Posts Tagged ‘fantasy’

The Arcanum Series By Kelly O’Hearn ~ Peek Inside And Giveaway

Posted: March 9, 2026 in Excerpt, Fantasy, giveaways, Romance
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Arcanum: In the Temple Shadows

By Kelly O’Hearn

 

(Arcanum, #1)
Publication date: May 20th 2024
Genres: Adult, Fantasy, Romance

Arcanum: In the Temple Shadows is Book One in a series of novels channeled through the tarot cards by noted intuitive Kelly O’Hearn—the first of its kind!

In this sexy past life romance, sometimes happily ever after takes more than one lifetime. Meet Sarah Fuller. It’s her 40th birthday and things are starting to get weird. Is it deja vu? A midlife crisis? Nervous breakdown? Who is this dark, handsome stranger she feels like she’s met before? Not on Fifth Avenue or through her luxury fragrance company but, like, many lifetimes ago?

Her husband, her best friend, her shrink: everyone seems to think they know what’s best for her these days. Sarah’s always been a skeptic, but when she meets this intriguing psychic who tells her she might have been a Pharaoh’s lover and powerful mystic in ancient Egypt, thousands of years ago, it feels so right that she’s determined to find out more.

“I was given early access to the manuscript of Arcanum, and I was immediately immersed in this unique and sassy book! It’s like Carrie Bradshaw meets Cleopatra. The tension and drama between the characters was enthralling, both in their current lives and their past lives. I can’t wait for the second book in the series!” K. Lewis

 

Arcanum: Whispers In The Forest

By Kelly O’Hearn

 

(Arcanum, #2)
Publication date: May 13th 2025
Genres: Adult, Fantasy, Romance

From noted intuitive channeler Kelly O’Hearn comes the spellbinding second installment in the critically acclaimed Arcanum series—a mesmerizing blend of romance, reincarnation, and sensual awakening that spans across centuries.

When Manhattan parfumier Sarah Fuller abandons her picture-perfect life to pursue an obsession with an ancient rose in the South of France, she never expects to unearth secrets buried for centuries. What begins as a professional quest quickly transforms into a soul-stirring journey, cosmically interwoven with that of a medieval maiden with mysterious powers.

As her marriage crumbles and her closest friendship fractures, Sarah’s carefully constructed reality begins to unravel. Between the gleaming penthouses of New York and the sun-drenched fields of Provence, she discovers that the fragrance she seeks may be the key to unlocking a past life—and a love that has endured across time itself.

But some secrets are meant to stay buried, and as Sarah delves deeper into her past, she must decide: Will she heed the whispers that call to her from the forest, or will she lose herself to them completely?

Goodreads / Amazon

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Enjoy this peek inside:

All of a sudden she felt an invisible ripple along her spine, a jolt of something. Her eyes flew open, and she saw a man standing about five feet in front of her.

“Holy shit,” she blurted. “I didn’t realize anyone else was here.”

“Other than the two hundred people hobnobbing in the Temple of Dendur?”

“Yeah, other than those jerks.”

His smile was a knockout. If she weren’t happily married…scratch that. Tall, dark, probably of Middle Eastern descent? Gorgeous tux. Crooked smile. She’d have to be dead not to find him…attractive.

That was one word for it. Hot-as-fuck might be another.

“Harry Aiken.” He held out his hand.

Was her mouth agape? Sarah settled herself. “Of course you are…”

She took his hand in hers, and the two of them stood there for way too long. Maybe it was only a second or two, but she felt—well, she felt everything. The power of his grip, the warmth of his skin, the clean smell of him, the slight bristle of the hairs on the back of his hand, his eyes—but beyond all of those sensory, well, pleasures, really, she felt like he was definitely part of whatever gut-roiling recalibration or transformation was going on inside her today. He was somehow in on it.

She released his hand and backed away a step, as if he had burned her.

Or could.

And then she started breathing again.

“Weird day.” She shook her head and started walking slowly around the atrium.

“Do you want to be alone?” he asked.

“Not necessarily. I just didn’t want to be in a room with hundreds of people.”

Harry put his hands in his pockets and walked alongside her. “Same. I left right before the guest of honor arrived. Just all a bit too much for me, you know.”

Sarah realized his clean, buttoned-up smell was just a top note. Sandalwood, tobacco, myrrh: this man was into expensive fragrance of some sort or another, and their heat had brought it to life. A deep, masculine scent. Her mortal weakness.

“You’ve never met her?”

“No. I’m not really even sure why I’m here. I met this hilarious guy named Max—”

She couldn’t help smiling. “Yeah, I know him.”

“Right? I met him last week. Turns out he’s best friends with the CEO of this company I do business with whom I’ve been trying to meet for years. She’s got a firewall of assistants around her. Max is a great guy and all, but he was like, ‘You should totally come meet Sarah and learn more about her new foundation, yadda yadda…’ and I was like, ‘Great, I’d really appreciate the introduction.’ and then he’s like, ‘I got you on the list to her surprise party Saturday night’ and I’m like, ‘Well, that’s a little weird to show up at someone’s fortieth birthday party uninvited, if I’ve never even met them, don’t you think?’ But he’s kind of persuasive and funny, and it all seemed like a good idea last week. But now I’m just like a fish out of water…and now I’m babbling—”

When he turned to face her, their eyes caught again, and held, like they had when they’d shaken hands. “I’m not usually nervous, but you’ve caught me off guard,” he said.

Sarah just gave herself permission to stare at him. Why not? It was her birthday, wasn’t it? And maybe he was her gift. Her lip must have lifted slightly on one side when she thought that, because his glance darted to her mouth and his pupils dilated.

Then, as if realizing that what he was doing could be construed as creepy, his eyes flew back up to hers.

Her smile widened.

You can look at my mouth anytime you like, she almost said—but caught herself before she did something…regrettable.

“So, is this going to be like some Cinderella story?” he asked, his voice deeper, stronger, if that was even possible. “Are you going to introduce yourself, or am I going to have to enlist the cavalry and ride my steed throughout the kingdom tomorrow to find out your true identity?”

