For a debut novel, David Allen did a hellacious job with Fury: a Cinderella Story. The cover didn’t do a lot for me, but after reading Fury, it fits the story. After all, Cindy is the epitome of nice…until she dies…then, she wants revenge on those who feel they are entitled, not thinking twice about the repercussions of their actions.
Cindy does have a wicked sense of humor.
“…Also, when people trust you, it is so much easier to crush them under your heel on the way to the top.”
Cindy does indeed make a Cinderella transformation, from an office worker to the belle of the ball, bringing her to the attention of three of the worst male specimens on earth. It will be the death of her…until…
Cindy plots her revenge, with the help of her best friends, Anna and Jay, and they bring Hell right to them, one by one. David Allen shares her revenge in a graphic, gruesome manner, and the cover comes to mind. She looks sweet and innocent, but her revenge is flaming hot. Even though it is savage and brutal, I found myself smiling, occasionally even laughing. And I smiled as I went through my notes and write this down.
Like Lucifer says in the TV series, “I’m going to bring it right to you.”
When she returns to Inferno, I was blown away. I never saw anything of what was to come and I loved it. I never anticipated the finale and wanted to yell and cheer. Again, I want to congratulation David Allen on his debut novel and highly recommend you horror lovers to grab a copy. I think you will get more than you bargained for…as did Cooper, Ronnie and Emery!
I voluntarily reviewed a free copy of Fury: a Cinderella story by David Allen.
4 Stars
GOODREADS BLURB
When Cindy Tremaine showed up to the office work meeting Monday morning, no one was surprised given her legendary work ethic. Except for Cooper Washington, who killed her three nights earlier. Cindy Tremaine is the best employee Cleaning California has, and helped turn is from an idea to a regional powerhouse. She and her best friends, the stepsisters Anna and Jay Hildebrand, are elated when they find out they are going to be merging with Royal Crown industries, a global leader in technology and architecture, founded by Gable Washington. At a ball to celebrate the merger, she meets Cooper Washington, the unbelievably handsome and charismatic son of Gable, and heir to the company. Along with his two friends, Ronnie and Emery, he uses his prince charming persona to lead Cindy into a night out, in which she ends up drugged and dies as a result. The three men panic and hide her body and put a plan together to get away with the crime. A plan which didn’t account for Cindy arriving back at work. Cindy, along with the stepsisters, now vow vengeance as the men try to figure out a way to stop her.
Genre: Dark Comedy, Fiction, Horror, Humor
361 pages, Kindle Edition
Published October 23, 2022
ABOUT DAVID ALLEN
I was born in Ogden Utah. Raised in Cape Girardeau,Missouri and now live in Columbia, MO. I graduated from the University of Missouri, Columbia with degrees in Economics and Philosophy. Fury: A Cinderella Story is my debut novel.
I’m always curious where Kathryn Meyer Griffith can take the Dinosaur Lake series and she does not disappoint. Like the tag line says, The aliens are coming in force…but for a malevolent or a benevolent reason? I think they may make us an offer we can’t refuse. Kathryn Meyer Griffith has a vivid imagination and I love her Dinosaur Lake series so much, I would hate for it to ever end.
Humanity…we go about our daily business as if there will always be a tomorrow. What if aliens came to visit and gave us an ultimatum. I, for one, don’t believe we would be able to hold up our part of the bargain. There are those that put their life on the line and those that only think of themselves, not caring what they do to others or the environment as they please themselves.
Henry has retired from his ranger job at Crater Lake, lost much and still suffers, but he has loyal friends who will jump to his aid when called.
Oscar, I love him. He has saved many human lives and will be called on again.
The first part of the book reminds us of what has already happened, leading us into what is coming. I do like when an author refreshes my memory, reminding me of what has come before, bringing the heartache and loss back to mind. We do have many feel good moments and that is important to me too. I want to smile and laugh while wondering if the world is going to end.
I wonder…what would humanity do if it was all real?
What do you think? What would you do?
From beginning to end, I devoured the words. I had to know what Kathryn Meyer Griffith created in Dinosaur Lake VII. Every time I think this series and Kathryn can’t surprise me, they do. I couldn’t stop reading. Even though the ending seemed abrupt, I think that was me wanting more. I don’t know what more she could have said or done to create a better experience for me.
I voluntarily reviewed a free copy of Dinosaur Lake VII by Kathryn Meyer Griffith.
4 Stars
AMAZON SYNOPSIS
Ex-Park Chief Ranger Henry Shore has had his share of adventures and trials. But for many years he had a good life with his wife, Ann, and his daughter, Laura, being Chief Ranger at Crater Lake National Park. His life was perfect. Then the dinosaurs came. With his rangers, he fought the prehistoric beasts for years in his park; while outside the world also battled the malevolent creatures. He had one friend among the dinosaurs, little Oscar, who helped him, and the other humans, to fight and survive the dinosaur wars; during them he lost his daughter. These days Henry is recovering from the loss of his beloved wife, Ann, and trying to find purpose in his new lonely life. The year before he’d been temporarily rescued from that sorrow by being drafted, as a renowned dinosaur hunter and expert, to help track down some of the last remaining rogue dinosaurs in the country, and then later, two of the wilier creatures loose and causing havoc at the government’s secret Area 52. Area 52, where two mysterious ancient alien spaceships were housed and examined by a team of our scientists. Alien ships somehow suspected of being connected to the world’s previous dinosaur scourge because of the ancient dinosaur DNA discovered in their labs. That assignment ended abruptly for Henry when the two alien aircrafts mysteriously vanished. Now Henry is home again, and at loose ends. But when so many new menacing extraterrestrial spacecrafts begin to appear in Earth’s air spaces, and the alien abductions multiply, Henry is drafted yet again to help. For fear has rapidly spread across the world as more and more alien airships are sighted everywhere. Why are so many alien ships suddenly harassing our planet, and what do they want? It won’t take long before the world, with Henry and an old friend’s help, find out. Then they have to figure out how to appease the aliens, or the Earth could be doomed.
