Dark Romance – Haunt Me by M C Frank @mcfrank_author

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I was introduced to M C Frank’s writing when I grabbed a copy of Seduced and it blew me away. I couldn’t stop reading once I started. She also creates some gorgeous covers and I am a sucker for a book with a fabulous cover. I don’t read a lot of pop and rock star novels, but, because I find M C Frank’s writing off the charts, I will read anything she writes.

Haunt Me is one of the most angsty books I have ever read. M C Frank knows how to wring out every emotion, and tissues may be required.

Two lost souls. Eden had been kidnapped when just a few months old, so she was really lost. She has been kept isolated and doesn’t know that the life she is living is not normal. Now, the whole world knows her story. Isaiah is the pop star who became famous because he lost the love of his life, Eden.

I will warn you, the romance is dark, yet clean, but there are a lot of triggers…dealing with mental issues, kidnapping, rape, substance abuse and more.

I voluntarily reviewed a free copy of Haunt Me by M C Frank and I will be checking my ereader to see is I have any other books hanging around.

Animated Animals. Pictures, Images and Photos
4 Stars

The crowd is roaring my name.

Their cries drown out the gorgeous music as I slowly sink back to my knees, where I belong.

Utterly, desperately, completely alone.

“I hope I haunt you!” I shout at her retreating back from the stage.

“I hope you do,” she shouts back.

But I am the one who will be haunted.

If anyone is the heartbreaker here, it’s me, not her. I broke my own heart, and hers. And I have no idea how to put what I broke back together.

I can’t seem to get back up on my feet. All these people are waiting for me, and I can’t open my mouth. I can have pretty much anything I want in the whole world, except for her. She is the one thing I want and the one thing I can’t have.

Is it too late to start believing in hope?

I hope it’s not. Because right now, at this moment when I have zero reasons to start believing and even less reasons to start hoping—this is when I freaking start.

And this time, I’m all in.

There was once a girl who was lost.

And she met a boy who was lost, and they tried to save each other. And they did save each other, for a little while.

But then they got lost again, and even they lost each other.

I was the lost boy and Eden was the lost girl—but she wasn’t lost in the same sense I was. She wasn’t just sad and bruised by life. She wasn’t just alone like me. No.

She was literally lost.

Her family had been searching for her since she was a few months old.

Eden – the poet

The whole country knows my story. It’s tragic, it’s sad, it’s bad. It’s famous. But that was years ago. Now, I am just a girl trying to survive the trauma. Trying to relearn how to live.

And forget that somehow, in the middle of it all, I fell in love with the biggest pop idol on the planet.

Who now hates me for ruining his life.

But my love for him still haunts me, it won’t let me move on. I am stuck in a ghost of a life. I am a ghost of a girl.

I have broken into a million pieces and I don’t know how to be whole again. Love can do miracles, they say. But what love would ever be strong enough to heal me?

Isaiah – the pop idol

I have been writing all my songs about her since the very beginning. These songs have made me a superstar, but my heart is still haunted by her. Still empty. Still bleeding.

The day I lost her, I lost everything. I lost myself.

The years passed, but my heart kept breaking. She pierced my heart, and a man does not recover from a love like that. From a girl like her–even if he is a pop idol.

The minute I meet her again, I know I am hers. There is no denying I never stopped loving her. Pretending to hate her was a waste of time and now, I have ruined everything. She doesn’t want me.

Is it too late to hope?

Is it too late to win her back?

Is it too late for us?

Haunt Me is a second-chance angsty romance about a pop idol and the girl who destroyed him. Prepare the tissues. The darkness will be off the charts with this one -but so will the hope. So will the heat. So will the love.

  • Genre: Dark Romance, Fiction, Second Chance
  • 487 pages, Kindle Edition
  • Published January 10, 2025