Harry Aiken on horseback, commanding an army. Wheeling his horse around with perfect control. Mastery. Smoke and leather and the clang of ancient weapons and still, always, his eyes on her, always on her. Tracking her, minding her, loving her.

“I could see that,” she whispered, then turned to walk back toward the party. “I guess it is a bit of a Cinderella story,” she continued, forcing her voice to take on a more carefree tone. “Because I’ll definitely turn into a pumpkin if I don’t get back to hobnobbing.”

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About Author Kelly O’Hearn:

When Kelly O’Hearn first stepped off the train in the city of Florence, Italy, as a 20-year-old, she had the overwhelming instinct that she had been there before. In a place famous for its maze of medieval streets, O’Hearn navigated the city as if she had lived there for a lifetime. Born in New York City, O’Hearn first put her intuitive skills to work as a professional wine taster, instructor, and sommelier in the elite institutions of New York, Portugal, and Aspen. After raising her two children and enduring a personal health crisis, in 2012, she was drawn to begin reading the tarot cards, an ancient practice which does not presume to “predict the future” but offers a collection of stories, perspectives, and self-reflections that can guide one to become one’s most authentic self. O’Hearn is in high demand for her readings, with clients on every continent but Antartica. While most people were baking sourdough or riding their Pelotons during the Covid pandemic, O’Hearn used the tarot cards to channel her own past lives. Weeks of readings, all captured on video, yielded six storylines of herself as several powerful women over the millennia and around the globe: the same one soul, over time, persevering against all odds in the quest for happiness and the love of a soul mate. This time-bending saga inspired O’Hearn to conceive of a series of novels titled Arcanum. Book One: In the Temple Shadows is available now. Book Two: Whispers in the Forest will be released Spring of 2025.

Website / Facebook / Instagram / TikTok

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Islands In The Mist By J.M. Hofer ~ Guest Post And Giveaway

Posted: January 26, 2026 in Fantasy, giveaways, Guest Post
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Book Details:

 ISLANDS IN THE MIST
(Book 1)
by J.M. Hofer 

Category:  Adult Fiction (18 yrs +),  394 pages
Genre: Fantasy
Publisher:  Indie
Release date:   July 10, 2014
Content Rating: PG-13 +M: 1) contains mild profanity, 2) contains occasional non-explicit sex scenes, but Book 4 has a rape scene, hence the rating, 3) contains battle violence but it’s not gory or explicit

 

 

Book Description:

Set in Iron Age Britain and steeped in Welsh legend, the Islands in the Mist series brings to life the magic and mystery of the Arthurian Age.

In Islands in the Mist, we meet the great warrior, Bran, called home from the battlefield to his mother’s deathbed. He honors her final wish by vowing to solve the mystery of what fatally attacked her in the night. Though many have dismissed it as a wolf attack, she insists it was not, and encourages him to seek the counsel of Talhaiarn, druid advisor to their clan.

On his journey, Bran encounters the fiery Lucia, widow to a Roman centurion, and her strangely-gifted stable boy, Gwion–an enigmatic child graced with understanding beyond his years. Lucia possesses “the Sight,” an ability that has plagued her from the time she was a small girl, tormenting her with disturbing visions of events that invariably come to pass. Fate leads her to discover many of her maternal ancestors were masterful women gifted with similar psychic abilities and that some of them have been watching her from the shadows for years.

Upon returning to his village, Bran finds himself at odds with the hot-tempered Aelhaearn, who is determined to become their clan’s next chieftain. To Aelhaearn’s disappointment, Bran’s sister, now priestess in her mother’s place, convinces the clan to choose Bran for the honor instead. In the aftermath of their conflict, Bran discovers something shocking about his rival that causes him to rue his sister’s decision.

As everyone strives to unravel the mystery surrounding their nocturnal enemies, their creator patiently carries out her plan, woven from the exploited weaknesses of her opponents. Slowly, all but one are pulled into the seductive maelstrom of her power.

Buy the Book:
Amazon ~ Audible
B&N ~ BAM
add to Goodreads

(more…)

The Illumination: Izol By Mescal ~ Author Interview and Giveaway

Posted: January 23, 2026 in Author Interview, Fantasy, giveaways
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Book Details:

​ The Illumination: Izol

By Mescal

Category:  Adult Fiction (18 +),  368 pages
Genre: Fantasy
Publisher:  Tanager Ink Publishing
Release date:  November, 2025
Content Rating: PG: There is no swearing, and nothing explicit in my book. As far as fantasy series goes, it is more on the conservative side with less romantic material than most.

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Book Description:

She went into the woods an ordinary young woman. She returned marked by destiny.
When Izol crosses the boundary of the forbidden forest, she encounters a terror that should have ended her life. Instead, she is not only spared, but chosen. A mysterious messenger reveals a truth that will shatter everything she thought she knew about her family, her people, and her purpose.
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Found bloodied and half-conscious, Izol returns home changed. But not everyone is ready for a young woman touched by the divine.

As tensions rise within the keep and dangerous eyes turn toward her, Izol must choose between who she was raised to be—and the powerful, terrifying truth of who she is.  As the verity of her awakening begins to spread, those with something to lose will do anything to silence her.

 Izol: The Illumination is a sweeping story of awakening, devotion, and betrayal. For readers who love epic storytelling grounded in emotional intimacy, myth, and wonder.

Buy the Book:
Amazon ~ B&N
add to Goodreads
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Interview With Author Mescal
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  • There are many books out there about Romantasy. What makes yours different?

If I’m to be completely honest, I would have to divulge that romance novels, and romantasy at that, are not my cup of tea. A good read for me would be a historical fiction, so that I find myself writing a romantasy, and a series, is somewhat ironic, but in a good way, because I absolutely love the story I have written. I fell in love with the characters and the relationships that developed among them.

What’s interesting about my story is that it is written almost entirely in dialogue, and the story is revealed through the characters’ conversation, with me weaving together bits and pieces to create a cohesive story line.

I think you get a visceral feel for the story; actually, hearing the characters’ voices as you follow along makes for a more interactive and dynamic reading experience.

