I love a variety of books from romances, to teen fantasy, to horror. I enjoy the artwork and storylines in graphic novels, and have been known to pick up childrens' books if the book description hooks me.
There’s nothing he won’t do to vindicate his brother, to stop the men who so callously allowed one man to destroy his family.
There’s no stopping him.
He was born for this. Born to hunt. Born to kill.
Born to avenge.
He is a Hunter of Gunmen.
Defend. Investigate. Secure.
I’m a stay at home mom that loves to read. Some of my favorite titles are Pride and Prejudice, Harry Potter, Lord of the Rings, and Horatio Hornblower. I started writing when I was trying to come up with suggestions on ways I could help bring in some extra money. I came up with the idea that I could donate plasma because you could earn an extra $500/month. My husband responded with, “No. Find something else. Write a blog. Write a book.” I didn’t think I had anything to share on blog that a thousand other mothers hadn’t already thought of. I decided to take his challenge seriously and sat down to write my first book, Jack. I was surprised at how much I enjoyed writing. From there, the stories continued to flow and I haven’t been able to stop. I hope my readers enjoy my books as much as I enjoy writing them. Between reading, writing, and taking care of three small kids, my days are quite full.
Wolfsbane Hall Hazel St. Lewis Publication date: August 13th 2025 Genres: Adult, Fantasy, Romance, Thriller
Phantom meets Clue:
She’s forced to murder to survive—until it’s her turn to die.
At Wolfsbane Hall, a secretive 1930s San Francisco murder mystery club, actress Celestine Sinclair plays a deadly role: executing victims who can only return to life once their murders are solved. Haunted by guilt yet bound by unwavering loyalty, she obeys the orders of the Specter—the club’s unseen mastermind and source of its magic.
But when his nemesis seizes control and poisons her, the game changes. The only way to survive? Solve the night’s mystery and unmask the Specter—an identity that has remained hidden for centuries. Even worse, the three prime suspects are the men closest to her: her lover, her enemy, and her best friend. One of them has betrayed her, and she has only hours left to uncover the truth.
The clock is ticking, the stakes are fatal, and this time, death will last forever.
Wolfsbane Hall: A Deluxe Edition Romantasy Thriller
Check out the Kickstarter here!
—
EXCERPT:
Celestine Sinclair hated being a murderer.
She hated blood dripping through her fingertips and clumping in her hair. She hated watching poison devour a body, and the feeling of her hands stretching around a slender throat.
Everything about murder was ghastly, but if she had to choose, her favorite way to kill was suffocation with a pillow while a person was drugged and unconscious. It was two and a half minutes of hell—hell she deserved for the act—but at least it was quiet and didn’t leave a mess.
Celestine loathed messes.
Unfortunately, the very nature of her profession required much more theatrical deaths. The audience didn’t come to Wolfsbane Hall to watch, as they put it, dull and tedious deaths; no, like vultures, the rich, pompous pricks wanted carnage.
They wanted a show.
So, Celestine Sinclair would give them one. That was her one objective as an actress at the infamous nightclub: show above all else.
Show above one’s own sanity.
“You’re wasting time,” said a voice forged from darkness, twisting from the room’s shadows. It was glazed in honeyed whiskey. Sweet yet potent.
The Specter—the magical and mysterious owner of Wolfsbane Hall, the glittering palace at the edge of San Francisco, filled with as much mystery as magnificence. It was a place patrons became a part of a murder mystery show. Glitter, grandeur, and witchcraft were laced into every inch of the manor, interwoven into a tapestry of entertainment.
“You must prepare for your next murder,” the Specter said as a whisper in her ear, darkness twirling and cloaking her from the patrons meandering into the Grand Ballroom—the club’s showroom.
“I know, Specter,” Celestine breathed.
Author Bio:
Hazel St. Lewis is a Northern California-based Romantasy author. Diagnosed with dyslexia at a young age, she struggled to read and write, but fantasy stories inspired her to start storytelling. Unfortunately, now, she is a little too obsessed with morally gray characters. When she isn’t writing, she can be found playing with her hoard of cats (too many to count…it’s a problem), singing songs to said cats, or painting.
