A Grim Reaper's Guide to Catching a Killer (A SCYTHE Mystery) by Maxie Dara

A Grim Reaper's Guide to Catching a Killer (A SCYTHE Mystery)
by Maxie Dara
October 1, 2024
Genre: Humorous Fantasy, Women Sleuths
Murder is (literally) not her department, but this grim reaper has to solve one—fast—or her new client won't be able to move on.

Kathy Valence is forty-two, mid-divorce, and pregnant with her ex's baby. She's also a modern-day grim reaper employed by S.C.Y.T.H.E. (Secure Collection, Yielding, and Transportation of Human Essences), but frankly that's the easiest part of her life right now. Or at least it was, until her latest client's soul goes missing.

When she finally tracks down seventeen-year-old Conner Ortiz, he angrily denies he died of natural causes, despite what his file says. He insists that someone at S.C.Y.T.H.E. murdered him, and he demands Kathy find out who and why.

Kathy has only forty-five days to figure out what happened to Conner and help him move on before the boy's soul is doomed to roam the Earth as a ghost forever. She’s forced to rely on the help of her retired mentor, her almost ex-husband—and some sneaky moves by Conner himself. This is the wildest case of her career. . .and one wrong move could cost Kathy her job, not to mention her life.

“This debut paranormal mystery offers humor, love, and a strong cast of characters who form a found family. S.Y.T.H.E. is a fascinating premise that offers great possibilities for future mysteries.”—Library Journal, Starred Review

“Fun and lighthearted despite the presence of death, the characters are relatable and funny, and the paranormal aspects are balanced with the ordinariness of Kathy’s messy life.”—Booklist

"Come for the mystery, stay for the punched-up pairing. This new series is one to watch.”—Kirkus Reviews

“I’d follow this grim reaper anywhere. Wildly creative and impossible to put down, sure to induce both belly laughs and tears, A Grim Reaper's Guide To Catching A Killer is full of heart and soul(s).”—Laura Hankin, author of One-Star Romance

About the Author:
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Maxie Dara is a writer and actor from Ontario, Canada. She has been a freelance journalist focusing on the local arts and culture scene for more than five years, with bylines in publications such as Hamilton Magazine and Beyond James, among others. She is also a two-time award-winning playwright, taking home the Best of Fringe award at the 2017 Hamilton Fringe Festival for the musical comedy This Is Not a Musical: The Musical! and the 2020 Torpedo Prize for her play Alone Together, a pandemic drama. Maxie knew she wanted to be a writer at the age of seven, when she first fell in love with the written word. She also wanted to be a mermaid but has mostly focused on the writing side of things.

Interview: Sci-Fi Thriller Author Audrey Lee + excerpt from THE MECHANICS OF MEMORY

How did you decide to write about memory?
I read a book by Dr. Julia Shaw called The Memory Illusion. I was simultaneously fascinated and horrified about how unreliable our memories are. Basically, our brains are like Swiss cheese: we have gaps in what we remember, and our minds fill in those gaps. And we are highly susceptible to suggestion, to want to please and conform, and to our own confirmation bias.

Dr. Shaw uses her powers for good, but I thought, you can do some pretty shady stuff with that knowledge.

There are many thriller and sci-fi books out there. What makes yours different?
My readers have repeatedly mentioned that the genre-bending nature of The Mechanics of Memory makes it stand out. It’s a psychological thriller with some speculative/techno/scientific elements, but at the heart it’s also a love story.

Do you have another profession besides writing?
I’ve spent over two decades in education, first as an elementary teacher and then as an administrator. Now I work as an educational consultant delivering professional learning to educational institutions around how to build systems for students that are more equitable, compassionate, and socially just.

If your book were made into a movie, what songs would be on the soundtrack?
See my Spotify Playlist here: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/0VoNpqRC6CM1ESYdBwQQRD?si=d8e12ced308f4b2e

Where do you write?
Since I also work from home (mostly), I’m lucky to have my own office.

What is your writing schedule?
I’m an early bird, so I’m usually writing by 5:30. (After I’ve had my coffee and played Wordle and done the NYT Crossword!)

In today’s tech savvy world, most writers use a computer or laptop. Have you ever written parts of your book on paper?
I print out my book on paper when revising. I do the majority of my notetaking and planning on paper. I do use a software called Airtable to create elaborate, color-coded spreadsheets of each novel. I write the actual manuscript on the computer.

Favorite travel spot?
Anywhere I can take my dog and hear the ocean when I fall asleep. That, and Las Vegas.

Favorite dessert?
Van Leeuwen Earl Grey + Honeycomb ice cream, always together.

Any hobbies? or Name a quirky thing you like to do.
It's difficult to explain without sounding like that serial killer from CSI, but sometimes I make miniatures. I've made a mini camper, cheese shop, chocolate shop, apartment in Paris, itty bitty sushi, a flower shop, a mid-century modern house, and a yarn store. I also made a mini Wilder Sanctuary. (https://audreyleeauthor.com/extras/)

(FYI - this is where are the mini pics are: createdbyaudrey.wordpress.com)

What TV series are you currently binge watching?
Shogun

Who was your childhood celebrity crush?
John Taylor from Duran Duran 

 

The Mechanics of Memory
by Audrey Lee
August 27, 2024
Never Forget.

Memory is Copeland-Stark’s business. Yet after months of reconsolidation treatments at their sleek new flagship facility, Hope Nakano still has no idea what happened to her lost year, or the life she was just beginning to build with her one great love. Each procedure surfaces fragmented clues which erode Hope’s trust in her own memories, especially the ones of Luke. As inconsistencies mount, her search for answers reveals a much larger secret Copeland-Stark is determined to protect.

But everyone has secrets, including Hope.

