Sandra C. Lopez's Blog, page 2

Review: SAND, SEA, AND SKELETON by Cindy Bell

 

Hikers on a trail stumbledupon an old mine with a skeleton inside. Who was the skeleton and what was themystery behind the mine? Inn owners Suzie and Mary were both eager to look intoit. Even though it seemed that this was an old murder, it still intrigues you.As Suzie and Mary dig into the case, it seemed that all ties were leading toone of their guests at Dune House. Now, with the possibility of a missing bagof gold from the crime scene, the suspect list has grown. Who committed thisold murder and took the gold? A good mystery!

 

Rating:4 stars

Blog Tour: REKINDLED FLAME by Ella Braeme

 

He swore toprotect his town—but guarding his heart is the real challenge.

Rekindled Flame

Burning Hearts Book 1

by Ella Braeme

Genre: Small Town, Second-Chance Firefighter Romance

He swore to protecthis town—but guarding his heart is the real challenge.

Volunteer firefighter Shawn Miller thought he had his lifefigured out in small-town Elken Grove. His print shop pays the bills while hisreal passion—fighting fires—keeps him connected to the community he loves.

Then his new Captain walks through the station doors:Rebecca "Becks" Schwartz, the woman who walked out of his life nineyears ago. Now she's his superior officer, and someone in the department isdetermined to drive her away—or worse.

As danger closes in, Shawn must balance protecting Beckswith respecting her authority. But when sparks fly hotter than ever betweenthem, he realizes some flames aren't meant to be extinguished—they're meant tobe stoked.

Get REKINDLED FLAME today and feel the heat of thisslow-burn second chance romance!

 

★★★★★ "This is awonderful page turner." - Goodreads review

★★★★★ "Shawn and Beckssecond chance story is not without some major events which keeps the readerentranced by the story." - Goodreads review

★★★★★ "I loved thisstory with its second chance at love for these two." - Goodreads review

★★★★ "The charactersShawn and Rebecca are going to deliver a very entertaining book for you toenjoy reading." - Goodreads review

 

Amazon * Books2Read * Bookbub * Goodreads

Ella Braeme writessteamy small-town romance where protective heroes and the women who capturetheir hearts find love in the mountains and marshlands of Georgia. Whether hercharacters are running toward danger or running from their past, they alwaysfind their way to happily-ever-after. When she's not dreaming up new ways forcouples to fall headlong into danger (and love), she's in her garden,supervised by a dog who firmly believes digging holes helps the flowers grow.Her quick, satisfying reads deliver the perfect escape, whether you're sneakingin a chapter during lunch or staying up way too late to reach thathappily-ever-after.

 

Website * Facebook * Instagram * Bluesky * Bookbub * Amazon * Goodreads

 

Follow the tour HERE for special content and agiveaway!

Spotlight: BLOOD OF THE DAMNED by Anthony J. Stanton

Genre: Horror/Dark Fantasy

Summary: Coming of age should never be this brutal.

A bitter winter night during medieval Europeʼs bloody Crusades, the slaying of a
noblewoman by a dreaded vampire sends one young man on a deadly hunt for
vengeance.
The torture of a lord by the Ottoman enemy encourages another young man to
join Vlad Draculaʼs secretive Order of the Dragon in search of answers.
And again, vengeance.
Their lives defending their country against the Ottoman invaders will be changed
forever. But are they ready to risk everything? With deaths getting closer, and
loved ones under threat, their separate searches lead them both down into the
abyss, and the answers they seek come at a hefty price. And when their paths
collide, thereʼs sure to be bloodshed.
Or worse. Damnation!
Such perilous revenge barely hints at the complex vampire underworld about to
be unleashed.
Book one of the epic new Blood of the Dragon series. Part one of a two-part
story.
If you like medieval vampire thrillers, alternative history and undead origins, then
youʼll love Antony J.Stantonʼs Gothic race against time.


