Book Review: Lonely Places by Kate Anderson

Lonely Places by Kate Anderson
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

An atmospheric setting, creepy plot, and guilt combine for a satisfying young adult tale of psychological terror.

Lonely Places is a new young adult psychological horror story by author Kate Anderson, and its rich, evocative setting will have readers jumping in their seats at every unidentified noise. The young protagonist is realistically portrayed, and many readers will easily relate to her and her feelings, effectively edging up the engagement in this absorbing tale.

Chase Woolf is the older sister and narrator of the story. Soon to turn 18, she’s desperately unhappy with her father’s choice of the family’s vagabond lifestyle. She longs for a stable, traditional home, specifically the one from her childhood memories in Boone, North Carolina, where they lived down the street from her paternal grandparents until their deaths. Instead, her father has committed the family to living at a remote fire lookout station for a year. Her goal is to make enough money over the summer and upcoming school year to escape her current life, as well as the guilt she bears for leaving her much younger sister, Gus, behind in the woods at her family’s campsite six months earlier and the young girl’s resulting trauma. Lost for hours, when the family finally found Gus, she was tear-streaked and terrified and hadn’t spoken a word since, except to mumble to herself and now the trees that surround the fire lookout station their father has brought them to for the coming year.

The setting in remote Utah in the middle of the Pando Aspen Grove, a real location, is vivid and creepy and plays a main role in the unfolding tale. The slow reveal of past issues at the fire lookout station are eerie twists that serve to intensify the growing suspense as Chase watches her younger sister start to spend more and more time in amongst the trees, collecting the myriad bones she finds, slowly fading away from the young sister she knew and changing for the worse. As a parent, I wanted to shake the girls’ parents; both of these girls needed more help than a change of scenery or just ignoring it could provide. In addition to the unique and compelling mysteries of what was going on at Pando, there is the start of a normal romance for Chase at the nearby summer camp.

The author’s easy-to-read writing style, evocative setting, vulnerable protagonists, and slowly simmering suspense of the story kept me interested and invested from start to finish. I recommend LONELY PLACES to readers of young adult psychological horror and thrillers.

I voluntarily reviewed this after receiving an Advanced Review Copy through TBR and Beyond Book Tours.


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Book Blitz & Giveaway - Runaway Hearts: Seduced by Danger by Elsa Jacobs

Runaway Hearts:

Seduced by Danger

by

Elsa Jacobs

Adult, Contemporary, Romance, Suspense

Publication date: November 1, 2024

Page count: 449 pages

SYNOPSIS:

Have you ever wished to run away from your life?

Start anew and leave everything bad behind…

Marianne, a young woman hungry for a fresh start, can’t wait for her beach house getaway. But her plans take an unexpected turn when she picks up a mysterious hitchhiker on the way.

The irresistible stranger is the sole heir of a Japanese *organization*, and despite Marianne’s own anxiety struggles, she can’t say no to someone in need. As they travel together, swapping past traumas and dreams, love sparks. To heal her troubled mind, she must embrace her true desires, no matter how twisted they seem.

But as love deepens, an enemy from the man’s past threatens to pull them apart. In the midst of looming danger, Marianne must choose between sticking to her anxious ways or diving into the unknown for true love.

Get ready for a wild ride where each page brings new revelations and perils, leading to a destination unlike any other.

Runaway Hearts is a slow burn, steamy, contemporary romantic suspense with morally questionable characters. HEA.

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—

EXCERPT:

As I return to my car, a painful golden gaze greets me. The second I pull out of the alley, tires screech in the distance, a silver SUV closing in on us at great speed.

Stranger Danger turns his head when he sees my wide eyes. “Drive!” he yells with desperation.

And just like that, I’m thrown into a heart-pumping car-chase scene.

My hands grip the steering wheel with an iron resolve.

The engine roars as I speed through the city streets, determined not to be caught by my pursuers.

I’m not on the menu tonight!

My mind races, searching for an escape route. The unfamiliar streets of the city blur past me as I navigate through the labyrinth of alleys and side roads.

“Wow…” the wounded stranger says in the back.

I burst into a weird cackle. “Glad you’re enjoying the ride! Buckle up, it might be a rocky road.” Mm. Ice cream.

“Just try not to kill us both,” he replies, amusement and genuine concern in his voice.

Each turn is calculated, each maneuver executed with precision. I can’t afford a single mistake. It’s easier than the go-karts!

And I love it.

Glancing in the rearview mirror, I catch a glimpse of the pursuer’s SUV closing in. Their dark, tinted windows hide their identities, but their malevolent presence creeps like a shadow up my spine. A sentiment I can’t recognize fuels my every move, pushing me to the limits of speed and agility.

“Who’re they? Why’re they chasing you?” I shout, teeth clenched as I drift a tight turn.

“Not now! Just fucking drive!” he snaps, tension radiating from him like heat.

The answer should scare me, but instead, it ignites something within. A reckless defiance maybe. I punch the gas harder. The SUV fades in the distance.

Where’s the police now?

As I navigate through the streets, the city becomes a haze. The thrill of the chase is intoxicating, but the danger is very real.

“Just one more crazy move and I’ll lose them,” I say, pulse thudding hard in my throat as adrenaline spikes through my system.

