family to have a magical sparkly Christmas, with them taking the family on many unpredictable adventures, with them travelling as sparkles through the air to different magical lands, with many twists and turns along the way, using their red ruby as a tool around their neck, with them having a glimpse of their future lives.
Do the clouds in the sky have writing in them, to send a message down to earth?
The Glittery sparkles garden centre has got a magical room, with unpredictable, magical things happening inside, with sparkles flying from many different unpredictable places that you would never imagine that they would come from, with magical cards, shoes, decorations and much more.
Rainbow coloured coins were scattered around the world in many wishing wells, that need to be found by the Christmas wish fairies, to help people onto his nice list instead of the naughty list and to get the Christmas spirit back, with the ‘Magico meter bracelet’ also helping, hoping that there will be enough for Father Christmas’s sleigh to fly.
There are magical stones that throw out many future visions, and other magical cards with some people disappearing inside.
You need to read to find out what the sparkly fingerprints passport and the Tinsel and Sparkle card does.
Their wings have many uses, with powers that they never knew were possible, with them having to use clues that they have got to work out how to solve the problems that had been caused by bad magic.
There are magical stickers, and ‘Pom Pom’s’ that are fun and full of magic.
Does Gemma find the correct key to help the people with a clock connected to them?
Will you sing and dance along, while learning a new word or two in Italian.
Dumped in a treacherous Arctic land, Amara Dagon must master her spell craft if she is to survive a year in exile, but fear, doubt and the loss of her family threatens to take hold. Can Amara gain control of her magic or will she succumb to it leaving her people in the hands of a dangerous tyrant?
Demons chase her… But this badass huntress is ready to fight back!
When horrifying monsters kill Halira’s and Dimitri’s families, they join the Shadow Crusade, a legion of warriors tasked with destroying demon-kind. Together, they’ll avenge their loved ones, and perhaps find some small amount of comfort in having each other for the journey.
But some horrors can’t be escaped…
One in particular—the roguish half-demon responsible for killing Halira’s parents—stalks her to the Crusader’s camp. She assumes he means to finish the massacre he started, but his gentle eyes tell another story, one Halira can’t begin to understand.
On top of learning that demons might not be what they seem, Halira soon discovers a forgotten magic, one that could drive a wedge between her and Dimitri, and threaten the very survival of the realm.
Will Halira be the savior her country needs? Or will the allure of dark forces thrust her into the shadows?
Shadow Crusade is the first in a gothic, high fantasy romance series with a badass demon huntress, Lovecraftian immortal creatures, epic world-building, and an enemies-to-lovers romance love triangle. If you enjoyed books by Leigh Bardugo, Elise Kova, Jennifer L. Armentrout, and Camille Longley, then you’ll devour Shadow Crusade!
A Bond of Thread by Allegra Pescatore & J.P. Burnison
A Bond of Thread by Allegra Pescatore & J.P. Burnison
Enter the Nine Lands of the Mountain Fell.
Skye has only ever known pain and solitude since waking up with neither memories or magic. Hunted for being a Ruler in a time when they are scarce, she has survived in the wilds near the Rim, always on the run from the rest of her kind. Only starvation could draw her close to a village, but when a chance encounter and a bit of bad luck launch her into the arms of a man whose soul is bonded to hers, hiding who she is may no longer be possible.
Ilyas is a hunted man. Wanted for killing the last High Queen of Vine, he is plagued by his past of wholesale slaughter. He never wanted another Queen, and certainly not a half-feral, distrustful girl who gave up on the Fae a long time ago. Unfortunately, Soulbonds are not so easily walked away from, no matter how hard they both may want to, especially when trapped together in a cave with a pack of Feral Fae right outside.
With long-held enmities breaking out between the besieged villagers and all their lives on the line, Ilyas and Skye must learn to work together and trust each other if they want to survive.
Scarlet Tides (An Immortal Seas Novel Book 1) by T.L. Hanigan
Scarlet Tides (An Immortal Seas Novel Book 1) by T.L. Hanigan
How far would you go for the truth?
Sybil Pierce, a proper young lady dreams of adventure when her best friend, Griffin Morgan, goes missing after failing to accompany her to a party.
Believing he’s in trouble, she finds herself trusting a pirate and boarding a ship only to find out the pirate isn’t who he says he is.
As for Griffin, his secret of being a vampire is revealed, along with family secrets.
Urban Fantasy
$2.99
The Purple Door District by Erin Casey
Bianca was supposed to attend art school in Chicago, not run for her life from Hunters. The only chance she has to survive is to find The Purple Door District, a safe haven for a parahuman like herself. When she stumbles upon a magus named Gladus and a fellow avian named Carlos, she thinks she’s found safety. But the Hunters are relentless, as is the dark force driving them.
Vampire, werewolf, avian, magus
It’s up to the parahumans of the Purple Door District of Chicago to put their differences aside to save Bianca and stop a dark threat from destroying their peaceful community.
Tess Montgomery isn’t your typical member of the Chicago wolf pack. In fact, she’s not a wolf at all. She’s an adopted fire magus of the pack and thus doesn’t always “play by the rules.” When her father and her best friend Nick are kidnapped in what the parahumans assume is a Hunter operation, Tess’s pack is thrown into turmoil. With Alpha Paytah unable to step outside the bounds of his new position as Violet Marshall of Chicago’s Purple Door District, Tess takes the reins to plan a rescue attempt.
Meanwhile, Nick and his fellow wolves find themselves in a world of battle and bloodshed. The Hunters have set up an illegal fighting pit where the strongest survive and the weakest are traded or killed. It’s all Nick can do to keep up the spirits of his packmates and help them escape. Or survive long enough until they’re rescued.
Unfortunately, Tess’s rescue mission fails spectacularly, leading to her capture. She finds herself the unwilling guest of a local Hunter named Arjun. Handsome, charming, and deadly, Arjun tries to convince Tess that not all Hunters are the enemy. He even offers to help her find her packmates. But is he true to his word, or does he have his own wicked plans in mind?
Finding little snowy was the best thing for 8 year-old Tommy who continues coping with the loss of his father. When the kitten shares its unique gifts with him, his happiness grows as he begins to see the secret images radiating from the world around him. But when a cold-blooded killer begins tracking them down, both Tommy and Snowy must face the worst possible danger of their lives as this monster begins destroying all who stand in his way, determined to possess both child and cat.
In the aftermath of their encounter with the madman, Hap, Tommy and his cat, Snowy now find their abilities growing. Tommy fights to regain control when a new danger emerges. A boy has been killed, another is missing and danger is closer than anyone knows…
Nathaniel Runnels isn’t a fan of life. He isn’t a fan of the news, which is a bust because he’s a reporter. He’s lost faith in journalism, in the truth, in civilization and in himself. So it’s quite the surprise when he gets swept up in a quest to save the world. Perception and reality collide as one man faces one question, would you sacrifice your humanity to save mankind?
Only Human is a tale where the truth is revealed about vampires, about therians (make sure you don’t call them werewolves), about angels, about demons, the photogeni plant people and humanity as we supposedly know it. This isn’t your typical book, these aren’t your typical vampires and what has been said is fiction, may actually be truer than the history you’ve been sold.
Shadow of a Human (The Human Cycle Book 1) by JD Estrada
Shadow of a Human (The Human Cycle Book 1) by JD Estrada
Invincibility is fiction. Two years have passed since Nathaniel Runnels was abducted by a vampire and offered the choice between dying or risking his life to save humanity. In that time, he’s killed, seen angels up close and learned that therians are never to be called werewolves. For a time, he thought new abilities meant he could not be defeated. That was also fiction.
In the second installment of the Human Cycle, Nathaniel realizes that everything comes with a price.
Shadow of a Human continues his path of discovery and he’ll endure any pain to find the truth that he hungers for.
The Hunters, book 1 in The Hunters Saga by Heidi Angell
The Hunters 2nd edition Heidi Angell
Don’t miss out on the first book in The Hunters Saga, The Hunters
For those who believe vampires should be killed, not kissed.
Not your mother’s urban fantasy. These monsters are monstrous.
Ever wonder where all those scary legends of vampires, werewolves and monsters came from? Wonder no more.
What would you do if you found your town had been infested with vampires? For Chris and his brother Lucas, the answer was simple enough: you fight back. Gathering a small band of other people in their town who have been affected by the vampires, they begin a resistance. But after a year of fighting, they have only managed to kill a handful, while the vampire leader has turned five times that many.
Then two enigmatic strangers appear, changing their lives even further.
Fury and Havoc. They call themselves hunters, and want no part in this little band of heroes. Ordering them to lay low, the duo vow to rid their town of vampires. When Fury is injured, Chris aides these strangers, entwining his future with theirs.
Now that the vampires know the hunters are here, and that Chris and his friends have helped them, the group is in more danger than ever before. Lucas is torn between protecting his new family from the vampires, and protecting them from these seemingly inhuman beings who say they are there to help.
After all, what beings could be so powerful as to scare a vampire?
The Hunted, book 2 in The Hunters Saga by Heidi Angell
The Hunted, book 2 in The Hunters Saga by Heidi Angell
The highly-anticipated sequel to The Hunters Saga.
Follow Fury, Havoc, and Screvin as they track down the Werewolf who turned Screvin and try to help her come to terms with what she is. Things are going better than expected with Avie, then the Counsel comes after them. Now the hunters have become the hunted.
Fury and Havoc have finished ridding a town of the vampires that were taking over. Now the kind-hearted Havoc has agreed to help one of the townspeople, Screvin, track down the werewolf that attacked him during that fight while also trying to help her understand her existence as a newly turned werewolf herself. Things were going well for them until the Counsel comes after them. Now the two ancient fighters and the two brand new ones are no longer the hunters. They are running for their lives, hunted by the Vampire Counsel.
Carol Collins loved her job as a CSI in Los Angeles, she just wished everything else in her life would go right. Her mother was deathly ill, she had no boyfriend, and to top it all off weird things started to happen on the job. Good thing Officer Dave was there to help her out.
Life in the City of Angels ain’t easy.
Cather Stevens doesn’t love. Not now, not ever. She has spent her entire life watching love ruin her mother, her aunts, her cousins, her grandmother, and she made a vow a long time ago that she would never let that happen to her. But when she meets a winged boy named Hermes who tells her that she is the key to ending the star crossed curse that has plagued the women in her family for centuries, she will have to redefine everything she knows about love, life, and herself. With more than just her own heart on the line, she must find the location of her great-great grandmother’s diary. It was hidden long ago, fathoms below her town, and holds the answers to all of her questions, especially one: are the fairy tales and Greek myths that she grew up hearing actually fiction like she was taught to believe, or are they something more…something real?
Basketballs and Mistletoe: All’s Fair in Love and Sports Series by Julie L. Spencer
Basketballs and Mistletoe: All’s Fair in Love and Sports Series by Julie L. Spencer
Too many basketballs and not enough kissing.
All Matt Bailey wants is to focus on his position as starting point guard for the varsity basketball team. When an epic kiss and a social media scandal forces him into the arms of the beautiful and spunky Trina Wynter, he finds himself in a fake relationship with a girl just crazy enough to think she can take on the world.
When Trina gets cut from the girls’ basketball team, she thinks her senior year is wasted, until a closetful of basketballs and two hundred sprigs of mistletoe bring every athlete in Grand Haven High School together for a good cause, and a great excuse for more kissing.
Basketballs and Mistletoe is a stand-alone novella in the All’s Fair in Love and Sports Series.
After escaping the Asylum, Alice pursues the fleeing Queen of Hearts and stumbles into the Greek Underworld. Before she knows it, Alice finds herself in a croquet match unlike any other against Jason of the Argonauts. With the Cheshire Cat, Eris by her side (and inside her head) Can Alice survive the game before her?
Rhymes from the Wicked Nursery by JD Estrada (Author)
Rhymes from the Wicked Nursery by JD Estrada (Author)
Rhymes from the Wicked Nursery is a poetry collection full of verses that will definitely not go gently into the night. So tuck in, keep a night light handy, and read at your own risk.
This is JD Estrada’s 18th release. He really hopes it keeps you up at night while feeling bad at the things that make you giggle.
Winner of the Vita Award for his anthology A Celebration Of Flames
“A Celebration Of Flames is a powerful, impassioned call. The sanity and courage of this collection arises from the poet’s unique experiential perceptions of his milieu, making him one of the few who can write about these traumatic times with such lucidity and lyricism. The strength of Farouk Asvat’s poetry lies in the way he intertwines the complex elements of social and political conflicts with intense personal relationships. The wide tonal range extends from sensual and delicate insights into the nature of passion to the satiric and humorous use of slang.”
Vita Award citation
“Like hesitating snowflakes … his words are fascinating in their capricious wilfulness … like unexpected strokes of a whip.”
Susanne Baackmann, University Of Albuquerque
“The legend of poet extraordinaire Farouk Asvat: … like vintage wine, proper poetry matures with time, and like vintage art the voice and wisdom of a poet worth the name is timeless.”
Mphutlane wa Bofelo, kagablog
Although the world has always been crazy, recent times have taken things up a notch. So why not offer some balance in the way of words and thoughts which are focused on hope, optimism, and smiles to bring some brightness for your day?
This is JD Estrada’s 17th release, and 6th English poetry collection. The idea is that for a poem or three, these verses can inspire you to go for it, to be kinder to yourself or to others, to take a breather, to push, to rest, and do whatever you need to find a slice of happiness. Even in crazy times, there are smiles to find and if a poem can help at least one person find some happy, then why not?
“The legend of poet extraordinaire Farouk Asvat: … like vintage wine, proper poetry matures with time, and like vintage art the voice and wisdom of a poet worth the name is timeless.”
Mphutlane wa Bofelo, kagablog
” … a guided tour of the souls of the South Africans he writes about and cares about. … Hauntingly universal …”
Thomas Rome, New York
“The Wind Still Sings Sad Songs … is an important addition to any discerning reader’s literary collection.”
Victor Metsoamere, Sowetan
Roulette of Rhymes by J.D. Estrada
Roulette of Rhymes by J.D. Estrada
As humans, life is an invitation to experience a variety of emotions. Poetry is a way to express those emotions, no matter how varying they are. Roulette of Rhymes is my tribute to the variety of feelings found within us. Life need not make sense or be planned, it only needs to be experienced and occasionally expressed.
Within this collection you will find a wide variety of poems including the epic 800-line poem, “the Madness of Jonathan J. George”. If that sounds random, that’s because it is and so is life.
“A Celebration Of Flames is a powerful, impassioned call. The sanity and courage of this collection arises from the poet’s unique experiential perceptions of his milieu, making him one of the few who can write about these traumatic times with such lucidity and lyricism. The strength of Farouk Asvat’s poetry lies in the way he intertwines the complex elements of social and political conflicts with intense personal relationships. The wide tonal range extends from sensual and delicate insights into the nature of passion to the satiric and humorous use of slang.”
Vita Award press release
“Like hesitating snowflakes … his words are fascinating in their capricious wilfulness … like unexpected strokes of a whip.”
Susanne Baackmann, University Of Albuquerque, USA
“Farouk Asvat … writes about love and suffering, about individualism, snobbishness, pretence and pride, about human and environmental beauty and about opposing oppression, and who deploys metaphysical, lyrical and colloquial language, slang and standard diction, all with equal strength and ease.”
Cosmo Pieterse, Culture In Another South Africa
“Since he has been in the line of fire as both a victim of Apartheid and as a political voice in the struggle for liberation, his evocation of the contemporary South African battlefield and his testimony of the humiliation, isolation, deprivation, degradation and murder, the collective weapons of Apartheid, are chillingly authentic.”
Herbert Steyn, English Olympiad, King Edward VII School.
Dark Strands: Stirrings beneath the surface by JD Estrada
Dark Strands: Stirrings beneath the surface by JD Estrada
There is beauty in darkness.
Dark Strands is a collection of poetry by JD Estrada where the more shadowy aspects of humanity are explored. As humans, there are many sides to us… and some of them aren’t so pretty.
Still, the statement “life is beautiful” is true, even in the not so lovely parts. Anger, sadness, despair, and madness can all have their moment to shine because they can all happen. Experiencing any of these emotions is human… so why not enjoy them in verse as well.
Care to come in and enjoy a slice of the dark? Don’t worry, the worst that can happen is that you enjoy it.
The Time Of Our Lives bears testimony to the resilience and courage of the oppressed in South Africa. Farouk Asvat’s poetry is devastatingly forthright and hard-hitting.
His imagery is stark, his poems taut encapsulations of the injustices wreaked on Black people. The poems, with many depths, clever twists and juxtapositions, are exciting, true, and thought-provoking.
The Time of Our Lives reveals a writer who enjoys playing with words – having a sense of rhythm close to the classical poets and an eye for the modern image.
This is the historically important anthology whose poems played such a pivotal role in the struggle against the height of oppression in South Africa. This completely revised edition includes several poems that were not in the original collection and the organisation of the poems into a more coherent order. The Time Of Our Lives accurately portrays what it was like to live and fight, love and die under the discrimination and tyranny of apartheid.
§ FAROUK ASVAT was banned by the South African regime between 1973 and 1978; and nominated an Amnesty International “Prisoner of Conscience”. From 1971 to 1995 he received numerous death threats from both the right and left of the political spectrum for his views and writings.
“It bears testimony to the resilience and courage of the oppressed in South Africa … His poetry is devastatingly forthright and hard-hitting.”
Tyrone August, The Star
Poetry can be a soft smooth experience or it can be as bitter as a stiff drink. Black Tie Affair is a collection for people who want metaphors that cut like a knife and lines that are less concerned with making something sound nice as they are from offering a shot of truth. Influenced by the intense verses of Charles Bukowski, these are poems bled from deep within to capture something dark yet honest. So if you feel like it, serve yourself a drink, sit down somewhere comfortable, and enjoy. The lines are on me.
