I got the idea and the motivation to start doing Tackling The TBR from All The Blog Names Are Taken. I love showcasing the books on Goodreads, my ereader and my bookshelves. The more exposure for authors and their books, the better….RIGHT?
The Poseidon Project (The Herb Society Mysteries) by E William Podojil
About The Poseidon Project
The Poseidon Project (The Herb Society Mysteries) Mystery- Suspense – Adventure 1st in Series Setting – Tucson, AZ and Dubai, UAE Publisher : Wild Rose Press (August 26, 2024) Paperback : 270 pages ISBN-10 : 1509256849 ISBN-13 : 978-1509256846 Digital ASIN : B0CW1BKWS3
Molly Halloran and her friends have a secret past. Their bucolic retirement is suddenly upended when Molly’s husband is abducted and held for a steep ransom. Now she, her friends, her tech executive son, Lukas and his Air Force pilot boyfriend must race against the clock and travel halfway around the world to meet the kidnappers’ demands. But when they learn why her husband has been abducted, they realize how high the stakes truly are. Molly and her friends now must face their past in order to save the future. But not only their futures; the world’s.
About E William Podojil
E. William is an international business executive and novelist. He has traveled extensively and visited over sixty countries while based in Europe and the USA. Podojil works as an executive business advisor, strategist, and coach while also pursuing his love of storytelling and writing. His second novel, The Poseidon Project, will be published in 2024 by The Wild Rose Press and is the first in a series of adventure thrillers. Podojil writes personal, humorous stories of his life and travels with his husband and three sons in his blog at www.ewpodojil.com.
Proven Innocence by Mary Rocco is her debut novel. The writing didn’t quite get there for a four or five star rating, but I see a lot of potential with the content. The mystery was easy for me to figure out, but I like that the one under suspicion, Cindy, is not the main character. Gabrielle is. That is a nice touch, Mary.
The writing needs work, but the characters and the story line were interesting enough to keep me turning the pages, wanting to find out how Cindy will get out of the mess she’s involved in through no fault of her own. She is accused of killing her husband and children and many are quick to call her guilty.
Gabrielle has taken it upon herself, a complete stranger to help cindy prove her innocence. She needs help. She can’t do it on her own. Even though Officer Mike Thomas has shown an interest in her, he has already labeled Cindy guilty, so she investigates on her own. I felt confident we would be hearing more about them before the story was over.
Proven Innocence has ruthless characters who’s motto is: Once you’re in, you’re never out.
The italicized sentences made it hard to read on my ereader. I get what Mary was trying to do, but I don’t think it was necessary.
Mary J Rocco did a good job with Proven Innocence and I look forward to reading more of her work as she polishes her craft. I foresee good things in her future.
I voluntarily reviewed a free copy of Proven Innocence by Mary J Rocco.
Cynthia Evans wakes up in the trunk of a car, no idea how she got there, only to discover she’s wanted for the murder of her husband and children. With no memory of life prior, Cynthia is sure she did not commit the crime.
Only problem is-how does she convince anyone she’s not a murderer when she is not sure who she is?
With the help of a downtrodden diner waitress, Gabrielle, Cynthia fights to prove her innocence.
One thing is clear: Rick Evans is dead. But who is the real killer?
EXCERPT
Too many possibilities. To concentrate on survival, I must assure myself that this person driving knows I am here and plans to release me from the dark layer upon reaching his destination.
Seconds seem like minutes, minutes like hours, leaving it nearly impossible to estimate how long I have been lying here. My best guess is about thirty minutes, not including how long I lay there unconscious in the sealed compartment. No sense of day or night. No idea if it is dark or light outside, what day it is, or where I am in the world. I keep straining to listen for faint conversation, but still no luck. The blood on my head is drying and forming the beginning of a thin, crusty layer on top of my skin. My head itches, but I will not move a muscle to scratch it as the pain has not been numbed.
Suddenly, I feel the car turn around a ramp. The curvy road throws my body to the back part of the trunk. Gravity and cen¬trifugal force are not kind to my aching ailments as we exit the major highway. A series of turns are made after the exit, each a few minutes apart. I need to remember how many turns it takes to make a quick getaway back to the interstate, though, at this point, I have no foreseeable idea how that will happen. If my calculations are correct, the car proceeded off the high¬way as follows: it turned left at the end of the exit ramp; then it proceeded for about three minutes and made another left, a quick right, then another left. The ride begins to feel bump¬ier as the road beneath the wheels is no longer smooth pave¬ment. From the sound of the gravel below, I deduce the road is not paved. The location is too remote for paved roads––not a good sign.
