Release Day! Golden Lotus is Now Available

It's Release Day!

 Golden lotus is now Available!

eBook cover

Hardcover

Paperback and Large Print editions coming soon!

She can never leave her home.
He must battle a forever winter to save her.

Years ago, Mala sacrificed everything, including her freedom, to become the guardian of a concealed glen and the golden lotus sheltered within its spring. Confined to this concealed glen, she is isolated from the outside world until someone breaches its boundaries.

Abandoned by his mother, Thorn found a sense of belonging in his grandmother's loving embrace and his friendship with Mala. A friendship that can only be experienced while he sleeps.

A forgotten evil, driven by jealousy, seeks to take over the world by attacking the spring and unleashing an unending winter on everyone. Standing in the path of this evil is Mala, who has no idea of the danger she is facing.

Now Thorn's unique bond with Mala might be the world's last hope for survival. But in this race against time, he must face winter's raging elements. Can he break Winter's deadly grip, saving the woman he loves, and enable a rebirth only Spring can bring?

Golden Lotus is a combined retelling featuring tropes such as good vs. evil, the chosen one, the hero's journey, perilous quest, self-sacrifice, friends-to-lovers, and the power of love.

Spring has sprung with these seven swoony sweet retellings. Each novella finds its happily ever after amidst themes of rebirth, hope, and new life. Each book is fully independent and can be read in any order.

Golden Lotus, an origin story of the House of Sorah, is set in the same world as Arabella's Song but hundreds of years earlier. It can be read as a standalone title.

Available on Amazon!

Click here to buy it on Amazon

Shadowless ~ Review

Shadowless

By Alison Robinson

Published by Village Editorial

When souls are split in two, the truth might shatter everything.

This book has an interesting premise: everyone, except Rowena, shares their soul with a magical animal companion called a Shadow. Rowena has a companion, but it is not like everyone else's. No, hers is silent and powerless, and it isn't an animal. If the wrong people learn about her, it could cost her her life. Because of this threat, her father has kept her isolated and hidden away. But when Penalynn Graft, an outcast Scholastic, moves into the area, Rowena's life changes (she becomes Penalynn's apprentice and begins venturing into her village). 

Everything seen through Rowena's point of view is flavored by her magicless existence, her father's fears, and her intelligence. I love how she grows once she is no longer isolated. But there are secrets Penalynn is keeping, secrets which have a huge bearing on Rowena and every magic-using human in the world.

This book most definitely leaves things in such a way that I want a sequel as soon as possible. I also feel that this is one of those books I'll want to reread, looking for hints I may have missed the first time. 

I was provided a complimentary copy of this book with no expectations but that I provide my honest opinion. All thoughts expressed are my own.

About the Book:

In a kingdom where souls are bound to magical animals called Shadows, Rowena’s Shadow is a ghost—silent, powerless, and a death sentence if anyone finds out.

The citizens of Wyre share a soul with their Shadow, a supernatural animal companion that gives them the ability to perform magic. But Rowena was born with a ghost for a Shadow, incapable of magic and marking her as a dangerous anomaly. Her superstitious neighbors would say she must be reported to the king (and executed for good measure!). And they would if they knew she existed—but they don’t.

Hidden from the world with only her father and ghost for company, Rowena’s made the best of her secret life. She fills her days tinkering, inventing, and longing for the magic everyone else has.

When Penalynn Graft, a disgraced Scholastic who refuses to use her own Shadow’s magic, is banished to Rowena’s city, rumors swirl about her rebellion.

Both Rowena and Penalynn are outcasts: one hidden, one exiled. Both are cut off from magic: one by birth, the other by choice.

Together, they could unearth the truth about the bond linking humans to Shadows, which, until now, has been lost under a veil of ancient mythology.

But in a world where souls are split in two, the truth might shatter everything.

With the stakes of The Golden Compass, the thrilling action of The Wingfeather Saga, and the heart and spiritual depth of the Chronicles of Narnia, Shadowless is a gripping fantasy tale that will captivate fans of epic adventures and magical worlds.

⇒ Giveaway – (1) winner will receive a signed hardback edition of the book and a $20 Amazon Gift Card! US only. Giveaway ends on May 13, 2025, at 11:59 pm ET.

Link for the Instagram giveaway is https://www.instagram.com/p/DJTETUqNmSw/

Golden Lotus - Full Hardcover Wrap Revealed

 I have the full cover wrap for the Golden Lotus 

Hardcover Special Edition to share.

The Special Edition is publishing on Saturday, May 10, 2025.

Extra chapters and more in this book.

If you are a digital fan the ebook is still available at a reduced preorder price.

The eBook releases on Friday, May 9, 2025.

Preorder and start reading on Friday.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0DQM5K88W?

Two Seconds Too Late ~ Review

Two Seconds Too Late 

Jeopardy Falls #2

By Dani Pettrey

Riley MacLeod and her brothers have worked hard to put their past behind them. She works as a skip tracer for the family's investigation business and is good at what she does. However, at times, her actions drive fellow investigator Greyson Chadwick to distraction. He worries she could get herself killed. 

When a key is delivered to Riley, things start happening. She and Greyson are asked to discreetly investigate the disappearance of a woman from a couple's retreat. But what they uncover is more than they were expecting. Now, someone wants to ensure they don't have a chance to uncover the truth. But to expose it, Riley must revisit her past, something she never wanted to do.

Now, Riley and Greyson are racing against time to stop a killer before he finds them first. Then, there are those feelings they have developed for each other that must be dealt with. Unless her brothers get in the way, being older and protective of her. And then there is that whole not getting killed business.

