Tag Archives: thriller

BOOK BLITZ & GIVEAWAY: Stalled Descent by Kel O’Connor

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Stalled Descent
Kel O’Connor
(DAG Team Series, #4)
Publication date: August 25th 2025
Genres: Adult, Romance, Suspense, Thriller

A man forced to work for the enemy and a woman on the run from her past…

For years, ace pilot Archie McKinley has been living a double life. Now that his role as a mole within DAG has been exposed, he has one chance to make things right: take down Elliot Essa, the man who’s held him captive with threats and manipulation for over a decade.

To infiltrate the impenetrable Red Winter compound, Archie needs help from the team he deceived and the one person who truly knows him—Meret Shahid, his childhood partner-in-crime turned photographer. The girl who once earned the nickname “the Imp” in their small Iranian village might be his only shot at redemption. But Meret has her own demons from Red Winter, and returning to the organization she barely escaped could cost her everything.

As Archie grapples with guilt over his betrayal and his growing feelings for Meret, they must navigate new threats, uneasy alliances, and shocking revelations. The mission is clear: destroy Red Winter’s empire and free the innocent families trapped within it.

But the price of redemption may be higher than either of them is willing to pay.

This book is a full-length romance with a happy ending. It is part of a 4-book interconnected series where each book features a different couple.
This is a steamy romance for readers 18+

Goodreads / Amazon

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EXCERPT:

The knock on her door had her glancing at the clock. Archie likely wanted her dinner order, even though it was a bit early. She opened the door before she considered her outfit. She’d changed into a tank top and loose shorts after lunch. For comfort. Which, of course, included ditching her bra.

Too late to turn back. She opened the door halfway and hid behind it as much as possible. Surprisingly, Archie walked a few steps into the room instead of remaining outside. When he turned to her, all the moisture in her mouth dried up.

Meret bit the inside of her cheek rather than moan out loud. Gray sweatpants hung so low on his hips, she saw the white elastic band of his underwear. A light dusting of dark hair curled across the top of his chest. There was none on his perfect abs and only a thin trail that began under his navel. The bruises from his recent fight were fading to a greenish yellow along the left side of his torso.

There were scars on his tanned skin, including a long strip across his shoulder, possibly from a knife. On his right bicep, there was a corner of a tattoo showing, but she couldn’t make out the design from this angle. Of course, he was still an agent, maintaining the top-shelf physical fitness that was required. Damn, he was beautiful.

Archie bit his lip, chagrin obvious on his face. He took a deep breath, shook his shoulders, and all the awkwardness fell away, replaced by steely determination. Meret swayed, mesmerized at the transformation. He held her gaze and this time, his voice was strong.

“What happened between us on the boat was good. But we can do much better.”

Shock held her muted. This was not what she’d expected, but oh, was it what she wanted. Her fingers flexed as electricity shot through her in anticipation. She tightened her mouth, loathe to say the wrong thing. Best to let him do the talking.

He continued, “I’m aware my experience and skills are lacking, but I’ve been studying.”

Her mouth fell open, and she managed a single word, “Studying?”

His slow grin was equally charming and sexual, even showing a hint of teeth. Her lungs shrank at least four sizes as she tried to breathe. What was happening? She was 90% sure she wasn’t dreaming. He was not only discussing her and sex, he had smiled.

His voice lowered, and she felt the vibration between her legs. “Yeah. Reading the sexy parts of romance books. I assumed it was better than watching porn made for men.”

Oh, dear God in heaven. Which books? Steamy, spicy, kinky? Okay, she’d gladly take any of the above, even if kinky was not her preference. Her nipples hardened until it was almost painful.

They both chuckled a bit, and he added, “Plus, there are actually helpful instructional websites. I only need someone to test my knowledge on.” His expression morphed to sincere. “Meret, you are the only person I want to touch me.”

Tears stung the back of her eyelids at his confession. What courage it took for him to lay it all out for her. She was honored, but mostly, she was aroused. His fiery gaze roamed all over her body, clad only in the thin tank top and short shorts. His growing erection became obvious under the loose sweats. She stood rooted to the spot in shock, so he moved closer.

He looked feral, reckless, slowly stalking towards her like a predator.

Why did she think he was reckless? Agents were never reckless. They always had a plan. And two backup plans, plus an “oh shit, everything has gone to hell” plan.

What was her plan? Meet him halfway, yank his head down for a kiss? Hold up a hand to stop him? Plot an escape? Oh, hell no.

