Publication date: December 17th 2025
Genres: Adult, Romance, Women’s Fiction
What is coming home now? THE IMPROBABLE ROAD OF RETURN is a reentry story about six weeks in the life of a woman named Jenks. In 2012 she accidentally kills a man on a run and does two years in prison for it. After she gets out in 2015 everything is different and her relationships with the two men in her life must change. Does one even know the full truth? How can Jenks be honest? Her mother has to accept her as a murderer, but how can they both acclimate? What will ever be the same? She shoved the man off the bike with the same force she shoves a grocery cart into a parking lot corral. And that makes her among the worst on earth? Well it did kill the man and she did do time. So she must make a way back to who she is. Isandro is her twenty-eight year old lover and Sauveterre is her seventy-four year old neighbor. She isn’t in love with either of them, is she? Or are the relationships of the twenty-first century just that impossible to understand?
Best New American Voices nominee Nath Jones received an MFA in creative writing from Northwestern University. A title in the On Impulse series went to number one on Kindle. Her publishing credits include PANK Magazine, There Are No Rules, and Sailing World, and she has won multiple awards. She lives and writes in Chicago.
Publication date: October 7th 2025
Genres: Adult, Holiday, Women’s Fiction
One Bridge. Five Strangers. A Christmas Eve That Changes Everything.
On a bridge suspended above the Willamette River, five lives collide for a journey through hope and hardship in a suspenseful, heartwarming tale of courage, connection, and the magic of second chances.
Sergeant Archer Raines has worked every holiday all year for one reason: to finally spend Christmas with his wife. But when a desperate man threatens to jump from Portland’s St. Johns Bridge, Archer’s expert negotiation skills are required to defuse the situation.
Rosalee, a high-powered accountant and mom-to-be, only meant to swing by home for a forgotten phone and client file. Then her car is caught in the chaos on the bridge, she unexpectedly goes into labor, and her carefully planned world begins to unravel amidst the unfolding drama.
Exhausted nurse Nova just wants to make it home for Christmas after too many night shifts. When the pileup halts traffic and Rosalee’s baby is on the way, Nova puts her own plans on hold to help a stranger in need.
Carter, the owner of a busy tow truck business, regrets taking the call to clear the multi-car collision off the bridge. He’d intended to spend the day tackling last-minute holiday errands. Instead, he’s praying the lunatic pointing a gun at him doesn’t pull the trigger.
Fresh out of college and anxious to kick-start his career, Ian’s running late when his car won’t start the morning of his big interview. His rideshare driver turns out to be a captivating girl with a penchant for aggressive driving that narrowly saves them from being part of the wreck on the bridge, sending Ian on an unexpected path of his own.
The Bridge is the perfect uplifting holiday read and a story of how one frozen moment can thaw even the loneliest of hearts.
He’d just stepped outside when he saw a vehicle roaring up the street. The rideshare logo was clearly visible in the passenger-side corner of the windshield. He hoped the maniac driving the small SUV wouldn’t kill him in a fiery crash before they even made it out of the neighborhood.
He lifted a hand as he stepped out to the curb, and the SUV came to a precise stop beside him. All he had to do was open the door and slide into the back seat.
“You’re the dude heading to Magra? Ian Alexander?” the driver asked, giving him a glimpse over her shoulder.
Ian nodded, then cleared his throat. “Yes. I’m Ian. Do you have the address?”
“Got it right here,” she said, then blew a big pink bubble and popped her gum.
He was in the process of buckling his seat belt when she hit the gas and zipped into the street, barely slowed at the corner, and picked up speed as she headed toward the highway.
Ian prayed he’d survive the trip and wouldn’t be so rattled by the experience he’d mess up his interview. He drew in a long breath and inhaled a fragrance reminiscent of spiced cider and warm fires. He didn’t see an air freshener hanging up and wondered if it was just the driver. If so, she smelled amazing.
Head in the game.
Now was not the time to check out a girl. Besides, this one certainly wasn’t his type even if she appeared to be close to his age. From the quick glance she’d given him, he’d concluded she was into goth with her thick, black eyeliner and dark eye shadow, a nose ring, blood-red lipstick, and a dragon earring that encircled her entire ear. She had on fingerless gloves with leather cuffs and a black leather jacket sporting silver studs around the collar. He had no idea what color her hair might have been because it was all stuffed up under a slouchy black velvet hat.
He wondered what she’d look like if she washed her face and dressed in something less biker chic and more … feminine.