“In Bra Frooks … Asvat uses witty, humorous, sarcastic and satiric language to expose the contradictions, emotional terrains and tensions in both Apartheid and post-Apartheid South Africa. He uses the lingo, voice and logic of the man and woman in the street to expose the absurdity of political repression and social control and the mediocrity and hypocrisy of political and religious dogmatism. The tenacity and resilience of people in the face of repression and suppression is exhibited by their ability to see the humorous side of every situation, laughing at the short-sightedness of their oppressors as well as having a good laugh at themselves. This playfulness and wittiness of slang language comes in handy, especially where Asvat uses narrative, monologue, dialogue/dramatic techniques …”
Mphutlane Wa Bofelo, Bluesology And Bofelosophy
This mix of human experience, poetry, and artwork is for everyone who has experienced heartbreak.
A story by Caribbean author and artist Maanarak. Her raw vulnerability shines and shows us who she truly is: an imperfectly perfect being trying to find her way in this ever-changing world.
You’ll remember the pain of losing love as you read. You’ll get a glimpse into the soul of another. And you’ll remember that what you face, you don’t face alone.
With words that cut deep to the quick of what it feels like to love and lose, this blend of personal story, beautiful poetry, and moving artwork will resonate in your soul long after you’ve turned the final page.
The Meow Guardians : A Holiday Mini by Maria Vermisoglou
The Meow Guardians : A Holiday Mini by Maria Vermisoglou
This Christmas the holiday spirit is under threat and only a special stray can save it!
The name’s Ginger, AKA Agent Meow 01. Usually, I spend my free time searching for scraps and getting chased by dogs, like the stray cat that I am.
But this Christmas, everything changes.
When the dog agents from PAWs mess up and leave the human world hanging by a thread, it’s Ginger to the rescue. With my combination of brains, stealth, and daring, I’m the agent they call when the fur starts to fly. Except this time, I’ve got a new partner.
A house cat.
With the clock ticking, this mission seems doomed to failure with so many pheromones about.
Paperback is normally $10.99 but on sales for $9.99
In a future among the stars, the origins of mankind have all but faded into the past. Nathan and his crew aboard the Valkyrie, an extraordinary but ancient ship, enjoy the freedom of the outer systems, away from the despotic rule of the Quanios Empire. But when they suddenly find themselves saddled with an equally extraordinary teenage girl, Sybille, who is now being sought by the Empire, things take a very unexpected turn. They are thrown into a desperate race to locate the lost planet of mankind’s origin.
To stop the Empire, they must solve the mystery of Sybille’s past and locate Earth first, or it could mean the end of freedom for the known galaxy.
Paperback is also on sale~ normally $19.99 on sale for $16.99
In a futuristic world riddled with radioactivity, Amaya Redman was born without arms. This made her a target for termination by Population Control Robots, so her father had always kept her sheltered – but when he went missing on her eighteenth birthday, she set out to find him, leaving her home and her A.I. nanny for the first time in three years. The search would end up leading her down unforeseen paths of hope, love, and pain, as she quickly discovered that PCRs were the least of her worries, and that there was more to the world and more to herself than she ever thought possible. New robotic arms, new love, and new strength were just the beginning of Amaya’s epic, world-spanning journey – a journey that would one day become known as The Undying Chronicles.
Pre-order link coming soon!
99¢
Rememory: A Science Fiction Novelette, by Frasier Armitage
Rememory: A Science Fiction Novelette, by Frasier Armitage
In the future, memory is currency. Felix is broke, on the run, with nothing in his head but a combination of numbers.
Someone robbed him of his mind. Now it’s time he took it back.
★★★★★ “Armitage deftly executes the fresh concept of memory as currency. REMEMORY is part cyberpunk, part thriller, and a total blast to read. Truly captivating.”–EL Strife, Author of the InfiniteSpark series and Zedger
★★★★★ “A mind-blowing short story about a man on a perilous pursuit to take back his looted memories. I’d absolutely give it five stars.”–Dawn Ross, Author of the DragonSpawn series
★★★★★ “Phenomenal story…absolutely phenomenal”–Davene Le Grange, Poet and Author of The Cyber Punk: Ready 2 Play? and other science fiction
In a Quarter of a second and the Glowing rings: The world of present, future and past for all ages adventure series by Anita Kirk
In a Quarter of a Second and the Glowing Rings by Anita Kirk
The World of Present, Future, and Past. In a Quarter of a second prologue.
This is a totally different unique adventure, a young group of Space bowling friends get transported thirty years into the future, going on a strange adventure/mission to recover items for the city people, taking their life into their own hands experiencing strange difficulties along the way on their journey.
In the first adventure Jake Train had invented the eye finger, that the group of bowlers have them permanently, attached to one of their fingers, each eye finger takes photos, and they can view around corners that this tool is also used for.
The bowlers have a whistle each, that does different magical things, including talking through them, flying through the air, time travel, a compass, strange whistle noises when blown, that connect with things in the adventure, a light, an amnesia button, and a skate button that helps them skate.
There is a magical shower cap, for each of them inside of the whistle, that helps them to change their size, and into different items.
Some of the bowlers, had won a magical pocket watch, that they use with items, that come to life, that can come out of the pocket watch, when the pocket watch is open, or you can enter into the pocket watch to do lots of different things that are their to help them, with strange, unbelievable things happening.
They have magical chewing gum, that helps them vanish, when they chew it as needed, to help them, when they are in dangerous situations that is kept in their whistle compartments, that works when placed in to their mouth.
The smart flower is unique, and helps to protect them, with a special force field.
They enter different strange rooms, inside of a club, with some good, some bad and, some amazing things happening.
Some people, have tattoos on top of their hands, that are helpful.
They meet their future selves.
Flora lives in the year two-thousand, and twenty with her daughter Kate living a boring life working full time, with her life about to change, with her in desperate need to go to the opticians for a pair of new glasses, as she arrives at the opticians she receives a pair of glasses through the post with strange buttons on the outside of the packaging that belong to an evil person that chases her, with her working out that they are not normal glasses, with her able to watch peoples strange dreams.
Floras daughter Kate, and her friend Joe find them-selves getting caught up in everything that she gets up to in different unpredictable dangerous eye-catching situations.
Does Flora save the world using magical items to stop the cobweb people, and do people help or hinder her along the way?
Does Flora help people with their dreams to cure them from being cobweb people?
Does Jack the tortoise stop witch Nora stealing items from people’s dreams?
Is the dream changer shop safe, or not?
How do they get out of the walking stick world?
They need to work out what exercise helps them to leave.
What do the earrings do?
Do they find the cure?
What does the corkscrew do?
Does Flora find the plug in and see shop good or bad?
You will never see a television, a gym, a swimming pool, or a walking stick in the same way again.
You need to read to find out why, and how the adventure ends, and if people survive the reflections, and cobwebs.
Paperback is also on sales for only $7.00 Read now
99¢
The Dragon Dreamer by J. S. Burke
The Dragon Dreamer by J. S. Burke
A wounded dragon and an undersea misfit.
Bullied as a worthless dreamer, Arak flies away on a dangerous quest and crashes at sea. A fearless shapeshifter octopus heals the young dragon, and an unexpected friendship begins. Arak returns to the dragon clan, but a terrible illness strikes. Then an undersea volcano erupts, which triggers a deadly chain of events! How can two misfits save the dragons? Dive into a new fantasy world!
Science Fantasy with dragons and an undersea world, for young adults 9 to 99. “The Dragon Dreamer” won IAN (Book of the Year) First Place for Best First Novel; Finalist for Best Science Fiction and Best Fantasy. It’s stand-alone book I of the Dragon Dreamer series.
This Book is a Real Page Turner “This book is a real page turner. As for the writing, I was amazed…crafted so well you feel as if you are in this world…I will personally recommend this book to all readers.” ~ Amazon Reviewer Unique Book with Highly Imagined Dragon World
“This is an extremely unique book that combines action and adventure with a deep understanding of real ocean life and a highly imagined dragon world. For anyone who has ever been curious about the mysteries of the depths or enchanted with dragons, this book will engage you. If you are drawn to both, the Dragon Dreamer will become your favorite book ever.” ~Amazon Reviewer Fantastic Tale for All Ages
“A fantastic tale woven with dynamic characters and brilliant scenery. This book is one for all ages, you can read it yourself, with your children or with your grandchildren. It is a fantasy built for all ages.” ~ Amazon Reviewer
Drakor foresees the doom of dragons.
Drakor seems like a normal young ice dragon with a talent for making lightning swords. But he alone foresees their doom, and none will listen. As he seeks proof, the waking Volcano shakes him off into the frozen sea. Meanwhile, Arak and Scree sail north in search of mythical ice dragons. They find Drakor and a terrifying reality–everyone is in peril! How can this crew of unlikely friends save three realms?
Dive into a new world!
For young adults 9 to 99. “Dragon Lightning” is stand-alone book II of the award-winning Dragon Dreamer series: Science Fantasy with dragons, an undersea world, and unlikely friendships. “Dragon Lightning” won the Pinnacle First Place Award for Best Science Fantasy and the IAN (Book of the Year) First Place Award for Best Science Fiction. It’s also an IAN Finalist for Best Fantasy and Best Young Adult book.
What reviewers are saying:
I had trouble putting the bookdown
“The plot unfolds with a masterful blend of science, fantasy, and wonderfully developed characters. I had trouble putting the book down.” ~ Amazon Reviewer Dive In
Free
Suffer The Little Children TL Helmuth
Suffer The Little Children TL Helmuth
What happens when you accidentally film a child being sacrificed?
Andy Thomas loves using his drone to film in the California Redwoods, only this time he captures something terrifying that will stay with him forever. Security sees the camera lights on the drone and Andy is now running for his life, not knowing whom to trust.
Tina L. Helmuth is writing an ongoing series of thrilling “FACT-FICTION” books that boldly take on today’s most heinous crimes; the abduction, sexual trafficking and cannibalization of our children. “Suffer the Little Children” is the first book in the Yah-Struck series and an introduction to a dark current that lies beneath the surface of our society. Deeply researched and mixed with the supernatural- good versus evil makes this thriller hard to put down. Shining a light on the root cause of these crimes and introducing a spiritual solution. Justice will be served!
Time is crucial when your child has been kidnapped!!
Steven Simpson’s daughter’s horse has come home without her. He understands that something has happened to her and he realizes he’s now in a race against time to ger her back. Steven knows he can’t do it alone.
The Wrath of the Father is the second book in The Yah-Struck series. The Wrath of The Father is a nail biting chase to recover kidnapped children before it’s too late. With the guidance of Yahuah through the Covenant family members, they fight back against all odds. Sometimes it just takes the toss of a coin to choose between good and evil.
Fantasy/ Horror
99¢
The Killing Parts by Frank Montellano
The Killing Parts by Frank Montellano
A funeral in the small town of Pine Bend leads to a disturbing chain of events as a grieving father becomes obsessed with finding a cure, for Death! How far would you go to protect the ones you love from the Grim Reaper? Read what happens when Man mucks around with the primal forces of Life and Death.
An excerpt from The Killing Parts:
One door swung open and a wild mane of black hair popped out. “Hello, Cousin! Hello! No need for all that. Come in, come in! I’ve done it!” A frenzied look filled the pair of brown sunken eyes. “I’ve perfected every parent’s dream. Frigg’s Pledge!”
Early reviews are in:
“..,dramatic and petrifying!”
“There’s nothing more I can say than ‘Wow’”
“A brilliant page-turner!”
“In The Killing Parts, one wonders where reality ends and fantasy takes over.”
“I still have enough good sense to recognize talent when I see it. Welcome to an emule (imitator) of Stephen King.”
Pulp Fiction for the Fantasy crowd!
A quiet day during a long ocean voyage turns into a deadly chase as pirate ships appear on the horizon. Passengers and crew band together in a desperate attempt to save their ship from the dreaded Ice Pirates. But all is not as it seems as pirates aren’t the only danger on the high seas, and one of the passengers hides a dangerous secret.
Black Char & the Crystal Caves: It’s a Trap! by Frank Montellano
Black Char & the Crystal Caves: It’s a Trap! by Frank Montellano
Come along for a wild ride full of magic and mystery as desperate men and women risk the dangers of the legendary crystal caves in search of their hearts’ desires. Black Char the Explorer reluctantly guides an expedition into the dark depths, where ancient magics create crystal wonders powerful enough to change the world. But the caves hold many secrets, such as why the caves grow such powerful crystal artifacts. Deadly magics, burning lava, crazy cultists, necromantic energies and other hazards stand in the way of anyone coming to claim a crystal treasure. Fame and fortune await those who make it out alive!
From Black Char & the Crystal Caves:
Black Char’s voice took on a tone of reverence… “Like the legends say, the swords are there for the taking. It’s all true. On the cavern walls, in columns, the ground, everywhere.”
Note: This tale is set in the same land as Pirates & Demons: Eye of Dog. It is not necessary to read Pirates & Demons as these are both standalone stories.
Fragments of memories. False promises. Shattered dreams. We are forged into ever-changing masterpieces by the gravity of the keepsakes we choose to collect.
The adhesive binding the fragile remnants of our souls? Love.
From the fractured soul of author Keira Lane, who helped bring The East Wind: A Horror & Weird Fiction Collection to life, featuring stories from Autumn Curtis and W.H. Ringer comes a new anthology straight from her heart.
Though the stories within From A Heart-Shaped Box are works of fiction, Keira Lane draws upon her own experiences to share glimpses of her heart and soul. She captures raw sentiment and shares it with the reader to let them know that while life experiences differ, emotions don’t, and we are truly never alone.
Paperback is normally $13.49, sale $9.99 Grab a Copy
The Fish Tank: And Other Short Stories by Maria Elena Alonso-Sierra
The Fish Tank: And Other Short Stories by Maria Elena Alonso-Sierra
SHORT STORIES ABOUT STRONG WOMEN, CUBAN EXILE, GHOSTS… AND A MURDER.
“The Fish Tank is a gracefully-written, varied collection of entertaining, touching, suspenseful, and thought-provoking short stories. Maria Elena skillfully paints rich scenes and crafts interesting characters. Her prose is vivid and distinct. You will not want to miss this collection!” — NY Literary Magazine.
“The Fish Tank is at times fun, exhilarating, haunting and intriguing. The author has done an excellent job of capturing the essence of the short story genre in this fantastic collection.” — Feathered Quill Book Awards.
“From suspense, to romance, to real-life stories from the author’s own past, the finely tuned craft of the short story is clearly evident in this collection. Each story is engaging, thought-provoking and memorable. This is clearly an author who writes with style and with class.” — Emily-Jane Hills Orford for Readers’ Favorite Awards.
“The ambience of each unfolding story moodily fluctuates while continuing the ambience of haunting hope interwoven with a lingering sadness of passing.” — Paul White, Electric Eclectic Blog.
Two times winner of the Silver medal at Readers’ Favorite 2018 International Book Awards and the Feathered Quill Book Awards 2018. It has also garnered a B.R.A.G. Book Award Medallion.
A 3rd collection of short horror by Kerry E.B. Black, author of 2020 The Author Zone (TAZ) award-winning anthology Herd of Nightmares. This latest volume of short stories stampedes into the realm of tales inspired by global fairy tales and myths. To survive a trip through the vale of the fair folk, you must know the rules. Be polite, but don’t say thank you. Iron brings death to the fey, so if you carry it, be prepared for aggression. Stick to the path, keep your word, and be industrious. And Never eat goblin food. (There are many more. They can be fun.)
Tales Told ‘Round Celestial Campfires Joseph Carrabis
Tales Told ‘Round Celestial Campfires Joseph Carrabis
… everything written here actually happened
No, really, it did. I’ve seen things and been places and met…creatures…most people can’t imagine. Or wouldn’t want to. Or should. It all depends on the person and the creature.But much like Gahan Wilson’s “I only paint what I see”, I only write about what’s actually happened…
“These stories have the flavor of an old sea tale, or something told around a campfire late at night. You have a wonderful distinctive voice.” – Boston, MA
“I loved the feel, the tone of your writing – it is very sensitive, ethereal.”– Walnut Creek, CA
“Extremely powerful storytelling!”–St. Louis, MO
So sit back, relax, have something tasty near at hand or tentacle or claw. Read these when other people are around…if you can trust they’re really people. Or read them alone, when it’s dark out. Maybe. Unless you’re not sure what things go bump in the night or scurry unseen in the dark.
Please email me a picture of you holding my book (you can find me on Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter). We’d like to know who’s reading it and where.
Daydreams on the Sherbet Shore by JD Estrada
Daydreams on the Sherbet Shore by JD Estrada
Beyond your waking life and tucked gently between your slumbering eyes and the heart of your soul, there lies the Sherbet Shore. The land where it is located is called Draem; it’s past Raelity and a bit to the left of the Sea of Hope. In this magical land, it’s not that dreams come true; it’s that we become our dreams.
There’s the Kung-Fu Circus, the Parched Pumpkin, the Down Pond and dozens of other places that we discover and create, one wonder at a time. You can drink Curiosity Cola, taste Peppermint Rain or simply enjoy a ride on a dragon ship, a kangaroo, or glide across fields on soapy skates.
So feel free to drop on by. After all, life is just a dream.
J.D. Estrada is a Puerto Rican author who writes novels, poetry collections and connects with people through all sorts of social media platforms and his blog For Writing Out Loud. This is his first collection of young adult short stories and his tribute to the healing and unifying power of dreams and the joys of embracing our inner children.
