​I am a huge fan of Carolyn Ridder Aspenson's work and I'm loving this darker, grittier side! Back in the day, I devoured the Alex Cross series from James Patterson and I am happy to report that I have found a similar character to stalk in Rachel Ryder. ~ Lynn 

​New to town and a little rough around the edges, Detective Rachel Ryder finds herself on the receiving end of a suspicious person’s call in Hamby, Georgia. When the call turns out to be a dead body, the medical examiner is quick to rule the death a suicide. But was it something more sinister?

Everyone in the small department believes the case is closed—except for Rachel. The sudden passing of a local politician during the mayor’s run for Congress strikes her as a little too coincidental, and Rachel is eager to follow her instincts. Her partner, Rob, a 30-year veteran, isn’t the type to disobey his boss or ruffle any feathers, but he can’t convince strong-willed Rachel to let it go.

Obsessed with finding out the truth, Rachel begins to examine the evidence and drags her reluctant partner along for the ride. But the clues are confusing. Nothing is adding up.

Puzzled and running out of time, Rachel and Rob rush to work every angle and bring the elusive killer to justice before someone else ends up dead.
​

"Detective Rachel Ryder is smart, tough, and fearless-readers will gladly follow her through every twist of Aspenson's knockout first installment in this riveting new series." -LynDee Walker, Amazon Charts bestselling author of Fear No Truth
"Damaging Secrets is a fast-paced police procedural with a killer ending. Tight writing, unexpected twists, and the tough but vulnerable lead Detective Rachel Ryder will leave you eager to read the next book in this new series by Carolyn Ridder Aspenson." -Susan Hunter, author of Dangerous Habits
"This book is not only an awesome mystery, but moreover a story about new beginnings and battling the odds. Rachel Ryder is a new heroine on the suspense scene that you'll want to engage with again and again." -Kimberly Charleston, Books Uplift

​USA Today Bestselling author Carolyn Ridder Aspenson writes cozy mysteries and thrillers featuring strong female leads. Her stories shine through her dialogue, which readers have praised for being realistic and compelling. Her first novel, Unfinished Business, An Angela Panther Mystery was a Reader's Favorite finalist and reached the top 100 Kindle books sold on Amazon.

Prior to writing fiction, Carolyn was a freelance journalist covering local and national affairs in the metro Atlanta area.

Now an empty-nester, Carolyn lives in the Atlanta suburbs with her husband, two Pit Bull-Boxer mix dogs and two cantankerous cats, but you'll often find her at a local coffee shop people watching and listening, plotting her next novel.

Watch for Carolyn's upcoming crime thriller series releasing in winter, 2021.

Find Carolyn on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/carolynridderaspensonauthor
Find Carolyn on BookBub at Carolyn Ridder Aspenson
Visit Carolyn's website and sign up for her newsletter at carolynridderaspenson.com

2020 was hands down the craziest year ever but quarantine life gave me the opportunity to explore new things.  Turns out I'm crafty. I posted several DIY projects on my author page - Lynn Shaw Author. Oh, and I wrote a book with Melanie Gilbert! We hope to have it published in 2021. I read 97 books in 2020 - that's 15 more than 2019.  Apparently quarantine life agrees with me. So without further ado let's check out my Favorite Reads of 2020.
​

First Blood Trilogy by Heather Karn 
Free in KU 

Clearview Academy by Amy Richie 
​Free in KU 

What Rachel Did by Kelly Martin 
​Wide Release 

Filler Friend by Sara Jo Cluff
​Free in KU 

​Friendships aren't worth the drama.

After a catastrophic friendship, Elinora decides that having any relationship isn’t worth the heartbreak. Her parents still want her to socialize, so she starts her Filler Friend operation, unbeknownst to them. She’ll fill-in as a friend for anyone at school, whether it’s getting a gamer out of the house or being a plus one at their parent’s boring work party.

When a client becomes a regular, the lines of fiction and reality begin to blur, making Elinora unsure of what she really wants. Adding to the confusion, she’s slowly falling for the cute guy she met at the library. Before the operation blows up in her face, Elinora will have to decide if friendship and love are worth the risk, or if she’s better off shutting out the world forever.

A coming of age story about finding friendship, learning to love, and figuring what kind of person you want to be. Filled with humor, heartache, acceptance, and family values.