Ian almost face-palmed himself. Good grief! He was starting to sound like his parents. He didn’t care if the woman was dressed as one of Santa’s elves as long as she got him to his interview on time, preferably in one piece.
To distract himself from the fact that goth girl seemed to think she was training for the Indy 500 or perhaps to become a New York City cab driver, he rehearsed what he planned to say at the interview. When it felt as though the SUV went around a corner on two wheels, Ian latched onto the handle above the door and held on for dear life. What kind of crazy person was about to get him killed?
“Ever think about becoming a race car driver?” he asked as she barely slowed at a stop sign and took a right onto the highway.
She glanced back at him and smirked. “Only every other day. Unfortunately for you, today is an even day, and I’m practicing.”
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About Author Shanna Hatfield:
USA Today Bestselling Author Shanna Hatfield writes sweet romances rich with relatable characters, small town settings that feel like home, humor, and hope.
Her historical westerns have been described as “reminiscent of the era captured by Bonanza and The Virginian” while her contemporary works have been called “laugh-out-loud funny, and a little heart-pumping sexy without being explicit in any way.”
When this farm girl isn’t writing or indulging in rich, decadent chocolate, Shanna hangs out with her husband, lovingly known as Captain Cavedweller. She also experiments with recipes, snaps photos of her adorable nephew, and caters to the whims of a cranky cat named Drooley.
To learn more about Shanna or the books she writes, visit her website http://shannahatfield.com or find out more about her here: linktr.ee/ShannaHatfield
The authors will be awarding a $10 Amazon or B&N Gift Card to a randomly drawn winner. 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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Toil And Trouble
Genre: Romantic Horror Halloween Anthology
Synopsis
The brew is hot and bubbling over with romance and terror in this twistedly beautiful anthology that welcomes the darkness of horror and the temptation of love’s veiled promises. Six remarkable tales from six incredible authors fill this book of dark shadows and ancient whispers.
Fire Burn and Cauldron Bubble – by Jennifer Patricia O’Keeffe: Enchanted pastries and spell-brewed coffee make Esmerelda’s sugar-dusted counter the city’s most coveted haunt—until a dangerously charming newcomer slips into her shop, immune to her magic and unraveling her carefully guarded world. As his witch-hunter heritage threatens to burn her legacy to ash, Esmerelda finds herself torn between the threat of revenge from the witch hunter’s ancestors and the intoxicating truth of the connection that they share.
Silverwood – by Lynn Hubbard: A lonely rancher’s daughter finds her isolated Wyoming homestead upended when an amber-eyed stranger ignites a mud-splattered passion that defies reason—until his supernatural secret and the vengeful ranch hands hunting her force her to choose between the man who saves her and the monster who might destroy her. Torn between fierce protectors and forbidden desire, she must trust the very darkness that could shatter her world to survive the wild frontier’s deadliest threats.
Ivy, Lichens and Wallflowers – by James Ryan: Marketing executive Hilda finds solace from her stifling corporate life and overbearing past in the quiet companionship of Miriam, a mysterious 19th-century marble statue in a city micro-park, only to discover their connection transcends stone when Miriam begins answering her handwritten notes through cryptic poetry left in return. As their forbidden connection deepens into an intoxicating dream-bound romance, Hilda uncovers Miriam’s supernatural secret: she’s a cursed thaumaturge sustained by stolen life force, forcing Hilda to confront whether love can survive the devastating cost of keeping her alive.
A Mirror to Die For – by Cindy Lewis Smith: A desperate woman finds solace in an antique mirror that whisks her nightly to 1880s Arizona, where a charming outlaw named Johnny Ringo fulfills every fantasy—until her jealous fiancé shatters the glass and vanishes, leaving her trapped in an asylum screaming that he is the real monster, a man who shouldn’t exist: Dr. John Henry Holliday, the gambler who killed Ringo a century ago. Now, with “MPR” carved into her cell walls and time itself unraveling, she’ll stop at nothing to prove her sanity by proving time travel is real—even if it means unleashing the very darkness that destroyed her.
Flight 1031: Cosmic Turbulence – by Julian Christian: Diplomatic courier Sarah Martinez boards Flight 1031 expecting routine turbulence, not a Halloween dimensional rift that strands her at Germania International Airport—where the Greater German Reich has ruled since 1943 and perfected technology to harvest souls from parallel realities through consciousness-scanning machinery that pulses with seventeen-beat rhythms. Now trapped in a terminal that breathes like a living organism, Sarah must navigate a world where every passenger hides a secret and her resistance could either save her timeline or doom infinite versions of humanity to eternal enslavement in a Reich that spans all dimensions.