Although these stories are written in English,
these are the original versions:
with some of the original words, phrases and dialogue
in cape town slang / skollie taal / kaapse praatjies /
kombuis afrikaans / durbanite / zulu / & local patois.
The complete English versions of the following stories:
The Paanies Are Coming,
The Victim, &
An Affair With The Sky’s The Limit,
were previously published as a collection titled:
The Gathering Of The Storm.
Kaaperi was previously unpublished, either in English or slang.
• FAROUK ASVAT is the winner of the Vita Literary Award for his anthology, “A Celebration of Flames”. § THIS MASQUERADE by FAROUK ASVAT contents: The Barrier Forgiveness Piet Bahia Kaaperi This Masquerade Sunday Morning Haircut From A Corner A Life Come True Set in Johannesburg and Cape Town in the heydays of apartheid, these stories act as a compendium to Farouk Asvat’s novels and poems. These short stories are in addition to the stories in: ● The Gathering Of The Storm &● The Paanies Are Coming• § Farouk Asvat is a novelist, poet, translator & medical doctor, banned by the apartheid regime. § He was awarded the VITA Literary Award fo his anthology, “A Celebration Of Flames”. § He was an Amnesty International “Prisoner of Conscience”; awarded the Fulbright Scholarship to the University of California at Berkeley; the EOC Scholarship to the Vrije Universiteit in the Netherlands; the University of Cape Town Health Care Trust Scholarship; and the Kwanzaa Honors Certificate by the Africa Network. § He qualified as a medical doctor at the University of the Witwatersrand, and worked at various community clinics and hospitals. § His poems, short stories and essays have been published in the United States, Canada, Brazil, Turkey, Switzerland, Netherlands, France, Germany, England and South Africa. § His poems have been translated into French, German, Dutch, Portuguese, and Turkish. § He has read his poems at numerous community venues in South Africa and abroad. § He has freelanced as a journalist, columnist and art critic for various newspapers.
“If the way to create
is the way to kill,
I have hoarded enough blood
in my throat
for all the hyenas to suck from.”
[] Shiv K Kumar
The Gathering Of The Storm is a continuation of Siddique’s odyssey in Sadness In The House Of Love. The volume consists of three novellas: Before The Deluge, set amidst the growing violence and humidity of a subtropical coastal city; The Victim, portrays the increasing racist violence in a coastal small town; and An Affair With The Sky’s The Limit, is Siddique’s continuing quest for love and freedom in an oppressive society.
The Tenant from Hell (The Realtor Mysteries Book 1) by Kathleen Walls
The Tenant from Hell (The Realtor Mysteries Book 1) by Kathleen Walls
This book won Silver in the Mystery Fiction category in the Dan Poynter’s Ebook competition for 2021.
You might think a property manager at a large real estate firm would be a dull job. It’s normally routine for Casey Clark, Property Manager at Peller Realty. When a tenant refuses to pay rent, just evict and move on. Not so with the tenant from Hell. When the police capture Casey in the apartment with her tenant, who was shot dead moments before, she is the first suspect in his murder. She learns too late he was not who he seemed. Her world is no longer what it was. When she flees to Helen, Georgia, under an assumed identity, she learns many of the persons involved in the case are not what they seem. Her trip to one of Georgia’s top-tourist destinations becomes a trip to Hell. Casey’s search for answers draws her into murder, drug rings, ghosts, and Indians. Her former problem of having to deal with her psychic cat, Dixie, not getting along with her pirate boyfriend’s parrot, changes into deciding whom she can trust as she scrambles to stay alive. Join Casey as she deals with advice from spirits, sorts through ancient legends, explores the world of music in the mountains, and chooses which law enforcement officers to trust and which are toxic. Her life depends on her making the right choices. It’s a thrill ride from the nation’s oldest city to the twists and turns of Appalachia’s mountain roads.
Double Duplicity (The Realtor Mysteries Book 2) by Kathleen Walls
Double Duplicity (The Realtor Mysteries Book 2) by Kathleen Walls
Casey’s in trouble again. It’s bad when you have a bad tenant renting one side of a duplex and dying in a suspicious fire. When her twin sister shows up, and the police start investigating your motives, you’ve got double duplicity.
The Ranch House Heist (The Realtor Mysteries Book 3) by Kathleen Walls
The Ranch House Heist (The Realtor Mysteries Book 3) by Kathleen Walls
I debated whether to be a fool and rush in to help Lonnie or sensibly wait for the police; an EMT vehicle saved me the debate. Before I could open the door, they pulled in behind me, siren screaming and directly behind was a sheriff’s car.
The EMTs were already heading towards the door. I stepped out and turned to see Joe Scalini and Andrea Johansen getting out of the unmarked and heading my way. Andrea had a friendly grin but Joe was stone faced. We had met earlier when they had been the local deputies investigating the Tenant from Hell case. At the time Andrea has seemed like she was ready to toss me in jail for the murder and Joe was more reasonable. Since Joe and I had dated a lot until my last murdered tenant, had caused the sheriff to ask Joe to stop seeing me until I was cleared as a suspect. I seem to attract murdered tenants. Anyway, the break caused me to reconsider and during that time Roger had come back into my life. Joe and I were still friends-sort of.
I remained on friendly terms with Andrea and her wife. Andrea was lesbian and married to a ranger at Fort Mose named Mollie.
Joe’s was casual and polite but his smile was professional rather than friendly. “Why am I not surprised to see you here, Casey? Do you manage this house, too?”
“No,” I answered and quickly gave him a rundown on Lonnie’s phone call and what I had heard.
“Please remain here and stay inside your car,” he told me and trotted up the walkway to the house with Andrea. I heard him saying what sounded like telling the crime scene people to get here fast. I got back in my car and called Anne at the office. “I’m here and the police and EMTs are inside checking. Have you heard anything more from Lonnie?”
“No,” she said. “I’m scared something bad has happened. Lonnie is pretty level-headed and would have called back if everything was okay.”
Within what seemed like seconds the crime scene guys arrived and entered the house. Minutes later, one of the EMTs came out and met a man who had just pulled up in the driveway. Since I could see a uniformed officer standing guard at the gate, I assumed this was another police office.
The new arrival was carrying what looked like a doctor’s bag from the days when doctors made house calls. Andrea came out. They exchanged a few words, and she escorted the new arrival inside.
Within minutes, another vehicle arrived. This one was a hearse. The driver got out and pulled a gurney from the vehicle. He went inside, and he and the EMT’s emerged with the gurney. It was occupied.
I was keeping Anne apprised of what was happening. By now Lisa Lee, our broker, had gotten to the office and I could hear her in the background asking Anne what was going on? I got off the call with Anne and stepped closer. The gurney occupant was a large person about Lonnie’s size. He was enclosed in a body bag. “Noooo!” I screamed.
Vickie’s daughter is dead. Just one more dead druggie among the hundreds that die each year in Jacksonville’s drug infested slums. The police aren’t concerned about her drug-related death.
VICKIE needs to find the answer. Was it an accidental overdose, or murder? To find the answer, she must leave her safe life behind and plunge into the terrors of the drug culture. Will the search lead her to love? Or will she end up on a morgue slab, just one more casualty in the war against drugs?
HANK His mistakes caused the death of those he loved most. Drug addiction is his sworn enemy. His chosen life has no place in it for love until he meets Vickie.
JOE His money and power haven’t been able to save his marriage or his son’s love. He seeks Vickie’s love but what are his secrets?
Based on an actual abduction that has never been solved filled with drugs, violence, and lies.
“Missing– Gone but not Forgotten.” is about the abduction of a little girl in a rural Florida community. Drugs, family feuds, underage sex, and lots of lies abound. Since this is a fictionalized version, my biggest challenge is to keep it exciting and still true to the real life case upon which the story is based. Another big challenge is when I have my protagonists give their opinions as to what really happened to the missing child, is to be able to back up their ideas with facts that they have already learned. In their investigation, The real life case has never been solved. I lived in the county the abduction occurred at one time, and followed the case from day one, so it feels very personal.
Over The River and Through The Woods by Kylie Jude
Over The River and Through The Woods by Kylie Jude
Inspired by a nightmare, “Over The River and Through The Woods” follows a teenage girl named Charlotte, who visits her aging grandmother Abby in the woods for a weekend. But Abby isn’t quite the same grandmother she remembers from seven years earlier. Her mind is fading fast, and so are her manners. As Abby’s mood swings grow more and more violent, Charlotte begins hearing strange noises around the old cabin, and soon begins to wonder if she, too, is losing her mind.
BE CAREFUL WHERE YOU DIG…There is something very wrong in the Gobi Desert at the natural gas mining camp, BST147.Two weeks ago, satellite photos showed a thriving operation.Two days ago, a war zone.That’s where the Stonecipher Tactical Security team comes into play. Hired to do a simple search and rescue, the situation quickly turns when the sun goes down and the team is attacked by creatures from above and below. To say nothing of the other dangers lurking all around them: a wild man whose flesh is carved with arcane symbols, Eco-terrorists and, most dangerous of all, an office bureaucrat with a clipboard.It’s going to be a long night.
After a painful divorce, Casey returns to the haven of her childhood, her great grandmother Weesie’s tiny log cabin. Nestled deep in the Appalachian Mountains of North Georgia, the cabin rekindles memories of her happiest years as a young child enjoying Granny Weesie’s tales of treasure. Casey seeks a peaceful refuge she will share only with her cat, Smokey. These ancient mountains are part of her blood and her culture. The beauty and the customs have always been sacred to her. However, much more than early memories await Casey in Bluejay, Georgia.
By chance, or was it design, Weesie’s childhood diary turns up in the cabin. The scrawled pages transport Casey back into the late nineteenth century. Far from finding the peaceful time she expects there, she uncovers a web of adultery, murder and intrigue that threatens to entangle Casey’s twenty-first century life.
That life threatens to become more complex when her new neighbor turns out to be a handsome victim of his own marital disaster. Lee Schmidt has vowed never to let another woman mangle his life.
As Casey is drawn deeper into Weesie’s life and times, her “real” life becomes more complicated by her growing attraction to Lee. Some strange occurrences happen in the cabin mirrored by tales of ghostly sightings in her family history. Her involvement with things past increases. As she travels back to 1879 via Louisa’s diary, she meets an intriguing cast of characters. Donald Stuart, her “sister” Lillith’s faithful lover, David, his evil hearted twin brother, Ma and Da Garrett, Louisa’s parents and her own direct ancestors, and the other inhabitants of early Bluejay.
Sidelined by an on the job injury, veteran paranormal investigator Maureen Keslyn reluctantly accepts an assignment at Shadow Valley Manor, an upscale retirement facility where someone—or something—is picking off residents and staff at a grisly clip. With her resources dwindling one death at a time and unnatural forces on the loose, Maureen’s experience fighting the supernatural provides her only hope to destroy a clever and powerful evil before everybody in the manor—and the town—winds up dead. Together with a ragtag team that includes the local sheriff, the undertaker’s daughter, and the facility cook whose knife skills in the kitchen could prove deadly out of it–Maureen is on a mission to bring rest to the weary, and peace to the dead…
“Delightfully dark humor . . . Supernatural thrills and a fast-paced, complex plot . . . One of the best and most unique series I’ve read in a very long time” ~Susan Spann, author of The Shinobi Mysteries).
“What do you get when you cross a supernatural thriller with a cozy mystery, set it in a nursing home, and top it off with a geriatric vampire? A deliciously spine-tingling read full of original characters and biting wit you don’t want to miss, that’s what!” —Linda Grimes, author of the Ciel Halligan series
“A fun mystery with an amazing main character I loved. Very much recommended.” —Alex Hughes, author of the Mindspace Investigations Series
“Creepy suspense, insidious evil, and things that go bump in the night infuse this story with thrills and chills all the way to a terrifying ending.” —Nancy J. Cohen, author of The Bad Hair Mysteries
“A smart and tenacious band of heroes—led by one kick-ass heroine . . . An engaging, sizzling start to a new series.” —Tammy Kaehler, award-winning author of the Kate Reilly Mystery Series
“Paranormal thrills, a feisty middle-aged heroine, and a tantalizing mystery set in a creepy rest home . . . Clever, fast-paced, and fun.” —Lisa Alber, author of Kilmoon and Whispers in the Mist.
A cold case, a serial killer, and a dead girl that won’t go away.
Profiler FBI Agent Derek Reed is dealing with a costly mistake. A mistake leaving him with horrible physical injuries, plagued by nightmares, and the harsh reality a girl is dead because of him.
Forced into a sixty-day medical leave, he heads from Arizona to Tennessee to see his family. Using his love of photography, he decides taking photos of old abandoned buildings will help distract him from the mess he’s made.
When he finds an old tin box at a farmhouse, he’s sure his luck is about to change. But instead of a treasure, he finds the trophies of a serial killer. Four photos of four girls. Murdered over the course of one year, beginning in 1985.
Current cases are hard enough, but tracking a killer from over thirty years ago is almost impossible. Knowing he can’t ask for help from his unit, he questions if he should bury the box and walk away. Not being able to leave a puzzle unsolved, Derek decides to hunt for a killer.
Driven by guilt, he hopes solving this case will help him atone for his past sins—a deadly mistake from his childhood. But chasing a ghost from the past stirs up old memories. Memories Derek buried for a reason.
Three Best friends out for the weekend, a party that seemed innocent enough. Then everything goes terribly wrong. Makenzie (Mack) Leighton is a Los Angeles cop and her private and personal lives have just collided.
One friend lies in a hospital bed while the other is missing. The target of a sexual sadist and serial rapist that the F.B.I. has been trailing for more than a year.
Now she must contend with Special Agents on her turf and getting in the way of her investigation.
Time is of the essence as The Photographer has never taken a victim before and they have no idea how long Alley Masters has left.
*Trigger warning
**Erotic Elements
*** Graphic Violence
California Moon (The Natural Alpha Series Book 1) by S.I. Hayes
California Moon (The Natural Alpha Series Book 1) by S.I. Hayes
Danny Johnston is a young bounty hunter, who for three years to hone her craft has lived and loved as a man. In pursuit of a lead to her family’s killers, Danny is thrown from her horse and attacked by something she cannot identify.
Jake Dorsey is a man traveling on his own while trying to leave his demons behind. When he finds Danny’s horse and returns it, he is awestruck, aware of the bounty hunter’s reputation.
They decide to travel together, if only to ease the burdens of traveling alone. Secrets and complicated situations compound as Jake believes Danny to be a man, while Danny believes Jake to be a Human.
When the truth is finally discovered, will starting an affair prove simple or will Danny be left to make the hard choice? Can she forgo vengeance for love or will the desire to keep her blood oaths prove stronger?
Gage Louvell has just arrived in Wyoming for a Summer long festival. Werewolves fly in from all over the country to attend this event and the young wolf finds himself alone and full of trepidations, he wants to be part of the community, be accepted. He’s about to find out just what it takes to meet those ends.
The Last Danann: Titanian Chronicles 2 Kindle Edition by Victoria Saccenti
The Last Danann: Titanian Chronicles 2 by Victoria Saccenti
He struck a devil’s bargain to save his people. Now he must risk more to save his love.
In exchange for his people’s safe passage into Tir na nÓg, Kailen pledged his sword to the Titanians to defeat the daemon horde. Centuries later, the grief of his losses heavy, Kailen has sworn that while his body is open to carnal pleasures, his heart is closed to love.
Even when it comes to a Druid-trained healer of mysterious origins who serves in the house of Soren, the greatest Titanian warrior. Talaith. This lavender-eyed beauty is his one gentle memory out of centuries drenched in blood.
Not long ago, Talaith willingly lent her powers—such as they are—as Kailen raced to save Soren’s life. Otherwise, she fiercely hides the heart she lost long ago to the lonely, taciturn Tuatha Dé Danann warrior.
When Kailen and Talaith join forces to aid the Titanians against a renewed daemon attack, the walls between them crumble in fierce, emotional passion. But when death magic strikes, the price Kailen willingly pays to keep Talaith safe could tear them apart forever.
Demon’s Life (Demon’s Blood Universe Book 2) by Shari Sakurai
Demon’s Life (Demon’s Blood Universe Book 2) by Shari Sakurai
Out of respect for the relationship we once had I will spare your life. However, if you try to obstruct me again then I will kill you
Vampires are now an endangered species. Possessed by the demon Kurai, Kokawa Taku has sworn to eradicate all those whom he deems inferior.
Determined to free Taku from the demon’s corruption Thane seeks help from Taku’s sire, Takata Koji. Thane’s search for answers takes him to Hong Kong where he learns the devastating truth. That in order to save Taku, Thane may have to kill him.
Refusing to accept this, Thane makes a decision that places the fate of all vampires in the balance. However Thane is unaware of the betrayal around him and that his actions will either save Taku or destroy him.
After escaping an abusive, controlling ex with her jugular barely intact, Cherry finds out Eric’s skipped bail—and he’s out for her blood. Cherry jumps on her motorcycle, and it’s through the woods to grandmother’s house she goes in an attempt to get out of town while the getting’s good.
Too bad Eric beat her there. Cherry’s too late to save her granny, and things get hairy when Eric threatens her with his knife.
Things get even hairier when five larger-than-life wolves appear in her granny’s cabin to battle Cherry’s attacker.
Dive into a world of sexy shifters and pack dynamics in this steamy reverse harem romp!
If only the idea of wanting to become an author had never entered her mind.
If only she’d never met Alex.
That one meeting had caused an avalanche of fate to clash with a dangerous destiny that forced Liz Finely to become the most wanted woman in the world. Stalked by three deadly mafia bosses, Liz has to learn to survive. Passed from one brutal hand to another, tortured, and abused, it’s her blood, her name, which lands her in trouble each time.
Now it’s up to Liz to find the strength accept and become who she’s meant to be, and finally break the chains that bind her.