Fans of Dani Pettrey's previous works will not be disappointed. The suspense will keep you reading way too late, so plan to take a vacation day soon. Once you start reading, you won't want to put this one down. Did I mention romance? Because there is that. Two Seconds Too Late can be read and fully enjoyed even if you have not read the first book, One Wrong Move. 

I was provided a complimentary copy of this book with no expectations but that I provide my honest opinion.  All thoughts expressed are my own.

About the Book:

A missing woman. Two hit men. When every second counts, who will survive?

In the stark but beautiful wilds of northern New Mexico, a luxury spa and couple’s retreat turns into a chilling nightmare when a woman vanishes without a trace, just hours after a public fight with her boyfriend. Worried something sinister has happened, her friends reach out to investigator Riley MacLeod, an expert skip tracer, for help. The assignment means going undercover at the retreat, which means pairing up with private investigator Greyson Chadwick. Their partnership ignites a tumultuous mix of attraction and distrust as Riley’s unorthodox methods clash with Greyson’s meticulous approach.

As they delve deeper into the case and a ruthless hitman is unleashed upon them, Riley and Greyson find themselves fighting not only for justice but for their very survival. Staying one step ahead of danger, the pair discovers a hidden truth that rocks them to the core. In their race against the clock, they can only hope that they’re not too late.

With her signature pulse-pounding twists, Dani Pettrey weaves a gripping tale of love and survival in the face of unimaginable danger.

Find online at Baker Publishing Group or  Goodreads 

Arbor Day bookish recommendations

 Wishing everyone a Happy Arbor Day.

Thinking about books with trees,

I had several come to mind.

The first being

The Lord of the Rings,

specifically The Fellowship of the Ring.

I am referring to the Party Tree and Bilbo's birthday celebration.

The second was from

George MacDonald's Phantastes,

which had the first sentient trees

from which Tolkien was inspired to create the Ents.

Also part of Lord of the Rings,

but from the Two Towers 

and Return of the King.

If you have never read MacDonald's works of fantasy,

this is an interesting introduction to him.

But I would recommend At the Back of the North Wind

as your first introduction to George MacDonald.

It is my favorite of his novel length fantasies.

Novel Threat ~ review

Novel Threat

Pen and Dagger #1 

by Traci Hunter Abramson

Kimber Seidel works on the financial aspects of cases for the CIA. She dreams of someday being an author, but for now, she is content with being a writer who dreams of someday. But now her dreams are about to become part of a CIA operation. Kimber never expected to discover the guy she sat next to on a plane, working at the publisher the CIA is investigating. Yikes!

Brandon Hale was ready to quit the CIA and start using his college education in publishing. But when his last meeting with an informant goes wrong, Brandon finds himself leaving the life he wanted behind for an undercover op in New York at Monroe Publishing.

Soon, the two find themselves being forced together by their employers. Not a hardship when they hit it off during their flight from London to Washington. Of course, at that time, neither realized the other worked for the CIA. Now they are caught up in the intense publishing world with its expectations of marketing, glad-handing, social media, and networking. All Kimber and Brandon want to do is stop the terrorist who is threatening both London and the United States. And there is a clock counting down somewhere that they are in a race against.

This is a clean read that keeps the romance and language family-friendly. While there is violence with several deaths, the descriptions are not graphic. You may develop an aversion to elevators, but that is entirely up to you. 

This was an intense read that I enjoyed as an audiobook. Tim Campbell's narration was well-paced and executed. With a run time of just under 9 hours, it made for an excellent commute listen for a week. Novel Threat is the first book in the Pen and Dagger series, and I look forward to book two.

About the Book:

In a world of covert codes, two CIA operatives must infiltrate a New York publishing house, where every word on the page could be a weapon.

Brandon Hale, a seasoned CIA case officer, contemplates walking away from the covert world of espionage behind to embark on a quieter path in publishing. But his plan takes an abrupt turn when a critical source within the Labyrinth terrorist organization is assassinated, leaving behind a cryptic message about a New York publishing house. Rather than submitting his resignation, Brandon finds himself going undercover at Monroe Publishing to stop the next terrorist strike against the US.

Kimber Seidel, a CIA finance officer with secret aspirations of becoming a novelist, enjoys a serendipitous encounter with a handsome book lover like herself on her way home from London. Though she cannot reveal her true employment to her new friend, Brandon Hale, she can’t deny the instant spark that ignites between them. When Kimber’s manuscript is unexpectedly shopped to Monroe Publishing as a pawn in the CIA’s counterterrorism plot, Kimber must navigate the intersection of her literary dreams and her covert life as well as her deepening connection with Brandon.

Though each decoded message is leading Brandon and Kimber closer to the truth, it is also leading them into the line of fire, where the stakes are higher than anyone ever imagined.

Earth Day and National Park Appreciation Week ~ Book Recommendations

 Today is Earth Day, and this week is 

National Park Appreciation Week. 

To celebrate both, I recommend a delightful 

Historical Romance series

from Waterbrook Multnomah. 

Karen Barnett's Vintage National Parks series 

offers readers a glimpse into the 

parks' early days. If you are a fan of Historical Romance,

you will want to try these books.

The series consists of three books:

The Road to Paradise,

Where the Fire Falls,

and

Ever Faithful.

These books are set in the late 1920s and early 1930s. 

Each features different characters and National Parks

and can read as standalone titles.

These books were published between 2017 and 2019.