Author Bio: Antony J. Stanton was born in a Parisian slum in the 1700’s. He worked the docks at the port of Le Havre before an incident with a jealous ship-owner’s wife saw him hounded by hired thugs. If not for the intervention of a beguiling vampiress who, for her own dark reasons, took an interest in Stanton, he’d no doubt have been lynched. In saving him, the vampiress turned Stanton into a foul blood-sucker, and he soon found himself preying on those who would surely have seen him dead.
Being over two hundred years old, it’s not surprising he’s now almost bald, and his friends have always said his clothes are somewhat dated. He spent the past two centuries living in draughty, disused rooms of crumbling French châteaux and old English mansions, feeding off rats and ageing aristocrats, and researching the history of his night-walking fellows. And now, dear reader, over a century since Bram Stoker raised public awareness of the vampire in his survival manual—wrongly mistaken for fiction—it’s time for Stanton to publish the true account of his adopted species and set the record straight.
Or perhaps he just has a vivid imagination. Perhaps the vampire genre is long overdue a fresh lease of life, a new origins story, an epic and sprawling plot across countries and continents and millennia, a thrilling story of a complex underground society with their own rules and myths, rivalries and vendettas, living alongside and meddling with the affairs of humanity.
And perhaps Antony J. Stanton actually lives in London with wife and dog, where he enjoys writing gripping, multi-charactered vampire sagas—think “Game of Thrones” meets “Dracula”. Perhaps he has already written a post-apocalyptic vampire/zombie horror trilogy that rose to Amazon’s #3 for genre. But sometimes, reality is as incredible as fiction—almost.



Social Media links: 
Website: https://antonyjstanton.com/
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/14715498.Antony_J_Stanton

Blog Tour: SOUND CATCHERS by Jessica Coriat

This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. Jessica Coriat will be awarding a $10 Amazon/BN GC to a randomly drawn winner. Click on the tour banner to see the other stops on the tour.

Sound Catchers is about Maddy, a twin girl who experiences hearing loss early in her childhood. Initially, she is fitted with bilateral hearing aids. As her loss progresses, she makes the transition to cochlear implants. The book captures the world in which Maddy lives in a lyrical and loving way. It creates an awareness of children with hearing loss as part of the world around them, enabling the reader a glimpse into that experience through Maddy's journey.

This book contributes to a greater understanding of those who live with hearing loss. It helps the reader to build empathy, and it creates an awareness of differences. As such, it holds a valuable place in the social/emotional curriculum, which is taught in schools nationwide.

Review: See the story of how twin girlscope when one of them was born with hearing loss. See how Maddy’s hearing aidsallow her to hear the sounds around. That’s why she called them her SoundCatchers.

In this book, young readers canlearn a little about hearing loss and hearing aids.

Fun and easy to understand. Adelightful story with fun illustrations! 

Rating:5 stars

About the Author: Jessica Coriat completed her bachelor of science in Special Education/Elementary Education and went on to earn two master's degrees, one in Deaf Education and the other in Creative Writing for Children. With over twenty years of experience as a teacher of the deaf and hard of hearing, Jessica continues to teach her students alongside their typical hearing peers. As a full-time working mother of three teenagers, Jessica has plenty of free time on her hands. She enjoys spending it in her home in New Jersey, with her son, her twin girls and their cavapoo, Bailey. Jessica is also passionate about living a healthy lifestyle. She is thrilled to have written this book and continues to make time to write each day. Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/@soundcatcher
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/235174168-sound-catchers
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/1779621175

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Blog Tour: DOROTHY'S GIFT by Christine C. Schneider

 

A modern-day, inspiring story of two women who, when theirpaths merge discover love, growth and redemption that changes their livesforever. 