Suddenly, she didn’t want a plan. It was time to live in the moment. He wouldn’t harm her as long as she held her heart back. Sparks sizzled along her skin, put there by the singular focus in his eyes. For this moment, she would join him in recklessness. Her anxiety broke free, and she waited for him to reach her.

Author Bio:

Winner of the Pencraft Award and The Chill Award and a finalist for The Book Buyers Best Award, The Maggie Award for Excellence and The Carolyn Reader’s Choice Award, Kel lives with her family in the mountains of North Carolina. In addition to reading and writing, she loves coffee, loud rock music, subversive humor and the smell of old books. You can find her online on Instagram, Facebook and at keloconnor.com.

3 Random Facts about Kel:
* She will buy almost anything if it is a hot pink color
* She watches any and every show/movie about crime-fighting, spies, detective work or secret agents
* She and her husband once owned a humor store

Website / Goodreads / Facebook / Instagram / X


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Stalled Descent Blitz

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BOOK BLITZ & GIVEAWAY: Stranger Still by George Ochoa

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Stranger Still
George Ochoa
Publication date: August 19th 2025
Genres: Adult, Literary Fiction, Thriller

Paul Inster, a brilliant, insane Columbia college student majoring in English with an undisclosed minor in knives, is in love with graduate student, Tracy Iridio. Seeing her in the library every day, he mistakenly believes she is in love with him and that she is a goddess, Teresa. In fact, the two have never met, and she does not know who he is. When, for the first time, he sees her with her boyfriend, classical history professor Larry Post, Paul sets out to destroy Larry via a campaign of terror. As the campaign mounts, Larry, mystified, tries to figure out who is attacking him and why. Through a series of surprises and confusions, the campaign escalates to murder.

Stranger Still is both a thriller and a literary novel, combining suspense and violence with rich language, webs of cultural allusions, and themes of love and madness.

Goodreads / Amazon / Barnes & Noble / iBooks / Kobo

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EXCERPT:

Teresa and I often made love, though never in the flesh. To this day the psychiatrists will scrutinize such a statement as if it meant something other than what it plainly says, as if it were the telltale boil of some rare mental pox that might explain the blood spills photographed by the police. But these doctors do not understand love, optics, metaphysics, error, or even good taste. As far as flesh went, I never touched or even talked to Teresa, not until our moral decline had already begun. Before then, seeing the chaste tables that divided us in the Columbia library less than a decade ago, in the middle years of the 1990s, you might have thought Teresa and I were strangers, that she didn’t know I was alive.

I first saw her early in my junior year, a new female sitting several tables away in the Burgess-Carpenter reading room on the fourth floor of Butler Library. She seemed at first like any other of the pretty women on campus whom I liked to ogle and who regarded me as if I were invisible. But the more I stared at her, the more she particularly interested me. A pile of books rested near her elbow on the blond pine table, her head bent with rapt attention over her open book. Hazy September sunlight from the tall windows bathed her small breasts in her magenta top, made the white skin of her forearms glow. Her dark-brown hair was long and luxuriant, her neck long, her face shaped like that of a Raphael Madonna. But what captured me most were her eyes—large, sad eyes, ringed with mauve circles as if she hadn’t slept well. Why was she sad? Was there something I could do to make her happier?

We sat like that for a long time, she near the east end of a table in the back, never noticing me, while I shot frequent glances at her from near the west end of the second table from the door. About twenty feet diagonally divided us, too far for me to discern her eye color, though I tried. Finally, she got up, gathering her books into a white canvas tote bag and walking toward the door. As her gangly frame passed me, I gave her eyes a good look and saw they were hazel, flickering elusively under their long lashes from green to brown to gold.

The thought of her big, sad, long-lashed hazel eyes kept me happy for the rest of my day at Columbia. Even when I boarded the downtown Number One train, the first of the three trains that every evening buried me back in Jamaica, Queens, I was still thinking of those eyes. But an hour and fifteen minutes in the subways will discourage anyone. By the time I left the second leg, the D train, for the final and longest leg, the F, my thoughts were turning dark. The train was crowded with smelly, loam-colored laborers imported from faraway continents, and me just one of the horde.

Most students at Columbia boarded, but because my family was poorer than that of the standard Ivy Leaguer, I was a commuter. Combined with my natural tendency toward solitude, this meant I had no friends either on campus or anywhere else. I longed to make contact with someone, anyone, but did not know how. Sometimes I just wanted to pet them—the young secretary sitting before me on the subway in vinyl jacket and glittery eyeliner—to touch her shoulder, her pulsing throat, and say, “I am here. I am lonely. Help me.” Sometimes I wanted to hit them—the goon in the Yankees cap. When I felt particularly desperate, I wanted to stab them. I had knives that would have fit that purpose, but I never took them out of the house.

