Reaper’s Quest Debra A Kristi (Curse of the Royal Reaper, #1) Publication date: July 13, 2026 Genres: Adult, Fantasy, Romance
Two rival reapers.
A century of overdue souls.
Revelations sure to crumble foundations.
Raven Gunn blamed herself and the cheat she used on her last job for her team’s assignment to the cursed reaping. Her father even packed the tool responsible for the cheat in her travel bag, silently suggesting the need, while reminding her not to trust her designated coreaper, Chace Badden. A hundred years of accumulated reapings, a prohibited reaper-tool, her born rival tasked as her partner… What could go wrong? She definitely wouldn’t allow Chace’s good looks to compromise her focus. Not. One. Bit.
Chace Badden suspected family connections were to blame for his team’s assignment, and he trusted nothing about the current reaping task. Especially not the Fae bastard showering Raven with unnecessary attention. That pr*ck needed to go. Raven was his coreaper and the pretty boy held no claim. Of course, the same could be said for Chace given Raven was his coreaper and his rival, professionalism and distance needed to remain steady between them.
But as more complications arise and old ones intensify, will Chace and Raven’s rivalry cloud emotions, hinder task success, and pave the road for, not only failure but, something far more concerning than mortal danger? Because the overwhelming number of unreaped souls is turning out to be the least of their worries.
Reaper’s Quest isthe first book in an adult romantasy series that grows spicier with each book, while containing dark themes that may be uncomfortable for some readers. This series is ideal for fans of:
Halfway across the rotunda, near the God of Death’s center statue, Chace Badden fell into step at my side, a confident swagger in his walk.
“Reaper Gunn,” he said, his delivery a smooth tease I ignored.
Even as my shoulders stiffened at the sight of him―black shirt, two unfastened buttons exposing a hint of skin, and pants snug against his body.
I dipped my gaze below his belt, and a tight breath dragged through my lungs.
Eyes up, Raven. Eyes up.
He snagged my elbow―his touch gentle, casual, as if zero tension existed between us. “Spot something of interest?”
I fought the desire to roll my eyes. Of course he’d shown up today with a megabat-sized chip on his shoulder. An ego, no doubt, inflated by his parents’ never-ending bolstering.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Award-winning
and USA Today Bestselling Author Debra Kristi writes addicting
young adult fantasy, urban fantasy, and paranormal adventures. Born and raised
a Southern California girl, she still resides in the sunny state with her
husband, two kids, and several rescue cats.
Unlike many of the characters
in the stories she writes, Debra is not immortal, and her only superpower is
letting the dishes and laundry pile up. When not busy drumming away at the
keyboard, spinning new tales, Debra is hanging out, creating priceless memories
with her family, geeking out to science fiction and fantasy television, and
tossing around movie quotes.
Debra Kristi's books are
published by Ghost Girl Publishing LLC.
Visit www.DebraKristi.com for
FREE books, new releases, and/or to become a member of the Insider's Club.
National Treasure meets Jack Ryan in THE MIDAS TOUCH
July 19, 1799. Napoleon’s armies advance into Egypt. In the steaming desert sands, his explorers unearth an astounding discovery: The Rosetta Stone. The tablet, cracked and incomplete, will eventually answer mysteries about ancient Egyptian history, culture, and science. But in the years since its partial excavation, world leaders, historians, scientists, and adventurers have speculated that the missing fragments could answer another age-old mystery.
THE MIDAS TOUCH is a globe-trotting adventure that follows CIA cryptologist/puzzle solver/savant Brady Donovan as he investigates the murder of his beloved mentor Dr. Hastings Kaufman, only to find that it leads to a search for the missing pieces of the famed Rosetta Stone and the secret it holds: The Alchemist Gold Theory – how to turn ordinary metals into gold.
Protagonist Brady Donovan partners with British archeologist Teppy Flynn and conspiracy theorist Avery Prophet. Only a heartbeat away is a diabolical Silicon Valley tech giant, D’Arcy Lauren Granier, and her henchmen.
The quest takes them through Napoleonic history and into a contemporary race through the streets of London, America’s backroads, the Caribbean, New Orleans’ French Quarter, Napoleon’s last island prison in the Atlantic, the Louisiana Bayou, and a massive, abandoned salt mine where pirate Jean Lafitte hid his treasures.
History, told in vivid flashbacks, jumps back to 1799 Egypt, and forward through the hundreds of years since, with pirates and presidents on the search for better or worse. Now Brady Donovan fights against the fast- ticking clock, relentless bad guys, and a Category 5 hurricane to where past meets present and greed and betrayal become deadly partners.
THE MIDAS TOUCH is written by international award-winning thriller writer Gary Grossman with Charles Segars and Oren Aviv, the creators of the billion-dollar National Treasure movie franchise.