Dream a Little Dream – by Jae El Foster: After a near-death car crash rewires her brain, Sarah’s nightmares bleed into reality: sugar on the counter forms glyphs, bats appear out of nowhere in broad daylight, and her own hands betray her—while the velvet-eyed stranger from her dreams appears in her waking hours, his urgency growing as Halloween’s veil thins. Now, with her reality twisting into something surreal and an ancient language hijacking her voice, she must confront a dark truth: her soul isn’t hers to keep, and the man who saved her in death is the very entity hunting her in life.
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Enjoy this Excerpt From ‘Dream a Little Dream’ by Jae El Foster
Sarah didn’t know where to run, where to hide, where to breathe. She drove until the city’s skyline dissolved into cornfields, until the morning thickened with minivans and convertibles carrying families on “ride in the country” escapes. Each passing car—a Jeep with muddy tires, a sedan with bike racks—anchored her to reality, the rubber soles of her sneakers still tingling with the phantom sensation of earth either holding her up or crushing her down.
A flash detonated behind her eyes: the muffled thud of dirt hitting wood, shovel after shovel, sealing her inside a coffin. She couldn’t see it, but she smelled it—the cloying stench of decay merging with rain-damp soil, the suffocating darkness pressing against her eyelids as the weight piled higher. The scent of worms and wet pine needles flooded her throat, thick as grave mold.
The vision snapped just as her car veered toward the shoulder. She wrenched the wheel hard left, tires screeching, a horn blaring from the sedan she’d nearly broadsided. Her hands locked on the steering wheel, knuckles bleaching bone-white, as she fought to drag air into her lungs. Slow. Nervous. Don’t die twice. The wreck’s ghost clawed at her ribs—she wouldn’t invite it back.
Ahead, a billboard loomed: MEMORY LANE. Beneath the town’s name, bold letters promised: Step into Memory Lane, where new memories are made! Sarah’s foot hovered over the brake pedal, ready to U-turn from the omen of that name, but her ankle refused to bend. Cemented. Her other foot slammed toward the brake—stuck. Panic surged as she crossed the town line, tires crunching over the painted border, but then the landscape unfolded: manicured lawns, white picket fences gleaming like fresh bone, and 1950s bungalows painted in cheerful pastels. A sigh escaped her—enchanted.
Chicanery, she thought, scanning the dollhouse-perfect homes. Porches draped in wisteria, hydrangeas bursting from flower beds, rocking chairs swaying in phantom breezes. It felt less like a town and more like a dream staged for tourists—a nostalgia trap with price tags hidden in the shutters. She gripped the wheel tighter, the vinyl seat sticky beneath her sweat-slicked thighs.
The yards deepened in their perfection: hedges trimmed to geometric precision, roses blooming in impossible symmetry, each white picket fence identical down to the last splinter. No cracks. No weeds. No life. The fences stood sentinel around empty yards, guarding homes with spotless windows that reflected nothing but sky.
She passed a brick schoolhouse with a rusted swing set, a park with a merry-go-round frozen mid-spin, a diner with “OPEN” glowing in neon, a barber pole coiled in red-white silence, a post office with mailboxes gleaming under noon sun. No children. No joggers. No bicycles leaning against fences. Since crossing into Memory Lane, she’d seen exactly one living thing: a crow pecking at a roadkill squirrel, its beak crimson.
“Where the hell is everyone?” she muttered, her voice raw as she scanned porches, windows, the empty stretch of road ahead. The only sound was the hum of her engine and the thump-thump-thump of her pulse in her ears.
Sarah’s hands left the steering wheel, fingers trembling as she tried to turn into a driveway for a U-turn. The wheel refused to budge—cemented. She settled back into the seat, watching it steer itself with unnatural precision. Her foot lifted from the accelerator, but the speed held steady, unwavering, until the car slowed on its own for a sharp right-hand turn onto University Boulevard. The road’s grip on her feet had vanished, yet the vehicle moved like a thing alive, hungry for the town square.
To her left, manicured university grounds sprawled beneath flowering trees, grand homes lining the boulevard like stage sets. Roses bloomed in impossible symmetry, hedges trimmed to razor edges. Sarah groaned at the street name—University Boulevard—its banality a slap in the face. Two blocks down, the car turned right onto Main Street, the tires whispering over asphalt that felt less like road and more like skin.
