Tara and her brother Kyle are sent to stay with their estranged grandparents when their mother is hospitalised. May and Peter Folcroft seem warm and charming at first, and the house, hidden in the base of the mountains, is idyllic.
But strange things keep happening.
The swing moves on its own. Peter paces around the house late at night. Doors slam and curtains shift when no one is inside. Tara begins to suspect the old house is haunted.
When a storm cuts the phone line, May shifts from doting to obsessive. Tara and Kyle must try to keep up the pretext of a happy family, but an empty journal and locked room provide clues to the unforgivable lies, secrets and decades-old murders entwined with the Folcrofts’ history.
And the ghosts are growing restless…
⭐⭐⭐
Rating: 3 out of 5.
Having enjoyed one of Darcy Coates’ other books I was excited to give this a read. It definitely had some interesting concepts to it and the last 20% was really the best part of the book as things started unraveling and the truths started coming out. It was a good read, but the pacing for the first 2/3 of the book were a little slow. I liked Tara and Kyle’s relationship and interactions and that really made the book for me. It was an enjoyable story, with lots of questions as to whether it was paranormal or not.
Keep Me Close Elizabeth Cole
(The Brothers Salem, #1)
Publication date: October 24th 2017
Genres: Adult, Paranormal, Romance
Dominic Salem is many things: professional ghost hunter, curse breaker, and demon slayer to name a few. If there’s one thing he’s learned, it’s never pick up hitchhikers. Something about this one made him stop, though. Maybe he hasn’t learned his lesson yet.
Lavinia “Vinny” Wake doesn’t exactly trust her smoking hot ride. Her music is her sanctuary, the only thing she really believes in. But now, Vinny’s dreams have her all messed up, and the last one seemed too…real.
Dom can tell Vinny’s nightmares aren’t just dreams—they’re way worse. Something or someone is drawing her into a trap, and Dom has to stop it. Turns out Vinny’s life isn’t the only thing at stake. Her soul is on the line, too. No pressure.
The debut novel in The Brothers Salem, a new contemporary paranormal romance series where a trio of demon hunters–armed with spells and snark–are on a mission to slay some demons, break some curses, and get their girls. Unless the girls get them first.
As soon as Dom left the building and sighted his motorcycle, he got sidetracked by something he didn’t usually see along with it—a gorgeous woman.
“Wow,” Dom breathed. He’d seen her before, but not like this, leaning casually against the machine as if she belonged to it.
The worn, cropped black leather jacket fit her frame perfectly. Underneath the jacket he could see the mess of silver necklaces she wore around her neck, easily a couple dozen. She was resting against the side of the seat so that her legs were straight out, crossed at the ankles. The skinny jeans she wore outlined every contour of sleekly muscled legs.
Her black leather boots didn’t come up much above those ankles, and the leather was dusty with long wear, the toes all scuffed up. She had her phone out in one hand and a tube of lipstick in the other. Using the phone as a mirror, she swiped an intense red across her lips.
Dom hated lipstick. But it was still sexy as hell to watch her put it on.
She took her time, pursing her mouth in the mimic of a kiss, though she smiled only at the phone, not even glancing around. Her disdain for her surroundings was louder than any insult she might have screamed. It was defiant. It was unnecessarily provoking. And it looked great.
He was not the only man watching. Two other bikers had strolled up while he was inside. Dom wasn’t sure why they weren’t getting too close. Then he saw his cat pacing in a tight figure eight pattern between the new guys and the bike.
One guy took a step forward, and earned a hiss from the cat, who arched her back in the classic Halloween pose.
They laughed, but didn’t try to move forward. Piewicket could be far more intimidating than her tiny size suggested.
“Pussycat’s got claws,” one said.
“Which pussycat you looking at?” the other said, and laughed again.
Dom did not like that sound. He’d had enough of this place.
He moved faster. Not running, but not wasting time.
“What’s the rush, pal?” the first biker asked, seeing him pass.
Dom didn’t answer.
His passenger must have been more alert to the situation than she seemed, because she somehow put her phone and lipstick away and swung one long leg over the seat by the time he reached the bike.
He pushed the new helmet toward her. “Put this on. And hold onto me, because when I drive out of here, I’ll be doing it fast. Got it?”
She looked dubious, but did it, covering her blonde hair with the shiny helmet. Then her hands slipped around his chest, holding tight.