Aera Cross is a man forged by hardship. His childhood, marred by pain
and abuse, has left him with scars that run deeper than the skin. Survival has
been his only mantra, that he’s learned to navigate with a hardened
heart. But when a desperate father approaches him with a plea to rescue his
‘daughter’ from the clutches of a sadistic doctor, Cross finds
himself at a crossroads.
The photo of Lorelei, a girl with an ethereal beauty, ignites something within
him—a flicker of hope amidst the darkness. Lorelei possesses a gift that
is both a blessing and a curse: she can heal with a touch. But this
extraordinary ability has made her a target, sold to the highest bidder and
forced to perform for those who seek to exploit her powers. Each transaction
chips away at her soul, leaving her a mere shadow of the girl she once was.
On the night of her daring escape, Lorelei stumbles into Cross’s world.
Though she is wary of this rugged stranger, she has no choice but to trust
him. Together, they embark on a perilous journey, where danger lurks at every
corner and the lines between savior and sinner blur.
Excerpt
The passenger door yanked open and very large man slid into the seat. Fear exploded through her. She couldn’t go back. She might have defended her life by killing a man, but she’d rather die than return to that cell. As she fumbled with the car handle to open in a desperate move to escape, the man reached over and caught her wrist. Instinct and desperation caused her to fight back, thrashing around in an effort to free herself.
Why? Why couldn’t luck be on her side for once?
“I’m not going to hurt you!” the man muttered. “You can’t take this car to escape. They’ll track you. Listen to me, Lorelei!”
Her name slipping from his tongue jolted her, and his words slowly penetrated the terror robbing her of sanity. Then she took a closer look at the man. It was hard to tell his eye color in the dark. Short hair. Bold, masculine features. Tattoos on one side of his neck. He wore a leather jacket, jeans and black boots. By his look alone, he wasn’t an employee.
“My name is Aera Cross, and I’ve come to rescue you. Although you managed that very well on your own.”
Suddenly, the alarm sounded, and lights flooded the perimeter. For a moment, she froze. Panic overrode any logical thought. Then Cross left the car and ran around to the driver’s side. Before she could blink, he took her hand and yanked her out. He looked down at her feet and frowned.
“Where’re your shoes, woman? Actually, never mind. We have to get away from here.”
He picked her up bridal style and ran into the darkness.
About the Author
I’m passionate about weaving tales of romance and connection, inviting
readers into worlds where love conquers all. Crafting heartfelt stories and
steamy scenes that make the pulse race, as well as dreaming up the next
swoon-worthy adventure. I love to weave emotions into my stories that punch
you in the gut. I try to write characters who aren’t cookie cutters and push
myself to write complicated situations that I have no idea how to resolve,
forcing me to think outside the box. I strive to create characters who are
complex and full of flaws. Deep passion romance between heroes and heroines
who find redemption through love.
Murder, Mystery & Mothers Fran Heap (A Willowcroft Cozy Mystery, #1) Genres: Adult, Cozy Mystery
“You’d better leave town or else”.
After a devastating betrayal mystery writer Tammy Rumbelow flees LA for a charming blue cottage in Willowcroft, Michigan. But when a yellowed letter in the attic reveals an unsolved 70-year-old locked room murder in her living room, her peace is shattered.
Determined to start fresh, Tammy enlists the help of a ragtag group of locals:
Bookstore owner Olivia Huddlestone offers a sanctuary for clandestine conversations and genealogical sleuthing among her shelves.
Eccentric Mrs. Hazel Temperance mines her knitting circle for gossip.
Retired detective “Wally” has contacts at the sheriff’s department.
Tech whiz kid Xander Simmons hasn’t met a computer he didn’t like—or a website he can’t hack.
And a stray cat with a nose for clues…
As threatening letters appear and break-ins escalate around town, Tammy must prove to herself—and her inner critic—that she’s capable of solving a murder, or will that be two?
Perfect for fans of multi-generational mysteries filled with quirky characters like Only Murders in the Building and crime-solving writers like Castle.
At three in the morning, with her cursor blinking on an empty page, Tammy Rumbelow stumbled upon an online listing in rural Michigan. For the First time in months, a flicker of hope sparked.
The realtor’s photos of the little blue cottage with its front porch and white picket fence, had set her heart alight. The interior was as enchanting as the exterior, featuring an antique writing desk where inspiration could strike.