ABOUT KATHRYN MEYER GRIFFITH
Since childhood I’ve been an artist and worked as a graphic designer in the corporate world and for newspapers for twenty-three years before I quit to write full time. But I’d already begun writing novels at 21, over fifty-one years ago now, and now have had thirty-six (romantic horror, thrillers, SF Thrillers, horror novels, romantic SF horror, romantic suspense, romantic time travel, historical romance, and murder mysteries) novels, and thirteen short stories, published from many traditional publishers since 1984. But since 2012 I’ve gone into self-publishing in a big way; and upon getting some of my older books’ full rights back for the first time in 36 years, self-published all of them along with my newer novels. My seven Dinosaur Lake novels and nine Spookie Town Murder Mysteries (Scraps of Paper, All Things Slip Away, Ghosts Beneath Us, Witches Among Us, What Lies Beneath the Graves, All Those Who Came Before, When the Fireflies Returned, Echoes of Other Times, and Waiting Beyond The Veil) are my best-sellers.
I was married to beloved Russell (who passed away on August 27, 2021) for over forty-three years; have a son, two grandchildren, and a great granddaughter, and I live in a small quaint town in Illinois. I have a quirky cat, Sasha, and live in an old house in the heart of town. Though I’ve been an artist, and a folk/classic rock singer in my youth with my late brother Jim, writing has always been my greatest passion, my butterfly stage, and I’ll probably write stories until the day I die…or until my memory goes.
2012 EPIC EBOOK AWARDS *Finalist* for her horror novel The Last Vampire ~ 2014 EPIC EBOOK AWARDS * Finalist * for her thriller novel Dinosaur Lake.
Novels and short stories from Kathryn Meyer Griffith:
Evil Stalks the Night, The Heart of the Rose, Love Is Stronger Than Evil, Vampire Blood, The Last Vampire (2012 EPIC EBOOK AWARDS*Finalist* in their Horror category), Witches, Witches II: Apocalypse, Witches plus bonus Witches II: Apocalypse, The Nameless One erotic horror short story, The Calling, Scraps of Paper (The First Spookie Town Murder Mystery), All Things Slip Away (The Second Spookie Town Murder Mystery), Ghosts Beneath Us (The Third Spookie Town Murder Mystery), Witches Among Us (The Fourth Spookie Town Murder Mystery), What Lies Beneath the Graves (The Fifth Spookie Town Murder Mystery), All Those Who Came Before (The Sixth Spookie Town Murder Mystery), When the Fireflies Returned (The Seventh Spookie Town Murder Mystery), Echoes of Other Times (The Eighth Spookie Town Murder Mystery), Waiting Beyond The Veil (The Ninth Spookie Town Murder Mystery), Egyptian Heart, Winter’s Journey, The Ice Bridge, Don’t Look Back, Agnes, A Time of Demons and Angels, The Woman in Crimson, Human No Longer, Spooky Short Stories Collection, Haunted Tales, Forever and Always Romantic Novella, Night Carnival Short Story, Dinosaur Lake (2014 EPIC EBOOK AWARDS*Finalist* in their Thriller/Adventure category), Dinosaur Lake II: Dinosaurs Arising, Dinosaur Lake III: Infestation, Dinosaur Lake IV: Dinosaur Wars, Dinosaur Lake V: Survivors, Dinosaur Lake VI: The Alien Connection, Dinosaur Lake VII: The Aliens Return, Dinosaur Lake VIII: For Love of Oscar…coming soon. Memories of My Childhood (short story collection) and my Christmas Magic 1959 non-fiction autobiographical short story.
I was approached by T L Bodine to read and review Neverest. The cover immediately drew me in, then I read the blurb and clicked reply to her email.
I am so happy to have T L Bodine to share her thoughts about, well, whatever she wants.
INTERVIEW WITH T L BODINE
1. Book covers heavily influence me and sometimes I will grab a book just because I love the cover. What is your process for coming up with the final product?
This particular cover went on a bit of a design journey. My publisher and I had a very different idea in mind, but with AI-rendered art being such a hot-button topic lately, we wanted to lean hard in the opposite direction and go with something that was very obviously bespoke and physical. My editor found the artist, Donnie Kirchner, and shared his Instagram to me, and I was intrigued by the way he worked with texture and color so I got on board pretty quick. I made several moodboards of other book covers I liked and different art styles and color palettes, and we sent a bundle of that over to Donnie who really knocked it out of the park. The original painting is actually hanging up in my living room now. The sky is painted on canvas, and the mountain is actually torn paper backlit with fairy lights to get that horizon glow. Overall I’m really happy with how it turned out, and it definitely captures the attention!