  • What made you write a book about Romantasy? 

A fun fact: this book was initially intended to be a children’s book containing several bedtime stories I told to my nieces ten years ago. It’s my way of paying homage to our wonderful times together.

As I began to write the story, it took on a life of its own, morphing into this fantastic, elaborate series with an intriguing story line. For me, the joy in writing this book was the unknown- not having a clear set of objectives, but living through the experiences with the characters as the story unfolded.

I would burst into laughter while writing, amused and surprised, as I realized I was writing adult fiction, and not a children’s book.

  • Where do you write?

I work an 8-hour shift, so finding time to write during my workweek was a struggle till I finally found a schedule that worked for me. I do most of my writing between 2 and 5am, propped up in bed with pillows behind my back. I place my MacBook on top of a sturdy book, one of my college art books, and rest it on my lap. When that position became uncomfortable, I would sit upright on the bed.

Neither position is conducive to writing, but they work for me. The slight discomfort keeps me alert, and my eyes, heavy with sleep, remain open. On my days off, I would write continuously to the point of exhaustion at the dining room table. My one saving grace gazing during these brutal hours is munching on pistachios and dark chocolate while listening to David Tolk and Ghostly Kisses.

  • Which was the hardest character to write?

BY far, the most complex character to write was Yilmaz. Given he’s so much larger than life, his intelligence, personality, and life experience place him in a league of his own, where he almost seems unreal.

I feared he would come off as arrogant, entitled, and misunderstood. My task

was to make him stand out as cut above the rest while also showcasing his humane attributes, making him likable and relatable, yet still in a league of his own.

You get a sense of these two dynamics in how he relates to people at every class level, showing respect and genuine care for them, while still maintaining a distance that does not appear cold, detached or pompous.

  • If you could go back in time, where would you go?

The Sermon on the Mount has always intrigued me since childhood. I remember watching the movie Ben-Hur with my mother during Lent, and the scene with Jesus delivering the Beatitudes on the Mount captivated my curiosity so much so that it has been etched into my memory.

As a Christina and one who espouses its values, I struggle as most do, but I believe in the faithfulness of God’s word as truth. Therefore, to have been there on that faithful day, to hear Jesus’s voice and be in his holy presence would have been a mind-altering experience for me.

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Meet Author Mescal:

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In my adolescent years, I was an extreme introvert, though I had a few friends I was close with; if you weren’t acquainted with me, you would probably perceive me as asocial. I believe it was in my mid-20’s that my persona changed. I graduated from college at twenty-three and began working part-time with a major US airline. I thought the job exciting and the ability to travel the world made the position hugely attractive.

My sojourn in the airline industry was only until I had decided on a permanent career path, or so I thought. Many years later, after traveling to a multitude of countries on five continents, having two boys who also traveled the globe with me, I find myself here, at this monumental moment where I’ve embarked on a new adventure, this all unfolding by happenstance, a bedtime story I told my nieces had etched its way in my mind.

The story slowly revealed itself as I sat having lunch in my office, on my commute home late at night, and while meandering the farmers market on weekends, I would see my story in my mind’s eye.

Finally, on a trip to Copenhagen in December five years ago, it beckoned me, the inner child, when I visited the statue of the Little Mermaid with my niece. Watching her entranced by the serin, I felt her wonderment as if reliving the experience of my first reading of the fairytale at the age of ten. A whispered voice caught my ear, and a single word summoned my heart. WRITE!
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Invigorated by this calling, I set to paper what had been dancing in my head. Now here we are: the Izol series has been birthed. My grandmother’s words stood the test of time: “Wherever you are, there you’ll find yourself.”

connect with the author:  website ~ instagram~ goodreads

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The Illumination: Izol by Mescal Book Tour Giveaway

 

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To Hell And Back By Bill Blume ~ Peek Inside And Giveaway

Posted: January 20, 2026 in Excerpt, Fantasy, giveaways
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To Hell and Back

By Bill Blume

 

Publication date: January 20th 2026
Genres: Adult, Fantasy

For one pair of swordfighters, their marriage is worth going to Hell and back.

Ty and Dani are a modern-day, swordfighting husband-and-wife duo who help with exorcisms until a demon kills Dani’s mother and all of their fellow exorcists. Now, they’re on a quest for revenge through the realms of Hell, and killing the demon is just the start of the journey. To keep the demon from reviving, Dani and Ty must escape Hell within seven days and cast the demon’s head and heart into an Eternal Flame. To get back to the mortal realm in time, they rely on their small terrier Wicket to lead them past the demon’s army and thousands of other horrors.

To Hell and Back takes readers on an epic journey perfect for those who believe love can overcome any challenge and that a devoted dog makes the perfect guide no matter where you need to go.

Goodreads / Amazon / Barnes & Noble

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Enjoy this peek inside:

They didn’t drive far, parking on a cobblestone street next to the café, sitting on a street corner. The entire front wall of the café was made up of tall doors that were all turned open to take advantage of the pleasant spring weather. Ty sucked down his coffee. It tasted stronger than what he preferred, but as tired as he was, he considered that a good thing.

“I imagine you have a lot of questions.” Maria sat at one of the tables closest to the sidewalk with people dressed in business suits and hospital scrubs walking by. She crossed her legs and leaned back in her chair, draping her arm over the back of it.

“I’m told you work for the church?” He decided against gambling on whether it was the Catholic or Episcopal Church.

“Heard that, did you?” She cracked an amused grin, as if she’d been privy to his conversation with Barry. “That’s only partially true. We’re funded by the Church of England, but we don’t answer to them.”

Taking a chug of his coffee, Ty then asked, “And who is we?”

“A fair question, and I’ll get to that soon enough.” She paused for her own sip of coffee. When she continued, she stared out at the street as cars rumbled across the cobblestones. “I’d like to talk about you a bit first. I notice you’ve started the transition.”

“The what?”