On a whim—or perhaps out of desperation—she’d picked up the phone and bought it based on the pictures alone. She had never even visited the state before. Had fate handed her a lifeline, or had she made the biggest mistake of her life?
Now, six weeks later, Tammy’s fingers tightened around the steering wheel; nerves and fanfare clashed in her stomach. This was it—her fresh start. But a familiar undercurrent of doubt threatened to bubble to the surface. She turned off the highway. The country roads, flanked by dense forests of oak, maple, and pine, marked the last stretch of her six-day drive from Los Angeles to Willowcroft.
She rolled down the window. The crisp breeze tousled long, wavy strands of brown hair over her face. Tammy inhaled, savoring the clean air. It reminded her of childhood summers—when life was untangled.
As the miles stretched behind her, the hum of the tires a constant companion, fragments of her former life in LA surfaced. Tammy’s chest constricted at the memory of her best manuscript—a boundary-pushing idea. But she’d never seen it in print, at least not under her name. Instead, her rushed, uninspired replacement made it to the shelves, the one cobbled together in the aftermath, her creativity fractured and trust shattered.
The book reviews rang in her head. “No emotional depth.” “Lacked soul.” Tammy winc ed, acknowledging their bitter truth. But the one that stung the deepest: “She’s not just over forty, she’s over, full stop.” They don’t know the real story behind those pages.
“You can never do anything right,” her mother’s sneer boomed, reopening old wounds. It had taken years to quiet the nagging doubts from her childhood, but the betrayal let those words flood back stronger than ever. The steering wheel grew slick under her clammy palms.
A road sign came into view, providing a diversion. “Welcome to Willowcroft. Township Population 999. Greater Willowcroft Population 5,124.”
Will I tip the scales to an even thousand? Any distraction helped. Was two thousand miles far enough away to break free?
Author Bio:
I am based in Melbourne, Australia but have lived in London, Copenhagen and New Jersey. I’ve been to 61 countries but want to visit over 190.
I’m a poor excuse of a redhead who loves ancient ruins and drains, hates dusting, revels in going behind the scenes, can’t smile in photos and detests selfie sticks (though I now own one).
I have a penchant for collecting quirky data and my favourite saying is: curiosity killed the cat, but information brought him back.
I have wanted to be a writer since I was nine but also had aspirations of being a famous actress, an astronaut, owning a department store and opening up a youth hostel. I became a career Nanny and Neonatal Nurse instead.
Now I am an author of cozy mystery novels (and travel books).
Some love stories don’t have clean endings—and some heartbreaks never quite heal. In The Next Breath, Laurel Osterkamp brings us a poignant, layered novel about grief, performance, and the blurry lines between memory and truth.
Robin was young when she gave Jed her whole heart, even though he warned her not to. His love was intense, beautiful, and ultimately fleeting—his death shattered her sense of safety, love, and identity. Now, ten years later, Robin is finally beginning to breathe again. She’s with Nick, a kind and genuine man who makes her laugh and helps her feel seen. But Robin hasn’t told him everything. Before they met, she agreed to star in a play Jed wrote for her before his death. As rehearsals begin and Jed visits her in haunting dreams, Robin realizes she’s emotionally divided—caught between a man who’s very much alive and one she never said goodbye to. Can she open her future to Nick if she still lives in Jed’s shadow?
We hovered for a moment, moving towards each other. When our lips met, his mouth was soft, inviting, and powerful enough to make my toes curl. He let out a little sigh, like he was relieved to be kissing me, but before I could wrap my arms around his shoulders, he stepped away.
“No,” he said. “This is a bad idea.”
“Why?” I tried to sound jokey, light. “You’ll sleep with anything that moves.”
He matched my tone. “That’s not true. I’ll only sleep with human females, in my age range, and attractive.”
“Don’t I fit that requirement?”
He looked me up and down, his nostrils flaring. “Yeah, of course you do.”
“Then why?”
Jed stepped back again, making new space between us. “I just think we’re better off as friends.”
I squared my shoulders to pretend I wasn’t wounded. “If it’s because you think you’ll corrupt me, don’t worry. I’m not a virgin.”