Ahead, the town square unfolded: businesses glowing with “Open” signs, windows spotless, a gazebo planted dead-center like a tombstone. No cars. No pedestrians. Not even a stray cat to break the silence. The air hung thick with the scent of cut grass and something sharper—ozone, like before a storm that never breaks.
Sarah’s car rolled into a parking spot near the gazebo. The seatbelt loosened with a hiss, the engine dying as the driver’s door swung open unbidden. “I don’t like anything about this…” she muttered, stepping onto pavement that felt unnaturally warm beneath her sneakers. The keys stayed in the ignition, but fear of theft never came—who would steal from a town with no one to steal?
The door shut behind her with a soft click, sealing her in the square’s suffocating quiet. She forced her breath slow, scanning the storefronts: two restaurants, a beauty parlor, a bank, antique shops, a used bookstore, and a theater dominating the square. Its marquee blazed in vintage bulbs: DREAM A LITTLE DREAM and SHE RISES AT NIGHT—titles she’d never heard, yet they hummed in her bones like half-remembered screams.
She turned toward the right-hand restaurant, heels clicking on the pavement. Instantly, its “Open” sign flickered and died. She froze, then pivoted toward the left restaurant—same result. The sign went dark as if snuffed by an invisible hand.
Sarah took a step forward, pulse hammering against her ribs. The air grew heavier, pressing into her lungs like wet soil. She didn’t need to test it again. The square wasn’t empty. It was waiting.
“What in the living hell…?”
Every storefront Sarah scanned flickered dark—the “Open” signs dying like snuffed candles—but the theater’s marquee blazed relentless: REEL AFTER REEL. Its sign burned bright despite the empty ticket booth, the glass doors yawning open onto blackness. Sarah’s skin prickled. Memory Lane felt wrong, but the theater pulsed with something hungrier, something that made her stomach drop like a stone in a well.
She stared at the theater, arms crossed tight against the chill. The marquee’s promise—DREAM A LITTLE DREAM / SHE RISES AT NIGHT—curdled in her gut. Of all places, this was where she never wanted to set foot. Yet the longer she stood frozen, the more the building breathed. Orchestra strings swelled—violins sawing a tune from silent-film days—though the theater’s modern facade held no projector room. Then came the chatter: phantom voices lining up for tickets, laughter echoing off empty pavement.
“Nope…” she muttered, squaring her shoulders. “Fuck this.” She bolted for her car, sneakers slapping the pavement. The driver’s door handle wouldn’t budge—locked, keys glinting in the ignition like a taunt.
CHINESE GANGS CLASH WITH THE OLD-SCHOOL ITALIAN “FAMILIES.” It’s 1990 in New York City. The AIDS pandemic is raging, murder is at an all-time high, an arsonist burns 87 people to death in a Bronx social club, and garbage and graffiti overwhelm the city. Though a sense of lawlessness pervade the city, being a gangster just isn’t the same anymore. In fact, it may be the twilight of the Italian mob: Under pressure from the feds and their loss of new recruits, the real menace facing them is the other ethnic gangs that are encroaching on their territory—in particular the Chinese.
What if the only way to protect the one you love is to destroy everything you’ve ever known?
New York City, 1990-a city teetering on the brink of chaos. The AIDS pandemic is ravaging communities, crime is at an all-time high, and the streets pulse with the tension of gang warfare. The once-dominant Italian mafia, now in its twilight, faces a new threat: the rise of ruthless ethnic gangs determined to carve up their territory. Enzo DeCarlo, heir to a fading mob empire, is caught between two worlds. His father, the old-school Don Vincenzo, clings to the traditions of the past while the DeCarlo family crumbles under pressure from the feds and encroaching Chinese, Vietnamese, and Korean gangs. Enzo’s loyalty to his family has always been unwavering-until he meets the captivating Jen Mo Li, a woman with secrets as dangerous as her beauty. Jen, the daughter of a powerful Chinese crime family, is no stranger to the brutal world of organized crime. Overlooked and undervalued by her own family, she fights to prove herself in a male-dominated world, growing colder and more ruthless with each passing day. But when her brother is murdered, and the blame falls on Enzo, Jen’s desire for revenge spirals into something far more deadly-especially as her heart betrays her by falling for the enemy. With tensions between their families at a boiling point and betrayal lurking at every turn, Enzo and Jen’s forbidden love becomes a ticking time bomb. When Jen takes control of the notorious Black Dragon gang, the violence escalates to all-out war in Chinatown, with blood flowing in the streets and power shifting hands. But Jen’s bold moves come at a terrible cost, and when a tragic mistake links her to a human trafficking operation, she finds herself hunted by both the law and her enemies. As their worlds spiral out of control, Enzo and Jen are forced to make impossible choices. Can Enzo defy his father and the mafia’s brutal code to save Jen and their child? And can Jen survive long enough to claim her throne in the criminal underworld-or will the betrayals she’s suffered drive her to a darker fate? In this explosive tale of love, betrayal, and survival, nothing is certain, and no one is safe. Dive into the pulse-pounding world of gangland New York, where power, loyalty, and love collide. Will Enzo and Jen escape the deadly shadows of their families-or be consumed by them? The streets are unforgiving. Are you ready to find out who survives?
