I want to thank the authors for the opportunity to read Confirmed Sightings: A Triple Cryptid Creature Feature by P L McMillan, Bridget D Brave & Ryan Marie Ketterer.
I love that each novella started with a full page illustration and the cover, along with Mothman set the hook. This is a different, yet the same, Mothman I have come to know, except now he is hooking up with a human, going to outer space and being involved in a murder. If you have a love of creature features, supernatural creatures or Mothman, Confirmed Sightings would be a great addition to your reading list.
A Piasa for Christmas by Bridget D Brave was a walk on the wild side. Mothman killed with impunity, bodies falling by the wayside. Kaycee was enthralled by him, but little did she know what his ultimate goal was. I almost laughed at the gruesomeness. What does that say about me? If you read it and can visualize as easily as I did, you will understand.
eyeofmoth.exe by P L McMillan was my first trip to space with Mothman. P L McMillan kept me captivated with mystery and suspense. I loved the story…and the ending…so sad, yet appropriate. Could it have ended any other way?
Once Upon A Time by Ryan Marie Ketterer is a murder mystery with so many creatures I couldn’t keep track of them all, and I couldn’t figure out who did what to who, until Ryan Marie Ketterer filled me in.
I voluntarily reviewed a free copy of Confirmed Sightings.
4 Stars
AMAZON SYNOPSIS
Horror fans and cryptid lovers unite! Grab your popcorn and candy, settle into your seat, and make sure to silence your phone for this triple creature feature!
A Piasa for Christmas by Bridget D. Brave Kaycee has returned to her hometown and finally found her soulmate in the most unexpected package: a transdimensional, all-powerful creature once trapped in a temporal prison. Can true love prevail between this headstrong aspiring influencer and an ancient immortal god?
eyeofmoth.exe by P.L. McMillan When the crew of the CRS Piasa encounter a space station drowning in madness caused by a creature from Pre-Calamity Earth, they become desperate to get back to their ship and warn the Company in a race against the clock.
Once Upon a Time in Turu by Ryan Marie Ketterer When a jackalope from the good part of town ends up dead, Policefoot Orli is tasked with solving the bizarre murder before the already tense town of Turu erupts in cryptid fury. But it won’t be as easy as it looks when all the usual suspects are very unusual themselves.
With full page illustrations for each novella and a foreword by Laurel Hightower, this is one anthology you don’t want to miss.
I want to thank Book Sirens and Bandwagon Press for the opportunity to read an early copy of Transcendent, a Science Fiction Novella. The cover does the story justice and fits the plot.
Transcendent by Jay Antani is up for preorder at a price of $2.99 and will be released on 6.6.23.
I love when an author can take less and give me more, and that is what Jay Antani has done with his novella, Transcendent.
On earth, Troy was a doctor, but on the Transcendent, he was a jack of all trades. It was his chance to be a part of the next group to settle on Prosperity. Would he regret it when a catastrophic accident kills everyone but him…and the pod people? LOL
I immediately thought of The 100, when Jay Antani described them hibernating, because interstellar flight took so many years. And, that is how he found himself on his own, trying to save his own life…and Tara’s, when he finds her outside her pod, the only other person to survive when the power went out.
A message from an unidentifiable source gave him hope and he would use the lander to try and reach them.
As the story and characters developed into an unputdownable moment, the pacing picked up and I couldn’t stop reading. I had to know if they would survive and who was trying to help them. It has a sad ending, but I felt it was appropriate. Jay Antani wanted to give me an exciting experience and he accomplished that with ‘flying’ colors.
I voluntarily reviewed a free copy of Transcendent by Jay Antani.
4 Stars
GOODREADS BLURB
Thirty trillion miles from Earth, plying the gulf between our solar system and the new human cities on the planet Prosperity, the colony ship Transcendent suffers a disaster that disables its engines and kills every member of its crew—all except one.
Panicked, medic Troy Hartman finds his approaching certain death vying with the sheer will to survive as he scrambles to revive the drifting ship. With the help of OTTO, the ship’s AI, Troy sets out to repair the damage, hotwire the engines, and establish communication with anyone out in the dark and forbidding void.