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Praise:
"Audrey Lee's mesmerizing THE MECHANICS OF MEMORY is as complex as it is thrilling. All we ever really have are our memories, but what if those memories aren't real? Lee takes this premise to frightening extremes...Steeped in paranoia and delightfully playful with the concept of reality, THE MECHANICS OF MEMORY is wildly entertaining and, ironically, quite unforgettable."
- Carter Wilson, USA Today bestselling author of The Father She Went to Find

"One Flew over the Cuckoo's Nest meets Inception in Lee's stunning debut. A must read."
- James L'Etoile, award winning author of Dead Drop and Face of Greed.

"The Mechanics of Memory is propulsive and muscular. I hung on every word. A technological thriller that keeps us perched on the edge of our seats as well as our disbelief, Lee pulls it together masterfully. In the end I cried in relief...and instantly wanted more. Can't wait to see what's coming from her next!"
- Linda L. Richards, award-winning author of Dead West and Endings

"The Mechanics of Memory is a swift, twisty speculative novel that grabs you from page one. With engaging characters and intriguing science, the reader is absorbed throughout. For fans of Blake Crouch and other high-end speculative twist rides."
-Shannon Kirk, International-Bestselling author of Method 15/33 and the gold medal-winning The Extraordinary Journey of Vivienne Marshall

"Debut author Audrey Lee has created an intoxicating mix of psychological thriller and domestic drama a la the streaming series Severance. As you take your first steps in The Mechanics of Memory, you will find yourself falling under Lee's spell, unable to leave her world until the very end."
—Naomi Hirahara, USA Today bestselling author of Mary Higgins Clark Award-winning Clark and Division

 

1 | don’t look back
HOPE
The Wilder Sanctuary
Rancho Mirage, California

“And how are the nightmares?”

“Fine.” Hope shifted, pushing stringy hair from her face with her palms. “I haven’t had any this week.”

“None at all?”

Hope shook her head slowly, face impassive.

“That’s important progress.” Dr. Stark looked impressed with his own abilities, as if he’d performed a special magic trick to protect Hope from herself. Perhaps in a way he had.

Dr. Stark jotted notes on his tablet with a pointy gray stylus. “Are you sleeping any better?”

“A little. An hour or two at a time.” It was a lie. She hadn’t slept at all.

Hope focused on the San Jacinto Mountains outside the picture window, framed by the endless blue of the summer sky. Desert sky. It was hard to think about darkness right now, with so much light around her. “Does that mean I’m getting better?”

“As we’ve discussed, it’s important you get concentrated stretches of sleep.” Dr. Stark flipped his tablet to expose the keyboard, typing with a renewed purpose. “It will help you make progress in the Labyrinth.”

The word Labyrinth filled Hope with a viscous dread. She knew she’d visited it dozens of times since arriving at Wilder, though never remembered what had happened there. “I told you I’m never going back.”

“You did,” Dr. Stark said. “But as I said, it’s important to try and push through. It helps you confront what you’re avoiding.”

“I’m not avoiding anything,” Hope said. Another lie.

“I’m increasing your temazepam to thirty milligrams,” Dr. Stark said. “And tomorrow evening I’d like you to spend some time in ViCTR using the Erleben device. Say, forty-five minutes?”

Hope glanced at the ceiling. She wanted a cigarette in the worst way.

“Great,” he said. “Check in with the pharmacy after our session.”

Stark was doing the casual Friday thing that day, though Hope remained uncertain if it was, in fact, Friday. He resembled a prep school student, with his shiny polo shirt and immaculately pressed chinos. The polo looked brand new, still creased in the sleeves and too white, almost blinding. Hope couldn’t picture Dr. Stark performing the tasks of mere mortals: changing the toilet paper, taking out the garbage, shopping for polo shirts. Maybe his wife did all that. Maybe she bought five polo shirts in different colors from Neiman Marcus, hanging them in an orderly row, next to his dry-cleaned Italian suits in clear plastic bags.

“Is there anything else you want to tell me?” Dr. Stark asked, still typing, fingers thin and bare.

“Are you married?”

“Divorced,” he said. “More thoughts about last year, perhaps?”

“Nothing else,” Hope said. She glanced outside again. “Have there been any messages for me?”

“I’m sorry.” Stark shook his head. “But I promise to let you know if there ever are.”

An artificial chime reverberated through the room’s speakers, and Dr. Stark smiled. “We’ll pick up again next week.”

Hope wiped her hands on her pants and rose, heading for the shiny glass door.

“Hope,” Dr. Stark said.

She paused, hand on the doorknob.

“Be well.”

“Be well, Dr. Stark.”

 

About the Author:
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Audrey Lee started writing fiction at the young age of eleven, when she and her best friend co-authored a masterpiece about gallivanting around London with the members of Depeche Mode, Wham!, and Duran Duran. Unfortunately, these spiral notebooks have yet to find a publisher evolved enough to understand the genius buried within. As a result, The Mechanics of Memory is her first work of published fiction.

Before she started writing fiction, Audrey received her master’s degree in education from UC Berkeley (Go Bears!) and spent over two decades in public education. When she isn’t writing books she consults with school districts about creating environments for students that are more equitable, culturally responsive, and socially just.

Audrey lives in the San Francisco Bay Area with her husband, son, and Maltipoo, Luna. When not working, Audrey is compulsively organizing something, bullet journaling, cheering for her son at a dance competition, max betting on a slot machine, or watching the Golden State Warriors with a dirty martini in hand.