Praise for THE MIDAS TOUCH:
"A perfect piece of entertainment with characters and a story that never disappoints. Poignant in places, nail-biting in others, the plot is accentuated by a take-no-prisoners attitude, similar to speeding down a slalom course with all its twists and turns. It's quite a ride!" ~ Steve Berry New York Times best-selling author
"The Midas Touch is a thrilling ride through history and modern-day, tantalizing the reader with intrigue, action, and adventure across a labyrinth of archaeological secrets and danger." ~ Raymond Benson, New York Times best-selling James Bond novelist
"Fans of The DaVinci Code will love The Midas Touch. Grossman, Segars, and Aviv have created an iconic character in Brady Donovan, a CIA cryptologist who trades in his pen for tradecraft to protect the world from a devastating economic weapon. Gripping prose, unforgettable settings, and non-stop excitement. A real page turner!" ~ K.J. Howe, international bestselling author of Skyjack writes
THE MIDAS TOUCH Trailer:
Book Details:
Genre: Suspense, Mystery, History Fiction, Globe-Hopping Intrigue Published by: Fayetteville Mafia Press Publication Date: June 2, 2026 Number of Pages: 334 ISBN: 9781949024999 (ISBN10: 1949024997) Book Links:Amazon | Kindle | Barnes & Noble | Goodreads | BookBub
Gary Grossman:
THE MIDAS TOUCH is written by international award-winning thriller writer Gary Grossman (OLD EARTH, the EXECUTIVE ACTIONS and RED HOTEL series) with Charles Segars and Oren Aviv, the creators and executive producers of the exciting and popular Nicholas Cage NATIONAL TREASURE movie franchise.
CHARLES SEGARS has served as a senior executive at Viacom, CBS, The Walt Disney Company, DreamWorks Pictures, and DreamWorks Animation. Segars is also known as Creator and Executive Producer of the Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures hit movie franchise, National Treasure and National Treasure: Book of Secrets.
Currently, Segars enjoys a dual role as CEO of Ovation TV, the only multi-platform program service dedicated to the Arts and as President of Segars Media.
Segars is a respected global safety and security analyst. He advises a number of national security-related technology startups and is actively involved in governmental affairs. He has served as a White House Associate as an Advance Team leader for the Office of the President and Vice President of the United States of America, leading a number of secretive domestic and international trips.
Oren Aviv:
OREN AVIV ran Disney Studios from 2006-2010, after heading Disney Marketing for eight years. He became Disney’s first Chief Content Officer, and after leaving Disney he became CMO for 20th Century Fox Studios. In addition to executive producing a dozen films, he also co-created and was Executive Producer of Disney’s National Treasure film franchise.
Aviv was named “Marketer of the Year” three separate times by Advertising Age Magazine. He created breakthrough campaigns for the studio’s NARNIA, STEP UP, Pirates of the Caribbean, and the National Treasure franchises, and launched memorable campaigns for many of Pixar’s animated hits, including Finding Nemo, Monsters, Inc., The Incredibles and Cars. He also launched blockbusters such as The Sixth Sense; Pearl Harbor; Ransom; The Rock; Signs; The Waterboy; Armageddon; Unbreakable; 101 Dalmatians; Con Air; Crimson Tide; Freaky Friday; and Father of the Bride, as well as hundreds of other films under the Disney, Touchstone and Hollywood Pictures banners. As CMO at 20th Century Fox, Aviv created the campaigns for Rise of the Planet of the Apes; X-Men: First Class; Ridley Scott’s Prometheus; The Wolverine starring Hugh Jackman; and Ang Lee’s Oscar-winning Life of Pi.
As head of production at Disney, Aviv was responsible for greenlighting such hits as THE PROPOSAL starring Sandra Bullock and Ryan Reynolds; Tim Burton’s billion-dollar-grossing Alice in Wonderland; Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End; National Treasure: Book of Secrets; and the Amy Adams musical-comedy Enchanted.
Review:
4 stars!
Twists upon twists!
The Midas Touch, a new thriller by the writing team
of Gary Grossman, Charles Segars, and Oren Aviv, features the breakneck hunt
for Jean Lafitte's rumored lost treasure, which may include the missing
portions of the famed Rosetta Stone and the key to the creation of gold, the
Alchemist Gold Theory that he retrieved for the defeated Napoleon whom he planned
to rescue from his island prison. When his mentor, Dr. Hastings Kaufman, is
murdered, CIA cryptologist Brady Donovan is determined to track down his killer
by following the clues only Brady could decipher that Kaufman left behind. Desk
jockey Brady, a somewhat socially awkward genius, talks his immediate superior into
letting him go into the field to solve Kaufman's murder, beginning with a trip
to London and the British Museum, where the Rosetta Stone may hide his first piece
of inspiration. He teams up with Teppy Flynn, a young Egyptology student
working on her Rosetta Stone-focused dissertation, and together they uncover that
the killer's true goal was to use Brady's skills to unravel the secret of the
Alchemist Gold Theory. Their research takes them from London back to the U.S., by
car to Texas, and eventually to Lafitte's home port of New Orleans, all while
dodging mysterious, dangerous-looking men in black SUVs. But the closer they
get to solving the mystery, the more dangerous the stakes become, and Brady
soon suspects someone back at Langley is playing for the other team.
