Planning and setting up the décor is just as much fun as the event itself, and this punch looks great on the table!
It is perfect for Halloween parties and can be made for kids or adults! It’s the perfect blend of sweet and tart, and its deep red color makes it both fun and delicious!
*If you’re familiar with using dry ice, it can be added for a spooky effect!
Ingredients:
• 2 liters ginger ale or club soda, or lemon lime soda (Sprite or 7Up)
• 1 quart black cherry juice
• 2 pints (32 ounces) Pomegranate Juice
• 16 ounces frozen cherries
• alcohol your choice (I typically add Vodka)
Instructions:
1. Combine the juices and ginger ale together in a large punch bowl. If you are using alcohol, add it now.
2. Add the frozen cherries and stir.
3. Serve with ice and any decorations you may have for your spooky punch! I’ve used plastic vampire teeth and my guests thought it looked “fang-tastic!”
A Prophecy Awakened
Immortal Wounds Series
Book Two
Angie Barton
Genre: Fantasy Fiction/Magical Realism
Publisher: Angie Barton
Date of Publication: June 13, 2024
ISBN: 979-8990647220
ASIN: BOD73FHPSH
Number of pages: 448
Word Count: 104,000
Cover Artist: Donnell McKenzie
Tagline: The time has come for the two worlds to collide the prophecy has spoken.
Book Description:
Family. Destiny. Magic. Lore.
Forced to leave behind her only known family, on the night of her eighteenth birthday Charlotte Delgado flees through the invisible veil that has granted her safety since birth, with only an age-old diary to guide her. Given less than a day to read the four-hundred year-old tales scripted amongst its pages, she barely understands the predetermined path her ancestor writes of, let alone believes it.
However, despite the dangers the journal warns of—supernatural creatures that will hunt her along her journey—it’s the ominous twist of fate that surrounds the last bloodline witch in her family that fills Charlotte with the most fear.
Is she that witch or merely a pawn moving the prophecy forward?
Award winning author, Angie Barton, published her first novel, Immortal Wounds, in 2022. Angie’s love for writing centers around the fantasy genre, but she also enjoys writing thriller and romance. Her passion for reading, which led to her love of writing, began in elementary school with the Scholastic Book program. Her parents, who are life-long avid readers, have been a huge influence on her reading. Therefore anything and everything Angie could get her hands on she read.
Angie has been an early childhood educator since 1986 and hold a B.S. in Child Development. Her love for literacy has continued throughout her career, not only for herself, but also with the children she has cared for and taught. What Angie is most passionate about is helping others discover the excitement that reading brings. Her greatest desire in writing is to create and bring joy and entertainment to everyone she touches.
Currently, if Angie isn’t reading at least three books at a time or working on a rough draft for her next book, she can be found outdoors gardening, woodworking, or relaxing by her pond. She shares that she’s a Capricorn, tried and true, drinks way too much tea, and that her “to be read” pile of books can spike at any time.
Book Title: The King’s Intelligencer Sub Title: Discovering the Missing Princes in the Tower Author: Elizabeth St.John Publication Date: 15th October, 2024 Publisher: Falcon Historical Pages: 494 Genre: Historical Fiction
London, 1674: When children’s bones are unexpectedly unearthed in the Tower of London, England’s most haunting mystery—the fate of the missing princes—is reignited.
Franny Apsley, trusted confidante to Charles II’s beloved niece and heir, Lady Mary Stuart, is caught up in the court’s excitement surrounding the find. Yet, as a dark family secret comes to light, Franny realises the truth behind the missing princes is far more complex—and dangerous—than anyone suspects. Recruited by her formidable cousin Nan Wilmot, Dowager Countess of Rochester, to discover the truth behind the bones, Franny is thrust into the shadowy world of intelligencers. But her quest is complicated by an attraction to the charismatic court artist Nicholas Jameson, a recent arrival from Paris who harbours secrets of his own.