Everything slows to a stop, and the roar of the engine fades. We have arrived at our destination. Sheer panic ensues.
What am I going to do? Is it best to pretend as if I am still knocked out? This person obviously wants me alive, or he would have finished the job earlier.
Click.
The driver popped open the trunk. It is slightly ajar, just enough to let in a small beam of light but not enough for me to see outside. Muted sunlight breaks through the space between the trunk and the car.
Both the driver’s side and the passenger’s side doors slam shut simultaneously, causing me to rock back and forth slightly.
There are two people.
AUTHOR Bio and Links
I have dreamed of being an author since the age of ten. I have been writing and crafting stories for the last twenty years, mostly because, well you know, life… and I got in my own way. After finishing law school, graduate school, travelling the world, getting married and starting a family I figured now was the time.
I was born and raised on Long Island, New York and spent ten years in my early adulthood living carefree in New York City. I currently reside with my husband and two beautiful children in the western suburbs of Chicago, Illinois, where I am a practicing attorney.
I hope to continue to publish many more novels that entertain and thrill readers.
Alex Bueno came up with the idea for the series while talking to a friend. He wanted to make it as realistic as possible, and I think he did a great job of it. It could become one of my go to books, if I’m ever caught up in an apocalypse. The way current events are going, who knows.
The Long Night, Book I, was all about the cyberattack and the initial scramble to survive. This volume is about the aftermath. I love a book that has me asking myself, “What would I do?”
I do love a book that has a summary of the previous book. Sometimes there is a long lapse in between, but Alex had this one done pretty quick, while The Long Night was still fresh in my mind.
We will travel from The Polk correctional Facility in Polk City to Mount Weather, Virginia, where the President is being housed, to Harbour Island, to Lake Bueno Vista. I’m sure we will be hearing about the convicts and it won’t be good news.
John and Jack are still struggling to get back to Harbour Island. They are lucky to find a good Samaritan who is willing to share their resources. They will earn their keep before their visit is done.
President Lowell has found there is a traitor in their midst and they have to smoke them out.
The characters in the novels run the gamut, from the best to the worst. The action is nonstop as the characters struggle to survive. Not all will make it and some will be sorely missed. I found myself thinking things like, don’t go there, don’t do that, lay low, hit ’em NOW! At times my heart was in my throat, my hands clenching my reader, flipping the pages as fast as I can because I have to see what’s happening next.
Alex Bueno did a wonderful job keeping me engaged, from beginning to end.
We have cliffhangers, but I expected that, seeing it’s a trilogy. I can hardly wait to get my hands on the third book in the series, The Long Dawn.
I voluntarily reviewed a free copy of The Long Way Home by Alex Bueno.
4 Stars
GOODREADS BLURB
Survive the Impossible in ‘The Long Way Home’, the Electrifying Sequel to ‘The Long Night’
In the wake of a devastating cyber-attack followed by an electromagnetic pulse, the Winters’ fight for survival intensifies in ‘The Long Way Home’. As chaos consumes a technology-less nation, former military officer John Winter and his son, Jack, press on in their perilous 100-mile journey from Orlando to Harbour Island, Florida. Each step brings new dangers, from lawless lands to the desperate and ruthless, pushing their limits and testing their resolve. Their sole objective is to reunite with John’s wife, Emily, an esteemed electrical engineering specialist, and their daughter, Sarah, who are struggling to organize the community for even harder times ahead.
Meanwhile, US President Thomas Lowell grapples with a crisis that cuts to the core of American democracy. Surrounded by betrayal and an unseen adversary, his decisions are pivotal in steering a fragile nation through despair and fear.
‘The Long Way Home’ escalates the suspense and drama found in its predecessor, delivering an intense narrative filled with action, strategic challenges, and a deep exploration of the human spirit. Fans of gripping survival thrillers like William R. Forstchen’s ‘One Second After’, David Crawford’s ‘Lights Out’, and Emily St. John Mandel’s ‘Station Eleven’ will find this novel an unforgettable addition to their reading list.
Will the Winters overcome the seemingly impossible odds to find each other again? Will President Lowell manage to overcome internal and external threats to save the soul of America? The answers are in the pages of this thrilling sequel that will leave readers breathless and waiting for the next chapter of this captivating saga.
Grab your copy today and continue the journey into a world where the night has fallen, but the fight for the morning is just beginning.
Trained as an engineer and driven by a passion for storytelling, Alex is a lifelong learner, with a background in tech product development. Yet, it’s not just the wonders of the digital age that fascinate him. His novels revolve around thrillers and adventures, consistently exploring the influence of technology on society. At the same time, he weaves in Christian values emphasizing family, community, and the resilience of the human spirit.