Dom grinned in spite of the danger he could feel all around him, thinking, After this, I should really find out her name.
Author Bio:
Elizabeth Cole is a romance author with a penchant for history, which is why she lives in an old house in an old city. She can be found hanging around libraries and archives, or curled in a corner reading, cat on lap. She believes in love at first sight. Then again, she also believes that mac ‘n’ cheese is a healthy breakfast, so don’t trust her judgment on everything.
Elizabeth writes the Secrets of the Zodiac series of romantic spy thrillers set in the Regency period. The eighth novel, BREATHLESS IN THE DARK, is now available.
Elizabeth recently completed her Swordcross Knights series of medieval romances set in the beguiling word of Britannia during the period known as “The Anarchy”. Start today with HONOR & ROSES.
When the heroic princess Amira rescues the kind-hearted princess Sadie from her tower prison, neither expects to find a true friend in the bargain. Yet as they adventure across the kingdom, they discover that they bring out the very best in the other person. They’ll need to join forces and use all the know-how, kindness, and bravery they have in order to defeat their greatest foe yet: a jealous sorceress, who wants to get rid of Sadie once and for all. Join Sadie and Amira, two very different princesses with very different strengths, on their journey to figure out what “happily ever after” really means–and how they can find it with each other.
⭐⭐⭐
Rating: 3 out of 5.
As I’ve read other works by O’Neill I definitely wanted to pick this one up when I had the chat. This story was quick and cute, telling the stories of two princesses as they become friends and go on a journey together. They help each other break through previous opinions they may have of themselves or other people. I felt like the story in its entirety was a tad short, but it was still fun and adorable.
Never Fall for Your Back-Up Guy Kate O’Keeffe
(It’s Complicated, #1)
Publication date: August 3rd 2021
Genres: Adult, Comedy, Women’s Fiction
Three things I’ve learned this week: 1) Never fall for a client
2) Never fall for your best friend
3) And most importantly, never fall for your back-up guy
…especially if they’re all the same person.
I’m the queen of dating disasters—I’ve had more rotten dates than you can shake a long stemmed rose at. After years of one disappointment after another, I’m beginning to feel like I’ll never say “I do.”
So after being dumped one too many times I do something stupid:
I make a pact with my best friend Asher. If neither of us are married by 35, we tie the knot. That’s five full years of searching for The One.
I’ve got to meet Mr. Right by then, don’t I?
Except when I take a job redecorating Asher’s bachelor pad, I realize he’s a lot different from the guy I thought he was. Against all odds, I find myself falling for my best friend. Maybe my back-up guy could be The One after all?
Except there’s only one problem…
My back-up guy has a secret that could ruin everything.
Never Fall for Your Back-Up Guy is a clean, laugh-out-loud romantic comedy with a smart and sassy British heroine and a swoon-worthy American hero.
It’s the first book in the It’s Complicated seriesand can easily be read as a standalone novel. It is a spin-off of the Love Manor Romantic Comedy series. Catch up with all your favorite Love Manor characters and meet some new ones in this fun, laugh-out-loud rom com!
Visit kateokeeffe.com and sign up to her newsletter so you never miss out on new releases and great book deals again! Follow her on Bookbub to learn about deals on her books. Just cut and paste this link into your browser: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/kate-o-keeffe
Kate O’Keeffe is a bestselling author of fun, feel-good romantic comedies. She lives and loves in beautiful Hawke’s Bay, New Zealand with her family, two scruffy dogs, and a cat who thinks he’s a scruffy dog too. He’s not: he’s a cat. When she’s not penning her latest story, Kate can be found hiking up hills (slowly), traveling to different countries, and eating chocolate. A lot of it.
Visit kateokeeffe.com to sign up to her newsletter to keep up to date on new releases, great deals on books, and more.
Maggie Holt is used to such questions. Twenty-five years ago, she and her parents, Ewan and Jess, moved into Baneberry Hall, a rambling Victorian estate in the Vermont woods. They spent three weeks there before fleeing in the dead of night, an ordeal Ewan later recounted in a nonfiction book called House of Horrors. His tale of ghostly happenings and encounters with malevolent spirits became a worldwide phenomenon, rivaling The Amityville Horror in popularity—and skepticism.