Pursued by Nicholas, Franny searches for evidence hidden in secret family letters and paintings, and uncovers a startling diplomatic plot involving Lady Mary, which causes Franny to question her own judgment, threatens the throne, and sets England on a course for war. With only her courage and the guidance of an enigmatic spy within the royal household, Franny must decide how far she will go to expose the truth—and whether that truth will lead to England’s salvation or her own heartbreak.
In a glittering and debauched society where love is treacherous and loyalty masked, Franny must navigate a world where a woman’s voice is often silenced and confront the ultimate question: What is she willing to risk for the sake of her country, her happiness, and her family’s safety?
A captivating historical novel of conspiracy, passion, and courage, The King’s Intelligencer is one woman’s quest for a truth that could change the fate of a nation. A companion to the critically acclaimed best-selling novels The Godmother’s Secret and The Lydiard Chronicles, The King’s Intelligencer weaves together beloved characters and actual events to bring a suspenseful mystery to life.
Buy Links:
This title is available to read on #Kindle Unlimited.
The inspiration for The King’s Intelligencer arose from my research for The Godmother’s Secret, centred on the missing princes in the Tower of London. During this time, I visited Westminster Abbey, particularly the Chapel of the Innocents, where Sir Christopher Wren’s marble urn, commissioned by Charles II in 1674, supposedly contains the bones of Edward V and Richard, Duke of York. The princes, according to the inscription, were murdered by their “perfidious uncle Richard the Usurper” and buried secretly in the Tower for 191 years. Standing near the urn, close to where my character Franny Apsley’s parents, Sir Allen and Frances Apsley, are buried, I began to question this narrative.
Helen Maurer’s paper Bones in the Tower: A Discussion of Time, Place and Circumstance raises doubts about the authenticity of these remains, as does Annette Carson’s article The Bones in the Urn. What if these bones weren’t the princes’ at all, but rather a politically convenient find for Charles II, helping to secure his throne during a period of intense religious and political tension?
The 17th century was marked by deep divides between Protestants and Catholics. While Charles II outwardly practiced Protestantism, he secretly favoured Catholicism and even converted on his deathbed. His brother, James II, was openly Catholic, which led to his brief reign before being overthrown by his Protestant daughter, Mary, and her husband, William of Orange.
In this climate of political and religious conflict, espionage thrived. “Intelligencers” gathered information through subtle means, often operating unofficially. Franny Apsley, the protagonist of The King’s Intelligencer, navigates this secretive world. In real life, Franny’s family was deeply involved in espionage, including her parents, Allen and Frances Apsley, and her cousin Nan Wilmot, Countess of Rochester. Nan was known for deceiving Oliver Cromwell during the English Civil War, and supplying arms to Charles II, while after the Restoration, Franny’s brother, Peter Apsley, worked as an intelligencer for Charles II and James II, receiving substantial payments for his covert activities.
Wanting to not only write about family history, but place it in the context of the wider national landscape, I incorporated into the novel another fascinating discovery – King Charles II’s Secret Treaty of Dover. In this treaty, Charles secretly agreed to declare himself a Catholic in exchange for financial support from King Louis XIV of France. Although I fictionalized elements of another treaty between James and the French King, it was well-known at the time that Charles and James were deeply involved in secret negotiations with France, many of which were hidden from the public for over a century.
This companion to The Godmother’s Secret and The Lydiard Chronicles blends historical fact with fiction, following Franny Apsley as she embarks on a dangerous quest for truth, unveiling hidden secrets that could reshape the past.
About the Author:
Elizabeth St.John’s critically acclaimed historical fiction novels tell the stories of her ancestors: extraordinary women whose intriguing kinship with England’s kings and queens brings an intimately unique perspective to Medieval, Tudor, and Stuart times.
Inspired by family archives and residences from Lydiard Park to the Tower of London, Elizabeth spends much of her time exploring ancestral portraits, diaries, and lost gardens. And encountering the occasional ghost. But that’s another story.