I need to shake them off for good. Ahead lies a narrow alleyway, barely wide enough to fit my car. Shit. My fingers grip the wheel tighter. The alley is empty. On an impulse, I slam the gas, my heart drumming as I squeeze through the tight space. The pursuers hesitate, thrown off by the daring move. I bet their SUV is too large to come in here.

I cackle, my breath hitching with the rush, as I put distance between us and the furious men. The sharp sting of sweat trails down my spine, but relief crashes through me.

“Ha! Suck on that, you oversized tin cans!” I yell, voice ragged, throat dry from the wild tension that’s been gripping me.

It’s been ages since I’ve felt truly alive. I rush with abandon, the music blasting. Nothing can touch me at this moment of pure euphoria.

As the sky turns shades of pink and orange, I finally reach the outskirts. The energy from the chase has left me breathless yet exhilarated. With every turn, the weight of my life lifted off my shoulders, replaced by a newfound sense of freedom. I bite back the “whoop!” threatening to escape my mouth.

I didn’t even know I could drive like that. I slide the sun visor’s mirror to look at myself and burst out laughing. My cheeks are a deep pink, my eyes have an electric gleam, and my lips are stretched into the most wicked smile I’ve ever seen on myself.

“That was wild,” I whisper to myself.

Stranger Danger shakes his head with amusement and worry. “You drive like a maniac.”

“Maniac but living!” I reply, a wild grin on my face.

But the adrenaline surge recedes, leaving my heart rate back to normal and my heart empty. A quick look to the rearview mirror shows me an empty road.

Phew.

Stranger Danger has changed his clothing, but he remains lying across the back seat. I didn’t even see him change his underwear, and that’s a disappointment. A car chase will do that to you.

FROM THE AUTHOR:

I’m Elsa Jacobs, an indie author of contemporary romance and romantic suspense/thriller. I write unique love stories with a substantial number of twists, turns, and spices.

Let me tell you how it all started. A few years back, I was battling brutal insomnia that just wouldn’t quit. Nights were a blur of characters and plots swirling around in my head, refusing to let me catch some shut-eye. It was maddening. Writing became my escape hatch—I had to get these stories out of my head.

In less than a year, I wrote four drafts, all because I needed an outlet for the chaos that was keeping me up at night. Publishing wasn’t even on my radar; I just needed some peace of mind. But then, something unexpected happened. I sent a chapter to an editor, not really expecting much to come of it.

But instead of a brush-off, I found myself teaming up with that editor to bring my first novel to life.

It was a game-changer. That’s when I decided to take the plunge and share the rest of my drafts, bit by bit, with the world.

My stories might have been born out of sleepless nights, but they’ve become my sanctuary, and I hope they become yours too.

Cheers,

Elsa.

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Children's Book Review: The Sky Is Not Blue by Joy Jones; illustrated by Sanger Cloud

The Sky Is Not Blue by Joy Jones
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

A wonderful children’s picture book that combines science and taking the time to see the world around us.

The Sky Is Not Blue is a delightful new children’s picture book about Robert, an adorable child who draws the world, specifically the changing aspect of the sky, as he sees it rather than relegating it to an indiscriminate blue background. I think I fell in love with this fictional child the first time he appeared on the page for his infectious joy and inspirational enthusiasm for life and the beauty he saw around himself. His consistent connection to the real look of his world eventually affects his teacher as well.

I would have loved to have had this book in our library to share with my children when they were Robert’s age. Besides the storyline of observation and conscious intent, the book includes small bite-sized and child-friendly facts and the basic science behind why the sky is seen as blue and other colors. I was glad to watch Robert remain steadfast in drawing what he actually saw rather than succumbing to the cliché of always having a swath of blue at the top of his drawings.

I recommend THE SKY IS NOT BLUE to those with young readers or listeners, especially ones with an affinity for drawing and coloring.

I voluntarily reviewed this after receiving an Advanced Review Copy via Netgalley.


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Virtual Book Tour & Giveaway: These Are Not My Words (I Just Wrote Them) by Donovan Hufnagle

THESE ARE NOT MY WORDS

(I JUST WROTE THEM)

by

Donovan Hufnagle

Poetry
Publisher: Resource Publications
Publication Date: July 22, 2024
Page count: 106 pages

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SYNOPSIS:

Echoing Chuck Palahniuk’s statement. “Nothing of me is original. I am the combined effort of everyone I’ve ever known,” this collection explores identity. These poems drift down rivers of old, using histories private and public and visit people that I love and loathe. Through heroes and villains, music and cartoons, literature and comics, science and wonder, and shadow and light, each poem canals the various channels of self and invention. As in the poem, “Credentials,” “I am a collage of memories and unicorn stickers…[by] those that have witnessed and been witnessed.”

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ENJOY AN EXCERPT:

Refurbished

 

Susan taught me that poetic energy lies

between the lines, white noise scratching

and clawing between images, ideas,

       things…

And like a poem,

the chair was molded by my Tio’s hands,

an antique wooden upholstered desk chair.

 

My Tio moved from Durango, Mexico

to Fort Worth in 1955.

 

He became a mason and wood worker.