Author Bio:

George Ochoa’s first novel is the thriller Stranger Still. In addition, he has written or cowritten thirty-five nonfiction books, including The Book of Answers, The Writer’s Guide to Creating a Science Fiction Universe, The American Film Institute Desk Reference, and Deformed and Destructive Beings: The Purpose of Horror Films. His short fiction has been published in North American Review, Eureka Literary Magazine, Eunoia Review, Bangalore Review, and elsewhere. He is also the author of published poems and essays.

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Stranger Still Blitz

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BOOK BLITZ & GIVEAWAY: Wolfsbane Hall by Hazel St. Lewis

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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.

Goodreads / Amazon

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EXCERPT:

Celestine stood in the Red Parlor, waiting for her prey. One minute until he was supposed to arrive, and James Ashbrook was always on time, even as his characters. He believed it was never appropriate to keep someone waiting.

As her character, Celestine raised her lips with feline delight, and she leaned against the side of a lounge like a seductress draped in silk and jewels, waiting for a midnight assignation.

James stormed into the room like a cowboy in a Western film about to rescue his damsel in distress. He walked with purpose, and, without hesitation, he cupped the back of Celestine’s neck and kissed her fiercely.

The kiss was beastly and consumed by unfiltered vigor. Almost as if they didn’t do this every week. But that was the nature of their relationship. They were a wildfire that burned until it would eventually flame out and die.

James was not for keeping.

No rich man was. A lesson she’d learned long ago. Poor girls don’t end up with ‘the man’, even if they desperately wanted to.

Yet James was for fucking and, tonight, killing.

Celestine’s back slammed against the wall as their mouths devoured each other, his hands stroking up her legs and bunching the fabric of her dress up to her core with their movement.

James pulled away, his eyes widening with betrayal. “I’m sorry,” Celestine breathed into his hair as his limbs went limp. “You’re the Specter’s victim tonight.”

Celestine had poisoned her lips with a tranquilizer strong enough to sedate a horse. Only a thin layer of plastic and Specter’s magic kept the lipstick from incapacitating her.

“How are you going to do it?” James croaked as his head lolled to the side.

“Stabbing.”

She caught him as his body slid to the floor.

“Ah…I’ve never been stabbed before.” James smiled, lopsided and bright. A sick part of him enjoyed dying over and over again. He once said it made him feel alive every time he died in Wolfsbane Hall. He enjoyed it so much that he volunteered as a victim, choosing to die every other week.

Although he wanted it and enjoyed it, killing still made Celestine’s stomach churn and her arms quiver.

While he was still conscious, she gripped an ornamental knife from above her head, rolled her hand into the stabbing position, and thrust down.

“Thank you,” he said, blood bubbling from his mouth as he stared gleefully down at his wound. She knew he thanked her for starting while he was still awake to experience it. He wanted to see and feel the knife as it slid in.

Celestine pulled the knife out and slammed it in again and again and again. It was a crime of passion, after all. Her character was overcome by rage and vengeful lust. But all of it made vomit snake up Celestine’s esophagus. She continued her job regardless. Celestine Sinclair was loyal—the perfect employee for her Specter.


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.

Website / Goodreads / Instagram / Newsletter


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Wolfsbane Hall Blitz

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BOOK BLITZ & GIVEAWAY: Wolfsbane Hall by Hazel St. Lewis

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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.

Goodreads / Pre-order / Kickstarter

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Wolfsbane Hall: A Deluxe Edition Romantasy Thriller
Check out the Kickstarter here!

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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.

Website / Goodreads / Instagram / Newsletter


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BOOK BLITZ: Someone Knows by Vi Keeland

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Title: Someone Knows
Author: Vi Keeland
Publisher: S&S/Emily Bestler Books
Genre: Standalone Thriller
Release Date: June 17, 2025
BLURB

As a college English professor, Elizabeth looks forward to the start of each new semester teaching her creative writing seminar. At least until she reads chapter one of The Reckoning, a tale about a high school senior who has an affair with her teacher. To anyone else it would be the beginning of a great page-turner, but to Elizabeth it is the beginning of the end.

