Top Ten Tuesday: Creepy Book Covers

Top Ten Tuesday was created by The Broke and the Bookish in June of 2010 and was moved to That Artsy Reader Girl in January of 2018. It was born of a love of lists, a love of books, and a desire to bring bookish friends together.

How it works:

She assigns each Tuesday a topic and then posts her top ten list that fits that topic. You’re more than welcome to join her and create your own top ten (or 2, 5, 20, etc.) list as well. Feel free to put a unique spin on the topic to make it work for you! Please link back to That Artsy Reader Girl in your own post so that others know where to find more information.


1. Our Trespasses by Michael Cordell

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Deliver us from evil…




Drowning in a meaningless existence flipping burgers, Matthew Davis suddenly collapses from a powerful psychic connection he shares with his twin brother, Jake. The pain is violent and immediate, and Matt knows exactly what it means… hundreds of miles away, Jake has been viciously killed. But instead of severing their connection, the murder intensifies it and Matt begins to suffer the agony of Jake’s afterlife.




Hell bent on solving Jake’s murder in order to break the connection, Matt travels to his troubled hometown of Hatchett, Nebraska, where an old lover and savage new enemies expose the festering wounds that Jake left behind.




Matt tries atoning for Jake’s sins, but when a demon infests the connection between the two brothers, Matt must find a way to sever their bond before his world, and ours, become engulfed in the flames of hell.

2 The Last House on Needless Street by Catriona Ward

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This is the story of a serial killer. A stolen child. Revenge. Death. And an ordinary house at the end of an ordinary street.

All these things are true. And yet they are all lies…

You think you know what’s inside the last house on Needless Street. You think you’ve read this story before. That’s where you’re wrong.

In the dark forest at the end of Needless Street, lies something buried. But it’s not what you think…

3. Fairest by Sophia Zaccaria

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Flirting with evil will be the ruination of her soul.

Goodness is much easier to corrupt than it is to hold on to. And for Natasha, a woman reeling from the pain of losing a loved one, evil is all the more tempting. Luck or misfortune spirits Natasha away to the foreign Court of Velaris in a quest for a suitor but instead secures her a place among Velarian royalty. Craving revenge, Natasha makes use of this opportunity to enact her plans as she navigates the lush court where aristocracy is a double-edged blade. But when she befriends her soon-to-be husband Mikhail, the Beloved Prince, Natasha makes a deadly mistake. She captures the attention of the debonair Darkling Prince; a villainous man meant to ascend the Velarian throne.


Enamored, the Darkling Prince charms Natasha, and soon the two feel a forbidden emotion captivate their stoic, scabrous hearts. But with the existence of a violent rebel group capable of cataclysmic damage, there is little time for love. With war brewing amidst the enigmatic kingdom, the royals must become all the more cunning and devious if they wish to triumph over their adversaries. What draws the insidious line between right and wrong when it comes to a battle of survival? For Natasha, nothing is too far, too light, too bloody, too evil.

Soon, the only reflection Natasha sees in her mirror’s beveled glass is that of an Evil Queen. Often, the cost of survival is more frightening than the beasts of death. But that’s what gives the Queen of Shadow’s beauty an edge: she wears her darkness adorned about her throat like the grandest of all diamonds, ebony, and bloodred in shade.

4. Evil Eye: A Slasher Story by April A. Taylor

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During the eye of a hurricane, evil strikes.

Six strangers get stuck on an island during a roaring hurricane. They have nothing in common, but five of them will have to join forces to survive the night. Meanwhile, the sixth wants nothing more than to kill every single one of them.

Join Annette, Chad, Heather, Spencer, and Kate on the worst night of their lives. Can they survive or will the killer maniacally laugh while eviscerating them? Filled with gore, terror, and the little moments between humans that can make or break their budding friendships.

Grab a copy of the latest terrifying book from the #1 Amazon best-selling author behind Sinkhole and The Haunting of Cabin Green. Evil Eye is a mixture of the classic slasher Halloween and the fun survival horror movie Crawl.

5. What We Devour by Linsey Miller

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From the author of Mask of Shadows comes a dark and intricate story of a girl who must tether herself to a violent ruler to save her crumbling world.
Lorena Adler has a secret—she holds the power of the banished gods, the Noble and the Vile, inside her. She has spent her entire life hiding from the world and her past. She’s content to spend her days as an undertaker in a small town, marry her best friend, Julian, and live an unfulfilling life so long as no one uncovers her true nature.
But when the notoriously bloodthirsty and equally Vile crown prince comes to arrest Julian’s father, he immediately recognizes Lorena for what she is. So she makes a deal—a fair trial for her betrothed’s father in exchange for her service to the crown.
The prince is desperate for her help. He’s spent years trying to repair the weakening Door that holds back the Vile…and he’s losing the battle. As Lorena learns more about the Door and the horrifying price it takes to keep it closed, she’ll have to embrace both parts of herself to survive.

6. Lake Silence by Anne Bishop

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In this thrilling and suspenseful fantasy, set in the world of the New York Times bestselling Others series, Vicki DeVine and her lodger, the shapeshifter Aggie Crowe, stumble onto a dead body . . . and find themselves enmeshed in danger and dark secrets.

Human laws do not apply in the territory controlled by the Others–vampires, shapeshifters, and paranormal beings even more deadly. And this is a fact that humans should never, ever forget . . .

After her divorce, Vicki DeVine took over a rustic resort near Lake Silence, in a human town that is not human-controlled. Towns like Vicki’s have no distance from the Others, the dominant predators that rule most of the land and all of the water throughout the world. And when a place has no boundaries, you never really know what’s out there watching you.

Vicki was hoping to find a new career and a new life. But when her lodger, Aggie Crowe–one of the shapeshifting Others–discovers a dead body, Vicki finds trouble instead. The detectives want to pin the man’s death on her, despite the evidence that nothing human could have killed the victim. As Vicki and her friends search for answers, things get dangerous–and it’ll take everything they have to stay alive.

7. The Shadows by Alex North

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You knew a teenager like Charlie Crabtree. A dark imagination, a sinister smile–always on the outside of the group. Some part of you suspected he might be capable of doing something awful. Twenty-five years ago, Crabtree did just that, committing a murder so shocking that it’s attracted that strange kind of infamy that only exists on the darkest corners of the internet–and inspired more than one copycat.

