5 Stars
Lynn Shaw

Heartmender has been sitting on my shelf for over a year. I was drawn to this book because of the cover. It’s beautiful and I needed it on my shelf.  So there it sat looking all pretty and decorative but really had no other purpose. Then book 2 came out with an equally stunning cover.  I had to own the series. My collection could not be incomplete, so I ordered the second book and placed it on my shelf.  Prior to the third and final book releasing, a friend recommended I read the series. Easily swayed by this friend’s excellent taste in fiction, I dived into book 1, Heartmender. 

Y’all… why didn’t more people tell me how great this book was?  I was hooked from page 1. The characters were so detailed and alive. The story was well paced and intriguing. I loved how Ophidian’s challenges followed the seven deadly sins.  Great tie in! If he offered me a lazy room filled with books and a comfy bed, Ophidian would have had me. The MC, Adelaide, was selfless, loving, caring, and smart. I couldn’t help but cheer her on through the seven doors.  
​
I loved the way the author took religion and weaved it into a fantasy novel. The story was beautifully written. I can’t wait to continue the series.

​V. Romas Burton grew up bouncing up and down the East Coast where she wrote her first story about magical ponies at age seven. Years later, after studying government and earning an M.A. in Theological Studies, V. Romas Burton realized something even bigger was calling out to her--stories that contained great adventures and encouraging messages. Her debut novel, Heartmender, has won several awards including: First Place in Young Adult for the 2020 Next Generation Indie Book Awards, Second Place in Juvenile/ Young Adult for the 2021 Illumination Book Awards and tied for Third Place for Young Adult Fiction- Fantasy/ Sci- Fi in the 2020 Moonbeam Children's Awards. You can find future updates and news on her website: www.vromasburton.com

If you are looking for an edge of your seat psychological thriller, look no further than Mary Gray's The Girl At The Hanging Tree. ~ Lynn 

Gemma Louise Coldiron has two personalities. One is herself - easygoing, curious, and travel-hungry. The other is a dictatorial other half named Tansy, who only lets Gemma come out of their Victorian mansion to do the shopping every two weeks.

Gemma also has amnesia, and Tansy’s too busy painting macabre art to be forthcoming about their past. The town speaks to Gemma about a “Mr. Hardin”, and it doesn’t take her long to learn she was married to the oil tycoon before he mysteriously went missing.

While Gemma begs Tansy to tell her more about their life with the handsome stranger, Gemma soon learns that the town harbors a secret society. And Mr. Hardin? He was the leader.
​
If Gemma can’t figure out what happened while maintaining her volatile relationship with Tansy, the town will assume Gemma killed Mr. Hardin - and even more alters will take root in Gemma’s already crowded mind.
An acutely observed modern-day psychological thriller that plunges into the daunting abyss of mental illness, community indoctrination, and cult group-mind.

S​ometimes the end of the rainbow...is the belly of a beast.

When the Blackouts' search for the legendary Wishing Mist leads them to a maple syrup festival in the town of Mapleton, sticky situations abound. Bodies are going missing from the local funeral parlor, hellhound gypsies prowl the woods, giant, automaton teddy bears may or may not be staging a hostile takeover, and there's a whopping good chance that will-o'-the-wisps, the magical inhabitants of the Wishing Mist, are behind it all.

Even with help from their future selves and a time traveling diary, Rose and Marek have their hands full (and not just with ice cream cones from a parlor that services the living as well as the dead). The will-o'-the-wisps were responsible for bringing them together five years ago, and now it looks like the only way to stop their mischief is to find the Wishing Mist and wish it out of existence--will-o'-the-wisps included.

Some thank-you for the greatest friendship in the multiverse, huh?

Must read Legend of the Storm Sneezer first. See my review of LOTSS at https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/51456027-legend-of-the-storm-sneezer

Legend of the Rainbow Eater/The Stormwatch Diaries Bk 2
4 Stars

Once again Kristiana Sfirlea has hit a home run. She has a talent for weaving a complex, magical, and somewhat horrifying tale of granny snatchers and killer teddy bears. Yeah, you read that right! I'm feeling relieved that at my age most of my stuffed animals are packed in a tote in the closet. Save for a few precious ones on my bookshelves, but they would never... Would they? I digress. 