 

He bricked the stockyards

 

He built the signs

 

He died in 2005.

 

Now,

matted. Worn. Faded floral design. Wood

scarred like healing flesh.

 

The arms torn, ratted by the heft of his arms

and the stress of the days. The foam peeks

out.

 

The brass upholstery tacks rusted. I count

1000 of them. With each,

I mallet a fork-tongue driver under its head.

A tap, tap, tapping until it sinks beneath the tack,

until the tack springs from its place.

I couldn’t help but think of a woodpecker.

A tap, tap, tapping into Post Oak,

a rhythm…each scrap of wood falling to the ground

until a home is formed.

Until each piece of wood like the tacks removed

shelter something new.

 

I remove the staples, the foam, the fabric,

the upholstery straps

until it’s bones.

I sand and stain

until its bones shine.

 

I layer and wrap its bones with upholstery straps,

foam, fabric, staples and tacks.

New tacks, Brass medallions

adorning the whole, but holding it

all together—

its bones

its memories,

its energy.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR: 

Donovan Hufnagle is a husband, a father of three, and a professor of English and Humanities. He moved from Southern California to Prescott, Arizona to Fort Worth, Texas. He has five poetry collections: These Are Not My Words (I Just Wrote Them), Raw Flesh Flash: The Incomplete, Unfinished Documenting Of, The Sunshine Special, Shoebox, and 30 Days of 19. Other recent writings have appeared in Tempered Runes Press, Solum Literary Press, Poetry Box, Beyond Words, Wingless Dreamer, Subprimal Poetry Art, Americana Popular Culture Magazine, Shufpoetry, Kitty Litter Press, Carbon Culture, Amarillo Bay, Borderlands, Tattoo Highway, The New York Quarterly, Rougarou, and others.

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Book Review: Caught On Camera (Camera Club Mystery, #1) by Kara Lacey

Caught on Camera by Kara Lacey
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Small-town vibes, a close-knit family, and murder make this a perfect cozy mystery!

Caught On Camera is the first book in author Kara Lacey’s new Camera Club Mystery series, and it is a wonderful debut displaying all the hallmarks of what I love in a good cozy. With an engaging and relatable main character, a quaint, homey Vermont setting that had me considering travel plans, and a baffling murder, I was quickly invested and absorbed by the story.

The book’s protagonist and soon-to-be amateur sleuth is Bobbie Brooks, a recent widow and transplant to the small town of Stonebridge, Vermont, from big-city Boston. Early on, we learn about the unexpected death of her husband and can almost feel her lingering grief and need for a change. Stonebridge has been home to her older sister, Alicia, since her marriage to a local attorney. Bobbie thought it would be a great place to start over and, hopefully, open her own photography business. Wanting to become more of a part of the community, she, along with Alicia and her friend, café owner Rose, formed a photography club. Their first photo outing as a club ends tragically when Bobbie discovers the body of one of their members at their chosen shoot location. The story makes an abrupt left turn when Bobbie goes from primary witness to primary suspect.

Considering the lead detective’s attitude and arrogance, Bobbie can’t help but get involved in investigating to clear her name, and she’s good at it, noticing things at the crime scene that the police overlooked. Thankfully, she and her sister have a close and supportive relationship, and Alicia’s attorney husband, Nate, comes in very handy when the detective’s questioning goes from fact-finding to accusation.

I appreciate it when the murder occurs early in a mystery, as oftentimes, too much exposition upfront gets really tedious really fast. Readers who feel the same way will not be disappointed here as the future victim is introduced within the first couple of pages and dispatched only a couple of pages later. She’s also a delightfully catty and unpleasant woman, although, of course, undeserving of being murdered. I enjoyed how the author developed the town and its residents as Bobbie works through her investigation. Each shopping stop or coffee break introduced a few more locals and laid out the town while Bobbie gathered clues or pieces of information needing to be checked out.

While Bobbie, Alicia, and the remaining members of the Keep It Snappy Shutter Club developed a list, I had my own potential suspects as well. The exciting resolution is good, and armchair detectives will be able to pick out clues that lead to the truth.

I recommend CAUGHT ON CAMERA to cozy mystery readers, especially those with a fondness for Vermont settings and labrador retrievers.

I voluntarily reviewed this after receiving an Advanced Review Copy from the author through Great Escapes Virtual Book Tours.

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Book Review: The Nine Lives of Tito d'Amelia by Ettore Farrattini Pojani

The Nine Lives of Tito d'Amelia by Ettore Farrattini Pojani
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

A magical combination of historical fiction and fantasy as seen through the eyes of a cat.

The Nine Lives of Tito d’Amelia by Ettore Farrattini Pojani is a magical story, a combination of historical fiction, fantasy, and tales handed down through time by word of mouth. It is the inventively told history of the author’s ancestors and their hometown, re-imagined through the eyes and timely intervention of a cat as he is reincarnated down through the centuries.

The cat first appears at the site of what will eventually become the town of Amelia, Italy, in 1134 B.C., and he aligns himself with the first member of the family, who names him Titolo or Tito for short. A beloved companion, he is a special and integral part of this early community. On his death, his spirit is blessed to remain among the people and to continue to protect the town, his former owner, and his progeny into the future. Each subsequent section of the book is the next time the spirit of Tito physically manifests, reincarnated to live one of his nine lives at a critical point in the family’s and town’s history.

