This thrilling and intricate follow-up to the series debut will keep readers glued to their seats and begging for more!
Unstoppable is the second book in author Michael Maloof's exceptional Kate Preacher Thriller series, building on the intrigue and, perhaps, even surpassing the intensity of the series debut. Kate Preacher, although still reeling from her husband's murder during an armed attack on a Parisian café, is determined to get to the truth, expose those responsible, and extract her own vengeance. Kate's husband warned his killer that she would be unstoppable, but so are the thrills readers will experience from this story.
Only days have elapsed since Jake Church was gunned down by a long-range sniper's bullet, but that is enough time for his widow, former CIA analyst Kate Preacher, to gather her resources and head back to Paris to prove her theory that the brutal café attack which took Jake's life and made him a national hero was no terroristic act but a calculated assassination when he got too close to the perpetrators involved in a high-level and powerful international crime coalition. Even after having read the previous novel, I was still thrilled by her tactical skills, knowledge, and the digital forensics used in the story. Key characters from book one return to lend their considerable expertise while surprising new allies and hidden antagonists enter the picture. The loyalty and determination of Jake's former team members are on full display and, at times, evoke gut-wrenching admiration.
The plot is fast-paced as the story hits the ground running, and the action and intrigue are unrelenting and non-stop. Dangerous secrets, hints of unknown agendas, and shocking plot twists kept me on the edge of my seat as Kate got ever closer to her goal, and those working against her tried to stop her or, at a minimum, manage her discoveries and limit the consequences. When loyalty, friendship, and her concern for another character's safety take Kate from Paris to an emerging African country, the stakes rise when evil intentions become clear and broaden to affect even more innocents, and storylines cleverly converge.
While this is the second Kate Preacher novel, the author subtly weaves in enough backstory for readers new to the series to read this book as a standalone. I recommend UNSTOPPABLE and the Kate Preacher Thriller series to thriller fans.
I voluntarily reviewed this after receiving an Advanced Review Copy from Reedsy Discovery.
Melody is a simple woman with simple needs that include good clean books, safe and intelligible television, and a job that she loves. As far as she’s concerned, she has everything she needs, including a beloved gig as the assistant librarian of her local public library. When a Winter Reads program turns chaotic and Melody is caught in the crossfires of a massive child-induced food fight, her dream job becomes a nightmare – a nightmare that continues into a snow-covered, accident-prone next day. After waking up to a sudden massive snowfall covering her town, she becomes the unwilling victim of a snowball fight between two identical twin brothers. Melody must then decide if she has met her very own Mister Right, or if her perfect life can handle an imperfect interruption. Lighthearted laughs and endearing moments fill this modern romantic comedy by humorist Jennifer Patricia O’Keeffe.
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As she walked, she read. While there were a lot of people around, it wasn’t very crowded. She didn’t worry about bumping into anybody or tripping over anything as long as she stayed on the paved pathways that circled around and wound through the city park. The pathways had plenty of snow covering them, but the people who had arrived before her did good work in trampling through and stomping down the snow that covered them.
Soon, all thoughts of her surroundings faded away into the background as Sally and her tale of love and life took over. Melody was at a really great part too. Sally, the protagonist, was single and twenty-five – close enough to Melody’s own age to make her very relatable. And there was this guy named Eric who worked at the same clothing store as Sally. Sally had found him attractive, and she hoped the same from him. At the start of the current chapter, Sally received a dozen red roses with an unsigned note card attached that says, “You look beautiful today.”
Melody gushed and paused in her step to just take in the moment. And, in that very moment, she heard a man shout, “I got it! I got it, bro!”
Looking up just in time to see a snowball nearing her face and a man leaping in front of it to try and catch it, Melody squealed. The snowball splattered against the man’s hand. The man lost his footing on the snow and fell backward. This caused him to impact with a startled Melody, plunging into her and knocking her down to the ground. Her bottom plopped down into the deep snow, and her elbows helped prevent her from landing flat and making it worse. Had she not been holding on to Roses for Sally for dear life, she surely would have damaged the book in the snow.
The man who collided into her landed just a foot or so in front of her and was pushing himself out of the snow while laughing. She watched him as he wiped the snow off himself, oblivious to her existence on the ground behind him. More than a bit insulted by the moment, she glared up at him.
“I told you I got it!” he shouted and laughed again. “Dude, did you see that block?”