“Okay.” He raised his hands in defeat and kept his voice steady, like I’d bite him if he wasn’t careful. “Look, I’m not in a relationshipy place right now; I can’t be, with all my health issues. If we were together, you’d have high expectations because that’s how you are.”
“You don’t know that.”
“I see you, Robin. You don’t hide or lower your standards. I like that about you, but it also makes us bad for each other.” Lines crumpled his forehead as he held my gaze. “Tell me I’m wrong.”
I leaned against the side of the house. How had I gotten to this point, practically begging Jed to have sex with me? I was a pathetic cliché.
“No, you’re right.” I forced out a weird, strained laugh. “We’d regret it, you and me…” I tilted my head towards the stars and groaned. “Never mind. Delete the last couple of minutes from your memory.”
I turned to go inside.
“Robin…” He grabbed my arm and I let him pull me towards him. The yearning on his face told a different story to the one he’d just recited. I put my hand at the base of his neck, but withdrew my fingers in shock.
“Oh my God. You’re burning up.” His forehead was clammy and hot and not the way a healthy forehead should be.
He ducked from my touch. “I’m fine,” he growled.
“No you’re not.”
He started to hack. “Just tired.”
“Can I help you get home?”
“I don’t need your help. And I’m not ready to leave yet.”
He slammed the door as he went back into the party.
About the Author
Laurel Osterkamp writes the kind of fiction that lingers—heartfelt, reflective, and character-driven. Her novels often explore themes of grief, growth, love, and the stories we tell ourselves to survive. In addition to being an Amazon bestselling author (Beautiful Little Furies), Laurel teaches adult ESL and middle school enrichment classes, and lives in Minneapolis with her family and a couple of argumentative cats. She has a penchant for running while listening to twisty audiobooks and for rewatching Beverly Hills, 90210 with near-academic zeal. Learn more at laurellit.com or follow her on Instagram.
She’s just the witch to finish what her
ancestors started.
Scare Thee Well
Laurel Haven Witches Book 2
by ReGina Welling
Genre: Paranormal Women’s Fiction
Three hundred
years ago, one witch had to live with her mistakes. Today, another might have
to die for them.
Tansy Shackleton has spent her entire life carrying the
guilt of her family’s legacy. If not for her ancestor’s mistake, good witches
might not be trapped in the coastal town of Laurel Haven, Maine. But no matter
how hard she tries to make amends, she can’t stop seeing the stain on her soul.
Not even at the cost of her marriage.
Connor Shackleton has tried everything he can think of to
get his wife to see that she’s not to blame for the unwitting actions of a
long-dead witch. At his wit’s end and unable to watch Tansy work herself into
the ground for something that wasn’t even her fault, he proposes they take a
break for a few days, just to get some perspective.
He should have known Tansy would martyr both their happiness
on the alter of guilt, but he didn’t. He wanted her back almost from the minute
he walked away, but she’s shut him out of her life as firmly as the door she
closed behind him.
The problem is, life and death in Laurel Haven go hand in
hand for witches of the blood, and just like Tansy, Connor’s one of them. The
only way to move forward is to turn and face the past head-on. Together with
her new coven, Tansy will have to put all of Laurel Haven’s ghosts to rest or
die trying.
Three hundred
years ago, four witches went into the forest to cast a spell of protection
against the evil creeping into their town but they were too late.
Today, Rue Channing never sees it
coming, and she should because seeing is her special power. Still, who would
have expected to be kidnapped and hauled off to a small coastal town in Maine?
But that is exactly what happened. Now, Rue, a lover of order and strict
routines, is dragged out of her comfort zone and into a new life in the small,
coastal town of Laurel Haven.
Things could not be worse, she thinks, until she meets the man next door and
decides they could. Ry McFadden is the most infuriating man on the planet. He’s
a study in contrasts; grumpy yet generous, intensely private, but somehow open.
Rue can’t think what to do with him, except she can, and that just makes things
worse.
The problem is, Ry McFadden just might be part of Rue’s destiny as she learns
she’s been brought to Laurel Haven to finish what her ancestors started.
“Excuse me. I don’t think that area’s for paying customers.”