Inspired by renowned authors like Stephen King, James Patterson, Tom Clancy, and Michael Crichton, Alex’s stories captivate while also provoking deep thought.
Alex cherishes life alongside his wife and their 18-year-old son. Their journey is anchored by unwavering faith and a profound bond.
The summer of ’69: memorable for some, murder for others.
Detective Susan Ford and her new partner, Detective Jack Tomelli, are called to a crime scene at the local summer stock theater where they find the director of Murder on the Orient Express gruesomely murdered—naked, face caked in makeup, pillow at his feet, wrists and ankles bound by rope. When Susan describes the murder to her dad, retired detective Will Ford, he recognizes the MO of a 1969 serial killer . . . a case he worked fifty years ago.
Will remembers a lot of things about that summer—the Woodstock Festival, the Apollo 11 moon landing, the Miracle Mets—yet he is fuzzy on the details of the decades-old case. But when Susan and Jack discover the old case files, his memories start trickling back. And with each old and new clue, Susan, Jack, and Will must narrow down the pool of suspects before the killer strikes again.
Praise for The Summer of Love and Death:
“An old case has repercussions on a new copycat killing in this excellent police procedural. With juicy twists, an engaging cast, and an intriguing case that’s impossible to predict, The Summer of Love and Death is everything I want in a mystery. An addictive and entertaining ride!” ~ Christina McDonald, USA Today bestselling author
“McCreary unspools a lot of threads in The Summer of Love and Death, then masterfully weaves them all together atop the Ford family’s compelling dynamic for an ending you won’t see coming. It’s a fun ride that kept me guessing the whole time!” ~ Tony Wirt, bestselling author of Just Stay Away
“A compelling mystery that unfolds in two skillfully woven parallel narratives. McCreary pairs a haunting meditation on intergenerational trauma with an evocative rendering of that famous Summer of Love to deliver a suspenseful and deeply satisfying read.” ~ Lori Robbins, author of Murder in Fourth Position
“In the summer of 1969, there was peace and love—but also a serial killer committing bizarre murders. When a copycat killing occurs at the local summer stock theatre, detective Susan Ford must call on her father’s memory of his 1969 investigation to help her solve the present-day murder. The Summer of Love and Death offers page-turning suspense of how the legacy of murder can continue, leaving more than death in its wake.” ~ Nina Wachsman, author of The Courtesan’s Secret
“A fiendishly smart modern who-dunnit with clever characters and a mystery that keeps you guessing . . .” ~ Elise Hart Kipness, author of Lights Out
Book Details:
Genre: Mystery (Detective) Published by: CamCat Books Publication Date: August 13, 2024 Number of Pages: 336 ISBN: 9780744310597 (ISBN10: 0744310598) Series: A Ford Family Mystery, #3 | A Stand-Alone Series Book Links:Amazon | Barnes & Noble | BookShop.org | Goodreads | CamCat Books
Read an excerpt:
You know that jittery, gut-roiling feeling you get when heading out on a blind date? That brew of nerves, anxiety, anticipation—plus a hint of dread. That pretty much summed up my morning. Today was the day, and standing at the front door, it finally hit me. I was no longer flying solo. A new partner was waiting for me down at the station.
My fingers twitchy, I fumbled with the zipper of my yellow slicker as I stood in front of the framed poster—an illustration of a white dove perched on a blue guitar neck, gripped by ivory fingers against a bright red background—touting three days of peace and music. Usually, I paid it no mind. But today it captured my attention. A signal, perhaps, that everything would turn out just fine, like it did exactly fifty years ago when four hundred thousand idealistic hippies descended upon this town. A projected disaster that ended up being a glorious experience. The legendary summer of love.
The Woodstock Music and Art Fair didn’t take place in Woodstock, New York. The residents of Woodstock were not keen on having the initially projected fifty thousand hippies traipsing through their town. The concert promoters eventually secured Max Yasgur’s dairy farm in Bethel, New York—fifty-eight miles from Woodstock and six miles from where I live now. I was four at the time. I have no memory of it. Mom said I was sicker than sick that weekend. Ear infection. Fever escalating to 104 degrees. She tried to take me to a doctor, but the roads were clogged with festival revelers, so she had to postpone my appointment until Tuesday. But by then, the worst of it was over.
Fifty years. Those teenagers were in their sixties and seventies now. The older ones in their eighties. How many of them were still idealistic? How many were still into peace, love, and understanding? How many “dropped out” and berated “the man,” only later to find themselves the beneficiaries of capitalism? Becoming “the man.”