And as all hope seems to be fading, a mysterious lifeline appears—a signal from an unknown source, prompting Troy to redouble his last-ditch effort at making contact and changing course. Especially when he realizes that he may not be the last living human on board, after all.
117 pages, Kindle Edition
Expected publication June 6, 2023 by Bandwagon Press
ABOUT JAY ANTANI
Jay Antani is a lifelong lover of stories, both the personal and the fantastic. He came to writing by way of film studies, commercial illustration, and film journalism. After receiving his MFA from USC, Jay published “The Leaving of Things” (Lake Union, 2014), an award-winning coming-of-age saga about finding one’s voice in a world of clashing and competing cultures. “Edge of Light” is a total departure, a YA sci-fi adventure set against the backdrop of war, environmental collapse, and a possible alien pandemic. As a fan of alien invasion stories, adventurous journeys, and conspiratorial thrillers, “Edge of Light” packs in everything Jay loves about the sci-fi genre while continuing his exploration of such themes as friendship, loyalty, and courage amidst the call of destiny. Connect with Jay at jayantani.com and on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter. Connect with Jay at jayantani.com
I want to thank Book Sirens, A C Huntley, and Bena House LLC for the opportunity to read and review a copy of The Galactic Zookeeper’s Guide To Heists And Husbandry.
I expected something outside the normal and that is what I got. At first, I was having a hard time getting into the story, even thought of not finishing it. Patience paid off, though it took almost half the book for me to get involved. Was it the writing style? My expectations?
Definitely worth the read as I watched Saffron Savage find a life worth living, since her life on Hialeah made her so desperate, she would even traffick one of the animals she cared for, an umemeh, sort of a two headed llama. She lied, she betrayed, she stole, she would stop at nothing to get what she wanted.
I watched her go from a job that stole her soul to second chances and finding enemies that became friends, and more.
The last half of the book was a winner. I got in the flow, from her struggle to deliver the umemeh to a notorious mobster, to meeting Captain Reyes and his crew, to finding a home. We have space battles, a little romance, and a crass, belligerent woman who finally had me laughing and supporting her decisions as she comes to the realization that not everyone is out to get her.
I voluntarily reviewed a free copy of The Galactic Zookeeper’s Guide To Heists And Husbandry by A C Huntley.
3 Stars
GOODREADS BLURB
For eight years, Saffron Savage has been stuck on a dilapidated zoo-planet on the outskirts of the galaxy. Her mountains of overdue student loans make it impossible to afford the cost of leaving, and her sleazy coworkers force her to work demoralizing jobs on a daily basis. Desperate to escape, she hatches a scheme that might just be crazy enough to work: steal the zoo’s rare, two-headed llama and sell it to the highest bidder. When the poorly planned theft lands Saffron and her stolen companion as unwitting stowaways on an outbound ship, she must pose as an animal rights activist on a mission to return the animal to its home planet. To her surprise, the ride comes with some perks – an instant chemistry with Captain Michael Reyes and burgeoning friendships with the ship’s motley, animal-loving crew. Other than the lie that’s snowballing out of control, Saffron finds herself settling into this quirky, ship-bound life. If only the buyer wasn’t the most notorious, cut-throat mob boss in the galaxy. Or there wasn’t a warrant out for her arrest. The Galactic Zookeeper’s Guide to Heists and Husbandry is a fast-paced space romp about second chances, rediscovering purpose, and finding family in unexpected places.
Humor, Science Fiction
394 pages
Expected publication June 1, 2023 by Bena House LLC
ABOUT A C HUNTLEY (from Amazon)
Ace is a creative artist who authors science fiction novels, paints impressionist art, and dabbles in film. She lives in suburbia with her husband and child where she dreams of adding a dog, a few cats, a snake, a bat-house, and some chickens to the family.