Of The Blood (Heir of Blood & Fire Bk1) by Cameo Ranae 
Produced by The Audio Flow  Narrated by Natalie Naudus 
Wide Release 

The Girl at the Hanging Tree by Mary Gray
​Wide Release 

I have been gushing about this book for 6 months. I read an ARC in August and was absolutely blown away. Gray takes on several hot button topics including mental illness and racism but handles them all in a dignified manor. This story is thought provoking. It left me in the throws of a serious book hangover. I love it so much I own 2 copies - paperback and hardcover! I am also gifting one papberback copy to a lucky fan on my YouTube Channel.  Watch my video for more info.  (YouTube Link - https://youtu.be/7zg2MssBOZ8) Winner to be announced 1/15/21 on FB and YouTube.

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.

Quick rehash for anyone not familiar with the series – It takes place 5 years after the More Than Magic Trilogy but you do not have to read those to start this 6 book series. I recommend it for context and because it’s a great series too.

In Rise of the Arcanist, non-magics and witches are going missing. The non-magics are never heard from again while the witches are disappearing for 6 months at a time. There is no evidence of where they go or how they survive because there’s no activity on their bank accounts and MES files. After stumbling onto this pattern, Jen, Thomas, Mariana, Ember, Char, Danio, and TS are tasked with investigating the disappearances.

Book 1 – lays the groundwork
Book 2 – 3 words: A FREAKING LABYRINTH!
Book 3 – Kirke tries to kill the entire cast!
Book 4 – Arena Fights! I now have more grey hairs. Thanks, Kirke.
Book  5 – This installment was so heavy. All the feels. I AM NOT OKAY!

And now we have made it to the final installment. I feel like I should have won a prize for making this far. Elizabeth Kirke is killing me and not so softly.

“Help us, Jennifer. You’re our only hope.” (Like what I did there?)

OH. MY. GAWD. Tums is acceptable as a reading snack, right? It is up to Jen to destroy the Arcanist. Jen who hasn’t been a witch that long. Young, inexperienced, and working alone. Elizabeth Kirke is killing me! My anxiety was through the roof.

Stomach ache - check
Chest tightness  - check
Sweating - check
Eating Tums like candy - check
 
In true Kirke form, Elizabeth delivers the reader an intense, kindle gripping chapter from one of the guys' POV, and then in the next chapter she goes to Jen. You see what is going on from her POV which is sometimes from the sidelines. Insightful? Yes. But absolute agony! No doubt Kirke sat back with an evil grin plastered on her face sipping coffee and enjoyed every excruciating moment!
 
The epic battle lasted for chapters. Chapters people! This is why I need Tums. I had a death grip on my kindle for 4 long hours. I couldn’t put it down. I had to know how it would all end and who would be left standing. In the end, I was not disappointed. Mentally exhausted, overwhelmed, and still chewing Tums, but I survived.
 

​In spite of having neither magic nor a clone, Elizabeth manages to write, format books, and dabble in design, all while wrangling two young sons, a dog, and a husband. She's the author of the award-winning, urban fantasy More than Magic series, the award-winning and USA Today Best-Selling, paranormal romance Curse Collectors series, and usually has a few more projects up her sleeves. When she isn't writing or designing, Elizabeth can be found knitting, gardening, baking, or looking for lost sippy cups.

A few highlights from her bucket list include visiting Wales, Easter Island, and Japan; learning a second language; and coming across a total stranger reading one of her books.

Join the exclusive Elizabeth Kirke Patreon community and get behind the scenes info, see new covers and extras first, read brand new stories, get swag, and more! http://www.patreon.com/elizabethkirke

Connect with Elizabeth on:
Website: elizabethkirkebooks.com
Facebook: facebook.com/morethanmagic
Twitter: @more_than_magic
Instagram: ElizabethKirkeAuthor

5 STARS
​
OMG! This is by far one of the best series I have read. The writing and the story were gripping with action and suspense. At times I found myself holding my breath, gripping the kindle as I read quickly read the pages.

The main character, Chloe, losses her mother, gains a grandfather, and finds out she is a vampire hunter all in the first few scenes. Talk about intense! She doesn't even have enough time to process it all before she is being whipped into shape and trained to kill. (Now you see why I was gripping kindle and holding my breath.) The cherry on top is that her father is one bad vampire hell bent on taking her for his own devious plans.
​
Full of twists and mouth gaping open moments, Jennifer Malone Wright's The Vampire Hunter's Daughter, has made me a huge fan of this series, as well as the Arcadia Falls series. I cannot wait to see what other kick ass moves Chloe has.