“Yeah, bro,” yelled another voice. “But did you see what else you hit?”
“Huh?” the man asked. “What’d I hit?”
Melody watched him look over his shoulder and finally see her there on the ground behind him.
“Oh…” he muttered, looked blank for a moment, and then smiled and said, “Hi!”
GUEST POST:
Please welcome the author of our featured book, Jennifer Patricia O'Keeffe, to the blog today!
‘Smiles Brighten Rainy Days’
by Jennifer Patricia O'Keeffe
The reason I write romantic comedies is because I love
nothing more than to smile. To laugh. To be happy. That’s why I am a literary
humorist. I believe that joy opens us up to receive the greater things out of
life.
I wrote ‘Snowfall’ because I needed to smile. I needed to
laugh. I needed to be happy, but I wasn’t. I was depressed, which is not very
good for a humorist. Life around me had become different and chaotic. I’d
stopped writing after just beginning to build a steady fanbase. I was simply
going through the doldrums of each single day and into the next, off my path
and forgetting my dreams of goals.
Then, in late fall of last year, I had a serious heart to
heart with myself and reminded myself that the thing that makes me happiest in
life is writing and bringing joy to my readers. I sat myself down, opened up my
laptop, and wrote again for the first time in a long time.
That is how ‘Snowfall’ was born.
‘Snowfall’ is a book about a woman with a perfectly simple
life who believe she has everything she needs and doesn’t need anything more.
On one fateful morning, she awakens to a huge snowfall covering her city and
throwing a wrench in her day’s plans. It is then that her perfect, simple life
takes a series of heavy blows.
Her name is Melody, and she is strong and demonstrates this
throughout ‘Snowfall,’ taking on whatever life throws her way.
Through it all is what I do best – incorporating humor into everyday
life. Nothing feels better than a genuine smile, and the offer of that is what
‘Snowfall’ brings to the table.
If you’re expecting something along the lines of Amy Schumer
style romantic comedies, you won’t find that here. My romcoms are cleaner,
without the usage of foul language or explicit sex throughout. I believe in
leaving some things up to the imagination, and I believe the language in my
books shouldn’t offend my readers, no matter who they may be. I write light,
safe romantic comedies, and ‘Snowfall’ embodies that.
I enjoyed romantic comedies when I was a teenager, and I’ll
enjoy them when I’m old. That’s another reason my romcoms are appropriate for
most ages. They’re entertaining, plot driven, and – especially in the case of
‘Snowfall’ – they offer a realistic look at today’s young every-woman and a
glimpse of what today’s romance involves.
I can’t express how much I love this book, and I am
appreciative of this opportunity to explain why. If you need a smile on your
face… if you need to breathe a sigh of joy instead of a sigh of angst or
boredom… if you need someone to root for and to love who would love you and
root for you back, meet Melody. Enjoy her snowstorm adventure.
Thank you for enjoying this moment with me here at Guatemala
Paula Loves to Read Blog! I do hope you’ll take a chance on my style of
romantic comedies and read my latest release ‘Snowfall.’ I promise, it’ll put a
smile on your face and a tickle on your funny bone!
If you’re interested in reading more of my musings, or my
book reviews, movie reviews, or the occasional recipe or household tip I feel
the urge to share, please follow my blog at: https://singlegirlsguidetohappiness.blogspot.com/
Much Love and Many Laughs,
Jenn.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Jennifer Patricia O’Keeffe is a humorist fiction author whose works include the stories My Name is Not Cupid, The Scent of a Man, and the beautifully reviewed thriller about a mother who would stop at nothing to save her child, Hot Chocolate on a Cold Winter’s Night, among others. Known for her quirky romantic comedies that feature realistic women of various ages and races and the trials and tribulations of adulting and dating, Jennifer’s writings allow real women to see themselves in her characters. Jennifer is also a proud LGBTQ+ ally and often features gay characters in her stories, including the tale All I Want is to be Happy, which features a wonderful gay protagonist. Jennifer, herself, is a single straight woman, still looking for love, and living with her cats in an apartment in Nashville, Tennessee.
A fantastic debut for this thrilling new series featuring former CIA analyst Kate Preacher!
Relentless is the first book in author Michael Maloof’s thrilling new series featuring former CIA analyst Kate Preacher, and what a debut it is! With its honorable and sympathetic protagonist and breathtaking plot, this book needs to be on the top of every thriller lover’s wish list!