“Oh, you’re trying to find a way to make a living off that sword arm of yours that doesn’t require a nine-to-five job typing on a keyboard or some other nonsense. You’re going the usual route: giving lessons to wannabes drunk on fantasies of medieval knights or Star Wars. You know. The usual stuff.” She looked at him with a smirk that assured him she already knew the answer to her next question. “You enjoying all that?”

He cleared his throat and sniffed. His sinuses were still killing him.

“I’m paying my bills.” He shrugged, trying to mimic her nonchalance by turning his focus out onto the street and the passersby. Didn’t keep him from seeing her amused reaction to his answer, that she knew he was full of shit.

Yeah, he’d taken to giving part-time lessons at a local fencing club that included saber fighting. Most of the job seemed more about punishing clients into the realization that they weren’t going to turn into Inigo Montoya overnight and that fighting with a sword required both finesse and brutality. Being good with a sword required a killer instinct. Forcing others with limited skills to realize they didn’t have that certain something was taking a toll on him.

“Look, Mr. Faison.” She leaned forward, crossing her arms on the table. “For some people that’s enough, and that’s fine.” The way she said “fine” left little doubt it was anything but that. “But someone like you…” She shook her head.

He tried to bluff, acting amused and disinterested, but his acting skills failed him again. “You think so?”

The way her expression hardened, that single eye narrowing on him, forced his full focus on her. “I think you’re the kind of person who’s only ever whole when he’s got a sword in his hand and a real fight in front of him.”

She leaned back in her chair again, with all the satisfaction of a wildcat dining on a fresh kill. The silence offered him a chance to respond, but she’d left him speechless. No one had ever peeled him down to his bones like this—not even his parents—not this fast or with such ease.

After giving him his chance to answer and seeing he wasn’t able to, Maria sipped her coffee and then continued. “You’re twenty-six. You used to finish in the top three at most competitions you entered but you haven’t in more than a year. It’s not that your skills or body are fading, and it’s not because you’re distracted by the side work that pays the bills. No, it’s because even the competitions are starting to bore you. Those fights aren’t real anymore, because all that’s at stake there is pride.”

“And what? You’re offering me a ‘real fight’? What is this? Some kind of underground sword fight club, where the loser dies, and the first rule is to not talk about it?”

She shook her head, grinning at his attempt at wit. “This is no game or club. Underground? Somewhat. But what you’ll be doing will make a real difference in people’s lives. I’m offering you a chance to reclaim that fire that ignited the moment you first touched a sword.

“I’m giving you a chance to find your heart.”

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About Author Bill Blume:

Bill Blume discovered his love for the written word while in high school and has been writing ever since. His latest novel, West of Apocalypse, is now available from Time Killer Publishing. His short stories have been published in many fantasy anthologies and various ezines.

Like the father figure in his “Gidion Keep, Vampire Hunter” novels, Bill works as a 911 dispatcher for Henrico County Police and has done so for more than two decades. He served as the 2013 chair for James River Writers, which produces one of the nation’s best annual conferences for educating and connecting writers.

He graduated from the University of South Carolina with a degree in Broadcast Journalism in 1995. In the years after, he worked as a TV news producer, first in Columbus, Georgia, and then in Richmond, Virginia, which has become home for Bill & his family.

You can learn more about Bill at his website: www.billblume.net.

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Forrest House By E.M. Hamill ~ Peek Inside And Giveaway

Posted: January 11, 2026 in Excerpt, Fantasy, giveaways
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Forrest House

By E.M. Hamill

 

Publication date: January 11th 2026
Genres: Adult, Fantasy

Ander Forrest renounced blood magic to become a nurse-healer in his rural hometown, far from the drama of wizardry and espionage his sister Kate craved. When Kate goes missing in action, Ander finds himself the legal guardian of her gifted twins and receives a cryptic warning from Kate’s husband to protect them before he, too, disappears.

Six months later, his former lover crash lands in the kids’ bedroom via a spell only Ander’s sister could have cast. Druid Cai Piper doesn’t remember how he got there, but he knows he never stopped loving Ander, and that he was sent to protect him and the twins. Cai is strangely drawn to Forrest House and the land it stands upon.

With the secrets of a clandestine wizards’ order hanging between them, Cai and Ander must remember how to trust each other as sinister forces move against the Forrest family—magical terrorists who want to exploit their rare sorcery and bring the world to its knees.

Goodreads / Amazon / Barnes & Noble / iBooks / Kobo

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Enjoy this peek inside:

Cai cleared his throat. “You said I’m in America?”

“Yeah.”

“And if I was sent by a bloodspell, does that mean Remy and Raven are here?”

“Well, of course.” Ander blinked as Cai closed his eyes and sighed. He wasn’t sure if it was relief or defeat. “You didn’t know,” he said.

“No. Edwyn kept it a secret, even from me.” His fingers touched the blood-matted knot at the back of his head in tentative exploration. “I must have been out. I would never have let him send me otherwise. He was bleeding badly.” His hand tapped an area high and to the outside on his left leg. “Shot in the thigh.”

Ander thought of all the major blood vessels there and breathed a plea to the Goddess that none were severed. “I didn’t think the Fellowship used bullets.”

“We don’t. We were on a joint mission with intelligence agents. Someone started lobbing spells at us and our allies turned and shot each other. He was hit in the crossfire.”

“A Judas spell?” Ander frowned.

“I think so.”

“Were you working with British intelligence?”

Cai opened his mouth to answer, then flinched and rubbed both sides of his head. “Some of my memories are missing. It’s painful to think about.”

“I think you might have a concussion.”

“Maybe. But this feels more like it was blocked by a spell.”

“By Edwyn?”

“I don’t think he would have had time. Not surrounded by guns and magic.” His breath became uneven again, and he sat unsteadily on the bed. “The harder I try to think about it, the more it hurts.”

“Don’t try right now.” Ander came closer and put his fingers under Cai’s jaw, forcing him to look up so he could peer into his eyes. Still no signs of a more serious head injury, but he wasn’t satisfied until he ran his fingers under Cai’s clotted hair to cradle the bruised lump beneath his palm, his senses open for new bleeding. He didn’t discover any.