Welcome to the world of M.C. FRANK’s books, where characters aren’t going to have an easy time of it: They will find themselves in icy-cold dystopian worlds where kissing is forbidden (among other things), or in green forests ruled by evil Sheriffs. If they’re in Jane Austen’s England, they have to be running away from a traumatic childhood, or if they are in our contemporary world, they’re scared they’ll die before they have finished high school. That sort of thing.
Don’t worry, though, she knows we all need a little hope and joy in our lives, so there’s a good dose of those as well in everything she writes.
M.C. Frank (writer, reader, designer, physicist and teacher, to name a few) has been living in a world of stories ever since she can remember (that’s before she knew how to write). She started writing them down when she could no longer stand the characters in her head screaming at her to give them life, and while those first scribblings weren’t exactly good (nor were they books, although she insisted on calling them that), they were enough for her to discover her passion in life.
She got her university degree in physics a few years ago (yes, she’s like Sheldon, only a bit crazier!) and is now free to pursue her love of reading and writing, as well her free-lance job as editor-in-chief. She lives with her ‘dude’ in a home filled with candles, laptops and notebooks, where she rearranges her overflowing bookshelves every time she feels stressed.
Which is often, since (as you might have noticed) she doesn’t pick the easiest subjects for her novels.
Learn more about her and her New Adult, Young Adult, scifi, Greek mythology and historical novels at mcfrankauthor.com

  • Website: mcfrankauthor.com
  • Twitter: @mcfrank_author
  • Instagram: @mcfrank_author
  • Tumblr: @litlereddoll
  • Facebook Page: M.C. Frank
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$25 GC – Tale Of The Seasons’ Weaver by D Wallace Peach @xpressotours

Tale of the Seasons’ Weaver
D. Wallace Peach
Publication date: January 9th 2024
Genres: Fantasy, Young Adult

“Already the animals starve. Soon the bonemen will follow, the Moss Folk and woodlings, the watermaids and humans. Then the charmed will fade. And all who will roam a dead world are dead things. Until they too vanish for lack of remembering. Still, Weaver, it is not too late.”

In the frost-kissed cottage where the changing seasons are spun, Erith wears the Weaver’s mantle, a title that tests her mortal, halfling magic. As the equinox looms, her first tapestry nears completion—a breathtaking ode to spring. She journeys to the charmed isle of Innishold to release the beauty of nature’s awakening across the land.

But human hunters have defiled the enchanted forest and slaughtered winter’s white wolves. Enraged by the trespass, the Winter King seizes Erith’s tapestry and locks her within his ice-bound palace. Here, where comfort and warmth are mere glamours, she may weave only winter until every mortal village succumbs to starvation, ice, and the gray wraiths haunting the snow.

With humanity’s fate on a perilous edge, Erith must break free of the king’s grasp and unravel a legacy of secrets. In a charmed court where illusions hold sway, allies matter, foremost among them, the Autumn Prince. Immortal and beguiling, he offers a tantalizing future she has only imagined, one she will never possess—unless she claims her extraordinary power to weave life from the brink of death.

In the lyrical fantasy tradition of Margaret Rogerson and Holly Black, D. Wallace Peach spins a spellbinding tale of magic, resilience, and the transformative potency of tales—a tapestry woven with peril and hope set against the frigid backdrop of an eternal winter.

Goodreads / Amazon

EXCERPT:

A wicker basket of colorful spools rested at my feet. I picked through the bewitched thread my mother had hand-spun long before my birth. No matter how many seasons passed, the spools unwound and unwound, and I no longer fretted about reaching their ends. There was no end to magic, no end to the seasons, no end to my place on the cusp of two worlds.

A delicate pink caught my eye, a color crafted from the cherry blossoms bordering my garden. I held it against the tapestry, testing its suitability for flowering plum trees and coral bells I’d stitch into the meadows and along the forest’s edge.

“Should you desire my opinion, Erith,” a small voice piped up, “it requires a touch of carnation and a shimmer of sunshine. On the dogwood blossoms as well.”

“I wondered about those.” My gaze rose to my knee-high hospet. He sat cross-legged on the hearthstone in front of our shrinking fire, cracking walnuts with his sharp teeth. The creature blinked at me with eyes as clear as spring water, his waistcoat buttoned, cheeks rosy, and cinnamon hair parted in the middle like a magistrate. Nobbin kept my wood and moss cottage tidy, expecting little beyond customary respect and an occasional outfit when his garments aged past mending.

He also took it upon himself to offer artistic advice since my mother had chosen to join my father in the underworld.

“I might leave them as they are,” I said. “Dogwoods are white.”

Nobbin’s eyebrows tilted up in an expression of devilish skepticism. “Spring’s princess will agree with me. Give it a brush of magic. I know you dabble when I’m otherwise occupied.”

“You spy on me?”