Author Marketing Experts tags for social media:
Twitter: @Bookgal
Instagram: @therealbookgal

Cover Reveal: Winds of Change: A Steamy Paranormal Romance Collection

Winds of Change: A Steamy Paranormal Romance Collection
by Katrina Louise, Elvina Payet, Josie Caporetto, Fleur Blüm, Savannah Blaize, Cassandra O'Leary, Andra Ashe, Antonia Garofalo, Sandra Carmel, Michelle Somers
Publication date: October 31st 2024
Genres: Adult, Paranormal, Romance
An accident and a magical breeze will forever alter their destinies…

Weird stuff happens in San Destino. Some accept it without question. Others know and protect its secrets.

Cross the bridge over Starfall Bay to a town where the paranormally gifted live in peaceful anonymity. When ten couples are drawn together during the mystical time of Beltane, their hearts and minds will be challenged and changed.

Whose magical world is threatened? Whose ordinary world will be transformed by magic? Find out in this limited-edition collection of steamy paranormal romances by established and emerging authors.

Goodreads-Pre-order

Excerpt: The Fae King’s Labyrinth (Courts in Conflict Book 2) by Elisa Rae + giveaway

Someone stole Azulin’s true name and now he’s trapped in a labyrinth with a human woman to protect.
But could she be more than a hindrance? Could she be the key to his freedom?

The Fae King’s Labyrinth (Courts in Conflict Book 2)
by Elisa Rae
Genre: Light Fantasy Romance
Someone stole Azulin’s true name. Cursed to ride with the Wild Hunt during each full moon, he is helpless against the Unseelie king’s will. Over the years, the curse’s grip has strengthened, making Azulin’s magic difficult to control. Fighting the curse has exhausted his spirit to the point that he despairs of breaking its hold on him. Then one full moon, the curse places him in a labyrinth, not a hunt. Perhaps this is his chance, or maybe just a new form of torture.

Calypso is a shapeshifter who can’t change form. Living as an unpaid caregiver and laborer in her sister’s household, her presence is barely tolerated in their insular community. When a strange fae threatens her pregnant sister, Calypso sacrifices herself. Perhaps an honorable death would give her life purpose. Instead, she ended up fighting for her life in a pitch-black labyrinth.

The Fae King’s Labyrinth is a light, fantasy romance novella about a relationship between a Seelie fae and a mortal woman. It features fae, found family, fated mates, and a romance between a noble and a commoner, played out in a perilous maze and an equally dangerous fae court.

Amazon-Bookbub-Goodreads

Calypso
“We should walk faster,” I informed my elder sister as I eyed the treeline in the fading light.

Mist rose as the evening air cooled around us, and fog gathered around the roots of the trees along the meadow’s edge. Although a field lay between the trees and us, my instincts nagged at me. Something was watching us. Shadows deepened where the setting sun’s golden rays didn’t quite reach into the depths beneath the tightly packed trees. Autumn was upon us, gilding the leaves gold and crimson, but it hadn’t yet stripped the wood’s branches bare.

“We have plenty of time yet,” Mindy protested. She adjusted her grip on the full basket of cut rushes, absentmindedly caressing her slightly rounded belly with her free hand. The child within had only just grown to the point that his or her presence was obvious. Mindy’s wimple slipped, revealing some of her pretty blond tresses. “The sun hasn’t touched Aldin Mountain yet.” She jutted her chin toward the mountain looming on the northwestern horizon, the nearest of the Arista Peaks. “We have less than a mile to go. Stop being such a worrier.”

I eyed the shadows warily. As an adult who never shifted forms, my role in our small, exclusive community of shapeshifters was to protect our secrets, our young, and our community. Truthfully, my dedication to the role did occasionally make me see things that weren’t there. However, this time, my warning was for valid reasons.

“The shadows in the woods are moving.” My gaze followed the flutter of what might have been a wing as a creature moved from treetop to tree trunk just beyond the edge of the mist. “The full moon rises in two days, and the risk of encountering fae grows high.”

“Cautious Callie jumping at shadows.” Mindy rolled her eyes. “The edge of the Wild Woods is miles that way.” She waved toward the northwest. “The fae don’t stir until well after dark, and even then, they don’t stray this far from their borders, except during the moon hunts. By then, we will be safely home. Here, take the basket.” She extended it toward me as we approached the stile.

Juggling my load—a large bundle of rushes—so it was under one arm, I took her basket on my other. I mounted the stile first, climbing over it with ease while balancing my load. Mindy moved more slowly.

“Once we reach home,” she said as she climbed, “you need to clear up the dried rushes so we can lay these out next.” The pair of us wove baskets during the winter evenings. Then in the spring, we sold them at the local market to supplement her husband’s meager earnings as a shepherd.

I eyed the horizon. The sun sank behind Aldin’s peak, and the mountain’s dark shadow crept across the valley toward us.

An animal cry came from the direction of the Wild Woods. I turned toward it, straining my ears for another sound.

Another call came from much closer. I couldn’t place the sound. Was it a magical creature or something common? Did it sound distressed or was it hunting?

A third cry—eerie, haunting, and far too close—rent the air. My latent magic responded with absolute confidence. The creature, whatever it was, was hunting. We needed to reach cover and fast. “Mindy—”

“I hear it,” my sister snapped, already in motion. “The Lindrens’ farm is closest.” I turned toward the farm, only to freeze.

A giant, grotesque horse galloped toward us from the south. On its back rode a monstrously large fae clothed in flowing black livery lined in red; it flashed like blood against the night as he rode. A dark helm covered his features, and his cloak billowed out around him, tattered edges fluttering in the wind. We had no time to run.

I dropped my burdens in the trampled grass and lunged for my sister. Dragging her off the stile, I shoved her down into the tall grasses on our side of the wall. She squawked softly before I told her about the mounted specter bearing down on us.

“Shift,” I ordered. She opened her mouth to protest, but I cut her off. “Think of the child. Run for home.”