2. What was your inspiration for writing Neverest?
I randomly stumbled across an article on one of those “weird news” sites on social media, about the bodies on Everest, and realized it was something I had never thought about before. It sent me on kind of an obsession spiral for a bit, trying to understand — why people climb the mountain even knowing the risks, why recovering a body is so important it’s worth risking more lives, why there are so many inexperienced climbers on Everest especially. In hunting for answers to satisfy my curiosity, I started thinking through a lot of spooky “what if” scenarios, and the central relationship drama at the heart of the book started to reveal itself.
3. Why a book about mountain climbing?
I started this project knowing essentially nothing about mountaineering, so I went on quite a research spree just to feel comfortable in that space. I’m still definitely a couch potato. But in reading climbing logs and blogs from mountaineers and watching YouTube videos and documentaries and digging into memoirs, I started to get a sense of what drives people into this hobby…and realized that in a lot of ways, mountaineering isn’t so different from writing. Obviously their hobby is way more dangerous than mine, and a lot more physically demanding. But we share a same passion for investing a tremendous part of ourselves into something others might view as a waste of time or even selfish — and once I found that emotional hook, I understood exactly what I was writing. Neverest is a story about grief and ghosts and death in the mountains, but it’s also about being married to someone with a deep, life-altering passion for something you cannot begin to understand. And that, I think, is super relatable to a lot of us.
4. What authors have influenced your writing career?
Like most horror fans, I started reading Stephen King when I was entirely too young, and that influence has definitely stuck around. I also owe a lot to the YA authors of my youth, like Robert Cormier and R.L. Stine, and to the classics like Shirley Jackson, John Steinbeck, and Kurt Vonnegut. Among my contemporaries, I continue to be totally blown away by Paul Tremblay, Grady Hendrix, T. Kingfisher and Gillian Flynn. Their work never fails to inspire me!
5. What do you do for fun and relaxation?
What is this “relaxation” you speak of? 😛 I’m a copywriter by trade so I’m in the position of taking time away from my writing job…to do a different writing job. Not very smart of me. I do also enjoy playing video games with my husband (our current obsession is playing World of Warcraft Classic on “hardcore” mode, so when your character dies you have to delete them and start over). I also cook a lot and tend to my pet rats and our little dogs. One of these days I should pick a hobby that involves going outside.
6. As a writer, what would you choose as your mascot/avatar/spirit animal?
I feel a deep affinity for rats. I’ve kept them as pets since my teens, and they’re such funny little animals — hypersocial, political, full of gossip and petty squabbles but completely devoted to each other, curious yet skeptical, infatuated with good food and warm, dark, cozy places to sleep in a pile with their best pals. Equally at home in the forest or crawling around in the trash. I can’t think of a more relatable creature.
7. What’s next for you?
I’m currently working on a zombie book called Cage of Bones, which is the third and hopefully final installment of my Lazarus series about self-aware zombies struggling to survive and thrive under the nose of a government that wants to eradicate them. I’ve also got a book in the editing stages now about a selkie and a musician who team up to escape the abusive music producer who controls them both. After that, I guess we’ll see which thing from my mountain of to-dos grabs my attention first!
Thanks so much, T, for taking the time to share your thoughts. It is a credit to your writing skills to make Neverest sound as if it wasn’t your first climb up the mountain (at least in our imagination). I can only imagine the gorgeous cover hanging on your wall. Your zombies sound awesome and my hubby thinks I may have been a mermaid in my former life, so your writing ticks all the boxes for me.
First off, the paranormal element is subtle, but a Yeti is mentioned. This is not a creature feature, but the paranormal twist and the look into what happens when you climb a mountain and your mind may become your worst enemy.
A year ago, Sean Miller, Carrie’s husband, climber Mount Everest and never came home. Carries is lost in her grief, but evokes a promise from their best friend, Tom, to take her to the top so she can find her body.
I never saw Neverest being the book it turned out to be, but it surely has enough horror without the creature…or is there something more to the mountain, something that lays it’s claim to those who falter. Is it a beast? Is it their minds altitude sickness causing them to lose it? Is there a hostile force that protects the mountain?
Tom and Sean usually climbed together, but Tom had his reasons for not being on the trip. They weren’t what I thought and I wonder if all those that never returned from climbing Mount Everest were all accidents.
Neverest is a book about survival. I have seen some TV shows and read some accounts of Mount Everest. I cannot imagine ever having the desire to do such a thing. For one, I like heat and I am pretty laid back. I think climbers have a desire to conquer something. Or are they running from something? Sean felt climbing was the only time he was in control of events. When you think of all the support needed to accomplish such a feat, I think that is a misnomer.
The writing, and watching shows and reading books, makes it easy to visualize her preparations, her assent, and the action as it unfolds. The hazards and danger, from the mountain and from the person themselves, does not make me want to follow in their footsteps. It was creepy. I found myself shivering and it wasn’t from the cold.
Maybe the mountain is striking back because of how humans have trashed it. My curiosity, which is great that an author can have me doing it, made me surf the internet. People…I get this feeling of who do they think they are. Do they think, if I were ever to climb the mountain, I would want to see how little they care about their environment? It’s like we say for the beach, leave only footprints.