Brady Donovan is a sweet, innocent protagonist and a genius
at what he does. Watching him work through the mental puzzles presented and
expand on the cryptic clues Kaufman left him was such a clever part of the
story, tucked between moments of sheer adrenaline as the bad guys tried to get their
hands on him. Teppy Flynn is stalled on her dissertation and is immediately drawn
into what he's pursuing. She finds a gentle, loyal, kindred spirit in Brady. She
tackles every obstacle with her gusto and determination. I was all in on their
growing relationship as the story progressed. The third member of their team,
conspiracy theorist Avery Prophet, is not so game but sticks with the adventure
even when the going gets tough.
The storyline features several twists and action sequences with a bit of an Indiana Jones vibe thanks to the Egyptology
angle. However, the pacing slowed down in between as characters were set up for the next big reveal, and I felt the story got a little overlong. The settings are vividly described with several well-known locations incorporated
into the action, especially in New Orleans. Overheard phone calls between the
major antagonists and unnamed parties heightened suspense, as readers don't
know whom Brady can trust. I was completely engaged by their final push to
discover what Lafitte had squirreled away just as the Category 5 Hurricane
Nadine barreled their way.
With its engaging characters and exciting, action-packed
plot, I recommend THE MIDAS TOUCH to mystery, thriller, and suspense readers, especially
those with an interest in Jean Lafitte, the Rosetta Stone, and the history of New
Orleans.
Tour Participants:
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This giveaway is hosted by Partners in Crime Tours for Gary Grossman, Oren Aviv, & Charles Segars. See the widget for entry terms and conditions. Void where prohibited.
Paranormal Sea Adventure Romance Publisher: Changeling Press LLC Date Published: July 17, 2026 Page count: 24 pages
SYNOPSIS:
One wild night, two sexy seamen and a voluptuous woman -- three broken
souls seeking completion.
First Mate Cade Talbot disobeyed a direct order, sacrificing himself to save
his best friend. Since then, Captain Grant Rowen rules his ship with an iron
fist, demanding strict compliance from all aboard.
Coffers are low, and when a lone woman requests passage to St. Thomas, Captain
Rowen accepts her payment. But the stormy sea crossing holds more than just
nature's surprises.
Aurora Journade reveals that she not only speaks to spirits, she makes love to
them --and she doesn't follow orders. With Aurora's help, Cade has one last
chance to reach out to his captain. Not even death can keep them from seeking
passion's redemption.
"Yes... no... Oh God, how you touch me, my love. But what if someone should
see us? We shouldn't do this here." The female voice coming from the dark
alley quivered, ripe with passion.
Grant couldn't hear her companion's murmured reply, but from her enthusiastic
cries it must have been to her liking.
He continued toward the tavern, almost late for a meeting. The repairs to his
ship had taken longer than he'd anticipated. Noise and smoke rolled out into
the street as Grant pushed open the scarred wooden door, spreading over him in
a wave of stinking humanity. Squinting through the smoke and dim light, he
made his way to the busy barkeep.
"I'm looking for a merchant named Crofton. Know him?"
The slight man behind the bar pointed toward the corner where most of the
noise was coming from. "Aye, Linch is over there."
Grant squared his shoulders and strode toward the merchant. "Crofton? Captain
Rowen of the Venture. Amory Talbot said to find you the next time I was in
port."
The older, ruddy-faced man fixed his gaze on Grant. "Yes, my cousin has good
things to say about you, Rowen. It's a pity about his son, though. The boy was
your first mate, wasn't he? Sit down and we'll have a drink before we talk
business." He motioned to the barmaid for another round.
"Thank you, sir. Yes, Cade was my first mate." Grant took a long pull on the
foaming brew the barmaid set before him. "I'm told you're looking for a ship
to do some regular cargo runs. The Venture is a fine vessel and I have an
experienced crew. She's in port now if you'd like to look her over." He took
another drink and choked back bittersweet memories. He hadn't visited Cade's
home port since just after his death, but it had been the closest for needed
repairs.
* * *
Breathing in the fresh night air, Grant closed the tavern door behind him. The
promise of a full cargo hold and a regular run starting at the end of the week
lifted his lagging spirits. He walked down the street, dust kicking up under
his boots as he hummed a familiar tune, one that his best friend Cade had
often whistled.
A flash of red silk coming out of the alley was the only warning he received
before he was knocked on his ass by a voluptuous female body. He wrapped his
arms around her instinctively, her bountiful breasts flattening on his chest.
The heady scent of aroused woman rose from her and his cock stiffened
instantly.
"Oh, I beg your pardon, sir! I wasn't looking where I was going." She
scrambled up and rushed off, leaving him with an aching cock and the
impression of long, dark passion-rustled hair, haunting gypsy eyes, and a body
made for love.
