Publication date: May 15th 2025
Genres: Contemporary, Romance, Young Adult
Introvert (in-troh-vurt): Someone who is quiet, shy, and/or thoughtful. For reference, see Aurora Kent.
Seventeen-year-old Aurora Kent likes being alone. For the most part. With her fear of crowds, anxiety issues, and inexperience, she’s never really left home.
Until now.
Aurora loves playing violin…and surprises everyone when she agrees to go on tour with a band for two months.
She surprises herself more by kissing a rockstar.
Felix Cordova. Mysterious, cocky, gorgeous—and strangely familiar. When Felix asks her to be his girlfriend for 10 seconds, she agrees. But Aurora never expected a video of their kiss to go viral.
Now she’s in a fake relationship with the one guy who makes her heart sing.
Stuck on a bus with five hot musicians, playing sold-out shows, Aurora should be living the dream. But as fake dating leads to sharing a bunk, late-night talks, and heartfelt confessions, Aurora finds herself falling hard.
Which is a problem because, real or fake, summer romances never last—right?
This book features two opposites with the most delicious slow burn, one heart-melting grand gesture, so many soul-stirring kisses and answers the question:
What happens when a shy girl falls for a rockstar?
Taking a deep breath, I walked past him and gave a mental hooray. I was doing it, chasing my dreams. As he fell into step with me, smoothly, hardly making a sound, my brow furrowed.
“What were you doing under that tree anyway?”
“Hiding. Same as you.”
“I wasn’t—”
He shot me a look, and my mouth snapped shut.
We both knew I was hiding. There was no use denying it. The thought that he’d been there as I tried to work up my courage was a little embarrassing. But that wasn’t what struck me.
“What could you possibly have to hide from?” I asked.
We’d almost reached the bus when he paused—then cursed.
Removing the sunglasses, he turned to me with the strangest look on his face.
Soft.
Warm.
With a devastating half-smile that could melt hearts.
Nothing like the guy I’d just met.
“Hey,” he said.
“Hey…?”
“I missed you.”
“What?”
In the next breath, he pulled me to him in a hug. His lips were right next to my ear as he whispered, “Listen, I need your help.”
“Okay, what kind of help?”
“I think a kiss will do.”
“What?!?”
I pulled back, and he let me go. But as we separated, he still had that look on his face.
“The reporters just want a good story,” he said barely moving his lips. “To escape, I told them I was coming to see my girlfriend.”
I spotted them hiding in the bushes then looked around.
“Well, where is she?” I asked.
He gave me a real smile then, seeming genuinely amused.
“Ah.” I nodded. “There’s no girl.”
“I just need you to pretend with me for 10 seconds.” He reached out, pushing a strand of my hair behind my ear, and I shivered in response. “Think you can do that, princess?”
“That’s not my name,” I mumbled. “But okay. Since you asked so nicely and you’re desperate.”
He laughed softly then pulled me closer.
Raising his voice, he said, “Missed you so much.”
In the next breath, his lips were on mine.
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About Author Cookie O’Gorman:
Cookie O’Gorman writes YA & NA romance to give readers a taste of happily-ever-after. Small towns, quirky characters, and the awkward yet beautiful moments in life make up her books. Cookie also has a soft spot for nerds and ninjas. Her novels ADORKABLE, NINJA GIRL, The Unbelievable, Inconceivable, Unforeseeable Truth About Ethan Wilder, The Good Girl’s Guide to Being Bad, The Kissing Challenge (YA novella), WALLFLOWER, CUPCAKE, FAUXMANCE, BOOKWORM, SWEETHEART, and INTROVERT are out now. She is also the author of NA sports romances The Best Mistake, The Perfect Play, The Sweetest Game, The Total Knockout, and The Merriest Christmas.
Publication date: May 16th 2025
Genres: Adult, Paranormal, Romance
Stranded alien. Fierce farmer. One blown-up barn.
Ellen’s barely keeping her family farm afloat, clinging to dreams of what it could be—with a little luck and a lot of hard work. What she doesn’t need is a spaceship crashing onto her land, or the massive scaled alien who steps out of the wreckage. Now the barn she wanted to convert to a bed and breakfast is shattered all over the lawn, and this huge scaly dude is to blame.
Elia is a space-faring clone, bred for loyalty and survival. He fought for the chance to enter the prestigious Mating Games, only to be exiled for a crime he didn’t commit. Now, stranded on an uncharted world, he and his crew are at the mercy of an infuriated human female with fire in her eyes and no warriors of her own to protect her.
She is not fragile. But she is vulnerable. And something deep in Elia wants her. All he has to do is rebuild what he destroyed and guard her land and her dreams as fiercely as if they were his own.
But Ellen isn’t looking for a mate. And Elia is running out of time to prove that she should.
🔥 A sizzling sci-fi romance featuring a caring, exiled alien, a determined human heroine, and slow-burn tension that will leave you breathless. Perfect for fans of aliens on earth, forced proximity, and fierce heroines who refuse to back down. 🔥
“I promise we will not harm you. You have my word, our word, whatever assurances you need.” Ilia glances at the manacles, heaped in a pile in front of him. “We would never hurt any female.” His breath catches, scales flashing red, like a ruby. “Not deliberately.”