I grabbed Reader Giveaways by Jeff Bennington back in 2015. I don’t know if that was before or after I started following his website, The Kindle Book Review. The book is basically an introduction to his website and how he runs the giveaways, which I participate in faithfully. It is a great example of self promotion while also offering the reader a chance to win some wonderful giveaways. Would I buy it? Probably not. But seeing it is free, I say, if you aren’t already following Jeff Bennington’s websites, give it a shot.
2 Stars
GOODREADS BLURB
Reader Giveaways Rock!
If you like the idea of getting an entry into a drawing for Amazon gift cards or a Kindle Fire every time you buy a new title, you need to read this FREE ebook. Reader Giveaways: How you can win Amazon products from your Kindle Fire or digital device is a simple and informative guide that explains how easy it is for YOU to win Amazon gift cards, a Kindle Fire, an Amazon Prime membership, or up to a $500 Amazon shopping spree (during the Holidays) with just a few clicks on your digital device. These “Reader Giveaways” are designed for readers who enjoy their Amazon shopping experience and want to add a little excitement to the way they buy their books. It’s easy, fun, and a cool way to meet new authors. But the best part is winning!
NOTE: This booklet is short, and it will lead you to the author’s website where they giveaway Amazon gift cards and Kindles on a weekly basis (see Winners Page). This is not hype–it is a fact. The website is NOT an amazon affiliate. All our winners are real people just like you. The booklet/guide/whatever you want to call it, will also show you a few other giveaway sites. So if you want to enter giveaways strictly designed for readers, get this book!
Don’t delay. New reader giveaways are starting soon!
NOTE #2: The independent websites and reader giveaways listed in this book are NOT associated with Amazon in any way.
I’m the bestselling author of REUNION, Twisted Vengeance, Creepy and The Indie Author’s Guide to the Universe.
I live in Central Indiana with my wife, four children and two stray cats. I obsess over details, dream strange dreams and teach a creative writing course for a homeschool co-op. Look for my upcoming paranormal thriller, Act of Vengeance, coming in late 2011.
I grew up in Saginaw Michigan, moved to Aurora, Ohio in 78′ and finally settled in Central Indiana where I met my wife and graduated from Indiana University. I’m an occasional runner, life long drummer, and household handyman. Over the years, I’ve done everything from working on an assembly line, installing HVAC units, teaching Sunday school, to running my own business. But through it all, I’ve always loved to write.
In 2006, something finally clicked when I heard the calling to begin writing novels – and write I did. Like many writers, I have a book or two that the world may never read, so don’t ask about those. It is my hope, however, that the ones you do read will be good, inspiring you to think about life.
All I had to do was see the cover and title and I knew I had to read Bloody Billionaire’s Baby by Kay Widow. I love vampires, and the thought of a vampire baby made me very curious.
The book shifts between Julia and Laurent’s point of view.
“She is the girl I expect you to kill. She is the girl from the prophecy.”
We have an Oracle, a prophecy and danger in the form of the Solar Sisters, who are vampire hunters. Is she one of them? Is she just an innocent that literally stumbles into him?
The story unravels in a slow and steady way, picking up the action as we go along. I didn’t expect Bloody Billionaire’s baby by Kay Widow to be deep, dark and meaty, and I got what I expected, some steamy sex, some angst and some danger. All in all, an enjoyable glimpse into the world of vampires.
This was my first ‘taste’ of Kay Widow’s work and I would gladly read more.
I voluntarily reviewed a free copy of Bloody Billionaire’s Baby by Kay Widow.
3 Stars
GOODREADS BLURB
I’m not the hero. I’m the rich villain… But hiding my identity will save my vampire baby.
She speeds around the street corner, bleeding.
I nearly expose my fangs before she passes out in my arms.
Now that I’ve patched her at my nearby manor, she must leave…fast.
But she’s still recovering.
We butt heads constantly, and I try to keep a distance.
She can’t discover what I am.
Interacting with her is melting my cold heart, even with the walls I’ve put up.
I want to feel her heat against my skin.
One night of weakness, and now she’s carrying my vampire baby,
And she has no idea I’m prophecized to kill her.