Paul Adams remembers the case all too well: Crabtree–and his victim–were Paul’s friends. Paul has slowly put his life back together. But now his mother, old and senile, has taken a turn for the worse. Though every inch of him resists, it is time to come home.

It’s not long before things start to go wrong. Reading the news, Paul learns another copycat has struck. His mother is distressed, insistent that there’s something in the house. And someone is following him. Which reminds him of the most unsettling thing about that awful day twenty-five years ago.

It wasn’t just the murder.

It was the fact that afterward, Charlie Crabtree was never seen again…

8. Slumbering by C.S. Johnson

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A narcissistic teenager who doesn’t believe in destiny. 
A city under supernatural attack. 
An adventure that unfortunately changes everything. Sixteen-year-old Hamilton Dinger leads a charmed life. He’s got the grades for the top of the class, the abilities of a star athlete and Tetris player, and the charisma to get away with anything. Everything seems to be going along perfectly, including his plans to ask out Gwen Kessler, as he enters into tenth grade at Apollo Central High School.
Everything, that is, until a meteor crashes into the city, releasing the Seven Deadly Sinisters and their leader, Orpheus, from their celestial prison, and awakening Hamilton’s longtime dormant supernatural abilities. Suddenly Hamilton finds himself reluctantly allied with his self-declared mentor, Elysian, a changeling dragon, and Starry Knight, a beautiful but dangerous warrior, as they seek to protect the souls of Apollo City from the Sinisters and their evil intentions.
Can Hamilton give up his self-proclaimed entitlement to happiness in order to follow the call of a duty he doesn’t want? More importantly, will he willingly sacrifice all he has to find out the truth?

9. House of Blade by Will Wight

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Simon can only watch, helpless, as his family is killed and his friends captured by enemy Travelers—men and women who can summon mystical powers from otherworldly Territories. To top it off, another young man from Simon’s village discovers that he’s a savior prophesied to destroy evil and save the realm.

Prophecy has nothing to say about Simon. He has no special powers, no magical weapons, and no guarantee that he’ll survive. But he sets off anyway, alone, to gain the power he needs to oppose the Travelers and topple their ruthless Overlord. It may not be his destiny, but Simon’s determined to rescue his fellow villagers from certain death.

Because who cares about prophecy, really?

10 The Gone World by Tom Sweterlitsch

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Inception meets True Detective in this science-fiction thriller of spellbinding tension and staggering scope that follows a special agent into a savage murder case with grave implications for the fate of mankind…

Shannon Moss is part of a clandestine division within the Naval Criminal Investigative Service. In western Pennsylvania, 1997, she is assigned to solve the murder of a Navy SEAL’s family–and to locate his vanished teenage daughter. Though she can’t share the information with conventional law enforcement, Moss discovers that the missing SEAL was an astronaut aboard the spaceship U.S.S. Libra—a ship assumed lost to the currents of Deep Time. Moss knows first-hand the mental trauma of time travel and believes the SEAL’s experience with the future has triggered this violence.

Determined to find the missing girl and driven by a troubling connection from her own past, Moss travels ahead in time to explore possible versions of the future, seeking evidence to crack the present-day case. To her horror, the future reveals that it’s not only the fate of a family that hinges on her work, for what she witnesses rising over time’s horizon and hurtling toward the present is the Terminus: the terrifying and cataclysmic end of humanity itself.

Luminous and unsettling, The Gone World bristles with world-shattering ideas yet remains at its heart an intensely human story.

It’s Monday! What Are You Reading?

It’s Monday! What Are You Reading? a place to meet up and share what you have been, and are about to be reading over the week. It’s a great post to organize yourself. It’s an opportunity to visit and comment and er… add to your groaning TBR pile! So welcome in everyone. This meme started on J Kaye’s blog and then was hosted by Sheila from Book Journey. Sheila then passed it on to Kathryn at The Book Date.

Jen Vincent, Teach Mentor Texts, and Kellee of Unleashing Readers decided to give It’s Monday! a kidlit focus. If you read and review books in children’s literature – picture books, chapter books, middle grade novels, young adult novels or anything in those genres – join them.


Happy Monday (well, as happy as a Monday can be…lol) everyone and I hope you all had a great weekend!!

I hope your weekends were fantabulous and you were able to get stuff done.

My weekend was good. On Saturday, we went to a local compact (I believe that is the name for it) zoo called Zootastic. It is around 45 mins (give or take because of traffic). The last time we went to this zoo was around 3 years ago and we didn’t have a great time. Most of the exhibits weren’t up and they were renovating the place. Well, this time, it was awesome. They had double to animals that they had. We even saw a pregnant kangaroo with a joey in its pouch. The kids had a blast. We got home and hung out for the rest of the day.

Sunday, BK decided he was going to start building a patio area. So, we went, got 24 paving stones and laid them out in roughly the area we want to build it. We have to get 20 (or so) more before it is finished. We also decided to get a squirrel baffle for one of the bird feeders. We also go more suet, a corn holder for the squirrels, sandpaper, buckets, and gardening glove. He also made his own baffle. He cut a hole in a pot that we weren’t using, put it on top of a clamp, and zip tied the area shut. They haven’t been able to get up it. The sandpaper, buckets and gloves were for something different. We had gone gem mining at the zoo and the kids wanted to polish the gems they got. So, they did that while BK and I set all the bird stuff up in the back.

I did read this weekend. But it wasn’t any of the books on my Currently Reading list. Instead, I have been reading The Birding Pro’s Field Guide: Birds of North Carolina. I used to be an avid birdwatcher but stopped when we moved to NC. Now that we have the feeders up, I plan on using that guide. But, I am also reading through it.

I put The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue on hold at the library. Any guesses at where I am on the hold list? I am 533 out of 552 people waiting and they have 19 copies with 29 people waiting per copy. I was amazed when I saw that number. See, I have never put a “hot” book on hold before. I got a little laugh from that.

So, how was your weekend? Read anything good? Any great adventures?


What I am Reading Now:

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As a cassandra sangue, or blood prophet, Meg Corbyn can see the future when her skin is cut—a gift that feels more like a curse. Meg’s Controller keeps her enslaved so he can have full access to her visions. But when she escapes, the only safe place Meg can hide is at the Lakeside Courtyard—a business district operated by the Others.