Living between California, England, and the past, Elizabeth is the International Ambassador for The Friends of Lydiard Park, an English charity dedicated to conserving and enhancing this beautiful centuries-old country house and park. As a curator for The Lydiard Archives, she is constantly looking for an undiscovered treasure to inspire her next novel.
Elizabeth’s works include The Lydiard Chronicles, a trilogy set in 17th-century England during the Civil War, and The Godmother’s Secret, which unravels the medieval mystery of the missing princes in the Tower of London. Her latest release, The King’s Intelligencer, follows Franny Apsley’s perilous quest to uncover the truth behind the sudden discovery of the princes’ bones. In Charles II’s court of intrigue and deceit, Franny must decide what she’ll risk—for England’s salvation, her family’s safety, and her own happiness.
Book Title: Conquist Author: Dirk Strasser Publication Date: September 1st, 2024 Publisher: Roundfire Books Pages: 360 Genre: Historical Fantasy
Capitán Cristóbal de Varga’s drive for glory and gold in 1538 Peru leads him and his army of conquistadors into a New World that refuses to be conquered. He is a man torn by life-long obsessions and knows this is his last campaign.
What he doesn’t know is that his Incan allies led by the princess Sarpay have their own furtive plans to make sure he never finds the golden city of Vilcabamba. He also doesn’t know that Héctor Valiente, the freed African slave he appointed as his lieutenant, has found a portal that will lead them all into a world that will challenge his deepest beliefs. And what he can’t possibly know is that this world will trap him in a war between two eternal enemies, leading him to question everything he has devoted his life to – his command, his Incan princess, his honor, his God.
In the end, he faces the ultimate dilemma: how is it possible to battle your own obsessions . . . to conquer yourself?
Huarcay had no sense of being watched when he made his way through the darkness. Why would he? He had done this many times since the company left Machu Picchu. The wind had abated and had left a biting chill behind. After entering a small tent on the northern edge of the encampment, he carefully tied the entrance and lit a candle.
He placed a jug of corn beer and a plate of roasted guinea pig at the feet of a dark figure propped up on a low wooden bench. “I’ve brought you fresh chicha, Grandfather, and the cuy has been cooked in the earth oven until it’s soft and sweet.”
The dark figure seemed to nod in response as it contemplated Huarcay with bottomless eyes.
“We’ve finally had the news we have been waiting for, Grandfather,” said Huarcay. “The chaski has been sighted and the bearded ones are preparing to follow.”
He reached down and started taking off the dark figure’s sandals. “But as usual, I’m too absorbed in my own concerns, Grandfather. How are you? Have the servants still been treating you well?”
He held one of the figure’s feet in his hands and started rubbing it. “You’re cold, Grandfather. I’ll ask the servants to bring you an extra blanket.”
The figure’s grimace was almost a smile.
“I’m at the crossroad now, Grandfather. There’s no path back from this decision. I need to know what I’m doing is right.”
He reached out for the figure’s desiccated hand and kissed it. “Whisper the words to me.”
Huarcay stood up and leaned forward, his cheek touching the mummy of his long-dead grandfather. He lowered his voice so that not even the wind could capture it. “Grandfather, give me your wisdom.”
The air around Huarcay froze and the words echoed inside his head.
You are worthy. Do what will make you great.
Huarcay smiled and kissed the mummy on the lips.
Author Bio:
Dirk Strasser’s epic fantasy trilogy The Books of Ascension—Zenith, Equinox and Eclipse—was published in German and English, and his short stories have been translated into several European languages. “The Doppelgänger Effect” appeared in the World Fantasy Award-winning anthology Dreaming Down Under. He is the co-editor of Australia’s premier science-fiction and fantasy magazine, Aurealis.