Jennifer Malone Wright is best known for her novella series, The Vampire Hunter's Daughter. Other works include the follow up to The Vampire Hunter's Daughter series called The Arcadia Falls Chronicles, The Graveyard Guardians series, and her vampire novel called Savior.

She resides in the beautiful mountains of northern Idaho with her husband and five children where she practices preparing for the zombie apocalypse. Just kidding!

But seriously, between the craziness of taking care of her children, Jennifer has little time left for herself. The time she does have left, usually leading far into the night, is spent working on her beloved fiction or chatting with her equally crazy friends.

Contact: jennichad217@gmail.com
Website: www.jennifermalonewright.com
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Jennifer-Malone-Wright/e/B00508KU4I
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4824985.Jennifer_Malone_Wright
Social Media:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/authorjennifermalonewright/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/jennichad217
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jennifermalonewright/

I'm sad to see October leave. I already miss all the scary movies and haunting books.  Until next year, here's a recap of my Spooktacular Reads.

You can't talk about Spooktacular Reads without having Kelly Martin at the top of your list. Whether you open the door to What Rachel Did or stroll through Trinity Row you are sure to have a frightful good time. 

Lost Souls from Daniele Lanzarotta is a collection of intertwining short stories revolving around a Murder House. If you are in to audiobooks this is a great one to snag.

Also available in audio, The House by Jo Michaels. I am currently finishing up this one. It is a collection of short stories revolving around a house and its tenants. It is told from the POV of the house. It is seriously twisted and not for the faint of heart. 

I hope you find a few spooky reads to soothe your inner beast. Until next year my ghouls and goblins keep stalking! ~ Lynn

LustThe Sinners Series Book 2
by Daniele Lanzanrotta
Narrated by Jason Clark, Cindy Kay, Tim Paige
Length 4 hrs 19 min
Published by The Audio Flow
Released 8/24/20

After suffering a few life-altering losses, Caden Remington didn’t want to go through that pain ever again.  
Once he joined "them", his wish was granted - he would feel nothing but lust. From that moment, he buried his past and didn’t look back. It wasn’t until after he met Rebecca and began to have unexplainable feelings for her that he started to regret his choice. 
They may be falling for one another, but in a world where dark magic prevails, and wishes can be turned into nightmares, will their feelings be enough or will their choices continue to haunt them?

​Audiobook Review
Story   5 Stars
Performance  5 Stars
Overall  5 Stars

As I sit down to type this review I filled with a wide range of emotions - hurt, love, anger; just to name a few. Rebecca and Caden's love story is fraught with obstacles and pain.  Their story took me on a roller coaster of emotions. Lust has twist I never saw coming! And that ending!

The narrators, Jason Clarke, Cindy Kay, and Tim Paige, do a superb job bringing the story and emotions to life. 

​~ Lynn

Book 1...
Liam and his childhood best friend Rebecca were raised in a small town. Now living in the city, as roommates, they encounter more challenges than the average college student.

When faced with the reality of having to quit school and move back home, Liam and Rebecca get an odd invitation to move into a mansion with a group of extremely wealthy guys from the college. Liam knows it’s all too good to be true, but he gives into Rebecca’s pleas to take the offer until they get back on their feet.

Weeks turn into months, and as Liam discovers the truth of what happens within those walls and Rebecca finds herself in the middle of a dangerous game between lust and envy, their lives quickly spiral out of control.

​The Sinners was an interesting look at a secret society of dark magic. I found the premise to the story intriguing. And that shocking ending left me dying for more! Narrators Cindy Kay and Jason Clarke were excellent at bringing the story to life. The author Daniele Lanzarotta created a diverse and complicated cast of players. I have a love/hate relationship with them all. I didn't know what to expect going into the story but Lanzarotta definitely snagged herself a new fan!

This book is going down as my Top Read from 2020! ~ Lynn 

The Girl At The Hanging Tree
by Mary Gray
Published by Monster Ivy Publishing
Release Date October 6, 2020

​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.