Cai stared at him as he pulled away, his face inches from Ander’s. They both became aware at the same time of how close he was standing, his hands gentle on the back of Cai’s head as if he were going to draw him into a kiss. Ander slowly stepped back.

“I have to find a way to get back to…” Cai frowned. “To…damn it! They took that, too. I don’t know where we were.” He looked to Ander with a desolate gaze. “I don’t even know if Edwyn’s alive.”

“You can’t ask the Fellowship?”

He stiffened. “No, I can’t.”

“I’d feel better if I could get you to a hospital.”

“I’ll be fine. I think it’s clear I’m meant to protect you and the twins.”

“Protect us from what?” He sat on the bed next to him. “What’s going on, Cai? Why wouldn’t Ed tell you where the kids were?”

He didn’t answer, his gaze slipping sideways.

Ander had not missed this infuriating silence. Kate had pushed Ander away with it, Edwyn maintained it, and Cai had used it to shut down questions when they were together.

He’d left Wales and come home because the people he loved most in the world could barely talk to him unless he was inducted into the Fellowship.

Fury rose in scarlet floods with Cai’s refusal to speak. Ander let it crest. “That’s fantastic. Of course you can’t say anything. Then tell me how to protect them and get the fuck out.”

“You don’t—”

“They’re all I have left of Kate! I need to know how to protect them!”

“If you’re going to shout at me, then I will take that paracetamol now.” His voice was soft, defeated. A crease furrowed the skin between his brows, and the tight lines of his body spoke of more pain than a headache. Ander didn’t have to imagine the grief of not knowing if his brother was dead or alive. He knew only too well.

“I’m sorry.” Ander exhaled, forcing himself to calm. “We aren’t done,” he said in a less strident tone. “You will tell me what’s going on. Fuck the Fellowship and your code of secrecy! Those kids are my priority now. They’ve already lost their mother, and now maybe their father. No more.”

To his surprise, Cai nodded. “I promise I will tell you what I know.”

Disconcerted by his unexpected victory, Ander reluctantly let his anger drain away.

“Are you hungry? I’m making dinner.”

“Starving. I can’t recall when I last ate anything.”

“It’ll be ready in half an hour. Make sure you drink the rest of that water.” He turned to go.

“Ander.” Cai’s expression was gentle as Ander looked back over his shoulder. “It’s good to see you.”

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About Author E.M. Hamill:

E.M. (Elisabeth) Hamill writes adult science fiction and fantasy somewhere in the wilds of eastern suburban Kansas. A nurse by day, wordsmith by night, she is happy to give her geeky imagination free rein and has sworn never to grow up and get boring.

She lives with her family, where they fend off flying monkey attacks and prep for the zombie apocalypse.

Website / Goodreads / Facebook / Instagram / TikTok / Newsletter

 

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Forrest House Blitz

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Thanks so much for visiting fuonlyknew and Good Luck!

For a list of my reviews go HERE.

To see all of my giveaways go HERE.

High Couch Of Silistra By Janet Morris ~ Guest Post And Giveaway

Posted: December 28, 2025 in Dystopian, Fantasy, giveaways, Guest Post
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High Couch of Silistra, first of the notorious
Silistra Quartet, brings us to a realm where thought alters probability, where
creativity is inextricably linked to the urge to own and dominate, and where
the universe itself is amenable to a focused mind.

Rooted deeply in humanity’s mythic past yet unaware
of the planet Earth, High Couch of Silistra begins one woman’s mythic quest for
self-knowledge – with surprising results.

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High Couch of Silistra

The Silistra Quartet Book 1

by Janet Morris

Genre: Dystopian Epic SciFi Fantasy Romance

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Biology shapes reality…

One woman’s mythic search for self-realization in a distant tomorrow…

Her sensuality was at the core of her world, her quest beyond the civilized
stars.

Aristocrat. Outcast. Picara. Slave. Ruler.

“Engrossing characters in a marvelous adventure.” – Charles N. Brown,
Locus Magazine

“The amazing and erotic adventures of the most beautiful courtesan in
tomorrow’s universe”

– Frederik Pohl

“The best single example of prostitution used in fantasy is Janet Morris’
Silistra series… Estri’s character is most like that of Ishtar who describes
herself as “‘a prostitute compassionate am I'” because she
“symbolizes the creative submission to the demands of instinct, to the
chaos of nature …the free woman, as opposed to the domesticated woman”.
Linking Estri with these lunar and water symbols is not difficult because of
the moon’s eternal virginity (the strength of integrity) links with her changeability
(the prostitute’s switching of lovers). […]

Morris strengthens the moon imagery by having Estri as a
well-keepress because wells, fountains, and the moon as the orb which controls
water have long been associated with fertility, […] In a sense, she is like
the moon because she is apparently eternal, never waxing or waning except in
her pursuit of the quest; she is the prototypical wanderer like the moon and
Ishtar. She is the eternal night symbol of the moon in opposition to the
Day-Keepers […]

 At her majority (her
three hundredth birthday), she is given a silver-cubed hologram letter from her
mother, containing a videotape of her conception by the savage bronzed
barbarian god from another world. […] If Estri’s mother then acts as a bawd,
willing her lineage as Well-Keepress to her daughter, then Estri’s
great-grandmother Astria as foundress of the Well becomes a further mother-bawd
figure when she offers her prophetic advice in her letter: “Guard Astria
for you may lose it, and more. Beware of one who is not as he seems. Stray not
in the port city of Baniev …look well about you, for your father’s daughter’s
brother seeks you”. Having no brother that she knows of does not stay
Estri from undertaking the heroic quest of finding her father.”

 – Anne K. Kaler, The
Picara: From Hera to Fantasy Heroine

Amazon * B&N * Bookbub * Goodreads

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I am Estri Hadrath diet Estrazi, former Well-Keepress of Astria on the planet
Silistra. I have begun three times to tell this story, and three times I have
been interrupted. This, then, the fourth attempt, will surely prove successful.

