Uncaged Book Reviews

ISSUE 22 | MAY 2018

cont featureauthors

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Brooke May

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Interview • Stay Connected • Excerpts from Garden of Shadows & My Fair Lily • Reviews

Interview • Stay Connected • Excerpt from Roosted • Review

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P.J. Fiala

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Interview • Stay Connected • Excerpt from Ford • Review

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R, Weir Interview • Stay Connected • Excerpt from The Front Range Butcher • Review

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Meara Platt

Danica Favorite Interview • Stay Connected • Excerpt from Honor Bound Lawman • Review

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N. Jade Gray Interview • Stay Connected • Excerpt from All for the Love of a Cowboy • Review

tents

Issue 22 | May 2018

FangFreakinTastic

shortstory

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Domestic Operating Intelligent Tool

featureauthor Tom Leins

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JB Woods

catchup 16

Beth Carter Back in Uncaged and promoting her latest release, Chaos at Coconuts - a sequel worth the wait.

Excerpt from Meat Bubbles and Other Stories

promospecials 18

2018 Special Promotion

summerconventions

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Find a summer convention near you and meet your favorite authors.

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Editor’s Desk Blog Roll Call Uncaged Reviews Fang-Freakin-Tastic Reviews Myra’s Horror Blog Reviews Amy’s Bookshelf Reviews Jen’s Book Reviews

Issue 22 | May 2018 |

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from the

editor’s desk

Welcome to Issue 22, May2018 - Uncaged Book Reviews! Our Feature Authors this month we welcome Brooke May, P.J. Fiala, R. Weir, Meara Platt, Danica Favorite and N. Jade Gray!

FangFreakinTastic is also bringing us a feature with author Tom Leins.

Next month will be the last issue that we will review for the 2018 Raven Awards. There are going to be more categories this year. After June, books that qualify will be entered for 2019. Please remember, that only books reviewed by Uncaged are eligible.

Blog associate reviews are not entered unless they are also reviewed by Uncaged. Voting will begin in July, and like last year, Uncaged will NOT be collecting email addresses and you won’t need to register to vote.

and that I ask that the authors share the magazine with their networks. Read about that HERE. Uncaged is supported through advertising, both in the magazine, and on the site. Please see the Advertising tab on the site for more information on how you can advertise in the magazine and support the Uncaged mission to promote authors.

All inquiries: UncagedBooks@gmail.com or Cyrene@UncagedBooks.com So thank you and enjoy the May 2018 issue of Uncaged Book Reviews!

We have plenty of reviews for you to look over from Uncaged, Fang-Freakin-Tastic, Myra’s Horror Blog, Amy’s Bookshelf and Jen’s Reviews.

Thanks to all the affiliates for the wonderful devotion to reading.

Authors can now submit a Short Story, and in return, I’ll give space for either a full page ad, or a 1-page Sneak Peek of a book for an approved story. You can read more about that here.

Uncaged Feature Authors are now full through September 2018! We will be featuring several authors over the next few months that are attending the Wild Deadwood Reads convention in June!

The Featured Authors that are promoted in Uncaged, is a FREE service to authors. The only requirements being that Uncaged has read at least one of the author’s books, (can be read right before the feature)

UncagedBooks.com

Blog Roll Call Contributors, Advertising Swaps

Follow Uncaged on Facebook

Paranormal lover’s rejoice. Uncaged review contributors.

A blog for horror fans. Uncaged review contributors.

A little bit of everything. Uncaged review contributors.

Help for authors and businesses.

If you’d like your banner here, please email me at UncagedBooks@gmail.com Issue 22 | May 2018 |

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summerconventions YallWest May 4 & 5 Santa Monica, California Over 100 authors and presenters including New York Times Bestsellers along with local and acclaimed young adult and middle grade writers, plus notable TV, film, video game, and comic creators. https:// www.yallwest.com/

RT Book Lovers Convention May 15 -20 - Las Vegas, Nevada The RT Booklovers Convention is the book-industry event where you can mix business with pleasure. Attend more than 100 workshops as well as numerous parties and reader events that will keep you informed and in touch while having fun. https://www.rtconvention.com/

BookCon June 2 & 3 - New York City, New York BookCon is the event where storytelling and pop culture collide. http://www.thebookcon.com/Home/

Historical Writers of American Conference June 7-10, Providence, Rhode Island HWA is a non-profit organization whose mission is to celebrate, support and connect ALL historical writers: fiction or non-fiction, whether they are writing books 6| uncagedbooks.com |

or writing for the screen (movies or tv), the stage, magazines, or online blogs. HWA’s focus is on the historical writer - in all genres. If your setting is at least 50 years in the past, it’s considered historical. HWA welcomes traditionally published or self-published authors as well as those aspiring to be published to join as general members. http://www.historicalwritersofamerica.org/

RAGT June 7-9 West Chester, Ohio Overall, the RAGT is a fan-friendly event meant for readers, and open to everyone, readers, authors, and industry alike, in different ratios! However, in the process, the event also raises funds for many local causes.

The incredible raffles garner thousands, and each year Lori Foster puts out an anthology with proceeds earmarked for direct donation. Combined, the event and the anthology go to benefit very worthwhile local charities. http://readerauthorgettogether.com/

Wild Deadwood Reads June 7 - 9, Deadwood, South Dakota Our multi-author, multi-genre book signing is just one of the exciting events happening June 7-9, 2018.

We’ve got a PBR Rodeo right in town, a basket raffle to support a local nonprofit organization, Breakfast With the Authors, a fun evening enjoying libations while listening to authors reading their favorite scenes from their books, and much more. Join us for the Legendary weekend! http://wilddeadwoodreads.com/

Romance Genre Con August 3 & 4, Kansas City, Missouri Romance Booklovers Convention Whether you are a passionate romance reader or an June 14-16, Kansas City, Missouri aspiring writer, you will just swoon when you see our Are you an avid lover of steamy romance stories, then the RSJ Book Lovers’ Convention is the place you want lineup of authors and activities. https://www.mymcpl. to be. We’ll gather at the captivating Sheraton Kansas org/events/romance City Hotel at Crown Center to enjoy a fun filled 3-day event where authors and readers will share their love for romance and women’s fiction novels. RSJ is a book lovers’ event committed to the magnification of multicultural books and characters. https://rsjconvention. com/

Indie Bookfest August 9 - 12, Orlando, Florida Indie Bookfest celebrates Indie, Hybrid, and Traditional Authors and Artists and their freedom of SaSS expression. Join some of your favorite Authors for a July 6 & 7, Norfolk, Virgina For romance readers and authors with giveaways, sign- convention filled with workshops, panels, parties and ings, activities and panels. https://sassigning.wordpress. more! You won’t want to miss the sessions throughout the day, where several panelists will be speaking on a com/ variety of topics relevant to readers, book lovers, and writers. https://indiebookconvention.com/

Romance Writers of America July 18-21, Denver, Colorado The RWA Conference is the place where career-focused romance writers gather to make lasting connections and grow their careers—and so much more. When 2,000 romance writers and industry professionals assemble in one place, the sense of community is undeniable. https://www.rwa.org/p/cm/ld/fid=2077

All About the Indies August 18, Arlington, Virginia All About The Indies 2018 is a multi-author, multigenre event put together to connect readers and authors from all over the nation. http://allabouttheindies. wixsite.com/aai1 Issue 22 | May 2018 |

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feature authors

contemporary | suspense/crime

Brooke May

P.J.

Fiala

R. Weir

feature author Romance author Brooke May spends her days writing whatever her overactive imagination has brewed up and her evenings reading while she works alongside her mom. Telling stories is second natural to her, from a young age she has told anyone who would listen what she had thought up.

Now, a mom of two, she splits her time writing, playing with her kids, and of course, hiking, hunting, fishing, and four-wheeling in her beloved Bighorn Mountains. While on maternity leave with her youngest, Brooke was putting laundry away when she looked at a poem she had written in high school that was framed in her son’s bedroom. That poem triggered the idea of My Cowboy and soon she was sitting in front of her computer with her infant next to her writing her first love story that wasn’t a fanfiction.

Stay Connected

Uncaged welcomes Brooke May Uncaged: Can you tell readers more about your Moto X series? What inspired you to write about these racers? How many books are you planning for this series?

Like all my books, Moto X started off as just an idea.

I originally tried to convince my best friend who isn’t an author to write it with me, her doing one perspective and I would do the other. But neither of us ever had the time to sit down together and I continued on dreaming up ideas on my own. Well, after Deadpool came out, Axle’s voice came to me, loud and wild.

I sat down and wrote all three books in a six month period.

I’ve always like motocross and thought it would be fun to do racers and a romance through the man’s eyes. I also thought that there are great books out there written where the woman saves a broken man, so why not a man saving a broken woman? Tada! Axle and Paige!

There is three books for Axle and Paige, I am planning three more for down the road but I write where the voices in my head takes me and it isn’t back to that little universe yet.

Uncaged: What are you working on now?

brookemayauthor.weebly.com

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I just finished up the second book in a were wolf series I have been working through for years.

The one I just finished was originally the first book, but I switched it up. There will be six books in this series with the possibility of a novella. Now, I’m getting ready to work on a secret project that I will be releasing next year.

Uncaged: You also have a couple other series running. Can you tell readers more about those series?