“I’m observant. And I’m charmed.” He flicked his handcloth at the window. “Snow doesn’t glitter like that without your touch, my girl. You added that sparkle to your mother’s tapestry, and it impressed the Winter King.”

“Do you think so?” A blush heated my cheeks. “From what I’ve gathered, he’s not one to dole out compliments.”

“None of them are.” Nobbin held up a nut as if inspecting a precious gem. “Such is the nature of immortals. Add a layer of royalty on top, and we are lucky they don’t dismember anyone or anything tarnishing their crowns.”

“Dismember?” I cringed at the grisly thought and drew my black shawl around my shoulders. “My mother told me the courtiers are kind and cruel in equal measure. Without good reason for either.”

Not one to speak with his mouth full, Nobbin raised a finger and swallowed a morsel of walnut. “Indeed, they’re notoriously whimsical. But you are their weaver, and every artist must begin somewhere. You will earn your place, Erith, though it is no simple task to prove your power and demand respect. Spring is the first tapestry you may claim as your own creation, and it is a glorious start. I have untold faith in you.”

I smiled gratefully and stifled a shudder at the challenge ahead. Despite Nobbin’s trust in me, my confidence wavered like a weathervane on a gusty day. I’d done my best, and it would have to serve. The seasons’ rulers wouldn’t dismember me on a whim. I hoped.

Author Bio:

Best-selling author D. Wallace Peach grew up surrounded by her father’s well-loved paperback books. Fantasy was a staple, but it was Tolkien’s The Hobbit that planted the seeds which would grow into a passion for writing.

Peach started writing later in life when years of working in business surrendered to a full-time indulgence in the imaginative world of books. She was instantly hooked.
In addition to fantasy books, Peach’s publishing career includes participation in various anthologies featuring short stories, flash fiction, and poetry. She’s an avid supporter of the arts in her local community, organizing and publishing annual anthologies of Oregon prose, poetry, and photography.
Peach lives in a log cabin amongst the tall evergreens and emerald moss of Oregon’s rainforest with her husband, two owls, a horde of bats, and the occasional family of coyotes.

Website / Goodreads / Facebook / Myths of the Mirror


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Review – Bending The ARC by Nicholas Gretener #nicholasgretener #bendingthearc

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Bending The ARC by Nicholas Gretener is a story that pits lawyer, Steve Shane against a team of lawyers from the notable firm of Todd Ives Tillington. The disparity between them makes the outcome seem like a forgone conclusion. Not so fast.

How can the scales of justice be balanced? Enter LawForce, a legal SWAT team led by Steve Shane to do just that.

I had thought all the battles would take place in the courtroom, but that is not the case. On land and sea, Steve Shane will struggle to save Wildcat Oil & Gas from the Green Action Coalition.

Wildcat Oil & Gas is plagued by accidents, each more deadly than the last. But, things are not as they seem. At times, Nicholas Gretener had me sitting on the edge of my seat, tightly gripping my ereader as I raced through the pages to see what was going to happen next. Not all the characters will survive and I did not take their deaths lightly. I may have even shed a tear or two as the book came to its conclusion.

I voluntarily reviewed a free copy of Bending The ARC by Nicholas Gretener.

Animated Animals. Pictures, Images and Photos
4 Stars

The arc of the moral universe is long, but it bends towards justice .”
Martin Luther King, Jr.

Jonathan Hendrix, the youngest U.S. Attorney General in history, knows that bending the arc won’t happen on its own, help is needed. He is determined to curb runaway civil jury awards that are threatening to destabilize the economy.

Graduating law school, Steve Shane is a top wall street prospect. Shunning the big firms, he sets up his own practice and six years later has developed a solid reputation as a commercial litigator.

Hendrix recruits Shane to create LawForce, a government-supported, legal SWAT team to be deployed in key cases where an inequality of counsel threatens bad verdicts. Their first case – Green Action Coalition v. Wildcat Oil & Gas.

A medium sized oil and gas company, Wildcat is plagued by an apparently random series of environmental accidents. Not accidents according to the Green Action Coalition, a leader in the new era of aggressive environmental litigation, but evidence of a pattern of negligence. The damages sought by the GAC have the potential to destroy Wildcat. Acting for the GAC is a high-powered team of legal eagles from the blue-chip firm of Todd Ives Tillington, led by senior partner Andrew Tillington III. Wildcat appears hopelessly outclassed . . . then Shane is retained.