This novel is a dark mafia romance for 18+ due to the graphic sex and violence
Irish Eyes And Mafia Lies by J. Haney & S.I. Hayes
Irish Eyes And Mafia Lies by J. Haney & S.I. Hayes
After witnessing the brutal beating of her father at Irish Mob boss Antaine Sorley’s hand, Onóra Russo is on the run. Together with her little brother Finn she has fled the safety of her Chicago home for places unknown.
Her instincts say keep running, but loyalty says to do as Daddy instructed. Make the call to the one man who can help her. What happens when the one who answers isn’t who she expects?
Can Onóra trust this Irishman who claims neutrality? With the Irish and Italian’s looking for them does she have a choice?
Rónán knew, knew before he traced the call it was going to be trouble. Then he heard her Siren’s call and couldn’t refuse. It may put his life on the line, but he’ll help her, whatever the cost. Even if that cost is his heart.
They thought they were safe in their elite little world. They couldn’t have been more wrong.
When Charity Daniels was seventeen she fell in love with Literature, and a man who taught it. Their forbidden love was held back until graduation, until legally she could be his.
Flash forward three years, Charity is studying at Yale and still in love with her Princeton Man.
Quinn (Q) Everett is on scholarship at Yale, and finds himself inexplicably in Charity’s path. He tries to stay away, but his mouthy best friend thinks he knows better. Suddenly it’s lunches and crashing private plans for the duo just to see her.
But their flirtations do not go unseen, and Logan’s love turns and goes from jealousy to murderous intent.
Can these unproven lovers stay the course and avoid the devious plot of a scorn man or will everything crash and burn?
*Trigger warning: Violence
**Strong Sexual Situations
Their worlds were fused together by a single ringing of the telephone.
Kyler Jefferson was just sixteen when her family was brutally murdered. Left pregnant and alone she has been running for nearly a decade from place to place, terrified that one day they would be found by the mysterious caller with sinister intentions.
Since the deaths of his mother and sister, Caleb Hudson has been living the bachelor’s life. As a private investigator he usually handles cheating spouses and missing persons, which suits him just fine. While investigating a routine case he finds himself thrust into Kyler’s life, consumed by a profound need to protect her from a past he knows nothing about.
They are two people going down separate roads; one running for her life, the other trying to maintain what’s left of his own. How can they preserve their lives when fate has decided she has other plans?
Paperback is also on sales for 9.99 instead of 15.99 and ebook will be on sale for only 99c December 8th – 14th
Dystopian Romance
$2.99
Warehouse Dreams by Theresa Halvorsen
Warehouse Dreams by Theresa Halvorsen
Kendle’s job is on the line every time she rescues a Wild teen. But Wilds, with their uncontrolled psychic abilities, need her help. They need the chronically underfunded Warehouse, the only school available for Wilds. But accepting a teen with potentially dangerous abilities puts her at odds with her boss; refusing means the teen faces life institutionalized, sedated, and under restraint. Stephen, the new telepathy teacher, is a Bred. His wealthy parents paid for his perfect genetic code. He’s not used to the Warehouse’s long hours, to students who float beds through walls during nightmares, or send fishbowls through windows—not to mention the food sucks. The only bright spot is the fascinating Wild teacher in the next room who plays amazing cello or guitar music late at night. Kendle doesn’t think Stephen belongs at the Warehouse, but when he helps save her and her students from a violent mob, she wonders if she was wrong…and if a Bred like Stephen might fall for a Wild like her. But Kendle has little time for romance. As society ramps up its hatred ofWilds and the Warehouse’s resources stretch desperately thin, Kendle must find a way to keep the director from expelling the most gifted students as dangers to the school.
Paperback on sales Normally 15.99, sales 12.99
Contemporary Romance
$2.99
Hollyhock: Yuletide by J. Haney & S.I. Hayes
Hollyhock Yuletide by J. Haney & S.I. Hayes
Just an hour North East of Bar and Winter Harbours, is the sleepy little town of Hollyhock, Maine. With its border on the Arcadian National Park, it is the perfect place to get away for a long weekend or in the case of Seraphine Haven maybe the rest of your life. Jaded from a lost relationship she has come to town to remake herself and serve up a few sweet concoctions. Little did she know the meddling that was about to fill her days and cold winter nights this Christmas. Issac Skuyler has failed to land, as his father puts it. The son of a florist and longshore fisherman it was the creative blooms that attracted him and kept him home. At thirty-five he’s single and running his own shop, but there’s just one small hitch- he’s still in his father’s house- specifically his basement. When the cold November air blows in a pretty stranger will it be enough to turn Issac’s head or will his family push too hard leaving Issac to the flowers and wreaths for the rest of the Yuletide season?
Your Business is Everybody’s Business in a Small Town.
Ten years ago, Willow Kennedy and Reid McHale were in love. Then College and life got in the way, tearing them apart.
After finding her fiancé in bed with a floozy, Willow is convinced to go home for her class reunion, her one hope, NOT to see Reid McHale.
So much for that.
Reid McHale, having wasted years in the mines, is a bit bitter. After running into Willow, quite literally, he tries all he can to avoid the woman who broke his heart, but this small-town man can’t seem to shake her.
What’s worse, the attraction between them is all-consuming and unavoidable.
Can it work for these once upon a time lovers, or will the whole relationship simply get the Shaft?
Strong Sexual Situations
Strong Language
Drug Reference
Violence
Taniel Jacobs is in an open relationship, he meets LitheinLeather, a masked woman nearly twenty years older than him for a single encounter. All was going great until he breaks a few rules… An honest man, he plans to break it to his girl, only to find she’s broken their key rule. She’s seeing someone on the regular.
Relationship gone… But the Black’s Guild Publishing Company will fill the void. Especially with the sexy Cassandra Blackguild to look at all day long.
Cassandra Blackguild is a forty-year-old publishing mogul, she is also unbeknownst to Taniel, LitheinLeather. Recognizing him, the first day on the job.
One wet kiss and she can’t get the man out of her head. Will she take the chance and reveal her identity, or will it just be all work and no play for this sexy cougar and her young nubile Administrative Assistant?
1 sexy surfer + 1 single mom = One Helluva summer!
Successful, driven, and divorced mom Addilyn Tate writes romance novels. She has only eleven weeks to deliver her next bestseller to the publisher while scouting film locations.
This year’s annual beach vacation with her kids, Bexley, Ryker, and Laken, will be a working vacation for Addilyn. Upon arrival, the family soon meets their new next-door neighbor and landlord, buoyant, reckless surfer Declan Torrance, with whom they will be sharing walls and a patio for the next two months.
Declan cranks up his music at night, sleeps late, and allows his furry friends to run around at will. As Addilyn bangs away at her novel with little success, Declan’s volleyball matches and irregular hours keep her from much progress. But when Declan finds himself bonding with Bexley, Ryker, and Laken, Addilyn begins to see a different side of this man child.
Soon the two begin to see each other in a whole new–and attractive light.
This is a Beach read for the over 18 crowd, it contains mild violence and Adult situations expected in open door mainstream romance.
Calvin Pennington is a good boy.
He goes to school, gets good grades. Always does his homework and always listens to mother and father. Except in one thing.
His friendship with Kaycee McLane. Much to his parent’s dismay, he has befriended the girl from the wrong side of town and he will not shake her.
What happens when Calvin decides he wants more?
Will his family give? Or will they dig in their heels and put a stop to this budding romance before it starts?
Can Calvin stand up to his family, and if he does, can he accept the consequences?
*Trigger Warning
**Stong Sexual Content
***Drug Use
Four years ago tragedy hit and now Bennett Reynor sits in his mansion, alone. He gets everything he could want delivered straight to his door. His business partner Stanley would like to see him move on and live his life but Bennett is content in his solitude often letting his disdainful words drive everyone away.
When Clover Prescott’s husky Mia takes off, setting her on a muddy and cold pursuit she finds herself in the yard of a grand estate while her pup is being accosted by an albino Doberman. Little does she know she’s about to come face to face with the ornery owner.
Heated words are gonna fly when these two let loose their mouths with hilarious results.
Asher O’Grady runs O’Grady’s Garage. Fixing and selling cars to Manhattanites. Living and loving under the cover of his Grinder App, he’s a serial dater, until one late spring afternoon call brings him face to face with Xander Gatlin.
Suddenly the man’s palms are sweaty and his head is full of naughty connotations. Xander helpless against Asher’s tattooed and pierced tonged charm quickly succumbs to his lustful intentions and their hard bodies connect causing the young baker to see stars.
Can Xander break through Asher’s walls and open him up to the possibilities that await him in coming out to the family? Will Asher take the brave step toward a monogamous relationship?
Can they find where sex ends and love begins or will secrets rip them apart before they can even start?
Katie Belle Wilson is a single mom. At twenty-six, she’s busting her hump to get her master’s in Early Childhood Education. Her pet project, Cupid Is Calling was supposed to help her study people and how letter writing could connect them. Little did she know she was to become a participant and perhaps find the one thing she’s always craved but never gained… Love.
What if a driven single mom lets a sweet and caring widower into her world?
Rest assured it’s nothing short of Bee-u-tiful.
Griffin Garnet is just this side of thirty and at the top of his game as a high paid litigator in a
prestigious Louisville Law Firm.
When word comes down the line that he and his mentor are up for partner he believes he’s got it in the bag. Until he hears of a rumor.
Bent on not losing this opportunity he blurts out a wallop to save his reputation.
Stating that the pretty plus size girl in the family photos is his girlfriend.
The problem now is the partners want to meet the girl, which would be great except one little problem.
She hates his guts.
What happens when lies and lines blur?
Can a game of pretend become more or will the pair just be content with faking it?
Jarrett Brooks is about to be a granddad. His daughter not wanting to lose her only family left, begs him to give up his nasty cigarette habit. Having failed in the past he looks to alternative options. Namely hypnosis.Winnie McCormick has been smoking for years. When her twelve-year-old boy wants to her dismay start dating the only way to curb his growing libido is to agree to quit. This sends her straight to the Holloway Hypnotherapy clinic.The chance meeting sends both into a hazy lust-filled fantasy. Can Jarett get past Winnie’s college friends AKA the gatekeepers? Can Winnie get her children on board and finally get a semblance of a life or will priorities flip them both on their heads?
Left at the altar on her wedding day, Autumn Elizabeth Ashley, angry and broken hearted takes off on what should have been her Honeymoon with her Maid of Honor and best friend Nadia Havarti.
Autumn tries to just drown her sorrows, but Nadia won’t stand for it. Instead, she helps Autumn to remember what single is supposed to feel like. So, when a strapping mountain of unidentified local man shows interest, Autumn takes a cue from her BFF with the repercussions to match.
Dalian Emeterio grew up between worlds. His family moved from their Pious and beautiful home in Georgetown, Cayman Islands to the United States when he was just a boy. Memories of his birthplace lead him to dream of one day opening a place on the island letting him take care of the parents that worked so hard for him.
One winter night while working at a Rum Point Hotel he meets Beth and the sparks fly leading to an explosive New Year. Waking alone on the sand he thought he’d never see her again.
Ten years have passed, he is now the owner of The Georgetown Heirs, a chain of intimate hotels along the most popular Port of Calls in the Caribbean, Bahamas and the Western Atlantic.
Faced with the woman who left him on the beach, he’s about to find out that getting what you wish for always comes with strings.
Absence makes the heart grow fonder unless you’re Samuel Benson.
Betrayed by his own brother and the love of his life, Sam has stayed away for ten years until the death of the Benson Patriarch lures him home. Taking care of the Christmas Tree Farm is one thing, but can he face his past and reconcile the choices that were made, or will it all blow up in his face?
Peyton Miller was the girl next door. She’s been in love with the boy on Church Street since she was eight, but circumstances put her in the arms of his brother. Ten years later, Peyton is widowed with two children and a third on the way. Will she ever feel like her old self again? Will she be able to chisel the ice from Sam’s heart to find the path to forgiveness? Can she ever forgive herself?
Sutton Bishop has always dreamed of a career in law enforcement. After years stuck in a loveless marriage she finds herself divorced and a top graduate of the Academy. She is determined to juggle her life as a mom and a new recruit to the Steel Head family even if her partner is an ornery jerk.
A sexy ornery jerk.
Marcus Cameron was once an esteemed member of the K9 unit, until his canine partner was lost in the line of duty. He’s hardened his heart and tightened his britches in an effort to move on. Tasked with a babysit, he just wants to do the job and go home so he can drink and fish.
When the pair encounter a key player in an ongoing DEA/FBI investigation, it doesn’t matter how unhappy he is or how green she may be-all bets are off and hearts toe the line as they find themselves tangled up in blue.
At twenty-six Dorian Gallagher has it all. Money, power, he’s used to fast cars and faster women. He gets what he wants when he wants it. Being put in charge of the build for the Gallagher family’s newest theme park has dropped him in Tennessee. Bored out of his mind he decides to go get some new ink and finds himself face to face with a beautiful woman who doesn’t know his famous last name. Can he charm this dark beauty, or will she just stick him and run?
Charlotte (Charlie) Herrick is a free spirit. She drives a big truck, rides a motorcycle and carries a gun. All while dancing around in the layers of tulle that make up her usual cheek baring tutus. Her life was hers. Until she meets Dorian Gallagher, now she doesn’t know which way is up and life has become something more than just the shop, fishin’ and moonshine. He says he’s just here for the year, so she convinces herself it’s just a fling. Can she stay true to her convictions or will this Amusement Park Prince finally get his princess?
My world was decadent, if not lonely. Raised by an aging Blue Blooded sycophant, I couldn’t stomach the idea of a forced marriage.So I ran.Took on the world one, two at a time, with one goal in mind. To come. To feel my blood boil, my heart race and my body transcend to something-anything worth living for before their private dick catches up with me.Jumping my cruise ship to a resort town in Mexico, I thought I was good. Thought I could disappear and resume my chase of debaucheries and delights.Then I met him. The monster of a man that has promised to do all I need. The catch? He wants my trust and complete obedience. Can I give up control in pursuit of my desires? Can I swallow my defiance and surrender to him or will my past arise and leave me as always— wanting?Note: Contains cameos from the main characters in J. Haney & S.I. Hayes’ Island Heir. While not required reading they do hope you may want to know Ian and Autumn’s story!ViolenceDrug ReferenceAdult LanguageStrong Sexual Situations
Lies have a way of coming to light. Especially when love is on the line.
Tru Averdeen had everything a person could want. Money, fame, the power to influence others. Her way was paved on her fortune and her face. With porcelain skin, a head of fiery curls, all framing a pair of pastel blue eyes and lips like to pink roses she has been a Media Spectacle since she was born. Then she met Holly…
Holly Turner came up rough. Emotionally damaged all she wanted was a life worth living. Then she sees a face on TV crying over some lost rich daddy. Her wheels turn and soon she is face to face with Tru and the truth…
It’s been four years since that night. They don’t speak of it, not anymore. Tru has fallen away from the limelight, letting Holly take on her name, her face, friends. All Tru wants is a quiet happy existence away, and all Holly wants is what’s owed to her. It’s worked for four years…
So, the name’s Avery Harper but my nearest and dearest usually call me Av. I’ve been told I come off as a bitch but in reality, I just won’t take no BS…
I play hard but I love harder. I like to party with the best! Honestly is there any other way to party?
During my senior of high school something went horribly wrong making me the woman I am today.
Who you ask is that woman? Well let me just tell you. I sleep with who I want, when I want, where I want. If that makes me a whore than stop bragging boys because you ain’t any better. They use, and abuse, and I take all I can get from the idiots willing to pay. Rich college boys… Gotta love um, big stupid and willing to pay top dollar to be seen with the likes of me and I’m worth every penny.
But I’ll tell you a secret, I’d give it all up for a guy strong enough to see past the bullshit and talented enough to make me come. Haven’t met one like that yet, so until then me and my girls will keep running and playing and working hard. Because that’s what we do.
*Erotic Elements
In a competition for fame they must surrender to the music and each other.Cassiopeia Eleanor. A name that just begs to be heard. A successful singer in small-town Mississippi, she finds only disappointment in California. It’s a tale as old as they come until she sees the flyer for a new kind of musical talent show. Rising Star could be her ticket to success. Now, she’s on her way. She’s moving through the ranks, and nothing is gonna slow her down. J.T Chase is a man possessed by his passions. Having left the Seminary, he’s spent the last eight years working the bar and club scene, trying to share his music. Rising Star is his chance to show the world that he can succeed.
What happens in Vegas, never actually stays in Vegas…
Brent Casey aka Brent Jagger is the lead guitarist of one of the best Southern Rock bands, in the world, Fallen Angels. He’s been sober for three years when he wakes up hungover and in a bed, that isn’t his. To make matter’s worse there’s someone in bed with him, and he’s got a ring on that he doesn’t recognize. He knows quickly he’s messed up. Thinking he can just get it annulled he sneaks out of the hotel to be grabbed by his detail and shoved into his car to be taken to the airport they have a gig in Sydney, and will be gone for three months, hoping Lawyers can handle it he’s at a loss as he doesn’t even know her last name. When he finds her, he finds he’s stuck, as she burrows under his skin.
But can this mouthy, Texas girl handle the life of a Rocker? One on the brink of his addictions? Can they move past lust and find love at last?
Cordelia Sterling is out on her ass. When her cheating fiancé kicks her to the curb, she has no choice but to call her daddy. He says come home, but she refuses, and daddy finds a solution in his best friend from High School, the kind, honest, and struggling Beckham Morrow.
An apartment, a job, hot meals—it’s a dream for Cordelia, one she can’t pass up. But what happens when the boss is a silver fox that makes her insides tingle?