Today, Maggie is a restorer of old homes and too young to remember any of the events mentioned in her father’s book. But she also doesn’t believe a word of it. Ghosts, after all, don’t exist. When Maggie inherits Baneberry Hall after her father’s death, she returns to renovate the place to prepare it for sale. But her homecoming is anything but warm. People from the past, chronicled in House of Horrors, lurk in the shadows. And locals aren’t thrilled that their small town has been made infamous thanks to Maggie’s father. Even more unnerving is Baneberry Hall itself—a place filled with relics from another era that hint at a history of dark deeds. As Maggie experiences strange occurrences straight out of her father’s book, she starts to believe that what he wrote was more fact than fiction.
⭐⭐⭐⭐
Rating: 4 out of 5.
I was not expecting the twists and turns that this book took, it was quite a ride. I really enjoyed the format of this book where you get a chapter in present day and a chapter from the book that Maggie’s father wrote. Sometimes the extreme of Maggie’s anger towards her parents was a bit much, but I suppose in most instances it was appropriate considering she had been made a public figure by the book her father wrote. This was crafted incredibly well and I have to say there was only part of the twist I guessed, and only at the last minute, which was pretty extraordinary. While I didn’t like Final Girls, after reading The Last Time I Lied and this one, I’m definitely looking forward to reading the others Sager has out!
Perfect for fans of Small Spaces and Nightbooks, Ally Malinenko’s middle-grade debut is an empowering and triumphant ghost story—with spooky twists sure to give readers a few good goosebumps!
Zee Puckett loves ghost stories. She just never expected to be living one.
It all starts with a dark and stormy night. When the skies clear, everything is different. People are missing. There’s a creepy new principal who seems to know everyone’s darkest dreams. And Zee is seeing frightening things: large, scary dogs that talk and maybe even . . . a ghost.
When she tells her classmates, only her best friend, Elijah, believes her. Worse, mean girl Nellie gives Zee a cruel nickname: Ghost Girl.
But whatever the storm washed up isn’t going away. Everyone’s most selfish wishes start coming true in creepy ways.
To fight for what’s right, Zee will have to embrace what makes her different and what makes her Ghost Girl. And all three of them—Zee, Elijah, and Nellie—will have to work together if they want to give their ghost story a happy ending.
⭐⭐⭐⭐
Rating: 4 out of 5.
I was not expecting to fly through this one as fast as I did, but it was definitely a one sitting read. I really have a soft spot for Zee as she tries to navigate school, friendships, bullies, the death of her mother and absence of her father and more. Elijah was also a wonderfully crafted character as he dealt with the pressure he experienced at home and with expectations that are laid upon him. A lot of the characters in this story had clear voices and were able to be seen easily in the mind’s eye as they went about their daily lives while also trying to figure out what was happening in their little town. There are a lot of real issues that kids deal with featured in this book and honestly I think a lot of people in the target audience would be able to see themselves in at least one of the characters.
Malinenko’s writing is easy to read and flows really well, while there are clear breaks between chapters and scenes, everything flows together really well. I also felt that the three main characters she put together played off each other really well, even if they struggle to be friendly at times. This is definitely a great spooky middle grade that is fun for young readers while still having depth and real world issues woven in.
Ally Malinenko is a poet, novelist, and librarian living in Brooklyn, New
York, where she pens her tales in a secret writing closet before dawn each day. Connect with Ally on her website at www.allymalinenko.com.
Thanks so much to the publisher for sending me a copy of this book for review. Make sure to check back on release day, August 10th, for a Q&A with Ally!
Happy release day to 21 Questions by Alexandria Rizik! To celebrate its release I’m excited to bring you all a Q&A I was able to have with Alexandria about the book and her writing experience/process. If you haven’t already make sure you check out my review for 21 Questions. Also, huge thanks to Alexandria for answering my questions and thank you to Sparkpress for reaching out to me about reviewing this title!
Alexandria Rizik is an award-winning filmmaker and the author of two books, the poetry collection Words Written in the Dark and the children’s book Chocolate Milk. She was born and raised in Scottsdale, Arizona, where she was brought up by a large Armenian family. She received her bachelor of arts in English literature from Arizona State University. Alexandria’s love for writing began when she was a young child: her aunt bought her a journal and told her to write her a story, and the rest is history. Her favorite part about writing is being able to write the happily ever after that doesn’t always happen in real life. Besides writing, Alexandria loves yoga, wine, and family time. She lives in Scottsdale, AZ. Learn more at https://www.alexandriarizik.com.