I love that while LOTRE is a fun, adventurous, and wild ride, at the heart of it this story is about family (not just the blood ones), friends, and faith. This is the perfect series to read with your kids but is enjoyable enough for adults too.  I seriously want to visit Mapleton and eat rigor mortis cream at the Two Parlors. Maybe minus the Scare Bears though. 

If you love magic, time travel, all sorts of wild creatures, and unique characters then LOTRE is the book (the series? for you!

​

​Kristiana Sfirlea is a writer of MG fantasy involving time travel and things that go bump in the night. Her debut novel LEGEND OF THE STORM SNEEZER received the 5-Star seal from Readers' Favorite and released May 5th, 2020 from Monster Ivy Publishing.

As an author, Kristiana knows what it means to get in character. She spent five years volunteering as a historical reenactor and trying her best not to catch her skirts on fire as a colonial girl from the 1700s (leading cause of death at the time next to childbirth). Working at a haunted house attraction, she played a jumping werewolf statue, a goblin in a two-way mirror, and a wall-scratcher -- so if she's standing very still, growling, checking her reflection, or filing her nails on your wall, be alarmed. Those are hard habits to break.

A proud homeschool graduate, Kristiana credits much of her development as a writer to her schooling experience, which also helped her combat a learning disability, dyslexia, and clear the path for her love of reading. Inspired by a local oddity, the Sweetreads Bookmobile, Kristiana dreams of the day she can run her own mobile bookstore. Or haunted house attraction. Or both. Look out, world -- here comes a haunted bookmobile! (And this is precisely why writers should never become Uber drivers.) She loves Jesus, her family, and imaginary life with her characters.

Stalk Kristiana...
FACEBOOK/Instagram

Check out my first interview with Kristiana from last year. It was definitely one of my most fun interview. Kristiana even brought her own stormy!

Settle in folks cause I have news, reviews, and much more heading your way!
~ Lynn

​
​Screaming a big ol' HAPPY BIRTHDAY to Tish Thawer!  That is quite an impressive bookstack. So proud of all you have accomplished and all you have yet to unleash on the  world.

The amazing Stacey Rourke has added even more awesomeness to her  repertoire. With the release of Corpse Queen, Rourke has added book boxes and a clothing line to her arsenal. Join her Fan Club for an exclusive look all the merchandise and to order the next book box.

FREEBIE ALERT...
The Legends Saga Book 1, Crane is currently free. This series is is dark, witty, and oooo so good! Snag it now on Amazon.

Elizabeth Kirke has been very busy. First, she started a Read-A Long of her Rise of the Arcanist Series on Discord. From that she decided to revamp the More Than Magic series to include the Arcanist Series as well. What does that mean for readers? With the merging of the two series,  More Than Magic now includes all NINE BOOKS! 

It's not too late to join the fun at Discord. They are chatting all about the books and Elizabeth is sprinkling in a few secrets as well.

FREEBIE ALERT...
See where it all began. Semester Aboard is free!

​Elizabeth also has a new paranormal chick lit series, Witchy is the New Forty. You can preorder book 2 now.

Twenty years ago, Rose and her two best friends cast a love spell that went horribly awry. Not that Rose ever paid that much mind. Focused on her career, she has dreamed of owning her own apothecary since she was just a little witch.

Unfortunately, as she nears forty, that goal is farther away than ever. Not only is she stuck in a dead end job, lately she feels she’s moments from getting fired. On more than one occasion she has caught her new boss, Bay, snooping around the shop and fears he’s looking for any excuse to let her go.

She thought evoking one little spell couldn’t hurt.
She couldn’t have been more wrong.

Poor choice of wording in the incantation tethers Rose and Bay to disastrous consequences. Will the result blend the perfect potion for romance? Or will it be enough to crush Rose’s career and her love life?
​

thor Eric Asher is responsible for my love of audiobooks. I rarely read any of his books because I prefer the audiobook. Eric picks the best narrators for his stories. Steampunk novels have never been my thing, but with fantastic I devoured his Steamborn Trilogy. I am excited to tell you guys that there is a fourth book and audiobook coming soon. Check out this cover for Skyborn. Audio is in production and you can preorder the book on Amazon.
Check out the entire series...  
A supernatural swarm. A treacherous scheme. A tinker's apprentice may be the village's only hope.