Dirk was born in Germany but has lived most of his life in Australia. He has written a series of best-selling school textbooks, trekked the Inca trail to Machu Picchu and studied Renaissance history. “Conquist” was first published as a short story in the anthology Dreaming Again (HarperCollins). The serialized version of Conquist was a finalist in the Aurealis Awards Best Fantasy Novel category. Dirk’s screenplay version of Conquist won the Wildsound Fantasy/Sci-Fi Festival Best Scene Reading Award and was a featured finalist in the Cinequest Film & Creativity Festival and the Creative World Awards.
“Amulet’s Rapture by Linnea Tanner is the story of the survival and transformation of Catrin. The plot is packed with action, politics, corruption, ambition, prophecies, and ancient magic. With a gripping plot, mindblowing storytelling, and unpredictable twists, Amulet’s Rapture by Linnea Tanner is going to be among my top three favorites of this year.” — Ankita Shukla for Readers’ Favorite
Blood stains her Celtic home and kingdom. The warrior Druid princess will do anything to retake her kingdom.
Although Catrin is the rightful heir to the Celtic throne in Britannia, she is lucky to be alive. After witnessing the slaughter of her family at the hands of her half-brother, who was aided by the Romans, she is enslaved by a Roman commander. He disguises her as a boy in the Roman Legion with the belief that she is an oracle of Apollo and can foretell his future. The sole bright spot in her miserable new life is her forbidden lover Marcellus, the great-grandson of the famed Roman General Mark Antony.
But Marcellus has been wounded and his memories of Catrin and their secret marriage were erased by a dark Druidess. Though Marcellus reunites with Catrin in Gaul and becomes her ally as she struggles to survive the brutality of her Roman master, he questions the legitimacy of their marriage and hesitates to help her escape and retake her kingdom. If their forbidden love and alliance are discovered, her dreams of returning to her Celtic home with Marcellus will be shattered.
Award-winning author, Linnea Tanner, weaves Celtic tales of love, magical adventure, and political intrigue in Ancient Rome and Britannia. Since childhood, she has passionately read about ancient civilizations and mythology. She is particularly interested in the enigmatic Celts, who were reputed as fierce warriors and mystical Druids.
Linnea has extensively researched ancient and medieval history, mythology, and archaeology and has traveled to sites described within each of her books in the Curse of Clansmen and Kings series. Books released in her series include Apollo’s Raven (Book 1), Dagger’s Destiny (Book 2), Amulet’s Rapture (Book 3), and Skull’s Vengeance (Book 4). She has also released the historical fiction short story Two Faces of Janus.
A Colorado native, Linnea attended the University of Colorado and earned both her bachelor’s and master’s degrees in chemistry. She lives in Fort Collins with her husband and has two children and six grandchildren.
When Atlanta Detective, Tammy Sharp’s past collides with her present, it’s
a wild ride of bullets, broken hearts, and chilling mysteries.
In her hometown of Pocahontas, Arkansas, she faces not just her ex, Jace
Eubanks, but also a dangerous killer on the prowl.
With murders old and new intertwining, Tammy faces a choice: team up with
her ex or let justice slip away.
As the clock ticks down to a sinister ultimatum, will Tammy outsmart the
sociopath or fall prey to a deadly game of cat and mouse?
Author Interview
Tell us about your current release
“To Find a Killer” tells Tammy Sharp’s story. She is a determined detective in Atlanta who overcame the loss of her father. Despite facing tough challenges, including being injured in the line of duty and losing her uncle Ellis, Tammy returns to her hometown of Pocahontas in search of peace. However, she is unexpectedly confronted by her ex, Jace Eubanks, and a dangerous killer on the loose. This book isn’t just a murder mystery; it’s also about love, forgiveness, moral dilemmas, small-town living, and more.
When did you first realize you wanted to be a writer?
I wanted to write when I was still in high school, but I let life get in the way. I realized that I wanted to take it seriously after healing from Ovarian Cancer in 2019.
3. Have you published any previous books?
Yes, my first two works are titled The Hidden and The Missing (Moon Lake Series). I also have a Christian Romance series (Seeds of Faith) that includes Keatyn’s Journey, Sylvia’s Journey, and Frankie’s Journey. I have a Historical Fiction novel titled Petunia 1949.