Now, let’s get to the questions!
It says that this book is based on some of your own experiences, could you share a little bit about that?
Yes, this story was inspired by my first real relationship and breakup when I was seventeen. The only way I could get through it was by writing. It started as a screenplay that I wrote. I love film and cinema and was just getting into screenwriting when I was going through this breakup. But eventually I adapted it into a book. A lot of the scenes, like the haunted house scene, movie theater, the drive-in theater are based off of real events (obviously I exaggerated them to an extent). My ex-boyfriend’s family was kind of odd and being a writer with a very vivid imagination, I concocted this story that they were drug dealers and using him to deal to a high school clientele. Looking back, I sound crazy and they were probably just reserved, private people (as opposed to my crazy Armenian family). But that’s where the plot of the story stemmed from.
How long did the writing process for this book take?
So, I started writing the screenplay at seventeen. I even submitted it to a few contests. But, a few years later I adapted it into a novel. It’s evolved so much since the first draft. So overall, it’s been a ten year process from beginning to end.
What are your five must haves while writing?
My five must haves while writing are either coffee or wine, (depending on the time of day), a nice fall-scented candle, obviously my computer to write on, sometimes headphones to listen to music, and I also love using Pinterest. It draws inspiration.
Do you have any upcoming books in process?
Yes! I’m always writing something but what I’m focusing on mostly right now is the sequel to 21 Questions, titled 21 Confessions and also another book I’ve been working on for a while titled Mi Amor. I also just finished a screenplay titled, Cigarettes & Other Toxic Loves.
What is your dream project?
Oh my gosh, this is a hard one. My dream project would be adapting 21 Questions and its sequel into a Netflix series. It’s going to happen, I’m manifesting it.
What are your favorite writing tools?
My favorite writing tools are my iPad or computer (or my typewriter if I’m working on poetry) and my copy of The Emotion Thesaurus.
If you could describe Kendra and Brock in 5 words each, what would they be?
Five words to describe Kendra would be independent, determined, forgiving, awkward, and innocent. For Brock, I would say fearless, misunderstood, hot, charismatic, and infamous.
How do you deal with writer’s block?
I don’t really believe in writer’s block. I believe that whenever we struggle to write it’s due to our own inner self critic judging our words. To avoid “writer’s block,” it’s important to just keep writing, even if what you think you’re writing sucks, it can always be edited. But writing something is better than nothing.
Who would you recommend this book to?
I’d recommend this book to any girl who knows what it’s like to be in love for the first time and how your heart shatters when it ends because you never thought it would. And to any girl whose ever known what it’s like to try and fix a person they care about. Sometimes people don’t want to be fixed and sometimes it’s just the wrong timing.
Lastly, do you have anything you want to share with readers regarding this book?
21 Questions is a story of two teenagers with young hearts and old souls. They’re beautifully flawed and I hope everyone enjoys reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it.
Again I want to give a huge thank you to Alexandria for taking the time to answer my questions. I hope you all had as much fun reading her answers as I did. Make sure you check out 21 Questions!
Seattle may not be as old as some would expect from a haunted city. But it has a large number of haunted sites and stories. Spooked in Seattle will lead readers on a journey through Seattle’s neighborhoods and reveal the city’s public locations, history, and tales of strange encounters. For those who love to venture off into corners in search of ghosts and the unknown, this book will set readers forth in the right direction.
Spooked in Seattle features more than 150 haunted locations, historic and contemporary photos, top ten questions about ghosts, Seattle’s top ten most haunted places, location maps and addresses, Seattle history and haunted facts, Seattle cemeteries and tombstone symbols, and more.
Spooked in Seattle presents many locations throughout the city that are believed to be haunted, claim to have ghosts, or have undergone investigation. All of these stories are broken down into sections based on the city’s neighborhoods with corresponding addresses to make finding them easier for the ghost enthusiasts. Maps and photos help bring to life the locations, making the Seattle ghosthunting experience easy and enjoyable.
As someone who loves reading ghost story collections, I was really excited to dive into this one. Some things that I really enjoyed about it were how in depth some of the history was, there were some really great passages about the city’s beginnings and some of the historical figures associated with the city. The haunted facts sections at the end of chapters, with information on hauntings in general, were fun to read.
