TBR Saturday

So we often have friends releasing new books. And we love to recommend them. Here’s our book recommendations. We try to get it done every Saturday but we are busy so we may have missed a few.

  1. Clichรฉs By Robyn Hartling This comedic murder mystery is sure to have you in stitches!
    Join Jason as he finds himself smack dab in the center of an investigation, headed by the no-nonsense Detective Casey. Ten strangers must work together to find the killer who is still among them.
    The Victim:ย Miss Lotsariches.
    The Suspects:ย Ms. Widowmaker, Penny Plain, Dr. Graves, Mr. Mann, Connor the concierge, Ben the bellhop, Sam Adams the bartender, and Onya Back the waitress.
    The Weapons:ย Planter, Paperweight, Pen, Corkscrew, Telephone Cord.
  2. Mr. Wicker By David Viergutz In the heart of a Dallas summer, a menacing figure descends onto the concourse of the Mellows Subway Station, dragging a veil of darkness behind him. Escaping beyond the veil proves deadly: a woman loses her life upon crossing, while another loses a hand. The station is sealed off from the worldโ€”a private prison made of shadow and concrete. And there, shrouded by the gloom, the malevolent Mr. Wicker lurks, a spectral sentry whom none shall pass. Warren Dodd, an ex-con hoping to be reunited with his family after seven years behind bars, finds himself trapped in the company of a cluster of equally unlucky citizensโ€”an insurance salesman with a chip on his shoulder, a duplicitous attorney, a busker in mental anguish, Warrenโ€™s wife and child, and a Chinese national running from her past. And nobody is entirely who they seem โ€ฆ The group faces a grim choice: decipher the meaning behind Mr. Wickerโ€™s presence, or forfeit their lives to the dark. And with the veil drawing ever closer, time is running out โ€ฆ
  3. Naked Grace: A Quest for Clarity in a World Of Confusion By Lucas Kitchen
    The faithโ€™s most important question, โ€œWhat do I have to do to be saved?โ€ Should have a simple answer, though no one in the piney woods seemed to agree what that simple answer should be. Despite growing up in the buckle of the Bible belt, confusion about the Christian faith plagued every step of Lucasโ€™ journey. In NAKED GRACE, Lucas Kitchen uses wit, humor, and visual storytelling to invite you to join his life-long quest for answers. This multi-decade pursuit took Lucas to some laugh-out-loud places. When the stakes were as high as they could be, the simple answer came. The true life story in NAKED GRACE explores the confusion that many Christians quietly experience on a weekly basis. As this book demonstrates, just because someone is quiet doesnโ€™t mean they understand. This self-deprecating tale will resonate with anyone who has wrestled with unanswered questions and is dying to know the truth.
  4. The Woman without Eyes By Micah Castle
    Cherry Brooke is gripped by fear. With the Southside Killer already stalking the city, leaving a trail of victims in his wake, Detective Wolfe has his hands full. Six months ago, a woman was found murdered in Refleski Park, her eyes missing. Now, another victim has been discovered, bearing the same horrifying signature. Yet another killer is on the loose. As Wolfe digs deeper, he uncovers a chilling pattern: a series of murders spanning decades, each marked by the ritualistic removal of the victim’s eyes. The only clue connecting the killings is a mysterious symbol branded on the victims’ bodies. Driven by guilt and a thirst for justice, Wolfe finds himself on the trail of a killer far more sinister than he could have imagined. His pursuit leads him to William Acerieas, a man consumed by his family’s dark legacy and a twisted obsession with an ancient book. Wolfe’s investigation plunges him into a world of ancient rituals, terrifying secrets, and a horrifying truth that will shatter everything he believes. But can he uncover the truth behind the Women Without Eyes before another life is claimed?
  5. Eventual Beginnings: Stories Short and Longer By Joe DeRouen
    Eventual Beginnings: Stories Short and Longerย is Joe DeRouenโ€™s second short story collection and contains sixteen all-new tales of magic, mayhem, and mystery. In the novellaย Connections, weโ€™ll explore the mystery of Justy Friedmanโ€™s unexplainable possession by a spirit, and Emmet Sappโ€™s attempt to save her. Inย Next Time is Now, weโ€™ll encounter Peter and Marnie and witness their attempts to circumvent a centuries-old curse, while inย Beautiful Monster, weโ€™ll see why sometimes looks can be deceiving. Inย Alternate Life, a young man is given the chance to right a wrong that hasnโ€™t happened yet, and inย Forksย weโ€™ll learn why itโ€™s often best to leave the past in the past and move on. These are just a few of the tales that await you inย Eventual Beginnings: Stories Short and Longer.