"My pleasure, miss." He readjusted his erection and stared after the little
minx. He hadn't had a woman in a while, but the insistent desire pulsing in
his cock from the unexpected tousle rekindled his interest. As he boarded his
ship and took over the watch, he decided it might be time to see if the
brothel in the next port was still in business.
* * *
"Please, I must speak with the captain." Grant spied the woman rushing up the
wooden gangplank past one of his crewmen, almost tripping in her haste. Though
dressed well, she had no bags and no servants.
"I'm Captain Rowen, miss." He extended a hand to help her onto the deck and a
thrill of awareness ran through him at the touch of her hand. It was the woman
who had run him over last night. Her beautiful black hair was confined in an
intricate knot, now, and the lush figure that had intrigued him was caged
behind a corseted gown. He much preferred the unrestrained seductress of the
night before.
She glanced up and her eyes widened with recognition and interest. Grant
smiled, sensing sexual adventure in the wind. As any good sailor, he listened
to the wind when it spoke to him.
"I am Miss Journade. I need immediate passage to St. Thomas, captain." She
fidgeted nervously but didn't let go of his hand or drop her gaze.
"I'm afraid most of my crew is ashore on leave, miss. You'll have to wait
until they return before we can set sail."
"It is important that I depart this afternoon, Captain Rowen. I can pay you
well. I am meeting a... a friend and his time is very limited. Please, sir, I
will give you whatever you want." She stepped forward and laid her hand on his
chest, her fingers curling against the cloth. Could she feel his heart
pounding with desire?
Grant weighed his options, measuring his empty coffers and skeleton crew
against the delicious temptation of the woman and her money. Normally he would
have refused, as would most captains. Women on ships were considered bad luck,
and a woman without an escort could be nothing but trouble.
Still, the passage to St. Thomas was generally an easy one and they needed
gold after the recent repairs. He'd risk the journey and try to find an
acceptable chaperone in town while he rounded up as much of his crew as he
could find.
"Welcome aboard the Venture, Miss Journade." He motioned toward a young boy
standing in the shadows. "Remy, please show Miss Journade to the passenger's
quarters. I'll be in town rounding up the crew. We set sail on my return."
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Cassidy lives in the beautiful state of Washington and is surrounded by
mysterious rain forests, tempestuous oceans and enough gorgeous scenery to
inspire stories for at least another two hundred years.
She's been reading romances since she was thirteen, and writing them since she
was fifteen. However, the serious writing bug didn't bite until much later in
life, inspired by her talented husband (who is also a writer!).
Cozy Mystery 6th in Series Setting - Buttercup Bend, New York (fictional town in the Catskills) Publisher: Independently published Publication date: May 14, 2026 Print length: 268 pages Paperback ISBN-13: 979-8196898846 /ASIN: B0H1V1TW5M DigitalASIN: B0H1QYNW2G
When Cathy Jefferson’s builder is found dead at the construction site of her new home, she’s pulled into a murder investigation that will test her detective skills like never before.
While sorting through her grandmother’s attic, Cathy uncovers a secret about her parents, who died in a car crash years earlier. Now juggling two cases and determined to learn the truth about her parents’ death and catch her builder’s killer, Cathy teams up with her fellow detectives Nancy and Howard.
Their investigation leads them to a ranch where a prize bull is kept, and to Cathy’s estranged uncle and her college roommate. As secrets unravel and danger closes in from every direction, Cathy discovers that the biggest surprise of all may still be waiting for her.
Will Cathy catch her builder’s killer so that her new home can be finished, and will she receive closure about the death of her parents? Find out in THE CASE OF THE BULLFIGHTING BUILDER, the sixth book in the Buttercup Bend Mysteries series by Debbie De Louise.
Debbie De Louise is an award-winning author and a retired reference librarian. She is a member of Sisters-in-Crime, International Thriller Writers, the Cat Writers’ Association, and the South Carolina Writers Association. She’s written over twenty books including three cozy mystery series: the Cobble Cove Mysteries, Buttercup Bend Mysteries, and her new series, Soup the Supernatural Kitten Mysteries. She’s also written a paranormal romance, standalone mysteries, a time-travel novel, and a collection of cat poems. Her stories and poetry appear in more than a dozen anthologies. Originally from Long Island, she moved to South Carolina where she now lives with her husband, daughter, and three cats. Learn more about Debbie and her books by visiting her website at https://debbiedelouise.com.
It was their final summer together, and nothing would ever be the same.
The Bone Nest is a suspenseful and cleverly plotted murder mystery by Shanessa Gluhm and set in Blusummer, Texas, where almost 40 years earlier, a serial killer had committed a string of murders of young local women, strangled and photographed, the bodies of the first three never found. That summer was the last one that Hayes Sheridan, Chantilly Price, Troy Terrell, and Greer Collins would have together before the four split up to follow their post-graduation college and work plans. But the 4th of July would see the group destroyed as one would die and another would be accused of murder.