List: Paranormal, Romance, Supernatural, Vampires
186 pages, Kindle Edition
Published May 13, 2023
ABOUT KAY WIDOW
Kay Widow is a paranormal romance author. She writes page-turning romances that readers consume faster than she can produce. If you love spicy romances with protective and dominant alphas who fall for sassy curvy women, then you might just love Kay’s novels. Kay lives in Kansas with her husband, Irish twins, and all her book boyfriends.
The cover for Deep As The Sky, Read As The Sea by Rita Chang-Eppig is EXCELLENT! It says it all, a woman pirate on the high seas. I would have grabbed the book no matter what, so, yes, a cover does have a big influence over me when it comes to choosing books.
I love anything to do with water, and women pirates, well, how awesome is that? They can be just as vicious as the men. Sometimes it’s a choice between fighting or death, and Shek Young chose life. She can birth a baby and behead an adversary. Her life is a strategy, with few she can trust. She suffers losses, but cannot let it show, or those watching on the sidelines, waiting for an opportunity, would see it as a sign of weakness, putting her life in jeopardy.
In the beginning, she had no power over her life. Once she found it, she did everything to keep it. Yes, she had to make compromises, but she was the one making the choice, not someone making it for her. And what waits for her at the end? Will her death be violent?
Deep As The Sky, Red As The Sea by Rita Chang-Eppig is an action packed adventure novel of life on the high seas and how many of those who chose or were forced came to be there, living, loving, fighting, dying.
I voluntarily reviewed a free copy of Deep As The Sky, Red As The Sea by Rita Chang-Eppig.
4 Stars
GOODREADS BLURB
For readers of Outlawed, Piranesi, and The Night Tiger, a riveting, roaring adventure novel about a legendary Chinese pirate queen, her fight to save her fleet from the forces allied against them, and the dangerous price of power.
When Shek Yeung sees a Portuguese sailor slay her husband, a feared pirate, she knows she must act swiftly or die. Instead of mourning, Shek Yeung launches a new plan: immediately marrying her husband’s second-in-command, and agreeing to bear him a son and heir, in order to retain power over her half of the fleet.
But as Shek Yeung vies for control over the army she knows she was born to lead, larger threats loom. The Chinese Emperor has charged a brutal, crafty nobleman with ridding the South China Seas of pirates, and the Europeans-tired of losing ships, men, and money to Shek Yeung’s alliance-have new plans for the area. Even worse, Shek Yeung’s cutthroat retributions create problems all their own. As Shek Yeung navigates new motherhood and the crises of leadership, she must decide how long she is willing to fight, and at what price, or risk losing her fleet, her new family, and even her life.
A book of salt and grit, blood and sweat, Deep as the Sky, Red as the Sea is an unmissable portrait of a woman who leads with the courage and ruthlessness of our darkest and most beloved heroes.
ABOUT RITA CHANG-EPPIG
Rita Chang-Eppig received her MFA in fiction from NYU. Her stories have appeared in The Best American Short Stories 2021, McSweeney’s Quarterly Concern, Conjunctions, Clarkesworld, The Rumpus, Virginia Quarterly Review, and elsewhere. She has received fellowships from the Rona Jaffe Foundation/Vermont Studio Center, the Bread Loaf Writers’ Conference, the Writers Grotto, and the Martha Heasley Cox Center for Steinbeck Studies at San Jose State University. She lives in California.
Not only did someone out there know her secret, but they’d dug it out of its grave, chopped it in pieces, and left it at her door.
They had stuck a note in his mouth warning her that her secrets would be revealed. Seems the whole town and everyone in it has a secret, especially the McKays. I have been loving the series and spending time with the family, so I anticipate trouble.
Casey, Alexandra and Fletcher were at the same orphanage and the McKays had adopted them at the same time. Charlie came along five years later and they immediately bonded. I love that they would hold meetings in the attic, deciding who they would let into their lives and what their actions would be when a problem arose. Even as adults, they hold their meetings, but now, they are learning to let others in. Casey is the oldest, Charlie the nicest, Alexandra the bitchiest and Fletcher the meanest. I have a weakness for Fletcher. I feel she is the most fragile, yet she can take down a man three times her size.