Carrie is searching for answers and her guilt drives her on a journey of self discovery that she didn’t know she was looking for. The held the journal Sean had left behind as if it was her lifeline…
Man, oh man, that ending. I had no idea how T L Bodine would finish Neverest, but I didn’t see that coming. I guess, I was just along for the ride, not thinking of where I was going, just taking one step after another, one page after another, one word after another…
T L Bodine’s writing draws me in as I become fascinated with the allure to conquer, the price the climbers pay, both physical and mental, the cold, the lack of air and the tricks the mind plays on them. I wonder how many fall prey to altitude sickness and just wander off, lost on the mountain and lost in their mind.
I voluntarily reviewed a free copy of Neverest by T L Bodine.
4 Stars
GOODREADS BLURB
One year ago, Sean Miller—journalist and mountain climbing enthusiast—reached the summit of Mount Everest and was never seen again. Unable to move on without knowing the truth of what happened, his widow Carrie insists on an expedition to search for Sean’s body so it can be properly laid to rest. Tom, Sean’s best friend and former climbing partner, agrees to serve as expedition guide and promises to keep Carrie safe on the mountain, despite their complicated relationship history.
Guided by a travel journal left behind by her husband, Carrie ventures into the frozen, open-air graveyard of the world’s tallest peak. But as Sean’s diary and Carrie’s experiences reveal, climbing the mountain is more than a test of endurance; it’s a battle of wills with an ancient and hostile force protecting the mountain—and the dead do not rest easy at the summit.
NEVEREST is a survival thriller with a hint of the supernatural that will appeal to fans of Ally Wilkes’ All the White Spaces and Amy McCulloch’s Breathless.
Genre: Fiction, Horror
292 pages, ebook
First published April 25, 2023 by Ghost Orchid Press
ABOUT T L BODINE
T.L. Bodine writes dark fantasy and horror. She’s interested in uncanny, fantastic things, and the way real people with real problems interact with them.
You can also read up-and-coming stories on Wattpad, or check out her Tumblr for writing advice, creepypasta, and more.
When not writing, she can usually be found watching horror movies, playing story-heavy video games, or experimenting in the kitchen.
She lives in New Mexico with her husband, David, and two small dogs.
I have had The Savannah Project by Chuck Barrett on my TBR since 2012, but didn’t pick it up until 2014. I was so excited to grab it and don’t know why I waited so long to read it.
I cracked the book open and didn’t realize it was St Patrick’s Day…here and in Savannah Georgia. The Prologue socked me in the gut and I braced myself for what was to come. I have had my eye on The Savannah Project and The Toymaker since 2012, so it is high time I Knocked them off my reading list.
Jake Pendleton will meet Ian Collins, an assassin that will change his life forever. A man who vowed an eye for an eye, a blood vengeance.
I have never really understood all the IRA, Sinn Fein issues, but I have read and continue to read novels about them, trying. An eye for an eye is never enough. I can never understand sacrificing innocent lives. How can that be right?
As I read along, the story grew deeper, more desperate and dangerous. Jake scrambles to understand what is happening. The action is non stop as they travel the globe creating devastation wherever they go. Bodies will fall and I wonder who will be left standing.
The story doesn’t end here and I eagerly begin The Toymaker. The characters have captured my curiosity and I have to know what will become of them, whether they are the worst villains imaginable or persons who will sacrifice their life for others.
4 Stars
GOODREADS BLURB
The truth can be a dangerous thing.
Terrorism, duty, and personal safety collide when Jake Pendleton, an investigator for the NTSB, is called to investigate an aircraft accident in Savannah, Georgia during the St. Patrick’s Day celebration. The accident, which at first appears to be quite run-of-the-mill, turns out to be anything but. Since Jake is not willing to pretend there are no suspicious circumstances and more than the usual share of rather unlikely “coincidences,” he sets off a veritable avalanche of secrets, violence and treachery. Aided by an unlikely partner, Gregg Kaplan, the air traffic controller who was the last person in contact with the airplane that crashed, Jake sets out to untangle the webs of deceit and to find a vicious killer.
Nothing is as it seems, nobody is who you thought them to be. Nothing is sacred. Nobody is safe.
The Savannah Project is an action packed political thriller with a twist around every corner. If you like thrillers by great authors like David Baldacci, Vince Flynn, Brad Thor, and others, then you’ll enjoys this book as the author incorporates his 3M formula for his novels: Murder, Mystery, & Mayhem.
His books have reached Amazon Bestseller status in the following categories: • Espionage & Spy Thrillers • Political Thrillers • Political Thriller & Suspense • Action & Adventure • Terrorism Thriller
Action and Adventure, Thriller, Suspense, Mystery, Fiction
336 pages, Kindle Edition
First published March 9, 2010
ABOUT CHUCK BARRETT
Chuck Barrett is the award-winning author of The Savannah Project, The Toymaker, Breach of Power, and Disruption of his Jake Pendleton series, and Blown, and Last Chance of his blockbuster Gregg Kaplan series. He is a graduate of Auburn University and retired air traffic controller. He also holds a Commercial Pilot Certificate.
He and his wife, DJ Steele (also an author) currently reside in Northern Colorado.