​I am stating here and now that The Girl at the Hanging Tree by Mary Gray is my Top Read of 2020. I finished the book last night and I am still reeling from it this morning. Gray boldly takes on abuse, mental health, the small town hive mind, and racism. So many taboo topics in one story. Gray delivers a profound story with grace and dignity. I cannot accurately articulate the emotions invoked in me by this story. I woke up in the middle of the night thinking about Gemma Louise and all that she endured. It is understandable that she retreated within herself and allowed Tansy to live her life for her most of the time.

Holy book hangover! Here I am 10 days days later and I am still thinking about this book. I can't even put my thoughts into words. There are so many thought provoking scenarios. Mary sure hit the nail on the head with this one.
​
This quote is everything.
The discomfort of this group is so palpable, I wish I could scoop it up and place it in a jar for them to feel every time they're tempted to sweep something wrong under the rug. But we have to hold up a mirror to our history. It's how we sow the seeds of change.

This story has all the feels!

​Mary Gray balances dark and twisty plots with faith-based messages. Some of her best ideas come when she's lurking in the woods, experimenting with frightening foods, or pushing her kids on the tire swing. She is the author of several fiction and nonfiction works and the co-owner of Monster Ivy Publishing.

Stalk Mary on  Facebook.

Join author Mary Gray on #FangirlThursday October 8th at 7:30PM EST as she gives us incite and a behind the scenes look at The Girl At The Hanging Tree. 

Every year for the month of October I share some of my all time favorite scary stories with you as well as reviews on a few new to me ghoulish tales. I am kicking off the month with a new to me author, Nic Sheff. Harmony House will definitely leave you wonder is houses retain the memories of prior bad acts.
​~ Lynn 

​Jen Noonan’s father thinks a move to Harmony House is the key to salvation, but to everyone who has lived there before, it is a portal to pure horror.

After Jen’s alcoholic mother’s death, her father cracked. He dragged Jen to this dilapidated old manor on the shore of New Jersey to “start their new lives”—but Harmony House is more than just a creepy old estate. It’s got a chilling past—and the more Jen discovers its secrets, the more the house awakens. Strange visions follow Jen wherever she goes, and her father’s already-fragile sanity disintegrates before her eyes. As the forces in the house join together to terrorize Jen, she must find a way to escape the past she didn’t know was haunting her—and the mysterious and terrible power she didn’t realize she had.

​4 Stars
A perfect October read!

Nic Sheff's Harmony House weaves the past and present into a spine-tingling horror story that reminded me of Stephen King's Carrie.

Jen and her evangelical father move into Harmony House to serve as caretakers to the property. Jen's mom is deceased and her father Anselm is determined to keep the same "demons" from taking his daughter. Jen is self-medicating to get through the pain of the loss of her mother and her father's daily prayer rituals. She has visions of HH when it was a convent and a place for unwed mothers. But the convent isn't a kind place and the Mother Superior is anything but a woman of God. The house seems to be affecting her father as well. Anselm is becoming more like the deadly Monsingor in Jen's visions. 

Since Jen was little she has had this fire within her. When she becomes angry or scared things happen. Light bulbs exploding. Pictures flying off walls and hitting people. <--- Hence the nod to Carrie.

Jen must weave through her visions to discover the atrocities harbored in Harmony House before the house consumes her and her father. 

​Knock…Knock…
When Emma finds a dead body on her porch with her name written on the dead man's hand she uncovers a sinister clue to the mystery that has haunted her since childhood.

FBI agent Emma Griffin is sent undercover to the small sleepy town of Feathered Nest to uncover the truth behind the strings of disappearances that has left the town terrified.
To Emma there is nothing that can lay buried forever. Even though her own childhood has been plagued by deaths and disappearances.
Her mother’s death, her father’s disappearance, and her boyfriend’s disappearance. The only cases that she hasn’t solved.
Her obsession with finding out the truth behind her past was what led her to join the FBI.

Now, she must face what may be her biggest case. In Cabin 13 there lies an uneasy feeling. The feeling of her movements being watched.
When a knock on her door revealed a body on her porch and her name written on a piece of paper in the dead man’s hand. Suddenly her worlds collide.
With the past still haunting her, Emma must fight past her own demons to stop the body count from rising.
The woods have secrets. And this idyllic town has dark and murderous ones.
Either she reveals them or risk them claiming her too.

In Feathered Nest, nothing is what it seems.
The Girl in Cabin 13 is about to find out that the dead may have secrets of their own.

​On an empty baseball diamond in a quiet Toronto suburb, a demon has been summoned.