Shape-shifter Simon Wolfgard is reluctant to hire the stranger who inquires about the Human Liaison job. First, he senses she’s keeping a secret, and second, she doesn’t smell like human prey. Yet a stronger instinct propels him to give Meg the job. And when he learns the truth about Meg and that she’s wanted by the government, he’ll have to decide if she’s worth the fight between humans and the Others that will surely follow.

What I plan on reading this week:

The order I plan on reading the books are: Library, ARC, TBR.

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Everyone has a secret they’ll do anything to hide…

Twenty-five years ago, the body of sixteen-year-old Eve Knox was found in the caves near her home in small-town Grotto, Iowa—discovered by her best friend, Maggie, and her sister, Nola. There were a handful of suspects, including her boyfriend, Nick, but without sufficient evidence the case ultimately went cold.

For decades Maggie was haunted by Eve’s death and that horrible night. Now a detective in Grotto, and seven months pregnant, she is thrust back into the past when a new piece of evidence surfaces and the case is reopened. As Maggie investigates and reexamines the clues, secrets about what really happened begin to emerge. But someone in town knows more than they’re letting on, and they’ll stop at nothing to keep the truth buried deep.
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The town of Whistling Ridge guards its secrets.

When seventeen-year-old Abigail goes missing, her best friend Emma, compelled by the guilt of leaving her alone at a party in the woods, sets out to discover the truth about what happened. The police initially believe Abi ran away, but Emma doesn’t believe that her friend would leave without her, and when officers find disturbing evidence in the nearby woods, the festering secrets and longstanding resentment of both Abigail’s family and the people of Whistling Ridge, Colorado begin to surface with devastating consequences.


Among those secrets: Abi’s older brother Noah’s passionate, dangerous love for the handsome Rat, a recently arrived Romanian immigrant who has recently made his home in the trailer park in town; her younger brother Jude’s feeling that he knows information he should tell the police, if only he could put it into words; Abi’s father’s mercurial, unpredictable rages and her mother’s silence. Then there is the rest of Whistling Ridge, where a charismatic preacher advocates for God’s love in language that mirrors violence, under the sway of the powerful businessman who rules the town, insular and wary of outsiders.

But Abi had secrets, too, and the closer Emma grows to unraveling the past, the farther she feels from her friend. And in a tinder box of small-town rage, and all it will take is just one spark—the truth of what really happened that night—to change their community forever.
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Ten thousand years ago, a mysterious race that we only know as the Overseers took primitive humans and scattered them on dozens of worlds across the galaxy. Now, some of those people have found their way back to Earth. A young Justice Keeper named Anna Lenai has tracked a criminal through unexplored regions of space in the hopes of recovering a symbiont that grants its host the ability to bend space and time. Her search leads her to Earth, where she befriends a young man named Jack Hunter. Together, they will face enemies with advanced technology as they struggle to recover the symbiont before its power falls into the wrong hands.
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What to do when your crush turns out to be a monster (and other such problems).

Just when correctional nurse October Grace has a handle on her stressful job and taking care of her mentally ill mother, a shapeshifting warrior and a half-vampire plunge her into a foreign land that’s on the brink of starvation. Now, with a ticking clock and a target on her back, October takes up the mantle of becoming one of the rare Omens who can bring hope to a dying world.
Mason and Von remain by her side to shield the national treasure while she sacrifices herself to reap the souls that will feed the nations of Terraway. As the death toll rises daily, October finds herself tangled up in a cutthroat world where fairytale creatures run wild… and every day is a new bloody battle.

WWW Wednesday: April 28th 2021

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WWW Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Sam at Taking on a World of Words.

The Three Ws are:

What are you currently reading?
What did you recently finish reading?
What do you think you’ll read next?


Personal:

Allergies are still bad here. Miss B, Miss R and myself are so congested and sneezy, it isn’t even funny. I can’t wait for the trees to stop releasing their pollen and life to get back to normal.

Miss R is still loving school. Right now, she has a boyfriend. She told me that she went up to this boy (she had known him since preschool) and told him “You are my boyfriend and you will like it.” I died laughing at that and thought to myself “If only it works that way.

Miss B is enjoying Beta Club. She has attended two meetings and the seniors made her feel very welcome. Right now, they are working on pinatas for the prom (I think). Speaking of that, her school’s prom will be in person. Since there are about 45ish kids in the senior class, they are holding it at an outdoor venue that is down the street from us. Nothing like my prom, which had 400 kids in the senior class.

Mr Z plays the violin in orchestra and he is getting frustrated. See, the orchestra teacher is having the kids play Dragonhunter and he cannot keep up (the violins go fast). He is questioning if he should do it next year (I told him yes because he will be in school and will be able to hear the other players). I have suggested practicing but that goes over well….lol.

BK had a Covid scare last week. There is a long and involved story to this scare and I can’t get into much detail. I will say that BK is vaccinated and he did get a test done. He was negative (thank God). I am keeping an eye on the kids (I had both shots and will be considered vaccinated this coming Saturday).

I started watching Lovecraft County and man, that show is scary. When I saw that Jordan Peele was one of the directors, I knew that it would scare my pants off. I am also watching The Irregulars and The Nevers. I am also still watching The Magicians. Over the weekend, I watched the new Mortal Kombat movie. I liked it but it was very violent. Miss B and Mr Z loved it. Miss R was not allowed to watched it. For her, we watched Little Rascals (the 1994 movie).

I am still playing Black Desert Online. Right now, I am on this super long fishing quest and I am at the part where I have to fish for starfish. It is driving me nuts because I don’t know where to find them and there is next to nothing online. I am still playing BitLife (on my 53rd generation) and still doing the color by number apps.

I am making Smothered Chicken tonight for supper. I am hoping the kids like it. I know Miss R will like the bacon (she loves bacon) but other than that, its up in the air.

Blog

I have stalled (again) with updating my posts. I know that I need to do it but the WordPress changes has made it super difficult to do.

Reading

I read 3 books since last week. I am pretty pumped for that. I am hoping that I can read that much for this week, but I doubt it. I am stuck on my ARC read. Uggh.