I have my debut series, My Cowboy which has three books about three different couples from a small town in Wyoming. Emma and Cade’s book is the first one and it is a pseudo second chance romance where Emma’s childhood crush, Cade comes back after ten years of being gone. Faith in My Cowboy is focused on Tucker, Emma’s brother, and Maddi. Tucker is in the military and ends up injured and lost. Maddi fights to keep hold of their love. The third, but not final book, is Loved by My Cowboy which focuses on Emma’s best friend, Libby, and her man, Justin. I had fun with this story. Libby fought against Justin’s advances for years, but things change when he comes home. Each story has a sort of healing undertone to it.

My other series is the Predator Series, also three books, though one is a novella. This series was a complete change for me. I set it in Boston, a place I’ve never been so I relied on Google Maps to familiarize me with the areas I was writing about. The first two books are a duology centered around K.C. and Chamberlain. The first book you get only K.C. and how she fell in love with the Predator himself. In part two, it is both Chamberlain and K.C. telling the story. Both of them overcome a lot to be together.

The novella of the series is called Wildfire Knockout and is a short story between Chamberlain’s best friend, Scott and K.C.’s best friend, Beth. It was fun and light with some heavy undertones to it.

Uncaged: You are an attending author at Wild Deadwood Reads this year. What are you looking forward to the most from this convention?

Everything! I don’t get to attend the side events because I still have to work up until the day before, but I’m excited to see familiar faces I met last year and new ones this year. I love meeting and talking with fellow authors and sharing a love of books with readers.

Uncaged: Do you read your reviews? What do you

take away from them?

Occasionally, I will read them. I write because it is my passion and I want to share it with the world, so I try to view any and all reviews for other readers who might be interested in my books. I feel like I’ve grown a lot since I first published My Cowboy and continue to grow, so I hope the reviews reflect that.

Uncaged: What is one of the nicest things someone has said to you about your books?

Someone told me once I’m very transitional. I can float from cowboys to fighters and then to a foul mouth, bad boy with ease and that I like. I don’t want to be pegged as one type of an author or another. Not that there is anything wrong with it, but I want to write about anything and everything in the world of romance. Being transitional is something I strive for so having a reader tell me I am makes me pretty happy.

Uncaged: What is your favorite parts about being an author? What have you found to be the least favorite?

My favorite parts are the actual writing and formulating a new story. I love losing myself in a different life. I especially like writing in the male perspective.

My least favorite? I’m not sure if I have one. I guess finding and getting reviews? It is so difficult anymore to have readers post reviews and they are helpful to the readers.

Uncaged: What do you like to do when you aren’t writing? Where is one of your favorite places on Earth?

I love being outside in the mountains close to my Issue 22 | May 2018 |

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| FEATURE AUTHOR | home. I was born and raised in Wyoming and the mountains have always been my true home. I feel at peace there, especially with no cell service and away from all technology. My family and I hike, fish, and hunt together so I love doing that with them, especially exploring a place I’m familiar with but my family isn’t.

My favorite place is a canyon called Little Horn Canyon. It is pretty, but I remember watching a bear chase three cow elk when I was little and I’ve loved it back there ever since.

Uncaged: What is the hardest part of a book to write? What is the easiest? From start to finish, how long does it take to finish a complete book?

For Moto X, the hardest part for me was writing something that could affect two people in such different ways. Paige and her twin brother Parker have had a hard life and writing something bad happening to children is difficult for me because I think of my own kids.

The easiest part is the chemistry to bring to people together, even though I run out of date ideas.

I have a dry sense of humor so humor to me is funny in my books but I don’t know if others laugh at it.

It depends on the book. Last month, I wrote a short story about a cupid that only took me a couple of weeks. Moto X took me six months to write all three books and my secret project will probably take me a month and a half.

Enjoy an excerpt from Roosted Roosted Brooke May Contemporary Romance Living day to day in a never ending hell he created himself, Axle Ryan’s life is an abyss of torture. Constantly questioning what happened to his life and how he lost himself after two epic blunders until she stormed into his life. Paige Bartin thundered into Axle’s life in the form of a dark, tattooed goddess who would soon rock his world in more ways than he ever thought possible. With her, Axle feels he is finally getting something wonderful. This woman may be shrouded in mystery but she brings much needed sunshine to his soul. But the enigma of her is only enticing for so long. She has no plans on sharing her past or opening up to Axle. He should stir clear of her, but he won’t. Everything in Axle is telling him she is meant to be his, even if she doesn’t want to be.

Excerpt

Uncaged: What would you like to say to fans, and where can they follow you?

Prologue

That I love and cherish you. I could easily publish for myself and not have a single person read my work, but having readers and fans to share in the adventure and fall in love with my words makes it that much better.

Don’t f*ck the boss. This should be rule number one; the very first f**ing thing anyone tells you when you reach adulthood. Work hard, stay focused, do your best each day, and—the best f**king one—strive for greatness. Yeah, it’s all a bunch of bullshit. All of that is shit your teacher and professors tell you as you graduate from secondary school or whatever university you found yourself at. They should just be real and tell you the truth. Kiss their arses, but don’t f**k them. Keep your mouth shut, and be a yes man kind of person. Oh, and the second most important thing; your education—the degree you put blood, sweat, and tears into—doesn’t amount to anything

I have a lot of social media pages so whatever you prefer, I’m sure you can find me there.

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and doesn’t guarantee you the f**king job you deserve. But the most important is to never, ever f**k your boss, or your boss’s wife, daughter, son, husband—you get it; the list can go on and on. No matter what you think certain p***y will taste like, control your f**king dick. Keep it in your pants. Don’t beat off to thoughts of them in your head; don’t even look at them when you are at work. Keep your nose down and stay focused on the real reason you are there. To bloody work! This shouldn’t just go for us guys. No, it should go both ways. Ladies, you get a job and you think your boss has a fine arse and can give you everything your heart desires just because they’re rich, leave it the f**k alone. I don’t care what those novels you read tell you. F**king the boss never ends well.

It sure didn’t improve my life six years ago after I moved to the States. At the time, I was unstoppable— bullet proof, if you will—and I f**ked myself over.

Not only did I put a damper on my professionalism and career, but my ego took a massive hit as well.

That’s what leads me to where I am at today. I’ve been with Havre and Bell Accounting Firm since I landed on this side of earth. Since I’ve been here for six years, you would think my seniority would mean a better job, but it doesn’t. Stuck in an entry-level position is just the start of my woes. Expendable, useful at times, but overall, I’m a f**king grunt worker. My education goes to being the aid to my boss, Candy— the very one I f**ked by the way—bringing in new clients to keep our firm going. And let me be clear; Candy Havre is the only daughter of one of the firm’s owners. I’m a legend around here now and not a good one. Think Clinton-Lewinsky kind of fame. The new people quickly learn about me and advance while I stay where I’m at. In a tiny arse cubical forgotten in a corner.

I overlook work functions unless they are mandatory.

Every company picnic, Christmas party, or any other function my attendance isn’t required is one I stay the f**k away from. I don’t care to be around people who judge me by my appearance. They see the typical bad boy with my arms, back, and chest inked. My nipples and d**k are pierced, too, but no one aside from Candy knows that. Hell, they even judge me based on my haircut. F**kers. It doesn’t matter that I work

| BROOKE MAY | hard; researching, providing estimates, and so on to draw new clients in. I help sweet talk them, and then get cast away. No one sees my other side; the good guy who wants to do a good job and has dreams.

Why don’t I leave my shithole job? I like the United States. Don’t get me wrong, I love my homeland of Australia, as well, but I feel freer here. I’m away from my family and allowed to be myself.

I love my parents and little sister, but they don’t let me breathe when I’m there. Not after what I went through. My parents are blue-collar workers, and great. My sister, Priscilla, and I never went without. As kids, we knew we couldn’t ask for a whole lot, but we never felt deprived. My dad is a full-time mechanic at an auto dealership in Sydney. He’s been working on vehicles since before I was born. I was lucky enough to spend an exuberant amount of time during my childhood under the hood with him. It was his dream I would do something great with the knowledge he passed down to me, or at least follow my own dreams of becoming a professional motocross racer, but I didn’t.

Instead, I chose a profession no one would have guessed—accounting. What can I say? I like numbers. It’s steady, and I don’t have to make regular trips to the doctor’s office to set a broken bone or get any scans. My mum is a sweet little soul. By day, she cleans the homes of wealthier people, and at night, she cleans a couple of small businesses.

She made sure Priscilla and I was able to attend college and neither she or my dad would accept a single cent from my sister or me as payment for our educations. They were heartbroken when I left for the States, but they understood why. At twentytwo years old and fresh out of college, my life was racing with my best mate, Jax, who happened to be an American.

Until my last race.

We ended up in a pileup, which stole Jax’s ability to walk, and I couldn’t live with the guilt. I still can’t handle it most days, and I refuse to get back on a bike. Part of my mind knows it wasn’t my fault, but it still feels that way. Well into the race, I was following the rider in front of me too closeIssue 22 | May 2018 |

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| FEATURE AUTHOR | ly, and Jax was right on my arse. It happens with races; everyone is gunning to get to the front and take the win. But I should have been paying closer attention to the rider in front of me. He was unfocused by the corner, and I was far too close to react when he slammed on his brakes. I tried to turn, but I had nowhere to go. My front tire slammed into the side of him as Jax’s bike hit me from behind. It continued until we were in a massive pile.

Most of us walked away with a few scrapes and bruises, but not Jax. I could still hear his screams as we pulled him from under the mountain of mangled machines. That day changed everything. No matter how much Jax tried to get me to realize it wasn’t on me, I couldn’t look at another bike, another race track, or anything related to the sport again and feel the same joy I had before. I tried to push the pain away, but I still carry it with me.