There’s something there, I know it.
“And yet, you blew up Ellen’s barn,” Laura says sternly.
“My deepest apologies. I steered as well as I could,” Arture, the pilot, explains.
“Nevare told us there was life in the way,” one of the triplets adds. “We avoided all loss of it.”
“And I saved you,” Ilia adds quietly, eyes sparking with challenge as he locks gazes with me, but then dropping his eyes again like he’s not allowed to look at me.
I’m grateful for him saving me from the explosion, same as he’s hopefully thankful I helped him subdue the robot. But looking at the scattered remains of my barn, hot flames burn in my chest.
“I wouldn’t have needed saving if you hadn’t literally dropped into my life and broken what remained of it. You might be happy as Larry once you fix your ship, but what am I going to do? I can’t raise money for a business, let alone repairs! You’ve really ruined everything, you know.”
He weathers my anger, an immoveable rock kneeling in the mud. “We’ll fix it,” he says, a rumble in his voice. “We’ll devote our labor to restoring your building before our ship. In order to do that, I ask you not to turn us in, unless the work isn’t to your satisfaction.”
I barely stop my jaw from dropping, the angry fire inside doused with cold. Wow.
“You’ll rebuild the barn to my specifications,” Arabella chimes in.
“What?” I hiss to her.
Arabella pulls me down close to her, and Laura and Nicole lean in. “Ellen, this is literally the answer to your prayers. Six guys straight from planet hot who will build the bed and breakfast just as you need it to be.” Arabella grins widely. Her smile wavers a little, but she’s always saying to take advantage of what the universe delivers, riding the waves and learning to surf what comes our way.
Is this it?
“They could be dangerous,” Laura whispers, glaring at the men beyond our huddle. “This play-nice attitude could switch at any time.”
I nod, taking that into account. “They could have started aggressively, they didn’t. And Floss likes him. They can’t leave the farm, or they’ll get caught. We can turn them in at any time.”
But my gut lurches at the idea of turning the big guys over to the police or the army. They’d lock them away, or use them for target practice. My gaze strays over to their hopeful faces, all awaiting what I’ll say.
Ilia raises his head. “If I may, I have a suggestion. A hostage, to guarantee our behavior.”
“A hostage?” My mouth goes dry.
“Yes.” He offers up his wrists, holding up the chains he’d been bound with. “Take me prisoner when we’re not working and, if my crew frighten you, kill me.”
“Drok na,” one of the triplets mutters, but while the other men’s nostrils flare, they stay quiet, eyes on the ground.
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About Author Bea Tama:
Hi! I’m Bea Tama. Well, kind of. This is one of my few pen names; where I write about love falling from the stars, Becky Tama writes romantasy and fae adventures. Our other pen name is a USA Today Bestselling Author, but we don’t let that go to our heads.
I live in the UK not that far from Bristol, where Exiles on Earth is set, and secretly I dream of setting up an agri-business alongside writing about gorgeous aliens coming to help me with it.
. Some secrets die with their owners. Others hide in silence, waiting to be set free.
Edie Brown despises the bigwig antique and art dealer Felix Graham. She even suspects he had a hand in her mom being set up for the art forgery charge that sent her to prison. However, when Graham is drugged and robbed after purchasing a valuable antique bottle and a box of local historical items, Edie agrees to hunt down the thieves for him. In payment, she wants one thing: everything Graham knows about her mom being set up—who was involved, how they did it…all the information that could lead to her mom’s freedom.
But the number of possible thieves is as plentiful as the potential motives. Graham’s womanizing ways and slippery business practices barely outweigh the stolen pieces’ rarity and value. As Edie, her uncle Tuck, and enigmatic employee, Kala, dive into the dangerous search, evidence that the crime is tied to the stolen pieces’ history surface. Both the bottle—known as the Glass Widow—and the box of ephemera are related to a tragedy that occurred the night before the grand opening of a Victorian-era hydropathic resort, a shocking fragment of Vermont history that involved a peculiar dowry, concealed murder, and a fire that claimed lives and gutted the lavish resort.
With her mom’s mental health rapidly declining in prison, Edie must fight against the clock to expose the thieves by untangling a mystery with roots that stretch from the Victorian-era to the recent robbery, and perhaps into Edie’s own past as well.
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About Trish Esden
Trish Esden is an award-winning author of mystery novels that deliver feisty heroines, devious criminals, and as many twists as a back-country road. Set in contemporary, small-town New England, Trish’s stories promise skillfully-crafted whodunnits fraught with secrets, cunning schemes, and sometimes a touch of romance. Though a dead body or two might surface, Trish’s novels tend to focus on crimes other than murder. If you’re a fan of traditional mysteries with a diverse cast of friends and adversaries, you are in the right place. Immerse yourself today in an atmospheric world where danger, mystery, and a passion for justice collide.