Praise for Mayhem on Mulberry: Book One: Rise of the East:
“Mayhem on Mulberry is a fast-paced page-turner that readers will not soon forget, and that will appeal to fans of hard-boiled stories and more grounded crime novels alike.” ~ Jo Niederhoff, San Francisco Book Review
How far would you go to destroy the ones who wronged you?
In Mayhem on Mulberry: Book Two, the ruthless battle between the Chinese mob and the Italian Mafia rages on—but this time, vengeance runs deeper than blood. It’s 2020, and Jen Mo Li, presumed dead for decades, is very much alive. Back in New York under an assumed identity, Jen has one goal—to annihilate the DeCarlo family. She’s spent years plotting her revenge, using her beautiful daughter, Julia, as the perfect weapon to tear them apart from the inside. Nicky DeCarlo, son of Enzo, is determined to break free from the fading mob legacy and start fresh. But when Julia, under Jen’s manipulation, seduces him and lures him into a dangerous heist, Nicky’s dreams of escape turn into a nightmare. Unbeknownst to him, Julia is not just an enemy—she’s his sister. As the Chinese mob tightens its grip on New York, the Italians plan one last high-stakes score, setting the stage for a dramatic showdown. Betrayal, forbidden love, and shocking family secrets collide in a deadly game where no one is safe, and loyalty could prove fatal. Will Nicky uncover the truth before it’s too late? Or will Jen’s plan for vengeance destroy everything he holds dear? Dive into this pulse-pounding sequel that will leave you on the edge of your seat. Get your copy today and find out who survives the mayhem!
Praise for Book Two: Fall of an Empire:
“Vincent deFilippo masterfully weaves a tale of power, betrayal, and survival, where every choice cuts deep. With characters who are fierce, flawed, and navigating a world where morality collides with necessity, this isn’t just a story; it’s a riveting, adrenaline rush.” ~ Kathryn Dare, San Francisco Book Review
Dr. Vincent DeFilippo, an international financier and former CEO of a private equity fund in Hong Kong, where he aided numerous executives and businesses in raising billions of dollars in capital. Currently residing in New York, he is a Professor at Monroe College, where he mentors and teaches young people to achieve their goals. Driven by his passion for writing and storytelling, he captivates readers with his fiction works and provides practical business and financial advice through his non-fiction books.
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Welcome to My 31 Days Of Thrills And Chills 2025! I’m so excited to be doing this again! I’ll be sharing reviews and lots of extra spooky stuff every day leading up to Halloween. I hope you’ll join me!
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I’m sharing all kinds of books, movies, and other spooky stuff for every day in October. Gots to get those scares on for the 31st!
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The Dog
by Amy Cross
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Genre: Horror
MY REVIEW
It’s hit or miss when I read a book from a dog’s point of view. I’ve read several in this genre. The Dog was a hit.
The funny thing is how we can accept the death of a human during the break down of society, but the author kills a pet, that’s a big no no. I was fretting throughout the book. Can’t tell you how Jon and his dog, Harry, managed, but this was hard to put down and I didn’t throw the book after I read the ending.
4 STARS
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Synopsis
A tale of the zombie apocalypse, told through the eyes of man’s best friend…
When Jon takes his dog Harry to a remote cabin for the week, he just wants to get away from the rest of the world. And then one morning, after finding that his phone is dead, Jon looks at the city in the distance and realizes that something seems very wrong.
All the power has gone out. At night, the city is completely dark. There are no planes in the sky, and when Jon drives to the nearest gas station, he finds a desolate and bloody scene. He refuses to believe that something truly awful has happened, however, until he spots a figure stumbling through the forest, heading ever closer.
A figure that smells of death.
Soon Jon is facing a desperate fight for survival. While he and his dog have been up at the cabin, the whole world has been struck by a huge, global catastrophe that has left billions dead. Many are dead, but many more have risen again. Can Jon and his dog survive, or are they doomed to suffer the same fate?