Will she give in? Become the babysitter cliche and succumb to him, or will she keep it all professional even as just a glance from him makes her want to…
Holidays are hard, but when your mind tells you that they are impossible then the unimaginable can happen.
This is the case for Bristol Kane.
A few pills, some brandy and it can all go away, or so she thought. Finding herself in the hospital with her husband still at her side, she must contend with her broken spirits. She must smile through, to keep the next wave of tears at bay. She’ll soldier on for him.
Now, it’s up to her loving husband Lucas to save her from herself. Taking her from Texas to Finland, he hopes that the snow and the change of scenery can reignite her passion for the season.
Can Lucas turn Bristol’s smile from false to genuine? Will twelve days filled with love save them from themselves?
Coming up the son of a very wealthy family, Boyd (Bowie) De’ Mendoza is a little strange. Infatuated with finding his person, it’s no wonder he’s smitten by the girl from across town.
Her pineapple lips and their stolen kisses fuel his desires. Hiding away on Amity Isle he has a week to spend with her before the future calls.
Can a couple of dreamers make a go of life and love? Only time will tell.
Kris King was on the top of the world. High on life and ready to take the Country Music world by storm, when the unimaginable happened.
Eleven years later he is tasked with helping young Nicolette Barrett to restart a career that has fallen flat. She wants to leave Niki B behind and get back to her real Southern Tennessee roots.
Can Kris crawl out of the bottle long enough to see just how promising this woman can be, or will his foul mouth and broken spirit forever be bruised beyond repair? Together can they learn to trust in fate and perhaps let the music heal them both?
I was named after the place where my parents met, the street where they fell in love, and later where my father died.
Mom refused to accept handouts and I was pretty much the same, thanks to the example she set. But it’s winter break. Normally, she’d come get me, but this time…her car is in the shop and I am out of options.
I did what many other college students were forced to do: post a rideshare request on the board in the student union. I just never expected Kellan to reach out and offer.
Is he genuine, or will this end like our last conversation-him bleeding and my hand hurting?
☆ Kellan ☆
Baker changed me without even trying.
He is the guilt I carry in my heart. The one person I measure myself against. Every day is a game of ‘What would Baker do?’ He had a moral compass that everyone else in my life lacked. He was fiery and passionate. He also packed a mean right hook.
That we ended up attending the same college was no coincidence. That he needed a ride, however, was. I knew his number by heart.
We met and I think I fell for him in the first hour. I’d drive him for free, just to have the chance to tell him what I should’ve said all those years before. I might have said nothing that day, but I didn’t stop my friends. See, I knew his truth, and perhaps now it could set me free.
Heather Montgomery- A widow of Six years who has been going through the motions of daily life but not actually living. She spent her days at work and her nights at home watching tv and writing in her journal grieving the loss of her husband.
Samuel Thorton- A Hardworking charming accountant for one of Los Angeles ‘ most well-known law firms lost his wife to breast cancer eight years before and is ready to finally move on.
When Heathers’ daughter sends her away to Aspen Colorado for Christmas she meets Samuel in line at the airport and they become fast friends. They spend most of their days exploring Aspen together and Samuel quickly develops feelings for Heather.
Heather is attracted to Samuel as well but refuses to give in to her feelings out of fear that she would be betraying her deceased husband. Heather and Samuel struggle with their feelings for each other until the week before Christmas when an accident occurs changing their lives making it A Christmas to Remember.
Her submission is his sweet revenge…until the truth detonates his plans.When Joe learns Hunter’s name, his inner Dom’s lust turns to black rage—he’s convinced it’s her fault a teammate committed combat suicide. He embarks on a plan to seduce her, but by the time her sweetness ensnares him, the truth threatens what could be the love of a lifetime.
A fictional story that follows the struggles Mac goes through while fighting through depression, suicidal ideation, and the desire to be loved and cared for. Mac has to learn to deal with these issues and desires while working through troubles with substance abuse and a hidden battle with alcoholism.
When Cosmo Greco gets laid off from his job in Philadelphia, he takes up his sister on her offer to drive with her to Portland. A near fatal car accident in the beginning of the trip wakes him up to the fragility of life and to the fact that he’s been leading a dull, mediocre existence. People he meets along the way further open his eyes, but his pragmatic nature and his fears come into play and he’s conflicted about whether to go back to his old way of life or to go forward in his journey of self-discovery. What will he do? Find out while going on an adventure filled with vividly painted landscape and colorful characters. Midwest Book Review calls this “a soaring story” and Kirkus Reviews says it’s “a transformative road trip.”
Olive Branches Don’t Grow On Trees by Grace Mattioli
Olive Branches Don’t Grow On Trees by Grace Mattioli
Silvia Greco is broke and living with her father in New Jersey when her mother asks her for help in gathering their family to celebrate her younger brother’s high school graduation. Uniting her feuding family who haven’t been together in over six years and whose parents are newly separated is a truly great challenge. Can she make peace in her family and save them from devolving into families like those of her parents, with siblings who are estranged from one another? Find out while immersing in a world of unforgettable characters, humor, and delicious food! Gain valuable insights about the art of peacemaking! “Best of List” in “Suspense Magazine!” Indie Reader’s 5-Star review says, “The author…manages to make us care about this family…All of the Grecos…are entertaining and their quirks are endearing.”
Racetrack Rogues: One Woman’s Story of Family, Love, and Loss in the Horse Racing World
by Dawn LeFevre
Racetrack Rogues: One Woman’s Story of Family, Love, and Loss in the Horse Racing World by Dawn LeFevre
What if you never had the chance to say I’m sorry?
From the author of Backstretch Girls, winner of the 2021 Equus Film & Arts Festival for Best Horse Racing fiction comes a new story of family, love and loss.
Nineteen-year-old Dahlia Leggett is a brilliant student but a subpar daughter. Her mother, pioneer female jockey Marilyn Matteo, was once the star of the local sports pages but their relationship is far from stellar. After a nasty confrontation with her headstrong mother, Dahlia vows never to set foot on the racetrack again.
Then Marilyn dies and Dahlia is left with only a guilty conscience, boxes of her mother’s memorabilia, and a cottage on her grandparents’ horse farm. When her grandparents take on a dangerous horse that responds only to her, Dahlia is pulled back into the life she tried so hard to escape. Before she knows it, Dahlia has a rag-tag stable of neurotic Thoroughbreds, a bulimic jockey, a party-girl BFF, and an unexpected romance with Steve, the sexy son of her nemesis – legendary trainer Bill Bassett. When Dahlia stumbles upon a forgotten videotape among Marilyn’s possessions, it threatens her precarious relationship with Steve but reveals a way that she can make amends to her mother.
Can Dahlia achieve her mother’s dream without losing the man she loves?
“When You Took My Heart With You” by Kandice DeLuccy
PAST AWARDS:
Bookclub Favorite
Winner of New Adult Fiction―Beverly Hills Book Awards
Winner of the SILVER Medal for Best Fiction in Drama from Readers’ Favorite
Finalist USA Best Books Awards in Literary Fiction and in New Fiction
Inspired by a true story about mothers, daughters, and impossible choices―Jules Foster, a child psychologist, upon hearing news of her estranged, narcissistic mother’s terminal diagnosis, chooses to care for her mother over her own daughter, only to find out she has been betrayed all along. Things Unsaid asks us to consider what children owe their aging parents and siblings.
When You Took My Heart With You by Kandice DeLuccy
When You Took My Heart With You by Kandice DeLuccy
Book 1 of The Brightest Star Series
There is nothing like a first. First smile, laughs, and the most coveted first kiss.
Kayla Rossi is shy, inexperienced, and prefers to be invisible. Alyson D’Agostino, is her best friend, confidant, and keeper of her biggest secret.
Kayla has never kissed a boy! Not that she hasn’t wanted to. No, she wants to, but feels she may mess it up.
Jake Gaetano is gorgeous, charming and very popular. Not only does he have a cell phone, but he drives a mustang and wants Kayla in the bucket seat beside him.
Will Kayla let Jake in? Can she reveal her secret and lose her insecurities, or will her fears hold her from that magical and unforgettable first?
Strap yourself in for the twists and turns of this emotional roller coaster ride!
99¢
The Bird that Sang in Color by Grace Mattioli
The Bird that Sang in Color by Grace Mattioli
A moving family saga about the secret to living free!
Donna Greco wants nothing more than happiness for her bohemian brother, Vincent, whom she perceives as sad and lost as he remains single, childless, living in boarding homes or cramped apartments, and working low-paying jobs she thinks are beneath him. She subscribes to a conventional view of life and despite her tireless efforts of encouraging him to do the same, he chooses to go his own way. She harbors guilt for her supposed failure to ensure his happiness until she finds a book of sketches he made of his life, which allows her to see his internal joy.
She also discovers something else in her brother’s drawings that changes her entire outlook on life and fuels her desire to live authentically. But she is pulled back into her secure existence for fear of the unknown. What does she discover and will she be able to break free of her self-made prison and live life on her own terms? Read this generational saga spanning decades and filled with endearing characters, great humor, and nostalgia to find out.
Reviewers have called this story “profound, thought-provoking, funny, inspiring, and beautiful.” Notable New York Times author Lidia Yuknavitch has called this book, “hugely moving, beautifully rendered, and brilliant.”
The blossoming love between Siddique and Wasiela in the midst of an uprising against the cruel regime is set against the bleakness and the beauty of the peninsula – the myriad characters reacting with humour and courage to the turmoil surrounding them.
Against the backdrop of the ever-present mountain and the persistent south-easter, the novel is a portrait of a cosmopolitan city isolated from the world, of a happy-go-lucky community caught up in the throes of a revolt against oppression, of an extended family responding to the new challenges facing them, of the slowly developing love between the two protagonists getting entangled in the maelstrom – with devastating consequences.
The English version of the novel, Sadness In The House Of Love,
was previously published separately as a book.
Although In The House Of Love novel is also written in English,
it is the original version, with words, phrases and dialogue
in cape town slang / skollie lingo / kaapse praatjies /
kombuis afrikaans / & local patois.
The blossoming love between Siddique and Wasiela in the midst of an uprising against the cruel regime is set against the bleakness and the beauty of the peninsula – the myriad characters reacting with humour and courage to the turmoil surrounding them.
Against the backdrop of the ever-present mountain and the persistent south-easter, the novel is a portrait of a cosmopolitan city isolated from the world, of a happy-go-lucky community caught up in the throes of a revolt against oppression, of an extended family responding to the new challenges facing them, of the slowly developing love between the two protagonists getting entangled in the maelstrom – with devastating consequences.
In Kansas and Missouri, the War Between the States started long before Fort Sumter. Daniel Fitzgerald, a Southerner who tries to settle Kansas and leave behind his tormented Louisiana roots, soon finds that in Kansas Territory you have to take sides or die. Taking sides doesn’t lessen the chances of a violent death, it just determines who is going to try and kill you.
For Massachusetts-born Rebecca Styles, who comes to Kansas to insure freedom for slaves, the choice is easy. Or is it? When she meets Daniel, she is forced to take a new look at all the ideas she took for granted, like all Southerners are evil and all abolitionists are good.
Daniel’s half-brother and former slave, André, knows his first loyalty belongs to his friends and family, not a lofty ideal, but he can’t sit by and do nothing when injustice stares him in the face.
Throw into the mix all the larger-than-life characters who played a part in the sectional violence which led the nation into its bloodiest war and you have a novel with all the drama of the era. You’ll meet James Lane, John Brown, JEB Stuart, Robert E. Lee, Joseph Shelby, Harriet Tubman, Abraham Lincoln, and the other men and women who have shaped this nation into what it is today.
You will never look at any of them as just characters in a history book again.
This is a historical novel unlike any you have ever read before. It is a blend of history, action and romance. Facts read like fiction, and fiction could have been fact. It is a story of a time that changed a nation and a handful of people who lived and died in our nation’s most colorful era.
For over a decade, Puerto Rican indie author JD Estrada has signed off his blogposts, videos, forewords, and letters with a curious little phrase: Peace, love, and maki rolls.
Equal parts catch phrase and life mantra, it is in essence what Estrada wishes upon all the people in the world in regards to getting along, sharing the best we have to offer, and good food.
This Guide to Creative Kindness shares a lot of examples of how we can be kinder more often in our daily lives, because with all that goes on in the world, a little kindness can go a long way to changing someone’s life.
Authentic literature is the bloodbeat of contemporary society.
It transmits the pains and laughter of the writer’s environment.
It alerts against violations of the Truth.
Literature does not develop in a void.
It is a transformation of the reality into an artform,
utilizing the dialects of the time;
getting its shape, direction and field of concern
from the social, political and economic forces
that interact in a particular society.
The creative writer is the conscience of the people,
the interpreter of his society. …
Weapons of Words
Creativity and Development:
a critical look at black south african literature
in the context of third world and world fiction
The Sad Splendour of Latin American Literature
Modern Arab Literature a clash of cultures
Jorge Luis Borges: the forking paths of the labyrinths
The Power of Words (an interview)
Black South African Writing: a critical appraisal
I Say
For Writing Out is a collection of the most poignant blog posts from the blog that goes by the same name. It spans a wide variety of topics because life is far from homogenous and rather than avoid unpopular topics, thoughts are shared in hopes of inspiring and promoting dialogue.
Quick and Dirty E-newsletter Guide by Heidi Angell
Quick and Dirty E-newsletter Guide by Heidi Angell
Heidi Angell of Angell’s 4 Authors, Marketing Maven, course creator, and author of 9 fiction books, has created a simple guide to help you create an e-newsletter. From understanding why, to knowing how, helping with content strategy, and finally with tips on how to grow your list, this handy guide gives you what you need to confidently move forward in creating an e-newsletter strategy and campaign today.
Quick and Dirty Marketing Plan for Authors by Heidi Angell
Quick and Dirty Marketing Plan for Authors by Heidi Angell
Heidi Angell of Angell’s 4 Authors, Marketing Maven, course creator, and author of 9 fiction books, has created a simple guide to help you create a multi-pronged marketing plan that you can implement with as little as 30 minutes a day building towards a robust sales front. Get this easy guide to begin promoting your book today.
Come with me on a visit to Georgia’s ghostly getaways. They offer spirited excitement and haunting beauty. From the seaport of Savannah to the Appalachian Mountains, the Peach State has its share of spooky spots. The spirits come in both sexes and all races. You can even find animal ghosts. Join me as we look behind all the creaky doors and eerie mansions at Georgia’s most spectral sites.
It’s probably just coincidence that these spooks choose to abide in some of the most interesting places in all of Georgia. It would be an awful shame to visit these haunted sites and miss out on some other fascinating places just around the block. So, in order to get the most enjoyment out of each place with a haunted site, this book will also recommend other places of interest in the area.
Since, unlike the spirits we seek, travelers have bodily needs; this book will also give helpful hints about food and lodging. Whether your choice is a rustic campground or a historic bed and breakfast, you will find suggestions to please every weary traveler. Likewise, fine food gourmets and fans of home style cooking will also find something to please each taste.
The South has long been famous for its Southern Hospitality. Hotels through-out Dixie vie with one another to make each visitor feel like a cherished family member instead of a paying customer. You want to see more than your hotel. You want to immerse yourself in the flood of history that has engulfed the spot you visit. This book will guide you to many of the lesser known places with interesting stories and restaurants with the berst food and atmosphere. Perhaps you seek a Colonial ambience in Virginia or a touch of Civil War drama in Georgia or Alabama. Or you may want to relive the brash frontier past of Texas, Kentucky or Tennessee. Do you wish to experience the Creole flavor of Louisiana or Mississippi’s rural heritage. In Florida, much of its history has been influenced by its tropical and subtropical climate. Some states in this book, like North and South Carolina have a culture so diverse you can expect to find a different experience depending on which part you visit. These hotels all do have one thing in common. These are the Hosts With Ghosts!
Wild About Florida: South Florida by Kathleen Walls
Wild About Florida: South Florida by Kathleen Walls
Geography has dealt Florida a lavish hand when it comes to natural gifts. The Sunshine State is filled with unusual flora and fauna. South Florida is home to the endangered Florida panthers and the only North America crocodiles. The Everglades swarm with wildlife from birds such as wood storks, ibises, flamingos, roseate spoonbills and dozens of others to mammals such as black bears, bobcats, fox squirrels and raccoons. When it comes to reptiles, you will find more alligators than you ever dreamed of as well as gopher tortoises, caimans, green anoles, five lined skinks and hundreds of other snakes, turtles and lizards. Take a boat ride into the surrounding waters of the Atlantic or Gulf of Mexico, you will find dolphins dancing in your wake. Drop on down to Big Pine Key, which is the only place you can encounter the tiny Key deer in the wild. You will probably spot a few sun-loving iguanas as you island hop through the Keys. South Florida’s plant life is also abundant and rich. From the native mangroves, which are at the root of the food chain to the colorful exotic Brazilian pepper, which threatens native plant life but seems impossible to eradicate to the delicate wild orchids, which thrive on air alone, your senses will be overwhelmed by the color and variety. Then there are also all the refuges, preserves, parks and zoos that make South Florida a nature lover’s paradise. Wild About Florida- South Florida is a guide no outdoorsman- or woman- should be without. It lists those hard to find places and provides the inside scoop on those magnificent spots you might never find on your own. It portrays Florida’s wonders with original full color photographs.
Wild About Florida: North Florida by Kathleen Walls
Wild About Florida: North Florida by Kathleen Walls
Come explore caves, hills, whitewater falls and lots of other fun things you didn’t expect to find in Florida. North Florida still lets you enjoy the sun and sand of Gulf and ocean beaches, you expect in the Sunshine State but there is so much more. The northern counties are totally different from their southern and central counterparts.