I leaned over slightly as I reached for the doorknob. The door swung open unexpectedly, smacking me in the forehead. “Whoa.” I ran my fingertips along my hairline. No bump. For now.
“Sorry, babe.” Ray’s voice drew Moxie’s attention. Our thirteenyear-old lab mix moseyed into the foyer, tail in full swing. Moseying was really all Moxie could muster these days. “Didn’t realize you were standing there.”
Ray had left the house an hour earlier. I peered over his shoulder at the running Jeep. “Forget something?”
“Yeah. My wallet.” Ray stepped inside, dripping. Moxie stared up at him, waiting. He squatted and rubbed her ears. “Raining cats and dogs out there. No offense, Moxie.” He glanced up at the poster. “Just like fifty years ago.” He sighed.
Ray’s parents were married at the festival by a traveling minister. One-year-old Ray in tow (earning him bragging rights as one of the youngest people to attend Woodstock). Tomorrow would have been their fiftieth wedding anniversary. Their death, at the hand of a drunk driver twelve years ago, spawned a program called Better Mad Than Sad—a class baked into the local drivers-ed curriculum that Ray (and the drunk driver’s girlfriend, Marisa) created ten years ago. Parents would join their kids for a fifty-minute session in which they pledged to pick up their kids or their kid’s friends, no questions asked, no judgment passed.
Last month, Ray reached out to a few of his and his parents’ friends asking if they would be up for a “celebration of life” vigil at the Woodstock Festival site this evening. Nothing formal. Just twenty or so folks standing around, reminiscing and shooting the shit about his parents.
Ray shook the rain off his jacket. “Met your new partner this morning.”
“Yeah?”
“He’s very good-looking.” He smirked, then added, “Movie-star good looking.”
I leaned back and gave Ray the once-over. “I’m more into the rough-around-the-edges type.”
“So I got nothing to worry about?”
“Not as long as you treat me right.” I smiled coyly. I had been without an official partner for a little over a year, since July 2018. My ex-partner bought a small farm in Vermont. He told me not to take it personally, but he was on the verge of a nervous breakdown. I still wondered if I contributed to his anxiety in some small way. Then I got shot in the thigh that August. So hiring a new partner was put on hold. Upon my return to active duty in October of 2018, I was assigned an under-the-radar cold case with my dad brought on as consulting partner. By the time the Trudy Solomon case was resolved, in December 2018, Chief Eldridge still hadn’t found a suitable replacement. Small-town policing isn’t everyone’s cup of tea. So for the better part of 2019, it was just me and my shadow. Dad and Ray assisted on the Madison Garcia case, but the chief made it clear that protocol called for two detectives working a case, and my partnerless days were numbered. Don’t get me wrong. It’s not like I didn’t want a partner. I did. I just wished I had a say in who it was.
***
Excerpt from The Summer of Love and Death by Marcy McCreary. Copyright 2024 by Marcy McCreary. Reproduced with permission from CamCat Books. All rights reserved.
Author Bio:
Marcy McCreary is the author of the Ford Family Mystery series. She graduated from George Washington University with a B.A. in American literature and political science and pursued a career in marketing and communications. She lives in Hull, MA with her husband, Lew.
Visit these other great hosts on this tour for more great reviews, interviews, guest posts, and opportunities to WIN in the giveaway!
Click here to view THE SUMMER OF LOVE AND DEATH Tour Hosts
Don’t Miss Your Chance to Win! Enter Today!
This is a giveaway hosted by Partners in Crime Tours for Marcy McCreary & CamCat Books. See the widget for entry terms and conditions. Void where prohibited.
Every time I receive a package from Eric J Guignard, I rip it open in eager anticipation of the next anthology of chills and thrills to come. This time, I received Fantasmagoriana, The Chapbook Spotlight in Eric J Guignard and some swag.
Hill House Gallery Presents: A Chapbook Spotlight On Popular Authors – Volume: Eric J Guignard
In Eric J Guignard’s Chapbook, he shares a creature feature novelette and an interview.
In the Last Days of the Gunslinger, John Amos we have the survivors of a small town, trapped on a clifftop, where the creatures cannot reach them. Seeing it’s a short read, I’ll only tell you that I was swept away with the humans when they are forced to leave their sanctuary. Cross your fingers and hope there is something left to run to.
Fantasmagoriana
First published in 1812, Fantasmagoriana has become one of the most seminal ghost-story anthologies of all time.
The Gothic Horror stories included in Fantasmagoriana Deluxe: A Combined Edition of Fantasmagiana And Tales Of The Dead are sure to entertain. They have a subtle, sneaky feeling of doom hovering over the pages. This is award winner Eric J Guignard’s eleventh anthology created by Ericc J Guignard.