What I Recently Finished Reading:

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If you find one, he’s already found you.

A psychopath is terrorizing Copenhagen.

His calling card is a “chestnut man”—a handmade doll made of matchsticks and two chestnuts—which he leaves at each bloody crime scene. Examining the dolls, forensics makes a shocking discovery—a fingerprint belonging to a young girl, a government minister’s daughter who had been kidnapped and murdered a year ago.

A tragic coincidence—or something more twisted?


To save innocent lives, a pair of detectives must put aside their differences to piece together the Chestnut Man’s gruesome clues.

Because it’s clear that the madman is on a mission that is far from over.

And no one is safe.

This book was super creepy to read and I loved it. There was this twist at the end of the book that both horrified and saddened me. And how the killer was blew my mind!!!!


What I am currently reading:

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Claim the hand that wears the ring, and the empire falls.

Conrí, former Crown Prince of Oriel, claimed the hand that wears the Abiding Ring, but the prophecy remains unfulfilled. Queen Euthalia of Calanthe returned to her island kingdom, but broken in mind and body. With the blood of war unleashing ancient terrors, Calanthe isn’t the haven it once was.

Lia must use her magical bond with Calanthe to save their people while Con fights to hold off the vengeful Emperor Anure and his wizards. Con and Lia will have to trust in each other—and in love—to fend off ultimate disaster.

I am having such a hard time getting through this book. It started off slow and is just now gaining momentum. I also feel a little lost reading this book and blame that on missing book 2 during my hiatus. Hopefully, The Promised Queen ramps up and delivers!!


What books I think I’ll read next:

I have a short list this week (Hurray!!). Here’s the order I will read them in. Books 1 and 2 are library books. Books 3 and 4 are the books that I still haven’t gotten to and will be reading this week.

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Breezing into the tony seaside paradise of Westport, Connecticut, gorgeous thirtysomething Piper Reynard sets down roots, opening a rehab and wellness space and joining a local yacht club. When she meets Leo Drakos, a handsome, successful lawyer, the wedding ring on his finger is the only thing she doesn’t like about him. Yet as Piper well knows, no marriage is permanent.

Meanwhile, Joanna has been waiting patiently for Leo, the charismatic man she fell in love with all those years ago, to re-emerge from the severe depression that has engulfed him. Though she’s thankful when Leo returns to his charming, energetic self, paying attention again to Evie and Stelli, the children they both love beyond measure, Joanna is shocked to discover that it’s not her loving support that’s sparked his renewed happiness—it’s something else.

Piper. Leo has fallen head over heels for the flaky, New Age-y newcomer, and unrepentant and resolute, he’s more than willing to leave Joanna behind, along with everything they’ve built. Of course, he assures her, she can still see the children.

Joanna is devastated—and determined to find something, anything, to use against this woman who has stolen her life and her true love. As she digs deeper into Piper’s past, Joanna begins to unearth disturbing secrets . . . but when she confides to her therapist that she fears for the lives of her ex-husband and children, her concerns are dismissed as paranoia. Can she find the proof she needs in time to save them?
Book Cover
As a cassandra sangue, or blood prophet, Meg Corbyn can see the future when her skin is cut—a gift that feels more like a curse. Meg’s Controller keeps her enslaved so he can have full access to her visions. But when she escapes, the only safe place Meg can hide is at the Lakeside Courtyard—a business district operated by the Others.

Shape-shifter Simon Wolfgard is reluctant to hire the stranger who inquires about the Human Liaison job. First, he senses she’s keeping a secret, and second, she doesn’t smell like human prey. Yet a stronger instinct propels him to give Meg the job. And when he learns the truth about Meg and that she’s wanted by the government, he’ll have to decide if she’s worth the fight between humans and the Others that will surely follow.
Book Cover
Ten thousand years ago, a mysterious race that we only know as the Overseers took primitive humans and scattered them on dozens of worlds across the galaxy. Now, some of those people have found their way back to Earth. A young Justice Keeper named Anna Lenai has tracked a criminal through unexplored regions of space in the hopes of recovering a symbiont that grants its host the ability to bend space and time. Her search leads her to Earth, where she befriends a young man named Jack Hunter. Together, they will face enemies with advanced technology as they struggle to recover the symbiont before its power falls into the wrong hands.
Book Cover
What to do when your crush turns out to be a monster (and other such problems).

Just when correctional nurse October Grace has a handle on her stressful job and taking care of her mentally ill mother, a shapeshifting warrior and a half-vampire plunge her into a foreign land that’s on the brink of starvation. Now, with a ticking clock and a target on her back, October takes up the mantle of becoming one of the rare Omens who can bring hope to a dying world.
Mason and Von remain by her side to shield the national treasure while she sacrifices herself to reap the souls that will feed the nations of Terraway. As the death toll rises daily, October finds herself tangled up in a cutthroat world where fairytale creatures run wild… and every day is a new bloody battle.

Top Ten Tuesday: Books with Animals in Them

Top Ten Tuesday was created by The Broke and the Bookish in June of 2010 and was moved to That Artsy Reader Girl in January of 2018. It was born of a love of lists, a love of books, and a desire to bring bookish friends together.

How it works:

She assigns each Tuesday a topic and then posts her top ten list that fits that topic. You’re more than welcome to join her and create your own top ten (or 2, 5, 20, etc.) list as well. Feel free to put a unique spin on the topic to make it work for you! Please link back to That Artsy Reader Girl in your own post so that others know where to find more information.


As with all TTTs, today’s prompt gave me a huge grin on my face. I love animals and I love it when animals are featured in books I am reading. For me, sometimes just having an animal (notice I didn’t say pet) adds that extra oomph that I need to enjoy the book.

Do you like books with animals? If so, what are your favorite books? Let me know so I can either A. say “Oh I read that” or B. Go and add it to my already overfull TBR shelf….lol.


1. The Others series by Anne Bishop

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This series features shape shifting Wolves, Bears, Panthers, Sharks, Crows, and Hawks. There are also mentions of Bobcats and Lynx. But these shape shifters are definitely NOT human or desire to be human. They are the Alpha predators and humans must confirm to their laws or get eaten.