Mack is stealing the show. She is the two year old daughter of Charlie and cute as a button. I have become sappy and love when an author can bring a character to life with her writing and the dialogue is spot on, giving me plenty of smiles.
Charlie is usually too busy taking care of everyone else, to worry about her own life. Or, is it just deflection, so she doesn’t have to deal with her own issues….especially when she meets Craig. Mack falls in love with him and wants him for her daddy. Charlie is torn, her past making it hard to trust. The first man she gave her heart to broke it. Would she be able to open herself to him? How hard will he have to work to reach her?
“Like a missing ingredient?” A little dash of pepper was all you needed.
Mack gave Craig the nickname Pepper, because he smelled like it. Children and animals are a good judge of character, and Mack likes Craig, wants him for her daddy. Now, if she can just bring her mom around…
W L Brooks has brought just the right amount of danger, suspense, spice, and romance to the story. She makes it impossible to quit reading until the last page is read, which I did in one sitting. Her writing is easy to read, with the pacing flowing smoothly. I smiled, got a little ticked off at times, held my breath at times, and settled for an almost happy ever after. I guess we will have to see what happens in the next McKay adventure, Book IV, The Truth Behind The Mask.
I voluntarily reviewed a free copy of Unearthing The Past Us by W L Brooks.
4 Stars
GOODREADS BLURB
Charlie McKay couldn’t be happier with her life. Taking care of her daughter and everyone else around her is a labor of love. But the truth she’s buried lurks beneath the surface and letting the oh-so-tempting Craig Sutton into her world is the last thing she needs. Purchasing the small-town bar is only one of the reasons Craig Sutton moved to Blue Creek. Despite having his own agenda, Craig is unable to resist getting involved with the McKays. And the closer he gets to Charlie, the more entangled he wants to become. But secrets in this town run deep, and someone is dead set on exposing Charlie’s. She isn’t the only one with something to hide, and deception threatens their happily ever after. The danger increases, and Charlie must come to grips with the past that haunts her or lose everything.
W.L. Brooks was born with an active imagination. When characters come into her mind, she has to give them a life- a chance to tell their stories. With a coffee cup in her hand and a cat by her side, she spends her days letting the ideas flow onto paper. A voracious reader, she draws her inspiration from mystery, romance, suspense and a dash of the paranormal.
A native of Virginia Beach, she is currently living in Western North Carolina. Check out the latest book in her McKay Series, The Truth Behind the Mask, and stay tuned to see what’s next!
I think the title and cover will tell us what’s going to be happening in The Torching, the third book in the Olivia Callahan series. I have loved the covers for the entire series. I have loved watching Olivia struggle through her recovery of an assault that led to her having amnesia. She slowly pieces together her life, her personality taking a three hundred and sixty degree twist. I really like her new self and watching her come into her own.
Trouble seems to be her middle name, because it follows her wherever she goes, through no fault of her own. Her group of friends are loyal and have their own baggage to share.
We start with her beloved Maryland house being torched. Accident? Arson?
The Wine, Whine, & Win group is missing one of their gal pals, Hannah. She had found her true love and moved to Florida. Why isn’t she answering their calls? Hmmm……
It took me a while to put the mystery together. I was surprised at first, but it makes so much sense. Ya never know where greed will take someone, how far they will go to accomplish their mission? goal?
Romance is in the picture, but Olivia is not ready to commit. I love how Kerry Peresta handled their relationship. She has been through, and continues to go through so much, how can she trust a man, or even herself, to make the right choice.
There is so much going on, so many players in The Torching by Kerry Peresta, that my mind was spinning, at times. Seems I would turn around and another villain popped up. No one was safe. Olivia’s search for a purpose has found her a career and answers from her past. I love that Kerry Peresta has created such fabulous characters that I do want to see more from them…and I think I know where we will be going next.
I had so many highlights in my ereader, that I had to pick and choose what I would share. Seeing this is a series, I don’t want to spoil any of the previous books for you, which I do highly recommend reading.
I voluntarily reviewed a free copy of The Torching by Kerry Peresta.