The man’s voice sounded like Alan Rickman and Benedict Cumberbatch had a baby but without the British accent. He could read me a bedtime story, Rue thought as the deep tones shivered across the air.
“No worries. I’m not planning to pay for anything.”
“Get back here,” he called out when she took another step.
Dismissing that, Rue waggled her fingers over one shoulder but kept going and caught Tansy pulling another sheet of cookies out of a professional oven that Rue knew damn well she couldn’t afford. How much debt had Tansy racked up in a single morning?
Still, the scents of sugar and butter set Rue’s stomach grumbling. “You’re hired if you want the job. I have no idea how to run a bookstore, but if you stay on, I guess we’ll figure it out between us, so I’d like to make it official. Providing we don’t go out of business in a week because I can’t afford the stock or that stove. Or the ingredients in those cookies come to that.”
Grinning—did the woman ever not smile?—Tansy did a little two-step, bobbled the cookie sheet, then set it on the stainless worktable. “Not to worry. We’ll talk about the finances later.” With practiced speed, she transferred warm cookies to a lined display tray. “I have a customer waiting for these.” Picking up the tray, Tansy headed out, leaving Rue to follow.
“You mean Mr. Grumpy?” She kept her voice low since Tansy was nearly out of hearing distance anyway. The woman moved like lightning.
“They’re still warm,” Tansy was saying when Rue came up behind her. “You came in at just the right time.”
Mr. Grumpy turned a million-watt smile on her and accepted the cookie Tansy offered, but his expression hardened when he turned toward Rue. “I’m not sure how they do things where you’re from, but in Laurel Haven, customers know enough to stay on this side of the counter.”
“Oh, but—“
Rue cut Tansy off. “I’m glad to hear it, but I believe I’ve already mentioned I’m not a customer. My name is Rue, and this is my shop, so if it’s okay with you, I’ll go anywhere I please.”
“You’re one of…them.” He nodded toward Tansy. “That explains some things.” His hazel eyes searched her face as if looking for validation of something she didn’t quite understand. He offered his hand when she came out from behind the pastry case. Steeling herself for what she might see, Rue took it. It wouldn’t bode well for her business if she ran off potential customers. Even ones like him.
The vision of him armed with a sword, his eyes blazing black, and riding a dark horse through misty woods slid across Rue’s mind, bringing with it a bone-deep sense of recognition. Here was the figure that had haunted her most romantic dreams come to life.
“I suppose I am,” she said.
“Then, I guess I’m your new neighbor. I live upstairs.”
“You have more than that in common.” After popping two cookies in a bag, Tansy joined them.
“I can’t imagine what,” Rue muttered. This man was clearly an outlaw of some sort. Otherwise, she wouldn’t have seen what she’d seen. He certainly looked the part with dark hair falling recklessly over his furrowed brow, eyes narrowed, and lips that might have been kissable if they weren’t set in a stern line. Even annoyed, Rue had to admit, he packed a hell of a punch.
He wasn’t Rue’s type at all. Not one little bit.
Grinning, Tansy made the introductions by pointing and naming them in turn. “Ry. Rue.”
Okay, now Rue understood. They lived in the same building and had names that sounded sort of similar. As far as common ground went, she figured theirs was roughly the size of a postage stamp. The man put her hackles up even when he wasn’t talking.
“Ry?” she said, unable to help herself. “What’s that short for? Wait, let me guess. It’s Ryder, right?” A wicked smile tugged at her lips. “Ryder…Storm. That’s it, isn’t it? Or maybe it’s Ryder Strong. Either one sounds like the perfect name for an urban cowboy with a hero complex.”
Where had that come from? Rue considered herself a circumspect woman, but everything about this day brought out the worst side of her tongue.
“The name’s McFadden, ma’am,” he drawled and tucked his thumbs into his belt. “Ryland McFadden at your service, but you can go ahead and call me Ryder if it helps you feel better.” He cocked his head to the side. “What’s Rue short for? Wait. Let me guess. It’s Rudella, isn’t it? Like Cinderella, only meaner.”
ReGina Welling prefers not to talk about herself in the
third person so…
I live in Maine with my husband, a silly flufferpup named
Dash, and a crazy cat named Cricket. I write full time and also create mixed
media artwork when I get the chance.