The main character is Kate Preacher, a former CIA analyst who left the business when a mission went horribly wrong. As a result of the mission, though, she met her husband and the love of her life, Jake Church, a retired SEAL and now owner of an elite executive protection firm. Kate now uses her vast technological skills to support litigation at a downtown Richmond, Virginia, law firm. At times, those skills satisfyingly end up helping the little guy but, for the most part, assist in protecting the assets or reputation of the firm’s wealthy, high-profile clients who have something to hide. Lately, she’s been second-guessing her career choice and what her future holds, but a deadly terrorist attack in Paris ultimately takes the decision out of her hands. Kate is a dynamic character, going from crippling grief to fully harnessing every skill and tactic in her repertoire to follow up on what Jake was secretly investigating and tracking down those responsible for the Parisian café bloodbath. She’s smart and determined and swallows her pride in calling on all her old connections for favors, even those she swore she’d never deal with again. I quite literally ached for what Kate had experienced in her past and for all she was going through in the present.
The story opens tragically and violently, establishing an atmosphere of dark, brooding menace always lurking in the background. The resulting sorrow is interrupted by adrenaline-fueled action sequences that had me gasping, and scenes of military honors, traditions, and ceremonies had me trying to hold back tears. The plot thickens with unexpected twists and turns and high-tech shenanigans. Still, with both Kate’s and Jake’s backgrounds, an amazing array of creative and envy-inducing technological and tactical hardware is available to Kate for her to fight back. The story was mesmerizing, and I didn’t want to put the book down. My only regret is that there isn’t a prequel detailing the Syrian mission.
I recommend RELENTLESS to readers who enjoy thrillers with international connections, technological creativity, and capable, strong female protagonists.
I voluntarily reviewed this after receiving an Advanced Review Copy from Reedsy Discovery.
This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. Click on the tour banner to see the other stops on the tour.
Paranormal Romance Publisher: The Wild Rose Press, Inc. Publication Date: March 17, 2025 Page count: 187 pages
SCROLL DOWN FOR GIVEAWAY!
SYNOPSIS:
In the absence of doubt, only faith is found.
A human with Fae powers living like an oddball has its ups and downs until Evie MacDougall’s dream Fae boy pops back into her life after she thought another was “the one.”
One dark and devilish, the other her long-lost love. Evil forces trap her for a magic Fae stone, but which man can she trust? As a teen prophesied to be Fae king, Aodhán viewed the girl of his dreams through an Eye of Ra.
Once, he risked all to help Evie MacDougall find a magic Fae stone, only to end up imprisoned. Kept from his true love for years, he finds her at risk from an evil Fae hunting a magic stone.
Is a single vow strong enough to save true love, to save the human and Fae realms?
Her head shot up, and he stood before her. “Hello, Evie.”
Her hand lifted as she moved it toward him, expecting it to pass through. When she touched his warm chest, she jerked back.
He captured it in his hand. “Aye, I’m real, Evie.”
He brought her hand to his lips and brushed the back, kissing her. Tingles shot from her hand to her heart. Only one person affected her that way. Aodhán.
His grin grew as he lowered her hand. “I’ve been away, and for that, I am sorry. But I’m finally freed. Free to revisit the human realm.”
Tears gathered in her eyes as he gazed into her eyes, her heart. Her Fae love, Aodhán, stood before her and held her hand.
“Evie, please let me make up my absence to ye. Let me show ye new hope and erase all doubt about yer feelings for me.”
She whimpered as a tear fell. “Aodhán?”
His hand came up and caught her tear. He rotated his palm and held it open, presenting a clear gemstone shaped like a teardrop.
Handing it to her, he whispered, “I can only stay a moment, but tomorrow I shall come to ye. I’m glad ye kept the sphere. I heard yer call every time. No more tears, Evie.”
He brushed a kiss on her lips. “Look for me tomorrow night in yer dreams. Don’t lose hope.”
Aodhán faded from her view.
Evie blinked. She turned around once, scanning the area. No one was about.
She turned again, calling out, “Hello?”
No one appeared on the street.
She pulled her camera up and pressed the button. Aodhán’s smiling face and ethereal glow came into view. Proof he’d visited and she’d not seen a ghost.