What can we expect to see from you in the future, any books on the backburner?
Oh yes! I am working on two novels: the fourth in my Seeds of Faith series titled Lottie’s Journey and the second in A Natural Stare Murder Mystery series (title pending). Lottie’s Journey will tell the story of Lottie McKenna, a woman who has been addicted to drugs and alcohol since her teenage years. It will be a raw look at how addiction not only affects the person but also their family, specifically Lottie’s daughter, Rhnae. We will see how Lottie handles her struggles and deals with the aftermath of damaged relationships, insecurities and more. Stay tuned for more info on both books!
What do you like to do when you’re not writing?
Study my Bible. I also love to travel and spend time outdoors. My family means the world to me, and spending time with them is my main priority.
Did you learn anything from writing your book? What was it?
I learned that the story doesn’t have to be all about the protagonist. I feel that To Find a Killer features my strongest character development out of all my novels.
Some writers have something playing in the background, do you and what?
I do not. Not that I’m opposed to it, but I do most of my writing in the early morning hours, so I like to drink coffee and write in silence.
Tell us a little about yourself. Perhaps something not many people know about?
Hmm… I am an open book for the most part. One thing not many people know is that I am a closet Justin Bieber fan…
What do you hope your writing brings to your readers?
I hope that when people read my books, they can escape whatever they have going on in their lives, even if it’s just for a little while.
Excerpt
IF THERE WAS ONE thing Tammy Gail Sharp had learned over the past ten years as an Atlanta homicide detective, it was never to hesitate when facing a killer. Then what would cause her to stand there like a fool instead of pulling the trigger? Because Chip Reeker looked young enough to be her child. The child she’d never have.
The basement in the home Chip shared with his grandmother reminded Tammy of the sauna she frequented at the gym – tiny and hot enough to melt a bucket of Rocky Road ice cream in seconds. Sweat clung to her scalp, and she had no doubt her chestnut hair looked as greasy as Chip’s bleached blonde locks.
His right hand shook as it clung to the pistol. His open-mouth breathing caused his chest to move up and down. Despite his bloodshot eyes, Chip’s round face almost looked angelic as his finger twitched on the trigger of the 22-caliber pistol in his short, plump hand.
“There’s no need for anyone to get hurt,” Tammy said, her eyes working to align with Chip’s. ”Your grandmother asked me to stop by to talk to her.”
A tendon in Chip’s neck twitched before he adjusted his view downward. “She was going to fill your head with lies.” The bulge of his throat rippled with every swallow.
She didn’t want to believe he’d shoot her. He hadn’t even been on her radar as a suspect in his father’s murder – not with his solid alibi. Now that they’d made an arrest, what could be the reason? And where was his grandmother?
About the Author
Leah Brewer writes all kinds of things.
Sometimes, she writes Christian Fiction (Seeds of Faith Series). Other
times it’s Historical Fiction (Petunia 1949). Right now, it’s
all about murder. The first novel in her Natural State Murder Mystery
series, To Find a Killer, is set to release this October.
In 2019, after an Ovarian Cancer diagnosis, Leah decided to pursue her
passion for writing. Being cancer-free, she now revels in her life as an
author.
With an extensive 28-year career that encompasses diverse leadership roles
in a Fortune 500 company, Leah brings an authentic perspective to her
storytelling.
Every October I make these amazing double chocolate chip cookies and it’s easy to say that they are a hit with both children and adults! They are soft and chewy with just the right amount of chocolate, but it’s the candy eyeballs that are the star of the show!