Oceano Beach Bedlam (A Thad Hanlon/Bri de la Guerra Mystery)
. by Topper Jones
Oceano Beach Bedlam (A Thad Hanlon/Bri de la Guerra Mystery) Mystery/Detective Fiction 2nd in Series Setting – Five Cities area of the California Central Coast near Pismo Beach. Publisher : Wild Rose Press (March 17, 2025) Paperback : 398 pages ISBN-10 : 1509260218 ISBN-13 : 978-1509260218 Digital ASIN : B0DSG8YN11
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Hanlon & de la Guerra have gone full service. In this second book in the surfing crime-fighter mystery series, Thad Hanlon and his martial-arts-obsessed partner, Bri de la Guerra, hang out their shingle as newly licensed private investigators. Now in addition to fraud-busting, the two detectives do it all. Background checks. Surveillance. Even finding lost souls. Just about anything that requires sleuthing or going undercover.
All they need is a client.
That’s when a former exotic dancer from Bakersfield CA shows up looking for her surf prodigy son who’s gone missing in the wake of cult violence terrorizing the California Central Coast.
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Enjoy this peek inside:
Inside the beach groomer hopper, atop the wire mesh conveyor belt used to sift sand and trap debris, were more body parts, bloated and reeking of decomposition. Looked to be the body of an older teen. The tattoo on the youth’s neck gave me pause.
I had seen the young man a day ago outside Surf’s Up Donuts, the local hangout for post-surf session nutrition. He was in handcuffs with a couple of his BVL 13 homies. Pismo Beach PD had rousted the Bakersfield Varrio Locos 13 gang members in a weapons search and had not come up empty. NeckTat didn’t look happy then. Someone had made sure he would not look happy ever again.
The crowd of gawkers surrounding the tractor retreated somewhat—inches instead of feet—as State Park Ranger Cody Bolton pulled up in his patrol vehicle. He left his SUV siren screaming, hopped out of the 4×4, and handed me a roll of yellow police tape.
“Hanlon,” he said, “help me secure the crime scene.” From the cargo hold of his sport utility, he took a stack of orange traffic cones and ringed the tractor and the sand equipment. I stretched the barricade tape around the cones to form an oblong perimeter.
My surf buddy, Ranger Cody, took the DO NOT CROSS tape from me and tossed it into the back of his SUV. “Now we wait for Five Cities Forensics.” He killed the siren but left his patrol lights flashing.
The forensic team did their thing. The investigators took a lot of photos of the victim’s body, especially the ear-to-ear cut to the gang member’s neck, just above his BVL 13 tattoo.
As the techs put away their gear, Ranger Cody instructed me to head over to the Five Cities Sheriff’s South Station off Cabrillo Highway in Oceano to give a formal statement.
Detective Naiya Ygnacio was waiting for me at the Station House entrance. She ushered me into the interview room, directed me to sit, and queued the audio by verbally confirming the date, time, location, and persons present. “Hanlon,” she continued, “for the record, state your full name and profession.”
“Come on, Naiya. Is this necessary?”
The detective shoved the digital recorder across the interrogation room table. A red LED glowed. “Talk,” she said.
“Thaddeus Jude Hanlon, Private Investigator. My clients refer to me as the patron saint of lost causes.”
“Cut the crap, Hanlon. You don’t have any clients. And for the record, no one in Five Cities thinks you’re funny.”
“Zael thinks I’m funny.”
“Three-year-olds don’t count.”
I wasn’t feeling the respect fellow crime fighters warrant. But then, again, Naiya was being bleakly honest. I really didn’t have any clients. And nothing in the development pipeline.
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About Topper Jones
I’m Topper Jones and I pen the Hanlon & de la Guerra Mystery Series, featuring surfing crime-fighter Thaddeus Hanlon and his martial-arts-obsessed partner, Bri de la Guerra. The first book, All That Glisters, came out September 2023, and the second, Oceano Beach Bedlam, hit shelves on St. Patrick’s Day—March 17, 2025. Book three is near completion.
Before diving into full-time writing, I worked in public accounting and consulting, and as a university professor teaching financial reporting, software development, and business communication. I’m a member of International Thriller Writers, an affiliate member of the Mystery Writers of America, and serve on the board of the Write On—St. George chapter of the League of Utah writers.
To be close to family, I make my home in the southwestern desert rather than my native California, but when the surf’s up, I’ll head to the Pacific to get in a little “water therapy” and catch a few waves.
Welcome to my stop on the virtual book tour for Diving Into The Beloved organized by Goddess Fish Promotions.
Author Lark Compton will be awarding Print Copies to 10 randomly drawn winners. Don’t forget to enter!
And you can click on the tour banner to see the other stops on the tour.
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Diving Into The Beloved
By Lark Compton
Genre: Poetry
Synopsis
Diving Into the Beloved is a mesmerizing collection of poetry that plunges into the realms of love, spirituality, and the soul’s longing. Each poem is a profound reflection of the sacred dance between the lover and the Beloved, capturing the essence of divine connection and human vulnerability. Compton’s words invite readers to explore the depths of their own hearts, making this book not just a literary work but a spiritual experience—an invitation to embrace the love that resides within and around us. With a youthful, modern interpretation of the path to enlightenment, this collection reminds us of the ecstatic poets like Rumi and Hafiz, yet Compton’s voice remains distinctly his own, weaving together concrete details and bold imagery that will leave a lasting impression.