Her fingers brushed her tingling lips at the promise of tomorrow night.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Margaret
Izard is an award-winning author of historical fantasy and paranormal romance novels. Her latest awards are 2024 Reader’s FavoriteHonorable Mention for Stone of Love and 2024 Spring BookFest Silver Award for the same title. She spent her early years through college to adulthood dedicated to dance, theater, and performing. Over the years, she developed a love for great storytelling in different mediums. She does not waste a good story, be it movement, the spoken, or the written word. She discovered historical romance novels in middle school, which combined her desire for romance, drama, and fantasy. She writes exciting plot lines, steamy love scenes and always falls for a strong male with a soft heart. She lives in Houston, Texas, with her husband and adult triplets.
Please welcome Margaret Izard, the author of our featured book, Stone of Doubt, to the blog today!
Surprising research finds that subtly make their way into your story
by
Margaret Izard
In the course of writing our books, there is always a fascinating piece of research that we (authors) stumble on, and it may or may not make it into our stories. Really good research should, of course, never be intrusive, so here is your opportunity to let that little piece of trivia or major research point have its moment in the sun. Today, I think it would be wonderful to share one of those discovered “Fun Facts.”
Research is a big part of the development of my books. From research, I’ve had the Brooch of Lorne, a historical artifact that readers will see repeatedly in the Stones of Iona books. But I had the greatest gift from research in an event, especially for Stone of Doubt. While much of my research centers around history since many in the series revolve around time travel, Stone of Doubt, book 5 in the Stones of Iona,doesn’t travel in time.
Stone of Doubt takes place in Edinburgh, Scotland, on the present day, and I needed an event or festival for Manix to take Evie, and the city has not disappointed. I found the Hidden Door Project, a volunteer-run charity whose work is funded through ticket sales, sponsorship, and fundraising. All money goes back into the festival and ensures all their creative contributors are fairly paid. They open up forgotten urban spaces for the public to explore and discover incredible music, art, theatre, film, dance, spoken word, and more. Through the festivals, the project reveals hidden parts of the city and showcases new and emerging artists, musicians, theatre, and filmmakers.
At a possibly intimidating 500 pages in length, Murder on Oak Street proves to be an absorbing and entertaining historical mystery story that is not to be overlooked.
Murder on Oak Street is the first book in author I.M. Foster’s historical South Side Mystery series, and despite its healthy length of a smidge over 500 pages, it was an intriguing, entertaining, and absorbing reading experience. After being left at the altar, Dr. Daniel O’Halleran, one of New York City’s busy coroner’s physicians, decides a change of scenery is in order and takes a job in the small Long Island community of Patchogue, assisting the local coroner. Rather than peace and quiet, Danny is thrust back into investigating a cold case murder – the very case with which he started his career in NYC two years earlier and felt never received the attention it deserved.
Danny is a charming, engaging character with a hidden childhood secret. Adopted by the wealthy Adams family, he grew up in comfort and luxury but with a burning desire to get justice for the victims he investigates.
The plot progresses steadily as O’Halleran settles into his first job in New York City, eventually making the move to Patchogue on Long Island. The author’s writing and storytelling abilities drew me into the story immediately with vivid characterizations and descriptions of the early 1900s time period and I was hooked until the final page. There were a lot of twists and turns and plenty of suspects to rule out on the way to the story’s conclusion, keeping me on my toes and definitely on the edge of my seat for the duration.
I recommend MURDER ON OAK STREET to historical mystery readers.
I voluntarily reviewed this after receiving an Advanced Review Copy from the author through Great Escapes Virtual Book Tours.
The world felt pure. Nature made the location pristine again, hiding the scene from prying eyes. As if no one had died there at all.
In the months since Bet Rivers solved her first murder investigation and secured the sheriff’s seat in Collier, she’s remained determined to keep her town safe. With a massive snowstorm looming, it’s more important than ever that she stays vigilant.
When Bet gets a call that a family of tourists has stumbled across a teen injured in a snowmobile accident on a mountain ridge, she braves the storm to investigate. However, once she arrives at the scene of the accident it’s clear to Bet that the teen is not injured; he’s dead. And has been for some time . . .
Investigating a possible homicide is hard enough, but with the worst snowstorm the valley has seen in years threatening the safety of her town, not to mention the integrity of her crime scenes – as they seem to be mounting up as well – Bet has to move fast to uncover the complicated truth and prove that she’s worthy of keeping her father’s badge.