Dorothy’s Gift

By Christine C. Schneider

Genre: Women’s Fiction

Dorothy is content with her life as a wedding seamstress.She loves her two adult children, her husband, and her church. She is giftedwith the ability to turn heaps of pink satin, lemon-yellow chiffon, and whitelace into exquisite gowns. Her clients are beautiful, well-bred, and pay herwell. Dorothy doesn’t like change, but even volunteering at the crisispregnancy center doesn’t shake her peaceful life too much. She does what shecan to offer help to women who are dealing with real, life-changing decisions.

Then Bailey wanders into the clinic: angry, abrasive, and hiding the pain of adark secret.

In a moment of wild compassion, Dorothy convinces her wonderfully supportivehusband, Gary, to allow her to invite Bailey to live with them until the babyis born.

Suddenly, Dorothy’s life is overwhelmed by change, and unable to keep up,Dorothy makes some huge errors in judgment. Instead of helping Bailey,everything Dorothy does seems to hurt the girl more.

Only Dorothy’s son, Daniel, begins to recognize Bailey’s potential, as he seesher reach out to support Dorothy when Gary has a heart attack and her daughterhas a miscarriage. Meanwhile, Bailey is suffocated by the realization that thiswonderful, loving family would not want her if they knew that she had allowedher first child to be aborted.

As Dorothy sews her way through a year of weddings, Bailey challenges Dorothy’scompassion and points out her lukewarm, Christian hypocrisy. The poor girldoesn’t know how to clean her room, run a washing machine, or cut up acucumber. In addition, Dorothy’s church doesn’t want “people like Bailey” totaint their youth and college group. Worst of all, her son, Daniel, has decidedto try to win the heart of Bailey. As the year progresses, Dorothy isconfronted with her own ungodly self-centeredness, lack of spiritual depth, andstubborn resistance to changing her plans for herself and her family.

This is the story of the growth of love between a young woman in need of amother and a mother with enough love for more than her own two children.

What Readers are Saying:

I finished the book because I couldn’t stop reading. I love the story, Ilove the characters, I love the message, I love the writing style, I love itall. I want to go back so I can better appreciate the character development andstory arc. I cried multiple times throughout the book.
—Betty, missionary and missionary wife in Kenya

Carolyn’s Rewrite
The book was hard to put down until it was finished. Dorothy is an emptynester, encouraged by her son to volunteer at a pregnancy center. She does, butstruggles some since her gifts to help are not typical to other volunteers. Sheconnects with one woman, Bailey, who has made some bad decisions and needs arole model. The book answers the real question about what is more important inlife. –Carolyn, Austria

 

Amazon * Bookbub * Goodreads

Christine Schneider is passionate about showing people howto dig treasure from God’s word. She is a Bible teacher, conference speaker,and “idea person.” She and her husband have been in missionary and church worksince their marriage in 1973. She has written several Bible study guides andtwo historical novels. Christine and Floyd, her husband, live in Plains, MT.They have two sons, two excellent daughters-in-law, and eight wonderfulgrandchildren.

 

Website * Facebook * Bookbub * Amazon * Goodreads

 

Follow the tour HERE for special content and a $10 giveaway!

Blog Tour: THE GOODBYES by Helen Gillespie

THE GOODBYES

by Helen Gillespie

 

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GENRE: Women’s Fiction

 

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BLURB:

Struggling withbecoming an adult in a small mid-western town, Dianne has to confront familysecrets, deception, and discovery during her last year of college. As she caresfor her ailing mother, her world begins to unravel and she is challenged tonavigate through lies, friendships, love...and murder. Meeting the wrong personmakes it possible for her to recognize the right ones and to find the strengthshe needs to survive. Suddenly realizing that she is responsible for her owndestiny, she learns that to say hello to a new life, she must first saygoodbye.

This is a family drama that follows a woman's struggles with hermother's death, a murder and how she deals with all of this and learns how tosay goodbye to all that she has known in her life.

 

 

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ExcerptTwo:

 

Although hesitant, Dianne prepared for her date with moreapprehension than she had earlier when she prepared for her first day in theclassroom. Weirdly, she hoped she would be stood up.