The storytelling is mesmerizing and easy to read, and it is impressive in how smooth and natural it sounds, considering it is a book in translation. I enjoyed the mix of the family story with the history of the time, the personal story with that of what was occurring in the world, and how the town was impacted. As a cat lover, I looked forward to seeing how Tito would fit into each time frame and what means of intervention he would be called upon to guide and protect the family. I was quickly invested in the magic of the tale and needed a tissue by the end of his first life, and that wasn’t my last.

With its great mix of history and family saga, I recommend THE NINE LIVES OF TITO D’AMELIA to readers of historical fiction and cat lovers; however, there are infrequent mentions of adult activity and nudity that parents may want to consider when sharing with less mature readers.

I voluntarily reviewed this after receiving an Advanced Review Copy from the author through Lone Star Book Blog Tours.

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Review Tour & Giveaway - Forward to Camelot: The Final Edition (Cady Cuyler, #1) by Susan Sloate & Kevin Finn

FORWARD TO CAMELOT

Cady Cuyler, Book One

by

Susan Sloate & Kevin Finn

Time Travel Thriller
Publisher: Covfefe Press
Publication Date: April 17, 2024
Page count: 489 pages

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SYNOPSIS:

RETURN TO A VANISHED WORLD, in this new edition of the beloved time-travel thriller: 

Extensively researched, filled with real but still unknown tales of history, FORWARD TO CAMELOT takes readers on a grand adventure, filled with danger, deceit and real-life heroes. 

October 2000 

Soap-opera actress Cady Cuyler knows she is not brave, adventurous or accomplished; that's Sheila, the glamorous EMT she plays on TV. But too many other people think she's Sheila, which Cady doesn't understand: Recently divorced from her agent, Cady's life consists of playing Sheila and providing a safety net to her mother Sandra, who has hardly noticed her since her birth; she's still lost in grief over the disappearance of her husband years before in Dallas. Cady's deepest wish is to somehow earn her mother's love and attention. 

When a profound tragedy alters her own life and her job abruptly ends, Cady is offered the chance of a great adventure: She agrees to recover the Bible owned by JFK, which was used to swear in LBJ as president, on November 22, 1963, the same day her father, whom she idolized, disappeared forever. To do this, she must travel back in time to the Dallas of 1963, a dangerous world filled with dangerous secrets, and meet the man with the most dangerous secret of all--he plans to assassinate President Kennedy during his upcoming visit to Dallas. 

For the first time in her life, Cady, the armchair adventurer, can live an adventure more exciting than anything Sheila ever did. She might even change her own destiny... if she dares. 

Time can be altered. Lives can be altered. 

Historycan be altered...

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ENJOY AN EXCERPT:

The man in the doorway was yawning, and his bright chestnut hair, flecked with threads of gray, was tousled. He wore half glasses down on his nose and held a thick typewritten report in one hand. His navy silk tie was pulled down, his white shirt was rumpled. His eyes, though bloodshot, focused on us politely.    

I was face to face with President John F. Kennedy. 

He looked at us, puzzled, and glanced around the empty hallway. 

I knew if I didn’t speak that I’d never have another chance, but I couldn’t think of a thing to say. The President looked at us, raised an eyebrow. 

Quick, Cady, say something. “Mr. President, my name is Cady Cuyler.” Beside me, I felt Lee start at the words. “I’ve come a long way to speak to you. I’m from the future. I don’t live in Dallas in 1963. I live in New York in the year 2000. I’m here to warn you, sir, and save you if I can. If you don’t listen to me now… you’re going to die in less than 12 hours.” 

“You’re right,” the President said in that distinctive accent. “I don’t believe you.” He started to close the door in my face. 

Before he could, I was talking again, as quickly and persuasively as I could. “Why would I make up a story like that? It makes no sense. Unless it was true!”

ABOUT THE AUTHORS:

SUSAN SLOATE is the author or co-author of 24 published books, including 2 previous editions of Forward to Camelot, the #2 Amazon bestseller and Hot New Release Stealing Fire and Realizing You (with Ron Doades), for which she invented a new genre: the self-help novel. The original 2003 edition of Forward to Camelot went to #6 on Amazon, was honored in 3 literary competitions and was optioned by a Hollywood company for film production.
 
Susan has also written young-adult fiction and non-fiction, including the children’s biography Ray Charles: Find Another Way, which won the silver medal in the 2007 Children’s Moonbeam Awards. Mysteries Unwrapped: The Secrets of Alcatraz led to her 2009 appearance on the TV series MysteryQuest for The History Channel. She has also been a sportswriter and a screenwriter, edited the popular Kyle & Corey young-adult book series, managed two political campaigns and founded an author’s festival in her hometown outside Charleston, SC.

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A Bronx native, KEVIN FINN began his professional writing career as a television news- and sportswriter just six months out of high school, moving on to produce & report for daily news shows, features, documentaries and live sports events. Over the past thirty years, he's established himself as a screenwriter and has mentored young writers for the American Film Institute's Writer's Workshop Program, as well as being a noted freelance script consultant and a novelist.
    