Awards: —BLOWN 2016 Writers Digest Self-Published Book Awards
—Breach of Power Winner of the 2013 Indie Excellence Award in Political Thrillers. Finalist in the 2013 International Book Awards Thriller/Adventure category.
—The Toymaker Finalist in the 2013 International Book Awards Thriller/Adventure & Mystery/Suspense categories.
—The Savannah Project Finalist in the 2011 International Book Awards Thriller/Adventure category. Second Place in the 2011 Reviewers Choice Awards Mystery/Thriller/Suspense/Horror category. Honorable Mention in the 2011 ForeWord Reviews Book-Of-The-Year Awards Thriller/Suspense category.
I was happy to be on the front end of Clemence Michallon’s writing career with what I think is her debut novel, The Quiet Tenant. I wasn’t sure what I expected, but I loved her twist on the serial killer scenario. I am a huge fan of serial killers, reading about them, not hanging out with them, so any fresh plot is always welcome. Of course, I think we know that a serial killer could be hidden under the guise of your neighbor. Hell, it could even be a family member. Serial killer’s are not always male, though it is rare to find one that is female.
Imagine meeting a kind, young man who turns out to be your worst nightmare. He has murdered eight women and you are the ninth. Why has he kept you alive? Why doesn’t he take what he wants and dispose of you? What makes you different from the others?
‘Rachel’ is the tenant and he is the landlord. He has had her for eight years. Now, things have changed. His wife has died and he is being evicted. How can he incorporate her into his new life, keeping the specifics hidden from his thirteen year old daughter, Cecilia.
Rachel has a set of rules she has made to keep herself alive, hoping she will be saved.
I had wondered about his relationship with his daughter, seeing he rarely let her out of his sight, other than school. Was he molesting her, having her take the place of his dead wife and Rachel is just a side bit for some variety? At first, I thought it was because he knew just how dangerous the world can be, seeing he is a predator. But, the reason was much more personal than her safety.
There were a couple of hiccups in the story, but over all it kept me reading. I wondered how in the world they could all live together and how it would end. Clemence Michallon was able to keep me in suspense, never giving away the ending, even though I tried to figure it out for myself. The twists and turns along the way were new to me and as many books as I read, it is hard to come up with something novel and unique. Kudos go out to Clemence Michallon for being able to do that and leave me wanting more. I am eager to see what she will come up with next.
The ending was inspirational and hopeful. I always wonder how I will react in a situation some of these characters find themselves in, and I tell myself one thing and wonder if that is what I would really do. After all, I don’t think any of us can know until or if it happens.
I voluntarily reviewed a free copy of The Quiet Tenant by Clemence Michallon.
4 Stars
GOODREADS BLURB
ONE OF THE MOST ANTICIPATED NOVELS OF 2023 • “A bravura feat of storytelling . . . a daring and completely satisfying mystery.” —James Patterson, #1 best-selling author
A PULSE-POUNDING PSYCHOLOGICAL THRILLER ABOUT A SERIAL KILLER NARRATED BY THOSE CLOSEST TO HIS 13-YEAR-OLD DAUGHTER, HIS GIRLFRIEND—AND THE ONE VICTIM HE HAS SPARED
Aidan Thomas is a hard-working family man and a somewhat beloved figure in the small upstate town where he lives. He’s the kind of man who always lends a hand and has a good word for everyone. But Aidan has a dark secret he’s been keeping from everyone in town and those closest to him. He’s a kidnapper and serial killer. Aidan has murdered eight women and there’s a ninth he has earmarked for Rachel, imprisoned in a backyard shed, fearing for her life.
When Aidan’s wife dies, he and his thirteen-year-old daughter Cecilia are forced to move. Aidan has no choice but to bring Rachel along, introducing her to Cecilia as a “family friend” who needs a place to stay. Aidan is betting on Rachel, after five years of captivity, being too brainwashed and fearful to attempt to escape. But Rachel is a fighter and survivor, and recognizes Cecilia might just be the lifeline she has waited for all these years. As Rachel tests the boundaries of her new living situation, she begins to form a tenuous connection with Cecilia. And when Emily, a local restaurant owner, develops a crush on the handsome widower, she finds herself drawn into Rachel and Cecilia’s orbit, coming dangerously close to discovering Aidan’s secret.
Told through the perspectives of Rachel, Cecilia, and Emily, The Quiet Tenant explores the psychological impact of Aidan’s crimes on the women in his life—and the bonds between those women that give them the strength to fight back. Both a searing thriller and an astute study of trauma, survival, and the dynamics of power, The Quiet Tenant is an electrifying debut by a major talent.
Clémence Michallon was born and raised near Paris. She studied journalism at City University of London, received a master’s in Journalism from Columbia University, and has written for The Independent since 2018. Her essays and features have covered true-crime, celebrity culture, and literature. She moved to New York City in 2014 and recently became a US citizen. She now divides her time between New York City and Rhinebeck, NY.
OMG! I joined William Baker’s newsletter last month and have never looked back. His series of Devil’s Dolls short stories are to die for, and The Devil’s Origins is free, OR…if you have KindleUnlimited you can grab Season 1, or purchase for $5.97.