A Cold, Cold World is nominated for a Foreword INDIES Award, Best Mystery of 2024 (winner announced early June)
"Readers who appreciate the strong woman police chief in Linda Castillo’s Kate Burkholder books or the vivid landscapes of Craig Johnson’s Walt Longmire mysteries will appreciate Taylor’s riveting crime novel." ~ Lesa Holstine, Library Journal Starred Review
"Taylor perfectly captures the tension and determination of a small town sheriff facing down an isolating blizzard while racing against the clock to solve a murder and save a missing child. Sheriff Bet Rivers will be your new favorite character" ~ Lisa Gardner, #1 New York Times bestselling author
"A terrific ensemble cast in a total immersion setting! Fans of CJ Box and Julia Spencer-Fleming will adore this novel – it’s whipsmart, completely cinematic, and full of heart. Not to be missed!" ~ Hank Phillippi Ryan, USA Today bestselling author of One Wrong Word
"Sheriff Bet Rivers is back with a suspenseful and shrewdly plotted story of deadly small town secrets . . . Think Longmire meets Yellowstone" ~ James L’Etoile, award winning author of Dead Drop and Face of Greed
"Tense and divinely atmospheric, this is the perfect book to curl up with on a cold winter’s day" ~ J.L. Delozier, author of the multi-award-winning mystery, The Photo Thief
Elena Taylor spent several years working in theater as a playwright, director, designer, and educator before turning her storytelling skills to fiction. Her first series, the Eddie Shoes Mysteries, written under the name Elena Hartwell, introduced a quirky mother/daughter crime fighting duo.
With the Bet Rivers Mysteries, Elena returns to her dramatic roots and brings readers much more serious and atmospheric novels. The series introduces Collier, Washington, with its dark and mysterious lake, tough-as-nails residents, and newly appointed sheriff with her sidekick Schweitzer, an Anatolian Shepherd.
Elena is also a senior editor with Allegory Editing, a developmental editing house, where she works one-on-one with writers to shape and polish manuscripts, short stories, and plays. If you’d like to work with Elena, visit www.allegoryediting.com.
Her favorite place to be is at Paradise, the property she and her hubby own south of Spokane, Washington. They live with their horses, dogs, and cats. Elena holds a B.A. from the University of San Diego, a M.Ed. from the University of Washington, Tacoma, and a Ph.D. from the University of Georgia.
Visit these other great hosts on the Sheriff Bet Rivers Mystery Series tour for more great reviews, interviews, guest posts, and opportunities to WIN in the giveaway!
Historical Cozy Mystery 1st in Series Setting - New York Publisher: Inez M. Foster (November 12, 2022) Hardcover: 503 pages ISBN-10: 173333758X / ISBN-13: 978-1733337588 Paperback: 503 pages ISBN-10: 1733337571 /
ISBN-13: 978-1733337571 Digital ASIN: B0BFMT4WL2
New York, 1904. After two years as a coroner’s physician for the city of New York, Daniel O'Halleran is more frustrated than ever. What’s the point when the authorities consistently brush aside his findings for the sake of expediency? So when his fiancée leaves him standing at the altar on their wedding day, he takes it as a sign that it's time to move on and eagerly accepts an offer to assist the local coroner in the small Long Island village of Patchogue.
Though the coroner advises him that life on Long Island is far more subdued than that of the city, Daniel hasn’t been there a month when the pretty librarian, Kathleen Brissedon, asks him to look into a two-year-old murder case that took place in the city. Oddly enough, the case she’s referring to was the first one he ever worked on, and the verdict never sat right with him.
Eager for the chance to investigate it anew, Daniel agrees to look into it in his spare time, but when a fresh murder occurs in his own backyard, he can’t shake his gut feeling that the two cases are connected. Can he discover the link before another life is taken, or will murder shake the peaceful South Shore village once again?
I. M. Foster is the pen name author Inez Foster uses to write her South Shore Mystery series, set on Edwardian Long Island. Inez also writes historical romances under the pseudonym Andrea Matthews, and has so far published two series in that genre: the Thunder on the Moor series, a time-travel romance set on the 16th century Anglo-Scottish Borders, and the Cross of Ciaran series, which follows the adventures of a fifth century Celt who finds himself in love with a twentieth-century archaeologist.