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Enjoy this peek inside:
Beloved, take me back
to that feeling space
in dream time
where I can easily navigate
my yellow submarine
with its pink propeller of love
while laughing at the absurdity
of being a character
in your psychedelic cartoon
Laughing and crying tears of tangerines
floating endlessly
in my submarine of love,
silly, as it swims endlessly in you
I give up, I have no clue
why I continue to exist on your playground
For the moment I will keep crying and laughing
tears of tangerines
until there are enough
for a giant glass of your morning juice
Then, I hope that when you drink it
you will laugh at this cartoon,
put it down
and I can go back to composing poetry
to the tune of
“We all live in Beloved’s submarine
Laughing and crying tangerines of pure love
floating through galaxies and universes
sharing our love fruit with all
in Beloved’s wild cartoon of Love”
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About Author Lark Compton:
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Lark enjoys being a hermit and staying out of the limelight.
He has been known to accidentally bodysurf with turtles at play.
Interim sheriff Elizabeth “Bet” Rivers has always had one repeat nightmare: a shadowy figure throwing a suspicious object into her hometown lake in Collier, Washington. For the longest time, she chalked it up to an overactive imagination as a kid. Then the report arrives. In the woods of the Cascade mountain range, right in her jurisdiction, a body floats to the surface of Lake Collier. When the body is extricated and revealed, no one can identify Jane Doe. But someone must know the woman, so why aren’t they coming forward?
Bet has been sitting as the interim sheriff of this tiny town in the ill-fitting shoes of her late father and predecessor. With the nightmare on her heels, Bet decided to build a life for herself in Los Angeles, but now it’s time to confront the tragic history of Collier. The more she learns, the more Bet realizes she doesn’t know the townspeople of Collier as well as she thought, and nothing can prepare her for what she is about to discover.
Book Details:
Genre: Mystery
Published by: Crooked Lane Publication Date: April 7, 2020
This is a case of do you really know your neighbor. Sheriff Bet Rivers will soon come to realize she doesn’t. She stepped into the job when her father died and she’s determined to fill his shoes the best she can. That means keeping the citizens of Collier safe. A woman found dead, floating in the river, isn’t from her town but she’s still going to get justice for her. As she delves into the mystery, this is where she discovers you can’t really know someone.
I enjoy small town settings as I’m from one myself. The more I read about Collier and the secrets the people kept, the more I became immersed. This story may take place in a small town but there are a whole lot of skeletons in it’s closets. I was captured from the start and as things got darker and the suspense grew, I settled in for the ride. And thoroughly enjoyed it.
4 STARS
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The world felt pure. Nature made the location pristine again, hiding the scene from prying eyes. As if no one had died there at all. In the months since Bet Rivers solved her first murder investigation and secured the sheriff’s seat in Collier, she’s remained determined to keep her town safe. With a massive snowstorm looming, it’s more important than ever that she stays vigilant. When Bet gets a call that a family of tourists has stumbled across a teen injured in a snowmobile accident on a mountain ridge, she braves the storm to investigate. However, once she arrives at the scene of the accident it’s clear to Bet that the teen is not injured; he’s dead. And has been for some time . . . Investigating a possible homicide is hard enough, but with the worst snowstorm the valley has seen in years threatening the safety of her town, not to mention the integrity of her crime scenes – as they seem to be mounting up as well – Bet has to move fast to uncover the complicated truth and prove that she’s worthy of keeping her father’s badge.
A Cold, Cold World is nominated for a Foreword INDIES Award, Best Mystery of 2024 (winner announced early June)
Book Details:
Genre: Police Procedural, Mystery
Published by: Severn House Publication Date: August 6, 2024
You know those movies? The mysteries that have you confused, yet fascinated and determined to figure out? I’ve sometimes rewatched some really twisty ones so I could try to spot clues I missed. That’s how this book was for me. I never really felt like I was close to figuring things out. Not that it took away from my enjoyment. Nope. In fact, the only reason I didn’t read it straight through was because I started it later at night and when I started feeling sleepy I stopped so I wouldn’t lose my edge. Got to keep the brain sharp to try and sort things out. Anyway, back to what I was saying. In some parts of the book I did a rewind. I paused and flipped back when something tickled my memory just to see if I’d found a connection, a bread crumb. When I finally got answers, I realized I’d never been close to figuring out the who and why. Gotta love that, right.
I like small town settings. I like connecting with characters. I like those that make brief cameos that make me think they might be important later in the book. I like a mystery that I can’t figure out. And I like bonuses, such as critter characters that add to the story. This book delivered on all of my likes. So glad it’s a series so I can get tangled up in the next mystery.