When I was three, my mom brought home a new book and when
she went to read it to me, I read it to her instead. That was when she realized
I’d learned to read. Since then I couldn’t even estimate the number of books
I’ve read. It’s a lot!
I love talking to other readers so please visit me in any
one of these various places and don’t forget to let me know you stopped by!
A farm devastated. A dream destroyed. A family scattered.
And one Texas girl determined to salvage the wreckage.
Ruby Lee Becker can’t breathe. It’s 1935 in the heart of the Dust Bowl, and the Becker family has clung to its Texas Panhandle farm through six years of drought, dying crops, and dust storms. On Black Sunday, the biggest blackest storm of them all threatens ten-year-old Ruby with deadly dust pneumonia and requires a drastic choice —one her mother, Willa Mae, will forever regret.
To survive, Ruby is forced to leave the only place she’s ever known. Far from home in Waco, and worried her mother has abandoned her, she’s determined to get back.
Even after twelve years, Willa Mae still clings to memories of her daughter. Unable to reunite with Ruby, she’s broken by their separation.
Through rollicking adventures and harrowing setbacks, the tenacious Ruby Lee embarks on her perilous quest for home —and faces her one unspoken fear.
Heart-wrenching and inspiring, the tale of Ruby Lee’s dogged perseverance and Willa Mae’s endless love for her daughter shines a light on women driven apart by disaster who bravely lean on one another, find comfort in remade families, and redefine what home means.
My Writing Journey’s Taken Me All Over Texas, on Wheels, by Click, and by Page
That’s how I gathered ten years of Texas historical research. Now I’m transforming it into The Dust Series, set in a mythical town in the Texas Panhandle — and wherever the characters roam.
Unspoken is historically accurate, and wickedly fictional.
It’s a true enough tale of a Texas girl more tenacious than fire ants who faces air she can’t breathe, and what’s gone unspoken, to find family and remake home. Set in the Texas Panhandle during the Dirty Thirties and beyond, an era of drought and dusters and war, it’s at once the story of a mother and daughter and a love letter to strong women who blaze trails, bolster one another, and prevail.
“There are things, I wanted to tell him, unspoken things that can never be fixed. But I said nuthin.” —RUBY LEE BECKER in Unspoken
Unspoken is the first Texas novel in The Dust Series to be published.
Featuring dual narratives of estranged daughter and mother, Unspoken is the second Texas novel I’ve completed but first to be published. Its predecessor, Vacancy, is the inspiration for the series and coming soon. Unspoken’s sequel is underway now, which gives my characters (and me) a chance to keep rambling all over Texas, unearthing some lesser-known and fascinating history — as my research into the lesser-known events in the Dust Bowl era in the 1930s revealed.
There are miles and miles of Texas.
If you don’t think so, just set out in your car from Texarkana one morning, and see how long it takes you to arrive in New Mexico. You may end up asleep at the wheel. To research my books, I drove across Texas in many directions, of course, sometimes following old maps I’d discovered, and after one 600-mile road trip, my license plate and front grill showed it.
A 1940 map of Texas shows you how far you can go.
It’s easier to click than to drive. I uncovered a 1940 map (and many more like it) by click, that showed me there’s lots of territory to explore, wherever you land. It’s a map I referred to plenty, as I was moving my characters in Unspoken from the Panhandle to Waco to Wichita Falls and points in-between. (Not all were willing travelers, but those were the tenacious types.)
There were plenty more pages to turn, too, as I researched.
My collection of books on Texas grew, married, had children, cousins, grandchildren, great grandchildren, and so on, as I read out-of-print finds from secondhand bookshops or firsthand nonfiction accounts of events, along with art and photography books of the times. Immersing myself in so many visual and written sources spurred many more characters and plotlines. Stay tuned as The Dust Series unfolds. •
Unspoken, the first book in The Dust Series by Jann Alexander, features strong women facing the worst the Great Depression, the Dust Bowl, and world war can dish out, and somehow persevere.
About the Author:
Jann Alexander writes characters who face down their fears. Her novels are as close-to-true as fiction can get.
Jann is the author of the historical novel, UNSPOKEN, set in the Texas Panhandle during the Dust Bowl and Great Depression eras, and her first book in The Dust Series.