Equally adept as a cameraman and editor, he currently produces and films local media content in the Princeton, NJ, area, while continuing to mentor new and younger writers, including the heralded web series The News Kids. His first Young Adult novel, 200 METERS, will be published later in 2016, and the long-awaited novel BANNERS OVER BROOKLYN is scheduled for release early in 2017.

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REVIEW:

5 stars!

An exciting and unique time-travel adventure filled with intrigue and suspense. 

Forward to Camelot: The Final Edition is a riveting and unique time-travel adventure by authors Susan Sloate and Kevin Finn and takes readers to an infamous time and place in American history: the days leading up to the assassination of President John F. Kennedy in Dallas, Texas. The book is full of surprises and twists, the first of which is the time-traveler goes back in time not to avert the assassination but to surreptitiously obtain the president’s personal Bible, which Judge Sarah Hughes used to swear Lyndon B. Johnson in as Kennedy’s successor for a current day collector. However, the protagonist has another more personal agenda for going back to these specific dates: to find and warn the father she never got to meet that something was going to happen to him on November 22, 1963, that would result in his mysterious disappearance. 

The main character is Catherine “Cady” Cuyler, a successful daytime television soap star living in New York City, or at least she had been up until the book’s opening. Newly divorced and newly out of work, she’s surprised to discover a famous movie special effects designer wants her to star in his upcoming production. When she finally came to understand that the project involved time travel, it was a hard pass for her. Skeptical, of course, she’s also responsible for her elderly mother and can’t be away from her for the length of time the job would require. Still, her contact had been convincing.

 

The story hits the ground running with an exciting and chaotic scene of rescue and a deadly conflagration in progress that immediately grabbed my attention. From there, things only get more rousing and exciting as Cady ends up in 1963 Dallas. The story of Cady’s and her mother’s lives were heartbreaking. Her father, alive and in person in 1963, is not at all who she expected, and the interactions between men and women at that time, especially in the workplace, were well portrayed. Life seemed much more formal only 60 years in the past. The story is packed with surprises, a new twist occurring just when you least expected it, and aspects of some of the numerous conspiracy theories that have been floated over the decades since the assassination made an appearance in the plot. With so much at stake in this riveting tale, I didn’t want to put the book down.

 

I recommend FORWARD TO CAMELOT: THE FINAL EDITION to readers of time-travel stories, especially those interested in the 1960s or the Kennedy assassination.

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Book Review: HappyHead by Josh Silver

HappyHead by Josh Silver
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Suspenseful young adult dystopian thriller where evil lurks behind a smiling face.

HappyHead by Josh Silver is a new young adult dystopian thriller about a mysterious residential treatment facility that claims its mission is to fight the rise of systemic unhappiness across society’s youth and its inaugural session of 100 hand-selected teen participants. From the outside, HappyHead appears to be a beautiful and luxurious spa-like opportunity for young adults who are seeking to improve personal growth or, for some, gain an advantage in their upcoming journey to achieve adult success. The reality may be something much, much different, and unexpectedly deadly.

The story unfolds from the point of view of the main character, Sebastian “Seb” Seaton, a young man struggling with feeling loved and accepted for who he is by his family, especially his parents, and they don’t even know that he’s gay. Seb seems like such a regular kid, working through understanding himself, his feelings and beliefs, and others, while developing a foundation for his true persona. His attraction to the dark, wounded Finneas is achingly meant to be. His narration reveals a humorous and clever personality, and the snark is strong and entertaining.

Nothing about the routine or treatment at the facility is what Seb expected, and, from the start, he feels unsettled and off-balance, like everyone is in on a joke except him (and so was I as a reader.) The smiling visages of the “Overalls” and HappyHead treatment staff are eerie and add to the constantly rising feeling of suspense. Several of the activities at HappyHead triggered my “AwHellNo” alarm and upped the terror of the story, such as the implanting of a ‘chip’ in the breast of the young participants. Each subsequent twist kept me glued to the story as the action and the fates of the characters careened forward.

Quickly a fan of Seb’s “voice,” I was completely absorbed into Seb’s story. The descriptions of the facility and grounds are vivid, starting even before setting foot on the actual property. Set somewhere in the Scottish countryside, Seb’s parents literally drop him off in the middle of nowhere on a dead-end road, surrounded by tall reeds and sunflower fields obscuring the sight of any buildings or landmarks nearby. Later, there are scenes of confusing, undistinguishable white interiors and dark, dense woods, all confined within tall, electrified fencing, enhancing the pervasive feelings of desperation, isolation, and lack of individual control.

With its sympathetic main characters and interesting range of intense secondary figures, suspense-filled atmosphere, and twisty plot, I recommend HAPPYHEAD to readers of young adult dystopian thrillers, especially those wanting complex but realistic LGBTQ representation.

I voluntarily reviewed this after receiving an Advanced Review Copy through TBR and Beyond Book Tours.

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Book Review: Tough Trail Home by Marie W. Watts

Tough Trail Home by Marie W. Watts
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Welcome to Green Acres Texas-style.