4 STARS
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Praise for ALL WE BURIED:
“Well-crafted . . . Taylor skillfully sets the scene, describing the distinctive local landscape [while] the introspective, conflicted Bet proves her mettle. Readers will look forward to her next outing.” ~ Publishers Weekly “This spooky and suspenseful story should be a must-read for fans of Lisa Unger, J. A. Jance, and Julia Keller.” ~ Booklist “Extremely hard to put down . . . Would recommend this to anyone who loves mystery thrillers.” ~ San Francisco Book Review “This book stands apart due to its smart, thoughtful protagonist and its richly layered setting in the remote Washington wilderness.” ~ Midwest Book Review “A thrilling start to a mystery series.” ~ BookTrib
Praise for A COLD, COLD WORLD:
“Readers who appreciate the strong woman police chief in Linda Castillo’s Kate Burkholder books or the vivid landscapes of Craig Johnson’s Walt Longmire mysteries will appreciate Taylor’s riveting crime novel.” ~ Lesa Holstine, Library Journal Starred Review “Taylor perfectly captures the tension and determination of a small town sheriff facing down an isolating blizzard while racing against the clock to solve a murder and save a missing child. Sheriff Bet Rivers will be your new favorite character” ~ Lisa Gardner, #1 New York Times bestselling author “A terrific ensemble cast in a total immersion setting! Fans of CJ Box and Julia Spencer-Fleming will adore this novel – it’s whipsmart, completely cinematic, and full of heart. Not to be missed!” ~ Hank Phillippi Ryan, USA Today bestselling author of One Wrong Word “Sheriff Bet Rivers is back with a suspenseful and shrewdly plotted story of deadly small town secrets . . . Think Longmire meets Yellowstone” ~ James L’Etoile, award winning author of Dead Drop and Face of Greed “Tense and divinely atmospheric, this is the perfect book to curl up with on a cold winter’s day” ~ J.L. Delozier, author of the multi-award-winning mystery, The Photo Thief
About Author Elena Taylor:
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Elena Taylor spent several years working in theater as a playwright, director, designer, and educator before turning her storytelling skills to fiction. Her first series, the Eddie Shoes Mysteries, written under the name Elena Hartwell, introduced a quirky mother/daughter crime fighting duo. With the Bet Rivers Mysteries, Elena returns to her dramatic roots and brings readers much more serious and atmospheric novels. The series introduces Collier, Washington, with its dark and mysterious lake, tough-as-nails residents, and newly appointed sheriff with her sidekick Schweitzer, an Anatolian Shepherd. Elena is also a senior editor with Allegory Editing, a developmental editing house, where she works one-on-one with writers to shape and polish manuscripts, short stories, and plays. If you’d like to work with Elena, visit www.allegoryediting.com. Her favorite place to be is at Paradise, the property she and her hubby own south of Spokane, Washington. They live with their horses, dogs, and cats. Elena holds a B.A. from the University of San Diego, a M.Ed. from the University of Washington, Tacoma, and a Ph.D. from the University of Georgia.
Visit these other great hosts on the Sheriff Bet Rivers Mystery Series tour for more great reviews, interviews, guest posts, and opportunities to WIN in the giveaway! Click here to view the Tour Schedule
JOIN IN ON THE GIVEAWAY:
This is a giveaway hosted by Partners in Crime Tours for Elena Taylor. See the widget for entry terms and conditions. Void where prohibited.
Publication date: April 5th 2025
Genres: Dark Fantasy, Fantasy, Supernatural, Young Adult
My existence was as cold as my birth. I was born with both knowledge and will—an inevitability for my kind. Drawn to the final moments of mortal life, we came into being. Some of us became Reapers, tasked solely with ferrying souls to their afterlife. Others craved the power of souls, calling themselves gods of Death—Shinigami. They believed that devouring or absorbing souls granted them greater might, but found that power only deepened their coldness and emptiness. Those gods of Death became husks, bored of their own immortality yet too frightened to end themselves. But being a Reaper can yield the same chill. Though I know the souls would be lost without our guidance, my own existence seems bound to a perpetual winter, drawn to the final beat of each mortal life.
My existence is as cold as my birth. I was born with both knowledge and will—an inevitability for my kind. Drawn to the final moments of mortal life, we come into being. Some of us become Reapers, tasked solely with ferrying souls to their afterlife. Others crave the power of souls, calling themselves Gods of Death. They believe that devouring or absorbing souls grants them greater might, but such power only deepens their coldness and emptiness. The Veil—the great boundary between life and the afterlife—exists as the ultimate destination for souls. It does not judge or choose; it simply awaits those ready to cross. Souls unwilling to pass linger in the mortal world, their tether to the Veil slowly degrading. Once that connection is broken, they descend into madness, becoming fragmented and unstable, unable to find peace. For Reapers, our role is clear: guide the souls before they are lost. Yet even for us, there are choices. We are born as extensions of the Veil, tethered to it as both our origin and our end. At any time, a Reaper may choose to return to the Veil, to be reabsorbed into its vastness and find peace. But there is a second path—one far more dangerous and final. A Reaper may sever their tether to the Veil, abandoning their purpose and embracing free will. These fallen ones become what we call Gods of Death. Free from the Veil’s guidance, they face a choice: help lost souls or exploit them for power. Many succumb to the hunger, consuming souls to strengthen themselves. These beings often destroy themselves, transforming into husks—twisted, empty shells driven mad by their own excesses. I have not chosen to rejoin the Veil, though the option tempts me in moments of despair. And I have not severed my tether, though I sometimes wonder what lies beyond that severance. Instead, I remain a Reaper. But the cold emptiness of my existence grows heavier with each passing year. I guide souls to the Veil, knowing that my own tether will never allow me rest. The souls need us, but who guides the Reapers? Who saves us from the weight of eternity? Perhaps the answer lies in the unknown. In the countless eons of existence, I have never questioned my role—until now. The faint stirrings of doubt creep into my thoughts, like cracks forming in the ice. The time will come when I must choose: to remain a servant of the Veil, to seek peace within it, or to become something greater—or perhaps something worse. This is the story of how I began to question eternity. Of how I—a guide to the lost—found myself on a path to becoming something entirely new.