Wild About Florida: North Florida is the ultimate guide to eco-travel in Florida. Hike an aboveground cave at Florida Caverns State Park. Think you need to travel to the mountains for whitewater fun? You can find that right here in Florida at Big Shoals State Park offering the largest whitewater rapids in Florida. Looking for rare and exotic wildlife? How about the Sherman fox squirrels at Gold Head Branch State Park or the white squirrels at Ochlockonee River State Park? Into reptiles? You can view white alligators at Saint Augustine Alligator Farm. And that just scratches the surface. This book will tell you when and where to find all the outdoor fun you can imagine in north Florida. Like its south Florida counterpart, it is a guide no outdoors person should be without. We also have some great color photos inside to help visualize the wild wonders of north Florida.
Wild About Florida: Central Florida by Kathleen Walls
Wild About Florida: Central Florida by Kathleen Walls
Central Florida has the Atlantic Ocean and Gulf beaches much like other parts of Florida, but in many other ways it is distinct and unique. The Florida scrub jay, a bird many Floridians believe should be our state bird, is found nowhere in the world except central Florida. Central Florida is bisected by one of the most unique rivers in the state and perhaps even the world. Then there are the whooping cranes. There are only three whooping crane colonies in the United States. Central Florida’s Polk, Osceola and Lake counties are the home of the only non-migratory flock of whooping cranes. Citrus County is host to the ultralight-led migratory flock that winters in Chassohowitzka National Wildlife Refuge near Crystal River.And then there is… but why not just read the rest of the book, complete with color photos, to discover all the things that are uniquely central Florida.
So, to keep in the spirit, I decided to do NaNoWriMo this year. It’s been a hot minute. But some of my best works came out of NaNo and it’s great for keeping me motivated with that collective word count goal. I need that motivation! If you’re participating in NaNo, feel free to follow me!
I am working on the 3rd book in The Hunters Saga, The Counsel, for NaNoWriMo, as well as working to get the first books re-launched under my own umbrella.
Combine that with prepping for holidays, and reconstruction from a bathroom leak, November is shaping up to be a CRAZY busy month. Definitely need the motivation vibes from everyone!
On to the main event!
#IWSG November Prompt
Purpose: To share and encourage. Writers can express doubts and concerns without fear of appearing foolish or weak. Those who have been through the fire can offer assistance and guidance. It’s a safe haven for insecure writers of all kinds! Posting: The first Wednesday of every month is officially Insecure Writer’s Support Group day. Post your thoughts on your own blog. Talk about your doubts and the fears you have conquered. Discuss your struggles and triumphs. Offer a word of encouragement for others who are struggling. Visit others in the group and connect with your fellow writer – aim for a dozen new people each time – and return comments. This group is all about connecting!
Be sure to link to this page and display the badge in your post. And please be sure your avatar links back to your blog! Our Twitter handle is @TheIWSG and hashtag is #IWSG.
You ready?
Let’s rock the neurotic writing world!
This month’s optional question:
What’s Harder to do, Coming up with Your Book Title or Writing the Blurb?
Honestly, I am the worst at titles. I either tend to go too esoteric (Elements of a Broken Mind) or too basic (The Hunters) and trying to match for genre is just…. ugh.
The blurb, I actually find a lot easier. I get more words! Lol.
But, I also am lucky to have built up a pretty awesome community and with both, I always shop them in Author Anon and after getting their feedback and tweaking, I shop them in my reader support group Heidi Angell’s Geek Street Squad. I used to use other groups to shop but found that the feedback often conflicted and was so divorced from who I am as a writer, my brand, and my audience. So now I just stick to these two groups. If you are an author who would like help shopping your titles, blurbs, covers, marketing content etc. I welcome you to join Author Anon. If you love my work, come join The Geek Street Squad!
Welcome back to the exciting fun of #OctoberFrights! Today, as promised, I have a short story in The Hunters Saga for you. This is a prequel story and those who are fans of the urban fantasy series may love some of the Easter eggs presented. I know finally getting to write the origin story for one of the characters has been such a pleasure for me and I hope you enjoy it as well.
Do not miss the other awesome stops in the blog hop. You can find them in the links at the end of the sample read.
Las Immortales
Kishar swept her long black hair back over her shoulder and lifted her head from her basket to gaze out across the heads bent over their own basket. Her icy blue eyes met Cadeyrn’s soft honey brown eyes and a smile danced across his lips. She resisted the urge to smile back as she saw other heads popping up as they finished this section of the basket.
“Now, to finish a sturdy frame, we will take this piece of willow here…” she picked up the willow stick and began deftly weaving it around her basket frame. “And be sure that as you weave it, it is lined up properly. You cannot scoot it down several rows in, like you could with the fronds.”
As heads bent back over their work she spared a small smile at Cadeyrn. He winked at her and she could feel herself blush. She turned back to her work hoping he had not noticed.
††††††††††
Most of the people who had come to learn to make baskets had already left. The sun was quickly setting and only a young girl and her grandmother were left. Kishar smiled as she watched the young girl pointing out how to finish the willow weave for her grandmother.
“Good evening Isthal, Ninhursag. See you again next week.”
She gathered up her tools and the leftover materials and placed them in a couple of baskets. Then attached those to her yolk and scooped them up. Cadeyrn was bidding good night to the others but promptly turned and joined her as she headed out of the main gates. Kishar side-eyed his small basket, the only thing he carried besides his cloak.
“Would you like me to carry that for you?” Cadeyrn’s voice warmed the night chill. He was already reaching for her yolk and she ducked away.
“No!” She righted the swaying baskets. “You should stop,” Kishar admonished. “You know they will respect me less if they know.”
“Belteshazzar says that, but I do not know. I think he gives humans too little credit.”
“I think you see the best in humans, but he knows the worst. He is only trying to protect everyone. Like with the magic…”
Cadeyrn huffed. “I disagree. Why should we not teach those who are adept how to help others?”
Kishar bowed her head. There was no point in arguing this with him yet again. Especially as part of her didn’t necessarily disagree. Belteshazzar’s warnings of human greed and selfishness seemed void. They had worked with hundreds of humans in Babel and the surrounding cities. They all seemed good and kind and very community-led. Other than their short lifespans and the way they aged, Kishar felt that they were much like the Immortals. Or at least, much as her people were before. She could not fathom how helping them learn simple tools construction was allowed, but teaching them more advanced skills to help them make technological leaps was not. But the mission was to help them develop the knowledge to discover that greatness on their own.
Cadeyrn stiffened beside her and Kishar glanced up to see what was happening. A man stood in the road before them.
“Ba’el?” Cadeyrn called out.
A sob came from the loan figure and he collapsed before them. Cadeyrn dropped his basket and ran to the man. It took Kishar a moment longer to set down her yolk and go to them. Cadeyrn was cradling the man as he sobbed unintelligibly. He clutched a leather pouch in his hand and Kishar drew up straight. Those were used to keep sacred stones. Why did this human have them?
She was able to catch some of what he was sobbing. Someone had died. The stones did not work. Her guts wrenched at this man’s grief but cold dread settled at her spine. Cadeyrn had been teaching far more than simple herbal recipes and nature magic. Even many of the advanced practitioners among her own people did not have the skills to manage the sacred stones. If Belteshazzar knew then who knew what he would do to Cadeyrn.
Ba’el suddenly sat up, clutching Cadeyrn’s tunic and shaking him. “You can bring her back! We can still save her!”
Cadeyrn took the man’s hands gently and shook his head, such deep sadness in his eyes. “I am so sorry, Ba’el. Nature magic works up to the point of death. But bringing someone back from the dead… it cannot…. Should not be done.” The man’s face crumpled into more tears. His face was swollen and he had obviously been crying for a long time. As Kishar leaned over him to offer comfort she could smell death and decay clinging to him. Her nose wrinkled at the stench. Whoever had died had been very ill and the scent clung to the poor man.
He recoiled from her touch then sat back on his haunches, looking up into Cadeyrn’s face. A hardness stole across his face. “Cannot, or should not, Cadeyrn?”
Cadeyrn hesitated at the hard look on the man’s face. “Both. I do not know of any way to bring a person back from the dead. It is not possible with nature magic. It is unnatural and it should not be done.I am so sorry for your loss.”
Ba’el pushed away from Cadeyrn and rose. “You immortals!” he spat in disgust. “You claim to love us, to want to help us be our best selves, but you keep the most important things from us so you can lord over us. Why do you get to never age, never get sick, but you will not share that with us?” With that, Ba’el stumbled into the night, taking the sacred stones with him.
Kishar watched Cadeyrn as he watched Ba’el walk into the night. Cadeyrn’s shoulders slumped. “His wife Zariaa has been so sick since they lost their child in child birth. I… was just trying to help. He is so adept at magic, you can normally taste it on him….” tears glistened in Cadeyrn’s eyes. “But he does not understand that magic cannot fix everything.”
“He is so angry,” Kishar murmured.
“Of course he is. Their love was much like ours.” Cadeyrn scooped her up into a crushing hug and sobbed. “I could not fathom losing you. I can only begin to grasp his heartbreak.” Kishtar hugged him back with all her might. Tears leaked from her eyes, dripping onto his cheeks and mingling with his own tears. She pulled back, wiping his face. “Shhh,” she murmured, kissing him gently on his cheeks, his nose, his forehead. She hugged him tight again. “Such a loss is unimaginable.” She buried her face in his neck and breathed deeply of his vitality and life. How could mortals bear such loss?
††††††††††
Kishar wiped the sweat from her face and arched her back, gazing out across the field. She stood and stretched her back again, glancing down at the half finished rug she was weaving. A small white butterfly danced across the long grass at the edge of her station. Sighing, she scooped up a ladle of water in the bucket beside her. Taking a sip, she then poured a little over her hand and wiped her face with it.
Studying the others in the field practicing with their weapons, Kishar sighed. It had been 20 years since Belteshazzar began withdrawing their people from interaction with the humans. Only months after they’d seen Ba’el on the road. In only a few months, the people of Babel had turned against them. As the hate, anger, and distrust spread throughout the land, her people withdrew even further from the humans.
After their fellow Immortal Azucar had been murdered on the high road, Belteshazzar ordered that defense training commence. They had not had to fight in battle in more than 500 years and the thought sickened Kishar. She watched as Cadeyrn swung his morningstar, wrapping it around poles and ripping them from the ground. While she could admire his grace and skill, the thought of him killing humans, even in defense, sickened her. The fear that he could fall clung to their every interaction of late.
This is not how life should be. But Belteshazzar had been right about humans and their greed and selfishness. He had not predicted their worst trait, though. Their fear. Someone had been whipping up that fear against the immortals. Kishar shaded her eyes to get a better look as a black spot appeared on the horizon. She squinted into the afternoon light to watch a bird as it swung over the field, searching. The bird dove towards their battle commander, Ichin. A messenger. It landed on his shoulder and leaned into his ear. He marched to the large horn in the field and blew it to bring everyone in. This could not be good.
Kishar gathered with the others in the field. Those who had been training brought their weapons with them. Those who had been working, left their projects where they were. As the crowd gathered, they whispered among themselves, wondering what new trial was upon them. Kishar observed Ichin’s normally bright countenance. No smile, no light twinkle of mischief in his eye.
“This must be serious,” she murmured. Hands snaked around her waist and Cadeyrn whispered in her ear.
“Serious, indeed.” He kissed her temple gently, smearing sweat across her cheek and hair. She leaned into him, the strong musk of his labor comforting her. She glanced about as more gathered, pressing in close enough to hear when Ichin spoke. Many others were also snuggled together. She waved to their friends Kitar and Shandahar who held hands talking to the side of them. Kitar pushed his way through the crowd, holding onto Shandahar to cut the crowd for the smaller man. They finally maneuvered next to Kishar and Cadeyrn.
“Dark days ahead,” Kitar muttered. “Word is they are stoning those like us,” he jutted a chin towards Shandahar, “in Babel.”
“There are no more of our people in Babel?” Kishar whispered.
“Not our people,” Shandahar clarified. “Men who love other men.”
Kishar couldn’t stop her gasp of surprise. “They are killing humans because of who they love? What madness!”
“They say it is because it is unnatural, like the immortals themselves.” Kitar sighed.
Cadeyrn let loose an incredulous laugh. “Humans do not understand nature at all.”
The men all nodded in agreement.
Ichin raised his hand for silence. As the murmur of the crowd died down he touched his throat and murmured an incantation that enhanced his voice so all could hear.
“A messenger has informed me that there is a hoard just over the Western mountains descending on the valley. He reports that there is all sorts of dark magic at play. We must prepare our defenses.”
Cadeyrn hugged Kishar tight and she realized she was trembling. Dark magic.
“The magi will lead the defenses. Regiments will provide backup support. Those magi here will join me now. We do not have time to delay. The rest of you relay the news to those still in the village and join us with supplies and weapons as soon as you can. We must hurry!”
Cadeyrn pulled Kishar into a tight embrace. “I must go. You warn the others.”
Kishar wrapped her arms around him tight, a cold dread wrapping around them. Tears eked from her eyes and she swiped them away with one hand. “My beloved, be safe. I will join you as soon as I can!”
He kissed her in a way he had never kissed her before. As if he were memorizing every detail. As if there would never be another. When the kiss ended she was weak in the knees. She cupped his face, gazing into those soft honey brown eyes filled with sorrow and dread. The lump in her throat prevented her from saying more. There was no more to be said. Now was the time for action.
She bolted through the crowd of people dispersing on their tasks, glancing back only once to see Cadeyrn already gathering with the other magi. Her long legs and the urgent fear drove her to the village before any of the others. She ran to the ramshorn at the townsquare and gasped to blow it, the wind escaping her momentarily and the sound came out as a plaintive whine that drew surprised stares from those in the marketplace. She caught her breath and blew into it again. The people of the village gathered, all staring at their comrade drenched in sweat and still winded.
Kishar focused on calming her breathing so she could speak as loud as she could. She was not gifted with magic and could not amplify her voice as Ichin had done.
She raised her arms for silence which fell quickly across the crowd.
“The humans are coming with dark magic from the Western mountains. Ichin and the magi are already on their way. Gather weapons and supplies, tell your neighbors, and then go to support the battle. Quickly!” With that, she leapt from the ramshorn and bolted through the crowd that was already in motion. Weaving through the people, she headed down a side street to the small home she and Cadeyrn shared in the south of the village. Snatching up Cadeyrn’s hunting pack, she began stuffing it with food and supplies. When it was full, she grabbed her sword and sheath, strapping it to her waist, and grabbed Cadeyrn’s sheath of throwing blades, tossing them over her shoulder.
The village was a scramble, everyone gathering weapons and supplies. Kishar pushed through the crowds, heading for the western path. As soon as she was clear of the throng, she picked up her pace, jogging towards the western mountains. It felt like only moments had passed since Ichin had given his directives, yet Kishar could tell by the long shadows cast before her that it had been hours. With each bound the shadows grew longer and Kishar’s heart grew heavier. The fear of the unknown that awaited them pulled at her, weighing her down. But the fear for Cadeyrn was keeping her from collapsing under this weight.
As the gloom of dusk settled over the valley, Kishar had to slow her steps so as not to trip. She could hear the sounds of battle above her somewhere on the trail into the mountains. Small explosions of light let her know she was still about 2 miles away from the battle. The ground rumbled with other blasts. She wondered if the magi were calling the trees for help.
A deep rumble shook the ground, nearly knocking her off her gait and sending rocks and scree down on her from the trail above. She skipped and dodged the largest stones, but one sharp stone sliced across her cheek and she could feel her warm blood streaming down her face as she continued to pick her way through the trail.
A flurry of motion tackled her from the side of the trail and she and her assailant slammed into a tree. Her sword was pinned behind her and she struggled with all her might to push the man away from her so she could defend herself. She could smell death in the air as she fought for purchase. How was this human so strong?
A blast of magic shot into the air, lighting around her. In horror, she saw her assailant. What was once a man was now something dark and twisted. There was no intelligence in his eyes. He lunged desperately for her face as if drawn to the blood still streaming from her cut. She was squeezing his throat to keep him back and realized that his trachea had collapsed, but it was not stopping him.
Scrabbling to create some distance between them so she could get to a weapon, she felt a fear she had never known. The fear of dying. There was a boulder between the tree and the mountain on her left so no escape that way. She tried to shift them to her right, getting some space around the tree. Her attacker slipped in some scree and she was able to break free, running into the trees behind her. She pulled her sword from her sheath and whirled on the attacker again as he came after her. One strong cut and his head dropped to the ground. The body stopped, hanging lifeless for one moment. Instead of collapsing as she had expected, it began stumbling about towards the head. Looking over, she saw the head looking towards the body. Bolting around the flailing body she kicked the head away from them as hard as she could, then headed back to the trail.
As she moved further into the battle, she was met with many more grizzly scenes that she had no time to process. Occasionally she would stop to assist one from her community who was in danger of being overwhelmed. But all the time her heart demanded she keep searching for Cadeyrn.
As the grey morning light began to tinge the tops of the mountain ahead, the enemy began to disperse. Kishar kept fighting even as they fled, searching desperately for Cadeyrn. But there was no sign of him. As the sun peeked over the mountain it seemed there were no more humans to battle. The immortals began retrieving their dead and wounded.
“Kishar, we have need of your healing!” a voice called to her as she searched among the dead. She stumbled over to assist. It was Shandahar. He was holding compresses to a fellow immortal’s face. “I cannot stop the bleeding,” Shandahar muttered. Kishar dropped her gear and moved over to examine the patient. Her face was tatters with muscle and bone exposed. Kishar gulped back the bile rising in her throat. “We need a magi,” she informed Shandahar. He shook his head. She glanced around. There were few still on their feet around them and none of them were magi. Taking a deep breath, she looked about them. A magi could fix everything later but she needed to stop the bleeding now or there would be nothing to fix.