She snapped her mouth shut and shifted. Moments later, a pregnant orange tabby slunk through the tall grasses in the shade of the tumbledown wall. Tail down and body stretched low, she raced for the edge of the meadow.

I stood and climbed over the stile. Horse and rider pounded across the field, hooves kicking up clods of dirt as they plowed toward the wall. At the last possible moment before running me down, the rider yanked back savagely on the reins. The horse reared, screaming his protest at the abuse. I ducked to avoid the flying clumps of dirt from the horse’s pawing hooves.

The horse came down hard on all four legs, shaking the ground.

“Human, straighten up!” the fae ordered, magic lacing his voice. It flooded over the trampled grass, winding around my body and enticing my limbs to obey. But having shapeshifter blood made me invulnerable to compelling magic. It made sense considering the contrariness of Feline nature, my father said.

However, I didn’t want the fae to know that. So, I stood and faced him. “What do you want?” “Silence!” The edges of the fae’s cloak whipped in a nonexistent wind as his magic flared around me. His eyes flashed red beneath the helm. The compelling magic intensified, tightening its grip on me.

The rider looming above me straightened in his saddle, stabilizing himself as though preparing for something. He drew a scroll from beneath his robes. “You have trespassed into the Fae Realm. The penalty is death, but on this day, his great and mighty highness has chosen to show mercy…”

I doubted any plans a fae king made for a captured human would be merciful. For many seasons now, the Unseelie king had run his Wild Hunts over the human lands bordering on the Great Wild Woods. Magical horses laid wreck and ruin over wide swaths of farmland monthly, trampling crops and terrorizing livestock. Plus, at least one child or young maiden disappeared every fortnight. The losses had gotten so bad that our elders were discussing moving the community eastward. Even the unchanged communities were migrating.

I had tuned out the fae’s droning as he continued praising his master, but then the fae stiffened and silenced.

“Weren’t there two of you?”

My heart stuttered against my ribs. “No.” There had been three of us if I counted my unborn niece or nephew. Surely Mindy was halfway home by now. Remember the kit, Calypso, I admonished myself. The longer I kept this fae occupied, the more distance Mindy could cover. Protecting the young was my purpose in the community. If I died, so be it.

The fae scanned the horizon, the golden rays of the fading sunlight glinting off the black metal surface of his helm. “One will have to be enough,” he muttered before sitting back in his saddle. Turning his full attention to me, he extended the hand holding the scroll and uttered a word I didn’t recognize. The air sizzled and the acrid smell of ancient magic burned my sensitive nose. I sneezed, missing whatever other words the fae uttered.

By the time I opened my eyes again, it was to glimpse him thrusting an emphatic finger at me. The scroll was open and glowing, sending another blast of acidic magic in my direction, and I fell helplessly into a violent sneezing attack.

The fae uttered a word that shook the ground beneath my feet. The dirt parted and swallowed me up into darkness.

The Unseelie's Wallflower (Courts in Conflict Book 1)
Greyson hides many things from the Unseelie Court when they invade his estate each autumn for the Wild Hunt. During his required appearance as host, he is surprised to find a human among the glittering fae. She can see him even when he is using his stealth magic, which means only one thing—they are soul mates. Can he protect her amidst the swirl of fae politics and a plot against her life?

Lyra has grown up among the fae. She has been trained to be the perfect servant. Then her master brings her to the Unseelie Court event of the year and demands she demonstrate her skills to nobles. With the promise of freedom as a motivator, she willingly agrees. Then she realizes her master’s true plan thanks to the intimidating fae lord hosting the event. Though why he would be invested in her fate is a mystery.

The Unseelie’s Wallflower is a light, fantasy romance novella about a relationship between an Unseelie and a human woman. It features faes, fated mates, and a romance between a noble and a servant, all played out against a backdrop of the peril, politics, and maneuverings of the Unseelie Court.

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About the Author
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A reader of fairytales and folklore, Elisa Rae loves a happy ending. Noblebright characters, dastardly villains, and chemistry between characters delight her. When she isn’t writing, she loves to watch superhero movies and literary dramas.

Elisa Rae is the pen name of Rachel Rossano.

Giveaway
$20 Amazon
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New Release: The Hitchcock Hotel by Stephanie Wrobel

The Hitchcock Hotel
by Stephanie Wrobel
September 24, 2024
352 pages
Publisher: Berkley

Genre: Psychological Thrillers, suspense
A Hitchcock fanatic with an agenda invites old friends for a weekend stay at his secluded themed hotel in this fiendishly clever, suspenseful new novel from the international bestselling author of Darling Rose Gold.

Alfred Smettle is not your average Hitchcock fan. He is the founder, owner, and manager of The Hitchcock Hotel, a sprawling Victorian house in the White Mountains dedicated to the Master of Suspense. There, Alfred offers his guests round-the-clock film screenings, movie props and memorabilia in every room, plus an aviary with fifty crows.

To celebrate the hotel’s first anniversary, he invites his former best friends from his college Film Club for a reunion. He hasn’t spoken to any of them in sixteen years, not after what happened.

But who better than them to appreciate Alfred’s creation? And to help him finish it.

After all, no Hitchcock set is complete without a body.