This standalone novella/short story, The Devil’s Origins by William Baker has me hooked. I love a good vigilante story and the only thing I hate about the Devil’s Dolls series is that it is not a novel. I want more, more depth, more detail, more of K…just MORE!
The Devil’s Origins by Willaim Baker has everything I love in a thriller…a female main character who is a vigilante, edge of the seat suspense, dead bodies, a story that can stand alone but has more to come. Once I read it, I knew I wanted more!
4 Stars
GOODREADS BLURB
Blood, ashes, and bones.
That’s all she saw.
When she awoke amongst the debris and dead bodies drenched in a mysterious substance, she found two things.
A single initial on her half-burnt uniform’s nametag.
And all her memories erased.
Abandoned, confused, hungry, and cold, K trudges on into a small town she doesn’t recognize
Failing to consider that she looks like an escaped, dangerous convict…
That her appearance would turn heads, raising dangerous questions she had no answer to.
But there is something about her new self K learns the hard way.
Her powers are anything but human.
And they can get her in a whole lot of trouble.
Soon, all hell breaks loose, and K is entangled in a murder she never wished to commit.
As she tries to escape the consequences of her actions, K is met with a choice she never thought she’d have to make.
Follow the instructions of her anonymous benefactor, or starve, die, and worse…
There is only one thing K can be certain about.
Someone is watching her every move.
They know what she’s done.
And they won’t stop until she pays what she’s due.
K’s deadly chase has only just begun.
This is the standalone prequel to the Devil’s Dolls series by William Baker.
Vengeance In Black by William Baker is a newsletter exclusive short story with a cliffhanger. I was ecstatic and disappointed at the same time. I was hooked when I read the standalone prequel, The Devil’s Origins, and was left hanging by my fingernails after finishing Vengeance In Black. I HAD TO KNOW what happened next and was ecstatic when William Black offered The Devil’s Dollmaker free for a limited time. YAY!
What’s is happening to all the women in town?
Look at that cover below…Doesn’t it make you want to know what the fuck is going on?
I am soooo lovin’ this series of novella/short stories. It makes me think of Charlie’s Angels, except there is only one angel with an anonymous benefactor. K is the epitome of a female vigilante and I love her. In The Devil’s Dollmaker, a deliciously gruesome story of missing women, K shows her humanity. I hate that she remains a solitary action figure, yet a connection would make her a target. This way, she comes and goes, like a ghost in the night. The only downside to this action packed suspense novella/short story is the cliffhanger…and I am hanging on for dear life!
4 Stars
GOODREADS BLURB
Somewhere in the dark, the Dollmaker butchers another victim. Going against her instincts, K decides to follow Lisa to the police, where she introduces her to Jerry, a cop that seems to distance himself from the corruption of the system. What surprises K more is that the task force has been expecting her arrival, addressing her as ‘special agent’ Rose. Is this another unexpected twist her anonymous boss has thrown her way, or could it be an elaborate scheme to trap her?
The lack of physical evidence on the case and her only unreliable witness leave her no time for caution. Thanks to Jerry’s tech skills and Lisa’s charm, they follow the missing women’s traces to the dark web, where a man called the Dollmaker deals in favors and twisted requests. But the most disturbing revelation of all is why these women answer his call…
What they find on that page scars Lisa, but K is hellbent on uncovering the man behind the operation. She knows whatever lies inside the sickest minds is best to remain hidden, but unless they act fast, more will die, and the killer’s trail will run cold.
This time there is no room for error. Not while the Dollmaker is out there mutilating his new toy.
William Baker lives on the west coast, surrounded by misty mountains, together with his wife, his son, and their two cats Tiger and Panther. He is a dedicated reader of most genres, with mysterious thrillers being his favorite.
Since he was a young boy, Will has written stories of all sorts, starting with the adventure of a mysterious beheaded rider clad in black, wandering around the village after sunset, causing terror to any foe standing in his way. After high school, Will thought it wise to pursue a proper education and became an economist. However, the stories never disappeared, on the contrary, more and more started to play themselves out like movies in his head. At last, Will had no choice but to succumb and started writing again. He has never looked back since.
OMG I laughed my way though Two Sticky Nuts by Mimi Jean Pamfiloff. I guess the title might give us a clue as to what may be involved, but there is so much more to the story than I anticipated. There always is with Mimi’s work.
Mila and Sofie are best friends, and polar opposites, but their trip to Jamaica changes Mila’s life, challenging her and pushing her past her limits.
I was reading along, thinking this is a lot of fun, with laughs galore, and Mimi Jean throws a wrench in what I thought would be a simple story. She manages to do that to me a lot, catching me off guard…in a very good way. It enables her to add those moments that I do not anticipate ahead of time. Of course, it helps when we have a hunkalicious man…or two.
If you like some spice in your romance, lots of laughs and surprises, come along for the ride. You won’t regret it.
I voluntarily reviewed a free copy of Two Sticky Nuts by Mimi Jean Pamfiloff.
4 Stars
GOODREADS BLURB
(NOTE: Standalone) From New York Times bestseller Mimi Jean Pamfiloff comes a sassy, raunchy Rom-Com that’s sugary sweet, Two Sticky Nuts.
How far would you go for your possible Mr. Right?