Tough Trail Home by Marie W. Watts is a new contemporary women’s fiction novel about the Dunwhitty family and their struggle to overcome the upending of their previously privileged lives. With sympathetic characters that can’t seem to catch a break and an unrelenting flood of mishaps, I couldn’t put this book down.

When Michael Dunwhitty’s career suddenly evaporates, his young family has just relocated to Houston, Texas. His wife, Lisa, who had relinquished a steady, if not fulfilling, job as an accountant to follow her husband to his new situation, was slated to work at the same firm and is also left high and dry. As Michael encounters rejection after rejection and their family’s future starts to feel desperate, Lisa receives the news that her Great-Uncle Joe has left her a 4,000+ acre ranch in central Texas. The legacy, however, comes with some strings. In order to receive the gift, the family must live there, the property cannot be sold, and there is a sizeable tax bill that is past due. While it would provide an immediate and stable home for the once-affluent family, Michael is a city boy with an absolute aversion to rural or even small-town living. Welcome to Green Acres Texas-style, however, nobody’s laughing.

The narrative unfolds from Lisa’s and Michael’s points of view, so readers are privy to their actions, thoughts, and inner monologues. Lisa is an engaging young woman who loves her husband and family, as does Michael. He is used to career success with a lucrative paycheck, driven to act by childhood memories of his father working his life away as a mechanic and never being there for events that were important in young Michael’s life. Ironically, his single-minded desperation to duplicate his former success means he’s not there when his family needs him. Worried and fearful, both husband and wife carry a load of resentment toward the other and say things they shouldn’t, failing to come to an agreed-upon plan of action for the future.

The story is full of twists and turns, catastrophes and near-misses. Lisa, at the ranch and on her own with the two children, must weather the hard knocks without the one person she relies on most – Michael. Thankfully, she finds support in Michael’s parents, who arrive for an extended visit, and Carl, a godsend of a neighbor, as well as a close-knit group of local women friends who bring her into their fold. As these people open their arms and hearts to Lisa and the children, their beliefs about what is truly important in life change. They just need to convince Michael of the same thing before it is too late.

After their son Andrew has a brush with the law, Michael experiences a sudden revelation that his family needs him to be present. I felt both his turnaround and the ending immediately after happened too quickly and easily. This made me wish for a sequel about the reunited Dunwhitty family living on the ranch and making a go of their miniature cow operation.

I recommend TOUGH TRAIL HOME to readers of contemporary women’s fiction and family dramas.

I voluntarily reviewed this after receiving an Advanced Review Copy from the author through Lone Star Book Blog Tours.

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Book Review: My Year of Casual Acquaintances by Ruth F. Stevens

My Year of Casual Acquaintances by Ruth F. Stevens
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Absolutely wonderful and thoroughly satisfying!

My Year of Casual Relationships by Ruth F. Stevens is a new adult contemporary novel filled with memorable characters, unlikely friendships, love and loss, and self-discovery. Mar Meyers is an icon for healing, growth, and second chances.

The main character, Margaret ‘Mar’ Meyers, is putting together a new life, including a new persona after her husband of 28 years leaves her for one of his employees. As often happens, Mar loses not only Henry (good riddance!) but also their couple friends, who gravitate toward the newly-formed couple rather than the newly single Mar. Worst though is the contentious relationship that develops with her only child, Michael, who’s married and has a young son of his own, Mar’s grandson, Benny. Michael inexplicably takes his father’s side in the divorce, even though Henry is the one who had the affair and broke up the marriage. I ached for Mar with every unhappy and ugly interaction with her son but had strong suspicions as to the underlying reasons for his behavior all along.

Mar’s mother, who lives across the country from LA in New York City, is another unfulfilling relationship in her life. Whether due to her British stiff-upper-lip demeanor or the fact that she’s completely self-absorbed, she’s no source of comfort or support for her daughter when she needs it the most. She seems so cold and unfeeling, which may be the reason for some of Mar’s own personality flaws. Mar struggles with being standoffish, critical, and expressing empathy. She is well-known for speaking her mind without considering the consequences of her words until it is too late. However, despite her initial emotional distance, she experienced significant personal growth as the story progressed, and I liked her more and more for it.

The author’s writing style is smooth and comfortable, and it drew me into Mar’s life from page one. I was genuinely interested in what Mar thought and had to say. The descriptions of the fitness center, Mar’s waterfront apartment, restaurants, and clubs she frequents are vivid, and I could easily picture the characters in these settings. I enjoyed the names Mar initially gave to the women regulars at the fitness center, which also created a strong image of each. However, I was glad she got past this superficiality and eventually got to know them and their true identities. I was delighted to see at the end of the book that the planned sequel is already in the works and is scheduled for publication very soon. I’m not ready to leave Margaret’s story behind.

With its relatable and sympathetic main character and realistic plot, I recommend MY YEAR OF CASUAL RELATIONSHIPS to readers of contemporary and women’s fiction.

I voluntarily reviewed this after receiving an Advanced Review Copy through WOW! Women On Writing Book Tours.

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Book Blitz & Giveaway - If You Lie: A Thriller by Caleb Stephens

If You Lie: A Thriller
Caleb Stephens
Publication date: November 1, 2024
Genres: Adult, Thriller

A buried past. A new-age cult. A floating prison with no way off.