I'm a huge fan of Carolyn Ridder Aspenson. I can't get enough of her new dark crime thriller series. the Rachel Ryder series. Book 2, Hunted Girl releases June 1st. Book3, Overkill is already up for preorder on Amazon. Carolyn is giving away ebooks and audiobooks of book 1 , Damaging Secrets all month long. It isn't too late to enter.  Look for the Wednesday contest posts  on her Facebook & Instagram.

HUNTED GIRL
Rachel begins to worry when a seemingly simple overdose investigation uncovers a mysterious set of clues.
Were the clues left as a message?
As bodies begin to accumulate around town, Rachel grows increasingly certain that someone is targeting her. She plows ahead on instinct alone. But emotions cloud her judgment, mistakes pile up, and she puts the lives of others at risk.
Increasingly isolated, Rachel begins to question everything. Has her past finally caught up with her? And is there anything she can do to stop a murderer bent on revenge?

I've been devouring the latest series from Becca Vincenza.  The Sidekick Chronicles are action pack, witty, and loaded with hot men.  Book 3 releases June 1st. 

​If you gotta die, ending up in Carnage Crossing isn't the worse place to be. With a nod to Beetlejuice, Rourke has created a beautiful macabre tale that kept me glued to kindle and wanting more. I could not enough of the delightfully dark and boisterous new world. The world-building and character development were phenomenal. I am always amazed at the unique and fun new places Rourke takes me.

​I am still trying to wrap my head around this story. It wrecked me. If it weren't for bad luck, Roxie DePrive would have no luck at all. They say God doesn't give us more than we can handle. But I don't believe most people could endure 5 failed marriages, heartache after heartache, and the loss Roxie went through. Seriously. I am still shaking my head. At one point my husband held me while I cried and lamented over the constant heartache and loss. I had to read the story in stages, or marriages if you will. I saw the morale of the story but if I were in Roxie's shoes I don't think I would have survived to come on the other side.

Living Water is a beautifully written, morally driven story. Have the tissues handy.

​I love it when an author tries their hand at a new genre. Hale's plunge into adult thrillers with Neurosis is excellent.

Instant hook 👍
Developed characters 👍
Great backstory 👍
Twists 👍👍👍

I found myself wondering if Macy had a doppelganger, an evil twin, or was just seeing things each time something new happened. Hale did a great job keeping the reader guessing with a complete blindside moment in the end. Neurosis is a dark, gritty, psychological thriller that is sure to wow fans.

I love it when an author tries their hand at a new genre. Hale's plunge into adult thrillers with Neurosis is excellent.

Instant hook 👍
Developed characters 👍
Great backstory 👍
Twists 👍👍👍

I found myself wondering if Macy had a doppelganger, an evil twin, or was just seeing things each time something new happened. Hale did a great job keeping the reader guessing with a complete blindside moment in the end. Neurosis is a dark, gritty, psychological thriller that is sure to wow fans. 
~ Lynn 

Seeing isn’t always believing.

Trapped by her past trauma, Macy McCall worked with a variety of therapists and medications- most yielding minimal results. Her newest doctor, Daniel Yates, helps bring forth her biggest breakthroughs and she believes she can see the light at the end of a very dark and scary tunnel. With a boyfriend and a good job, she enjoys her blooming independence. Then she sees her. The woman that looks exactly like her.

This mirror image plagues her life in a way that she would never have expected. And when it all unravels, she won’t be the only one left wondering what is real and what is imagined. ​

​Since childhood, best-selling and award-winning author Amy Hale has been using the written word to inspire, encourage, and entertain. She loves creating characters and worlds from nothing but her imagination and a few glasses of wine. Her popular paranormal series The Shadows Trilogy has earned multiple awards, as have the Havenwood Falls books, of which she is a participating author. She's also a participating author in the Feisty Heroines anthology which became a #1 New Release and Bestseller on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and Nook shortly after its release.
She debuted her first fiction novel in 2015 after retiring from 13 years of non-fiction writing for various online entities. For the last couple of decades, she’s also carried the titles of Laundry Goddess, Chef, Butt Wiper, Soother of Temper Tantrums, and in more recent years, Moderator of Sarcastic Eye-rolls and Sass. She resides in Illinois with her husband and two grown children who claim they are never moving out. Regardless, they are the center of her universe, although her cat believes otherwise.
If she had any spare time, she’d love music, photography, watching Mystery Science Theater 3000 with her family, and long rides on the back of her husband’s motorcycle.