Seventeen-year-old Alton is miles away, just wishing he had a tutor he didn’t outsmart or outmatch. His prayers are answered when Professor Victor Orvius makes an unexpected visit, offering to teach Alton magic without the restrictions. The only condition is that he follow Orvius’ rules and not ask too many questions.
Alton soon discovers he’s not Orvius’ only student. Reagan is a competitive young witch with a bad attitude and talent for sarcasm. Their personalities clash, causing trouble for both on more than one occasion, until they realize a greater threat than being one-upped.

The demon threatens not only their chances at passing their magic finals—it threatens their lives. If Alton and Reagan can’t learn to get along, they could be facing their deaths…or an eternity together, trapped in another realm.

​Audiobook Review 
Overall 4
Story  4
Performance 5

Let me begin by saying that I enjoyed this story. The only thing that bugged me is that the author makes it a point to tell the reader this is not a Harry Potter type magic stories and goes on to point out the differences. Did the story strike a HP cord with me? Yes, but only slightly. There are major differences. Was it necessary for the author to blatantly point out the differences? No, and yet she did. Moving on.

Summoned is a fast-paced YA book about teenage witches and warlocks who are tutored in groups of two in the craft. Reagan and Alton are brought together to be trained by Victor Orvius. But Orvius has some strange teaching methods and is harboring a dark secret as to why he brought Reagan and Alton together. But Reagan is perhaps concealing the biggest secret of all. 

Summoned has a unique story arc. The characters are well defined and intense. One of my favorite parts of the story is the goats on the roof. I will be checking out the next book in this series.

The narrator Becci Martin did a great job bringing this story to life. I especially enjoyed her portrayal of Reagen. 

​A monstrous fate will turn a girl into a legend.

On an island in Lake Obersee, where The Sisters of St. Gertrude abide, a destitute Moor named Durra arrives. Sold for taxes, she and her two companions tend to the nuns and their collection of cats. At night, she combs the library for details on the order, the remote island, and the beasts howling outside her window.

But when a prank reveals the sisters’ gruesome secret, Durra is forced to accept a new fate. Bestowed an unearthly power, she must choose between life as a nun or living among the monsters beyond the convent walls.

Her path is about to change the tide in the ultimate war. The war between good and evil

​Alexandrea Weis weaves religion and myth into a brand new werewolf legend in Sisters of the Moon. From its mysterious dark and foreboding island, to a convent full of beautiful young nuns and clowder of cats roaming the halls, this story had me hooked from page one. SOTM is sure to become a horror classic.

​Once they have you, you don’t come back…

They say it took one hundred magical beings to defeat the first Arcanist. Great care was taken to ensure the secret to his malevolent power died with him. Now the brutal reign of the Arcanist has become little more than a scary bedtime story. And yet, the descendants of his loyal followers are sworn to find a way to bestow his dark magic upon another. If they succeed, they’ll unleash a new terror upon an unsuspecting world.

Every six months a seemingly random group of magical beings go missing from the same location and are never seen again. If an investigation doesn’t begin now, it could be another six months before there is another chance. Consumed by the hunt for a cult of dark witches and their impossibly powerful leader, Jen and her friends are hesitant to take on yet another mystery, but if they don’t, who will?

Magic Conquered is Book Four in the Urban Fantasy series, Rise of the Arcanist, featuring vampires, elementals, witches, and more. It is a New Adult spin-off of USA Today Bestselling author Elizabeth Kirke’s award-winning More than Magic series. If you like your paranormal with a dash of mystery and suspense, make Magic Conquered yours today!

Rise of the Arcanist is a six-book serial, with each installment releasing a month apart. You do *not have to read the original More than Magic trilogy to enjoy it.*

​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.

​Elizabeth Kirke hasn't officially revealed the cover or blurb for the next Rise of the Arcanist book but if you hope over to Amazon you can preorder it.

Be on the look out next week for info from Stacey Rourke about Book 3 in her Fear The Reaper series.

Sisters of the Moon 
by Alexandrea Weis
Published by Vesuvian Books
Release Date 9/22/20

A monstrous fate will turn a girl into a legend.

On an island in Lake Obersee, where The Sisters of St. Gertrude abide, a destitute Moor named Durra arrives. Sold for taxes, she and her two companions tend to the nuns and their collection of cats. At night, she combs the library for details on the order, the remote island, and the beasts howling outside her window.