I have been following Eric J Guignard for some time now, and he never fails to draw shivers up my spine, and having me checking those shadows hiding in the dark corners of my room. I make it a point to have the lights on, and never read his stories when I am alone…Never know what’s lurking around…
4 Stars
GOODREADS BLURB
First published in 1812, Fantasmagoriana has become one of the most seminal ghost-story anthologies of all time.
Originally collected as a French translation of eight German-language tales, Fantasmagoriana famously led to the creation of such works as the horror-classic novel Frankenstein, the short story “The Vampyre” (a progenitor to the fantasy vampire genre), the novella “Ernestus Berchtold; or, The Modern Oedipus,” the poem “Manfred,” and more.
In 1813, the anthology was partially translated into English as Tales of the Dead, excluding three of the original stories while adding in one new, and inspiring an even wider audience to delight in stories of the ghostly and macabre.
Now, for the first time, both Fantasmagoriana and Tales of the Dead have been combined with all stories into one English-language volume, in this beautifully presented showcase by Dark Moon Books!
Also included within are: • Original English translations by Anna Ziegelhof • Introduction by award-winning author Lisa Morton • Annotations by noted literary editor Leslie S. Klinger • Illustrations, biographies, reading list, and more!
Open yourself to Fantasmagoriana Deluxe, and to all that is weird, ghostly, and wonderous.
Genre: Anthology, Fiction, Gothic, Horror
242 pages, Paperback
Published November 28, 2023 by Dark Moon Books
ABOUT ERIC j GUIGNARD
ERIC J. GUIGNARD is a writer and editor of dark and speculative fiction, operating from the shadowy outskirts of Los Angeles, where he also runs the small press, Dark Moon Books. He’s twice won the Bram Stoker Award (the highest literary award of horror fiction), been a finalist for the International Thriller Writers Award, and a multi-nominee of the Pushcart Prize.
Outside the glamorous and jet-setting world of indie fiction, Eric’s a technical writer and college professor, and he stumbles home each day to a wife, children, dogs, and a terrarium filled with mischievous beetles. Visit Eric at: www.ericjguignard.com, his blog: ericjguignard.blogspot.com, or Twitter: @ericjguignard.
ABOUT LESLIE S KLINGER
Leslie S. Klinger is considered to be one of the world’s foremost authorities on those twin icons of the Victorian era, Sherlock Holmes and Dracula. He is the editor of the three-volume collection of the short stories and novels, THE NEW ANNOTATED SHERLOCK HOLMES, published by W. W. Norton in 2004 and 2005, winner of the Edgar® Award for Best Critical/Biographical Work and nominated for every other major award in the mystery genre. THE NEW ANNOTATED DRACULA, published by W. W. Norton in 2008, delivers promises a similar in-depth examination of Bram Stoker’s haunting classic and its historical context.
Since the 1960’s, the study of the rich fantastic literature of the Victorian writers has been Klinger’s consuming passion. He has written dozens of articles on Sherlockiana, published more than a dozen books on Sherlock Holmes and Dracula in addition to the Norton works, and regularly teaches UCLA Extension courses on Holmes and Dracula.
He and Laurie R. King have co-edited three anthologies of stories inspired by the Sherlock Holmes Canon, the latest being ECHOES OF SHERLOCK HOLMES, published by Pegasus Books. In addition, he has edited a number of anthologies collecting original and classic detective and vampire tales.
His groundbreaking THE ANNOTATED SANDMAN, a panel-by-panel examination of Neil Gaiman’s near-legendary “Sandman” comics. Given unprecedented access to Gaiman’s scripts and based on hours of conversations with the author, Klinger adds hundreds of notes describing historical sources, literary and popular cultural references and illuminates the characters and milieu of the rich stories. Published by DC Comics, the first volume appeared in January 2012; the remaining three were published in 2013, 2014 and 2015. His THE NEW ANNOTATED H. P. LOVECRAFT, highly praised and nominated for various awards, was published by W. W. Norton in 2015. He is currently working on THE ANNOTATED WATCHMEN for DC Entertainment, to be published in July 2017, as well as THE NEW ANNOTATED FRANKENSTEIN, which will appear from W. W. Norton in July 2017.
In a completely different genre, Klinger and Laura Caldwell have co-edited a searing, heartbreaking true-crime anthology ANATOMY OF INNOCENCE: TESTIMONIES OF THE WRONGFULLY CONVICTED, to be published by W. W. Norton in March 2017. The volume pairs major mystery/thriller writers with exonerees to tell their harrowing tales.