Seven years ago, Olivia woke up in the trunk of a stranger’s car—and barely escaped with her life. She’s been looking over her shoulder ever since.

Now, Olivia is a true-crime podcaster on a mission to help other women avoid her fate. But years spent covering violence and crime have left her burned out. So when Olivia’s estranged sister Quinn invites her to reconnect on an exclusive cruise, she jumps at the chance for a break…only this trip won’t be the relaxing vacation she’s hoping for.

The ship is elegant, the meals are divine, and the people are friendly—maybe too friendly. But Quinn isn’t the sister Olivia remembers. And strange things are starting to happen that echo Olivia’s past in unsettling ways.

When someone on the ship goes missing, Olivia realizes she’s playing a dangerous game of cat and mouse. Only this time, she might not survive.

Goodreads / Amazon

—

EXCERPT:

Sounds came.

The steady ping of rain drumming against steel.

The muted whoosh of wind. The high whine of rubber kissing asphalt.

I was moving.

Why am I moving?

Air clawed up my throat and slid back down again—slowly, painfully—my lungs pulling harder than my esophagus would allow, my chest rising and falling in uneven shifts. I couldn’t breathe.

I should be able to—

My eyelids snapped open to darkness. Pure black. I tried to scream and couldn’t. My voice was gone, lost in my burning throat. Another sound came instead—this one closer, directly overhead.

Clack. Clack. Clack.

I raised my hands and brushed a loose rod, then pushed past it and felt cool metal press against my palm. I followed it lower, the metal curving behind my head until it terminated in a rubber seal.

A car, I thought. I’m in a trunk.

Oh, God …

Oh, fuck.

It’s why my knees were jammed in a fetal position, why a rough pad of carpet burned against my cheek and scratched my neck. A shot of cold panic swam down my spine. Time stuttered, and I wheezed for oxygen. It felt like I was breathing through a straw. I was going to pass out if I didn’t get it together and fast.

Focus, Olivia. Stay calm.

And then: He thinks I’m dead.

It’s why my hands weren’t bound, why my mouth wasn’t gagged. It’s why my ankles weren’t slung in an interstate of knots. The man who’d done this to me thought I was dead. I could still feel his fingers squeezing, digging into my neck, could still hear his voice burning hot in my ear.

Fucking die, already!

Those words pouring over me in a shower of sour breath.

Clack. C-Clack. Clack.

Think, Olivia! You have to think!

I slowed my breathing and forced my mind to calm. There had to be a way to open the trunk or signal another car. A wire to rip free from the brake lights or a latch to pop. Didn’t all the newer cars have those specifically for situations like this? For women who, like me, simply disappeared?

And I would disappear if I didn’t find a way to get out.

My heart sloshed in my chest, and I rolled to my right, toward the sidewall of the trunk, and extended an arm. My fingers brushed over objects I recognized. Jumper cables, and a can of gas. Coiled rope and boxes. A hard plastic case. Duct tape. Nothing else.

Jesus, no latch.

I tried the other side, muttering a prayer as my hands crawled through a graveyard of clinking bottles, my fingers scraping over the dry brush of cardboard and through the crinkle of plastic sacks. Dust tickled the back of my nose, and I nearly unleashed a sneeze before I bit it off. Don’t! He’ll hear you. Then I tried again, moving slower this time, feeling for what had to be there.

And it was—nestled a few inches above the floor of the trunk.

A trunk release. A lever to pull.

Reality wobbled. My heart fluttered and crashed.

Work, I thought. Please, God, work.

I pulled.

There came a click, and the world exploded into a fireball of light. A gray sky moved above me, swollen with thunderheads, trees sweeping past on either side. Headlights coasted behind the car in a sea of rushing metal. Cold rain lashed against my neck. I forced myself upright, and the brakes slammed and sent me hurtling backward as the car screeched to a stop.

Move! Move! Move!

I scrambled from the trunk.

One foot connected with the ground. The other slipped. I crashed to the road, and the sound of rain filled my ears along with the heavy thunk of a door opening. Two boots hit asphalt.

His boots.

Air scabbed over my lips. The world swam.

Go! I pushed myself upright—and I ran. Across the white line on the shoulder of the road and into traffic with brakes shrieking all around me. Horns tearing past. Rain pelting my face. Wind hissing in my ears. Behind me came a full-throat roar.

“Stop, you fucking bitch!”

My lungs burned for air, everything smearing to a blur.

“I said, stop!” Louder this time. Closer.

But I didn’t stop, couldn’t stop. I kept running—pushing through the fire in my chest, ignoring the pain in my throat—until I stumbled off the road and tumbled down a grass-slicked descent.

Rolling now. Everything spinning. Gasping for air.

I splashed into a pool of muddy water and came up coughing, wiping my eyes to a sight that filled me with terror. The man stood above me on the hill, looking down with one hand balled into a fist and the other holding a knife.

You’re dead, I thought. He’s going to kill you.

A cloud of blue and red light rose behind him followed by a voice. “Remain where you are! Drop the knife!”

But the man didn’t. He just stared down at me with his breath turning to mist.

And took a step. Took another.

Then the gunshots rang out.