Jann writes on all things creative in her weekly blog, Pairings. She’s a 20-year resident of central Texas and creator of the Vanishing Austin photography series. As a former art director for ad agencies and magazines in the D.C. area, and a painter, photographer, and art gallery owner, creativity is her practice and passion.
Jann’s lifelong storytelling habit and her more recent zeal for Texas history merged to become the historical Dust Series. When she is not reading, writing, or creating, she bikes, hikes, skis, and kayaks. She lives in central Texas with her own personal Texan (and biggest fan), Karl, and their Texas mutt, Ruby.
Can echoes of the past threaten the present? They are 1500 years apart, but can they reach out to each other across the centuries? One woman faces a traumatic truth in the present day. The other is forced to marry the man she hates as the ‘dark ages’ unfold.
How can Dr Viv DuLac, medievalist and academic, unlock the secrets of the past?
Traumatised by betrayal, she slips into 499 AD and into the body of Lady Vivianne, who is also battling treachery. Viv must uncover the mystery of the key that she unwittingly brings back with her to the present day, as echoes of the past resonate through time. But little does Viv realise just how much both their lives across the centuries will become so intertwined. And in the end, how can they help each other across the ages without changing the course of history?
For fans of Barbara Erskine, Pamela Hartshorne, Susanna Kearsley, Christina Courtenay.
This title is available to read on #KindleUnlimited.
About the Author:
Julia Ibbotson is fascinated by the medieval world and the concept of time. She is the author of historical mysteries with a frisson of romance. Her books are evocative of time and place, well-researched and uplifting page-turners. Her current series focuses on early medieval time-slip/dual-time mysteries.
Julia read English at Keele University, England, specialising in medieval language / literature / history, and has a PhD in socio-linguistics. After a turbulent time in Ghana, West Africa, she became a school teacher, then a university academic and researcher. Her break as an author came soon after she joined the RNA’s New Writers’ Scheme in 2015, with a three-book deal from Lume Books for a trilogy (Drumbeats) set in Ghana in the 1960s.
She has published five other books, including A Shape on the Air, an Anglo-Saxon timeslip mystery, and its two sequels The Dragon Tree and The Rune Stone. Her latest novel is the first of a new series of Anglo-Saxon dual-time mysteries, Daughter of Mercia, where echoes of the past resonate across the centuries.
Her books will appeal to fans of Barbara Erskine, Pamela Hartshorne, Susanna Kearsley, and Christina Courtenay. Her readers say: ‘Julia’s books captured my imagination’, ‘beautiful story-telling’, ‘evocative and well-paced storylines’, ‘brilliant and fascinating’ and ‘I just couldn’t put it down’.
A Mischief of Murder by Helen Hollick A Jan Christopher Murder Mystery – Episode 6 Published by Taw River Press
The village Flower and Veg Show should be a fun annual event – but who added mischief and murder to the traditional schedule?
July 1973 Old friends and new enemies? Jan Christopher’s Aunt Madge is to be a judge at Chappletawton’s annual village flower and vegetable summer show – a chance for the family to have a holiday in the Devon countryside, especially as Jan’s fiancé, DS Laurie Walker, is still recovering from gunshot wounds and her uncle, DCI Toby Christopher, is enduring injury-related sick leave. The event should be a fun occasion where friendly rivalry between gardeners, cooks and crafters lead to the hopeful winning of the coveted Best In Show trophy – but who added mischief and murder to the traditional schedule?