FACEBOOOK ~ Instagram ~ WEBSITE 

​I am still trying to wrap my head around this story. It wrecked me. If it weren't for bad luck, Roxie DePrive would have no luck at all. They say God doesn't give us more than we can handle. But I don't believe most people could endure 5 failed marriages, heartache after heartache, and the loss Roxie went through. Seriously. I am still shaking my head. At one point my husband held me while I cried and lamented over the constant heartache and loss. I had to read the story in stages, or marriages if you will. I saw the morale of the story but if I were in Roxie's shoes I don't think I would have survived to come on the other side.

Living Water is a beautifully written, morally driven story. Have the tissues handy.

​Allison Wells is an avid reader, writer, and author. She graduated from Clemson University with a degree in Communications and she spent several years as a newspaper reporter who quickly grew tired of always writing bad news. She began writing novels with happy endings. Bell of the Night is her newest release and the one she is most proud of. She lives in the foothills of South Carolina with her husband and four children.
Allison's motto is "Life is short, eat the Oreos."

I love reliving books I previously read with audiobooks. Sometimes I get a better understanding of the story and a new found appreciation when I hear it. That was definitely the case with What Lurks Below. ~ Lynn

At Colony, no one knows where the children came from. No one talks about how they were babies when they were ripped from their parents to be raised in the Tin Can.
No one knows, that is, except Amelia. At 13, Amelia remembers a mother who loved her. She remembers fresh peaches and ice cream - not the calorically rationed food that tastes like stagnant swamp water and chemicals.
Desperate to hold on to her memories, Amelia shares her past with her younger brother, Alex. She teaches him about the reality of The Garden and its power to provide safety and love. 
Soon, Alex learns that life at Colony is more dangerous than he thought. He spies an enormous, black...something...lurking in the water, while no one seems to notice it at all.
Fear of the creature has Alex thrashing his sheets in bed. His marks drop, and Council insists on Amelia telling them what is wrong. Amelia tries to keep up appearances, but Council refuses to believe her and locks her up.
If Amelia isn't willing to forgo the love she felt and the life she had back then, Council will throw her in the water to meet whatever it is that lurks below the Tin Can.
For fans of The Giver, this dystopian-charged fantasy will show listeners the valiance of holding on to one's beliefs and the value of true sibling love.

​One of the best audiobooks I have listened too.
5 STARS
​
I previously read What Lurks Below by Jordan Thompson but it was a whole new experience hearing it narrated by Delaney Hagy. With her articulate and haunting prose, Hagy brought this story to life. I was lost in Thompson's story all over again.

The shadows and the Bewilder in the forest were beautifully written and one of my favorite parts of the story. I loved Amelia's rebellious nature. She was a hauntingly broken character with a fierce loyalty to Alex.

Well written, deeply developed characters brought this middle grade dystopian leaping out from its pages (and speakers).

I have to say that I was pleasantly surprised by this series. I didn't think it would be my cup of tea. I could not have been more wrong! ~ Lynn

Seventeen-year-old Harper Chandler thought she'd seen the last of terrorist Wyatt Mitchell after he'd been locked up for his long list of crimes, including the murder of her nettlesome and completely clueless neighbor.

Boy, was she wrong.

When a suspicious man shows up at her mother's funeral, Harper takes matters into her own hands to find out what he wants, leading her to prison where she meets face-to-face with her number one enemy, Wyatt. Though Wyatt can't be trusted, when he claims knowledge of an upcoming terrorist attack bigger than Harper can ever imagine, she and her colleagues at Dogwood Protection Services (DPS) can't turn a blind eye.

Their mission takes DPS to the new capital of the U.S., Las Vegas. As Harper tries to uncover the terrorist plot, she must battle the uncharted territory of grief, along with her wavering feelings for her boyfriend and a nagging sensation that they're missing a big piece of the puzzle.