I sold my bike, forced the money into my parents’ account, and settled on where in the world I would go. Sandy, Utah, the southern part of Salt Lake City, is where I decided. Jax’s hometown became where I would hang my hat if I wore one. I helped him through rehab, physical therapy, and when he healed he tried to encourage me to get out on my own, but I still live with him. I want to make sure my friend is always okay. Jax is still part of the motocross world with his own work. He, along with our other American friend, Levi, tell me daily to go for it again; to get back on a bike, and to fall back in love with the one thing that always made me happy. I was too good to hang up my gear. I brush it off, but I’ve come to realize how much I hate my bloody life.

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Uncaged Review This is a different type of book than I normally read, and one thing that was cool about the book is that it’s all told in Axle’s point of view instead of the woman. Even though I prefer third person narration, the author does a fantastic job with this and I never felt like I was missing any kind of information like sometimes happens in first person narratives.

Don’t go into this book thinking it’s your mother or grandmother’s romance book, this is a hard hitting book and there is a lot of swearing. But if you don’t mind that part, which I don’t, then you find a well written romance about two people trying to put their lives back together after some rough pasts. The author doles out information on the backgrounds slowly, but knows when the reader needs to know more. This is the first book in the series, and there is still quite a bit to learn about our couple of Axle and Paige, both together and separate. It did end on a mild cliffhanger, but it’s nice to know book two is already available. Reviewed by Cyrene

CatchUp with

Beth Carter

Beth Carter was a Feature Author in July 2017.

This month she is back to tell us about her new book, Chaos at Coconuts, the sequel to the award-winning Thursdays at Coconuts.

Uncaged: You were a Feature Author in Uncaged in July, 2017. How was your experience with the magazine?

I was thrilled to be featured in Uncaged nearly a year ago. This literary magazine is top-notch. I always appreciate the professionalism of the staff, answering questions about my work, the writing process, and most of all, the chance to connect with new readers and fellow authors!

Uncaged: You’ve just released Chaos at Coconuts, the follow-up to the wonderful Thursdays at Coconuts. Can you tell readers about the series?

The main theme behind my Coconuts series is friendship, although there’s plenty of romance, humor and suspense. I love my girlfriends and working through all of life’s complications together.

With my Coconuts series, my plan is for readers to laugh, cry, and cheer for the unbreakable bonds of friendship. I also love a happily ever after and page-turning thrillers, so I incorporate plenty of plot twists, surprises, and giggles along the way.

My main characters, Suzy, Alex, and Hope, have known one another since high school and are now in their late thirties. They each have chaotic personal and professional lives, so their weekly (or more!) Happy Hour ritual at Coconuts is their form of friendapy. They tell each other everything and I mean everything! Suzy is a wedding planner who often has neurotic brides and fun, themed weddings. Her son, Jon, brought home a shocker 16 | UncagedBooks.com

from Europe in THURSDAYS, and in CHAOS, he delivers even more of a bombshell. Alex is a bank marketer involved with a sexy, bad-boy cop whose ex is stalking her, plus she has a marketing intern from hell. Hope is a high school counselor who advises both at-risk and honor students. She grew up with hippie parents, hates her frizzy hair and looks, and deals with a monster tornado barreling toward Hilltop High. In Book 2, Cheri Van Buren arrives on the scene via a limo and paparazzi. The three best friends aren’t sure whether they’re threatened by the gorgeous, wealthy socialite or if they’ll invite her to their tightknit group.

THURSDAYS AT COCONUTS won a RONE Winner for Best Women’s Fiction/Chick Lit and I was named “Best Debut Author” by BTS Books in 2015. Happily, I’ve received over 230 reviews for this novel. CHAOS AT COCONUTS picks up where THURSDAYS left off (but both may be read as a standalone.)

Uncaged: Are you planning on keeping this series going?

Yes! My Coconuts series will be a five-book series. I’m about one-third finished with Book 3. I’m not a plotter, which is a struggle with a series and probably slows me down, but I enjoy being surprised by my characters.

It makes the writing process more fun. I do use bullet points for major scenes now and have character bios.

Plus, my readers are a great resource! I’m trying to write faster. A few readers have seen me out shopping and informed me I should be writing!

Uncaged: What’s coming up next that we can look forward to?

Last fall, I released a holiday novella, MIRACLE ON AISLE TWO. I love writing Christmas stories and may write another one this year, but I’m focused on Coconuts Book 3 (title not yet revealed.) I also have some non-fiction projects vying for attention.

By the way, I recently created a private reader group on Facebook called Beth’s Book Babes. All lovers of romance, women’s fiction, and chick lit are invited to my team. Just contact me via social media or my website, www.bethcarter. com Thank you for your support!

dren’s picture books.

After being a bank vice president and a hospital public relations director, Beth Carter shed her suits and heels and reinvented herself. She doesn’t miss the eight o’clock meetings whatsoever and now happily writes from home in her pj’s. While drinking copious amounts of coffee, she pens award-winning novels and chil-

Winner of a 2015 RONE Award, Named Best Debut Author, and a 2017 RAVEN Award runner-up, the author’s novels include: THURSDAYS AT COCONUTS, CHAOS AT COCONUTS, SLEEPING WITH ELVIS; MIRACLE ON AISLE TWO (A Christmas novella); and SANTA BABY, a novelette.

Carter’s four children’s picture books are: WHAT DO YOU WANT TO BE?, SOUR POWER, THE MISSING KEY, and SANTA’S SECRET. Her work also appears in four six-word memoir collections and numerous anthologies. The author splits her time between her home state of Missouri and sunny Florida where she is often found writing at Starbucks—if she isn’t shopping at T.J. Maxx.

| BETH CARTER | Chaos at Coconuts Beth Carter Contemporary Romance To most, Coconuts is simply a bar. But for three best friends, it’s their oasis. That is, until everything comes crashing down.

Socialite Cheri Van Buren makes a splashy, paparazzi-filled visit to Coconuts. Secretly dabbling in disastrous online dating, the wealthy caterer desires normalcy away from the society pages. A few girlfriends would be nice too.

Hope’s life is routine, if not dull. The most exciting part of her day is counseling students until a monster tornado heads toward Hilltop High. Now she’s in shock—and not just from the devastating twister.

Alex oversees a marketing intern from hell who appears intent on stealing her job. Her relationship with her sexy cop boyfriend isn’t so sexy, especially after his ex-wife stalks her.

Suzy’s new marriage is challenged by her surly teen stepdaughter, a unique Halloween wedding, and her son’s ever-changing nuptials. If that isn’t enough, the family discovers an astonishing revelation requiring a giant leap of faith.

Will the women overcome the chaos or will it tear them apart?

Excerpt “Who the hell is that?” Alex jumped off her bar stool to get a better view as a shiny, black stretch limo stopped in front of Coconuts.

Her two best friends, Suzy and Hope, swiveled their heads in an obvious attempt to follow Alex’s gaze. Hope’s eyes widened as she waved a salsaIssue 22 | May 2018 |

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laden chip in the air. “Looks like we have a celebrity in Crystal City.”

Suzy craned her neck around the fake palm tree near the front. “Nah. My money’s on a Branson entertainer.”

2018 Promotion Special Purchase any ad valued at $20 and up in 2018 (starting with the February Issue of Uncaged Book Reviews) and receive a FREE rotating footer ad on the website the following month!

The threesome observed the hubbub as Gus, the flipflop wearing server, inquired about refills. The women nodded affirmatively without taking their eyes off the scene. Soon Gus plunked fresh drinks on the table— a chardonnay for Alex, a margarita for Hope, and a merlot for Suzy.

Alex concentrated on the entrance, so she wouldn’t miss a second of the commotion as a driver opened the passenger door. A toned leg wearing expensive red-soled heels appeared underneath. Photographers leapt out of the bushes and dozens of cameras flashed.

Alex rubbed her hands together. “This isn’t a local.

This is going to be good.”

The rotating ad will be seen on all pages of the website, and not be subject to adblockers and remain onsite for 1 month!

Uncaged can design! Ad is 300px tall x 250px wide and linked to your choosing! Uncaged website has an average of 10-30,000 visitors per month!

18 | UncagedBooks.com

feature author

Writing has been a desire my whole life. Once I found the courage to write, life changed for me in the most profound way.

Bringing stories to readers that I’d enjoy reading and creating characters that are flawed, but lovable is such a joy.

When not writing, I’m with my family doing something fun. My husband, Gene, and I are bikers and enjoy riding to new locations, meeting new people and generally enjoying this fabulous country we live in.

I come from a family of veterans. My grandfather, father, brother, two sons, and one daughter-in-law are all veterans. Needless to say, I am proud to be an American and proud of the service my amazing family has given. y clicking here.

Stay Connected

Uncaged welcomes P.J. Fiala Uncaged: Can you tell readers more about your Bounty Hunters series? How many books are you planning on for this series?

I’m currently only planning three books in this series, Ford, Lincoln which releases in September in a box set and January on its own and next April I’ll release Dodge, the final of the three.

Uncaged: What are you working on now?

Right now, I’m writing Lincoln. I love these books and this series. The characters are more salty and they’re different and yet so darned exciting. And sexy!!!!

Uncaged: What inspired you to write? Who were some of your inspirations?

I’ve always wanted to be an author. Trouble was I didn’t know what to write about. Then, Fifty Shades hit and I was in a place in my life where I felt strong enough to dip my toe in the water. The thing is, I’m not a twenty something and a billionaire has not swept me off my feet. Never will. I wanted to write stories about mature people without perfect lives finding love. That’s when it hit me that I had stories to tell and I’ve been writing them for five years now.

pjfiala.com 20 | UncagedBooks.com

Uncaged: You started a charitable foundation called Authors4Veterans. Can you tell us more about that?