2. Dark Roads by Chevy Stevens

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One of the main characters, Hailey, disappears into the Canadian wilderness with her dog, Wolf. Now, Wolf doesn’t show up until halfway through the book but after that, he is a constant. I absolutely loved him and his relationship with Hailey!!

3. Bones of a Saint by Grant Farley

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RJ is gifted two homing pigeons by Mr. Leguin (you need to read the book to understand why) and they are featured a bit until well, Mr. Peabody comes onto the scene. Then they aren’t (catch my drift).

4. Hollow Kingdom by Kira Jane Buxton

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S.T., a crow, and Dennis, his dog, have front row seats to the end of humanity. People became too dependent on their phones and it turned them into zombies. S.T. is the savior of the pets who were left behind, rescuing them from houses or other animals. I loved S.T. and his wiseass commentary of how the humans destroyed themselves.

5. Shadow Pack by Marc Daniel

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This is a shifter book. Michael is a bear shifter (thought to be extinct) and is hunting down a murderous pack of werewolves. There is so much more to the story than what I mentioned here.

6. Mutts Like Me by Keri Armstrong

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Another shifter book. The female main is a werewolf. Her love interest is a Kitsune. There are also fox and dragon shifters in the book. I picked it up for the title but ended up loving it for the storyline (and the fact that the shifters can interbreed)

7. Moonrise by Joseph Hagen

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This book is a werewolf horror novel and its actually pretty good. The main character gets turned, against his will, and then hunts down the Alpha to exact revenge for the murder of his family. He is helped by werewolf hunters (witches) with this.

8. Incubus Caged by A.H. Lee

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I hesitated with putting this book on the list. The incubus spends 90% of his time in panther form (including one memorable dinner scene at the beginning of the book). The other times, he keeps the form of a man. But in reality he is a demon who shifts into human and panther form. Make sense as to why I hesitated?

9. Hunting the Past by J.C. Diem

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Another werewolf story. Seems like I like to read a lot of shifter books. Oh well…lol.

10 Swimming Monkeys: Genesis by Steve Hadden

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A non shifter book!! This book reminded me of a combination of National Treasure and the Indiana Jones movie series. And the animals? Monkeys of course!! But not just any monkeys. These monkeys are special and it is up to the main character to get them to safety while outwitting bad guys around every corner.

It’s Monday! What Are You Reading?

It’s Monday! What Are You Reading? a place to meet up and share what you have been, and are about to be reading over the week. It’s a great post to organize yourself. It’s an opportunity to visit and comment and er… add to your groaning TBR pile! So welcome in everyone. This meme started on J Kaye’s blog and then was hosted by Sheila from Book Journey. Sheila then passed it on to Kathryn at The Book Date.

Jen Vincent, Teach Mentor Texts, and Kellee of Unleashing Readers decided to give It’s Monday! a kidlit focus. If you read and review books in children’s literature – picture books, chapter books, middle grade novels, young adult novels or anything in those genres – join them.


Happy Monday (well, as happy as a Monday can be…lol) everyone and I hope you all had a great weekend!!

I had an OK weekend. Saturday rained and we couldn’t get anything done. We ended up watching TV (the new Mortal Kombat movie for the older kids, Little Rascals for Miss R and Lovecraft County for BK and myself).

Sunday, we went to Pigeon Forge, TN for a daytrip. We haven’t been on day trips since, well, before the pandemic, so it was a big hit with the kids. We went to an arcade, played mini-golf, and went on this Jurassic Park ride before making the almost 4 hour ride home. It felt so good to get out of the house!!

I didn’t do a whole lot of reading over the weekend. But I did finished The Chestnut Man by Soren Sveistrup yesterday. Talk about a good book with a plot twist that I didn’t see coming!!

I also had the first book in The Other’s series come off hold (finally). So I will be reading that this week…along with the other books listed today.

So, how was your weekend? Read anything good? Any great adventures?

Let me know!!


What I am Reading Now:

Book Cover
In The Promised Queen, the thrilling finale to Jeffe Kennedy’s Forgotten Empires trilogy, the fate of the world hangs in the balance as Con, Lia, and their allies sacrifice everything in a final bid to destroy the corrupt empire.

Claim the hand that wears the ring, and the empire falls.

Conrí, former Crown Prince of Oriel, claimed the hand that wears the Abiding Ring, but the prophecy remains unfulfilled. Queen Euthalia of Calanthe returned to her island kingdom, but broken in mind and body. With the blood of war unleashing ancient terrors, Calanthe isn’t the haven it once was.

Lia must use her magical bond with Calanthe to save their people while Con fights to hold off the vengeful Emperor Anure and his wizards. Con and Lia will have to trust in each other—and in love—to fend off ultimate disaster.

I am curious to see how I will like The Promised Queen. I had read and reviewed The Orchid Throne and liked it. But, I was on hiatus when The Fiery Crown was published and missed reviewing it. So, we’ll see how much I like The Promised Queen. So far, I am liking it.


What I plan on reading this week:

Speaking of reading books out of order, Written in Red came off hold for me last night. So, I will be reading that first. Then the other two books that I have had sitting on my currently reading list for 3 weeks. I do have one book that could potentially come off hold from library (but the wait time says 2 weeks….so we’ll see).

Book Cover
As a cassandra sangue, or blood prophet, Meg Corbyn can see the future when her skin is cut—a gift that feels more like a curse. Meg’s Controller keeps her enslaved so he can have full access to her visions. But when she escapes, the only safe place Meg can hide is at the Lakeside Courtyard—a business district operated by the Others.

Shape-shifter Simon Wolfgard is reluctant to hire the stranger who inquires about the Human Liaison job. First, he senses she’s keeping a secret, and second, she doesn’t smell like human prey. Yet a stronger instinct propels him to give Meg the job. And when he learns the truth about Meg and that she’s wanted by the government, he’ll have to decide if she’s worth the fight between humans and the Others that will surely follow.
Book Cover
Ten thousand years ago, a mysterious race that we only know as the Overseers took primitive humans and scattered them on dozens of worlds across the galaxy. Now, some of those people have found their way back to Earth. A young Justice Keeper named Anna Lenai has tracked a criminal through unexplored regions of space in the hopes of recovering a symbiont that grants its host the ability to bend space and time. Her search leads her to Earth, where she befriends a young man named Jack Hunter. Together, they will face enemies with advanced technology as they struggle to recover the symbiont before its power falls into the wrong hands.
Book Cover
What to do when your crush turns out to be a monster (and other such problems).