Shane and LawForce discover they are in for more than just a tough legal battle as they negotiate the twists and turns of the case to its explosive courtroom finale.

  • Genre: Fiction, Suspense, Thriller
  • 399 pages, Kindle Edition
  • Published October 15, 2024

Nick is a retired lawyer and engineer, based out of Calgary, Alberta, Canada. He splits his time between Calgary, Canada; Wengen, Switzerland; and Maui, USA.

He can usually be found writing on a laptop somewhere, skiing down a piste, hiking up a mountain, or rafting down a river in canyon country.

He is convinced that if people read more, the world would be a better place. It doesn’t always have to be heavy. Read something that will stretch your mind, then enjoy a beach read. Rinse and repeat.

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Review – Election Retrograde by P D Alleva @PdallevaAuthor #Horror

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When I saw Election Day, I thought of current events. How could it be worse than what is going on now? Well, all I can say is, IT IS! Does that make you curious? What can possibly be going on?

I will say P D Alleva takes no prisoners and the ending left me with my jaw hanging open.

P D Alleva writes some off the wall novels and I have loved each and every one that I have read. If you are looking for something different, something to get your brain jump started, look no further. P D Alleva is your guy.

Animated Animals. Pictures, Images and Photos
4 Stars

In the shadowy recesses of Cara’s mind, an ancient power has always lurked—a telepathic ability that both blessed and cursed her existence. For years, she shunned the whispers that echoed through the corridors of human consciousness. But when her twin brother Craig, a cog in the vast government machine, stumbles upon a plot so insidious it threatens to unravel the very fabric of reality, Cara is forced to confront the true nature of her gift.

As the twins descend into the labyrinthine depths beneath the Pentagon, they discover a truth far more terrifying than any earthly conspiracy. Here, in the suffocating darkness, writhe entities beyond human comprehension—monstrosities that defy the laws of nature and sanity.

With each step deeper into this realm of cosmic horror, Cara and Craig realize they’ve become pawns in a game played by forces older than time itself. The creatures that dwell below are not mere monsters, but the architects of a reality-bending scheme that makes the government’s plot seem like child’s play.

As Election Day looms, the boundary between our world and the realms beyond grows thinner. Cara and Craig must navigate a nightmarish landscape where flesh warps, minds fracture, and the very concept of humanity becomes fluid. Their desperate attempt to thwart both earthly and otherworldly machinations will lead them to the brink of madness—and beyond.

Prepare to question your sanity in this mind-bending fusion of cosmic terror, grotesque body horror, and dark humor. “Election Retrograde” plunges readers into an abyss where the lines between reality and nightmare blur, and where the fate of humanity hangs in the balance. Election Day is coming, and with it, a reckoning that will shatter the foundations of existence itself.

Genre: Conspiracy, Fiction, Horror, Pulp Fiction, Suspense, Thriller

133 pages, Kindle Edition

Published August 27, 2024 by Chamber Door Publishing, LLC

P.D. Alleva

I write books, that’s what I do. Horror, scifi, thrillers, fantasy, and sometimes a literary gem. Good ones, crazy ones, fun books, entertaining books, terrifying books that are absolutely insane, books with depth and thrills, and stories that rip out the heart of humanity and tosses it on a slab to be feasted on. Yeah, that’s what I do, I write books. Any questions?

My current projects include: the Pulp Fiction, Sci-Fi/Fantasy series, The Dark Veil: The Rose Vol. III; the horror thriller novella series, Girl on a Mission; the supernatural thriller series, The Hypnotist; and a follow up to Jigglyspot and the Zero Intellect, tentatively titled The Sleepy Hollow Incident.

Your free book is waiting. Join the PD Newsletter at https://pdalleva.com and score a free book.


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Review – The Fatal Mind by N J Gallegos @DrSpooky_ER

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N J Gallegos’ real life medical knowledge comes in handy in The Fatal Mind.

Shawn Gilbert’s NBA career ended when he suffered a head injury. The constant migraine headaches are relentless, ruining any semblance of a normal life…until…

Dr Absinthe has created an experimental chip that inhibits migraines and as soon as Shawn learns of it, he’s on board, FDA approval or not. I have headaches, but Tylenol does the trick for me. Would I want an experimental chip implanted into my brain? I don’t think so.