Fast-forward to 2024, where a young criminal defense attorney, Joaquin Ramos, out to enervate his new practice and make a name for himself, would take on the death sentence case of Troy Terrell, the convicted serial killer known as "The Songbird Strangler," whose punishment was scheduled to be carried out after the New Year. Working to overturn Troy’s conviction at the behest of the Death Penalty Abolition Program, Joaquin and his team have an uphill battle as the previous petitions on Troy’s behalf have failed.
The story unfolds in dual timelines (1986 and 2024) and from multiple points of view, giving readers a front-row seat to the events of both the past and the present, and personal insight into the characters involved. Because we know Troy Terrell is on death row, with his time running, and that he was there for the murder of his friend, Tilly, the buildup to the night of July 4, 1986, is breath-stealingly suspenseful. There are secrets among all the friends, which develop later into several plausible motives for Tilly’s murder. I was completely certain I knew who the killer was SEVERAL times, only to have one theory after another kicked to the curb by the plot, which would take spectacular turn after spectacular turn.
The resulting tale is full of missed connections and choices that led to unfulfilled dreams and futures that never lived up to expectations. The main female character, Greer Collins Sheridan, one of the four teenagers in 1986, had loved Hayes Sheridan all her life but only got him by default. She gets the life she dreamed of, only to face tragedy and the knowledge that she was always his second choice. Hayes follows his parents’ plans for his future rather than his dream of becoming a farmer. Troy, who just wanted to get out of Blusummer, gets his wish, but life on death row for a murder he swears he didn’t commit was a devastatingly cruel plot twist. Even the attorney, Joaquin, who dreams of winning big in court and is not afraid to put in the work to achieve it, faces a personal roadblock. His attraction to Melrose Reed, the paralegal on Troy’s defense team, feels wrong, and as her boss, it is inappropriate as long as they work together. But he hopes with all his heart that after the case is settled, he can finally approach her as a regular man interested in a legitimate romantic relationship.
With its strong and interesting character development and clever, twisty plot, I recommend THE BONE NEST to readers of suspense, mysteries, and thrillers.
Seventeen-year-old Ellar Day is drowning in societal judgment. Following a shotgun wedding and an equally swift divorce from an unfaithful husband, she is under intense pressure from her demanding father to find a respectable provider and secure her infant son’s future. Instead, she falls for Joe Dixon, a former Buffalo Soldier. Because of the era's deep racial prejudices, their passionate affair is strictly forbidden, forcing them to steal quiet moments in back alleys and mule barns.
Meanwhile, her father champions Mark Atkins, a local editor who offers Ellar financial security and a white-picket homestead. But beneath Mark’s polished facade lies a dark, volatile past. When a stormy night with Joe leaves Ellar facing a potential pregnancy, the stakes turn deadly. Knowing a mixed-race child means social ruin for her and a hangman’s noose for Joe, she sacrifices her happiness and accepts Mark’s marriage proposal to save the man she loves.
Yet, safety is an illusion. Facing financial ruin and discovering Ellar's betrayal, Mark unleashes a brutal act of vengeance. When Ellar is fatally shot down a long hotel corridor, Joe is immediately accused of the crime. Orchestrating a ruthless brand of Wild West justice, Joe is burned alive in his jail cell by a lawless vigilante mob.
PRAISE for The Notorious Murder of Ellar Day
"The Notorious Murder of Ellar Day is an untold story that is as compelling as
it is timely and impactful.
~Penny Haw, author of The Invincible Miss Cust and
The Woman and Her Stars.
"There is no easy or clear path for Ellar. Doing the right thing feels wrong
and doing what feels right is forbidden."
~Kimberly Burns, author of The Mrs.
Tabor and The Redemption of Mattie Silks
"The political and social backdrop of a bustling Colorado mining town gives
authentic historical flavor to this captivating debut novel."
~Sherry Skye
Stuart, author of Forgotten Female Felons Book One.
"Five stars for Marcy S. Wood's stunning debut! This beautiful reimagining of
history portrays the delicate intersection of romantic tragedy and racial
injustice with the reverence it deserves."
~Jennifer Wyrick, former owner of
the Beaumont Hotel.
I sped down the stairs and out the door. The hag’s vicious laugh haunted
my ears. Across the street stood Joe, speaking with the men with whom he
played cards. They joked and smoked cigarettes. Surely they knew and were
laughing at me. They fell silent as I dashed past. I tossed my mask.
“Missus Woodcock?” he said.
I ran on, too confused to orient myself.
“Excuse me,” I heard him say. To me? To his friends? I continued,
hell-bent on escaping my dreadful embarrassment. I saw Mr. Begole’s
store was closed up tight with the kerosene streetlights reflected in its
windows, and the black night everywhere else. Kicking mud behind me, I rushed
toward the company housing.
When I got to my tent, I hurled Chas’s clothes from the top drawer. I
stomped them into the muck and mire of my life. It dawned on me that my wicked
husband spent my money on whores and sodomites. I spat rancid bile from my
mouth, and it landed just shy of Joseph W. Dixon’s feet.