4 Stars
Synopsis:
Mysterious fires. A haunting past. A secret file.
Three years ago, Olivia Callahan endured an assault that resulted in a devastating brain injury. She survived, but she couldn’t remember anything about her life or who she was. Now, she’s determined to build a bridge between the past she lost and the life she must reclaim.
When Olivia crosses paths with PI Tom Stark, she is drawn to the investigative field, and becomes his intern. She finds a heavily redacted, forty-five-year-old file locked in his desk drawer that mentions her mother as a young woman. Why had her mentor hidden the file from her, and why had he never mentioned a case involving her mother?
As Olivia moves forward with her fledgling career, a string of mysterious fires moves through the community, puzzling the Baltimore Arson Investigative Unit. One of the fires strikes Olivia’s beloved farmhouse in rural Maryland. Now, in addition to uncovering the secrets bound within the redacted file, she becomes convinced that the fires happening around the area are disturbing calling cards…and they’re meant for her.
The Torching Trailer:
Book Details:
Genre: Traditional mystery or Suspense Published by: Level Best Books Publication Date: March 2023 Number of Pages: 323 ISBN: 978-1-68512-323-9 Series: The Olivia Callahan Suspense series, 3 | Each is a Stand Alone Novel Book Links:Amazon | Goodreads
Read an excerpt:
Smoke assailed us halfway up my long, winding, driveway. A dingy, gray film coated my windshield. I jabbed the brake to slow down, but my trembling foot slipped off the brake. Lilly gave me a look that broke my heart.
The surging, ballooning smoke hurled itself at us like angry fog. Visibility fell to near-zero the longer I drove. I slowed to a crawl. We inched along the lane until the strobing white-and-red lights cut through the smoke. I counted two fire engines and one black SUV on the lane as I approached. A couple of firefighters raced into my house. My door lay on the porch in three pieces, and an axe was propped against the wall. Each firefighter wore oxygen tanks attached to large, anteater-shaped masks. With their cumbersome, reflective-striped protective gear and masks, they looked more suited to step on the moon than inside my beloved Maryland farmhouse.
I brought my car to a shuddering halt.
We stepped out. I put my arm around Lilly.
Vaporous clouds of smoke cloaked my house. A couple of firefighters worked with giant, yellow firehoses. The men had divided themselves into teams, and the muted shouts told me some of them were behind the house. Flames leapt toward the sky from the backside of the roof. I counted six firefighters working on the house that I could see—plus the ones in the back. Tears trickled down my cheeks, and a terrifying thought struck—what about my cat?
“Lilly,” I said, my voice shaky, “Where was Riot when you last saw him?”
Lily’s face went white. “Mom…”
I grabbed her by the shoulders. “No, no…Riot’s smart. He will have found safety. I’ll find him. Stay here.”
I ran across the yard to a woman dressed in navy slacks and a white shirt with metal glinting on the front and official-looking patches on the arms. “I’m the owner,” I yelled over the whump of igniting flames, batting my way through smoke.
She shook my hand and identified herself as the public information officer. “Sorry to meet under these circumstances, but glad you were out of the home. We have it controlled. The team inside is checking to make sure it was contained. As far as we can tell, the seat of the fire is in the attic. Give us thirty minutes, okay? But ma’am, I’ll need you to stay back. Our investigator will be here soon. She’ll let you know when it’s safe to go inside.”
“My cat’s in there,” I yelled. “Can you have someone look for him?”
She spoke into a radio.
The smoke started to let up. Three hoses trained on the roof gushed out torrents of water. The huge flames stretching into the sky began to shrink. Radio chatter stuttered around the space. The firefighters stayed in constant contact, radios slung across their chests with a strap that held a mic.
These guys would not know where to look for Riot.
With an apologetic glance at Lilly, I skirted around the trucks, avoided the PIO, and dashed across the yard, up the front porch stairs, and into the house.
“MOM,” Lilly wailed through the billowy smoke.
Coughing, I ran inside. “Riot,” I screamed. “Riot, I’m here, buddy.”