White flowers in a clump near a tree caught her eyes. Staunchweed! She gathered up all the flowers, hoping it would be enough. Chewing the flower petals up, she applied the poultice to the poor woman’s face and wrapped it with clean bandages. “Look for more of this plant on your way down. I fear many will have need of it.” She handed one of the flowers to Shandahar. “Have you seen or heard anything of Cadeyrn?”
Shandahar averted his gaze. “I have not seen him since last night. When I saw him, he was further up, fighting with the other magi.” He pointed up the trail further into the mountains. Kishar thanked him and continued her search.
††††††††††
It was past midday. She had searched all the way up the path of blood and gore, finding very few injured and still living. Finding many more monstrosities like the one that had attacked her. They were maimed and unable to attack, but could only be put down with a blow to the brain. After going to the top of the mountain, she was systematically working her way back down, putting down all the dead things and dragging her comrades who had died to the edge of the trail so their bodies could be recovered for cremation.
Her back and legs ached from stooping and sorting through the dead, but it was nothing compared to the ache in her soul. So many lost lives, human and immortal alike. What could be worth this? As she was picking her way through a cluster of death, she found one of their soldiers beneath. He was still alive! She began pulling the dead off of him, to help him get free. As he reached his hand out from the pile it began to smolder and burn. He yanked it back quickly, howling in pain. She could smell the dark magic on him.
“Gandahar, what happened?”
“I… I do not know,” he moaned from under the pile. “The light hurts.”
“Were you injured before that? Is it dark magic?”
“He bit me!” Gandahar growled. “That monster, he… ripped out my throat!”
Kishar pulled back. “Ripped out your throat or was trying to?” she asked.
“What? Oh…. he must have only been trying to.” There was a change to his tone that made Kishar pull back further.
“I will get help. One of the magi to heal this dark magic upon you.”
“Do not leave me,” Gandahar begged. “Please!”
Kishar hurried down the path until she came upon a group of her people. One was a magi. She rushed through what she had seen and heard. The magi’s face was dark and brooding. “Gandahar is gone. What is left must be killed or he will kill us tonight like those other monsters.” He marched the way she had come. She scrambled to keep up.
“Is this different from the undying ones?” she asked, pointing to a head with a spear through it.
“Indeed. The undying ones seem to have no memory of who they were or of anything beyond feeding on brains. But the others crave blood. They look like their former selves, can even think like their former selves, but they are stronger and more violent than any human I have ever known. They stink of death and dark magic. They are so difficult to kill. I will hold him in place with magic and you must pierce his heart. It is the fastest and kindest way.”
Kishar froze. Was he ordering her to kill one of their own?
“He is not like us anymore. You are doing him a kindness, letting him pass on.”
“Pass on?” she asked.
“It is a human notion that when we die we go to the Gods.”
“But are their Gods not based on our people?”
“Yes. We think. But it is a nice sentiment. Perhaps if we died as they do, we would have found our own eternal belief systems to ease our grief.”
That grief. It weighed down on her. Where was Cadeyrn?
After disposing of the Gandahar-that-was, Kishar collapsed to the ground weeping. The magi stood by quietly. As her sobs subsided to mere gasps and hiccups, he coughed gently then spoke. “What were you doing up here by yourself?”
“I am searching for Cadeyrn. No one has seen him. Have you seen him?” She turned imploring eyes up to the magi.
The man’s eyes were filled with more sadness than she could stand. All at once she knew she did not want the answer he was searching to give her. He cleared his throat. “He is a magi, yes?” She nodded mutely. “Most of us did not survive.” He looked at the gore and bloodshed around them. “This is precisely why Belteshazzar forbade teaching humans more.” He shook his head in sadness. “So much waste and death. For what? Because they are greedy and wish to live like us? But they have children and families, simple lives filled with so much pleasure all because they know life will eventually end. Why trade that?”
Kishar sighed. “Perhaps they do not realize. Perhaps they hope to have both?” She looked out over the sea of dead. “And now none of us can have either.”
††††††††††
Kishar stared up at the ceiling as the soft afternoon light danced across the rafters. She sighed in bone weary exhaustion. Immortals were not meant to sleep during the day, but the hordes only came at night. She tried to go back to sleep but images of Cadyern as one of the undying ones flitted across her lids. Slamming her fist into the bed, she wept again for the millionth time in five days. Her mind told her he was dead. Her heart begged for it to be true. He could not be one of the undying. All chance of sleep gone, she pulled herself out of bed, performed ablutions, dressed in a tunic and pants, and went to assist with building the wall.
The wall was more of a barricade of pointed spears surrounding the village than an actual wall. Each night the hordes threw themselves against it with little mind or care, but it held them in place so the villagers could finish them off. Every day teams worked in shifts to replace broken sections. She found a group working on a section near her home and sat down to whittle the points on each end of the shaft.
“Kishar, this is not your shift. You should be resting.” Kitar stood before her with a water gourd in hand.
Kishar shook her head. “Sleep eludes me.”
“You are not alone.” Kitar looked around the village. Kishar’s gaze joined his. Many more than were scheduled to work were out and about. Some were cleaning stalls that had been knocked over in the night, others were preparing food and passing it around, and many more were sharpening weapons and working on the walls. The unusually light and airy village felt subdued and closed in. Very few spoke as they went about their work.
“Any word of Cadeyrn?” Kitar asked.
Kishar shook her head, focusing on attacking the point of the stick to get it sharper as it kept her eyes dry. Every day more of their dead were recovered from the mountain and the surrounding forests where the undying would drag them after snatching them through the walls or from the outposts. Their village had once held nearly 500 people. Now they barely had 100 left. The fact that the undying’s numbers were dropping at a much higher rate did not seem to stop whoever led them from attacking within the hour of sundown and not fleeing until the light began to be tinged with daylight.
“Any word from the other villages?” Kishar asked. Kitar had a much closer connection to those controlling the war effort. He had told her the other day that word was sent to Allandia and Uruk that first night by magi but no word had returned so messengers were sent.
“Allandia is gone. No word on Uruk yet.”
Allandia was gone? How? “Do you mean they fled?”
Kitar’s face went dark. “No, it and all of its people are just gone. No bodies, no animals. The few buildings that were still there were burning piles of rubble.”
Kishar blinked rapidly to keep the tears from flowing yet again. There were almost a thousand immortals in Allandia. How could they all just disappear? She gazed about the people working. Was that to be their fate as well?
Kitar cleared his throat. “Well, I had better get back to work. Get some rest. We have everything in hand.” He rested a hand on her shoulder and the unbidden tears spilled down her cheeks. She swiped them away furiously, nodding as she handed him the spear she had been working on. “Thank you,” he murmured as she stumbled away.
Kishar wandered aimlessly about the village, looking for some way to help. But she could not settle on any task. Finally, her feet found her at the gates.
“Do you need to go out?” the sentry called to her. She peered up at the man, his name escaping her. She nodded. “What is your business?”
Kishar stared at him blankly.
“You are not the first to wish to look for a loved one.”
She shook her head and pulled herself together. “I am a healer. I was going to gather herbs.”
The guard looked her over. “We could definitely use more healing.” he nodded for her to go through the gates. The other guards pulled them open for her. “Be sure to return before the sun falls behind the mountains. And do not go too far. Some of the undying still travel in the light.”
Kishar nodded to the warning and stepped through the small gap in the gate. As the gate closed behind her, she wondered if she should just go back. Ignoring her gut, she clutched her small blade tighter. It was more of a tool for cutting shoots and digging up roots, but could certainly puncture the skull if need be. She stalked across the open field towards the tree line. At the treeline she hesitated. The forest at the base of the mountain was not that thick, but in the shade of the mountain it was much darker than the field. She peered through the gloom looking for any movement.
The forest was unusually quiet. She could see dead bodies here and there. Two steps in and still no movement. Shifting her path to stay along the edge of the tree line, she began looking for herbs. She found more staunchweed, which is always needed. Some arrow bells which when mixed in water provided a cooling drink to stave off fever, Along the stream she found several more healing plants. Scooping up some fresh water, she slaked her thirst and decided to take a moment in the lovely patch of sunshine to rinse some of the roots and herbs she’d found. Setting them out on the rocks to air dry, she sat back for a moment and closed her eyes.
††††††††††
A cracking twig in the distance brought her to. Her eyes snapped open, scanning the gloom around her. She must have fallen asleep! The sun was below the mountain peak and no light trickled down to her. Sho slowly turned her head right and left looking for what could have caused the sound. There was no movement in the darkness. No rustling. Nothing to ease her fear. She quietly gathered up the herbs and roots she’d rinsed earlier, all well past dry and mentally cursed herself for being so foolish.
With her plants gathered, Kishar took one more look around then carefully crept along the stream towards the field. While the stream muffled her sounds of movement, she also knew it would likely muffle the sounds of any pursuer so she kept her eyes wide and stopped periodically to check her surroundings. No more sounds reached her ears and she could see the field up ahead. She hurried her pace.
Just as she was about to clear the last set of trees, a pale hand snaked out behind the nearest. She barely dodged its grasp, slashing at it with her tiny blade and diving away, rolling to a crouch she faced her would-be attacker and froze.
Cadeyrn was staring at his hand where she had slashed him, a puzzled expression on his face. “Why Kishar?” His voice sounded different. She couldn’t quite place it.
“Cadeyrn?” She looked him over. He was filthy, his tunic torn and stained, but he seemed uninjured.
“What are you doing out here?” he asked.
“Where have you been?” she asked at the same time.
He chuckled and shrugged. “I woke up in one of the caverns of the mountain. Took me forever to find the exit. Then to find my way home. And you. What are you doing out here?”
Kishar gestured to the basket. “Gathering herbs. There are many wounded.”
“Are they still attacking?” Cadeyrn asked.
Kishar gazed at him, longing for it to be her Cadeyrn, but there was a coldness to him that she had never seen, felt, or heard. He smiled uncomfortably under her scrutiny. Even the smile felt forced and unnatural. She took a step back towards the field.
“Do the others know you are here?” he asked as he took a step towards her.
She nodded. He smiled. The smile was cold and calculating. He took two steps forward. It took everything in her to stand her ground. “Let us return to the others then,” Cadeyrn waved her ahead. She stared at his hand. Nodding, she turned towards the village, keeping several steps ahead of this thing that looked like her Cadeyrn but not.
They cleared the trees and she picked up the pace. He was right behind her. Halfway across the field a gust of wind blew across her back carrying the scent of death. She spun on Cadeyrn. He had gained on her more than she realized and barrelled into her, knocking them both to the ground. She slashed at his face and he threw himself back, barely missing her blade.
“What are you?” she whispered, staring into cold dark eyes that were definitely not Cadeyrn’s.
He pulled back and a sneer crossed his face.
“That is a fair question. One I have not been able to ascertain. What makes you believe I am not Cadeyrn?”
“I know Cadeyrn. You are not him.”
Pain flashed across his features. “I do feel different, but I am Cadeyrn. I have all of Cadeyrn’s memories. His thoughts and feelings. I remember loving you. I remember kissing you.” he looked at her lips hungrily, making her gasp at the intensity of the stare.
“Look at your hand. The hand I cut.”
Cadeyrn stared at it thoughtfully. The gaping wound had hardly bled at all. The blood that came out was dark and putrid. He sniffed at it. “That is different. But I still love you.”
Kishar hesitated. Perhaps one of the magi could fix this.
Cadeyrn stopped studying his hand and looked to Kishar. “Oh, Kishar. I long for you.” There was a hunger in his face. A hunger that scared her. He knelt down to her level, still clear of her reach with the blade. “My sweet Kishar. I can hear your heart beating. Does it beat faster in the thrill of seeing me, or in the fear of seeing me?” He tilted his head and his mouth opened. “In fear. I can taste your fear, Kishar.” He scooted forward still just out of reach. “But why are you afraid? I just told you I love you!” There was a pleading in those dark bottomless eyes.
Kishar’s chest heaved as she tried to hold in the sob. Tears came unbidden to her eyes.
“Oh, Kishar, my love, do not cry.”
She did not have the heart to swing at him as he crept forward. The scent of death enveloped her and she tried not to gag. He reached the unmaimed hand out to her and with one finger caught her tear that slid down her cheek. He licked his finger. “Such tears. You have cried too much.” He leaned in closer and she closed her eyes longing for the kiss. Something wet touched her cheek and her eyes flashed open to Cadeyrns look of surprise on his face. She touched her cheek. He had licked her!
His eyes flickered in the moonlight and a strange red hue seemed to settle over them. Kishar raised the dagger as he lunged at her. He growled as she slashed at him. Snatching one of her hands, he jerked her up so she dangled half kneeling, and dove at her face again. She stabbed at one of his eyes and he jerked back with a howl. She scrambled to her feet and took off running as fast as she could back towards the camp, he was right behind her. She was not going to make it.
She tripped right before the gates and once again he was upon her. In the fall, she lost her blade. She hooked a finger in his now-empty eye socket and pushed him back with all her might.
“You had better kill me, you witch, or I will drink you dry!” he howled, pushing all the way up to her knuckle into his eye as he scrabbled blindly at her arms and face. She could feel him ripping her skin and warm blood splattering everywhere in his ferocious attack. She thought about letting go. There was nothing left in this world without him.
“Please, my love,” she gasped. “Please Cadeyrn, stop!”
He ripped away from her, and her finger lost purchase on his cheekbone. In their tussle, she discovered that the dagger was now within reach. But he did not lunge at her.
“Do you still love me?” Cadeyrn whispered. “Like this? Can you love this?” The disgust in his voice hurt her.
“Do you still love me?” She returned the challenge. “Can you still love me like this?” she pointed at him.
He sighed. His eyes closed. She reached for the blade and tucked it in her hand. He did not seem to notice. “I do love you. I told you I will always love you….. But your blood. It is so…” He sniffed the air and grinned in delight.
Kishar heard her fellows at the gate. Please, somebody stop him, she prayed. Maybe we can help him. Her heart raced as she heard the gates open. They would be here any moment.
“If I drink your blood, you will be with me always, forever, in love!” He lunged on her again.
The blade pierced him right below his breast. He looked down in shock. Then he looked to her with such love that she hesitated. Tears streamed down her face. “My love, you must go deeper or Ba’el will have won.” He leaned into her blade. She felt it catch on a rib then slip free deep into his tissue.
“Ba’el, is he who did this to you?” Kishar sobbed.
“No, my love. I did this to him. This is all my fault. Do not let your death be my fault as well.” He licked her arm… no, the blood on her arm. Then he bit her. She screamed, slamming the blade up into his heart.
As the others gathered around her, Kishar felt wind whooshing in her ears and the world going dark.
††††††††††
Kishar awoke to searing pain. She could not move. Opening her eyes, she saw herbs hanging and drying on the ceiling all around her. She tried to sit up and realized she was bound. Looking around the room, she tried to call for help. Her throat was so dry.
The rasping of air across her parched throat threw her into a coughing fit and that set off needles of pain all through her face and arms. A cup quickly came to her lips and she slurped the water to soothe her throat. As the coughing subsided, she gulped the cool liquid down while the person shifted her to a semi-sitting position on their lap. When the glass was empty she opened her eyes and nodded thanks to Zana, their head healer.
“How are you feeling, then?” Zana asked.
Kishar felt confused. Why was she here? What had happened? The sun was shining and it made her feel safe. Why? The events of the night flashed into her mind and she crumpled into tears.
“Oh, my dear!” Zana rubbed her shoulder comfortingly. “You have been through so much.”
“Cadeyrn?” Kishar croaked. The look of pity on Zana’s face told her all she needed to know.
She crumpled into tears again. When she cried herself into exhaustion, she heard Zana murmur as she drifted back into the abyss. “Rest, dear. I am here.”
††††††††††
It took weeks for Kishar’s body to recover from the attack. Not just the physical wounds, but the dark magic that had invaded her body from Cadeyrn’s bite. Each day her body improved, but her heart and soul would not heal. Life was empty and cold and pointless without Cadeyrn and it was her fault he was gone. She was too numb to cry anymore.
One day Zana took her for a walk around the village to get fresh air and sun. They made it to the town square before Kishar asked to rest. She sat on the stairs to the meetinghouse while Zana searched through the shops. The market was busy and loud on this beautiful warm day. The warmth and comforting sounds helped to ease the emptiness and Kishar closed her eyes and tilted her face to the sun.
She became aware of two women chatting under the tree next to the meeting house.
“Poor Kishar,” the one woman said. “You know she and Cadeyrn had been together for some time. I cannot imagine how awful it must have been.”
“We have all been through the worst, and I hear it is all because of Cadeyrn. I am glad she killed him!” the woman spat.
“How can you say that?” The other woman sighed. “I am glad he is gone too, but none of it was her fault. I could never have killed him, and I was not in love with him.”
Kishar squinted into the sun, her ears buzzing as the rage built up within her.
“I could have and would have if I had known his dabbling would lead to this. Immortal populations have been decimated because of him!”
“I did not kill him!” Kishar growled loud enough for the women to hear.
The first woman stepped toward her, “Oh, Kishar, how are you?”
Kishar sent a frosty glare that froze the woman in her tracks. She turned the glare on to her compatriot. “And you could never have killed him, despite your slandering him in death.”
“You did kill him,” the compatriot hissed. “I saw it with my own eyes.”
Kishar laughed as feelings burgeoned within her. New and powerful feelings. They were an aphrodisiac after weeks of numbness.
Both women looked at her as if she had lost her mind. She sighed. Not her mind. Just her soul. The last of the laughter died off in a cold chuckle. A warmth spread through her chest and into her limbs.