Perhaps you have heard of Silistra, the planet that was catalyst to the sexual
revolution in the year twenty-two thousand, seven hundred and four Bipedal
Federate Standard Time, or of the Silistran serums that lengthen life and
restore vitality in virtually any bipedal life form, or perhaps you have at
some time contracted the services of a Silistran telepath, or a precognitive,
or a deep reader. It is possible that you have in your own home the
scintillating, indestructible web-cloth woven by our domestic arachnids, or
have seen holograms of our golachits, those intelligent builder-beetles who
exude from their mouths a translucent, superhard substance called gol and
create from this gol, under the guidance of the chit-guards, the formidable and
resplendent structures in which we live and work.

And perhaps you have seen no web-cloth, no gol, never been ill, and are not
interested in sex. If so, you may never have heard of Silistra.

I carry Silistra in my mind’s eye, here under this alien sun. In my mind alone
can I look out the east window of my beloved exercise hall in Well Astria and
see the sun’s rising burst upon the jewel-like towers and keeps of the Inner
Well and a thousand rainbows arc and dance in the greening sky.

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What is something unique/quirky about you?

I breed Morgan horses. I consult with Morgan breeders to help them choose breeding combinations to achieve a desired result.

I am also a song writer; I play bass guitar with my husband Chris who sings and plays guitar. We have an album on MCA records. Look for Christopher Crosby Morris on Soundcloud or N1M.com

Can you, for those who don’t know you already, tell something about yourself and how you became an author?

I wrote my first novel, High Couch of Silistra in 1975; a friend sent it to an agent who chose to represent me; I had already written the second book in the Silistra Quartet and my agent told me not to disclose that until they finalized the contract for the first one. When the publisher learned of the others, Bantam Books bought the succeeding three. When the fourth book was published, the series already had four million copies in print. Suddenly I was a novelist specializing in environmental, gender, historical and political subjects. In the process, Chris became my editor and ultimately a co-writer. Since then, we have co-authored many books.

Who is your hero and why?

Heraclitus of Ephesus, a pre-socratic philosopher, whose Cosmic Fragments foreshadow our knowledge of reality and how to perceive it. Among his precepts is the statement that change alone is unchanging. I’ve worked Heraclitus’ fragments in here and there throughout our books.

Which of your novels can you imagine being made into a movie?

All of them. I write cinematically, our books are vivid adventures I undertake without knowing the destination.  I, the Sun, The Sacred Band, and Outpassage are particularly suited to film. The Threshold Series is a feast of opportunities for today’s special effects creators.

What inspired you, to write The Silistra Quartet?

The Silistra Quartet was a unique departure for me and it included issues of women’s rights in the 70’s before Handmaid’s Tale.

Convince us why you feel High Couch of Silistra is a must read.

The Silistra series in which High Couch of Silistra is book 1 blazed a new trail in science fiction and fantasy, many critics saying that I had created a new pantheon of warrior women giving rise to heroines like Xena. Today it is more important than ever for everyone to accept women in leadership roles and I would like to think we had something to do with gaining them more recognition.

Who designed your book covers?

Most of my covers, including High Couch of Silistra, are realized by Roy Mauritsen, a gifted graphic artist.

Advice to writers?

As for advice to writers, here is all I know: write the story you want to read. Start at the beginning, go to the end, and stop. Seriously. From start to finish you must inhabit the construct in a manner that makes the reader choose to continue; if I, as the writer, can’t feel what it’s like being there, my readers can’t either. So close your eyes, look at your feet where they are standing on the story’s ground; tell me what you see. Tell me what you hear. Ask at the end of each paragraph ‘what happens next?’. If you lose touch with it, wait until you’re back inside it. Tell the story that comes to you, and from you, to me.

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Best selling author Janet Morris began writing in
1976 and published more than 30 novels, many co-authored with her husband Chris
Morris or others. She contributed short fiction to the shared universe fantasy
series Thieves World, in which she created the Sacred Band of Stepsons, a
mythical unit of ancient fighters modeled on the Sacred Band of Thebes. She
created, orchestrated, and edited the Bangsian fantasy series Heroes in Hell,
writing stories for the series as well as co-writing the related novel, The
Little Helliad, with Chris Morris. She wrote the bestselling Silistra Quartet
in the 1970s, including High Couch of Silistra, The Golden Sword, Wind from the
Abyss, and The Carnelian Throne. This quartet had more than four million copies
in Bantam print alone, and was translated into German, French, Italian, Russian
and other languages. In the 1980s, Baen Books released a second edition of this
landmark series. The third edition is the Author’s Cut edition, newly revised
by the author for Perseid Press. Most of her fiction work has been in the
fantasy and science fiction genres, although she has also written historical
and other novels. Morris has written, contributed to, or edited several
book-length works of non-fiction, as well as papers and articles on nonlethal
weapons, developmental military technology and other defense and national
security topics.

Janet said: ‘People often ask what book to read
first. I recommend “I, the Sun” if you like ancient history;
“The Sacred Band,” a novel, if you like heroic fantasy; “Lawyers
in Hell” if you like historical fantasy set in hell;
“Outpassage” if you like hard science fiction; “High Couch of
Silistra” if you like far-future dystopian or philosophical novels. I am
most enthusiastic about the definitive Perseid Press Author’s Cut editions,
which I revised and expanded.’

Website * Facebook * Twitter * Instagram * Bookbub * Amazon * Goodreads

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Follow the tour HERE for special content and a giveaway!

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Enter the High Couch of Silistra Giveaway Here

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Circle Of Nine: Mercy In The Mist By Valerie Biel ~ Spotlight And giveaway

Posted: December 22, 2025 in giveaways, YA Fantasy
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CIRCLE OF NINE Series by Valerie Biel Banner

CIRCLE OF NINE
by Valerie Biel
October 27 – December 31, 2025 Virtual Book Tour

 

CIRCLE OF NINE: MERCY IN THE MIST
CIRCLE OF NINE: MERCY IN THE MIST
The danger was supposed to be over. The sacred treasures are safe. The enemies banished to the Otherworld.