She knows this story. It’s all familiar because she lived it. The girl in the story was her best friend Jocelyn, and Elizabeth knows exactly how the story will end—with the teacher dead. Because she was the one who killed him.
Someone knows what Elizabeth did twenty years ago and her secret is about to be exposed, but who is the mystery student submitting the chapters? In an effort to find out, Elizabeth returns to her Louisiana hometown where it soon becomes clear that no matter how many years have gone by, she can’t escape her past.

PURCHASE LINKS

AUTHOR BIO

Vi Keeland is a #1 New York Times, #1 Wall Street Journal, and USA Today Bestselling author. With millions of books sold, her titles are currently translated in twenty-seven languages and have appeared on bestseller lists in the US, Germany, Brazil, Bulgaria, Israel, and Hungary. Three of her short stories have been turned into films by Passionflix, and two of her books are currently optioned for movies. She resides in New York with her husband and their three children where she is living out her own happily ever after with the boy she met at age six.

AUTHOR LINKS

EXCERPT REVEAL: Someone Knows by Vi Keeland

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Title: Someone Knows
Author: Vi Keeland
Publisher: S&S/Emily Bestler Books
Genre: Standalone Thriller
Release Date: June 17, 2025
 
 
Take a sneak peek at SOMEONE KNOWS.
You know you want to…

 

A voice behind me catches me off guard. “Put hers on my tab, please, Willow.”

 

I expect to find the mullet man when I turn, but I’m pleasantly surprised. Instead, there’s a tall, handsome—albeit too young for me—man with a deliciously crooked smile. That smile widens, unveiling a set of cavernous dimples. Oh my.
“You are definitely not from around here,” he drawls.
I swivel and face him for a better look. “Oh yeah? Why is that?”
“Because the girls from these parts drink one of three things: White Claws, High Noons, or Jack and Coke. And the third I keep away from because that means they’re going to wind up sloppy drunk.”
“I suppose the reason I don’t drink any of those is because I’m a woman, not a girl.”
Dimples looks me up and down. There’s a sparkle in his eyes when they meet mine. “You sure are.”
I chuckle. He’s corny and over the top, but something about him appeals to me. It could be the confidence. There’s nothing I’m drawn to more than a confident man. Which is why Sam isn’t the first cop I’ve dated.
“What’s your name?” I tilt my head. “Or should I just call you Dimples?”
“Name’s Noah.” He smiles, flashes those things like a weapon, and holds out a hand. “And you are?”
“Elizabeth.” I put my hand in his, but instead of shaking, he lifts my knuckles to his lips and kisses just above them.
“Pleasure. Where you from, darlin’?” He waves his hand. “Wait. Let me guess.”
“This should be interesting . . .” I cross one leg over the other. Noah’s eyes drop to follow before looking up unapologetically and wagging a finger at me.
“I bet you’re from New York City.”
“Indeed I am. What gave it away?”
“You just have that look about you.”
“And what look is that?”
He grins. “Like you can eat a man alive.”
“Considering you’re standing here and just bought me a drink, I take it you enjoy being eaten alive?”
“I don’t mind it.” He leans in, putting his mouth next to my ear, and whispers, “But I’m a gentleman, so I’ll always do the eatin’ first.”
The bartender interrupts, which I’m grateful for because this young’in has got me all hot and bothered. She places another drink in front of me and lifts her chin to Noah. “You want your usual?”
“Yes, please.”
She raps her knuckles against the bar twice. “Coming right up.”
Noah slides into the seat next to me and scoots it over a few inches until his knee is touching mine. “So what brings a city girl down to these parts?”
“I’m visiting family.” I pick up my drink and take a healthy swig, watch the man next to me over the glass. “Tell me, how old are you, Noah?”
“Old enough.”
“Old enough for what?”
He grins again. “Anything you want to do.”
I chuckle. “I walked right into that one, didn’t I?”
Over the next hour, Noah and I talk. Surprisingly, we have a lot in common—even though I did the math when he said the year he graduated high school and know he’s ten years younger than me. Noah is a writer. He pens a sports column for the Louisiana Post, but he wants to write a novel
someday. He has a degree in journalism from Tulane, runs half marathons, and is willing to travel for a good meal at a restaurant. He’s read Tolstoy and Faulkner, but prefers to read Stephen King on a night when the wind is howling. And he’s currently remodeling his house all by himself, rather than hiring people.
After my third drink, I’m relaxed enough to forget the reason I’m down here for the first time since crossing the state line. But my gut tells me the man next to me could make me forget my name for a while. So even though I rarely take up with a man under forty, I decide to make an exception. Noah excuses himself to go to the men’s room, and I wait a few seconds, then hop down from the bar stool and follow.
I look around to see if anyone is watching before opening the door and slipping inside. Noah is facing the urinal. He doesn’t turn until he hears the clank of the lock. When he does, his eyes go wide.
I grin. “You can finish up.”
He chuckles and turns around. “Haven’t even started yet. But suddenly I think it can wait. Whatcha doin’ in the men’s room, beautiful?”
“Seeing if you’re worth going home with.”