   

TBR Saturday

So we often have friends releasing new books. And we love to recommend them. Here’s our book recommendations. We try to get it done every Saturday but we are busy so we may have missed a few.

  1. Escape The Dollhouse By William Phillips Years ago, a newborn was buried in the desertโ€”only to be discovered alive by two construction workers. The shocking act became a whispered Beverly Hills urban legend, fading beneath Tinsel town gossip and Hollywood glitz. But behind the gilded gates of the Doll familyโ€™s mansion, that terrible secret is alive and festering. Stephen Doll is a powerful movie producer obsessed with maintaining his empire and perfect image. Katie, his wife, drowns her guilt in pills and high-society parties, hiding dark knowledge of what truly happened in that desert. Their children, Jake and Jessica, cling to illusions of a normal lifeโ€”until masked intruders invade, forcing every lie, affair, and buried betrayal into the open. In a world where ambition trumps conscience, the price of Hollywood fame proves deadlier than any rumor. Sometimes, chasing perfection isnโ€™t just dangerousโ€”itโ€™s the one thing that can destroy you.
  2. The Fly Caster Who Tried to Make Peace With the World By Randy Kadish Making peace with the world, sooner or later most of us have to. But how? For Ian Mac Bride, his way begins almost accidentally when, in 1909, he watches a fly-casting tournament in New York’s Central Park, and begins to dream of becoming a great fly caster. But soon Ian experiences personal tragedy, and then is appalled by the unexpected slaughter of World War I. He retreats into the world of fly fishing and fly casting, and meets unforgettable anglers like: Doc, a Civil War veteran, who tells how, after he enlisted in return for drinking money, he was unexpectedly changed by the horror of war; Izzy, a mysterious immigrant, who, in his way, teaches Ian perhaps the most important lesson of long-distance fly casting; and George M. L. La Branche who, though torn by self-doubt, writes the book that revolutionizes fly fishing. And so, these anglers help change Ian’s hopes and values. Though his father questions his courage, Ian decides to become a teacher instead of a lawyer, and moves near the beautiful Beaverkill River, the birthplace of fly fishing in America. But tragedy still follows him. Torn by grief, he curses the world and loses faith in it – until, almost by accident, he finds a way to come to terms. How? The answer will surprise you.
  3. Wasteland Warlords 1 By James Hunter & Eden Hudsen Twenty years ago, the Merge brought armies of monsters flooding into the West Coast. Dungeons popped up in shopping malls, airports, and Starbucks. Walls were built to contain the spread, but the promise of priceless loot dropped by the creatures inspired a new type of gold rush. Magical weapons, powerful gear, potions to cure every illโ€ฆ If you survive long enough to kill the mob, whatever they drop belongs to you. Clay Jaeger has nothing left outside the walls. Civilization took everything he worked for, chewed it up, and spat it out. Now Clay, his wife Alex, and his beer-loving, chainsaw-toting brother Joe are going west to try their hand at monster killing. The loot from the low-level mobs is enticing, but it isnโ€™t the real reason they risked the Infested Zone. They need to kill a Dungeon Lord. Only one in ten thousand hunters pull it off. The rest become fertilizer for the wasteland. But the few who beat the odds gain riches, glory, and most importantly, the Dungeon Lordโ€™s magical powers. They have nothing left to lose, and everything to gain. If they survive.