But when a prank reveals the sisters’ gruesome secret, Durra is forced to accept a new fate. Bestowed an unearthly power, she must choose between life as a nun or living among the monsters beyond the convent walls.

Her path is about to change the tide in the ultimate war. The war between good and evil.

5 Stars​
Alexandrea Weis weaves religion and myth into a brand new werewolf legend in Sisters of the Moon. From its mysterious dark and foreboding island, to a convent full of beautiful young nuns and clowder of cats roaming the halls, this story had me hooked from page one. SOTM is sure to become a horror classic.

Alexandrea Weis is an advanced practice registered nurse who was born and raised in New Orleans. Having been brought up in the motion picture industry, she learned to tell stories from a different perspective and began writing at the age of eight. Infusing the rich tapestry of her hometown into her award-winning novels, she believes that creating vivid characters makes a story memorable. A permitted/certified wildlife rehabber with the Louisiana Wildlife and Fisheries, Weis rescues orphaned and injured wildlife. She lives with her husband and pets in New Orleans.
Facebook:https://www.facebook.com/pages/Alexandrea-Weis/289566081083949
Twitter: https://twitter.com/alexandreaweis
Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/1211671.Alexandrea_Weis
Website: http://www.alexandreaweis.com/

​A pair of dark oak doors, masterfully carved with six different panels, came into view. Winged creatures, with horns and pointed tail, appeared in every panel terrorizing humans who fought against them with pitchforks and fire. The tale was of a fierce battle set in a field not far from a village. Large snarling dogs assisted the humans in fighting off the agents of the Devil. The carnage recreated in painstaking detail had dead men and dogs with gashes across their middle, spilling their guts onto the blood-soaked ground. The bottom panel showed the forces of good overtaking the fiends and driving them from the battlefield. But it was the last panel that unsettled Durra.
This carving depicted the dogs that survived the fight. They gathered around a fiery pit and pushed the dead monsters into a vast hole, returning them to hell.
Durra touched the carved figures. “What story is this?”
Monica put her hand on a door pull of a wolf’s face with a brass ring through its mouth.
“The Battle of Cadizia. It’s where man and his faithful dogs first drove back the agents of the Devil.”
“Cadizia?” Durra furrowed her brow. “I never read about that in the Bible.”
Monica pulled the heavy doors open. “Nor will you.”
“But what—?”
Monica nodded inside the doors. “It’s time to pray.” She walked beneath a stone lintel and entered the abbey. 
Durra followed, a million questions running through her head, but when she stepped inside the abbey, all her apprehensions faded away.
Thick columns with capitals of more winged creatures, their pointy tails directed at the altar, complemented the mural painted on the panels of the ceiling. 
The story was the same as on the door, but the details emphasized the role of the dogs. Silver-backed, with thick dark coats and bright glowing eyes, the beasts appeared like magical beings while confronting the demons. They stood, surrounding a gaping pit filled with a lake of fire, snarling and driving the winged creatures back to hell. “That’s scary.”
Leida stood next to Durra, gaping up at the ceiling.
Sister Monica appeared in front of them and took their hands. Her face contorted in an angry scowl as she whisked them to the back of the abbey.
Monica pointed at a bench, “Stay.”
Durra took her seat while scouring the six stained-glass windows, eager for more on the strange
dogs, but all she found were images of a woman in a black nun’s habit, carrying a large wooden staff. The figure had different animals gathered at her feet, and the kindness of St. Gertrude contrasted sharply with the violence of the painting on the ceiling. But the windows had no portraits of dogs, only squirrels, birds, and, of course, cats.
Emily nudged her and then pointed to a white linen altar, sitting before a carved figure of Christ on the cross. The odd-shaped skull atop the altar struck her as grotesque. “What is that?” Emily asked.
“Wolf,” Leida whispered. “You can tell by the flat part from the top of the skull to the tip of the nose. A dog’s head has a steeper angle.”
Durra regarded the girl with a newfound appreciation. “How do you know that?”
Leida demurely folded her hands in her lap. “I told you—I grew up with them. My family used to hunt them.”
“A wolf hunter in our midst.” Emily nodded. “That might come in handy.”
“Shh.” Monica stood in front of their bench, her cheeks red with anger. “Have you no respect for the house of God?”
Durra eyed the skull once more. If this is a house of God, what’s a wolf’s skull doing here?