Amazon

Praise

“[T]his locked-room mystery contains masterful pacing, with suspense built around the identity of the victim and then the discovery of the killer. Wrobel’s third novel (after This Might Hurt, 2022) artfully blends suspense with mystery, tying in quotes from Hitchcock as well as research about his work that will be intriguing to Hitchcock amateurs and aficionados alike.”
—Booklist (starred review)

“Hugely readable and tremendous fun. As twisty as a Hitchcock film, full of mystery and suspense, this is a hotel I recommend checking into – even if there’s no guarantee you’ll make it out alive…”
—Alex Michaelides, #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Silent Patient and The Fury

“Fans of Knives Out, Agatha Christie, and (of course) Alfred Hitchcock, rejoice! The Hitchcock Hotel is cool, classy – but such fun; reverent – yet so original. And – above all – almost biologically impossible to put down once picked up. Hitchcock would’ve loved it. I sure as hell did.”
—AJ Finn, #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Woman in the Window and End of Story

“A slow burn of suspense, secrets, and lies that—in true Hitchcockian fashion—explodes into a series of twists, each more jaw-dropping than the last.”
— Riley Sager, New York Times bestselling author of Middle of the Night

“With gasp-worthy twists and razor-sharp wit, Stephanie Wrobel pays brilliant tribute to Alfred Hitchcock’s legacy in The Hitchcock Hotel. When five college friends gather at one’s Hitchcock-themed hotel, dangerous secrets from the past refuse to stay buried. Trapped with no way out, they must figure out the mastermind behind the increasingly disturbing incidents to stay alive. A masterful, perfectly plotted Hitchcockian tale for our times.”
—Julia Bartz, New York Times bestselling author of The Writing Retreat

“The Hitchcock Hotel is not only enthralling and suspenseful, but author Stephanie Wrobel has managed to craft a wholly original thriller filled with the pleasures of homage and a tribute to one of the great suspense storytellers. Like any Hitchcock film, prepare for fantastic twists, complex characters, and an ending you’ll think about long after THE END.”
—Vanessa Lillie, USA Today bestselling author of Blood Sisters

About the Author
https://stephaniewrobel.com/
Stephanie Wrobel is an international and USA Today bestselling author. Her debut, Darling Rose Gold, has sold rights in twenty-one countries and was a finalist for the Edgar® Award for Best First Novel. Wrobel grew up in Chicago and now lives in New York City.

New Release: The Village Library Demon-Hunting Society by C. M. Waggoner

In case you’ve missed anything about it, THE VILLAGE LIBRARY DEMON-HUNTING SOCIETY is a must-read for fans of murder mysteries infused with whimsy and the paranormal, as well as readers of The Eyre Affair and The Midnight Library. The story is a riotous mix of Buffy the Vampire Slayer meets Murder, She Wrote following a librarian with a knack for solving murders who soon realizes there is something supernatural afoot in her cozy little town. Truly the perfect Halloween-season read!

  

The Village Library Demon-Hunting Society
by C. M. Waggoner 

September 24, 2024

Publisher: Ace

A librarian with a knack for solving murders soon realizes there is something supernatural afoot in her little town in this cozy fantasy mystery.

Librarian Sherry Pinkwhistle keeps finding bodies—and solving murders. But she's concerned by just how many killers she's had to track down in her quaint village. None of her neighbors seem surprised by the rising body count...but Sherry is becoming convinced that whatever has been causing these deaths is unnatural.
 

But when someone Sherry was close to ends up dead, and her cat, Lord Thomas Crowell, is possessed by what seems to be an ancient demon, Sherry realizes she is going to need an exorcist more than a detective. With the help of her town's new priest and an assortment of friends who dub themselves the "Demon Hunting Society," Sherry needs to solve the murder and get rid of the demon.
 

This riotous mix of Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Murder, She Wrote is a lesson for demons and murderers alike: Never mess with a librarian.

Amazon

 

Praise for the novels of C. M. Waggoner

“Much of the comedy in Ms. Waggoner's story comes from the clash between Delly's Dickensian world, where ‘red drip’ takes the place of cheap gin, and the Jane Austen realm of arranged marriages, footmen, and careful distinctions between ladies and lady-adjacent personages....There's great fun in figuring out the rules of the game.”
—The Wall Street Journal

“With this winning ensemble adventure, Waggoner again proves her skill at crafting immersive, historically flavored fantasy.”
—Publishers Weekly (starred review)

“[a] spellbinding debut novel”
—BookBub

About the Author
Website
C. M. Waggoner grew up in rural upstate New York, where she spent a lot of time reading fantasy novels in a swamp. She studied creative writing at SUNY Purchase and lived in China for eight years before moving with her husband to Albany, NY. In her spare time, she volunteers, performs kitchen experiments, asks if she can pet your dog, and gardens badly.

Gothic/Fairy Tale Romance: Song of the Dark Wood by Sheila Masterson

Song of the Dark Wood
by Sheila Masterson
September 20, 2024
Genre: Gothic/Fairy Tale Romance
😍 He falls first
👻 Girls who see ghosts
🙅🏻‍♀️ Bodily Autonomy
😡 Feminine Rage: The Fairy Tale
🌳 Haunted Forest
🩸 Wound Tending
💀 Touch her and dye
🎶 Music based magic system
😠 A grumpy god of death
😈 He can make me worse > i can fix him

For centuries, the people of remote Ballybrine have kept the peace with their gods by sacrificing a Red Maiden to ferry souls from the Mother’s realm of the living, through the Dark Wood, to the Wolf’s realm of the dead. Soon it will be Rowan’s turn.

Ripped from her family as a young girl, Rowan Cleary has been forced into a cloistered life learning to please the wolf and wield her spirit-enchanting voice. Though none of the previous maidens have survived their five-year term, Rowan is determined to beat the odds and protect the women who have become family to her.

When a deathly blight breaks out in the Dark Wood, and the acting maiden is murdered, Rowan vows to strike a new bargain with the god of death to ensure her survival. The Wolf has always been someone to fear—even more so now that the townspeople blame him for the blight—but he’s far from the vengeful death god she expects.

To unravel the mystery, Rowan must seduce the Wolf. Soon, the attraction between them grows into a relentless magical force, threatening to shatter the delicate balance between realms and unleash a darkness eager to swallow their world.