Yes, my friend and fellow author, Stacey Joy Netzel, and I both have children in the service. Stacey has her oldest son Cody, who just came back from Afghanistan and her husband also served. I have two sons who have served and been deployed, a daughter-in-law who served and most of my family, father, grandfathers, brother, all have served. We wanted to do something but weren’t sure what. Then we heard about Fisher House and loved the organization and what they do, so we started up our own non-profit, Authors4Veterans, Inc., then set out to work our mission. We gather 30 authors twice a year to donate a small monetary donation and books, swag, comfort items and anything else they are willing to donate. We purchase nice tote bags with the money, then fill them with the items the authors donate. We take them down to Fisher House and they hand them out to families when they check in. It’s a fabulous organization and your readers can check out our website and the generous authors who have donated there: http://authors4veterans.com Uncaged: Do you read your reviews? What do you take away from them?

Sometimes I do. I’m very fortunate in that I get mostly good reviews, so that’s a positive. I look at the five stars and create teasers from some of them. I’ll glance through the negative ones, and if they’re constructive I’ll try to learn from them. If they’re nasty I quickly move on. No one wants that negativity in their life.

Honestly, I know I’m not going to please everyone with every book, but I’d sure appreciate a constructive nega-

tive review besides one that is just hurtful and mean.

Uncaged: What is one of the nicest things someone has said to you about your books?

Oh, I’ve gotten a lot of emails from readers telling me how much they love my characters. Many mature ladies who are thrilled to find characters they can relate to. I’ve heard from readers who want their second chance at love and are encouraged after they’ve read one of my books. It makes me feel so darn good.

Uncaged: What is your favorite parts about being an author? What have you found to be the least favorite?

I love telling stories. And I’ve got tons of them rolling around in my head. I’ve found once I get them on paper, so to speak, I can move on with another story. It’s freeing in a way, to be able to put those thoughts on paper and not feel weighed down by those characters who want to come out.

My least favorite part is the same as most authors, the marketing. It’s draining wondering if I’m doing the right thing and trying to stay a step ahead of the curve.

Uncaged: What do you like to do when you aren’t writing? Where is one of your favorite Issue 22 | May 2018 |

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| FEATURE AUTHOR | places on Earth?

If the weather is nice, I like being on the motorcycle. My husband and I are bikers and we travel around a lot. We take a big trip each year (2 weeks) and then we take weekenders and day trips during the summer. If we aren’t on the bikes, I love being with the grandkids. They are such a joy to be around and honestly, I look at those little faces and I’m amazed and what wonderful people they are.

Uncaged: What is the hardest part of a book to write? What is the easiest? From start to finish, how long does it take to finish a complete book?

Hardest part is knowing where to start for me. You only have a paragraph or two to grab a readers attention and I struggle with where that part is.

Easiest, the sex scenes. I love the sex scenes.

Start to finish, if I’m being good, about 2 months for me. I still work part time and trying to fit everything in can be a struggle sometimes.

Uncaged: What would you like to say to fans, and where can they follow you?

First and foremost thank you. For every reader who has purchased one of my books to followed me on social media or on my blog, thank you from the bottom of my heart. Without readers, I can’t be a writer.

They can follow me everywhere. I’ll pop the links in below.

I’d also like to thank you for interviewing me, it’s been fun.

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Enjoy an excerpt from Ford Ford P.J. Fiala Contemporary Romance/Military Sometimes the flames of desire run hotter than a mere fire.

Ford Montgomery is working the case of his life. Trailing the arsonist who killed his parents, the former bounty hunter will soon make this guy pay for his crimes. After that, Ford plans to reclaim his house from his ex-wife and retire to his home in the mountains.

Megan Marshal thought she’d ditched her ex husband, until she finds out the lying scumbag stole from a man nobody steals from. Megan has no clue where he is now, but the cartel is convinced she’s the key to getting their product back and they’re determined to make her talk.

When Ford rescues Megan from a burning building, their paths abruptly align. However, Ford keeps secrets from her, and she’s had enough of men and their secrets. Can they work together to accomplish their goals? Or will they get scorched by the blazing passion sparking between them?

Excerpt Rummaging in the cupboards to find something to scrounge up for dinner he tried relaxing his jaw. If he kept it clamped tight like he was doing now, he’d end up with lock jaw, or arthritis or something equally awful. But, he was irritated that he was here, in this house, that he swore he wouldn’t come back to until it was his, completely, lock stock and barrel. Trouble was, when he tried to think of a safe place to keep Megan, this was the first place that came to mind. He knew it was safe, he’d built it with safety in mind. In his line of work, it wasn’t uncommon for some of the people he

| P.J. FIALA | had to locate to have angry family members or associates and he didn’t want to be taken unawares. Which reminded him. Walking to the desk in the corner of the living room, he unlocked the top drawer. Lifting the lid on the laptop he kept in there he waited for it to wake up, logged in, pulled up his security system.

Turning all the cameras on and monitoring the entire property via closed circuit monitors, he went back to the kitchen to finish looking for something to eat. Tomorrow he’d have to see if Emmy could bring some food up here.

A few cans of soup, some crackers, and some cans of peaches would be lunch. Pretty bleak, maybe he’d call Emmy to bring supper up here. Turning he spied the wine rack, ah things were looking up. Selecting a nice, full bodied red sangria, he set it on the counter as he pulled a pan from the drawer below the stove to heat the soup in. Setting to the task of pulling bowls and spoons from their respective spaces, he set their eating places at the counter. Wiping the dust from the wine glasses he set them in front of the bowls and opened the shallow drawer that held the wine opener.

Popping the cork from the top, Megan entered the kitchen, a soft smile on her face. “How long have you lived here?”

“About eleven years.”

She walked to the french doors and looked out over the scenery. “But, you don’t live here now?”

“No.” “Why?” “It’s a long story.” Pouring their glasses of wine. “It’s also temporary.”

She turned toward him, crossed her arms over her chest and stared at him. “Where do you live since you’re not living here?”

He took a deep breath. Figures she’d want to know all about him. He didn’t usually share much of his life.

Still too much up in the air.

“I have a little cottage down the mountain by my sister’s house. I stay there when I’m not working.”

He watched her move toward him, the sun streaming in the French doors perfectly outlined her body in those sexy jeans and pink t-shirt. Purely sexy from head to toe. He’d bet she didn’t even know it. Her full breasts jiggled as she walked and his mouth went dry. It’d been far too long.

Unfortunately he hadn’t thought this through completely. Staying here with her just might be harder than he thought.

“So, you work so much you have a house in the mountains you don’t want to live in because it’s a long story so you stay in the cabin down by your sister. And then you go to work. Is that about right?”

“About.”

She chuckled. “Well, I don’t know how I’m going to get any peace here what with you talking so much and all.”

Turning to the stove, he stirred the soup, twisted the knob on the stove to turn the burner off and filled both of their bowls.

“Vegetable soup and crackers and wine. It’s not much, but it’s all I have. I’ll call Emmy to bring up some food later. I also have some meat in the freezer downstairs that I can thaw if Emmy’s busy.”

He sat next to her at the counter and they began eating in silence. Or so he thought.

“What does Emmy do for a living?”

“She’s a defense attorney. A damn good one too.”

“Is your whole family involved with criminals?”

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| FEATURE AUTHOR | He chuckled, “Nah, just Emmy and me. Dawson is a plumber and owns his own company. He deals in shit, just not the same kind as Emmy and I.” She giggled. “That’s a good one.”

“So tell me about Waylon. Why did you marry a piece of scum like him to begin with?”

She bit into a cracker and stared straight ahead.

“Gosh damn, but isn’t that the million dollar question right now? I’ve been kicking myself since the first year.”

She sipped her wine and he watched her swallow, the graceful curve of her neck, her unblemished skin, her auburn hair looked thick and shiny and he wanted to touch it. Run his fingers through its softness. Tuck the strands that had escaped her ponytail behind her delicate ear.

Uncaged Review One of the things I really liked about this book is that the characters are not the average younger adults, instead the author has given us mature, older adults and showing that love can be even better the second time around and just as hot. With both Ford and Megan, two people that have already have well-tuned backgrounds to draw from and can really believe that their less-than-perfect lives have made them who they are today.

This is a book with well written descriptives that don’t detract from the story, with just enough suspense, action and a heavy dose of hot romance.

Reviewed by Cyrene

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feature author

I live in the Mile-High city with my wife, daughter and dog, where the Rocky Mountain High isn’t always achieved with an herbal substance.

When not glued to the computer for work and writing, I relax by enjoying the outdoors; playing tennis, traveling in our motorhome and riding a motorcycle wherever the wind takes me. My writing beckons back to the days of detectives and dames, but with modern plots and twists. PI Jarvis Mann is tough, resourceful and a man with as many faults as virtues. His oddball sense of humor is much like mine, though I’m not nearly as tough and fearless as he is. Though no evil stands a chance against my written word!

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rweir.net

Uncaged welcomes R. Weir Uncaged: Can you tell readers more about your Jarvis Mann detective series?

Jarvis Mann is your classic hard-boiled private detective, living in Denver, going the extra mile for his clients. He is smart, tough and funny, with as many faults as virtues. There have been seven books so far dealing with all kinds of cases, including a missing baseball card, a client who is being stalked, a blackmailed college football player, helping his brother out of a jam with a brutal mobster, and so on. And I’ve surrounded Jarvis with a rich cast of characters, both friends and foes that keeps him on his toes. There is a lot of mystery, suspense, twists and turns, and a little bit of lust in books to keep readers entertained.