Just when correctional nurse October Grace has a handle on her stressful job and taking care of her mentally ill mother, a shapeshifting warrior and a half-vampire plunge her into a foreign land that’s on the brink of starvation. Now, with a ticking clock and a target on her back, October takes up the mantle of becoming one of the rare Omens who can bring hope to a dying world.
Mason and Von remain by her side to shield the national treasure while she sacrifices herself to reap the souls that will feed the nations of Terraway. As the death toll rises daily, October finds herself tangled up in a cutthroat world where fairytale creatures run wild… and every day is a new bloody battle.

WWW Wednesday: April 21st 2021

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WWW Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Sam at Taking on a World of Words.

The Three Ws are:

What are you currently reading?
What did you recently finish reading?
What do you think you’ll read next?


Personal:

I got my 2nd Covid shot. Talk about a huge relief. Once I got my shot, I felt a thousand pounds lighter and I am start living again!!

My health issues have gone away (knock on wood). My only issues are allergies. Here in NC, we are in the middle of what we call “The Pollinating.” Our cars are covered in an inch thick green pollen. And it is wreaking havoc with my allergies.

Miss R is enjoying being back in school. She got her 1st in school progress report and she is at grade level for everything except….writing. I wasn’t surprised by this and they are working with her to catch her up. She is loving being around other kids her age and going to her special classes in person (PE, Guidance, Library, and Art).

Miss B is also back in school full time. The district made the decision last month to send grades 6-12 back to school 4 days a week. She is loving it. She also had her first Beta Club meeting this week. She told me that there was only one other freshman invited to this group. I told her that was amazing and she should feel special!! Now, we are waiting for an invite to the induction ceremony (should be in a couple of weeks).

Mr. Z is still at home. I gave him the option of going back to school or remaining virtual and he chose virtual. Since he is straight As, I allowed it. But, he will be going back in the fall. He needs to person to person interaction.

BK is back to traveling for work. Since the end of March, he has been to Florida, Missouri, and Michigan. It was weird, at first, him being gone. But I have gotten used to it and I am enjoying the quiet (well relative quiet).

I haven’t been watching that much TV lately. If I do turn it on, its to watch Jeopardy and Wheel of Fortune and then it goes off.

I have been playing a lot of Black Desert Online. I also have been playing BitLife on my phone. Along with those, I have been using color by number apps.

I made Slow-Cooker Smothered Beef Brisket in the crockpot for supper tonight. Not sure how it is going to taste or if the minions will like it but we’ll see. It does smell delicious!!

Blog

I started back on going over my posts and fixing things. But, with the changes WordPress did, finding those posts are next to impossible. But I’m determined to do it!!!

I noticed that I am getting tagged in a lot of meme posts. To the people who are tagging me: I will get to them. I am just terrible at doing that stuff.

Reading

I haven’t been reading that much lately. I am too tired at night to pick up my Kindle. But that did change on Monday. Between Monday and today, I have read 3 books. Yes, you saw that right. 3 books. I am hoping to have at least 2 more finished by the end of the week (maybe more if I keep up streak!!)

I am failing miserably in my reading challenges. I am 18 books behind on my Goodreads 2021 Reading Challenge. As for the challenges on The StoryGraph…here they are:

Reading Writers of Color—I have 20% done. I have finished 3 prompts out of the 15 listed. In my defense, I have been waiting on a particular book to come off hold (I have had it on hold since the beginning of December). Once its off hold and read, then I can start knocking off the other prompts.

Clear Those Shelves 2021—I have 31% done. I have finished 16 prompts out of the 52 listed (I did finish all of the bonus prompts).

Book Riot’s 2021 Read Harder Challenge—I have 13% done. I have finished 3 prompts out of the 24 listed.

Tropes in Romance—I have 0% done. I have finished 0 out of 15 prompts. Whoopsie. I need to work on that.

Beat the Backlist 2021—I have completed 15% of the bonus prompts. All of the prompts are bonus prompts, so yeah.

TBR and Beyond – 2021—-I have 18% done. I have completed 5 out of the 28 prompts.

Popsugar Reading Challenge 2021—I have 8% done. I have completed 3 out of the 40 prompts (I have also completed 50% of the bonus prompts)

Exploring New Horizons-Reading Challenge 2021—I have 8% done. I have completed 1 out of 12 prompts.

ReadWhatYouOwn2021—I have 40% done. I have completed 20 out of the 50 prompts.

The StoryGraph’s Genre Challenge 2021—I have 10% done. I have completed 1 out of 10 prompts.

The Booklist Queen Reading Challenge 2021—I have 10% done. I have completed 5 out of 52 prompts.

21 Books for 2021—I have 0% done. I have completed 0 out of 21 prompts.

The Unread Shelf Project—I have 0% done. I have completed 0 out of 12 prompts.

AtoZ Reading Challenge—I have 0% done. I have completed 0 out of 26 prompts.


What I Recently Finished Reading:

Book Cover
For centuries, the Others and humans have lived side by side in uneasy peace. But when humankind oversteps its bounds, the Others will have to decide how much humanity they’re willing to tolerate—both within themselves and within their community…

Since the Others allied themselves with the cassandra sangue, the fragile yet powerful human blood prophets who were being exploited by their own kind, the delicate dynamic between humans and Others changed. Some, like Simon Wolfgard, wolf shifter and leader of the Lakeside Courtyard, and blood prophet Meg Corbyn, see the new, closer companionship as beneficial—both personally and practically.

But not everyone is convinced. A group of radical humans is seeking to usurp land through a series of violent attacks on the Others. What they don’t realize is that there are older and more dangerous forces than shifters and vampires protecting the land that belongs to the Others—and those forces are willing to do whatever is necessary to protect what is theirs…

I really enjoyed reading Marked in Flesh. Anne Bishop is one of my favorite authors, so me liking any of her works are a given. But this book gave me chills. The build up to when The Elders destroyed the human cities was amazing. I was at the edge of my seat the entire time. And the end of the book left so many questions. Thankfully, I do have book 5 and will be reading it!!