  4. Malice in Wonderland #1: Alice the Assassin (Malice in Wonderland Series) By Lotus Rose You’ve been misled. Lewis Carroll didn’t reveal theย wholeย story…Alice never left Wonderland. She’s trapped. She’s angry. And she wants revenge. If you’re a fan of twisted fairy tales, you’ll love this dark comedy series, brought to you by the author ofย Dorothy vs. Alice. The truth is not what you were led to believe. It wasn’t all “just a dream.” It’s a nightmare. A nightmare she can’t escape, where formerly pleasant characters throw her unhappy unbirthday parties to torment her, while others like to make her cry so they can lick her tears. But one day after years of this unpleasantness, she loses her heart. Literally. Well, technically somebody steals it. And she has to get it back. By any means necessary. And it’s a lot easier to be ruthless now that she’s heartless. Alice is fed up with all the losers of Wonderland, from the sadistic Queen of Hearts to the goofy Mad Hatter to the bloodthirsty Cheshire Cat. And she’s tired of being so sweet and innocent, with all her dimples. She used to be a preteen, but today is her 13th birthday, and she’ll be singing โ€œunhappy birthdayโ€ loudly as she delivers violent justice! Yeah, she used to be so sweet you could die. Well, now theyย allย shall die…literally. It may be 1865, but Alice is about to go medieval. She will have her heart returned to her even if she has to kill all the citizens of Wonderland one by one…
  5. Widow’s Point: The Complete Hauntingย By Richard Chizmar & W.H. Chizmar New York Timesย bestselling author Richard Chizmar, โ€œone of horrorโ€™s indispensable writersโ€ (Paste), and his son W.H. Chizmar, critically acclaimed author ofย Themย (hailed byย New York Timesย bestselling author Josh Malerman as โ€œone of the best debuts Iโ€™ve ever readโ€) present a riveting found footage narrative about doomed thrill-seekers trapped in a haunted lighthouse. “This is a bad place. I donโ€™t think people are meant to live here.โ€
    Longtime residents of Harperโ€™s Cove believe that something is wrong with the Widowโ€™s Point Lighthouse. Some say itโ€™s cursed. Others claim itโ€™s haunted. Originally built in 1838, three workers were killed during the lighthouseโ€™s construction, including one who mysteriously plunged to his death from the catwalk. That tragic accident was never explained, and it was just the beginning of the terror. In the decades that followed, nearly two dozen additional deaths occurred in or around the lighthouse including cold-blooded murder, suicide, unexplained accidents and disappearances, the slaughter of an entire family, and the inexplicable death of a Hollywood starlet who was filming a movie on the grounds.
    The lighthouse was finally shuttered tight in 1988 and a security fence was erected around the property. No one has been inside since. Until now. Told across two harrowing incidents from 2017 and 2025, those who enter the Widowโ€™s Point Lighthouse searching for supernatural proof and the next big thing find themselves cut off from the outside world. And although no one has recently stepped foot inside the structure, they are not alone. In this remarkable collaboration, father and son writing team, Richard and W.H. Chizmar combine forces to tell a terrifying ghost story that will make you think twice about whatโ€™s waiting for you in the dark.