I looked behind the couch. Underneath the dining room table. On top of his cat tree. Underneath the wingback chair. He wasn’t in any of his favorite spots. I plowed through the murkiness and melting sheetrock.
A bullhorn blared, “Ma’am. We need you to exit the building.” “Now!”
My throat was closing. My eyes stung like crazy. I needed to find him and get the heck out.
I scrambled into the kitchen and opened the lower cupboards, then the uppers. Searched the seats of the barstools, underneath the kitchen table. My heart thrashed like a wrecking ball in my chest. “Riot? I’m here, boy. Come on out,” I begged. A timid sound reached my ears. I waited. I heard it again, louder.
A shaggy, orange head appeared on top of the cabinets. I climbed up, grabbed him, and raced out the back door. The backyard firefighter team made group gestures that I interpreted as ‘get the hell out of here and let us do our job, ma’am’.
I zigzagged through the first responder obstacle course to my car, blinded by the strobing lights. Lilly spurted fresh tears and held out her arms for Riot. We watched in silence as the flames soared into the sky.
***
Excerpt from The Torching by Kerry Peresta. Copyright 2023 by Kerry Peresta. Reproduced with permission from Kerry Peresta. All rights reserved.
Author Bio:
Kerry Peresta is the author of the Olivia Callahan Suspense series. “The Torching,” book three, releases March, 2023, and books four and five in 2024 and 2025. Her standalone suspense thriller, “Back Before Dawn,” releases May, 2023. Additional writing credits include a popular newspaper and e-zine humor column, “The Lighter Side,” (2009—2011); the short story “The Day the Migraine Died,” published in Rock, Roll, and Ruin: A Triangle Sisters in Crime Anthology, articles published in Local Life Magazine, The Bluffton Breeze, Lady Lowcountry, and Island Events Magazine. She is past chapter president of the Maryland Writers’ Association and a current member and presenter of the Pat Conroy Literary Center, Hilton Head Island Writers’ Network, South Carolina Writers Association, Sisters in Crime, and International Thriller Writers. Kerry is the mother of four adult children, and spent thirty years in advertising as an account manager, creative director, copywriter, and editor. When she’s not writing, you’ll find her working out, riding her bike or kayaking, enjoying the beaches of Hilton Head Island, or cuddling her two cats, Agnes and Felix. She and her husband moved to Hilton Head Island in 2015.
The McKay Series is an amazing collection of five novels and I have been devouring each and every one. Because The Truth Behind The Mask is Book IV of the series, I am going to do my best to not spoil anything for you.
Each book highlights one member of the McKay family and there are always secrets and danger involved. My favorite is Book I, Let The Dead Lie. We meet the girls and how they came to be brought together into a family. They have been abused, neglected, tortured and learning to love and be loved is so very difficult for them. They work hard and live hard. Nothing comes easy to them, but when you earn their trust, they will die for you.
Alexandra is the sister being spotlighted in The Truth Behind The Mask by W L Brooks. She had deeply hurt her sister, Fletcher, who had left town because of it. It’s those pesky secrets that keep popping up, refusing to stay buried. Fletcher had been staying with Jake and when she gets kidnapped, Alex and Jake will have to learn to work together.
Fletcher McKay attracted lunatics worse than shit attracted flies. Yep, the kid was trouble with a capital T.
Fletcher has been my favorite since the beginning, though I do love the other ‘ladies’ too and watching them grow, change, and find their place in the world has been a road I happily traveled. The tragedies heaped on Fletcher are unimaginable! Time and time again she is taken to the brink of death, but she suffers so the others won’t have to. Seems everyone wants to protect her. Believe me. she may be small but she is a warrior.
W L Brooks’ ability to write some fabulous dialogue between her characters is amazing. I found myself laughing out loud at Jake and the ice princess, Alexandra. She is always so prim and proper, only wears dresses and rarely has a hair out of place. Jake is relaxed, laid back, easy going, ‘a throwback to the caveman’. Only someone like him will be able to break down the walls of the ice princess. Their romance is one wild ride and I loved all the verbal foreplay. It makes for some steamy sex scenes.