The Dog is a novel about the end of the world, told through the eyes of a dog who finds himself stuck at a remote cabin with only his owner for company.
Falling for the CEO: A Billionaire Romance Collection
By Anna Zaires, Brenna Aubrey, Evelyn Austin, Lee Savino, Misha Bell, Renee Rose, Tasha Boyd, Theodora Taylor
Publication date: June 5th 2025
Genres: Adult, Contemporary, Romance
Boardroom chemistry meets bedroom passion! When ordinary women step into a billionaire’s world of luxury and power, sparks fly and hearts race. Indulge in 8 COMPLETE novels of steamy workplace romances where ambition, wealth, and magnetic attraction collide. This exclusive collection of swoon-worthy stories delivers all the drama, passion, and heart-melting moments you crave—available for a LIMITED TIME only!
Wall Street Titan by Anna Zaires
One high-end matchmaker, one dating app, one mix-up that changes everything… Opposites may attract, but can this last?
Holt: Her Ruthless Scion by Theodora Taylor
Born into one of the wealthiest families in the world, Holt Calson had everything—except me, and what Calsons want, Calsons get. For one blazing summer, we had it all, until….
Billionaire Grump by Misha Bell
A hilariously disastrous elevator ride brings them together. Will their insecurities tear them apart?
Accidental Tryst by Tasha Boyd
Restaurant blogger Emmy accidentally switches cellphones in a busy airport with a grumpy, sexy CEO on the verge of the biggest business deal of his life. Insults and then sparks fly! Can their explosive chemistry translate to real life?
The Director by Renee Rose
After discovering her secret pregnancy, a bratva boss kidnaps a lawyer pregnant with his child.
Royally Bad by Lee Savino
Billionaire. Playboy. Prince. My new boss. Theo Kensington the most eligible—or ineligible—bachelor in the entire world. So what he’s starred in a sex tape…or three? I’m the fixer hired to clean up his image, but this bad boy is more interested in misbehaving…with me.
At Any Price by Brenna Aubrey
Blogger Mia Strong cashes in on her online popularity by selling her virginity to the highest bidder — with no strings attached. But when sexy CEO Adam Drake wins the prize, all bets are off…
The Mistress Contract by Evelyn Austin
Powerful billionaire Evan will stop at nothing to convince college student Madeline to sign a contract to be his possession. But the longer they’re involved, the more entangled they become…
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.
As much as we may love our families and friends, they
possess the ability to drive us crazy!
The Moldy Orange Bandage:
Playbooks and Short Stories
by Lirio Blanco Show
Genre: Literary Fiction
As much as we may love our families and friends, they
possess the ability to drive us crazy!
In this pair of theatrical playbooks (with a few short
stories as an added bonus), two family-friendly plays for tweens and up
showcase two different dramas.
In The Moldy Oranges, married life between an
American husband and his Latin immigrant wife never proves dull . . .
especially when the mother-in-law lives under the same roof. And then, when
their trusted neighbor requests a mysterious brown bag be hidden in their
closet, it provides the trigger for family secrets, suspicion, and intrigue.
What is in the brown bag? A diary? Stolen jewelry? A secret detonator for a
kitchen stove, perhaps?
Based on the events of Atlanta’s 2014 ice storm, a group of
middle school girls are trapped in their after-school classroom, seemingly
abandoned by the last faculty member, who flees to protect her own family
during the crisis. Three girls and the class bully must learn to cooperate for
survival until help arrives in The Box of Bandages.
From architect/author Lirio Blanco Show, these stories
provide a peek into family life with an in-law, stranded girls struggling to
cope with a bully, as well as a handful of short animal stories . . . some
based on true events, some completely fiction. Who dares to say which is which?
(All four adults begin arguing incoherently with one
another. CARMEN begins pacing around the room,
watching with a suspicious look in her eyes. She kneels
down and picks up the oranges, one by one, from the
floor and carefully places them on top of the dining table. Calmly watching the argument as it escalates, she
then glances at the audience and rolls her eyes, sighing
heavily. She picks up a single orange and begins to peel
it, then begins to eat it. After a few bites, CARMEN begins coughing hard, puts her hands on her chest, as her
face begins to turn red. She motions to her throat, trying to signal the others that she’s choking. Suddenly,
CARMEN collapses on the floor and stops moving.
ALEXA turns toward CARMEN with a shocked realization that her daughter is lying on the floor.)
ALEXA:
Carmen! (Shrieking) Carmen?