Some of Dr Absinthe patients don’t react so well to the implant. I figured her patients couldn’t all survive, otherwise we wouldn’t have a story. I am just along for the ride, letting the author take me where they want, instead of trying to anticipate the characters’ every move.

I was shocked, yet I smiled, at the brutal conclusion of Shawn and Rachel’s story. I never saw that coming, and I love it. N J Gallegos kept the pacing at a steady rate, keeping me reading page after page. I had to know how she would end the story.

That last sentence…well…

I voluntarily reviewed a free copy of The Fatal Mind by N J Gallegos.

Animated Animals. Pictures, Images and Photos
4 Stars

Dr. Aldea Absinthe’s experimental chip-implant procedure inhibits the migraine pain of her patients, releasing them from debilitating chronic pain. When she performs her new procedure on Shawn Gilbert, a former NBA superstar whose career was cut short by headaches, Gilbert becomes her biggest advocate, launching the brilliant and beautiful neurologist to national stardom. But when Gilbert’s wife Rachel sees Gilbert’s personality become darker by the day, it becomes a race against time to uncover the deadly secret behind Dr. Absinthe’s miracle cure in this Black Mirror meets Frankenstein medical horror thriller.

  • Genre: Fiction, Horror
  • Format: 236 pages, Kindle Edition
  • Expected publication: October 15, 2024 by Winding Road Stories

N.J. Gallegos is an Emergency Medicine Physician who enjoys horror, medicine, and wicked women looking for revenge. Put all three together? Now we’re talking! She lives in Illinois with her wife and two cats. In her spare time, she enjoys binging reality trash tv, brewing beer, and running while listening to EDM so she can drink said brewed beer.

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Don’t Let Her In – The Crone by Kevin Bachar @KevinPangolin

The Crone Horror Book House of Horror series Witches and scary evil in a haunted house.
The Crone Horror Book House of Horror series Witches and scary evil in a haunted house.
The Crone Horror Book House of Horror series Witches and scary evil in a haunted house.

Amazon / Goodreads

The Crone by Kevin Bachar is one of the best horror novels I have read in a while. It’s part of his stand alone Houses Of Horror series. Most people think of their home as places of comfort and safety. Not so, Kevin Bachar’s homes. They are filled with horror and terror.

The fabulous cover hints at the horror awaiting new homeowners Paul and Tina Nimos. They are house flippers. Buying homes, fixing them up, and then selling them. This time, the house is in good shape and they are going to make it their forever home…Or so they think. The Crone will have something to say about that.

A sharp piece of wood, a drop of blood, and The Crone is released. What started out as hope for their forever home quickly feels like a curse. But the Crone never faced anyone like Tina before. Tina had served in Afghanistan, and she will put up one hell of a fight to protect her family and claim the house as their own.

I had moments of familiarity, like when she goes to the grocery store and has to put items back because she didn’t have enough money. I’m happy those days are over for me, I just hope it’s over for Tina too. It is small moments like this, that make the characters relatable and realistic…even The Crone…if you believe in that sort of thing.

I found myself smiling at the cute dialogue between Tina and her daughter, Katie.

“How about the Daddy doll? Does he listen to the Mommy?”

“No, he never does…..”He’s always in time out. Not very good at listening.”

Thrills and chills abound in The Crone by Keven Bachar. Sometimes the horror is subtle and anticipatory, other times it’s in your face. To add to the ambience, cozy up in your favorite reading place, turn out the lights, and read The Crone.

The Crone was unpudownable and has a great ending. I was soon flying through the pages, I read The Crone in one sitting, so take note, once you start you may not be able to stop.

Animated Animals. Pictures, Images and Photos
5 Star

Paul and Tina Nimos are like a lot of young married couples, they’re madly in love but finances are putting a strain on their relationship. Their home renovation business is struggling, and with a new baby in the house, bills are piling up. When Paul finds a cheap house to buy and flip, he thinks their problems are solved. It’s an older New England home, with plenty of history and once it’s repaired it should command a great price.

But as Paul and Tina begin the daunting task of restoring the new house, they struggle with the reconstruction. It seems the home doesn’t want to be repaired. As they fall behind in their renovation they realize that unexplained forces are conspiring against them and that helpful friends might not be who they seem.

Soon the couple realizes that a Crone could be the source of their troubles. But it might be too late, as the house and the Crone prepare to extract a horrific toll from Paul, Tina, and their baby. Will they be able to fight back against a centuries-old evil? The Crone, don’t ever let her in.