And Tiny…I have been remiss in never mentioning him. He is a loyal friend and the ‘chef’ at the diner. You’ll definitely know he has a problem with you if he serves you burnt food. LOL
Every time I think their life will calm down and they can live a normal life, something else happens and I can’t wait to find out what and to whom.
I voluntarily reviewed a free copy of The Truth Behind The Mask by W L Brooks.
4 Stars
GOODREADS BLURB
Is Alexandra McKay the reason her sister Fletcher left town? Yes. Does that mean Alex wants to put her life on hold to bring the little beast back? No! But when she discovers her sister’s been abducted, Alex will do whatever it takes to rescue her. Giving up his PI gig was tough, but Jake Keller would rather do that any day than partner up with Alexandra McKay. Unfortunately, if he wants to find his friend Fletcher, he has to work with Her Royal Pain-in-the-Behind-ness. Hot or not, the woman makes his jaw twitch. Forced together by circumstance, and ensnared in a web of clues, the pair submit to their undeniable passion. But if they’re unwilling to face the truth, they will risk not only Fletcher’s life but their own chance at happiness.
Genre: Mystery Suspense Thriller
302 pages, ebook
Published June 9, 2021 by The Wild Rose Press
ABOUT W L BROOKS (from her website)
W.L. Brooks was born with an active imagination. When characters come into her mind, she has to give them a life- a chance to tell their stories. With a coffee cup in her hand and a cat by her side, she spends her days letting the ideas flow onto paper. A voracious reader, she draws her inspiration from mystery, romance, suspense and a dash of the paranormal.
A native of Virginia Beach, she is currently living in Western North Carolina. Check out the latest book in her McKay Series, The Truth Behind the Mask, and stay tuned to see what’s next!
I am so excited to have won a copy of Honor ‘N’ Duty (Federal K9 #6) by Tee O’Fallon. It is the only book I have read in the series, but now I have my eye on her. I love romantic suspense and the characters quickly grew on me. After reading her impressive bio, I saw why she could write such a believable story with realistic characters. I think most of us know how dangerous and savage cartels can be, but would they kill a child to get what they want?
I was gripped from the meeting in the elevator. Do you believe in love at first sight? What if the woman is marrying your brother? Even though I knew MOST of what was to come, it didn’t stop me from rapidly flipping pages, having to know what comes next. Kade, hubba hubba. Laia, sometimes ya gotta do what ya gotta do, no explanations. At times Rosa and Smoke steal the stage. I mean, who doesn’t love pineapple pizza and whipped cream directly from the can.
I highly recommend the series and have my fingers crossed that more will come my way.
4 Stars
GOODREADS BLURB
Two years after his brother’s murder in jail, Department of Homeland Security K-9 Officer Kade Sampson is still haunted by guilt. No man should ever have to arrest his own brother, even if he is laundering money for a drug cartel. Fortunately, Laia Velez—his brother’s gorgeous widow—never learned the truth about Kade’s involvement. But when she asks him for help, he knows that trouble with the cartel is far from over…
Kade is the last person Laia wants to call. But between her house being thoroughly trashed and the uneasy sense that she and her young daughter are being watched, Laia isn’t taking any chances. The cartel wants something from her. And Kade and his K-9 partner, Smoke, are her only chance to survive whatever fresh hell is coming their way…
Now Laia and Kade are trying to stay one step ahead in a game that’s growing more deadly by the minute. But what the cartel wants, the cartel gets. And Kade is running out of time to save the woman he loves from the same fate that killed his brother…
ABOUT TEE O’FALLON
Tee O’Fallon is the author of the K-9 Special Ops, Federal K-9, and NYPD Blue & Gold Series. Tee spent twenty-three years as a federal agent conducting complex, long- and short-term criminal investigations, including undercover operations, across many agencies at the federal level, and multi-state investigations as a police investigator. It felt only natural to combine her hands-on experience in the field with her love of romantic suspense. Tee has lived in New York State most of her life with a five-year stop in Colorado. When not writing, she enjoys cooking, gardening, chocolate, lychee martinis, and all creatures canine.