“Sorry I’m late. The ladies at work needed me to stop by andhelp them,” Michael told Dianne when she answered the door.

“Hi, Michael. Please, come in. Do people ever call youMike?”

 

“Naw, ever since the second grade there was this otherMichael, and everyone called him Mike and me Michael. It kinda stuck.”

 

“Makes sense. I’m almost about ready. I’m going to finishputting these towels away, and I’ll be ready to go.”

 

“Your momma okay?”

 

“Yes, she’s in the room sleeping. Thank you for asking.”

 

Dianne was surprised to hear Michael ask about her motherand not instantly jump into something about himself.

 

“See, I’m not as bad as you thought this morning.” Michaelstared at Dianne as though he expected appreciation for his politeness.

 

“I hope not,” Dianne said, smiling while placing the last ofthe towels in a nearby closet.

 

“Dianne, you leaving?”

 

“Yes, Mom. I hope I didn’t wake you.”

 

“No, I was getting up and heard Michael come in. Ken shouldbe over in about an hour, and he’s bringing me something to eat.”

 

Dianne disappeared briefly from Michael’s sight into hermother’s room to kiss her goodbye.

 

“You going to be okay, Mom?”

 

“Yeah, my boyfriend’s coming over and bringing dessert,”Katrina said, smiling and forcing her eyes open.

 

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 Review: 

Dianne was a young woman with anew teaching job and living with a sick mom in a small town. Right away shegets a taste of small-town living when some store manager finds her to show herhis newest lawnmower. Weirdo! Talk about being too much of a salesman.

The story takes a while tointroduce the reader to the various “country folk” characters and thetight-knit town. The pace is as slow as the country living that they do there.Generally, this was a nice read though. What I liked best was how much Dianne caredfor her ailing mother, whose only wish was for Dianne not to put her life onhold for her. Things get a little interesting with the mystery of her mother’sbox, but again the development is long and somewhat daunting. Story seemed tofocus more on the drama surrounding the mom’s illness rather than the mysteryof the box. Story is a long and emotional journey, which might resonate withsome readers, but I found it to be mildly interesting at best. All in all, thiswas a fairly nice read.

Rating:3 stars

AUTHOR Bio and Links:

Throughoutgrammar school and college, Helen Gillespie loved developing story sketches orfull stories but kept them hidden within herself. That creative spark provedvaluable in unexpected places, first on assignment as a musician in the USArmy, and after leaving the Army, when she earned a degree in elementaryeducation. After reentering the Army in 1981, she put pen to paper, or rather,“fingers to an Olivetti.” She officially learned the art of journalism to servethe Army, but it quickly became a personal passion. Interviewing fellowsoldiers, exploring their jobs and personalities, and publishing usefulinformation for the military community formed the basis of her skill andenjoyment. Those years of thought, training, education, and experience laid thefoundation for crafting her first novel, The Goodbyes.

 

Social Media

 https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61565442142189

LinkedIn:  https://www.linkedin.com/in/hgillespie/

Website:  https://www.helengillespiewrites.com/

Instagram:https://www.instagram.com/hgillespe/

 

Personal SocialMedia

Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/helen.gillespie/  

 

 

 

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GIVEAWAY 

Helen Gillespie will be awarding a $25 Amazon/BNgift card to a randomly drawn winner.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Blog Tour: MADAME REBELLE by Amber Leigh Williams

 

MADAME REBELLE

Amber Leigh Williams

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GENRE:  Historical Romance

 

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BLURB:

 

Rebel.Smuggler. Spy.

 

Champagne,France 1943

 

MeetMadame Rebelle. Edmee Guillon is a smuggler. She hides people from the Germantroops surrounding her ancestral home. When a dying man in a German uniformseeks refuge at Maison Boutet, Edmee struggles to believe his claims that he isFrench. Her life, the maison and the people she loves are already at stake. Canshe take the chance that this mysterious spy is who he says he is? And whichside of this war is he really on?