  • Genre: Fiction, Horror
  • 266 pages, Kindle Edition
  • Expected publication October 30, 2024

Kevin Bachar is a national EMMY award-winning natural history documentary filmmaker and WGA writer. The elevated horror film he wrote – The Inhabitant – https://www.lionsgate.com/movies/the-inh… – was released through Lionsgate and is available on most streaming services.

If you’ve watched National Geographic, PBS, or The Discovery Channel over the years you’ve seen his work. He’s the idiot in the water filming sharks or crawling into caves to photograph vampire bats. You can see Kevin at work filming sharks here – https://www.imdb.com/video/vi2703407897/

The natural world has always captured his imagination and the supernatural world inspires his stories. Through his journeys, he’s interviewed scientists who’ve enlightened him, heard folk tales that have frightened him, and seen quite a few things that have challenged his skeptical mind.

His collection of short stories that weaves together the natural world and the supernatural world entitled, DREAD, is available on Amazon. He’s currently working on his second collection entitled – CREEP.

Complimenting his writing, Kevin has lectured and given presentations at prestigious institutions such as Rutgers University, American University, and the Rubin Museum of Art.
To keep up to date with Kevin’s movies, documentaries, and books –
www.kevinbachar.com
https://twitter.com/KevinPangolin
https://www.instagram.com/kevinbachar/
https://www.tiktok.com/@kevinbachar?l…
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCjEKM_m
https://www.imdb.com/name/nm1423190/

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I fell in love with Lord Hades – Seduced by M C Frank @mcfrank_author

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I LOVE EVERYTHING ABOUT SEDUCED by M C Frank. The beautiful cover, because of the butterfly, makes me think of my mother. She loves butterflies. The title made me think there would be some hot lovin’, but the seduction was so much different than I thought it would be and I am always up for something different, when it works well. The blurb, I want to read anything about the Lord of Hell. It made me think of Lucifer, the TV series. It was the same….but different and I read until the early hours of the morning because I had to know how it would end.

The cruelty of Poppy’s hypocritical, vicar brother is beyond comprehension. He has browbeat Poppy to submission, to believing that she is undeserving…of anything good in her life.

I love the part about Poppy’s period. I don’t often read a novel where it goes into that much detail and Hades reaction was sweet.

I love when Poppy says, “You do realize that I am right here.” There was a time when she would never have commented, where she felt that anything she had to say was worthless.

It was fabulous watching all the characters grow and change, becoming more than they were before Poppy came into their lives and how they affected Poppy herself, allowing her to become the person she was meant to be.

Of course, if we have Hades, we need God to make an appearance, at least in thought.

The only downside to the story was the ending, which had me urging Hades and Wilder to dig faster, seemed rushed and we don’t find out what happened to Nicholas. But, hey, that’s a story for another day.

I voluntarily reviewed a free copy of Seduced by M C Frank.

Animated Animals. Pictures, Images and Photos
5 Stars

Poppy and Lord Hades

Lord Hades owns a gaming hell that sprawls underneath the city of London like the underworld. It is no the Hell Club is notorious all over Europe. Peers and millionaires travel from Vienna and Paris to enjoy the Turkish baths or play cards with the great political leaders of other countries.

Money and power exchange hands nightly underneath the sparkling ballrooms and gentlemen’s clubs, and no one knows. Until Hades discovers a boy sent to spy on him. But the boy is not a boy.

And she will pay.

Seduced is a dark and sparkling romantic story inspired by Greek myths, folklore and fairytales, as well as by the glittering world and the roguish gentlemen of Regency London.

It might look like a quick, fun read, but don’t be this story is going to break your heart into a million pieces.

Information on this

Seduced, a dark Regency romance retelling of Hades and Persephone is part of the Retold fairytale retellings collection. It is the third of the three stories included in that book, but here you can read the story by itself. It is a shorter book and a standalone. It is being published separately due to popular demand.

If you prefer, you can find Seduced as well as two more dark fairytale retellings included in one volume Retold.

*Important This book has already been published as part of the A Regency Fairytale Retellings Collection (Rakes and Ruin) book. This is a separate sole book release of the same book that is included in that collection, with no changes.