(A deep silence overtakes the room, the lights dim, and
a spotlight on CARMEN starts to brighten.)
(ALEXA and KIRA kneel down next to CARMEN in
complete silence.)
ALEXA:
Mom, is she okay?
KIRA:
Oh God, she is alive, but her pulse . . . it’s so weak. She is purple. Oh God! What happened?
ALEXA:
(Crying) I don’t know! Mom! What are we going to do?
What are we going to do?
(REGINA pushes the two aside and kneels down over
CARMEN.)
REGINA:
Get out of my way, you two!
DONOFRIO:
Yes, let Regina check Carmen! She’s a nurse!
REGINA:
Her face is purple . . . blue . . . She must have eaten or swallowed something that has blocked her airway.
DONOFRIO:
But what?
(DONOFRIO begins walking, looking around, and notices the orange peels on the table.)
DONOFRIO:
She ate oranges! She ate oranges, but how could that
cause her to choke?
REGINA:
The seeds! The seeds, Donofrio . . . Come on . . . Help
me lift her. We need to proceed with the Heimlich
maneuver!
(DONOFRIO lifts up CARMEN while REGINA supports her from behind and then presses her chest to forcefully eject the seed. REGINA makes several attempts to no avail while ALEXA and KIRA are desperately crying in the background.)
REGINA:
Oh no! Oh no, Carmen! This . . . is not your day, sweetie, no . . . Not today. C’mon, Donofrio, lay her on the floor again . . . Come on!
(DONOFRIO follows her directions, and REGINA
starts thrusting her fists against CARMEN’s chest, al-
ternating with mouth-to-mouth resuscitation. After
three attempts, CARMEN starts coughing and spits
out the seeds. All surround her and give a collective
sigh of relief.)
CARMEN:
(Still coughing) What happened?
REGINA:
If it wasn’t for your little choking scene here, I was about to lay someone ELSE out in this room. Anybody
want to guess who?
(REGINA stares down ALEXA, who backs away.)
REGINA (CONTD.):
Or why?
CARMEN:
(Coughing less) No! No idea . . .
REGINA:
Because your mother started talking to me the same
way you talk to each other in this house—with dis-
respect to me and total disregard to my feelings.
That is why . . . and that my girl, that is not going to
happen . . . again!
ALEXA:
But Regina . . .
REGINA:
Oh no! No, Alexa . . . This time, you . . . and the rest of you . . .
(REGINA points accusingly at KIRA and DONOFRIO.)
REGINA (CONTD.):
. . . are going to be quiet . . . and listen to what I have to say. Get that child some water.
(DONOFRIO nods meekly and fetches a glass of water
for CARMEN, who is still lying on the floor. He kneels
down and gives it to her.)
REGINA:
Do you see this girl lying on the floor? She is the victim here! Yes . . . she is.
KIRA:
How dare you, Regina, talk to us like that?
REGINA:
My question to you, Kira . . . is how dare you talk to
your family the way you do? You talk to neigh-
bors . . . strangers on the street you never laid eyes
on in your life . . . with more respect than you talk to
your family. Why is that?
(KIRA tilts her head down meekly, in tears.)
REGINA (CONTD.):
I have been visiting this house for more than fifteen
years, and I know more than anybody else the great
love that bonds this family together. You all have
been through hardships and joyful events, but always
bickering about the most miniscule things . . . While
doing so, today, all of you might have lost the most
precious thing in all your lives . . . Carmen, this
sweet girl . . . who never harms anybody, a creature
full of love and innocence.
(REGINA pauses briefly, and silence envelopes the room.)
.
Albalis Vargas-Smith, a.k.a. Lirio Blanco Show, is an architect, painter,
muralist, and writer from Panama. She received her undergraduate and graduate
degrees in architecture from Universidad Autonoma de Centroamerica in San Jose,
Costa Rica. In addition, she received a Bachelor degree in Fine Arts from
Auburn University, Montgomery. She has more than twenty years of experience in
architecture, having worked both in Montgomery, Alabama, and the Atlanta area.
She has done theatrical scene and set design as volunteer work for community
theatre groups. Back in July 2016, Albalis went solo as an entrepreneur,
architect, and painter, founding the Vargas-Smith Studio. The reason? To spend
more time with her daughter. In 2020, she decided to finish a series of backburner
short stories and theatrical plays. One of the theatrical plays is presented in
this book. Currently, Albalis lives in Johns Creek, Georgia, with her daughter,
husband, her dog, Toni, and a precious bird, Ruperta.