SONG OF THE DARK WOOD is a standalone gothic fairy tale fantasy romance that blends a fractured Red Riding Hood retelling with a hint of Hades and Persephone. This "coming of rage" character-driven romance follows Rowan Cleary as she tries to free herself from an oppressive cultish religion and seduce the grumpy god of death Wolf. This atmospheric, spicy, dark romantasy is perfect for fans of feminine rage, strong female friendships, unique magic systems, angsty romance, and ominous mysteries. This book will appeal to readers who enjoyed Rachel Gillig's ONE DARK WINDOW, Rebecca Ross's A RIVER ENCHANTED, and Hannah Whitten's FOXGLOVE KING.

PRE-ORDER HERE


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Midnight Lullabies: Unquiet Stories and Poems by Jonathan Maberry

Midnight Lullabies: Unquiet Stories and Poems
by Jonathan Maberry
September 17, 2024
www.wordfirepress.com
It's dark out there...and it lasts a long time...

Midnight Lullabies: Unquiet Stories and Poems is a collection of the horror short stories and poems-both old and new-by New York Times bestselling author and 5-time Bram Stoker Award-winner, Jonathan Maberry.

In the darkest hours of the night the natural world yields to the creatures who dwell in the dark. A serial killer who adopts orphaned children during the apocalypse; a heartbreaking reconciliation of two estranged brothers; a paralyzed MMA fighter receiving an offer he can't refuse; strange voices crying out from the heart of a collapsed mountain; a little girl who enlists the aid of the monsters in her closet to battle cosmic horror; a delicious revenge by a refugee from the death camps; rednecks battling zombies; a terrified child whose family has become monsters; Earth-borne horrors taking hold on an alien world; and more! Plus, new horror tales and eerie poems.

With a foreword by New York Times bestselling author, Joe R. Lansdale.

About the author:
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JONATHAN MABERRY is a New York Times bestselling author, 5-time Bram Stoker Award-winner, 4-time Scribe Award winner, Inkpot Award winner, editor, and comic book writer. His vampire apocalypse book series, V-WARS, was a Netflix original series. He writes in multiple genres including suspense, thriller, horror, science fiction, fantasy, and action; for adults, teens and middle grade. He is the editor many anthologies including The X-Files, Aliens: Bug Hunt, Don’t Turn Out the Lights, Nights of the Living Dead, and others. His comics include Black Panther: DoomWar, Captain America, Pandemica, Highway to Hell, The Punisher and Bad Blood. He is the editor of Weird Tales Magazine, and the president of the International Association of Media Tie-in Writers. Website: www.jonathanmaberry.com Find @jonathanmaberry on Instagram, Twitter, and Threads; and https://www.facebook.com/jonathan.maberry.5/

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Secrets of the Dead (Lost Souls Series Book 1) by Shiela Stewart + giveaway

He can commune with the dead.

She’s a diehard skeptic.

When they get trapped together with the ghost of a child long forgotten, will they be able to resist their pull to each other and still solve a spine-tingling mystery that might just be better left buried?

Secrets of the Dead (Lost Souls Series Book 1)
by Shiela Stewart
Genre: Paranormal Romance, Supernatural Mystery
Jessica Coltrane is a diehard sceptic who believes ghosts and paranormal activity are nothing more than a figment of an overactive imagination. That is until she finds herself locked inside a haunted house with the enigmatic paranormal investigator C.J. Dowling.

Born with the ability to see and speak to the dead, C.J. Dowling thought investigating a haunted house would be a job like many others. He’s prepared for anything—except smart and sexy Jessica.

Working together in close quarters, C.J. and Jessica discover it isn’t only negative tension between them but sexual as well. Giving in to their desires seems like a good idea until they wake and find the spirits thought otherwise.

They are trapped with the ghost of a child long forgotten, an amorous entity threatening Jessica, and a powder keg of a spine-tingling mystery that might just be better left buried.
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Innocence of the Dead (Lost Souls Series Book 2)
And when Sam learns the identity of the murderer, it puts her in their crosshairs. Unless Ethan can get to her in time, their romance will have a deadly end.
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Revenge of the Dead (Lost Souls Series Book 3)
Will Sam risk having her heart broken by telling Ethan, and can she get the spirit to talk before it’s too late?
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About the Author
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Shiela Stewart is a paranormal suspense author with a writing history that stems back to her youth. Always a dreamer, wondering if her stories would ever reach an audience, she was finally published in 2006 and hasn’t stopped since. It is rare to find a stand-alone book as she prefers series stories. Her longest running series to date is her Darkness series which is a vampire romance.

Her joy for scary suspense is evident in each of her books. She has had several accomplishments including fighting for the top spot in rankings with author Stephany Myers, receiving glowing reviews as well as interviews on television.

When not writing, Shiela spends her time with the love of her life, William, and their children and grandchildren. She enjoys getting her hands dirty, working in her gardens and planting flowers. Her strong affection for animals is evident in the many cats, fish and birds she cares for.

Her favorite time of day is at sunset.

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Excerpt: Pirates in Hell A Heroes in Hell Anthology created by Janet Morris + giveaway

Black heart buccaneers face fiery seas, monstrous krakens, and the wrath of the Devil himself! 

Pirates in Hell: A Heroes in Hell Anthology
created by Janet Morris
Genre: Dark Fantasy Pirate Anthology
Avast, ye readers! Here be Pyrates! Feast yer eyes on the cursed treasures before you! Hoist the skull 'n' crossbones! Walk the plank with hell's sorest losers! Join the damnedest buccaneers and privateers ever to sail infernal seas. Here be twelve tales of piracy spun by Janet Morris, Chris Morris, Nancy Asire, Paul Freeman, Larry Atchley Jr, Rob Hinkle, Michael H. Hanson, Joe Bonadonna, Andrew P. Weston, S.E. Lindberg, and Jack William Finley. Corsairs, freebooters and plunderers shiver their timbers and meet their fates as the devil's dupes learn why the deeper in hell you go, the colder it gets.