  • Genre: Enemies to Lovers, Fiction, Retellings, Romance
  • 315 pages, Kindle Edition
  • Published June 1, 2024
  • Series: Rakes and Ruin, #2

Welcome to the world of M.C. FRANK’s books, where characters aren’t going to have an easy time of it: They will find themselves in icy-cold dystopian worlds where kissing is forbidden (among other things), or in green forests ruled by evil Sheriffs. If they’re in Jane Austen’s England, they have to be running away from a traumatic childhood, or if they are in our contemporary world, they’re scared they’ll die before they have finished high school. That sort of thing.
Don’t worry, though, she knows we all need a little hope and joy in our lives, so there’s a good dose of those as well in everything she writes.
M.C. Frank (writer, reader, designer, physicist and teacher, to name a few) has been living in a world of stories ever since she can remember (that’s before she knew how to write). She started writing them down when she could no longer stand the characters in her head screaming at her to give them life, and while those first scribblings weren’t exactly good (nor were they books, although she insisted on calling them that), they were enough for her to discover her passion in life.
She got her university degree in physics a few years ago (yes, she’s like Sheldon, only a bit crazier!) and is now free to pursue her love of reading and writing, as well her free-lance job as editor-in-chief. She lives with her ‘dude’ in a home filled with candles, laptops and notebooks, where she rearranges her overflowing bookshelves every time she feels stressed.
Which is often, since (as you might have noticed) she doesn’t pick the easiest subjects for her novels.
Learn more about her and her New Adult, Young Adult, scifi, Greek mythology and historical novels at mcfrankauthor.com

Website: mcfrankauthor.com

Twitter: @mcfrank_author

Instagram: @mcfrank_author

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Facebook Page: M.C. Frank

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Youtube: M.C. Frank

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Review – Twelve Secrets by Robert Gold @netgalley @books_gold

Amazon / Goodreads

Talk about secrets….Twelve Secrets by Robert Gold is filled with them and Robert hands them out one at a time. Ben Harper is determined to get the answers to his mother’s death. Was it really suicide? Or did someone push her in front of the train.

Ben Harper has been haunted by secrets and death. Will he write the story?

Every time I turned around, I was met with another surprise, more danger. How many bodies will fall before all is exposed? Sure kept me guessing. The more I read, the more curious I became. I do love a fast paced novel filled with mystery and intrigue, and Twelve Secrets by Robert Gold fits the bill.

I voluntarily reviewed a free copy of Twelve Secrets by Robert Gold.

Animated Animals. Pictures, Images and Photos
4 Stars

Ben Harper, true crime journalist, is about to unravel his most shocking story yet . . . his own.

The day his older brother was murdered was the day Ben Harper’s life changed forever.

In one of the most shocking crimes in national history, Nick and his friend were stabbed to death by two girls their own age. Police called the killings random, a senseless tragedy.

Twenty years on Ben is one of the best true crime journalists in the country. He has left the past behind, thanks to the support of his close-knit hometown community.

But when he learns about a fresh murder case with links to his brother’s death, Ben’s life is turned upside down once more. He soon find himself caught in a web of lies, one that implicates everyone around him. And on his quest for answers, Ben discovers one very important truth:

Everyone has secrets.
But some secrets are deadlier than others.

  • Genre: Fiction, Mystery, Suspense, Thriller
  • 448 pages, Kindle Edition
  • First published March 3, 2022
  • Series: Ben Harper #1

Originally from Harrogate in North Yorkshire, Robert Gold began his career as an intern at the American broadcaster CNN, based in Washington DC. He returned to Yorkshire to work for the retailer ASDA, becoming the chain’s nationwide book buyer. He now works in sales for a UK publishing company. Robert now lives in Putney and his new hometown served as the inspiration for the fictional town of Haddley in Twelve Secrets. In 2016, he co-authored three titles in James Patterson’s Bookshots series.

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Review – All We Buried by Elena Taylor @Elena_TaylorAut

Amazon / Audiobook / Goodreads

I love an author that loves their research and Elena Taylor’s research shows in her writing. She lives her life surrounded by horses and dogs and her character, Sheriff Bet Rivers, will need to be a dog whisperer to win over Schweitzer, her father’s dog, a dog that picks her person.

Sheriff Bet Rivers has come back to the small town of Collier after her father falls ill and calls her home. She comes from a long line of policeman. She hasn’t reached the 30 years old mark and has one foot out the door. Will Collier become her home? I hope so because I plan on making a return visit.