Born in Chicago, Illinois, Klinger received an A.B. in English from the University of California, Berkeley, followed by a J.D. from Boalt Hall (School of Law, U.C. Berkeley). Since then, he has lived in Los Angeles, pursuing a legal career in tax, estate, and business planning. Klinger is a member of the Baker Street Irregulars, the Horror Writers Association, and the Mystery Writers of America. He served three times as the Chapter President of the SoCal Chapter of MWA and on its National Board of Directors and currently serves as Treasurer of the Horror Writers Association. (less)
Jane Blythe writes some of the best romantic suspense novels I have ever read, fast paced and easy to read.. They may run in series, but each can stand alone. Each has a hunkalicious knight in shining armor to go with a damsel in distress. In Covert Risk, Lila and Surf are in the spotlight.
Surf doesn’t love ’em and then leave ’em, but he is a one night stand kind of guy. He uses sex as a coping mechanism and fights his desire to keep Lila in his life. He would be putting her in danger, so he dumps her, rather cruelly, too.
Lila finds out she’s pregnant. Since he won’t answer her calls, she goes to him.
“It’s like a damn horror movie, “Arrow muttered. “Every time you think it’s over it’s not.”
We have had an ongoing, overthrow the country, story line running through this series, but that is what ties all the characters together. The immediate danger is solved, but there is a lingering danger that will be dealt with in the next and final book of the series, Savage Risk, which ties everything up in a neat little package.
I voluntarily reviewed a free copy of Covert Risk by Jane Blythe.
4 Stars
GOODREADS BLURB
An unplanned pregnancy puts her in the sights of a terrorist.
Lila Angeletti fought hard to get away from her family and build her own life. After years of not letting anyone get too close she falls for a man only to have him break things off with no explanation. Then she finds out she’s carrying his baby. Determined to give her child the life she never had she tracks down the father to tell him but if he wants nothing to do with them she’ll raise this baby alone.
Christian “Surf” Bailey didn’t want to walk away from Lila but it was the only way he could think of to keep her safe. When he learns she’s pregnant all bets are off. He’ll do whatever it takes to win her trust back and protect his little family.
But the threat to his team and someone from Lila’s past have joined forces leaving him and the woman he loves stranded in the forests of Switzerland fighting for their lives.
Published June 13, 2023 by Bear Spots Publications
Series: Prey Security, Alpha Team, #5
ABOUT JANE BLYTHE
USA Today bestselling author Jane Blythe writes action-packed romantic suspense and military romance featuring protective heroes and heroines who are survivors. One of Jane’s most popular series includes Saving SEALs, part of Susan Stoker’s OPERATION ALPHA world! Writing in that world alongside authors such as Janie Crouch and Riley Edwards has been a blast, and she looks forward to bringing more books to this genre, both within and outside of Stoker’s world. When Jane isn’t binge-reading she’s counting down to Christmas and adding to her 200+ teddy bear collection!
The ink is still wet on the contract, but Wren Fontaine is already running into trouble as she renovates Cadieux House, a modernist masterpiece on Long Island’s exclusive Gold Coast. The home’s architect was the brilliant and eccentric Marius Cadieux, her father’s mentor, and Ezra doesn’t want Wren to change as much as a doorknob.
And the home itself comes with a dark past: In 1955, it was the site of the never-solved murder of its owner, Dennis Blaine. Cadieux himself was alleged to be having an affair with Dennis’s wife, the stunningly beautiful Rebecca. It seems like yesterday’s headlines, but then someone starts killing people with a connection to the house. The home’s new owner—bestselling novelist Bronwyn Merrick—may be using the house to launch a fictionalized account of the 1955 crime. But someone may not want to her to. Just how far will Bronwyn’s armed bodyguard go to protect her?
As Wren untangles the threads, she finds they all lead back to the house. Rebecca apparently inspired the strange, yet alluring residence, and both the home and its mistress may have caused uncontrolled emotions that led to tragedy. Wren uses all her architectural skills to decipher the hidden message Cadieux cunningly wove into the home’s design. She must think back 20 years to when, as a little girl, she met Cadieux. Deeply impressed with Wren, he gave her a clue about the house—and his unusual friendship with Rebecca. With her girlfriend Hadley at her side, Wren eventually solves the mysteries of the home and the people who lived there, develops a grudging respect for modernist architecture—and learns something about the difference between love and obsession.
Young architect Wren Fontaine lands her dream job: restoring Greenleaf House, New York’s finest Gilded-Age mansion, to its glory days. But old homes have old secrets: Stephen Greenleaf—heir to what’s left of his family’s legacy—refuses to reveal what his plans are once the renovation is completed. And still living in a corner of the home is Stephen’s 90-year-old Aunt Agnes who’s lost in the past, brooding over a long-forgotten scandal while watching Wren with mistrust.