The first woman hesitantly asked, “You said you did not kill him. If not you, then who?”
A metallic tinge hit her tongue as Kishar snapped her mouth shut in rage. “Ba’el killed him. And I will kill him if it takes me eternity,” she vowed, letting the fury course through her.
††††††††††
There you are, the enigmatic Fury origin story. Want to read more of Fury’s stories?
Grab The Hunters and The Hunted, the first two full-length novels in The Hunters Saga. I have about 30 copies left of the 1st edition paperback edition of The Hunters available for those who love collecting 1st editions. I also have some hand-crafted wooden stakes designed for Fury herself!
October Frights Hop
Don’t miss the other awesome events happening as part of #OctoberFrights. There is a bookshop full of awesome books on sale, a giveaway with fantastic reads, and lots of fun stops like this one!
I am participating in #OctoberFrights this week and today is the first post. A review of a fun quick Halloween read, Uninvited by Amanda Marrone. Let’s get to it!
Genre:
Paranormal dark romance? Amazon has it under YA teen horror.
Jordan’s life sucks. Her boyfriend, Michael, dumped her, slept his way through half the student body, and then killed himself. But now, somehow, he appears at her window every night, begging her to let him in.
Jordan can’t understand why he wants her, but she feels her resistance wearing down. After all, her life — once a broken record of boring parties, meaningless hookups, and friends she couldn’t relate to — now consists of her drinking alone in her room as she waits for the sun to go down.
Michael needs to be invited in before he can enter. All Jordan has to do is say the words….
My Thoughts:
I had a stalker in high school. He was nowhere near as charming as
Michael. He also never lurked outside my home (though I certainly had nightmares he would) and we didn’t have a romance before he became my stalker. However, I still really connected to a lot of her experiences and the feelings behind them. This book only deals with a vampire on the surface. It is really a deep look into teen abusive relationships, teen social struggles, and is a darkly beautiful coming of age experience for Jordan.
It feels like a light read, at only 204 pages. I read it in one day. But it clings to you after. My favorite thing about this book, unlike a lot of paranormal romance *cough cough Twilight cough cough* which shall not be named, we see Jordan recognizing what is happening, recognizing the abusive nature of her situation. Hating herself for being attracted to it, resenting how it was impacting the rest of her life, really taking stock of her situation and demonstrating the climb back to self-love and self-care. This is a book every teen should read as it is a perfect example of toxic teen romance and why you don’t want that kind of relationship.
Be sure to come back Wednesday and Friday as I am going to have some fun stuff for you: a sample of Las Immortales, part of The Hunters Saga, and some fun DIY Halloween decorations on a shoe-string budget.
If you missed the kick-off with 4 of the participants of the hop, check it out:
Don’t miss the other awesome events happening as part of #OctoberFrights. There is a bookshop full of awesome books on sale, a giveaway with fantastic reads, and lots of fun stops like this one!
Welcome to another look into my life as a writer and the fun of #IWSG monthly prompts! This month we’re looking into what defines success as a writer.
IWSG SEPTEMBER 2021 PROMPT
Purpose: To share and encourage. Writers can express doubts and concerns without fear of appearing foolish or weak. Those who have been through the fire can offer assistance and guidance. It’s a safe haven for insecure writers of all kinds! Posting: The first Wednesday of every month is officially Insecure Writer’s Support Group day. Post your thoughts on your own blog. Talk about your doubts and the fears you have conquered. Discuss your struggles and triumphs. Offer a word of encouragement for others who are struggling. Visit others in the group and connect with your fellow writer – aim for a dozen new people each time – and return comments. This group is all about connecting
For those who don’t know, I’ve been writing for probably close to 30 years, publishing for nearly 15, and I have run the gamut of defining success. From setting a goal to write 50K words in a month. (I’ve “won” Nano about 9 times.) to writing The End to cap off a new story (over 17 times.) to holding my book in my hands, to being a guest speaker at conventions, to running a publishing house and helping others see their dream happen, and I’m getting pretty darned close to filling up a whole bookshelf row (my ultimate goal is to be able to write enough good content to fill up a whole bookshelf, but still working on that.)
But the best experience I have had of “success” is one that I cannot plan for or control and in some ways, that makes it so much sweeter.
That is the moment when a fan shares their passion for your work, completely unsolicited, often unexpectedly. This happens as social media posts, book reviews, at book signings, and sometimes randomly on the street.
The best example I can share is when I was at the second annual SLC Comic-Con and this young man came up to the booth asking for the 2nd book in The Hunters Saga. I let him know that it wasn’t out yet but that it would be out later that year and gave him a bookmark so he could find me online to purchase it when it came out. He didn’t even realize I was the author but he asked if I’d read the book and went on to tell me how it had completely changed his life. He felt so alone in the world until I’d written a character whom he could completely relate to with Chris.
That was when I realized that representation matters so much. Sharing stories of people with different motivations, different drives, different hopes and dreams, different experiences, all of that is so important. Because we don’t get that so much in the mainstream media. I started my career off focused on writing strong women, women like me and my friends who didn’t fit the “traditional model”.
This is why I keep writing and exploring new and different characters and stories.
People are different. We need to accept and embrace those differences and see how those differences can create a brighter more vibrant world.
Giving that feeling of not being alone, of being seen and known and VALUED.
To be able to do that with “silly fun fiction stories that people don’t really NEED” (that quote is from a nonfan who didn’t understand why I was wasting my time writing when I could be doing really valuable work.
So glad I did not listen to that person’s opinion.
Welcome back! It has been such a long time since I read and reviewed a new book that I’m thrilled to get back into the groove by writing a book review of Winners Dream: A Journey from Corner Store to Corner Office, the memoir of Bill McDermott with Joanne Gordon.
Genre:
Nonfiction/ Biographies of Business Professionals/ Motivational Business Management
Synopsis of Winners Dream: A Journey from Corner Store to Corner Office:
A leadership and career manifesto told through the narrative of one of today’s most inspiring, admired, and successful global leaders.
In Winners Dream, Bill McDermott—the CEO of the world’s largest business software company, SAP—chronicles how relentless optimism, hard work, and disciplined execution embolden people and equip organizations to achieve audacious goals.
Growing up in working-class Long Island, a sixteen-year-old Bill traded three hourly wage jobs to buy a small deli, which he ran by instinctively applying ideas that would be the seeds for his future success. After paying for and graduating college, Bill talked his way into a job selling copiers door-to-door for Xerox, where he went on to rank number one in every sales position he held and eventually became the company’s youngest-ever corporate officer. Eventually, Bill left Xerox and in 2002 became the unlikely president of SAP’s flailing American business unit. There, he injected enthusiasm and accountability into the demoralized culture by scaling his deli, sales, and management strategies. In 2010, Bill was named co-CEO, and in May 2014 became SAP’s sole, and first non-European, CEO.
Colorful and fast-paced, Bill’s anecdotes contain effective takeaways: gutsy career moves; empathetic sales strategies; incentives that yield exceptional team performance; and proof of the competitive advantages of optimism and hard work. At the heart of Bill’s story is a blueprint for success and the knowledge that the real dream is the journey, not a preconceived destination.
My Take on Winners Dream:
I struggled at first, as I expected this book to be less memoir-like and more of a guide to success like The Oz Principle. IDK why, perhaps the “A global CEO’s life lessons in sales, motivation, and leadership” just felt like the book would be more focused on how to achieve success and not so much on the stories that shaped this man’s life in particular. That’s what happens when you grab a book at random from a book trade.
While this is a classic tale of rags to riches and starts with a lot of stories from his childhood that shaped who he is today, there were a lot of great nuggets of wisdom throughout that one can use to guide one’s own journey of success. Each chapter starts with a quote from a famous person that sets the tone for the chapter. I appreciated a lot of his childhood experiences and can relate to the struggles. The messages of optimism he experienced with his mom are fantastic. His shared experiences with his first jobs are relatable to an older generation. The drive to improve is a message that really resonated with me.
I am curious how much of the greatness of this book is because a certain generation can relate to it and anyone in sales/ marketing for more than 10 years would be able to relate. I cannot help but wonder if a younger generation could glean much from it and what they would get. Definitely encouraging Little Man to read this next and see what he gets from it as he is in his senior year of high school and at a different level.
My favorite message in the book is that you have to enjoy the journey to success and keep adapting and adjusting your goals as you go through life. That really struck a chord as I am going through my own priority shifts.
Have you read Winners Dream? Let us know your thoughts in the comments. If not, go ahead and take a peek inside and see what you think.
Today, Travis Steffen is a well-known business guru. As a successful serial entrepreneur and author of the book Viral Hero, he has helped different enterprises in fine-tuning their growth and marketing strategies. But before he rose to prominence in the world of business, Steffen was a professional poker player and strength and conditioning specialist. And back in 2010, he wrote arguably the most useful book on the game of poker, Peak Performance Poker: Revolutionizing the Way You View the Game.
While primarily a book about being the best poker player you can be, Peak Performance Poker doubles up as a self-help book for anyone looking to cultivate either physical or mental fitness. Steffen believes that achieving peak performance as a poker player entails being able to enter a ‘flow state’ of relaxed intensity and focus. And achieving this state requires being in the best physical and mental shape that you can be.
Action Points
The true value of Peak Performance Poker is in its Action Points and their supporting appendices. In between explanations of poker basics and strategies, these Action Points contain detailed instructions on both physical and mental exercises that readers can perform immediately. This includes stamina-focused exercises, time management tips, nutrition data, and knowing how to rest for refreshing the mind. Meanwhile, the appendices include food comparisons, instructions for equipment-less exercises, and even an extensive bibliography of references – for those who want to go even deeper into the Action Points.
Indeed, 2010’s Peak Performance Poker is in many ways a glimpse into the full-blown serial entrepreneur and strategist that Steffen would later become. In many instances, he writes more like a motivational speaker than a poker strategist. But don’t be fooled by the motivational tone of the book – Steffen is an academically-trained fitness expert. Even if his Action Points are more than 10 years old, they’re actually backed by the most recent and comprehensive research on physical and mental fitness.
Evidence-Based Approach
The relationship between physical activity and increased brain function is well documented by the National Institutes of Health (NIH). In an umbrella review published by the NIH.gov, data from 76 articles collated from 2013 to 2017 revealed “moderate-to-strong support” that cognition is enhanced by exercise. In particular, researchers found that physical activity can improve cognitive performance in neuropsychological tests measuring memory, speed, and executive function.
These are the primary brain functions needed for understanding poker strategy, which are based on mathematical elements. As the ranking chart of poker hands by Poker.org shows, mastering these elements can allow players to much more easily calculate odds on the fly and predict other players’ hands. These elements include the statistical probability for poker hands to show up and the number of each hand’s possible combinations. A ranking chart summarizes this information and arranges hands by how rarely they occur. But while the ranking helps, staying on top of these numbers – while assessing opponents’ physical tells and other factors – require significant cognitive effort. And as the science reveals, being physically healthier can actually improve your speed and memory in terms of implementing sound poker strategies.
Final Thoughts
Despite being more than a decade old, Peak Performance Poker: Revolutionizing the Way You View the Game is still one of the best poker books out there. And because of its deep and practical insights on physical and mental fitness, it’s also a useful book for anyone pursuing self-improvement. Whether you’re looking for sound advice on poker, general fitness, or optimizing your Keto lifestyle, Peak Performance Poker is a good read.
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Blogger, book hound, and online counselor Jenny Allen believes that wisdom can sometimes be found in the most unlikely places and situations. When she’s not rummaging through online and offline thrift shops for books, antiques, and trinkets, Jenny is either chasing deadlines or resisting the urge to go back to bed with her 3 cats.
I am honored to be part of the mystery thriller cold case blog hop. While many in the hop are sharing sad and unfortunate stories of crimes that were never solved, I wanted to take a moment to talk about psychics solving cold cases. In part because cold cases break my heart, but also because they break Clear Angel’s heart too. These are the type of stories that will get Clear to come out from hiding her gifts and risk ridicule and spite to help people in need.
Are Psychics Real
While there have been a lot of studies done on telekenisis, mediums, paranormal behavior, and psychics the general scientific consensus is that there is not a significant amount of proof to say that psychics are real. But they also don’t say that psychics aren’t real either. Science, so tricky like that. But we’ve all seen those scammy psychics who go on talk shows and if you really scrutinize, you can see how they play a clever guessing game using probability and people’s desire to believe to make people believe that their skills are real. Penn and Teller did a fascinating review of this process on their show Bullsh*t that really dug into the science behind psychic con artists.
But are all psychics, even good ones, just con-artists like Patrick Jane from The Mentalist?
And, if one can consistently get results then do we care if they are using otherworldly abilities or an abnormally powerful skill of logic and deduction?
The logical, grounded, real person in me says that truth matters, and knowing how truth was achieved matters too. Being married to a certified genius, I totally get how some of his mental leaps seem like mysticism or magic to us lowly normal-brained people. He can’t tell you half the time how he arrived at it. But he has never claimed that he came to it supernaturally.
At the same time, I have spoken with ordinary people who have had extraordinary experiences. I myself have had crazy experiences where I couldn’t have known something and yet I did know. Some attribute those experiences to God, others to loved one’s who’ve passed on. Others because the tragedy was so great that it created something akin to a disturbance in the force. Some acknowledge that it is a sixth sense/ women’s intuition/ a gut feeling that are all scientifically attributed to our brain processing seemingly innocuous details that our conscious doesn’t realize matters, but our subconscious is able to make the connections and we just know.
And some truly believe that those experiences are because they are uniquely attuned to otherworldly sources.
She is a psychic and a licensed private investigator, among other things, who has reportedly aided in solving many cold cases specializing in sex trafficking recovery, countermeasures, IT forensics, stalking, domestic abuse, skip tracing, fugitive recovery, and helping thousands with her gift. Her site is full of stories where she has been in the news for predictions in some high-profile cases.
She tells personal stories about experiences she has had getting messages from an unknown source.
She is kind of the new Sylvia Brown.
But how many of her experiences are from another side, how much is guided intuition, how much from detective skills and unknown resources? How many predictions has she made that haven’t played out? We don’t have a way to know that. And it is possible that she doesn’t either.
She seems sincere in her desire and ability to help others. Does it matter if she is truly psychic?
The Birth of Clear Angel Chronicles
I started writing the Clear Angel Chronicles based on a reluctant psychic who only gets involved in cases when she has no other recourse. She has hidden away to the wilds of Montana to avoid being triggered by events she cannot explain. Her story was inspired by a few strange experiences I had that I never felt comfortable talking about until one day as an adult my mom and I were watching Ghost Whisperer and there was a scene with a plane crash. My mom paused the show and told me about an experience she had, possibly before I was born or maybe while she was pregnant with me. She had a horrible nightmare about being in a plane crash. When she woke up the next day there had been a plane crash nearby during the night and it was all over the news. The experience haunted her to that day. That got my brain going. How many people have these strange experiences and write them off or dismiss them because our society in large part has stopped believing in such things?
As a kid, I grew up with X-men and I remember thinking how much it would suck having abilities. I guess I always felt that it was tough enough controlling my slightly larger than normal self. I couldn’t fathom something like mind-reading or telekinesis.
So that was the start of Clear Angel. Imagining how difficult it would be to have these experiences all the time, not just on occasion. How would one even be able to function in the world when one couldn’t determine what was or was not real? How would others look at you, treat you, knowing what you could do? If you couldn’t control it, how would you get a moment of peace? (That last part, deeply inspired by being a full-time student, mother of two kids not even in school yet, working full time, married and living with my mom while we tried to go to school. I empathized with the struggle to find a moment of peace!)
Then I had to decide what kind of cop would be willing to even entertain a discussion with such a woman? And that let to Detective Grant Anderson.
Not your typical buddy cop story, but a compelling tale of redemption for both.
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Welcome to the tale of Royal Prince Vince, a spoiled little prince. His parents don’t know how to make him happy and get him to stop throwing fits. The help comes from the most unlikely source!
Bianca was supposed to attend art school in Chicago, not run for her life from Hunters. The only chance she has to survive is to find The Purple Door District, a safe haven for a parahuman like herself. When she stumbles upon a magus named Gladus and a fellow avian named Carlos, she thinks she’s found safety. But the Hunters are relentless, as is the dark force driving them.
• FAROUK ASVAT is the winner of the Vita Literary Award for his anthology, “A Celebration of Flames”. § THIS MASQUERADE by FAROUK ASVAT contents: The Barrier Forgiveness Piet Bahia Kaaperi This Masquerade Sunday Morning Haircut From A Corner A Life Come True Set in Johannesburg and Cape Town in the heydays of apartheid, these stories act as a compendium to Farouk Asvat’s novels and poems. These short stories are in addition to the stories in: ● The Gathering Of The Storm &● The Paanies Are Coming• § Farouk Asvat is a novelist, poet, translator & medical doctor, banned by the apartheid regime. § He was awarded the VITA Literary Award fo his anthology, “A Celebration Of Flames”. § He was an Amnesty International “Prisoner of Conscience”; awarded the Fulbright Scholarship to the University of California at Berkeley; the EOC Scholarship to the Vrije Universiteit in the Netherlands; the University of Cape Town Health Care Trust Scholarship; and the Kwanzaa Honors Certificate by the Africa Network. § He qualified as a medical doctor at the University of the Witwatersrand, and worked at various community clinics and hospitals. § His poems, short stories and essays have been published in the United States, Canada, Brazil, Turkey, Switzerland, Netherlands, France, Germany, England and South Africa. § His poems have been translated into French, German, Dutch, Portuguese, and Turkish. § He has read his poems at numerous community venues in South Africa and abroad. § He has freelanced as a journalist, columnist and art critic for various newspapers.