But Brigit Quinn’s dreams tell a different story. The condemned return to haunt her sleep—pleading, accusing, refusing to be forgotten. Something is still wrong, even if the rest of the Circle of Nine insists the threat has passed. When anonymous warnings surface and the police begin asking questions about the missing, Brigit’s visions intensify, blurring the line between dream and prophecy. The Circle is unraveling. Shadows are gathering. To restore what’s been broken, Brigit knows they must return to the Otherworld and seek answers from the immortal Elders—knowing that to question them is to risk everything. In this spellbinding fourth installment of the Circle of Nine series, ancient magic, mortal danger, and Brigit’s quest for the truth collide in a journey that will test the bonds of loyalty, love, and the fragile trust between gods and mortals.

Find CIRCLE OF NINE: MERCY IN THE MIST on Amazon | KindleUnlimited | Barnes & Noble | BookShop.org | Goodreads | BookBub

 

Praise for Circle of Nine: Mercy in the Mist

“Mercy in the Mist delivers spellbinding suspense. Positively enchanting!” ~ Tracey S. Phillips, award-winning author of Forewarned for CIRCLE OF NINE: MERCY IN THE MIST

 

Series Details:

Genre: Young Adult Fantasy

Published by: Lost Lake Press

Find CIRCLE OF NINE series at Amazon & Lost Lake Press

 

About Author Valerie Biel:

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author

Valerie Biel writes award-winning books for middle grade to adult audiences–stories inspired by her travels and her insatiable curiosity. Her young adult fantasy series, Circle of Nine, was inspired by the myth and magic of Ireland’s ancient stone circles. She’s also the author of HAVEN, a contemporary middle grade novel, and BEYOND THE CEMETERY GATE, a mystery suspense story. She’s a founding member of the Blackbird Writers & a member of Sisters in Crime & the Wisconsin Writers Association. When she’s away from the computer, she’s likely wrangling her overgrown garden, reading multiple books per week, or traveling the world–often on trips for the The World Orphan Fund charity she and her husband run. She calls a (tiny) portion of her family’s century-old Wisconsin farm home, but regularly dreams of finding a cozy cottage on the Irish coast where she can write and write.

Catch Up With Valerie Biel:

ValerieBiel.com Valerie’s Substack Newsletter Amazon Author Profile Goodreads – @valerie_biel BookBub – @ValerieBiel Instagram – @valeriebielauthor Threads – @valeriebielauthor X – @ValerieBiel Facebook – @ValerieBielBooks YouTube – @ValerieBielAuthor Pinterest – @ValerieBiel

 

Tour Participants:

Visit these other great hosts on this tour for more great reviews, interviews, guest posts, and opportunities to WIN in the giveaway! Click here to view the Tour Schedule  

 

 

Join In:

This giveaway is hosted by Partners in Crime Tours for Valerie Biel. See the widget for entry terms and conditions. Void where prohibited.

CIRCLE OF NINE Series by Valerie Biel Can’t see the giveaway? Click Here!

Get More Great Reads at Partners In Crime Tours

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Father Of Monsters By Jonah A Hunt

Posted: December 21, 2025 in Book Promos, Fantasy
Tags: ,
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Contemporary Fantasy, Mythology

Date Published: December 9, 2025

 

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A world once whole, now split in two. The flower patch painted a deep crimson
hue. Eyes of flame gaze on red lock and key. For the brothers’ misfortune, he
is set free.

Anthony and Andrew Redson live an ordinary life on the outskirts of
civilization. But their estranged father is anything but ordinary. When his
most ancient and dangerous enemy attacks their childhood home, the twins are
thrust into a world unlike any they’ve known. A world of gods, monsters,
knights, and magic. Trapped upon paths of bloodshed and tragedy, the brothers’
can rely upon no one. Not even each other.

 

 

About Author Jonah A Hunt
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 Jonah Hunt is the author of Father of Monsters. Since he was little, he’s been
enamored with dragons, magic, and storytelling. After ten years of washing
dishes and housekeeping, he aims to make his dream of writing full-time
finally come true.

He lives in one of Florida’s reasonably sane neighborhoods with his two dogs.

Contact Links

Author website

BookBuzz

 

Purchase Link

 

Authors Website

 

RABT Book Tours & PR

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For a list of my reviews go HERE.

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Peek Inside And Giveaway ~ The Skeleton Faerie By A.P. Mobley

Posted: December 18, 2025 in Dark Fantasy, Excerpt, giveaways
Tags: , ,
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The Skeleton Faerie

By A.P. Mobley

 

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(Children of the Death Gods, #1)
Publication date: November 8th 2025
Genres: Adult, Dark Fantasy, Fantasy, Mythology

Faerie folklore meets a nuclear postapocalypse in this dark mythological fantasy woven with secrets, treachery, and star-crossed love.

Ninety-nine years after the Nuclear War of 1989, twenty-one-year-old Gus Brandon should only be interested in the survival of humanity and the expansion of his compound. But he’s obsessed with legends from the distant past, superstitions of an expired people.

While searching forbidden ruins for the scraps of stories lost to time, he stumbles upon a mysterious young woman covered in scars. Her name is Saoirse, and their meeting sets off a bloody chain of events—one in which Gus discovers that the folklore he loves just might be real, and that it’s tied to mankind in ways he could have never imagined.

Soon the lines between myth and reality blur, as do the lines between realms.

Gus will have to rely on his knowledge—and Saoirse—to survive the horrors awaiting him… in this world and the next.

Goodreads / Amazon / Barnes & Noble / iBooks / Kobo

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Enjoy this peek inside:

When Gus and his teammates were a mere mile from the compound, the sun had almost finished setting, and the temperature had dropped significantly. A breeze grazed the back of his bare neck and arms, sending chills through his body. In every direction, all that was visible were trees, the only noises those of his and his companions’ boots and their animals’ hooves crunching against shriveled grass and fallen leaves. Occasionally, crows—some of them genetically altered, their feathers stained a pinkish color—flapped from branch to branch, their harsh caws piercing the quiet.

Maybe it was because of the extensive amount of folklore he’d been reading, but these days, the dark played tricks on Gus’s eyes, making him see monsters when nothing was there.