Uncaged: What are you working on now?

I’m working on book 8 in the Jarvis Mann PI series, tentatively titled Mann in the Crossfire. Some storylines from the last book, The Front Range Butcher,

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will carry over into this book. Much of this new book will be spent in Southern California, where he is trying to figure out who murdered an associate of his. He will be neck deep in danger in this next chapter in the series.

Uncaged: What inspired you to write the Jarvis Mann series? Do you take anything from real life, i.e., people, places, today’s news?

I wanted to create a character in the classic PI mold, like Sam Spade or Phillip Marlowe, but update the stories with more modern plots and twists. And I do borrow from today’s news. In the fifth book in the series, Dead Man Code, Jarvis tries to solve the murder of a computer engineer and goes up against Russian mobsters, Chinese government thugs, and internet hacking, all real-world news that is happening right now.

Uncaged: You are an attending author at Wild Deadwood Reads this year. What are you looking forward to the most from this convention?

Talking to readers and potential readers of my books and what they most enjoy about reading.

Those interactions and conversations are priceless.

Uncaged: Do you read your reviews? What do you take away from them?

Yes, I read every review and try to respond to the reviewer when possible, thanking them for taking the time to post, whether the review is good or bad. Fortunately I’ve not received too many bad reviews. But I take to heart every word written, helping me to be a better writer.

Uncaged: What is one of the nicest things someone has said to you about your books?

There have been so many nice things written about my books, but I’d say when someone tells you how they got emotionally invested in the story, finding it hard to put the book down, is the greatest thing to hear.

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| FEATURE AUTHOR | Uncaged: What is your favorite parts about being an author? What have you found to be the least favorite?

My favorite part is talking and hearing from readers about my books and how much they enjoy them. The least favorite is having to handle most of the marketing side myself and how much time it takes.

Uncaged: What do you like to do when you aren’t writing? Where is one of your favorite places on Earth?

I enjoy spending time with my family, traveling in our RV, working in my yard and riding my motorcycle. One of my favorite places to be is high up on Trail Ridge road in Rocky Mountain National Park at night, staring at the sky full of stars.

Uncaged: What is the hardest part of a book to write? What is the easiest? From start to finish, how long does it take to finish a complete book?

The re-reading and editing are probably the hardest part of writing. But the actual writing is what I find is the easiest, as once I get going it flows out of me quickly. First drafts can be written in two to three months, but the rewriting and editing can add two to three more months to the process.

Uncaged: What would you like to say to fans, and where can they follow you?

Thanks to all of them out there who have supported me through the years. And be sure to always leave a review, for it’s so important for indie authors to help build their success. You can follow me on my website and through the following social media links. Don’t be shy as I always have time to talk and interact with people.

Enjoy an excerpt from The Front Range Butcher The Front Range Butcher R. Weir Suspense/Crime JARVIS MANN PI IS BACK IN HIS MOST DANGEROUS CASE YET!!

Twenty-two years ago, the slayings began, a new body nearly every month, front page news for all to read. Gruesome in nature, the victims nearly all female, the killer terrorizing the residents of Colorado’s biggest cities.

Until one day the murders stopped leaving no clue, or closure. No one knew who he was, his motive for slaughtering them, and why the urge to kill suddenly ended.

Now, more than two decades later, the urge has resurfaced. Carved remains of loved ones left to be found, lives of families ruined, the slayings echoing an all too familiar case from a past once forgotten.

Bold headlines return to the local papers, the police and FBI still just as helpless, even with today’s modern advancements. Has the killer resurfaced again?

Why did they disappear for so long? How many more will brutally suffer the same horrendous fate?

Hired to find the serial killer, private detective Jarvis Mann digs deep, fighting FBI resistance, with life threatening danger lurking around every corner. His cunning leads to a man he must match wits with, a man the FBI can’t touch. Interrogating to get into his psyche in an all-out attempt to stop the insanity and bring him to justice. Cold and calculated, intelligent and coy, the man, wheelchair bound, holds the answers and the secrets. For he is the only one who could be the evil manifestation of: The Front Range Butcher.

Can Jarvis outwit such a mastermind, or has he met his match?

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| R. WEIR | Excerpt They were waiting for me when I got home. The parking lot was dark, though bright enough from a security light on a poll and the lamp from my stairwell to see where I was going. A dark sedan, either a BMW or Mercedes, sat there, the motor running. I parked the motorcycle a couple of spots over from them and dismounted. I had my .38, placing it in my jacket pocket, my right hand tucked inside, helmet in my left. There was someone behind the wheel and another waiting in the stairwell, the smoke of his cigarette trailing up into space easily seen, thanks to the light.

“May I help you?” I yelled out, still holding my distance, the bike between me and them.

“Jarvis Mann,” replied the voice from the stairwell.

“We are here to talk.” There was an air of confidence in his voice.

“About?” I had regained my composure after what happened with Milani.

“A mutual acquaintance.”

I didn’t care much for riddles. “A name would be helpful.”

“I can’t say. But you know him.”

“I don’t like dealing with those I can’t see. Step out where I can see you. The one in the car too.”

My hand tensed up waiting for any aggression. The man in the stairwell walked up, cigarette still in hand, taking a long draw, before dropping it to the ground and crushing it with his foot. My eyes were adjusting to the darkness, and I could see the outline of his frame, covered in dark slacks and sports coat, his hands tucked into the pockets. When clear, he waited for the other in the car to step out. Both were decent size, taller and heavier than I was. The one in the car was wearing a jacket over jeans, the jacket not fitting him well, a dark ball cap on his head. This could be round two to convince me to leave Simon alone. This time though it wouldn’t be cordial.

“If you’re here to tell me to leave Simon Lions alone, that isn’t going to happen.”

“Never heard of the name,” he said. I didn’t believe him.

“Then why are you here?”

“It will be apparent soon.”

With his words, I sensed someone behind me and I turned quickly, swinging the helmet in defense.

I caught the man on the side of the head, a loud crack sounded but he didn’t go down. Adrenaline flowing, I fumbled to pull out my gun, as he hit me with something hard on the side of the neck and I hit the asphalt. My head was spinning, and I tried to focus getting my gun out and firing, though I couldn’t see anything. I got off two shots before it was pulled from my hands, apparently missing the mark.

Attempting to stand I was struck again on my shoulder, the pain all too real. I tried to roll but couldn’t get anywhere, my path blocked. Something kicked me in the ribs, the wind leaving me.

I tried to suck in what air I could, considering options, but there were none. I heard footsteps but couldn’t see a thing. I knew I was done for, if they wanted me dead.

Someone grabbed me by the hair and spoke into my ear.

“Quit messing where you don’t belong, or you will end up dead,” said the voice. “Do you understand?”

My mind wavered on what to say. How to answer.

“You should gargle before heading out to rough up people. Your breath stinks.” I coughed out.

He wasn’t laughing. “I heard you were a funny guy.”

“We can go inside. I have some Scope in the medicine cabinet you can borrow.”

It would be my last words as he punched me in the face, my head striking the ground. There was little I could do as I felt another kick or two, before hearing sirens, the noise of those two gunshots saving me, and then all was still.

My mind drifted in and out. I heard voices, some I knew, others I didn’t. Was I taking that long walk to purgatory, a chance to cleanse my sins, the weigh station to heaven or hell? Would family be there to greet and make me feel welcome? I saw lights. They were bright and sounds of human traffic all around me. Someone asked, “Is he going to make it” with a positive response from another voice. All seemed peaceful, and numb, Issue 22 | May 2018 |

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| FEATURE AUTHOR | until pain started to wake me up. And it was wall to wall. There was only one word for it.

“F**k!” I said, to whoever was there listening.

“He is coming around. Jarvis, can you hear us?”

I didn’t know the voice that was calling my name, but I had a feeling I had to answer. “Yes. Who is this?” My eyes weren’t open or if they were I couldn’t see much.

“Denver paramedic. You’ve been injured. Likely beaten. Can you tell me where it hurts?”

“Be easier to list where it doesn’t. Side, ribs, neck and my jaw for certain.” I groaned.

“You may have some broken bones. We are going to take our time checking you. How does this feel?”

He started probing me on my left side, his hand checking for injuries. It wasn’t pleasant.

“F**k!” I said again.

“Painful there.”

“F**k yes. The more f-words I use the worse the pain.” I gasped as I took a breath and felt pain shoot across my chest.

“I see you haven’t lost your sense of humor,” he chuckled.

“As long as I have it and my teeth, life is good.”

The paramedic laughed and continued the exam.

If he missed any injured spots, it wasn’t from trying. There wasn’t an inch on my body that wasn’t hurting. Soon they had me strapped to a backboard and a brace around my neck. I was on a gurney and in the ambulance, when I heard a familiar female voice.

“Couldn’t stay out of trouble,” said April. “My last night of work, and you end up in the hospital.

Now I get to spend the night in an uncomfortable chair and not in your warm bed.”

“Sorry, I didn’t know you were planning to stop by.”

She leaned down and whispered in my ear. “I was going to sneak into your place, crawl in your bed and do unspeakable things to you.”

“That might be the one part of my body that isn’t hurting,” I replied, coughing. “I always wanted to do it in a hospital bed. Tonight, could be the night.”

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Leaning down she kissed me, before climbing out of the ambulance. “Once my shift is over, I’ll stop by and check on you.”