 

 
 
★★★ 

 

 

 

Excited? We are too!

 

 
RELEASING
JUNE 17th!
 
 

 

 

 
 
PRE-ORDER NOW

 

 
 
 

 

 
 
AUTHOR BIO
 

 

 
Vi Keeland is a #1 New York Times, #1 Wall Street Journal, and USA Today Bestselling author. With millions of books sold, her titles are currently translated in twenty-seven languages and have appeared on bestseller lists in the US, Germany, Brazil, Bulgaria, Israel, and Hungary. Three of her short stories have been turned into films by Passionflix, and two of her books are currently optioned for movies. She resides in New York with her husband and their three children where she is living out her own happily ever after with the boy she met at age six.

 

 
 
AUTHOR LINKS
 
 

 

BOOK REVIEW: Dead by Morning by Kayla Frederick

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Genre: YA Horror
Release Date: May 31, 2025
Publisher: Into the Darkness Publishing

About the Book…

Obsession is deadly.

No one learns that better than Luna Ketz, a pessimistic high school senior. Caught between her parents’ intentions for her life and her own plans, boys are the last thing on Luna’s mind. This fact doesn’t deter the mysterious Chance Welfrey from trying to gain her affection.

Luna doesn’t think twice about him until girls at their high school begin to disappear. Girls who tended to hurt her. Girls she wished would disappear.

When she receives a call from a long-lost friend, normalcy goes out the window as she’s plunged into the paranormal. There’s a world beneath the surface of the unconscious mind, and a murderer who knows how to navigate it.

Luna is in danger and although she can avoid the killer in reality, she cannot avoid him in her dreams.

Add to Goodreads | Preorder

My Review…

★ ★ ★ ★ ★
5 stars!

While I admit the first few chapters had a slower pace, it was necessary to build up to the main events. There were times Luna’s character annoyed me, but she was a strong character overall. But my favorite was Chance. The author did a fantastic job with his character! When I got to the end of the book and realized there’s going to be a second one, I was thrilled!

Dead by Morning is a must-read for fans of the Scream and Nightmare on Elm Street franchises. If you like your horror with twisted killers, suspense, and a dash of the paranormal, you won’t be disappointed with this book.

Disclaimer: I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review. The review above is only my opinion.

BOOK BLITZ: Spies Like Me (The Gems) by Doug Solter

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Spies Like Me
Doug Solter
(The Gems, #1)
Publication date: October 4th 2016
Genres: Thriller, Young Adult

They offered Emma revenge…

When she discovers her father’s plane crash wasn’t an accident, sixteen-year-old Emma wants to punish those responsible. Even if it means becoming a spy for a mysterious organization known as The Authority. They want Emma to join the Gems…four teenage girls with unique skills…who know how to handle dangerous spy missions around the world…like storming a mountain stronghold to stop terrorists from incinerating the world’s food supply.

The Authority thinks Emma is the missing link to make this team work.

Emma thinks The Authority is her only chance for revenge.

Spies Like Me is the first novel in The Gems Young Adult spy thriller series, although all books in the Gems world can be read as standalone adventures. This is a fast-paced action story with diverse characters, cool spy gadgets, girl-power bonding, deep family secrets, ruthless villains, twists and turns, and a romance with a complex boy to figure out.

Goodreads / Amazon / Barnes & Noble / iBooks / Kobo

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Only 99c for a limited time!

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EXCERPT:

The school’s auditorium stage was bathed in colors. White for the actors. Orange for the wooden set representing the faraway pyramids of Egypt. Blue to emphasize the painted sky backdrop above it all. It was the opening night performance of The Spy Who Loathed Me.

Emma Rothchild strutted across the stage in a gorgeous floor-length silk dress, her costume for this scene. Tonight, she craved the eyes of the audience and knew this dress guaranteed their full attention.