Nothing could be there, after all, as the stories he so loved weren’t real.

And even if there was a chance that they were real (and he knew there wasn’t), his compound was on the western side of a mountain range called the Black Hills, located within the fallen United States of America—far, far away from the places those magical tales took place.

Yet he still found himself imagining all manner of malevolent faeries prowling the woods at night. He saw them skulking in the shadows, waiting for the perfect moment to strike.

In masses of collapsed cottonwoods, he imagined there were redcaps hiding, plotting to slaughter any stray travelers passing by.

In murders of crows, he imagined there were sluagh flying, scouring the forest floor for the next unlucky fellow whose soul they might devour.

In fast-moving streams, he imagined there were kelpies biding their time, anticipating the moment a person came close enough to drown and eat.

Thankfully, the logical side of his brain knew he had nothing to worry about—even as far as nonfictional threats went. The worst anyone on scavenge-duty had encountered in the last year was a couple of mountain lions and some rattlesnakes, and although he and his teammates had never run into anything like that, they knew how to take care of it as easily as the other people of the compound had: with bullets.

No one left the compound without a loaded gun and extra ammo.

Gus and his team were safe.

The sun dipped below the horizon, and if it weren’t for the smog blanketing the sky (a lingering effect of the Nuclear War, which the elders said should clear up any decade now), the moon and stars might have lit up the night. The temperature fell even further, clouds of breath filling the air in front of Gus’s face and fogging up his glasses.

“Guess we should have packed our coats,” Nancy remarked as she walked in front of Gus, guiding her pig along. She began to shiver. “I hate when the weather gets like this. Hot during the day, cold at night.”

Twigs cracked to the left. Hand flying to his holster, Gus looked that way, his goat bleating, Nancy’s pig squealing.

A flash of movement in the trees, there and gone in an instant.

“What the . . . ?” Oliver tossed his bundle of birds over his shoulder and retrieved his flashlight, his teeth chattering. He and Adam stood several feet to Gus’s right. “Did you guys see that?”

Adam drew his handgun. “Probably a mountain lion. We’re almost home, so just keep your eyes peeled and your weapons ready.”

“Maybe speed it up a little too,” Gus added, and he and Nancy pulled out their handguns. The team continued toward the compound.

Not five minutes had passed before more branches snapped behind them. Again, the goat bleated, and the pig squealed.

Everyone swung around, preparing to shoot. Oliver shined his flashlight into the trees.

The glow revealed a creature that made Gus’s skin prickle with goose bumps.

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About Author A.P. Mobley:

A. P. Mobley is the Halloween-loving, rock-music-obsessed author of dark fantasy inspired by mythology. She doesn’t only write about her favorite myths, folktales, and fairy tales in books, though; she discusses them on her podcast, Myths (& Folktales & Fairy tales), as well as on her blog and newsletter. She grew up in Wyoming and Nebraska and currently lives in South Dakota, and when she’s not up to her elbows in research for her next project, she can be found consuming dangerous amounts of coffee, reading speculative fiction, or rewatching The Good Place.

Never miss an update from A. P. by signing up for her newsletter. Full list of books and Content Warnings on her website.

Website / Goodreads / Facebook / Instagram / TikTok / Newsletter

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The Skeleton Faerie Blitz

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Spotlight On Rewind To Us By Shells Walter

Posted: December 12, 2025 in Romance, YA Fantasy
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Rewind to Us
by Shells Walter


Rewind to Us
Young Adult Romantic Fantasy
Setting – In a small town, then to California, and part in South Korea 
Publisher ‏ : ‎ Independently Published
Publication Date ‏ : ‎ October 1, 2025
Paperback
Print length ‏ : ‎ 283 pages
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 979-8267898584
Digital ASIN ‏ : ‎ B0FTDTGBGW

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Rewind to Us is a heart-pounding K-Pop romance that asks the ultimate question: Would you choose fame, or the one you love?

Big is the shining star of the hottest K-Pop groups in the world. On stage, he’s adored by millions. Off stage, he’s trapped in a career that no longer feels like his own. Then fate intervenes and he meets Kelly, an ordinary person whose warmth and honesty ignite a spark he never expected. She doesn’t know who he is at first as he is in hiding.

Instant chemistry turns into something deeper, but tragedy soon strikes, forcing Big to make an impossible deal. His career, his freedom, and his love all hang in the balance. Will he ever see Kelly again, or will the choice he makes change both of their lives forever?

Perfect for fans of K-Dramas, BTS, Blackpink, and heartfelt celebrity romances, Rewind to Us is a story of passion, sacrifice, and the courage to fight for love in a world built on fame.

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About Rewind to Us

Shells Walter has been writing for several years, creating stories that span across multiple genres, from mystery to fantasy to contemporary romance. Her work has been recognized in the Top Ten of the Preditors and Editors competition for Dead Practices, showcasing her ability to captivate readers with compelling characters and unforgettable plots.

An avid K-Pop fan, Shells brings her passion for music, fandom culture, and emotional storytelling into her latest work, Rewind to Us. She currently lives on the East Coast with her three cats, where she continues to write, dream, and connect with readers who love stories about resilience, love, and chasing dreams.

Discover more at www.shellswalter.com.

Purchase Links  -Author Site –  Paperback – Ebook   Amazon Paperback    Amazon Digital

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TOUR PARTICIPANTS

December 8 – Books, Ramblings, and Tea – SPOTLIGHT

December 8 – Jody’s Bookish Haven – SPOTLIGHT

December 9 – Boys’ Mom Reads! – SPOTLIGHT

December 10 – Books1987 – SPOTLIGHT

December 11 – Novels Alive – REVIEW

December 12 – FUONLYKNEW – SPOTLIGHT

December 13 – Sarandipity’s – SPOTLIGHT

December 14 – Baroness Book Trove – REVIEW

December 15 – Guatemala Paula Loves to Read – SPOTLIGHT

December 16 – Escape With Dollycas Into A Good Book – SPOTLIGHT

December 17 – Salty Inspirations – SPOTLIGHT

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