I’m all in for a trip to Jamaica with my best friend, Sofie—sunshine, fruity cocktails, hot men. Yes, please! But when Sofie takes off with a sexy waiter, I’m stuck all alone. At what turns out to be a family resort. Where are the single men?
I’m ready to head home early when I spot an Adonis coming from the beach. Ohmygod. Are those abs real? Did he just sit next to me?
Turns out, Carter’s smart, adventurous, and makes indie films. We spend two amazing days together as he scouts locations around the island. And though we don’t hook up, our chemistry’s on fire! Quivers. Goosebumps. Fire!
Before he leaves, we trade numbers since he’s always passing through Dallas, where I live, and I can’t wait to see him again.
Until…
I get home.
And show a coworker my vacation pics.
And she recognizes Carter.
Gasp! Carter failed to mention his side gig, and let’s just say Mamma wouldn’t approve. I really want to give this guy a shot, but can I get past this?
Answer: I just might have to join him to find out.
Genre: Humor and Comedy,OhHellNo series, Romance, Standalone
260 pages, ebook
Published June 9, 2023 by Paper & Silver, Inc
ABOUT MIMI JEAN PAMFILOFF
MIMI JEAN PAMFILOFF is a New York Times bestselling author who’s sold over one million books around the world. Although she obtained her MBA and worked for more than fifteen years in the corporate world, she believes that it’s never too late to come out of the romance closet and follow your dreams.
Mimi lives with her Latin lover hubby, two pirates-in-training (their boys), and their three spunky dragons (really, just very tiny dogs with big attitudes) Snowy, Mini, and Mack, in the vampire-unfriendly state of Arizona.
She hopes to make you laugh when you need it most and continues to pray daily that leather pants will make a big comeback for men.
Malevolent: having or showing a desire to cause harm to another person.
The cover for Malevolent by E H Reinhad is fabulous and the fact the book takes place in Tampa, Florida, only adds to the spice of murder and mystery. Any books in Florida hit a special place for me, sand, sun and surf. I love it.
The Prologue is a gripping hook!
Lieutenant Kane is thirty eight and resembles Mr Clean. The simple description makes it easy to picture him…and his cat, Butch, a hybrid between a domestic and wild cat. He is an interesting character all by himself, growing and developing in the story.
“Death by drill and boiling water.”
I almost wanted to puke at some of the graphic details of his murders. I love it.
We have some light hearted and fun moments and dialogue, along with the gruesome.
There were some moments when I was shrugging my shoulders, not happy with what was going on. The writing did not make this a five star read, for me, but I did read it in one sitting and I would definitely grab another opportunity to read more of E H Reinhard’s work.
4 Stars
GOODREADS BLURB
Tampa Homicide Lieutenant Carl Kane has a tough job. His day to day consists of decomposing dead bodies and removing murderers from the general public. But, when two women’s bodies are found under similar circumstances, it quickly turns into more than your average case. The killer is clearly looking to make a name for himself, and his plans for these women go far beyond death. When the media runs with the story, the killer’s moment in the spotlight arrives.
It’s up to Lieutenant Kane to bring the man the press has dubbed the ‘Psycho Surgeon’ to justice. Yet, being the lead on the case has its drawbacks—like becoming the focus of the killer yourself.
As Lieutenant Kane closes in on his suspect, he soon realizes that the case has become far more personal than he could have ever imagined.
337 pages, Kindle Edition
First published December 1, 2014
ABOUT E H RENHARD
E.H. Reinhard is the author of over twenty novels in the crime fiction and police procedural genres. Residing in sunny Tampa Florida, when not putting pen to paper, or more accurately, keys to keyboard writing his next novel, Reinhard is an avid fisherman and a general enjoyer of everything outdoors.
To see what he’s been up to lately, you can find him on social media, or can contact him directly using the contact form at: http://ehreinhard.com.
Cara Winter has laid the foundation for the Evolution series in Sacrifice and I am thinking, if Book II, Quest, continues in this vein, it may be a mind blower. I quickly got caught up in this apocalyptic/dysopian, debut novel.
We are in the future, 2080 to be precise. Scientific advancement may have taken place, but humanity is still the same, with all its foibles and climate change has done its damage.
“Mental Spectrum Disorder: Humans 2.0.
I love diverse characters and have been reading more and more books with them in it. Thomas Novak is autistic, but there is so much more going on than his disability. He is labeled MSD. Him and others like him are not looked at as human. They are an anomaly, only to be enslaved and suit the purpose of those that enslave them.
Thomas is the Leader of Project 587. Really, it is a surveillance software, enabling everyone to be spied on and tracked, and it is food for thought of what our future could become…or already is. After all, think of all the cameras we have now, all the software programs we use, how dependent we are on technology that has already taken away our privacy.
His begins to question his world, when a ‘friend’ and coworker commits suicide. He is the fifth that Thomas knows of and is charged with covering up, acting like they were assigned another task. THEN, he meets Eve Brighton, an empath, and his world is forever changed. He is awakened and sees the possibility of a different future. A future where he will not be watched every second of every day. Could there be freedom and love in his future?
I think we may find out in Book II, Quest and I want to know. Everything about Evolution has captured me, from the storyline to the characters, to Cara Winter’s ability to leave me wondering… what if…
We end with Thomas saying:
“Thank you, Ms Brighton. Regardless of what happens next..I am forever in your debt.”