Emma was deep into character. She was Russian spy Olga Tetrovich. Emma had studied online videos of Russians speaking candidly and mimicked their accents as best she could. Her drama teacher had complimented Emma on her dedication to the craft.

The MI6 spy George Bond followed Olga on stage, but hid behind a fake tree. The actor’s rich brown skin might be a shock to the 007 spy traditionalists in the audience, but Emma hoped that his performance would win them over. Bond was following her in this scene, thinking she would lead the English spy straight to the microfilm that was stolen from him by a Brazilian dwarf named Tatu.

From a souvenir stand, Emma picked up a clay model of the pyramids, something a tourist would buy at a market. She smashed the stage prop against the table in dramatic fashion and held up the roll of microfilm hidden inside so the audience could see it.

George Bond made his move. He crept up behind Emma without detection while she slipped the microfilm into her small hand purse. Emma’s hand came out holding a cap-gun revolver. She pivoted on her heels, making her dress swoosh around her ankles, and aimed the gun at Bond. The move looked great in rehearsals.

“I don’t think so, Mr. Bond,” Emma said, with her gentle Russian accent. “Our brief partnership is at an end. I have what my government wants. Now I will take my revenge. Do you remember that man you killed in Vienna?”

“Yes, I do,” George Bond said.

“He was my lover.”

Emma waited for Bond’s next line.

But the actor hesitated.

Emma was about to lose it. Did Lewis forget again? They’d rehearsed this scene, like, twenty times.

“What do you have to say about that, Mr. Bond?”

The line was an ad-lib, something to draw the next line out of the boy’s mouth.

Lewis’s face was a river of sweat as his eyes glazed over, the actor turning himself into just another tree on stage.

“Your silence is a good enough confession for me. Any last words before I fire?” Emma went off script, but Lewis could pick his line up there. She was trying to help him.

But the boy shook his head. Lewis wasn’t taking the hint.

Emma pulled the trigger and the gun hammer snapped forward. She squeezed the trigger numerous times in a series of loud snaps. Emma dropped the weapon. “You planted that empty gun in my handbag, didn’t you?”

Lewis nodded. Okay, he’d reacted to that ad-lib.

It was a sliver of hope, so Emma went with it. “Then I’ll have to kill you with my bare hands.” Emma approached Lewis with her arms raised in a karate-looking stance. The boy blinked, still trapped inside his scary place. What could Emma do now? Physically attack him? Bond was supposed to seduce the Russian agent, not have her attack him.

Then a breath of inspiration hit her.

Emma grabbed Lewis’s shoulders. She guided him over to a bench on the set and made him lie down. Emma plopped her body on top of Lewis and pretended to struggle with him. Emma whispered into his ear, “Now get up and glare at me, Lewis.”

His eyes blinked again. Lewis rolled out from under her and stood on stage. Emma pressed her back against the seat of the bench and stayed there while Lewis glared.

Emma labored her breathing, as if she were being seduced. “Oh, why can I not kill you, Mr. Bond? What power do you hold over me?”

Lewis didn’t move, his glare frozen on his petrified face.

Emma knew this would work better if Lewis helped sell it, but…she lifted herself from the bench like a graceful ballerina, trying to act seduced by Bond’s man-powers. “Why can I not kill you, Mr. Bond?” she repeated.

Emma went for his lips, kissing Lewis with passion, as if the male spy had successfully messed with her brain. As Emma eased her lips away from his…life came back into Lewis’s eyes. He gripped Emma and pulled her towards him and they kissed again.

Finally, the boy was acting.

Author Bio:

Doug Solter has worked behind the scenes in television for over twenty-five years. He began writing screenplays, then made the switch to young adult fiction. Doug respects cats, loves the mountains, and one time walked the streets of Barcelona with a smile. Doug is a member of SCBWI, IBPA, and Pennwriters.

If you would like to know when his next book will come out, please follow him on Amazon or visit his website at dougsolter.com and sign up to receive emails about new releases and special giveaways.

Website / Goodreads / Facebook / Instagram / Twitter / Youtube

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BOOK BLITZ & GIVEAWAY: Poseidon’s Daughters – Reckoning by Reign Reeves Pearson

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Poseidon’s Daughters: Reckoning
Reign Reeves Pearson
(Poseidon’s Daughters, #1)
Publication date: March 21st 2025
Genres: Adult, Science Fiction, Thriller

They trained her to be a weapon. Now, she’s turning the blade on them.Eirianwen was Poseidon’s crowning achievement—until she walked away from everything. She’s evaded them for years, carving out a life in the shadows, leaving behind the bloodstained world they forced her into. Now, the past she’s been running from has finally caught up. A storm-wracked night. A breach in her sanctuary. Someone is watching. Someone is waiting. And this time, they don’t just want her dead—they want her to doubt herself. They want the world to believe she’s lost her mind.