Praise for the Jan Christopher Mysteries:
“A delight—Miss Read meets The Darling Buds of May, with a dash of St. Mary Mead. Helen Hollick’s signature voice shines throughout, full of warmth and wit. The characters keep growing in such satisfying ways, making every visit feel like coming home.” — Elizabeth St.John “The Darling Buds of May …but in Devon instead of Kent.” — Alison Morton
“I sank into this gentle cosy mystery story with the same enthusiasm and relish as I approach a hot bubble bath, and really enjoyed getting to know the central character, a shy young librarian, and the young police officer who becomes her romantic interest. The nostalgic setting of the 1970s was balm, so clearly evoked, and although there is a murder at the heart of the story, it was an enjoyable comfort read.” — Debbie Young, author of the Sophie Sayers cosy mysteries
“A delightful read about a murder told from the viewpoint of a young library assistant. The author draws on her own experience to weave an intriguing tale.” — Richard Ashen – South Chingford Community Library
“I really identified with Jan – the love of stories from an early age, and the careers advice – the same reaction I got – no one thought being a writer was something a working-class girl did! The character descriptions are wonderfully done.” — Amazon Reader
“Brilliant! I’m so enjoying Helen’s well-researched murder mystery. I’m not giving anything away here, except to say there’s lots of nostalgia, and detail that readers of a certain age will lap up. A jolly good read. In my opinion, it would make a great television series.” — Amazon Reader
Beyond illustrations and photographs in books, I had no recollection of ever seeing the incredible Neolithic monument of Stonehenge, although as we parked the car and walked across the expanse of grass towards the huge standing stones, Aunt Madge informed me that I had been here before.
She elaborated as she fished her camera from its leather carry case, and inspected the lens settings. “You were only just two years old. We were a merry party, you, your twin sister June, your mother and me.” She started snapping photos of the stones as she spoke. “I’d offered to drive down to the wedding. Mind, it was February and bitter cold. Even the underwear your mother had knitted didn’t do much for the ice chills whipping up our skirts.” She laughed as she took another photograph. “My goodness, but the woolly knickers and vest itched! I recall my skin was red raw by the time we reached our hotel. I dropped the darn things straight into the bin, I can tell you!”
Author Bio:
Known for her captivating storytelling and rich attention to historical detail, Helen’s historical fiction, nautical adventure series, cosy mysteries – and her short stories – skilfully invite readers to step into worlds where the boundaries between fact and fiction blend together.
Helen started writing as a teenager, but after discovering a passion for history, was initially published in 1993 in the UK with her Arthurian Pendragon’s Banner Trilogy and two Anglo-Saxon novels about the events that led to the 1066 Battle of Hastings, one of which, The Forever Queen (USA title – A Hollow Crown in the UK) became a USA Today best-seller. Her Sea Witch Voyages are nautical-based adventures inspired by the Golden Age of Piracy. She also writes the Jan Christopher cosy mystery series set during the 1970s, and based around her, sometimes hilarious, years of working as a North London library assistant. Her 2025 release is Ghost Encounters, a book about the ghosts of North Devon – even if you don’t believe in ghosts you might enjoy the snippets of interesting history and the many location photographs.
Helen and her family moved from London to Devon after a Lottery win on the opening night of the London Olympics, 2012. She spends her time glowering at the overgrown garden, fending off the geese, chasing the peacocks away from her roses, helping with the horses and wishing the friendly, resident ghosts would occasionally help with the housework…
If you make a deal with the Devil, don’t forget to read the fine
print.
Three operatives find themselves on the run after a corporate sabotage job
goes awry. Now, their predatory employer, a heavyweight weapons-tech firm,
wants its elite A-team dead at all costs. Jon is a smooth-talking
charmer. Friedrich is a hacker prodigy. And Guion is the ice-cold tactician
who keeps them all in line.
Backs against the wall, the men strike separate infernal pacts to stay
alive. They vanish into the urban badlands of New York’s Five Hives,
vowing to lie low and figure out why they’ve become targets.
Meanwhile, Jon suspects there’s an insidious evil possessing his
friends, and he wonders if they all got more than they bargained for.
Amid an escalating war between local gangs and the firm’s private
shock troops, the fugitives uncover a conspiracy that threatens to destroy
everyone they know and love. But can they stop the destruction before their
inner demons seize control?
About the Author
At the age of four, Russell Anders started telling stories, often
interrupting his mother during bedtime reading to ask, “Then what
happened?” She always answered, “You tell me,” and his
imagination conjured fantastical tales of dragons and dinosaurs.
He gravitated toward a career as a technical writer and writing coach for
software companies. He also briefly served as a columnist for Dragon
Magazine. One of his favorite hobbies includes tabletop role playing,
especially as the game master. And yes, he’s as cruel to the characters in
his games as he is to the characters in his books; his players love him for
it.
Russel lives with the constant canine companionship of whip-smart but goofy
Sigurd, an English Mastiff (the best breed ever).