 

ChristianVovk has been betrayed by someone inside his resistance organization. He knowsasking the striking young war widow to hide him will put her in certain danger.However, Christian can help Edmee save as many refugees as she can. Falling inlove with her will hinder his duty to the operation that brought him to herdoorstep in the first place. When love and duty become inevitably tangled, willChristian sacrifice one for the other?

 

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ExcerptThree:

 

“You'll need to look as normal as possible.”

 

“What do I know of normal?” Edmée asked. “I’m tall. I havebright red hair. And I have this.” She waved at the mark on her chin.

 

The birthmark was unfortunate. Not because it was unpleasantto look at. It made an already interesting face fascinating to look at. It wasunfortunate because it would be easy to remember. She was memorable. Christianwondered how long after they parted in Franche-Comté he would think about EdméeGuillon. “Do you think this is something you can do?” he asked.

 

She crossed to the table. Linking her hands on its surface,she gathered herself. “The hardest part will be convincing my uncle to let mego.”

 

“Use the same story we practiced,” he advised. “Practice itagain. Your first pass at it can be with your uncle as your audience. You’llgain confidence if he buys it.”

 

Her eyes circled his features. “You’ve trained other peopleto do this before.”

 

She was skilled at reading people. Reading him. He wasn’t anopen book. But she saw him. He tried not to think about the growing admirationbehind his regard for her. Leaning toward her in the halo of light from thelantern between them, he said, “You’re going to do fine, Edmée.”

 

“I hope so.”

 

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Topic: What research did you have to do to write thisbook?

When this book was but a spark in my mind…before I reallyeven met the fictional Edmee Guillon, aka Madame Rebelle, I knew nothing of thebrave people of the French Resistance of the 1940s. The earliest research book Iread in preparation for Madame Rebelle tells the incredible story of atiny village in the Loire Valley where townspeople conspired to break laws laiddown by German occupiers and the Vichy government and rescue 3,500 people fromdeportation to Germany. This is primarily because of their secret printingpress, used to forge no less 5,000 identification papers for Jewish refugees. Theydid all this with the understanding that if they were caught, they would bearrested and punished severely.

Initially, when I set forth to write Edmee’s story, it wasdifficult to find accounts from women of 1940s France. Then I found A Trainin Winter by Caroline Moorehead, which tells the true story of  230 extraordinary  French women who resisted the GermanOccupation. They printed illegal newspapers to combat the spread of Nazipropaganda, hid members of the resistance, helped Jewish families escape, courieredsecret messages and transported weapons. All of them were eventually arrestedfor their activities. Only 49 survived the war.

These accounts and more inspired the story at the core of MadameRebelle – that everyday people can do extraordinary things in the face ofinsurmountable odds. The members of the French Resistance paved the way forD-Day. They played a big part in forcing the German Army’s retreat from Franceand taking back their country and sacrificed a great deal to do so.

 

AUTHOR Bio and Links:

 

AmberLeigh Williams writes pulse-pounding romantic suspense, historical fiction, andcontemporary romance. When she’s not writing, she enjoys traveling and beingoutdoors with her family and dogs. She is fluent in sarcasm and is known tohoard books like the book dragon she is. An advocate for literacy, she is anardent supporter of libraries and the constitutional right to read.

 

Website:https://amberleighwilliams.com

Instagram:https://instagram.com/amberleighwilliams

Facebook:https://facebook.com/amberleighwilliamsbooks

AmazonAuthor Page:https://www.amazon.com/stores/author/B0030VZW2C?ccs_id=972a6661-be68-4275-b311-8f8e0b259f83

Goodreads:https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/2713894.Amber_Leigh_Williams

Bookbub:https://www.bookbub.com/profile/amber-leigh-williams

 

 

MadameRebelle - Purchase Links

 

AmazonEbook: https://a.co/d/b7e849S

AmazonPaperback: https://a.co/d/cIS1iOp

Amber’sWebsite: https://amberleighwilliams.com/madame-rebelle

 

 

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GIVEAWAY

AmberLeigh Williams will be awarding a $25 Amazon/BN gift card to a randomly drawnwinner.