They’ve been watching her. Manipulating her. Preparing for her downfall.

Now, the elite organization that built her is coming to collect. Not to kill—to control. They don’t need to break her. They just need to make sure no one believes her when she starts screaming.They want her to understand that her escape, her freedom, was all an illusion.

Erased. Discredited. Untouchable.

But Eirianwen has spent her whole life surviving. And when the walls start closing in, she doesn’t run. She hunts.

Poseidon wants her desperate. Unraveling. Helpless.

They’re about to learn just how dangerous she can be.

Goodreads / Amazon

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EXCERPT:

Eirianwen ripped out the earpiece and slammed it onto the desk. Panic swirled at the edges of her mind, but she forced it down. Now wasn’t the time. She grabbed a larger bag from under the desk, slung it over her shoulder, and stormed out. In the closet, she set the bag aside, pressing a hidden panel on the side of her bed. A drawer slid open, revealing her arsenal. Her hands shook as she armed herself, snapping a knife into its sheath and loading a handgun with quick, practiced movements. Now, to find them. Moving swiftly, she ran through the house, slipping out the back door and straight into the storm-charged air. Sullivan’s workshop. If she was going to do this right, she’d need a shovel. She yanked open the heavy wooden door, eyes darting over the mess inside.Where the fuck is it? Why is this place always such a goddamn disaster?

A glint of metal under the workbench caught her eye. She crouched, snatched up a spade, and bolted back outside. The rain had started in earnest, cold drops slicing through the thick humidity. She sprinted to where the trackers last pinged, her boots sinking slightly into the softening earth, almost tripping thanks to a low spot. Looking back at the spot, it was all wrong. She knew something was buried there.

Gripping the shovel tightly, she drove it into the ground. The soil gave easily…far too easily. The clay should have been a nightmare to dig through. Someone had already done the work for her. Within moments, her blade hit something solid, and dread curled in her stomach. She dropped to her knees, clawing at the loose earth with bare hands until the objects were free. Her breath hitched. Six trackers. All of them. Cold, useless, and buried like a mockery of her own paranoia. Eirianwen sat back on her heels, mud caking her fingers as she stared at the pile in her hands. Someone knew.

Her cheeks burned hot, but the rest of her body felt frozen. Tears welled, spilling silently down her face as the questions flooded in. Why? Why would Sullivan do this? Had he done this? He wouldn’t put the kids in danger—would he? Where were they? How long had he planned this? Her stomach twisted. Then, her phone buzzed—a single notification. Hands trembling, she wiped her palms on her pants and yanked it from her pocket. Wi-Fi restored—a new alert. Someone had just crossed the perimeter.

“It better be Sullivan and the kids.”

Eirianwen exhaled sharply, swiping at the sweat and tears streaking her face. Standing, she brushed the dirt from her clothes as best she could, shoving the useless trackers deep into her pocket. She locked her phone and steadied herself. If the kids were with Sullivan, she needed to stay calm. Normal. They couldn’t see the weapons strapped under her clothing. At least the incoming storm gave her an excuse to rush them inside. She’d get them safe first—then she’d deal with Sullivan. She turned toward the tree line, heart pounding in her throat. The property was massive, and she had built the house at its farthest edge. Finally, headlights cut through the gloom. A vehicle emerged. Not Sullivan’s truck. A cold, electric jolt shot down her spine. Every instinct screamed at her.

No one came out here. No one. She had made sure of it. For years, she had meticulously crafted the illusion of a perfectly ordinary life. She knew everyone in town—just enough to avoid suspicion, but never enough to invite curiosity. A delicate balance of friendly but distant. She never gave anyone a reason to visit. She didn’t even use their real address! She picked up all of their mail and deliveries in town. So who the hell thought they had the right to pull up to her house? The SUV slowed to a stop, tires crunching against the gravel. The doors swung open in near unison, and two men stepped out. Sheriff Ford. Deputy Pines. Ford adjusted his jacket, his gaze steady, unreadable. Pines lingered a step behind, eyes sharp, scanning. Ford closed the gap between them and gave Eirianwen a curt nod.