Doesn’t that make you want to know what happens next?
I voluntarily reviewed a free copy of Evolution: Sacrifice by Cara Winter.
4 Stars
GOODREADS BLURB
The Year is 2080. London is flooding. And 23-year-old Thomas Novak feels certain he’s cursed.
Each of Thomas’ idiosyncratic quirks – even his next-level intuition with technology – are the result of Mental Spectrum Disorder (“MSD”), a genetic condition akin to Autism.
Like Thomas, MSD live and work apart from the rest of the population. MSD is the reason Thomas hasn’t seen his family in over 17 years. It’s the reason he doesn’t hear from them, doesn’t know where they are, and barely even remembers them.
And, it’s also the reason the love of his life just took his own life.
After his lover’s death, Thomas’ ability to work and carry out his duties as MSD Leader declines rapidly. Even with the “P” he’s given daily, it’s impossible to focus, impossible to think. Everything – his position, his status, his relative freedom – hangs on whether or not the project he’s been developing, Platform 587, can be released on time. But who can focus, who can work… when they’re heartbroken?
But, a chance encounter with a mysterious woman who can feel Thomas’ pain – an Empath, named Eve – changes everything.
The Evolution Series is their story; that of Thomas, and Eve, and the ongoing evolution of the planet, of human beings, and even Love, itself… in a world that will do anything and everything (even annihilate itself) to remain the same.
135 pages, Kindle Edition
Published October 15, 2021
ABOUT CARA WINTER
Cara Winter has been a writer, actress & director for over two decades. Cara has penned a number of essays on TV, theater, food, and more for such outlets as BroadwayWorld.com, TVWriter.com, and GrokNation.com. In 2021, Cara’s original TV pilot TWIRL was optioned by Bohemia Group Originals and is now in development. EVOLUTION Vol. 1: Sacrifice is her debut novel.
I don’t see Dragon Craved by Scarlett West listed as erotica, but the sizzling hot sex put it in that category for me. I do love my dragons fiery hot and Knox fits that category to a T. Amelia knows she is in trouble whenever she gets near him, because she feels the heat too.
Amelia’s sister, Ivy, has broken dragon law. Amelia brokers a deal, offering herself in her sister’s place, wanting to give her sister another chance in getting her life together. So, it’s off to Dragon Shifter Island for her to serve her sentence.
Knox runs the prison and having a human there creates chaos, but he has a personal issue with her. She is the first human to set foot on the island and Knox has to babysit her. He fights his attraction to her. No way can she be his mate, though his dragon says otherwise.
I love all the internal mind talking between Knox the human and his dragon. It had me cracking up. His dragon is like a child and only knows that he wants Amelia. She belongs with him.
You must protect our Mili. Keep her safe. We will not be the same if something happens to her.
Mili? My dragon had given Amelia a nickname.
It doesn’t take long for Amelia to figure out that all the shifters around her can feel her emotions and thoughts. I found myself smiling and I think I even blushed a few times as her and Knox’s thoughts kept turning to smokin’ hot sex. I loved their verbal foreplay. She takes no guff from anyone, even though she is so much weaker than the dragons that surround her.
Humans and dragons can’t mix, but there is a draca legend that says certain humans have been imbued with the ability to mate with dragons. Lucia, a female ancestor, had seen how dragons would be on the verge of extinction and sent out her essence. It would remain dormant until dragon numbers were low enough to make her dragon magic come to life.
Dragon Craved is a different kind of dragon story and I loved it. I find it’s hard to create something refreshing and original, but Scarlett West has managed to do that with the Dragon Shifter Island series. The best part of all, Knox is a water dragon. As they fly through the water I thought, how cool is that. And she can breathe, like a mermaid.
I could go on and on, and I kinda did….
I voluntarily reviewed a free copy of Dragon Craved by Scarlett West.
4 Stars
GOODREADS BLURB
Loving a dragon means breaking all the rules…
Amelia
When my sister gets in trouble at a dragon shifter bar, she’s at the mercy of their courts. As a lawyer, I negotiate a trade, now I’m taking her place in their prison.
Knox is the dragon sheriff overseeing my unit. He is moody, sinfully hot, and a man whose attention I don’t want. But no one told me about a dragon’s sizzling touch…
Knox
My job at the dragon prison has always been tough, and it gets worse when Amelia is assigned to my unit. When my alpha commands me to produce a child with the last female on earth I have any business wanting in order to replenish our population, I have no choice but to agree. Except I despise lawyers.
I planned to keep it professional, but my dragon burns for her like no other. There is no doubt I want her. I crave to protect her, and I need to make her mine–even if it means risking everything.
Expected publication June 8, 2023 by Passion Press
ABOUT SCARLETT WEST
Scarlett West writes steamy, paranormal romance featuring sexy Fae. Deep characters and hot romance are her thing.
An avid reader and writer who will never stop dreaming, Scarlett has traveled to many countries and been on tons of adventures. She draws her stories from these places, life experiences, and her grand imagination.
Besides writing, she’s a hobby herbalist and a dancer. If she’s not by the computer typing these things up, she can be found in a forest, on a mountain, or by the ocean.
Scarlett West would like to thank her three F’s: Fans, Family, and Friends. Thank you forever for your support.