Inez is a historian and librarian, who love to read and write and search around for her roots, genealogically speaking. She has a BA in History and an MLS in Library Science and enjoys the research almost as much as she does writing the story. In fact, many of her ideas come to her while doing casual research or digging into her family history. Inez is a member of the Long Island Romance Writers, the Historical Novel Society, and Sisters in Crime.
A delightful children’s SciFi adventure story with amusing political aspects until the children and the adventure were left behind.
Peanut Butter and Jelly Sandwiches from Outer Space! by author I.S. Noah starts out as a fun and entertaining children’s science fiction adventure with amusing political overtones, but it unexpectedly deviates completely from the children to focus on political satire. The plot is exciting and clever, but a couple of dark moments may make it iffy for younger readers.
The main plot, the children discovering a small alien spacecraft hidden in a forest cave while on a hike and finding out it is that of an alien offspring who has left his parent’s craft without permission to hunt for Big Foot, is delightful. The author crafts a fun tale of the Wilson children: the put-upon older teenage sister, Violet, and her rambunctious and irreverent younger brothers, Brad and Willys, and Violet’s soon-to-be-shellshocked BFF, Pamela Edison. The writing is easy to read and full of laugh-out-loud scenes, many containing relatable, true-to-life interactions among the siblings. Pamela, an only child fresh from a stint as a camp counselor, had no idea what she was getting into by agreeing to help Violet babysit the two Wilson boys.
I loved the aftermath of the Wilsons notifying the feds that they had found Goobex 3’s spacecraft with the ensuing visit, testing, and interrogation in the “Men in Black” style secret underground base. The author includes so many special touches, such as Agent Orange’s unusual effect on people, the ten sniffer dog teams comprised of some less-than-traditional breeds (one’s a PUG), and enough bodily fluids mentioned to thrill the heart of any 10-year-old boy. The author tells a great story for this age range, and yet, underlying the adventure is a dark theme: Willys’s trauma for what he believes he’s inadvertently done to Goobex 3.
The political aspects of the story begin light-heartedly with the author mimicking Trump’s verbal patterns to an amusing “T.” But, as things progress, the children’s involvement is dropped, and the plot focuses solely on how the author envisions Trump’s “first contact” would unfold. While there are unexpected and funny consequences to Trump’s negotiations with the Goobex, I believe younger readers would lose interest in the story before getting to them. This last quarter of the book includes some additional dark images, such as a general shooting a raccoon out of a tree only because he could do so and bystanders drowning when January 6th-type crazies riot outside the Goobex spacecraft. Can children read about these things? Of course. They represent reality. However, these images were left hanging and uncommented upon. Thankfully, the author does wrap up all these events, though, putting everything back into place as if they’d never occurred. But the bottom line for me is what started as a fun children’s adventure lost its way by crossing genre lines and perhaps trying to widen its target audience too much. Still, I would definitely read more by this author.
Content warning: Death of young alien, killing of
wildlife, mass deaths in a crowd, negative portrayals of Republicans, President
Donald Trump
I voluntarily reviewed this after receiving an Advanced Review Copy from Reedsy Discovery.
A quick trip back in time to the beginning of a new young love.
Under the Gulf Coast Sun is a lovely historical romance by author Skip Rhudy and features the young adult surfing culture of mid-1970s Port Aransas on the Texas Gulf Coast and the beginning of one made-for-each-other couple’s relationship. Connor O’Reilly and Kassie Hernandez had met the previous summer when she and her family were vacationing in his hometown of Port Aransas. Hitting it off, they’d kept in touch when she and her family had returned home to Midland through heartfelt letters, sharing their hopes and dreams as they completed their senior year in high school. When summer returned, so did Kassie, an event that the shy, inexperienced surfer boy Connor had dreamed about all year. Now faced with the reality, he’s filled with self-doubt that this beautiful girl whom every guy in town wants would want him, believing instead that she is out of his league.
What a good story! Connor is a genuinely nice guy and falls hard for Kassie. But with his recent history, the departure of his mother with a lover to pursue her own dreams, which didn’t include her only son, he’s got trust issues. Watching other guys hanging around and trying to catch Kassie’s eye is particularly difficult for him.