Wren’s job becomes more complex when a shady developer who was trying to acquire Greenleaf House is found murdered. And after breaking into a sealed attic, Wren finds a skeleton stuffed in a trunk. She soon realizes the two deaths, a century apart, are strangely related. Meanwhile, a distraction of a different kind appears in the form of her client’s niece, the beautiful and seductive Hadley Vanderwerf. As Wren gingerly approaches a romance, she finds that Hadley has her own secrets.
Then a third murder occurs, and the introverted architect is forced to think about people, and about how ill-fated love affairs and obsessions continue to haunt the Greenleafs. In the end, Wren risks her own life to uncover a pair of murderers, separated by a century but connected by motive. She reveals an odd twist in the family tree that forever changes the lives of the Greenleafs, the people who served them, the mansion they all called home—and even Wren herself.
Movie star Nicky Tallon selects architect Wren Fontaine to renovate Turnbull House, where he’ll be filming his next movie. Even to Wren, used to old homes, this one is special: a 200-year-old federal-style home on a private island in New York harbor, designed by the most celebrated architect of the day. But Turnbull House hides many secrets, such as the disappearance of the sea captain who built it. That’s just a historical curiosity, until a studio executive no one likes is killed.
Wren just wants to keep her worksite safe, but then another murder occurs, and she starts noting eerie connections between the mysteries surrounding the Turnbull family and Nicky and his entourage. The handsome star seems to have two girlfriends, a childlike folk singer and a cynical fashion model. Meanwhile, renowned actress Veronica Selwyn renews a friendship with Wren’s father, which Wren finds more disturbing than she wants to admit. She concludes it’s time she and her girlfriend Hadley take the next step and find a place together, an exciting but stressful change.
As the attacks continue, Wren realizes she will have to solve the mysteries surrounding Captain Turnbull and Nicky Tallon. Turnbull House speaks of order and harmony, and Wren must dig deep to see how the house has affected its owners, old and new. Fortunately for her, the eminently practical Hadley is by her side, pepper spray at the ready—because a frighteningly clever killer is about to find that Wren is getting too close to the horrific truth.
Author Bio:
Over the years, R.J. Koreto has been a magazine writer, website manager, textbook editor, novelist and merchant seaman. He was born and raised in New York City, graduated from Vassar College, and has wanted to be a writer since reading The Naked and the Dead. In addition to his novels, he has published short stories in Ellery Queen’s Mystery Magazine, Alfred Hitchcock’s Mystery Magazine, the 2020 Bouchercon Anthology and Paranoia Blues: Crime Fiction Inspired by the Songs of Paul Simon. His current series features Wren Fontaine, an architect who finds mysteries in the historic homes she renovates. He and his wife have two grown daughters, and they divide their time between Rockland County, N.Y., and Martha’s Vineyard, Mass.
In the year 2040, a mysterious
creature is unleashed at the world’s biggest music festival…
Pulse
Book
One
by
B.A. Bellec
Genre:
Dystopian SciFi Horror
In the year 2040, a mysterious
creature is unleashed at the world’s biggest music festival…
“Bellec’s
descriptions are phenomenal, brutal, and heart-stopping. There were
parts that made my skin crawl, but I couldn’t tear my eyes away. . .
I needed more!”
–
Jessica Scurlock, Author of the Pretty Lies Series
& Pulse Beta Reader
Pulse is
a plot-driven multi-POV dystopian sci-fi horror thriller set in 2040,
centered around a corporation, a creature, and a music festival.
Think Fyre Festival, Black Mirror,
and X-Files combined. The story deals with
themes of capitalism, consumerism, business, politics, pandemics,
climate change, activism, and technology while bouncing between a
diverse group of characters sure to entertain almost anyone. The book
is already being praised for its fantastic use of horror, engaging
world-building, and genre-bending approach utilizing some
screenplay-like formatting. This is the first entry in a new series
with the sequel well underway.
B.A.
Bellec writes with a unique, modern, minimalistic voice. He is the
author of Someone’s Story, his award-winning debut
novel called a masterpiece by multiple reviewers. Never afraid of a
challenge, Bellec switched genres to bring you this dark vision that
simmered in his mind for years.