What I am currently reading:

Book Cover
After a human uprising was brutally put down by the Elders—a primitive and lethal form of the Others—the few cities left under human control are far-flung. And the people within them now know to fear the no-man’s-land beyond their borders—and the darkness…

As some communities struggle to rebuild, Lakeside Courtyard has emerged relatively unscathed, though Simon Wolfgard, its wolf shifter leader, and blood prophet Meg Corbyn must work with the human pack to maintain the fragile peace. But all their efforts are threatened when Lieutenant Montgomery’s shady brother arrives, looking for a free ride and easy pickings.

With the humans on guard against one of their own, tensions rise, drawing the attention of the Elders, who are curious about the effect such an insignificant predator can have on a pack. But Meg knows the dangers, for she has seen in the cards how it will all end—with her standing beside a grave

I read only a chapter or so last night but what I read has made me want to devour this book!! The only thing I am hoping for is that there is no romance. It would ruin the vibe this whole series has.


What books I think I’ll read next:

The first two books, I will definitely read. They are on loan from the library and I have a limited time to read them. The third is an ARC that I need to get read. I have a review due for it in 2 weeks. I am hoping to get to the last 2 books. They have been sitting on my currently reading list for a few weeks. Me reading them hinges on if any books come off hold from the library. The last time I checked, I have one that should be coming off hold soon. If it doesn’t, then I am good to go. If it does, then I read that one first.

Book Cover
Human laws do not apply in the territory controlled by the Others–vampires, shapeshifters, and paranormal beings even more deadly. And this is a fact that humans should never, ever forget . . .

After her divorce, Vicki DeVine took over a rustic resort near Lake Silence, in a human town that is not human controlled. Towns like Vicki’s have no distance from the Others, the dominant predators that rule most of the land and all of the water throughout the world. And when a place has no boundaries, you never really know what’s out there watching you.

Vicki was hoping to find a new career and a new life. But when her lodger, Aggie Crowe–one of the shapeshifting Others–discovers a dead body, Vicki finds trouble instead. The detectives want to pin the man’s death on her, despite the evidence that nothing human could have killed the victim. As Vicki and her friends search for answers, things get dangerous–and it’ll take everything they have to stay alive.
Book Cover
If you find one, he’s already found you.

A psychopath is terrorizing Copenhagen.

His calling card is a “chestnut man”—a handmade doll made of matchsticks and two chestnuts—which he leaves at each bloody crime scene. Examining the dolls, forensics makes a shocking discovery—a fingerprint belonging to a young girl, a government minister’s daughter who had been kidnapped and murdered a year ago.

A tragic coincidence—or something more twisted?

To save innocent lives, a pair of detectives must put aside their differences to piece together the Chestnut Man’s gruesome clues.

Because it’s clear that the madman is on a mission that is far from over.

And no one is safe.
Book Cover
In The Promised Queen, the thrilling finale to Jeffe Kennedy’s Forgotten Empires trilogy, the fate of the world hangs in the balance as Con, Lia, and their allies sacrifice everything in a final bid to destroy the corrupt empire.

Claim the hand that wears the ring, and the empire falls.

Conrí, former Crown Prince of Oriel, claimed the hand that wears the Abiding Ring, but the prophecy remains unfulfilled. Queen Euthalia of Calanthe returned to her island kingdom, but broken in mind and body. With the blood of war unleashing ancient terrors, Calanthe isn’t the haven it once was.

Lia must use her magical bond with Calanthe to save their people while Con fights to hold off the vengeful Emperor Anure and his wizards. Con and Lia will have to trust in each other—and in love—to fend off ultimate disaster.
Book Cover
Ten thousand years ago, a mysterious race that we only know as the Overseers took primitive humans and scattered them on dozens of worlds across the galaxy. Now, some of those people have found their way back to Earth. A young Justice Keeper named Anna Lenai has tracked a criminal through unexplored regions of space in the hopes of recovering a symbiont that grants its host the ability to bend space and time. Her search leads her to Earth, where she befriends a young man named Jack Hunter. Together, they will face enemies with advanced technology as they struggle to recover the symbiont before its power falls into the wrong hands.
Book Cover
What to do when your crush turns out to be a monster (and other such problems).

Just when correctional nurse October Grace has a handle on her stressful job and taking care of her mentally ill mother, a shapeshifting warrior and a half-vampire plunge her into a foreign land that’s on the brink of starvation. Now, with a ticking clock and a target on her back, October takes up the mantle of becoming one of the rare Omens who can bring hope to a dying world.
Mason and Von remain by her side to shield the national treasure while she sacrifices herself to reap the souls that will feed the nations of Terraway. As the death toll rises daily, October finds herself tangled up in a cutthroat world where fairytale creatures run wild… and every day is a new bloody battle.

It’s Monday! What Are You Reading?

It’s Monday! What Are You Reading? a place to meet up and share what you have been, and are about to be reading over the week. It’s a great post to organize yourself. It’s an opportunity to visit and comment and er… add to your groaning TBR pile! So welcome in everyone. This meme started on J Kaye’s blog and then was hosted by Sheila from Book Journey. Sheila then passed it on to Kathryn at The Book Date.

Jen Vincent, Teach Mentor Texts, and Kellee of Unleashing Readers decided to give It’s Monday! a kidlit focus. If you read and review books in children’s literature – picture books, chapter books, middle grade novels, young adult novels or anything in those genres – join them.


What I am Reading Now:

Book Cover
Return to New York Times best-selling author Anne Bishop’s world of the Others – where supernatural entities and humans struggle to co-exist, and one woman has begun to change all the rules.…

After winning the trust of the terra indigene residing in the Lakeside Courtyard, Meg Corbyn has had trouble figuring out what it means to live among them. As a human, Meg should be barely tolerated prey, but her abilities as a cassandra sangue make her something more.

The appearance of two addictive drugs has sparked violence between the humans and the Others, resulting in the murder of both species in nearby cities. So when Meg has a dream about blood and black feathers in the snow, Simon Wolfgard – Lakeside’s shape-shifting leader – wonders if their blood prophet dreamed of a past attack or a future threat.