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About Author J. Robert Adams:
J. Robert Adams has been building worlds in his imagination for as long as he can remember. What began as a childhood escape quickly grew into a lifelong passion for storytelling. By middle school, he was already scribbling down tales of heroes, haunted places, and fantastical realms—stories that refused to stay quiet.
Today, Adams continues that journey with The Boy Upon Death, a dark fantasy exploring the tension between duty and identity, power and purpose. His work blends introspective character arcs with immersive worldbuilding, often walking the line between light and shadow.
He writes not only to entertain, but to ask the quiet questions—about who we are, what we fear, and what we choose to fight for. Whether you’re here for the eerie mystery or the emotional depth, his stories aim to stay with you long after the final page.
Cruises, Cocktails, and Corpses: (A Taryn O’Kelly Mystery) by Michelle L. Clifton
Cruises, Cocktails, and Corpses: (A Taryn O’Kelly Mystery) Cozy Mystery 2nd in the Series Setting – On Board a cruise ship and Cartagena, Colombia Publisher : Salty Inspirations (April 8, 2025) Hardcover : 277 pages ISBN-13 : 979-8990881730 Publisher : Salty Inspirations (April 8, 2025) Language : English Paperback : 277 pages ISBN-13 : 979-8990881747 Digital ASIN : B0F3Z14WPJ
. Trapped in a sinister plot with a vengeful drug cartel is a killer vacation.
Taryn wanted sun, cocktails, and relaxation. Instead, she and Alex found themselves tangled in yet another deadly puzzle.
After months of chaos and a near-death experience, Taryn and Alex are desperate for a break. A romantic cruise seems like the perfect escape. Adventurous excursions, tropical drinks, and uninterrupted passion. But their dream vacation takes a dark turn when a danger from the past resurfaces, and bodies start piling up.
Trapped in the middle of a sinister plot, Taryn must unravel the mystery before the killer strikes again. With a vengeful drug cartel lurking in the shadows, the stakes are higher than ever. Will Taryn’s sharp instincts be enough to outmaneuver the enemy, or will their dream getaway become a deadly nightmare?
Fans of Janet Evanovich and rom-cozy mysteries will love this fast-paced escape filled with murder, romance, and laugh-out-loud moments.
Cruises, Cocktails, and Corpses is the second book in the Taryn O’Kelly Mystery series—but it can be read as a standalone. Perfect for readers who love strong female sleuths, tropical twists, and a splash of snark.
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Solve a Mystery and Sip a Spicy Bloody Mary!
When you board a cruise ship, you expect a few things: good food, warm sun, fruity drinks, and maybe a little harmless adventure. You don’t usually expect murder. But that’s exactly what Taryn O’Kelly faces in Cruises, Cocktails, and Corpses. My latest mystery features amateur sleuthing, unexpected twists, and just enough danger to keep you guessing until the very last chapter.
While Taryn navigates suspicious deaths, secret agendas, and a few heart-pounding surprises, she also manages to enjoy one of cruising’s greatest traditions: the cocktail hour. And let me tell you, no drink captures the spirit of danger and vacation shenanigans quite like a Spicy Bloody Mary.
In fact, here’s a little sneak peek from Cruises, Cocktails, and Corpses that shows just how important the right cocktail can be. Even when you’re investigating a murder:
“The guest service guy gave me a different number than the one he shared with Sara,” I said, sipping my Spicy Bloody Mary.“These Bloody Marys are good,” I gushed. “I need this recipe!”
“It’s spicy V8 and Sriracha vodka that makes these so good,” Robert pointed out, taking a sip of his.
“How do you know?” I questioned.
“One, I have very refined taste buds, and two, I asked the first morning I was here,” he grinned.
I started to punch him but controlled myself. He was a turd. Instead, I smiled, because turd or not, he was funny and sometimes cute.
Inspired by that scene (and a few personal adventures), I’m sharing a cocktail recipe that’s become a family tradition for me during our annual trips to Lake Powell. Every year, my husband’s family and I gather on the lake, and the Spicy Bloody Mary is the drink that gets things started. It’s become a ritual a little spicy, a little savory, and the perfect way to toast to a new adventure.
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Spicy Bloody Mary Recipe
Serves: 1
This Bloody Mary isn’t your standard Sunday brunch fare. It’s bold, spicy, and just a little bit mysterious. Perfect for chasing clues or relaxing with a good book.
Ingredients:
2 oz Sriracha vodka
4 oz Clamato juice or Spicy V8
1/2 oz freshly squeezed lime juice
1/2 oz freshly squeezed lemon juice
2 dashes of Worcestershire sauce
2 dashes hot sauce (like Tabasco)
Pinch of lemon pepper
Pinch of garlic salt
Pinch of regular salt
Pinch of black pepper
Pinch of celery salt
Ice cubes
Garnishes:
Lime wedge
Green olives
Instructions:
Fill a shaker with ice.
Add the Sriracha vodka, Clamato juice, fresh lime juice, fresh lemon juice, Worcestershire sauce, hot sauce, lemon pepper, garlic salt, regular salt, black pepper, and celery salt.