The depths of hell chill the boldest sinner as damned souls learn why the deeper in hell you go, the colder it gets.

Inside you’ll find:

Bitter Business – Janet Morris and Chris Morris
Pieces of Hate – Andrew P. Weston
Evil Angel – Janet Morris and Chris Morris
Who’s a Pirate Now? – Nancy Asire
Curse of the Pharaohs – S.E. Lindberg
Lir’s Children – Paul Freeman
Unholiest Grail – Larry Atchley, Jr.
The Bitter Taste of Hell’s Injustice – Jack William Finley
Serial Recall and Beautiful Tortures – Michael H. Hanson
Drink and the Devil – Rob Hinkle
The Pirates of Penance – Joe Bonadonna
Muse of Fire – Janet Morris and Chris Morris
Hell Hounds (excerpt) – Andrew P. Weston

**On Sale for Only $2.99 for September Only!**
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Excerpt from Pirates in Hell – Unholiest Grail by Larry Atchley, Jr.



Over the threshold and into the shop strode a man with wavy shoulder-length brown hair and a mustache turned up at the ends with styling wax. He wore a tailored blue frock coat, tan trousers neatly pressed. He waded through ankle-deep standing water in black leather knee-high boots. “Welcome to Hellish Curiosities and Clothiers,” LaVey said. “Can I interest you in anything in particular?”

“Hell-o to you as well, my damned man,” the patron said in an oratorical voice. “My name is Sir Henry Morgan. I have heard it said that your shop is the place where the rarest items of special interest may be found.”

“So true. So true.” Purring, LaVey stroked his black goatee. Finally, a viable customer. “We specialize in unobtanium. What, precisely, are you looking for, dear sir?”

“A product. A very special product,” said Morgan. “I’ve heard rumors that a cup exists, a special cup — a cup which, when filled with alcoholic libations or possibly any liquid, allows the drinker to actually become inebriated. As I’m sure you can imagine, such an item would be very much in demand.”

“Your reputation does precede you, Sir. And your predilection for strong drink is well known.” LaVey said. “Do you know that, after your death topside, an entire rum distillery company was named after you?”

“Heh, oh yes.” Morgan grinned. “But they got my image all wrong on the labels. I’ve never worn anything so gaudy as that outfit they portray.”

“If such a cup were in my possession,” LaVey responded, “its purchase price would be quite dear. Only a select few of the damned would be able to afford such an item.”

“Naturally.” Morgan shrugged. “I have considerable resources at my disposal. What would you charge for such a wondrous unholy relic . . . If you possessed it, that is.”

“If an unholy grail such as you describe actually exists,” LaVey said carefully, “surely His Satanic Majesty would never allow a mere sinner to possess it. His rules forbid the pleasure of drunkenness to the damned, as you surely know. To own such an item would mean risking the wrath of all the lords of the latter-day hells.”

Morgan drew close to LaVey and said archly, “Mister LaVey, let’s end this charade, shall we? Everyone knows you deal in certain items of supposedly mystical, or even reputedly mythical, powers. Scuttlebutt has it that most of what you sell is counterfeit rubbish, that—”

“Rubbish!” LaVey interrupted. “I’ve never been so insulted in all my—”

“Wait! Let me finish,” Morgan ordered. “However, some souls whisper that not everything you sell is a sham. A certain spear comes to mind.”

“Now see here, my good sir! That whole business about a certain spear got me into a great deal of trouble with His Satanic Majesty. I’d really rather not discuss the topic further.”

“As you wish.” Morgan licked his lips. “I shall merely point out that if someone in New Hell knows where to find this unholy grail, you are that someone. You claim to run the only place where such items can be found. ‘Unobtanium’ you call it. It would be in your best interest to actually have this item, the fabled ‘real deal’. You’d be discreet about it, of course, so as not to rouse the suspicions of the Devil’s Children. So naturally you couldn’t advertise that you possess such a cup. Thus my question to you remains: Do you in fact have it? And, if you do, what would it cost me to buy it? Alternatively, if you don’t now have it, could you get it upon for a qualified buyer? Name your price, and I will gladly pay it.”

LaVey pensively rubbed his Mephistophelian goatee, thinking what riches might be his, could he find so important a relic for this inveterate privateer, once lieutenant governor of Jamaica, whence he’d raided settlements far and wide with such single-minded rapacity that he secured a license to attack and seize Spanish vessels for the English Crown. “If I’m going to risk His Satanic Majesty’s ire, my price will be substantial.”

“A soul could name his own price for an item that can make this hellish existence less vexing.” Morgan grimaced. “Only from great risk comes great reward.”

“Yes, great indeed,” LaVey said. But where in hell could it be, this grail which Morgan so desired that he’d buy it rather than steal it? Returning from the storeroom to the selling floor with a crystal sphere in her fingers, Madam Blavatsky caught LaVey’s attention, casting furtive glances toward the back room. “Excuse me, Captain Morgan,” said LaVey and followed her into the back, which smelled disconcertingly of mildew.

Once out of Morgan’s sight, Blavatsky sucked on the corners of her toothless mouth and whispered, “For ‘great reward’, we may be able to assist him. This grail has shown itself to me.”

LaVey lit up like a cannon fuse. “You know where it is? Why haven’t you mentioned anything about this before,” LaVey demanded of the infuriating, self-proclaimed mystagogue and leading proponent of Theosophy.

“Because no one has asked about it until now,” she replied. “Why must I have as my assistant the greatest idiot savant of the modern age?”