INGREDIENTS
• ½ cup unsalted butter, room temperature
• ½ cup granulated sugar
• ½ cup dark brown sugar, packed
• optional: black food coloring
• 1 large egg
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• ½ cup + 2 Tbsp. Hershey’s Special Dark Cocoa Powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• 2 Tbsp. milk
• 1 1/2 cups chocolate chips (I use semi-sweet)
• Candy Eyeballs for topping the cookies
INSTRUCTIONS
1. Preheat oven to 350˚ F. Line baking sheets with parchment paper. Using an electric mixer, combine the butter and sugars. You can add black food coloring at this time to get a deeper shade of black in the cookies. Beat together on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, 2-3 minutes. Blend in the egg and vanilla, scrape down the bowl if needed.
2. In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt. Slowly add the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients in the mixer on low speed just until mixed. Mix in the milk on the lowest speed and fold in the chocolate chips.
3. Roll about 2 tablespoons of dough into balls and place on the baking sheets. Flatten slightly. Top cookies with candy eyeballs.
Place cookie sheet in freezer for 10-15 minutes.
4. Bake for 10-11 minutes. Let cool on the baking sheets for about 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. ENJOY!
Immortal Wounds
Immortal Wounds Series
Book One
Angie Barton
Genre: Fantasy/Historical Fiction/Magical Realism
Publisher: Angie Barton
Date of Publication: April 22, 2022
ISBN: 979-8990647206
ASIN: BOD9XTF25K
Number of pages: 392
Word Count: 93,000
Cover Artist: Donnell McKenzie
Tagline: Did Isobel make an error in landing in the wrong time, or was it part of her destiny?
Book Description:
After witnessing the brutal deaths of her mother and husband, Isobel overhears a confession from one of the murderers, a ruthless vampire who claims to be her father. For fear that she and her unborn daughter’s death could come next, Isobel uses the only magic she possesses and summons a portal to take her two hundred years in the past to revisit an ancestor in Scotland who she believes may know the truth of her parentage. However, in her haste, Isobel lands in the wrong century. Before she realizes her mistake, she stumbles upon a family: a ferocious Highland warrior and his two sisters.
Isobel could not have prepared herself for what she discovers during her stay: the vampire who claimed to be her father, alive three hundred years in the past! With the help of Meg, the youngest sister, and Mariam, both women’s ancestor, Isobel finds herself belonging in a world she never dreamed of—one entangled with vampires and webbed with revenge, curses, and a prophecy that has dictated all of their lives for the last four hundred years.
Did Isobel make an error landing in the wrong time, or was it part of her destiny?
Award winning author, Angie Barton, published her first novel, Immortal Wounds, in 2022. Angie’s love for writing centers around the fantasy genre, but she also enjoys writing thriller and romance. Her passion for reading, which led to her love of writing, began in elementary school with the Scholastic Book program. Her parents, who are life-long avid readers, have been a huge influence on her reading. Therefore anything and everything Angie could get her hands on she read.
Angie has been an early childhood educator since 1986 and hold a B.S. in Child Development. Her love for literacy has continued throughout her career, not only for herself, but also with the children she has cared for and taught. What Angie is most passionate about is helping others discover the excitement that reading brings. Her greatest desire in writing is to create and bring joy and entertainment to everyone she touches.
Currently, if Angie isn’t reading at least three books at a time or working on a rough draft for her next book, she can be found outdoors gardening, woodworking, or relaxing by her pond. She shares that she’s a Capricorn, tried and true, drinks way too much tea, and that her “to be read” pile of books can spike at any time.
We have the quintessential spooky read for you this month! Check out Gulf by Shelly Campbell, and the newly released sequel, Breach!
Gulf (Dark Walker Series Book 1)
Publication Date: July 2024
Genre: Horror/ Sci-Fi
A lonely teen discovers a new door in his family’s old summer cottage and unknowingly opens a portal to a terrifying world.
All my life they told me monsters weren’t real. They were dead wrong.
Hello. My name is David Rawlingson Junior and I’ve accidentally opened a door into Hell.
When my brothers and I found the locked door to the newly built extension on our rental cottage, the race to find the key was on. Little did I know that exploring the room beyond would create a bridge to countless alternate realities where humans have been eradicated. Ravenous creatures stalk the night, and they want nothing more than to get onto my side and feast.