“You all right?” He held my mask, now tarnished with mud.
I stared at him, wishing to scream. Instead, I kept my voice low and even. I
gnashed my teeth.
“What does the W stand for?” I asked.
“What?”
“The W stands for What?”
“What are you asking me?”
“Your middle name?” He looked confused. “The W in your
middle name. You’re Joseph W. Dixon, right? Oh, never mind. Were you
aware of my husband—of his, all of this—when you met me
today?” I was angry and addled, but my run through the chilly night had
cleared my senses.
“I don’t find it my place to judge a man’s
proclivities.”
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Marcy S. Wood, MA in Creative Professional Writing, lives in the mountains of Ouray, CO. She writes at the end of her family’s dining table with a pup at her feet and a cat on her lap.
Colorful, informative, and entertaining about two cats and their journey to their new home in Thailand.
The Tales of Sidney and Jojo: Adventures in Thailand is a colorful, informative, and very entertaining new children’s picture book by author Lauren Isaacson. It is the story of two cats, Sidney and JoJo, and their long journey overseas by air to Thailand to reunite with their owner, whom they call “Mama.”
Sidney, a black and white tuxedo cat, and JoJo, a brown and gray tabby, are at Grandma’s and Grandpa’s house when they are crated and begin their adventure. Although the exact location of their starting point is left unsaid, the journey the two felines embark on is one of many long hours in the air, with a layover where they are let out of their crate to exercise, eat, and drink. Sidney is the bolder of the two, and JoJo relies heavily on her for comfort. Both cats are naturally curious, and that curiosity tends to distract JoJo from his fears.
The story follows the cats as they make their trip to a new-to-them country and, along with the helpful input from a dog also crated and on his way to parts unknown, reveals the processes they encounter to enter Thailand. For example, they are examined by a vet soon after landing in-country and spend a night in quarantine before finally being safely delivered to Mama’s house.
The story is enhanced by artist Megan Heller’s colorful illustrations, which bring to life Sidney’s and JoJo’s experiences on their way to “The Land of Smiles.” Young children will enjoy the cats’ expressions and reactions to their adventures, as well as the introduction to some simple Thai phrases.
I recommend THE TALES OF SIDNEY AND JOJO: ADVENTURES IN THAILAND to young readers and listeners who like stories featuring cats, air travel, and seeing new and exotic locations and their people.
I voluntarily reviewed this after receiving an Advance Review Copy through RABT Book Tours and PR.
A fun but important teaching tool about expressing gratitude with a simple note.
Nana Claus and the Thank-You Notes is the second book in author Kelly Reddin’s delightful Nana Claus children’s picture book series that both entertains and educates. In this story, Nana Claus helps her young visitors – Liam, Juanita, Akira, and Caleb – learn to write thank-you notes to express gratitude for kindnesses from others, a topic their teacher presented at school that day.
With emailing, talking, and texting as the most common ways to communicate, it is rare to see handwritten letters or notes in the mail anymore. Not only does the sender have to gather writing materials to prepare the letter, but once the letter is complete, they must buy postage and perhaps even take it to the post office to send it on its journey to its recipient. Then, of course, there is the wait for it to be received and read, with a response hopefully coming even later.
However, it is this very added effort that makes the thank-you note and the recipient feel extra special. I loved Nana’s discussion of this and appreciated how she gave the children simple prompts for what the thank-you notes can contain. Haven’t we all been stuck at one time or another about what actually to say in one?
The colorful, realistic illustrations by Aiman Sohail were full of detail and really enhanced this helpful tale. This storybook would have been a helpful treasure to have when my boys were growing up, and I know they would have loved Nana Claus, who looks exactly as I pictured her in a modern home setting.
I recommend NANA CLAUS AND THE THANK-YOU NOTES to readers with young children who are learning to write and to anyone older needing a helpful hint or friendly refresher on writing notes of gratitude.
I voluntarily reviewed this after receiving an Advance Review Copy through RABT Book Tours and PR.
No heaven can save them from their
own twisted visions—
welcome to a side of the underworld you have never dared to
imagine.
Mystics in Hell
A Heroes in Hell Anthology
compiled by
Janet Morris
Genre: Dark Fantasy Anthology
Mystic
Madness!
Join the doomed on their vision quests in eleven stories by
the damnedest writers in Perdition: Janet Morris; A.L. Butcher; Joe Bonadonna;
Andrew P. Weston; Gustavo Bondoni; Seth Lindberg; Tom Barczak; Michael H.
Hanson; Louis Antonelli; Christopher Crosby Morris.
Mystics in Hell is the latest volume in the notorious
Heroes in Hell series of anthologies and novels created by Janet Morris.