“I’ve only now seen a vision of it while you and the customer were bantering about its price,” Blavatsky said, giving him a nasty sidelong glare.

La Vey took Madam Blavatsky’s arm, and the two nonchalantly made their way to where Morgan stood, staring through the storefront window, holding a pair of brass Carl Zeiss Jena binoculars close to squinting eyes. “I don’t have it right now, but we know where the cup may be found,” LaVey said to Morgan. “One million diablos is my finder’s fee,” LaVey said.

“Whoa ho!” Morgan exclaimed. “You’ve the soul of a buccaneer. A princely sum indeed. Very well, Mister LaVey, you shall have your price—if and when you produce the cup. The real grail, the goblet of my desire, of course, and not some simulacrum.”

“Of course, Sir Henry.” LaVey rubbed his hands together, sensually anticipating the feel of all those diablos under his sweating palms. “To deliver, I must mount an expedition. Would you like to join us?”

“Join you? On an expedition? I’ll lead any expedition my diablos fund. First I must needs muster a crew—reavers who’ll take my orders, not yours. Even in hell, he who has the gold makes the rules.” Morgan chuckled at his own levity.

About the Author
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Larry Atchley Jr. is a writer of primarily science fiction, fantasy, horror, and poetry. His other interests include Qi-Gong Kung Fu, British Humour, hiking, mountain biking, everything about tea, sword fencing, traditional archery, reading and collecting books, and playing harmonica and guitar. He is a crewmember of the piratical poetry and musical performance group The Seadog Slam and is frequently a guest author at various literary conventions and other events. He is a contributing author to Janet Morris’s Heroes in Hell series. You can read his blog, The Short Pale Writer in the Long Black Coat, at www.larryatchleyjr.wordpress.com.

Giveaway
Choice of print or ebook of Pirates in Hell,
$10 Amazon gift card,
1 winner each!
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Excerpt: Bloodstone (Lost Witch Book One) by H. R. Sinclair

Bloodstone (Lost Witch Book One)
by H. R. Sinclair
September 22, 2024
Genre: Urban Fantasy
Publisher: H. R. Sinclair
ISBN: 9798329367645
ASIN B0CTHQJJTF
Number of pages: 290
Word Count: 76k
Cover Artist: H. R. Sinclair
Family secrets hold the key to buried
magic. Her legacy awaits.
Katelyn Grey is a gardener in Southern California. She’s content with pruning
shrubs and looking after her step-mom, the only family she has left. That is, until a
lawyer shows up and tells her that her long-lost aunt died, leaving her the family
home on the other side of the country.
Though Katelyn hates to travel, a weird clause in her aunt’s will forces her to visit
a quaint New England seaside town. Her world changes when she discovers she’s
inherited a haunted brownstone, fickle magic, and a hidden key that someone else
wants. And they’re willing to kill for it.
Now, she must learn how to use magic, find the key, and figure out what it’s for
before she ends up like her long-lost aunt. Dead. 

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Excerpt:
Small colored flecks danced in the sunlight. They darted back and forth. They rushed me,
encircling me, round and round, faster and faster, creating a whirlwind of color that made me
woozy. I began swaying before the flecks scattered. They swooped and gathered in front of me,
coalescing into the shape of a small, translucent woman. She hovered several feet off the ground,
sparkling like multicolored glitter and moving like an ethereal ballerina.
When she spoke, it echoed a thousand voices speaking in harmony. “Fáilte. Welcome.
We are the Breena. You are of Andraste.”
“I’m Katie.” Wariness crept into my voice. The family books read Andraste. “Yeah, I
think I’m Andraste.”
“Yes. You wear the Taith, a gift of the Breena.” She gestured to the traveling boots. “We
are pleased to see them in this form. It has been long since the clan Andraste has visited. Tell us, what has become of sweet Clara and her quest?”
She—they—knew Clara? “I’m sorry, she died.”
“That is unfortunate. We liked Clara. You are taking up the quest?”
My stomach dropped. They may have said it as a question, but it sounded like a
statement. “I ... I didn’t know my Aunt Clara, and I don’t know anything about a quest. I’m not
the right person to talk to.”
“Yes, she was given the quest. As she is no longer, the task falls to the next in line.”
“Is this an optional type of quest?”
“It is your charge.”
“Well, I’m not the next in line. That’s probably my uncle. I’ll put him in touch with you.”
The Breena moved closer to me. One of the little flecks zipped from one side of her face
to the other. “You are next in line. You wear the blessing. You are of Andraste, Keepers of
Secrets, Guardians of Mamwlada. You are the Legacy. Protector of the Light. You will take up
the quest. Find the Oubusch. Find the Others before the gates open. Stop the disciples of Morus.”
“Find what now?”
“Find the Oubusch. Find the Others before the gates open. Stop the disciples of Morus
before they break the lock.” The Breena’s voice reverberated off my skin.
I swallowed. “Who’s Morus? What gate? What others? What’s an Oubusch, and how do I
find it?”
“The Oubusch will lead you to the Others. Find the Stone, find the Others.”
“But how?”
“Open the box. Use the sundial.” The words rhythmic like a song. Her essence oscillated,
and her form began to melt away.
“Wait, what box?”
“What is there is here, what is here is not there. You must hurry, time is ending.” With
that, the flecks disbursed, and she was gone.
“Wait, please, I don’t understand.” No one answered.

 

About the Author:
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H. R. Sinclair is a left-handed hermit prepping for
the squirrel apocalypse. She was born and raised in
Southern California, but now lives and works in
New England. She writes fantastical stories and
visits cemeteries for inspiration.

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A gardener inherits a haunted brownstone, fickle magic, and a hidden key that
someone else wants. And they’re willing to kill for it.
#bloodstonewitch #lostwitch