But time is running out. I can’t get the bridge to break, and the more time I spend on the wrong side of the door digging for clues, the more I fade in my world.
Whatever these creatures are, I’m the only thing in their way. Shit.
Get ready for the re-release of this creepy, disturbing and intense novel by Shelly Campbell. Including a brand new BONUS Novella taking place after the events of that fateful day.
New to me author. That being said, I really love horror stories, and this was one was short enough I could squeeze it into my tight schedule. Don’t let the page count fool you. It’s a very well-written, fast-paced story that will keep you glued to the pages. The author didn’t skimp on details, and writes in a descriptive way that makes you feel as if you’re in the story. I found myself rooting for David, and sad over how he felt invisible to his family. But the world beyond the door was everything I hoped it would be. I don’t do spoilers so you’ll have to read the story to find out more. Very enjoyable read!
*Disclaimer: I received an ARC and am leaving an honest review. The review above is only my opinion.
It’s release day and that means The Ripper of Bedeville by C. Hebert is LIVE! It comes on the heels of the first anniversary of The House of Whispers, so happy book birthday to the author as well!
The Ripper of Bedeville (Living Nightmares)
Publication Date: October 13, 2024
Genre: Dark Fantasy Horror/ Novella
After the horrific murders committed by The Ripper of Bedeville, Casper finds herself locked away in an asylum, enduring endless mental and physical torture. It isn’t until she is brutally pushed beyond her mental capacity that her sanity breaks, unlocking an unstoppable chaos that guides her to a new world.
This novella sequels the characters, story, and timeline of The House of Whispers and contains spoilers. It is advised that you read The House of Whispers first.
Reader caution is advised as there are no happy endings.
We’re back in Achten Tan, but this time we are going back in time with new characters and a new adventure! Check out Tar & Bone by Debbie Iancu-Haddad!
Tar and Bone (The Sands of Achten Tan Book 1)
Publication Date: August 24, 2024
Genre YA Fantasy Adventure (Ages 12 to 18)
* Magic * Adventure * Disability & LGBTQ rep * Friendly Giant ants! * Non-European Setting * A weird Desert town in a ribcage. *No spice 🚫 🌶️🚫
Thirteen-year-old Kamal has been waiting his whole life to join the An’chers – the giant ant riders who protect the desert town of Achten Tan. Despite his disability, a crooked leg caused by a childhood injury, he’s determined to succeed in the try outs and become a cadet. To overcome the challenge, he strikes a bargain with an unexpected ally.
D’or is a half-elf with a dark secret. When the young giant Tar-tule rider agrees to help Kamal, his hazardous magic and the enemies it attracts put both boys in harm’s way.
Now they must evade the fanatic high elves who see D’or’s very existence as an abomination, and the dread sorcerer C’naga, whose interest in the boy threatens to lead them both down a dark path, from which there is no return.
Tar and Bone is a standalone prequel story to Speechless in Achten Tan. It includes themes of friendship, coming of age, and making tough choices. PG content is suitable for younger teen readers.
In 1942, Major Ray Hawkins must assemble a unit of civilians and military to keep the Nazis from releasing a desert djinn against the Allied forces in North Africa. They will have to employ conventional warfare and unconventional witchcraft to accomplish the mission.
Devil in the Desert
Office of Supernatural Directives Book 1
by Russell James
Genre: Historical Horror
It is 1942 and a secret group within the Nazi SS is on the hunt for objects of the occult,
hoping to harvest their power for wonder weapons to win the war. Its leader,
Gruppenfuhrer Karl Weitz, has more than military might behind him. He has
recruited the Ochre Witch, an Eastern European sorceress capable of adapting
what they seize to serve the Reich’s needs.
Only one team can stop the Axis powers from winning World War II.