Awards:
IAN Book of the Year
Finalist Horror (Nov 2022)
B.R.A.G. Medallion Honoree
(Apr 2022)
The Wishing Shelf Adult
Fiction Finalist (Apr 2022)
**Check
out the author’s
music
on Youtube
that is either
inspired
or tied to his novels!**
Pulse
Book
Two
by
B.A. Bellec
Genre:
Post-Apocalyptic SciFi Horror
The fate of humanity rests in the
hands of a few.
Pulse: Book Two is the
conclusion of B.A. Bellec’s dystopian sci-fi horror duology. This
time around we are tapping into iconic stories like The
Stand, Station Eleven, Cloud Atlas, Contact,
and The Road to add elite and ambitious scale. Our
chaotic journey picks up moments after the first book ends with
action from the second you start turning the pages, but if you
thought you knew where the story was going, leave your expectations
at the door and ask yourself this one question: how would an
autonomous droid defeat a monster?
In his literary debut, B.A. Bellec
writes an endearing coming-of-age tale about a group of weirdos that
find and save each other from the dark depths of their minds.
Someone’s Story is literally Someone’s story, as in a
first-person narrative of a teenager that calls himself Someone. As
he struggles to find a new footing in a new space, we encounter the
many ups and downs of modern teenage life, the difficulties that
adjusting to adult feelings brings, and a few tear-jerking surprises
along the way.
Littered with music, mental health,
friendship, loss, meditation, advice, pop culture, and even inspiring
an EP, there is so much nostalgia, inspiration, and depth here it is
hard to absorb it all. Cozy up somewhere warm and enjoy!
Awards:
Reader
Views Reviewer’s Choice Young Adult Book of the Year (March 2021)
B.R.A.G Medallion Honoree
(Apr 2022)
Readers’ Favorite Young
Adult Book of the Year Finalist (Sep 2021)
Next Generation Indie Book
Awards YA 17+ Finalist (May 2021)
Bryan
“B.A.” Bellec’s debut
novel, Someone’s
Story, won the Reader
Views Reviewer’s Choice Literary Award for Young Adult Book of the
Year. Someone’s
Story is a
coming-of-age novel about teen mental health. One of the aspects that
makes Bellec’s projects unique is he includes musicians in his
novels and then he actually produces the songs as his book goes
through the editing stages. You can find that music on his YouTube
channel. His second novel, Pulse,
was released in 2021 and has been receiving strong reviews. That
novel is a genre flip with dark dystopian sci-fi horror peppering the
pages. Pulse is
the start of a new fictional universe Bellec will write in for years
to come!
In the Event of Murder (A Starlit Bookshop Mystery) Cozy Mystery 2nd in Series Setting – Colorado Publisher : Crooked Lane Books (August 20, 2024) Hardcover : 304 pages ISBN-10 : 1639100709 ISBN-13 : 978-1639100705 Digital https://amzn.to/3xRh1X8
It’s the star-studded event of the season in Silvercrest, Colorado—but some of the guests might not make it to the last dance alive in the second charming installment of the Starlit Bookshop mysteries from Agatha Award-winning author Cynthia Kuhn.
Nestled on the banks of a breathtaking Rocky Mountain river and dotted with delightful boutiques and galleries, Silvercrest, Colorado, is a book lover’s paradise. Bookseller and literary event planner Emma Starrs is looking forward to attending the annual Silvercrest Library Gala, a glamorous evening with celebrities including the legendary Whitney Willton, currently on the hit crime show Chasers, and her niece, party-planner-to-the-stars Lyra Willton. Gala Week is full of exciting activities honoring both page and screen, and library board president Tabitha Baxter is basking in the glow of her successful launch—until Lyra is found dead.
With the gala only days away, the board asks Emma for help, despite Tabitha—her longstanding nemesis—bristling over the choice. Emma agrees, even though she is already in charge of a classic mystery panel at her family’s bookstore, Starlit Books, which turns out to have its own challenges. Meanwhile, Whitney, who is aware of Emma’s sleuthing skills, begs her to find the killer. The case grows more complex with the disappearance of several priceless objects, an attack on one of the attending celebrities, and other predicaments. Emma searches for clues while handling every unexpected twist and turn leading up to the extravagant affair. But when the guests step onto the red carpet, a killer still lurks in the shadows—and murder just might become the main event.
About Cynthia Kuhn
Cynthia Kuhn writes the Starlit Bookshop Mysteries, which focus on a bookseller solving crimes in an artistic mountain community, and the Lila Maclean Academic Mysteries, featuring a professor-turned-amateur-sleuth. Her work has also appeared in Mystery Most Diabolical, Mystery Most Edible, McSweeney’s Quarterly Concern, Copper Nickel, Prick of the Spindle, Mama PhD, and other publications. For more information, please visit cynthiakuhn.net.