The ride wasn’t too long, and I was wheeled into the ER at Swedish Medical Center. They ran all types of tests, finding nothing broken, but lots of bruising.

The doctors, nurses and techs were nice enough, but I still hated hospitals.

I talked to so many people, having to explain repeatedly what happened. The police included. I’d have been happy to tell them I knew who the attackers were, but I didn’t. I was tired, and hurt like hell, even with the pain meds.

Several hours passed and I finally fell asleep, though it wasn’t good rest. If there were carnal activities awaiting tonight, I’d have to perform them in my sleep.

Uncaged Review I went into this well-established series, this is the 7th installment, without reading the others and the book stood well as a standalone, not once did I feel lost in the book. This has a classic crime/suspense noir feel to it and the detailing of the different cases was just right, not overdone to slow down the story, but enough that even us lowly citizens can follow along and understand. There was enough humor to offset the nail-biting moments.

When I get some extra time, I’m definitely going back and reading more of this series, even though this genre isn’t on the top of my go-to list, it was enough to make me a fan. Reviewed by Cyrene

| R. WEIR |

Don’t miss these titles:

Issue 22 | May 2018 |

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Short story Domestic Operating Intelligent Tool or DO IT!

by JB. Woods

| SHORT STORY |

This very short SciFi story was too entertaining not to run. Many thanks to J.B. Woods yet again.

‘Do It!’ ‘Yes, master.’

With a nod of his head towards Donna, ‘What time is she getting up,’

Domestic Operating Intelligent Tool or DO IT! JB. Woods

T

he gentle humming from his pillow and a little nudge in the back from the body moulded sleeping surface, stirred Jim from his slumber.

‘Nine o’ clock, master. The mistress has a hair appointment and shopping with your daughter.’

‘Oh, I see. She gets shopping and I get the Zoo.’ ‘Yes, master, you are a male. Your breakfast is ready.’

‘Do It, I want a full English this morning and two cups of black coffee.’

‘I am sorry, master, I detect your cholesterol is high and your blood pressure is rising. You have wholemeal toast and honey and one cup of decaffeinated coffee with skimmed milk.’

‘I am going to pull your plug, you, you, electronic dominatrix.’

‘You are behind schedule, master.’

‘Good morning, master.’

‘Aagh!’

He stretched and yawned. ‘Err, what time is it, Do It?’

Jim unclipped his side of the sleeping module, swung his feet out, stood up and let his programmable sleep suit slide to the floor.

‘It is seven o’clock, master.’

‘It’s Saturday, Do It.’ ‘Yes, master, I am programmed to call you early. You have to clean the commuter pods before you go to the Zoo.’ ‘Who’s going to the Zoo.’ ‘You are, master, at ten o’clock with your son.’

Jim rolled over and looked at his slumbering wife, Donna.

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‘I detect love handles, master.’

‘Shut up.’

‘Oooh!’

— Feeling refreshed after a shower he grimaced as he washed down his breakfast pill with weak coffee.’

‘Do It!’ ‘Yes, master.’

‘You forgot the coffee.’

‘No, master, it is the regulation strength for your cur-

| JB WOODS | rent health. You have one hour and fifteen minutes to complete your task.’

His answer was unintelligible as he went through the door of the State provided living cell and he laughed out loud at the electronic raspberry directed at his back.

She’s getting soul,’ he muttered,’ or is she an ‘IT’?’

— A little over an hour later he re-entered the living quarters and went to the bathroom to clean up and get ready to go to the Zoo only to find it locked.

‘Do It.’ ‘Yes, master.’

‘Who is it and how long are they going to be?’

‘It is your daughter and she will be ready in three minutes twenty-five seconds. You had better be quick, master. I am waking the mistress now.’

He waited for what seemed to be an interminable time hopping from one foot to the other before the hatch swished open. Kate was only partially out when he hurriedly pushed in just as the adult sleeping module door hissed open.

‘That’s not fair,’ shouted Donna, ‘how long is he going to be, Do It?’ ‘Five minutes and thirty-three seconds, mistress, and I observe the seat is up.’

‘Tell him to put it down when he’s finished.’

‘I always do.’

— That evening, their daughter went disco dancing and their son to a birthday sleep over, while Jim, tired after an exhausting day at the Zoo, stretched out in his recreational pod. He sipped at his second glass of red wine and prepared to watch a repeat of the days football.

Donna, meanwhile, was watching ‘Desperate Partners’. The serial was coming to the climax where all the protagonists attending a party were about to make love with each others opposite number.

After watching the sensual gymnastics on screen and empowered by the sensuous surround sound, with her sensory nerves stirred, but not shaken, Donna retired to the sleeping module and found Jim asleep.

She opened the night attire cell and chose the figure hugging Latex pleasure suit before slipping into the module.

When she was comfortable she called out, ‘Do It!’ ‘Yes, mistress.’

‘I have a need for fun tonight, wake him in the right mood.’

‘I am sorry, mistress, but I cannot do that.’

‘Why not?’

‘He is programmed for—Normal Saturday Night.’

Donna rolled over and punched several buttons on the console beside her and lay back expectantly.

Nothing happened.

‘Do It, it’s not working?’

‘You have asked for number 10, mistress.’

‘And?’ She thought she detected a groan.

‘But, Mistress, I have a headache.’

‘DO IT! NOW!’

THE END Issue 20 | March 2018 |

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Author’s Amazon Page

feature authors

historical fantasy historical western

Meara Platt

Danica Favorite

N. Jade Gray

feature author You can download a free Farthingale novella, If You Kissed Me, when you visit www.mearaplatt.com.

Meara Platt is a USA Today bestselling, award winning author, and an Amazon UK All Star. Her Regency romances are infused with humor and heart, and her paranormal stories add just enough darkness to keep her readers intrigued.

She lives in New York with her husband and two children, and loves it except for the traffic.

Her favorite place in all the world is England’s Lake District, which may not come as a surprise since many of her stories are set in that idyllic landscape, including her edgier, paranormal RONE award nominated Dark Gardens series.

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mearaplatt.com

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Please welcome Meara Platt!

Uncaged: Welcome to Uncaged! Can you tell readers more about the Dark Gardens series and what inspired you to weave fantasy in with historicals?

This series is a blend of two of my favorite genres, Regency romance and fantasy. Growing up, I was a huge fan of Ursula LeGuin and Mary Stewart, loved Ursula’s dragons and Mary’s spellbinding myth and magic. I was also a huge fan of Regencies: Jane Austen, Judith McNaught, Julie Garwood, Johanna Lindsay, etc. The Dark Gardens is my homage to these two fabulous genres, and – I hope – a perfect blend of both those worlds.

An ancient Fae prophecy is about to unfold in England’s charming Lake District, so it is written in the Stone of Draloch. I welcome all readers to venture into the Dark Gardens where bluebell gardens serve as portals into the realm of the Fae and the red mountain known as Friar’s Crag will lead you to the demonic Dragon Lords. A vicar’s daughter holds the key to Fae salvation. But who is she? And can the Fae king find her in time to save his people?

Uncaged: How many books are you planning for the series? Can you tell us what is coming next?

it, but mischief seems to find them. There are five sisters and each has her own stand-alone story. The youngest are identical twins Lily and Daffodil, and they are the little firecrackers who add the spark to all the stories, including their own. Of course, they fall in love with spectacular flair.

I’ve written four books so far and will write Dragon Lord Mordain’s story next. He is the red dragon, the guardian of the gate to the Underworld. These are all romances, so even Mordain (who happens to be a son of Lucifer) will find his mortal true love.

But I also have some other writing commitments so next up is more Farthingale series stories, more Brayden series stories, and a Pirates of Britannia story that will come out in November 2018 called Pearls of Fire. Now, that is an interesting tale – I met a real life gem hunter who told me about these mysterious pearls that are the magical colors of a sunrise. They are not made by oysters – but you’ll learn all about them in my story. I was so fascinated by them, that I had to write an action-packed romance around them.

Uncaged: Can you tell readers about your other series?

I’d love to! The Dark Gardens series is gothic and fantastical, but my traditional Regencies are lighthearted, warm, and humorous. My bestselling Farthingale Series is all about the madcap and meddlesome Farthingale family’s adventures when introducing their daughters into London Society. A simple matter, one would think. But no. The Farthingale sisters are notorious for getting into mischief. They don’t go looking for

I also have a series called The Braydens, another traditional Regency series, but this one is about the big, brawny Brayden men. The first story, A Match Made In Duty was originally written for a military charity set to benefit our own US wounded veterans. When the charity run ended, I published the story on my own because it was too beautiful to hide away. It is a heartwarming novella about the power of true love. My hero, James Brayden, the Earl of Exmoor, returns to London Society after years on the battlefront fighting Napoleon’s forces.

He is wounded, scarred, and no longer knows where he fits in Society. When he makes good on a promise and marries the sister of one of his friends who was killed in battle, he never expects that this promise made in duty will turn out to be his salvation.

Uncaged: You also work in a law firm, do the people you work with know about your writing? If so, do they read your novels?

Oh, yes. I am the managing partner in a NYC law firm and am very, very proud of the romances I write. I don’t go out of my way to talk about my writing career, but many of my clients know. Some do read my novels. Some don’t but are excited to tell me that friends or relatives of theirs are fans of mine! I work very hard at both jobs and rarely have any spare time – however, writing relaxes me. It is sheer joy and I’m happiest when I’m writing.

Uncaged: Do you read your reviews? What do you take away from them?