Army Major Ray Hawkins is tasked with creating the Office of Supernatural
Directives to stop these fanatics. He assembles a team that includes a female
WASP pilot, an enlisted man with a passion for language and puzzles, a
mysterious American ex-pat from the French Foreign Legion, and a young Romany
woman who will need to embrace the mystic Gypsy teachings she’s spent her life
despising.
Their first mission unfolds in Tunisia, where Weitz and the Ocher Witch plan to
release a djinn the locals call the Devil in the Desert. It wields the power to
spread debilitating fear. If Major Hawkins and his band cannot stop the djinn,
it will sow panic among the Americans and Rommel’s Afrika Korps will crush the
invasion force. But Hawkins’ new team has many weaknesses, and Weitz and the
Ocher Witch will exploit every one of them to win.
John paced back and forth a few yards from his truck, uncertain what to do.
Through his connection to the djinn, John knew it had been at work on Rommel all day.
Had that given the Allies enough time to take the initiative and turn the tide? He had no idea what the logistics were to get a routed army from the defense to the offense. But he knew the power of the American fighting spirit, and once the djinn stopped crushing it, that had to count for a lot.
“You have no idea what you are doing,” a raspy woman’s voice said.
He looked up to see a ghostly figure of the Ochre Witch floating a foot off the ground a few yards away. Her cape swirled at the edges though there was no breeze.
How could she find me? John thought. Daciana’s hex bag…
…was in the German uniform shirt I’d shed.
“I warned you that you were walking into your own execution, and now you have. You can’t control the power the ring wields. It wasn’t made for the weak, the ignorant. Can’t you feel it burning you away inside right now?”
John did feel weak. He attributed it to hunger or lack of sleep. Was the power of the ring chewing him up inside? He could imagine his organs darkening and shutting down.
“Weitz could barely manage it,” she said. “And you know you aren’t half the man he is. If someone chopped your fingers off, you’d be crying in a corner, not fighting back like he did. This thing will consume you soon, and leave a shriveled corpse behind.”
“Then I guess I’ll die saving American lives,” John said.
“I’d rather not wait for that to get my ring.”
John ran for the side of the truck where he’d abandoned his Axis uniform in a pile. He grabbed the shirt with the hex bag in the pocket.
The witch rushed toward him. But at several feet away, she slammed to a stop like she’d hit an invisible wall. She looked confused, then enraged. She pressed forward again, but got no further. She snarled in fury. Then she closed her eyes and raised one hand. She reopened her eyes.
“A hex bag? That’s what stopped me back at that estate as well. Found some protection, have you?”
John smiled in relief. “A little.”
“You will find it is very little indeed.”
The witch backed off and swept her hands across the ground before her. She uttered a few lines of an unintelligible incantation.
The sand at his feet shifted. A yellow scorpion several inches long emerged. It flexed its pincers at him. The stinger on its curled tail quivered.
Then a wide arc of sand surrounding him stirred. An army of scorpions crawled to the surface. A yards-wide writhing carpet of pincers and stingers blocked any escape.
“Your hallucinations can’t hurt me,” John said.
“These aren’t hallucinations.”
A scorpion scrambled forward and jumped on the toe of his leather boot. John stomped it with his other heel. Scorpion splattered all over his shoes. The insects were indeed real.
“One sting is painful,” the witch said. “A hundred would be living hell. For the few moments you stayed alive, that is.
Russell R. James was raised on Long Island, New York and spent too much time watching
Chiller, Kolchak: The Night Stalker, and Dark Shadows, despite his parents’
warnings. Bookshelves full of Stephen King and Edgar Allan Poe didn’t make
things better. He graduated from Cornell University and the University of
Central Florida.
After flying helicopters with the U.S. Army and a career as a technical writer, he
now spins twisted tales best read in daylight, including horror thrillers Dark
Inspiration, Q Island, and The Playing Card Killer. He authored the Grant
Coleman Adventures series starting with Cavern of the Damned and the Ranger
Kathy West series starting with Claws. He resides in sunny Florida. His wife
reads his work, rolls her eyes, and says “There is something seriously
wrong with you.”