Kassie, whip-smart and with a full-ride scholarship to UC San Diego in hand, is certain Connor is different from other guys, interested in her for their common interests and not just for her hot physical attributes. However, his differences could be a two-edged sword, and she worries that her interest in him could divert her from her plans for the future. Thankfully, they eventually talk about their concerns, but not before there is a BIG MISUNDERSTANDING that causes a course correction on their journey to a HEA.
Told from multiple points of view, readers are privy to the inside skinny on the characters’ thoughts, feelings, and true motives. There’s a bit of repetitive “is she really into me” thinking on Connor’s part, but that seems to be a result of the emotional fallout from his mother’s actions. Kassie both abhorred and enjoyed the attention her physical appearance attracted, but she was only 18 years old when navigating through this.
The plot includes a lot of interesting descriptions and discussions of surfing, surfing legends of the era, and Connor and Kevin’s work aboard the crew boat. Connor’s time in the Gulf is suspenseful, and I thought the author did a great job of not telegraphing how this scenario was actually going to work out. I was on the edge of my seat the entire time. The story has a lot of humorous moments as well, many centered around Kevin Stamford, but the party at the very beginning of the book had me laughing out loud.
Set as it is in the mid-1970s, these characters would have been my contemporaries, so I could relate to a number of things mentioned. Women’s roles were still in transition, and Kassie’s father’s warnings about what she could expect as a woman in a university science program were accurate. Even the assumption that women would naturally consider higher education at that time would have been false. But other aspects of the “historical” (really?) setting were fun and nostalgic, such as the music, the lower drinking age, and no cell phones, to name a few.
With its engaging characters, authentic descriptions, realistic dialogue, and suspenseful plot, I recommend UNDER THE GULF COAST SUN to readers of historical fiction and romance.
I voluntarily reviewed this after receiving an Advanced Review Copy from the author through Lone Star Literary Life Book Campaigns.
Cordell 'Cory' Hunt, a renegade free agent who has worked
for both U.S. and Soviet intelligence agencies, is recalled from Morocco by
U.S. agents to give one final debriefing. Within hours, he's headed on a
nightmare black op with more hanging in the balance than he'd ever expected.
Asset in Black is the single best espionage/spy thriller
I've ever found. Complicated characters, women in major roles, shifting
alliances and shifting loyalties, layers on layers, tremendous action
sequences, a sleek plot, everything in perfect focus, a dog, and supremely
satisfying ending. Thirty years after I first read it, it remains remarkably
undated, and I'll still place it at the top of my top ten list. – Amazon Review
Casey Prescott is
a pseudonym for authors Janet Morris & Chris Morris
Best-selling author Janet
Morris began writing in 1976 and has since published more than 30 novels,
many co-authored with her husband Chris Morris or others. Most of her fiction
work has been in the fantasy and science fiction genres, although she has also
written historical and other novels. Morris has written, contributed to, or
edited several book-length works of non-fiction, as well as papers and articles
on nonlethal weapons, developmental military technology and other defense and
national security topics.
Christopher Crosby
Morris (born 1946) is an American author of fiction and non-fiction, as
well as a lyricist, musical composer, and singer-songwriter. He is married to
author Janet Morris. He is a defense policy and strategy analyst and a
principal in M2 Technologies, Inc. He writes primarily as Chris Morris but occasionally uses pseudonyms.
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Historical Time Travel Romance
Publication Date: April 14, 2025
Page count: 542 pages
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SYNOPSIS:
Outlander meets Black Mirror in this sizzling dark time travel romance. She thought it was real. She was wrong. When Sophia wakes up in 15th-century England, she expects hardship—but nothing prepares her for this brutal, unforgiving world. Lost, alone, and desperate to return to her husband and son, she vows to find a way home. But as the days turn into months, Sophia begins to build a new life, finding unexpected kinship and purpose in this strange land. After a violent attack, she takes fate into her own hands, disguising herself as a
man to train under Henry, the castle’s enigmatic master-at-arms. As steel clashes and their connection deepens, forbidden desire ignites. Yet Henry is not who he claims to be. His real name is Ethan, and this is the least of the lies he tells her. Falling for Sophia was never part of the plan—but the closer they become, the more he realises how wrong it is to keep her in the dark. As danger closes in and the lines between reality and deception blur, Sophia must uncover the truth about Henry—and herself—before she runs out of time. *Warning:strong language, steamy scenes, and graphic violence inside. Mention/Description of, but not limited to, abduction, blood, death, amputation, childbirth, death, sexual assault, suicide, violence against children, rape, and torture.*
The book is the first in a duology and ends with a cliffhanger.