If Harper can't get her emotions in check and learn to trust her instincts, thousands of lives will be lost, along with her relationships with everyone she holds dear. ​

​After the war of 2098, the United States is a chaotic mess. Terrorism abounds, and the government isn’t doing a very good job of keeping the people safe.

Dogwood Protection Services, DPS, takes matters into their own hands. Using the best technology and agents, they track down and stop terrorists before they can do their damage.

Sixteen-year-old Harper Chandler is one of DPS’s biggest assets. She’s small, nimble, cunning, and willing to break a few laws to stop an attack. Like breaking into a classmate’s house where he catches her, almost blowing the vigilante operation wide open.

In order to keep things under wraps, Harper is forced to get close to Akiro—who just so happens to be extremely hot and very into Harper. As she and Akiro grow closer, Harper must continue to spy on his father to figure out why he keeps showing up in the DPS database, all while working a stalker case for the most powerful woman in San Diego.

As she draws nearer to answers, Harper realizes the stalker will stop at nothing to keep her from uncovering the catastrophic truth.

If Harper can’t piece everything together in time, lives—and her relationship with Akiro—will be lost.

For fans of Batman and Marie Lu.

Jo Cassidy is a YA thriller author who loves all things creepy. Bates Motel and Criminal Minds are two of her favorite shows. Her thrillers consist of paranormal, psychological, and contemporary. She can’t wait to get her books into the world! She hopes her characters creep you out … in a good way.
Cassidy's alter (real?) ego is Sara Jo Cluff. That side of her writes bingeable contemporary.
She grew up in Yorba Linda, California, near the Happiest Place on Earth, but now lives in Utah with her husband and crazy cats. They’ll see where life takes them next!

FB: ​https://www.facebook.com/jo.cassidy.370

​Initial reaction to finishing I WILL BURY YOU by Brandy Nacole:
Holy crap! O M G that ending... Mic Drop! It's early but this might be my favorite book of 2021.

Author Brandy Nacole has outdone herself and set the bar pretty high for anything else she writes in the future. This story is a twisted psychological thriller that just kept getting more complex with each chapter. You are going to want to read it multiple times to try and pick it all apart.

​My mind is not my own.

I look in the mirror, and don’t recognize the girl staring back with cruel eyes and a malicious grin.

She’s after me.
I know it.

Even with my grip on sanity slipping, I’m determined to stay awake and prove her existence. But the darkness is closing in.

Long shadows stretch across the ground.

With the body count rising around me, I’m left with only one choice. Who I once was no longer matters. Survival depends on embracing this nightmarish new existence and fighting my way to the dawn.

From International Bestselling Author, Brandy Nacole, comes a chilling Young Adult thriller sure to leave readers gasping!

Fake Nora
by Kelly Martin
The sign over the covered antique mirror said DO NOT TOUCH. Twelve-year-old Nora wished she had listened.
 
Mirrors reflect what is in front of them, but what happens behind the glass-to the reflections themselves? Nora finds out when her own reflection, aka Fake Nora, changes places with her one night. Nora is shoved in a place that looks exactly like her house with no echoes, dull lights, and muted sounds. It isn't her home at all, simply a shell of a place she loves.
 
Fake Nora is living her best life in Nora's house, feeding on the fear of her little brother while no one else at the house knows anything is wrong.
 
Inside "reflectionland," Nora meets thirteen-year-old Jesse, who has been stuck in his mirror since the forties, and he warns her that they aren't alone in the house. There are others sneaking around, known as the bad ones-spirits of people who gave up after vanishing in the mirror.
 
Refusing to stay a reflection forever, Nora conjures a plan to escape, but Fake Nora isn't about to give up her life in Nora's home. And Jesse? He could become a bad one forever.

​As if urban legends haven't given us enough reasons to be terrified of mirrors, Martin's FAKE NORA is sure to leave us clamoring to cover them all.

If Stephen King wrote MG horror, I imagine it would go something like this.

Martin has wowed fans for years with her spooky, creeptastic chills for adults, and now she is ensnaring the preteens too

Join me and Kelly on March 4th at 7:30PM EST for a LIVE Q&A. I will be giving away a paperback of Fake Nora to a lucky participant.