Blog Tour: SHADOWSLAYERS by Colin Sephton

 

SHADOWSLAYERS

Colin Sephton

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GENRE:  Steampunk Fantasy

 

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BLURB:

 

Whendoppelgangers start appearing in Oxford, Union Jack agents Ignatius and Indigofind themselves on another cosmic quest, one they didn’t set out toinvestigate.

 

Drawninto the search for the elusive and dangerous Book of Shadows, they findthemselves traveling across the cosmos once again, racing against otherversions of themselves, and visiting the Oracle to be given prophecies ofterrible destruction that will engulf the cosmos in darkness. Only these twoheroes—or their doubles—can open the book, which would lead to dreadfulconsequences for themselves, the world and the whole of creation.

 

Theagents must outwit their own mirror souls and invade the impregnableAdministorium, which holds the answers they need but also fearsome enemies ofboth the Union Jacks and the entire cosmos. In this quest, Ignatius and Indigomust protect not only England and the Empire, but the world and the cosmos.

 

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ExcerptTwo:

 

The scene became liquid, and blackness enveloped all,circling everything in the room, like an archaic ghostly phantom made of deadlyvapours, before giving way to the slightest of dim light in which Indigo couldsee the ancient crepuscular shadow deepen and fully form into the upper body ofthe Queen of Shadows. She had concealed herself and had escaped the destructionearlier and was now a phantom bent on revenge. Her beautiful face appearedbefore Ignatius and she kissed him, her blue lips locking on to his as shepulled him closer, her slender arm

locked around his neck. He had no escape. She lookeddirectly at Indigo and sneered. The queen knew this would hurt Indigo the most.

 

As the queen kissed Ignatius again, then withdrew her face,Indigo could see she was sucking the lifeforce from his rigid lifeless body,revealing her black fangs as she pulled back, black tendrils draped betweenthem like foul saliva.

 

The queen was now fully formed, her naked body displayed,her legs wrapped around Ignatius like a succubus in the night. Black tattooscovered her body, and as she moved, so did the tattoos. They writhed andchanged shape, sliding over her skin, caressing her, absorbing energy from her.

 

Indigo knew it was only a matter of time before Ignatiuswould be an empty husk, a living zombie.

 

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Sandra's Book Club

What do you likeabout writing in this genre and what don't you like?

 

I like writingfantasy because of the freedom it gives you. I am a very imaginative person,not often short of an idea. I have always read fantasy books mainly, so myinspiration started at about the age of thirteen. I have always been surroundedby fantasy books, astronomy books, fantasy art books, mythology books andMarvel graphic novels. I like the genre because you can create your own world.In this case I have created an entire cosmos. I call it that because it is muchlarger than the universe. And the beauty of the genre is nobody can tell youyou’re wrong, it’s my world, my rules and the laws that govern it came from myhead, so nobody can argue. This gives you total control over the characters andevents that take place. The plot doesn’t have to be led by daily events. Italso means the characters can be larger than life and completely fantastical.

What I don’tlike at the moment is there are too many books that seen to be pastiches ofwhat has gone before. Yes, we all get inspiration from other authors, but Ithink there are too many wizard schools, too many dragon schools and too muchromantasy. I’m not knocking these authors; they are far more successful thanme. But I think it limits the imagination. In the Timeslayers trilogy, of whichShadowslayers is the second book, there is a romance between the two mainprotagonists, Ignatius and Indigo, but it’s a slow burn. It’s not a ‘will they,won’t they?’ It should have the reader questioning if this is real love, or isit borne out of necessity? They are the only two who have experienced thesecosmic events and the enormity of it is too big for them to handle. Theydescend into drink, and drugs, some meditation, trying to make sense of theterrible events they have witnessed, so turn to each other for comfort.