   

Sunday Suggestions

Happy Sunday y’all! Hope your week went well! Here is the prompt for today! We’d love it if you shared a snippet of what you wrote with it!

Today we start a new Challenge!

The Idea is for Short stories or Flash Fiction. We hope to see responses of at least one thousand word count up to ten. However if you choose to do poetry instead…we will consider it. Send us your responses under the subject of Faery Tale June.

Linda’s Back !

the bumble bee
when i heard the buzzing,
i was afraid that there was
a wasp in my house;

to my surprise it was just
a big bumble beeโ€”

hello, bumble!

i asked the universe to let her
trust me,
and i held out a hand;
she seemed to recognize i was
trying to help her and she crawled
onto one of my fingersโ€”

as i headed out of the steps
of my apartment and outside she had
managed to walk from one
shoulder to my other shoulder,

and she seemed to buzz in
gratitude;

but it was so loud in my ear
that i waved her awayโ€”
but the following day i saw her
checking in on me,
as if to see if i were okay.
linda m. crate



i rather dance with the moon
i couldn’t begin to tell you
every place where
it hurts,

for there are so many
scars that are only half-healed
or open themselves
when i scratch deep enough
into the wound to feel it again;

so let us not imagine those placesโ€”

instead let me dwell in the places
of healing: books, conversations
with friends and family which are
cozy and comfortable, music, poetry,
fantasy books, the forest, underneath
the moon in a sky full of stars, in the
sunlit kisses of the creek, in the wings of
fantasy and imagination where my mind
is prone to go;

for these places bring me joyโ€”

& while i will not deny the pain i’ve known,
i’d rather dance with the moon than relive
all of that misery again.
linda m. crate


shift in perspective
climbing faery hills
the world seems
a bit more magical than
mundane,

and i am able to see
rainbows of flowers and
colors i may not
otherwise observe;

and i can suck in a deep
breath of fragrant life beauty
and fall in love with the
blue skies and the sunlight dancing
through the trees once moreโ€”

sometimes a mere shift
in perspective is needed for
happiness to come flying in.
linda m. crate


a different world
butterflies do not swim,
neither do fish fly;
but i imagine a world in which
the inverse is trueโ€”

a place where you can
swim with
butterflies,
and where sometimes fish
sometimes forget where
they’re flying to and smack you
in the face;

but i can imagine the chaos
it would cause for the drivers
who are simply minding their business

only for a fish to fly into their windshieldsโ€”

but i still think it would be fun to swim
with butterflies,
imagine how quickly they’d be able to swim
to keep themselves from the hungry maws
of predators;

imagine how their beauty would dance
across the sea.
linda m. crate


even the sun feels cold
serenity is a state
of mind that i’d like
to reach again,
sick of being caught in the
chaos of all this fear,
all this anger, all this pain;

sometimes the daffodils
help me see the beauty in the
midst of all these nightmares

but i fear i need more lightโ€”
i know there’s light within me,
but it feels too weak and dim
to illuminate my soul the way
it needs to shine;

need some other source to touch
me with their fireโ€”
because even the sun feels cold.
linda m. crate


As a side Note we wish a happy Book birthday to Linda for Her Faerie Witch Queen that released today.


She is doing well with the Challenge. How are you doing ?

Prompt Sunday

Happy Sunday y’all! Hope your week went well! Here is the prompt for today! We’d love it if you shared a snippet of what you wrote with it!

Follow Friday

Today we ask that you leave in comments great pages that you think we should follow. Be sure to include your own link! ๐Ÿ˜

Throwback Thursday

So, this is where we talk about older books. Has your book been out a year or more? Tell us about it! Links and blurb, and maybe your next read will be in the comments below! We are always looking for our next read, and everyone asks about your newest volume.
Here, we show love to those books that are already out. Don’t have but one? Share it! Have not published yet? Share your favorite author. Let’s make the comments pop with suggested reading!

Indie Wednesday

We are all about promotion of the indie here. Are you an indie artist or author? Post links to your work! This is the place to brag about your work. Or do you know an indie that needs to be seen? Post a link. Sharing is caring, after all. We also welcome you to post services for the indie… If you are an editor, cover designer, or something like that… Post that link!

Sunday Suggestions

Happy Sunday y’all! Hope your week went well! Here is the prompt for today! We’d love it if you shared a snippet of what you wrote with it!

It was up to her to investigate how the accident had really happened

TBR Saturday

So we often have friends releasing new books. And we love to recommend them. Here’s our book recommendations. We try to get it done every Saturday but we are busy so we may have missed a few.

  1. A Whisper in the Dark: A Horror Novel
  2. Spinning Time: A Time Travel Romance
  3. Charm School: A Witches Three Cozy Mystery (The Witches Three Cozy Mysteries Book 1)
  4. Library System Reset: Overdue: A Magical Library LitRPG Adventure
  5. Awakening the Coven (The Witches of East Haven Book 1)

   

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