That being said this book was in dire of one thing – a proofreader. There were so many instances where the author clearly meant a different word, but the word in place of it was spelled correctly, so it wasn’t something spell check would catch. Some examples were “foots steps” instead of footsteps or “leather jack” instead of leather jacket. This is something that happened many many times throughout the book that always took me out of my reading enjoyment. A second pair of eyes looking over the book before it went to publication could have fixed it – and honestly could have bumped it up to 3-4 stars for me (yes, the history and stories were that interesting). I had a really hard time though because these errors stood out to me and would slow down my reading.
If you’re looking for a book with a lot of great background information on Seattle, this is a solid pick, but be aware of the errors.
Frostbite Lynn Rush
(Touch of Frost, #1)
Publication date: September 11th 2013
Genres: Paranormal, Young Adult
Amanda gives a whole new meaning to cool…
Amanda Smith is sick of getting chased from town-to-town. So when she lands in tiny Trifle, Arizona, she hopes it’s her last move for a long time. Despite hating the smallness of the town, she settles in and finds a best friend, and even a boyfriend. Normality at its finest.
But for a girl who can shoot snow from her hands and lift a two-ton truck over her head like a bag of feathers—normal is not an option.
The scientists who murdered her mother come barreling into Amanda’s quiet life. She must decide if she’ll run again or stay and fight. The price of either choice might be her life or the lives of those she’s come to love…
“You barely know me, Zach.” And I was so the wrong girl. He just didn’t know it.
“I’m trying to get to know you. You won’t let me.” His dark eyebrow quirked up, and his dimple flared as he offered me his totally addicting half-smile.
He was right, though. So trained to stay protected I’ve pretty much forgotten how to…be. So controlled. So…
I inched closer, which probably looked ridiculous as I scooted across the sand, but if I was going to take a chance, Zach was going to be that chance.
His eyes widened, and he leaned forward as his grip on my hand tightened. Despite the sand mixed in with our hands, his warmth still crept up my arm. But it also left a trail of goosebumps.
Do. Not. Freeze. Him.
I drew in a breath, then pushed that last inch separating us. My reward was the softest pair of lips. The contact, as light as it was, sent a shockwave through my chest, rattling down my spine. The warmth of the sun toasting us, and his now familiar scent, swarmed around my body, filling me with him.
All Zach.
I turned my head a fraction and that angle offered me even more of him. That pouty bottom lip I’d been eyeing since I’d first seen him was all mine to taste. To nibble. And I took full advantage.
Author Bio:
New York Times & USA Today Bestselling Author, Lynn Rush, is a full-time writer, wife, and trail runner living in the Sonoran Desert, despite her fear of rattlesnakes. Known as #TheRunningWriter, Lynn can’t resist posting epic sunrise pictures while running in the desert with her trail sisters, even if she has to occasionally hop a scorpion.
When she’s not running or writing, she’s watching movies that fuel her everlasting love of superheroes, vampires, and all things Supernatural. The books she reads usually carry the same theme, but this former college athlete loves reading sweet sports romances as well.
She’s madly in love with her Ironman husband of 20+ years who is the inspiration for what true love is. You can find her on social media as @LynnRushWrites and her website is: http://www.lynnrush.com
Hey everyone! So it’s the last day of July and you may have noticed I didn’t have a ton of writing updates the past couple weeks. I did write a few thousand words on a couple different projects, but didn’t really hit my goal. There are a number of factors or reasons that I could go into, but the crux of it is that life is life and things happen.
Plus…Cozy Grove. Playing lots of Cozy Grove.
So yeah, lots of different factors that have meant I haven’t had time to write, I’ve been trying to maintain mental health, improve overall health in general, practice some self care, etc. July was weird and went by super quickly.
So what are my plans going forward after two Camp Nano’s that didn’t go well? I’m still planning on participating in NaNoWriMo in November and planning on winning if possible but until then I might just take a break. I may do some planning as we get closer to November and I’m always jotting down notes and ideas, but until then I may just take it easy and concentrate on other things.
That’s the way I’m feeling I need to go. My day job is taking up a huge amount of time and between reading, gaming and self care I don’t really have the mental space for writing intensely. So I’m going to do a refresh and hopefully come back strong in November.
The Wandering Wordsmith 