As the urge to speak prophecies strikes Meg more frequently, trouble finds its way inside the Courtyard. Now, the Others and the handful of humans residing there must work together to stop the man bent on reclaiming their blood prophet – and stop the danger that threatens to destroy them all.

I was super excited to start reading Murder of Crows. I am a HUGE Anne Bishop fan. I have read almost every single book she has written. So, when I checked my Goodreads library shelf and saw that books 1-7 were up next in my queue, I squealed like the fangirl I am. So far, the book is good. My only complaint is that I had to start reading book 2 before book 1 came off hold (someone is holding it hostage). But, I was able to catch on quick to what was going on, the world, and the characters.


What I plan on reading this week:

Remember last weeks IMWAYR where I said that my Anne Bishop books were coming off hold. Well they did. And then the next 3 books were available, so I grabbed them. Which in turn over saturated my currently reading list. I am hoping to burn through these books (see above). Once I am done with those, I have a NetGalley ARC and two books that have been on my Currently Reading for a while. So wish me luck!!

What is on your reading list for this week? Do you have books from a favorite author that you are reading? How about ARC’s? Or books that have been on your TBR forever and you are just now getting to? Let me know!! I might want to read them or have read them!!

Book Cover
The Others freed the cassandra sangue to protect the blood prophets from exploitation, not realizing their actions would have dire consequences. Now the fragile seers are in greater danger than ever before; both from their own weaknesses and from those who seek to control their divinations for wicked purposes. In desperate need of answers, Simon Wolfgard, a shape-shifter leader among the Others, has no choice but to enlist blood prophet Meg Corbyn’s help, regardless of the risks she faces by aiding him.

Meg is still deep in the throes of her addiction to the euphoria she feels when she cuts and speaks prophecy. She knows each slice of her blade tempts death. But Others and humans alike need answers, and her visions may be Simon’s only hope of ending the conflict.

For the shadows of war are deepening across the Atlantik, and the prejudice of a fanatic faction is threatening to bring the battle right to Meg and Simon’s doorstep…
Book Cover
For centuries, the Others and humans have lived side by side in uneasy peace. But when humankind oversteps its bounds, the Others will have to decide how much humanity they’re willing to tolerate—both within themselves and within their community…

Since the Others allied themselves with the cassandra sangue, the fragile yet powerful human blood prophets who were being exploited by their own kind, the delicate dynamic between humans and Others changed. Some, like Simon Wolfgard, wolf shifter and leader of the Lakeside Courtyard, and blood prophet Meg Corbyn, see the new, closer companionship as beneficial—both personally and practically.

But not everyone is convinced. A group of radical humans is seeking to usurp land through a series of violent attacks on the Others. What they don’t realize is that there are older and more dangerous forces than shifters and vampires protecting the land that belongs to the Others—and those forces are willing to do whatever is necessary to protect what is theirs…
Book Cover
After a human uprising was brutally put down by the Elders—a primitive and lethal form of the Others—the few cities left under human control are far-flung. And the people within them now know to fear the no-man’s-land beyond their borders—and the darkness…

As some communities struggle to rebuild, Lakeside Courtyard has emerged relatively unscathed, though Simon Wolfgard, its wolf shifter leader, and blood prophet Meg Corbyn must work with the human pack to maintain the fragile peace. But all their efforts are threatened when Lieutenant Montgomery’s shady brother arrives, looking for a free ride and easy pickings.

With the humans on guard against one of their own, tensions rise, drawing the attention of the Elders, who are curious about the effect such an insignificant predator can have on a pack. But Meg knows the dangers, for she has seen in the cards how it will all end—with her standing beside a grave
Book Cover
Human laws do not apply in the territory controlled by the Others–vampires, shapeshifters, and paranormal beings even more deadly. And this is a fact that humans should never, ever forget . . .

After her divorce, Vicki DeVine took over a rustic resort near Lake Silence, in a human town that is not human controlled. Towns like Vicki’s have no distance from the Others, the dominant predators that rule most of the land and all of the water throughout the world. And when a place has no boundaries, you never really know what’s out there watching you.

Vicki was hoping to find a new career and a new life. But when her lodger, Aggie Crowe–one of the shapeshifting Others–discovers a dead body, Vicki finds trouble instead. The detectives want to pin the man’s death on her, despite the evidence that nothing human could have killed the victim. As Vicki and her friends search for answers, things get dangerous–and it’ll take everything they have to stay alive.
Book Cover
In The Promised Queen, the thrilling finale to Jeffe Kennedy’s Forgotten Empires trilogy, the fate of the world hangs in the balance as Con, Lia, and their allies sacrifice everything in a final bid to destroy the corrupt empire.

Claim the hand that wears the ring, and the empire falls.


Conrí, former Crown Prince of Oriel, claimed the hand that wears the Abiding Ring, but the prophecy remains unfulfilled. Queen Euthalia of Calanthe returned to her island kingdom, but broken in mind and body. With the blood of war unleashing ancient terrors, Calanthe isn’t the haven it once was.

Lia must use her magical bond with Calanthe to save their people while Con fights to hold off the vengeful Emperor Anure and his wizards. Con and Lia will have to trust in each other—and in love—to fend off ultimate disaster.
Book Cover
Ten thousand years ago, a mysterious race that we only know as the Overseers took primitive humans and scattered them on dozens of worlds across the galaxy. Now, some of those people have found their way back to Earth. A young Justice Keeper named Anna Lenai has tracked a criminal through unexplored regions of space in the hopes of recovering a symbiont that grants its host the ability to bend space and time. Her search leads her to Earth, where she befriends a young man named Jack Hunter. Together, they will face enemies with advanced technology as they struggle to recover the symbiont before its power falls into the wrong hands.
Book Cover
What to do when your crush turns out to be a monster (and other such problems).

Just when correctional nurse October Grace has a handle on her stressful job and taking care of her mentally ill mother, a shapeshifting warrior and a half-vampire plunge her into a foreign land that’s on the brink of starvation. Now, with a ticking clock and a target on her back, October takes up the mantle of becoming one of the rare Omens who can bring hope to a dying world.
Mason and Von remain by her side to shield the national treasure while she sacrifices herself to reap the souls that will feed the nations of Terraway. As the death toll rises daily, October finds herself tangled up in a cutthroat world where fairytale creatures run wild… and every day is a new bloody battle.