Welcome to My 31 Days Of Thrills And Chills 2023! I missed doing this the last couple of years due to Covid and so excited to do it again. I’ll be sharing reviews and lots of extra spooky stuff every day leading up to Halloween. I hope you’ll join me!
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I’m sharing all kinds of books, movies, and other spooky stuff for every day in October. Gots to get those scares on for the 31st!
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Through The Woods
by Troy Blackford
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Genre: Horror
My Review
They look like ordinary cats. Same shapes and sizes. Don’t let that fool you. These little kitties are killers. It only takes some flesh and blood to turn them into monsters. And some fool gives it to them.
What could be more horrific than giving these cats powers. How about being able to turn living things to ash. Or how about mind control? Or consuming a living creature until there’s nothing left? What makes the scientists think they can make them into lethal weapons and control them?
As you can surmise, things go every which way but the right one and these killer cats get down to business. I found it particularly fun that they can think and plot. The litter of odd cats all have unique abilities. Some that can’t be weaponized and some that can. But the furry critters aren’t cooperative and one in particular has a dastardly agenda all it’s own.
Fur flies. Claws scratch. Teeth gnash. And all out war comes to man. You’ll look at felines in a different way after this story.
4 STARS
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Synopsis
A secret government research facility set deep in the woods is exploring the possibility of using the strange mental properties of a litter of unusual cats for national defense.
The cats are exploring the possibility of eating everybody.
Publication date: October 25th 2024
Genres: Comedy, Contemporary, Holiday, Romance
Oh, oh, the mistletoe, hung where I did NOT see. My brother’s friend waits for me and gets down on one knee—What is happening?
Somebody stop it, please!
Oh, those dreamy blue eyes batting at me, and all the words he dares to say.
This is bad. Like really, really bad.
We’re now planning a wedding day.
But it’s all for a good reason, not love.
Oh, cough, cough, let’s not bust out the L-word.
It’s purely business.
It is a solid plan until it isn’t.
So maybe I love him, but we agreed not to do that . . . whoops!
Let’s Not and Sleigh We Did is a fake marriage of convenience, brother’s best friend, just-kisses-but-all-the-swoons romcom. Oh, yeah, there’s a fluffy cow too!
“What are you doing?” I whisper, a little harshly, the ring pulsating in my peripheral vision.
“We talked about this, remember?” Luke’s voice drops, rasping.
“We talked about marriage.” I tilt my head to one side, as if I’m physically dividing this argument in half., “But not this, and not in front of them.”
“You’re being modest.” He laughs, tossing a look back at his parents. “I thought it would be nice to share this moment with them.”
“You did?” my voice squeaks, as I’m totally blindsided and wishing I had at least a heads- up. The arrangement had sounded so much more business casual than what’s going on right now. A proposal on one knee is not business casual. This is my heart in my throat, and I’m about to throw up. “Where did you get a ring?” I hiss.
“I bought it today.”
“Today?” I grapple for my throat, praying something gives before I pass out.
“Yeah, today when I was thinking about you.”
Doing a hard pause on the word, you, he’s still holding the ring awkwardly in his hand. I frantically search his face for signs of a prank, but he doesn’t have an ounce of humor curved into a smile.
He’s one-hundred-percent serious.
Quakes rumble against my rib cage. This is an act. I’m clearly about to blow our cover as I’m acting so confused, but this whole thing is blowing my mind. “This is happening so fast.”
“It’s okay. Better than okay.” He takes my hand in his, holding it in front of him. “Ten years ago, you kissed me on a dare. You didn’t know it at the time, but I was already falling in love with you. You were my first kiss, but I knew in that moment, I wanted you to be my last.”
I blink. Everything about his proposal sounds genuine.
My gaze floats to his mom; her hands clasp together in front of her, but her gaze is piercing in my direction. Luke’s dad has a that’s-my-boy grin laced on his lips.
And Luke!
Luke’s winning an Oscar for his acting. His gaze dials right into mine, like it’s boring a trail through my eyes right to my heart. I can’t even tell it’s a fake proposal, and I one-thousand- percent know it’s fake.
It is fake . . . right?
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About Author J.P. Sterling:
J.P. Sterling grew up watching old reruns of Lucille Ball and Mary Tyler Moore and fell in love with wholesome entertainment and slapstick comedy. She loves leaning into the over-the-top humor and full circle moments, especially if it means the underdog gets to shine.
Aside from writing, she’s also a wife and homeschooling mom, a holistic dietitian, a former college professor and lover of all things dark chocolate.