When she starts investigating the caves, I had shivers going up and down my spine. Better her than me, that’s for sure. You wouldn’t catch me going underground with a killer hanging around.

Long buried secrets will be exposed. A nightmare comes to life. On top of that, it’s an election year. Complex mysteries will need to be solved and Elena Taylor keeps the mystery alive until the last pages are read.

I voluntarily reviewed a free copy of All We Buried by Elena Taylor.

Animated Animals. Pictures, Images and Photos
4 Star

An amateur sheriff confronts the long-sleeping secrets of her small Washington State mountain town in this dark, twisty mystery for fans of Julia Keller and Sheena KamalInterim sheriff Elizabeth “Bet” Rivers has always had one repeat a shadowy figure throwing a suspicious object into her hometown lake in Collier, Washington. For the longest time, she chalked it up to an overactive imagination as a kid. Then the report arrives. In the woods of the Cascade mountain range, right in her jurisdiction, a body floats to the surface of Lake Collier. When the body is extricated and revealed, no one can identify Jane Doe. But someone must know the woman, so why aren’t they coming forward?Bet has been sitting as the interim sheriff of this tiny town in the ill-fitting shoes of her late father and predecessor. With the nightmare on her heels, Bet decided to build a life for herself in Los Angeles, but now it’s time to confront the tragic history of Collier. The more she learns, the more Bet realizes she doesn’t know the townspeople of Collier as well as she thought, and nothing can prepare her for what she is about to discover.

  • Genre: Fiction, Mystery, Suspense, Thriller
  • 301 pages, Kindle Edition
  • First published April 7, 2020 by Crooked Lane Books
  • Series: Sheriff Bet Rivers #1
CREDIT MARK PERLSTEIN

Mystery writer, avid reader, animal mom.

Elena Taylor started out her storytelling career in the theater. She worked for several years as a playwright, director, designer, technician, and educator before becoming a novelist.

Elena has more than twenty years of teaching experience and now works one-on-one with writers as a manuscript consultant and writing coach.

She lives in North Bend, Washington, with her husband, two cats, and the greatest dog in the world. When she’s not writing, teaching writing, or talking about writing, she can be found at a nearby stables, playing with her horses.

For more information about Elena, please visit www.elenataylorauthor.com.

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Review – One Big Happy Family by Jamie Day #netgalley #onebighappyfamily

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The cover for One Big Happy Family by Jamie Day drew me in. I wasn’t sure it would be mystery enough for me, but I was pleasantly surprised. It had more depth than I originally gave it credit for.

The Bishop Sisters come to the Precipice after the death of their father. Who is going to get what is on their mind. I think most of us have heard how ugly things can get when there’s a lot of money involved, but these sisters have more than money on their mind and someone is determined to bring to the forefront their secrets.

Charley has been working at the Precipice and counts on the paycheck to pay for her Nana and herself. That held a story I never saw coming and I loved it.

We also have a stowaway with a killer story that caught me by surprise.

I will definitely keep my eye out for more from Jamie Day. On the surface her books might seem like light reading, but there is so much more than a colorful cover.

I voluntarily reviewed a free copy of One Big Happy Family by Jamie Day.

Animated Animals. Pictures, Images and Photos
4 Stars

The newest, riveting summer suspense by the author of The Block Party, Jamie Day.

The Precipice is a legendary, family-owned hotel on the rocky coast of Maine. With the recent passing of their father, the Bishop sisters—Iris, Vicki, and Faith—have come for the weekend to claim it. But with a hurricane looming and each of the Bishop sisters harboring dangerous secrets, there’s murder in the air—and not everyone who checks into the Precipice will be checking out.

Each sister wants what is rightfully hers, and in the mix is the Precipe’s nineteen-year-old chambermaid Charley Kelley: smart, resilient, older than her years, and in desperate straits.

The arrival of the Bishop sisters could spell disaster for Charley. Will they close the hotel? Fire her? Discover her habit of pilfering from guests? Or even worse, learn that she’s using a guest room to hide a woman on the run.

With razor-sharp wit, heart, thrills, and twists, Jamie Day delivers a unique brand of SUMMERTIME SUSPENSE.

  • Genre: Contemporary, Fiction, Mystery, Suspense, Thrillerfictio
  • 384 pages, Kindle Edition
  • Expected publication July 16, 2024 by St Martin’s Press
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