I had the strangest dream. Nothing unusual for me, but this one lingered in vivid detail, as if I’d truly been there—in a medieval castle, smoke and burning wood perfuming the air, stone walls looming around me. Azure blue eyes. I smiled at the memory, then made the mistake of swallowing and winced at the sharp, scratchy sensation in my throat. I reached for my phone on the nightstand, seeking comfort in the familiar routine of checking the time, but my hand met only empty space.
Confused, I squinted into the darkness. My surroundings looked much as it had last night: thick red bed curtains drawn nearly shut, letting in only a small beam. I shifted under the heavy covers, my feet touching the icy stone floor and sending shivers up my legs as I sat up in my underdress. A faint shaft of light crept in from a small window, softly hinting at dawn. It might have been around six.
Breathing out a small cloud, I rubbed my arms to coax some warmth back into them and took in the room's strangeness, feeling how truly alien this place was.
"Good mornin', my lady! How be ye feelin' today?" she chirped, her voice motherly and comforting in my panic. Her plain brown dress rustled as she moved about the room, efficient and unfazed.
"Toilet?" I croaked, my voice strained and hoarse from my sore throat.
Polly looked at me in confusion, observing me standing there with legs crossed.
"Ah, a privy ye seek." She nodded thoughtfully, then produced a chamber pot from under the bed, holding it out to me.
I reached for it, mortified. What was I supposed to do now?
GUEST POST:
Readers, I've asked Eliza Hampstead, the author of today's featured book, to give us some insight on the following:
Discuss the world you've created for the book
Thanks for having me! Today, I’d love to discuss the world I created in A Code of Knights and Deception.
When I set out to write A Code of Knights and Deception, I didn’t just want to tell a time travel romance—I wanted to transport readers to medieval England and make them feel like they were truly there. The sights, the sounds, the unrelenting cold of a stone castle even in summer, the weight of a wool dress, the scent of woodsmoke… every detail mattered.
I’ve always been fascinated by medieval England, and I spent countless hours researching everything from daily life to castle defenses, from medieval justice to what people ate for breakfast (spoiler: it wasn’t a hearty full English). I wanted Sophia’s experience to feel as immersive and authentic as possible—especially because she’s a modern woman suddenly thrown into a world where survival isn’t guaranteed.
Life in the Castle
The majority of the story takes place in a grand castle inspired by Warwick Castle in the early 15th century. Unlike the romanticised versions we often see in fiction, castles weren’t just majestic fortresses—they were cold, damp, noisy, and full of people. Lords and ladies lived alongside servants, knights, and soldiers, and there was a strict social order that Sophia quickly learns she can’t ignore.
Daily life revolved around rigid routines, religious observances, and an unrelenting awareness of rank. Sophia, used to independence, suddenly finds herself expected to obey without question, dress in layers of restrictive clothing, and navigate a world where a misplaced word could have serious consequences.
The Marketplace and Medieval Society
Beyond the castle walls, the marketplace bustles with life—vendors shouting, animals roaming freely, the clatter of carts on uneven roads. It’s here that Sophia first encounters the stark contrast between the nobility and the common folk. She also learns just how dangerous life in medieval England can be. Laws are brutal, punishments even more so, and justice is often swift and merciless.
The Role of Women
One of the biggest challenges for Sophia is understanding a woman’s place in this world. Her instincts—to speak her mind, to question, to take control—are at odds with expectations. Women of her status were expected to sew, obey, and marry well, not question knights or discuss swordplay. She quickly realises that if she wants to survive, she has to be careful about how she pushes boundaries.
The Contrast Between Eras
One of my favourite aspects of writing this book was showing the contrast between modern sensibilities and medieval realities. Sophia struggles with things we take for granted—basic hygiene, privacy, food that isn’t heavily salted or spoiled, and of course, the constant weight of superstition and religion. Even something as simple as trying to explain a scientific concept can put her at risk.
This world isn’t a fairytale—it’s gritty, dangerous, and steeped in history. And as much as Sophia longs for home, she also starts to find something unexpected here: belonging.
I hope readers will feel as immersed in this world as I did while writing it. Medieval England isn’t always kind, but it is fascinating, full of intrigue, danger, and—against all odds—love.
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.
Unstoppable by Michael Maloof