Shake gently to mix all the flavors without over-diluting.
Strain into a tall glass filled with fresh ice.
Garnish with a lime wedge and green olives.
Trust me, after one sip, you’ll understand why Taryn couldn’t resist asking for the recipe. Even while untangling lies, secrets, and danger.
Why the Spicy Bloody Mary?
Choosing the Spicy Bloody Mary for Cruises, Cocktails, and Corpses wasn’t random. This drink has a history. It’s classic yet endlessly customizable, much like the mysteries I love writing. It’s spicy, savory, and carries just a hint of danger. Will it be too hot to handle? Will you need another round to settle your nerves after a shocking twist?
Plus, Bloody Marys are practically a cruise tradition. There’s something about salty sea air, deck chairs, and a tall glass of spicy goodness that sets the stage for fun… or maybe a little bit of trouble. Taryn certainly finds a little of both.
A Toast to Adventure (and Murder)
So next time you’re looking for your next read and your next cocktail, consider this a sign. Mix up a Spicy Bloody Mary, curl up somewhere comfortable (preferably with a view of the water, but a backyard chair works just as well), and dive into the high-seas mystery of Cruises, Cocktails, and Corpses. Because let’s be honest, everything’s better with a good drink, a juicy murder, and just a little bit of sass.
Cheers to adventures that don’t always go as planned, cocktails that might be a little too delicious and mysteries that keep you guessing long past the last sip!
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Enjoy this peek inside:
‛The other guests were fleeing the scene with their drinks still in their hands. At $10 a drink, you can’t waste those babies.’
‛That man needed coffee or something. Good grief, I barely touched him. He should not have been standing so close to my door. What right did he have to stare me down? Beginning to feel annoyed with the encounter, I took a moment to breathe and tell myself this was not worth my energy. He can not control my feelings or my day.’
‛I had never been so happy to see them standing together. My heart leaped; no one had been snatched or killed. Yay! What has my life come to?’
‛The ECS team did not want to panic the other passengers. Probably to keep the appearance that cruising is safe and people don’t die.’
“Who said anything about wasting it? If I am going to die, I am not going down without my drink. I’ll finish it. To justice!” She gulped the Aguardiente and coughed again. “It burns,” she wheezed.
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About Michelle L. Clifton
Michelle L. Clifton is the author of the Taryn O’Kelly series, which mixes laugh-out-loud humor, steamy romance, and gripping mysteries. Her books are perfect for fans of Janet Evanovich, offering a modern twist on cozy mysteries with amateur sleuth Taryn O’Kelly at the helm.
Michelle was raised in Southwest Colorado in the great valleys of the Rocky Mountains. There she married the love of her life and raised two beautiful kids, a cat, two dogs, and chickens! She has worked in the dental field, dance and theater industry, athletics, and event coordinating. She created Salty Inspirations to pursue her passion for writing.
However, her favorite job is being MOM. Her family made a major move to Cape Coral, Florida, just in time for Hurricane Ian. When not crafting tales of intrigue, Michelle can be found spending time with her family hiking and camping in Colorado and boating and beaching in Florida. Oh! And writing of course!
Publication date: April 25th 2025
Genres: Adult, Fantasy, Romance
Mia has always been drawn to the unusual, a fascination that’s made her an outcast. The world beyond their wall is shrouded in mystery, with few stories to go on—mostly fairy tales or fragments about the Old Ones. No one other than the guards dare to venture into the woods, and those who have don’t return the same, if at all.
When a creature is captured in town, it sparks a chain of events that brings more dangers from the edges of the forest—some friendly, some not. As Mia helps the creature escape, she never expects to journey into the dark woods and unravel secrets beyond her wildest imagination.
There, she meets Haddox, a golden, irresistible man who offers passion and freedom like she’s never known. Then there’s Grey, his polar opposite—stoic, mysterious, and a constant thorn in her side. The tension between them boils over, until they can no longer ignore the undeniable connection between them.
Mia scrunched up the paper in her fist. She stared at the beige wall. She could not believe what she had read. Thoughts raced through her mind, and her throat tightened with emotion. The urge to scream was so strong she took a huge bite of bread, stuffing her face. The bread tasted like burned ash. As she swallowed the bread, her stomach turned sour at the thought of taking another bite. She then turned the light down low, making it more difficult to read the letter. The letters on the paper blurred together as tears filled her eyes.
“She will never accept me. Never accept anything I try or do. She will force my hand into the pictures she has chosen for me.” Tears fell down her cheeks, stifling her cry with her hands over her mouth.
A scratch at the back door caught her attention, stopping her hot tears and sniffles. Everything froze and was quiet for a moment before another scratch. The letter fell from her fingers as she went to the door. Giving the door a curious look, she loosened the tie to move the cloth and look out the window. The darkness made it hard to see what was out there. Cracking it open, icy rain pelted her bare hand. The water was cool against the heat that radiated from her.
A snout pushed hard against the opening. A body wriggled in and slid through before she could close it. Mia jumped back, surprised that the creature from earlier came barreling in, sniffing the ground. Electric blue fur with black stripes streak across the kitchen, heading back to her. Powerful limbs scrambled across the wood as his eyes feast on the hand still holding the bread. Pulling a chair out, she blocked the beast, guarding herself from being attacked.