I will read them on occasion, but usually try to avoid getting caught up in them. I look at them for a general overview to understand whether I’ve enIssue 22 | May 2018 |

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| FEATURE AUTHOR | gaged the readers and touched their hearts. Every once in a while I’ll get a one-star review (every author does, it’s part of the rite of passage) – surprisingly, often around holidays like Christmas or Easter. I think of those reviewers as unhappy people who feel a need to bring someone down because they are feeling hurt and angry. But there are also reviews that are thoughtful and I find those very helpful (no matter what their star rating). I’ll read them with interest because they are constructive rather than just plain hurtful.

Uncaged: What is one of the nicest things someone has said to you about your books?

For the Farthingales in particular, I’ve gotten some heart wrenching emails from readers who are going through very hard times (medically or financially or just struggling in general) and tell me how uplifting and fun these stories are. They finish the books with a smile on their face and a good feeling about themselves. A couple of readers have written to me while at the bedside of a dying husband or mother and told me how I enabled them to laugh amid the despair. Same for The Braydens series, and particularly, A Match Made In Duty – wives of military wounded have sent me blessings and told me it is one of the most beautiful stories they’ve ever read. That is so meaningful to me. I’m proud of my books, but I know I am not Shakespeare or Jane Austen or Diana Gabaldon! But wow, that my stories can move people, mostly to laugh and feel good about themselves, that is huge to me.

Uncaged: What are your favorite parts about being an author? What have you found to be the least favorite?

That’s a hard question – I love so much about being an author. I love the process of writing each story and finding the perfect match for the hero or heroine (usually someone who should be the worst possible choice, but of course, he or she is the ONLY one they can ever be happy with). I love connecting with readers. I don’t view them as an audience, but as kindred spirits who love histori44 | UncagedBooks.com

cal romance, and we’re all on this fabulous journey together. I have tremendous respect for my readers and count my blessings every day that they allow me to do what I love.

If I have a least favorite part, it’s probably having to meet a deadline. The creative juices don’t flow on command, so I try very hard NOT to put myself under deadline obligations. However, since I write for Dragonblade Publishing, those will come up and I always do my best to turn a polished book in on time. I won’t turn in something that is substandard.

Uncaged: What do you like to do when you aren’t writing? Where is one of your favorite places on Earth?

Ha, ha, ha – I am an Olympic gold medal couch potato. When I’m not writing, I love to turn into a vegetable on my couch and binge watch the Hallmark Channel or Turner Classic Movies. I also love the food network shows and Home & Garden shows. The closest I come to exercising is my daily commute (daily two mile walk, climbing about ten flights of train stairs and subway stairs coming and going). I also love gardening – flowers have a way of renewing my spirit and making me happy. You may have guessed my love for them by the covers on the Farthingale series and the fact that the sisters are all named after flowers: Lily, Daffodil, Daisy, Laurel and Rose.

My favorite place on Earth has to be England. I love everything about that magical, sceptered isle – London, Oxford, York, the countryside, the stunning flower gardens in every yard, Hadrian’s Wall, Windsor Castle, the Lake District (wow!), the people, the history, the War of the Roses, the Battle of Hastings, the Danelaw, the legends of Merlin and King Arthur and Robin Hood, Shakespeare, sheep, manor houses. The list is endless.

Uncaged: What is the hardest part of a book to write?

What is the easiest? From start to finish, how long does it take to finish a complete book?

| MEARA PLATT | The hardest part of a book to write is the middle – that is probably the bane of every author’s existence.

How do you keep a reader’s interest throughout the story? How do you keep them turning the pages in every chapter? The first part is probably the easiest because you have the reader’s interest and they want to know about the characters. The last part is next easiest, but not all that easy. You hopefully still have the reader’s interest and now must write the climactic ending. But to get them to that ending, you have to keep the story engaging and exciting as you develop the characters and have them undertake their journeys (meaning their inner growth) so that they’ll reach their happy ending.

Not all books are the same, even if they are of equal length. Some stories just write themselves and I find myself typing like mad just to keep up with the characters who are shouting their story to me in my head.

My Fair Lily was that kind of story. Lily Farthingale talked to me throughout the book! She’s a bluestocking, but did she want a scholarly, professor hero?

No! Give me Ewan, she kept saying, and put him in a kilt! And give him a good dose of Highlander attitude. And give him a dog. What? I loved Lily!

She got her story. So did all her sisters. Their personalities were so clear in my head that I knew exactly which hero I needed to give each of them. And each sister had a distinct personality that played right into her story and meshed so beautifully with the other sisters. So many readers recognize their own big, mad, crazy loving family in these stories – or wish they had this big, mad, crazy loving family – and love that about the Farthingales.

Lord worlds, I wanted a level of authenticity that would feel exotic to the reader but also familiar.

I hope I achieved that. I am extremely honored that EACH of the four books in the Dark Gardens series was nominated for major awards in publishing. I like to think that it is not a coincidence, but a result of my efforts to bring the readers into a magical world that resonates within their hearts.

Uncaged: What would you like to say to fans, and where can they follow you?

I’d like to say THANK YOU! You allow me to do what I love. So thank you for your support, your encouragement and your friendship. Not a day ever goes by that I don’t acknowledge this gift I’ve been given.

Here are some links where readers can follow me – and if a reader emails me, I always respond personally. If someone cares enough to take the time to contact me, then I can surely take the time to answer.

Oh! And if I’m new to you, you can subscribe to my mailing list and download a newsletter exclusive and Farthingale novella, If You Kissed Me. Find the link on my homepage at www.mearaplatt. com.

The Dark Gardens books were also surprisingly quick for me to write – about three months per story, and they are full length stories. But once you know the characters, and who you must pair them with, then the stories just start flowing. I do a lot of historical research along the way as well. When I’m not writing, I’m reading about the foods of the day, the fashions, the weather, the indigenous flora and fauna, the architecture, the manners, the peerage. Even when creating my Dark Gardens Fae and Dragon Issue 22 | May 2018 |

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Enjoy an excerpt from Garden of Shadows Garden of Shadows Meara Platt Historical Fantasy Danger lurks for Julia Marsden, the daughter of the late vicar of St. Lodore’s Church in the quiet village of Borrowdale.

Julia doesn’t believe in faeries or magic or dreams coming true, but odd things have been happening at the vicarage lately that cannot be explained.

Her orphaned cousin, Charlie, believes in mythical creatures and claims that faeries now inhabit the vicarage’s bluebell garden. The boy also claims the faerie king, Cadeyrn, has promised to make him a prince in his kingdom and teach crippled Charlie to walk again if he will cross into the Fae realm.

As the faerie king’s influence on the boy grows stronger, another threat emerges from the boy’s uncle - Douglas Hawke, the Earl of Eastbourne, who has come to wrench him from Julia’s guardianship. Julia is determined to fight both men, but as she and the boy begin to fall under the spell of the faerie king, Julia realizes that only her love for Douglas can save them.

But is Douglas capable of loving her, even at the cost of his own life?

Excerpt Douglas followed Julia as she wheeled the boy out of the sitting room into the hall and through a quaint blue door with a rounded top. He couldn’t help but notice the soft sway of her hips as she 46 | UncagedBooks.com

walked, or that she was nicely rounded in all the right places. Her legs, he could tell by the outline of her gown, were long and slender.

“What do you think, Uncle Douglas?”

He forced his gaze from Julia and turned his attention to Charlie and the small room they had just entered. The walls were decorated with intricate drawings not only of St. Lodore’s Church, but of mythical scenes of faeries in their royal court and frolicking in meadows and gardens. There were also drawings of fire-breathing dragons, their rendering so real, he could make out the details of their shimmering scales.

“The two black dragons are Brihann and Bloodaxe,” Charlie said. “The red dragon is Mordain. Necros is the amber dragon and Python is the emerald dragon.

And these scenes are of the faerie king, Cadeyrn. He’s king of the Woodlands and that makes him High King of all the faeries.”

“Did you paint these?” he asked Julia, determined to stifle his admiration. Not only were they beautifully done, but revealed an intelligence and creative aspect to her nature.

She frowned lightly. “No, Charlie did.”

“Well done, lad.” In addition to talent, the boy had a vivid imagination and a knowledge of the surrounding countryside. Obviously, his mythical characters had been drawn in local surroundings, and though he did not wish to give Julia credit, he had to admit she had not kept the boy cooped up inside despite his infirmity.

Douglas surveyed the small room more closely and nodded his approval. The bed was sturdy, the linens fresh, and the curtains delicate but not feminine.

The boy’s window overlooked the bluebell garden and bookshelves lined the opposite wall. A writing desk stood on one side of the bed and a functional nightstand with a basin and ewer stood on the other.

Whatever her faults, and he knew Julia had them, she’d taken good care of the boy.

“How big is your bed chamber at Eastbourne, Uncle Douglas?”

“Enormous, as big as this entire house.”

Charlie’s eyes grew wide in gleeful amazement.

“I’d like to see it someday.”

“You will. I promise. Soon.”

Julia stepped between them, gently taking Charlie by the hand and leading him the few steps to his bed. “Enough dawdling, young man. Let me help you out of your jacket.”

She moved efficiently, stripping him out of his clothes and into his nightshirt, then helped him to wash his hands and face. “Don’t forget your prayers,” she said while folding his clothes.

“I’ve said them already.”

“You have?”

“Yes, Julia. I prayed and prayed, and that’s how Uncle Douglas came to us.”

“It’s time for bed,” she said, letting out a ragged breath as she bent down to kiss him.

Douglas bent over him, as well. “Good night, Charlie. Pleasant dreams. I’ll see you in the morning.”