A Frame of Mind by Janet Morris & Chris Morris
Kit Marlowe treks back from exile, where he has encountered
three witches. Carrying a skull which he found on a blasted heath, he arrives
at the Globe, where Satan and the angel of death accost him. At their
displeasure, he’s banished once more, this time to return instantly via the
powers of the Fates. Satan meets him at a cast party and decrees that Kit not
only will spy for him, but play Banquo, beheaded in each subsequent performance
of Macbeth.
The Come Right Inn by Andrew P. Weston
Where we meet up with one of Satan’s most secretive agents. A
charming woman with a finger—and most other body parts—in every pie. She’s
bewitching, beguiling, and bedeviled to be sure, but won’t think twice about
skinning you alive if you cross her.
Abode of Woe by A.L. Butcher
When the self-proclaimed anti-messiah builds a temple on
their doorstep and ruins business, Calchas and Cassandra look to some devious
means to bring down the walls. Dueling mystics and misinformation bring mayhem
to the underworld.
Fool’s Gold by S.E. Lindberg
A tale of the Egyptian god of mysticism, Thoth, who seeks
conspirators to retrieve the Philosopher’s Stone; with it, Thoth could usurp
Satan’s control of the realm of Duat. Taking up the charge is Howard Carter,
infamous antiquarian and tomb raider, and the disgraced evolutionist Ernst
Haeckel. They discover that King Midas’s alchemical ability to transmute flesh
into gold relies on the stolen stone, and Midas is producing Hell’s new
gastro-currency: buttcoin. They infiltrate the Mortuary Mint and sabotage the
currency’s production. Instead of returning the stone to Thoth, the duo uses it
to build up their own fortune. The auditors of Hell, namely the First and
Second of the Sibitti, police the matter.
The True Believer by Lou Antonelli
Few national leaders of the 20th century had as much of a
negative and controversial impact on history as Hendrik Frensch Verwoerd, prime
minister of South Africa from 1958 to 1966, when he was assassinated. Commonly
referred to in South Africa as “Dr.” Verwoerd, he had a PhD in psychology and went down in history as The Man Who Invented Apartheid. Now in Hell, Dr.
Verwoerd refuses to acknowledge his infernal fate and gets a special visit to
set him straight.
By Any Means Necessary by Gustavo Bondoni
Umberto Eco knows he’s in Hell; the suffering and multiple
deaths that never kill him permanently are more than enough of a clue for a man
of his learning. But when he gets forcibly recruited by Nazi Commando
Otto Skorzeny to prove the theories of one of history’s greatest charlatans, he
thinks things can’t get any worse. He’s wrong. Hell can always get
worse.
Excalibur by Tom Barczak
When dealing with the harsh reality of the Afterlife: Hell
can be hard. But Rasputin has something even harder, and Lafayette Ronald
Hubbard desperately needs it if he is going to pull off the greatest magic
trick Hell has ever known.
On The Run by Michael H. Hanson
Tells of Sufi mystic Rumi, Zen Buddhist Dōgen, and Charlatan
Spiritualist Mina Crandon using their new-found magics on the grandest of all
quests, to find powerful talismans that will allow them to escape Hell itself.
The Sorcerous Apprentice by Andrew P. Weston
Daemon Grim learns new tricks from an old dog. And just as
well. There’s a fallen saint to bring to heel, and she’s not known for playing
ball . . . crystal or otherwise.
The Colossus of Hell by Joe Bonadonna
Doctor Victor Frankenstein and computer scientist Alan Turing
want to build a cyborg. Quasimodo wants to win the hand of the French fortune
teller, Marie Anne Lenormand. Rasputin and Cagliostro want to open an
exclusive, private club. And a mysterious damned soul, known only as the Orange
Ogre, wants revenge against anyone in Hell who ever cheated or betrayed him,
laughed at and humiliated him, or even ignored him—especially His Satanic
Majesty himself.
Strange Arts by Janet Morris and Chris Morris
In a Tower cell, Marlowe’s head struggles to regain
consciousness and rejoin his body. Here he finds his Elizabethan spymaster,
Walsingham, waiting with J the Merciful and three mysterious Sisters. After
painfully stitching together his body and soul, the five entreat him to join
their most secret conspiracy.
“Two to One
for the Pig Man!” yelled a grifter clad in the sharpest suit of the evening.
“Seven to
Four for the Prince!” bellowed another voice, shrill in the crowd.
Kevin the
fiend grinned. He was having the time of his unlife; he’d read the small-print.
“Are they
ready?” Calchas asked, eying the large and sinister cloth-covered mounds on
opposing sides of the temple.
“Yep. Ready
for mayhem, master.” A smiling fiend is not something to stir the heart with
confidence or joy and Calchas sobered. He wondered if he should feel guilty,
but he had enough of that to last a thousand lifetimes and these New Dead had
brought it on themselves. At least that is what he told himself and Cassandra.
“Ego fighting
ego will bring no good for either. A temple built in haste to honor mere vanity
and lies will surely fall to dust.” Cassandra stared at the mounds, hoping
these fire-spiting death machines would not bring them all to the Undertaker’s
door. Were they too close? She closed her eyes and let her mind wander.