Author Bio:

Caleb Stephens is an award-winning author writing from Denver, Colorado. His novels include the thrillers If You Lie, The Girls in the Cabin, and Feeders, as well as the darkly humorous urban fantasy novel, Soul Couriers, which is forthcoming in 2025. His fiction collection If Only a Heart and Other Tales of Terror includes the short story “The Wallpaper Man,” which was adapted to film by Falconer Film & Media in 2022. He's hard at work writing his next thriller.

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Virtual Book Tour & Giveaway: The Nephilim's Fate (War of the Nephilim, #1) by Eliza Hampstead

THE NEPHILIM'S FATE

War of the Nephilim, Book One

by

Eliza Hampstead

Fantasy Romance
Publication Date: August 16, 2022
Page count: 305 pages

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SYNOPSIS:

She will find a way, even if it leads to a war between Heaven and Hell. 

In the heart of London, Alissia's ordinary life takes a thrilling turn when she is attacked by bloodthirsty vampires. When Nate, the man she dreamed about for years, swoops in to save her, her reality shatters as she discovers a shocking truth: she's a witch, and he's a Nephilim. But their love is cursed, forbidden by ancient laws that threaten to tear their world apart. 

As old rivalries resurface and dark secrets come to light, Alissia and Nate must confront their deepest fears and fight for their love, even if it means igniting a war between Heaven and Hell. 

With unforgettable characters, steamy romance, and gripping plot twists, this captivating new fantasy series by award-winning author Eliza Hampstead delves into a world of angels and demons, forbidden love, and the inexorable power of fate. 

If you crave the intensity of Shadowhunters with an added dose of spice, don't miss out on this spellbinding series!

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ENJOY AN EXCERPT:

My heart stopped for a moment before resuming its work at double speed. I gulped. Now was the time for the truth. Seraphina stood up and walked to her desk; when she turned back, she held a photo in her hand. My heart was beating frantically as Seraphina held out the picture. I nearly didn’t take it. I suddenly wanted to live in ignorance, yet my body reacted before I could decide and took the photo. I looked at a woman who resembled me a great deal. She also had dark hair and green eyes, her nose was a bit longer than mine, and her lips were thinner. However, it was clear that she was my kin. 

“Her name was Keira Shepard. Your father is still unknown; the coven thinks he was a human and unimportant to her. She never told anybody about him.” 

Keira Shepard. A beautiful name that fitted her. I wanted to know everything about her, right now. “What do you know of her? Is her family an old witch family? Did she leave anything behind?” 

“She was from an old family. To our knowledge, it had died with her until now. Her belongings went to the coven after her mother—your grandmother—died ten years ago. Her file states she could glimpse into the future. She was much into the second sight. If you want to, I can ask for the whole file, including the documentation about her going missing.” 

“That would be splendid. Thank you.” I tried to say more, but my thoughts were spinning. I had the name and face of my birth mother and a thousand questions.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Award winning author Eliza Hampstead, a scientist by training, lives with her family in the UK. When she's not writing, she spends her time as a geek. Playing all sorts of games (board games, video games, RPGs) and being a big fan of medieval history are only a few of the many hobbies she has. Passionate about fantasy, she's always planning her next adventure. 

Sign up for Eliza’s newsletter to get exclusive updates on new releases, behind-the-scenes author news, and exciting extras like character interviews, maps, playlists, and bonus chapters that bring the books even more to life!

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REVIEW:

4 stars!

Exciting beginning for this intensely passionate paranormal romance series. 

The Nephilim’s Fate is the first book in author Eliza Hampstead’s War of the Nephilim paranormal romance series, and the action and passion are front and center, and oh so well done from the very start. A witch and a Nephilim have a fated connection but are barred from consummating their passion because intimacy between the two supernatural species is believed to be deadly fatal for both. 

But who better to discover the validity behind the ancient beliefs than the main female character, Alissia Parker, who is a practicing research scientist with an entire lab at her off-hours disposal and a witch. Alissia was oblivious to her true nature; she was abandoned as an infant, adopted, and raised by mortals. It is Nate, a Nephilim, who clues her in on the presence of auras and their properties of identification, which reveals her to be a witch and delivers her to the helping hands of the local coven. Although having to keep his desire for Alissia in check constantly, Nate is literally sex on legs and the man of Alissia’s dreams. Their passionate scenes together are spicy-hot yet frustrating when they are unable to fulfill their desires or face certain death. 

The plot is robust, with a mysterious backstory for Alissia’s origins, the doubly forbidden romance (the danger and the prevailing attitudes of their people), and the resulting consequences of their love. The author’s choreography of ‘action’ scenes is extremely well done. These scenes are vividly described and without pretense. In addition, there are engaging, well-developed secondary characters, some of whom are featured in later books in the series. Thankfully, the subsequent novels are already available because this story has a cliffhanger ending that many will want to follow up on without delay. As a bonus, right now, those who sign up for the author’s email newsletter receive a short story featuring Nate’s Nephilim brother, Mike, and Alissia’s gal pal, Charlie. 

I recommend THE NEPHILIM’S FATE to readers of spicy paranormal romance. Sensitive readers should note this book contains potentially difficult topics and scenes that may be outside their comfort zone, such as graphic violence, SA, rape, and very graphic language.

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