AUTHOR Bio and Links:

Colinwas born in Coventry and worked in the automotive industry for over twentyyears before becoming an Engineering teacher. Obtaining his first library cardat the age of thirteen, he became an avid reader of Fantasy and the mysteriesof the Universe. He has an inbuilt curiosity for lost knowledge and ancienttexts that may help to unlock the secrets of consciousness and the universe.Living in Oxford for many years, he has now moved back to his home county ofWarwickshire where he enjoys creating and working with his wife on their gardenin which he writes and entertains their two grandsons. He has always been anartist and writer and is inspired by the worlds created by Robert E Howard andMichael Moorcock, with the artwork of Frank Frazetta.

 

Connectwith Colin on Instagram at @timeslayers or @sephtonart

FindColin’s website here: www.colinsephton.com

 

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GIVEAWAY 

ColinSephton will be awarding a $10 Amazon/BN gift card to a randomly drawn winner.

 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Spotlight: I WISH YOU LOVE by Madeleine James

Genre: Women's Fiction

Summary: 

Had she waited years for the perfect moment that would never come?

Alice McBain spent a lifetime putting others first—her family, her friends, and Marilyn Morgan, the woman she’s secretly loved for over a decade.

But Marilyn isn’t just the mayor of Tuckaway Bay and Alice’s superior—she’s running for a state Senate seat and insists on keeping their relationship under wraps until after the election. Her constituents, and her husband, must never know.

Even though Alice has come to an amicable arrangement with her own husband, she is tired of hiding. After years of whispers and waiting, she wants the life she and Marilyn have dreamed of for years—out loud and in the open.

But when she finally finds the courage to demand more than hidden moments, the carefully constructed façade of her life crumbles. The fallout touches everything. Her family is thrown into chaos, and Marilyn’s political ambitions hang in the balance.

And the woman who’s always put others first must decide what love truly means when you finally choose yourself.

I Wish You Love is poignant, powerful story of identity, sacrifice, and the courage to live—and love—authentically.

Author Bio: Madeleine Jaimes is a contemporary women’s fiction author whose emotionally charged novels explore the real-life social issues affecting women today. Her stories reflect powerful themes like addiction and recovery, domestic violence, LGBTQ+ identity, and family struggles. Her characters remind us that healing is never linear—and that strength comes in many forms.

She believes the most important stories we tell are the ones we whisper to ourselves.

Set against emotionally rich backdrops, Madeleine’s stories invite readers to pause, reflect, and feel seen. Her popular Tuckaway Bay series reflects her passion for writing layered characters and small-town stories where every woman’s journey matters.

Madeliene also writes contemporary romance as Maddie James.

Purchase links:

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0DKY5ZX1F

Social Media links:

Website: https://maddiejamesbooks.com/

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/660725.Maddie_James

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MJNovelist/

Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/themaddiejames/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/maddiejames_1/

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@themaddiejames_1

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@MaddieJames

Review: THE NIGHTMARE ROOM: SHADOW GIRL by R.L. Stine

 

Selena’s cousin just loved totorture and humiliate her. And she was staying with her for a whole month.Geez! Wait, did her mom just leave her there? Oh no! And what truth was shetalking about?

 

When she tries to reach her mom,Selena makes another startling discovery: her mom didn’t exist and no one everheard of her. What?!

 

Soon, the truth is revealed:Selena was Shadow Girl, a masked, caped superhero whose destiny was to fighther arch enemy—her cousin—Red Raven. Whoa!

 

It was written in the Book ofFates that Shadow Girl would kill Red Raven. Oh dear!

 

This was another R.L. Stinewinner. The ending was a little too convenient, but I liked the superherothing. Very cool to have superpowers!

 

Rating:4 stars