Author Bio:

Reign Reeves Pearson is a writer, storyteller, and chaos enthusiast based in Houston, where she lives with her husband, four kids, and three cats who may or may not be plotting world domination. She thrives on Kopiko, rainy days, and an endless love for Final Fantasy VII and Dungeons & Dragons.

She’s been writing for as long as she can remember. But in 2019, a health scare forced her to take a hard look at her life, and the answer was clear: writing wasn’t just something she did. It was what she was meant to do.

Her debut novel and series, Poseidon’s Daughters: Reckoning, is her first and only planned adventure into sci-fi. Going forward, expect Southern Gothic chills, cosmic nightmares, and nostalgic ‘90s horror—all infused with her signature mix of heart, humor, and a touch of the macabre.

When she’s not writing, she’s probably dreaming up elaborate D&D campaigns, getting emotionally wrecked by Final Fantasy VII (again), or staring dramatically out a window while it rains.

Website / Goodreads / Twitter / Instagram


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BOOK TOUR: When Canaries Die by Luis Figueredo

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A deadly pandemic. A broken system. One attorney fighting for justice.

Hotshot Miami attorney Pierce Evangelista is thrust into a world on the brink of collapse as a relentless virus sweeps the globe. Amidst the chaos, he takes on a high-stakes legal battle against the U.S. government, challenging immigration policies that have left thousands of asylum-seekers trapped in dire conditions.

As the virus spreads unchecked and the demand for blood transfusions soars, criminal organizations seize the opportunity—turning human blood into a lucrative black-market commodity. In the lawless border towns of Tijuana, Juarez, and Matamoros, desperation fuels corruption, and survival comes at a steep price.

With powerful forces standing in his way, Pierce must navigate a treacherous landscape of law, politics, and crime to reopen the borders and save innocent lives. But in a world where survival and exploitation go hand in hand, how far will he go to seek justice?

A gripping legal thriller infused with science fiction and suspense, this high-stakes battle for humanity will keep you on the edge of your seat until the very last page.

Book three in the Pierce Evangelista Thrillers series but can be read as a standalone.

Guest Post – Eerie Predictions:

The right to seek asylum has offered hope and safety to countless individuals fleeing violence and persecution from the birth of the United States. While my book is a work of fiction, it is deeply rooted in the desire to shed light on the unimaginable realities faced by those at the US southern border.

The fictional Executive Orders in the story are eerily similar to the alarming and rash orders issued in our current climate, declaring a national emergency at the southern border. These real-life decisions have led to the militarization of immigration enforcement, a move that claims to protect states but often harms vulnerable individuals seeking refuge.

This story is not meant to be taken lightly. It reflects my sincere concern for humanity and the painful connections between the fictional narrative and the harsh realities of border issues.

Thousands of young lives are in jeopardy as families seek refuge after fleeing from Central America’s “Northern Triangle”—the countries of El Salvador, Guatemala, and Honduras. These countries are overrun by organized crime, violence, human trafficking, and persecution, and the region has the world’s highest homicide rate. 

We should never forget that all U.S. citizens descended from immigrants who fled persecution or were brought to America in chains.  

When Canaries Die draws disturbing parallels and harmful impacts between the real and fictional border situations and explores the devastating fallout when systems and societal norms break down, I hope the book will make my readers think about the border crisis and look at the US immigration policies through a more transparent and sympathetic lens.

Author bio:

Luis Figueredo was born and raised in the Bronx, New York. He completed his undergraduate degree in History from Brandeis University in Massachusetts and earned his law degree from Harvard Law School. He is a partner in the Miami office of an international law firm. His first novel, Dime, was published in 2020.

Author Marketing Experts:

X: @Bookgal

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Amazon: https://tinyurl.com/WCDFigueredo

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/223593579-when-canaries-die

Praise:

“The fast-paced plot, rich character development, and ethical dilemmas make this book engaging. If you’re looking for a thriller that intertwines law, science fiction, and social commentary. When Canaries Die is a novel you won’t want to miss.”

– Carol Thompson – Readers’ Favorite

“When Canaries Die manages to achieve the difficult balance between a realistic portrayal of the justice system and those who work in it and the kind of rip-roaring action-packed extralegal shenanigans featured in the works of John Grisham.”

– Erin Britton – Independent Book Review

“When Canaries Die is a brilliantly crafted thriller that delivers both suspense and substance. Figueredo’s writing is sharp, his themes are relevant and his characters are memorable. This novel is a must read for anyone looking for a fast-paces legal drama that tackles real-world issues.” – Literary Titan