“Will we be
punished for this venture?” He’d asked, thinking too late they may have erred
and voicing both their fears. He hoped nothing would backfire; plans in hell
oft went awry. And he knew that sooner or later he’d pay the price for this
deceit.
“This is
Hades. Punishment is inherent. But I think not . . . at least not on this day.
‘Rue thy former life, and revel in thy afterlife, for thou art damned.’ Is that
not the advice you once gave me? We are the damned. We must survive as we may.
But those infernal and wicked weapons of the new-dead — Surely the walls of
Ilium would have fallen on the first day.” She paused, “Would we have fought
with such demon-weapons of war?”
Calchas gazed
over to the two looming cloth-bound shapes. “Probably. Priam and Agamemnon
would have found some means to destroy one another, no doubt. Man’s capacity
for war outweighs his capacity for reason — and this place is full of the
testimonials to that.”
“They will
fall in dust as vain men are wont to do.” Cassandra told him.
“They won’t
go through with it. It would be suicide. That building will fall down in the
next hell-storm,” Calchas replied, doubtful.
They’d
watched the crowd assemble from a reasonable distance. “Pack up. In case. And I
will try to steer the mayhem from our door to be on the safe side, should the
range of those war-weapons be enough to hit us. Make sure you are careful where
you stand.
“Look there’s
old Assisi. Out for the entertainment, along with everyone else by the looks.
Let’s see — drinks are half-price.” Calchas would not let this opportunity
pass.
Cassandra
nodded, “Where did you get the fire-spitters?”
“Che Guevara
owes me a favor. It might be useful to keep one—just in case. How hard can they
be to use? Look, come there are our two brave heroes.” Calchas separated
himself from Cassandra, still in the guise of the department man, and wandered
over to the two Prophets.
“So,
gentlemen, are we ready to settle this? Remember the winner gets control of
that site, should it still be standing. The loser, or losers . . .will have
more immediate issues to deal with.” Calchas motioned to the nearer of the
covered shapes. “Who would like Big Bertha?”
The Reverend
Henry Prince stared doubtfully at the shape. “That’s not a sword, or a
firearm.”
“Give that
make a Heck-Cookie!” Kevin chortled. He’d been milling and warming up the
onlookers. With a flourish he tugged the cloth away — to reveal a howitzer,
pointing towards the Temple of Woe. It was an evil-looking device, as were many
man-made machines of death. “Humans, they do like to kill one another in all
sorts of inventive ways! Welcome Big Bertha. She’s a friendly girl!”
“And the
other?” Smyth-Pigott asked, his voice tremulous.
They walked
across to a lower-slung shape. “Gentlemen, meet Roaring Meg, the deadly maiden
of the English Roundheads,” Kevin chuckled.
“Not your era, I suppose, but they do the job. They
are primed for combat. Meg has helpers: she fires but one ball at a time, yet
she’s a fiery lass and one of the more knowledgeable operatives of hell has
evened the odds.” Calchas held his palm out, containing dice. “Whoever rolls
snake-eyes gets first choice, but Meg is a little slower, and older, and thus
she fires first.”
“What happens if we refuse this ridiculous plan?”
Henry Prince could not take his eyes from the cannon.
“Refuse? I wasn’t aware that was an option.” Calchas
feigned surprise.
Kevin murmured something in Calchas’ ear, “My
associate says it is an option but if
a refusal is forthcoming then all rights are revoked to build now and for
infernity, Sentence will be the six-hundred and sixty-five years of cleaning
Perish sewers, and you must publicly affirm your rival as the true Chosen One,
the true heir and the ultimate seer. And as both are equally guilty you will
have to work together, and your women too, forever. If both refuse, then it
must be done at exactly the same time. Whomever speaks first is deemed the
greater coward.”
British-born A. L.
Butcher is an avid reader and creator of worlds, a poet, and a dreamer, a lover
of science, natural history, history, and monkeys. Her prose has been described
as ‘dark and gritty’ and her poetry as ‘evocative’. She writes with a sure and
sometimes erotic sensibility of things that might have been, never were, but
could be.
Alex is the
author of the Light Beyond the Storm Chroniclesand theTales
of Eranalyrical fantasy series. She also has several short stories in
the fantasy, fantasy romance genres with occasional forays into gothic style
horror, including the Legacy of the Mask series. With a background in
politics, classical studies, ancient history and myth, her affinities bring an
eclectic and unique flavour in her work, mixing reality and dream in alchemical
proportions that bring her characters and worlds to life.
She also curates
speculative fiction themed book bundles on Pubshare - for the most part - theHere Be Series
Alex is also proud to
be a writer for Perseid Press where her work features in Heroika: Dragon
Eaters, Heroika Skirmishers – where she was editor and cover designer as
well as writer – as well as Lovers in Hell and Mystics in Hell –
part of the acclaimed Heroes in Hell series. http://www.theperseidpress.com/