“You hungry?” she questioned. Wanting to calm the creature long enough to settle down.
Jumping up, its hindquarters remained on the ground; its front paws landed on the chair seat. It used its front two paws to lift itself closer, reaching for the bread that was just out of grasp.
Lifting her hand up, she kept it away. “Food, you want?” She broke off a small piece, placing it right through the back bars of the chair furthest from its teeth. She pulled her hand back through the bars quickly, not wanting to get her fingers bitten off.
With a sniff of the food, a long tongue came out, licked it, and then gobbled it up. Its eyes were dark as it waited there patiently for more.
“Food?” It croaked out when neither one moved for a while.
Dropping the bread all together, Mia’s eyes go wide. “Did you just talk?”
“Food!” it said louder, giving a happy howl of excitement as it jumped down, attacking the food that had rolled. The bread disappeared in a matter of minutes. “More?” The creature cocked its head to the side and gave sad eyes.
“Oh, umm. You want more?” Her eyes searched the kitchen. She had not seen any more bread. “Are you a boy or a girl?”
“Boy.” He shuffled, coming up behind her.
“Do you have a name?”
“Bloo.” He hopped up and down, his nails clicking on the floor.
“Blue, oh, because of your coloring?”
Shaking his head. “Bloooo,” he enunciated.
“Bloo?” She shrugged her shoulders, going along with it. Opening a cabinet, she took out some plain cereal and grabbed a handful. She kneeled on the ground, holding her palm out to him. “Can I pet you? Don’t eat me, okay?”
“Food?”
“No, I’m not food. But yes, food is here.” She placed it on the ground beside her. Bloo’s steps were unsure and wary of her movements.
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About Author Raquel Gabrielle::
Raquel Gabrielle resides in Oklahoma with her husband, dogs and cat. She grew up loving stories so much that she even made up her own tales. Writing has helped her in many ways and continues to do so.
If she isn’t writing or telling stories you can find her hanging out with friends or traveling. She loves to see the world and all its wonders.
She mostly dabbles in Urban Fantasy and Paranormal Romance but has been known to go outside the box from time to time. For more information about her books and writing journey, you can join her newsletter
Publication date: May 13th 2025
Genres: Adult, Psychological
Twenty-one-year-old Natalia battles a rare parasomnia sleep disorder that propels her to act violently, experience night terrors, and put herself in dangerous situations—all while she’s unconscious.
After waking up covered in unexplained bruises, she lands herself back in a mental facility. Making friends has never been easy, but at Awana, she quickly bonds with her fun-loving roommate Lindsay and falls for Gabriel, a handsome yet severely depressed resident she secretly meets at night.
As Natalia wrestles with the harsh side effects of her medication, her reality unravels, exposing disturbing truths about those she trusts most. Though romantic relationships are strictly forbidden at Awana, Gabriel becomes her lifeline amidst the chaos. To be with him, Natalia must risk everything—including her sanity, and she learns some choices carry devastating consequences.
Filled with shocking twists, Same Place, Same Stars, unpacks the many layers of what happens when you can no longer avoid dark secrets that refuse to be ignored.
My instinct is to run, but I don’t know how far my sore limbs will carry me.
Apathy is my last line of defense.
I reach for a baggy sweatshirt and leggings. This has become my uniform when I go away, not for any fashion statement but its functionality—it can be easily taken off before my body is searched by a nurse’s gloved hands. The pressure from the fabric causes me to hiss in pain. I carefully step each leg in to cover the tender scrapes and deep purple bruises along my pale white shins and thighs. The bruises are a reminder that I’ve messed up again.
I drag my worn leather suitcase that’s on its last leg away from our cottage and into the trunk of Olga’s station wagon. She doesn’t say a word as we head out of our driveway and onto the tree-dense highway. The branches are grayer than normal, though it could be my mood filtering the world in a cloud of indifference.
Olga rolls every window down even though it’s a brisk fifty-two degrees. Long drives make her sweat. I think she would never leave our small town if it were up to her, but I remain her forcing agent.
My eyes wander from the pastures filled with cows and horses to Olga and her wild blowing hair that is unusually more silver than black for someone in their thirties.
“So, what’s this ward like?” I ask, trying to break the tense silence.
“Don’t call it that. That’s not what it’s called. This is a treatment center.”
She turns up her classical piano playlist, the one she plays to calm her nerves, then hands me a folded piece of stock paper filled with smiling faces of young adults—those who, like me, are not teenagers anymore but not quite what I would consider adults either. Much like our mental state, we’re something in between.
The brochure states this center isn’t government funded. By the looks of it, it seems far out of the budget of Olga’s ballet studio salary and my unemployed status, but it claims as part of their philosophy that they take on special cases free of charge. Just my luck, they happened to have room for a last-minute drop-in.
After the stunt I pulled last night, I’m sure Olga would be willing to pay any price.
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About Author Katey Taylor:
Katey Taylor is a San Francisco Bay Area-based author and published poet, with work featured in online magazines such as DarkWinter Lit, SWAAY, and Fauxmoir. She’s recognized for her ability to address complex topics with sensitivity and depth. To find out more about her previous and upcoming novels, visit www.kateytaylor.com