He left the room, allowing the boy and Julia a moment alone. She seemed to need it, though he wasn’t certain why he should care. However, he remained near the doorway, able to hear the exchange between the pair, and was surprised when Julia began a simple bedtime story instead of issuing further warning against the Eastbourne family.

Once upon a time in a magical kingdom there lived a young prince. His parents, the king and queen, loved him very much…

Douglas turned away with a sigh.

He’d meant to take the boy away this very evening, but his plans had changed the moment Charlie had gotten up from his chair and immediately struggled to regain his breath. That incident had shaken Douglas.

No wonder Homer had gotten so riled.

So he’d changed his plan and arranged to meet Julia in the sitting room after she’d put the boy to bed. He wasn’t certain what he was going to say, other than make clear the boy would come with him to Eastbourne with or without her cooperation.

Of course, gaining her cooperation would make matters simpler, avoid the unpleasantness of ton gossip, or the nuisance of a legal battle she could not possibly win. He had the law on his side, the influence and connections not only to remove her as the boy’s legal guardian, but to ban her forever from all contact with the boy.

Surely, she understood the futility of her

| MEARA PLATT | position. And if she didn’t, he’d explain it to her in very blunt terms. His mind set, as it had been since learning of the boy’s existence, he entered the sitting room and crossed to the window in time to watch the sun’s golden rays fade below the horizon.

Sun? When had it stopped raining?

He shrugged, deciding it mattered little and stepped away to peruse the room. He lit a small lamp on a nearby table, but after finding little of interest to occupy his time, he returned to the window, his gaze drawn - indeed, suddenly compelled - to the unusual garden.

He watched, at first amused and then fascinated by the golden twilight as it washed across the flowers and began to play tricks on his eyes, began to take on human shapes, as though Charlie’s faerie king was holding court among the profusion of blossoms.

“Hello, King Cadeyrn,” he murmured with a chuckle.

One of those shapes seemed to nod back at him, soon followed by other golden shapes.

He blinked once, twice.

The images refused to disappear, though he knew such creatures simply could not be. They existed only in a little boy’s imagination. Indeed, Charlie had captured the magical sunset over the garden in several of his drawings, particularly in those renderings of the faerie king and his court.

“My lord, please help yourself to more tea,” Julia called out. “I’ll be another moment.”

“Tea?” In most of those drawings, the faerie courtiers held silver goblets filled with wine.

An instant later, he noticed a decanter of red wine and two glasses on the table beside him. Julia must have set them out in anticipation of their discussion. “I’ll have the wine instead.”

He poured himself a glass and took a sip, expecting an unremarkable vintage. To his surprise, the ruby liquid slid smoothly down his throat and left a very pleasant fruity taste in his mouth. He drank more, enjoying the warm sensation now spreading throughout his body and easing his tension.

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| FEATURE AUTHOR | He leaned a shoulder against the window pane and lost himself in the magical twilight, in the golden shapes that grew brighter as day settled into night, as the colors of the blue sky faded to gold, then amber-gray and finally to black.

A peaceful, endless black.

Douglas suddenly jolted awake as the empty glass slipped from his hand and shattered.

“Damn.” He shook his head and glanced around, only to find himself still standing beside the window. He must have drifted off to sleep, but he wasn’t certain for how long. His limbs were delightfully numb, as though he were floating along an effervescent stream and soothed by its warm, bubbling waters.

Odd that he felt no aches after a long day’s ride.

He let out another muttered oath and knelt to gather the larger shards, setting them on the ledge for the moment.

“Miss Marsden,” he called out impatiently, the garden now a bleak darkness he found most unsettling.

“I’ll be right there,” she responded. “Please make yourself comfortable, my lord. I’m sorry for the delay.”

Kicking aside the smaller pieces of glass, he was about to walk to the hearth to stoke the dying embers when a glimmer of light suddenly emanated from one of the flowers and caught his attention. Silver specks of light soon filled the garden, shimmering like fireflies on a hot summer’s eve.

Was this another trick of the light?

But from what source?

“Miss Marsden,” he called out again as the flowers began to sparkle like diamonds, each diamond assuming the color of its flower. White for daisies. Pink for roses. Blue for the myriad bluebells. Yellow for honeysuckle.

In the next moment, he heard music and whispering laughter seeming to come from the bluebells and drift into the sitting room.

The scent of honeysuckle suddenly filled the air.

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“My lord, I’m ready to listen to what you have to say.”

He turned to the sound of Julia’s soft voice behind him and watched with heightened interest as she crossed the room. Small and slender, she moved with an elfin grace, her slippers barely making a sound as she glided to his side. He inhaled her delicate scent, roses kissed by the moonlight. Even her golden hair sparkled in the odd, faerie moonlight.

He shook his head to clear his jumbled thoughts.

Flowers didn’t gleam gold one moment then turn to silver. Had Julia drugged him with that wine?

Douglas moved his toes and fingers, hands and feet, and found nothing wrong with his limbs, no lingering trace of numbness. Nor did he feel any pain in his stomach or his head.

“Is something wrong, my lord?”

“No.” He tried to make logical sense of what was happening. Where was the music coming from, the sound of violins and laughter? It had to be a trick of the wind blowing through the fells. And hadn’t Charlie added honey to his tea tonight? The scent must have lingered in the room.

But that didn’t explain the moonlight penetrating the storm clouds and flooding the room in silvery light... no, there had to be a logical explanation.

“My lord?”

“Miss Marsden, I was wondering... who tends to your garden?”

“My garden?” She regarded him curiously. “No one. It tends itself.”

“Impossible. It’s more magnificent than the gardens at Eastbourne and they’re considered among the finest in England.”

She nibbled her lip. “May I ask why we are speaking of my garden?”

“How is it that your flowers shine even in the darkness?”

“Lord Eastbourne,” she whispered, a little tremor to her voice. “You must come away. Here, sit by the fire.”

“Don’t you see those brilliant points of light?

Can it be King Cadeyrn and his faerie court making merry in the night?”

“He’s make-believe, the creation of a little boy

| MEARA PLATT | with a vivid imagination.” She placed a firm hand on his arm and turned him from the window. “Please, my lord. Come away. There’s a draft here and we have important matters to discuss.”

“Julia,” he whispered, taking gentle hold of her. “You’re as beautiful as this enchanted night.”

She let out a moan, but didn’t otherwise protest as he drew her into his arms.

He heard her soft gasp and felt the light heave of her breasts now pressed against his chest. A joyous heat coursed through his body as she melted into his embrace. Tears glistened in her eyes and her mouth parted to invite his kiss. He slowly lowered his lips to her beautiful pink mouth, her soft cries beckoning him closer... closer... then, as though by magic, their lips did touch.

Lightly at first and ever so gently.

Her mouth felt as soft as a dream.

A moonlit dream.

He deepened the kiss, pressing his lips more firmly against her delicate mouth and giving himself over to the sudden, ravenous yearning to possess her.

“My lord,” she said, her voice a velvet sob, “release me now, before this goes too far. Please.”

He opened his eyes as reality, and harsh, male laughter in the distance, suddenly penetrated his senses. “Merciful heavens! What have I done? I didn’t mean... I don’t know how this happened.” It was one thing to see a pretty girl and wish to hold her, kiss her. But to actually do it against her will... he’d kissed Julia Marsden! “There must have been something in the wine.”

“What wine?” Julia’s eyes were now ablaze and her fingers curled into fists against his chest as she tried to push out of his arms.

He let her go, stepped away as well, and pointed to the ledge, but the remnants of his broken glass were gone. He glanced toward the table, only to find the bottle and remaining glass were also gone.

“It was here a moment ago.” He shook his head in dismay. “You must believe me.”

“Believe you? As Laura believed your brother’s sweet words and soft kisses? Your obvious ploy will never work on me. I won’t be seduced into giving up Charlie!”

“No, of course not.” He’d never intended to take her into his arms, certainly never meant to lower his lips to her soft mouth. But there was something about the girl, something irresistible that roused his protective instincts. In truth, that roused a dangerous hunger in him. Had her cousin possessed a similar sensual beauty? Is that how Laura Marsden had enchanted his brother? “Please accept my apology.”

“Why should I?” He let out a ragged sigh. “I don’t know. Because it wasn’t me just then. It wasn’t me. I don’t know how else to explain it. One moment, I was staring into your garden and the next... I saw starlight, heard violins and distant laughter... and the next, I kissed you.”

At first, she didn’t seem inclined to believe him, but as the anger drained from her face, she turned him away from the now fading shimmers of light. “We had better speak in the kitchen.”

“You saw them, didn’t you? Those golden shapes?”

“No, my lord,” she replied shakily. “There’s nothing out there but a very wet, dark night.”

He was about to insist that it wasn’t raining, that the moon was out and the night clear, but one more glance out the window proved him wrong. Rain pelted the glass pane and a howling wind shook it dangerously. Bloody hell. “Yes, of course.”

But she knew. It was as though she understood what had come over him and was frightened by it. Not frightened of him, but of it... whatever it was.

“Miss Marsden, what’s out there?”

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Uncaged Review Lies, betrayal, love with a twist of a fantastical world, lying closely by in a garden of bluebells.

The book begins as a normal historical regency, but it pulls you into its world and when you start learning all kinds of truths a bit over halfway in, you will have a hard time putting this book down. This book combines both my love of historicals with my love of fantasy, and marries the two genres perfectly. An original story that slowly but surely grabbed on and didn’t let go easily, weaving its spell over me as almost as easily as King Cadeyrn seduced Charlie and Julia. The book takes some terrific twists to keep the reader on their toes. This is a nice start to a series, and I’m looking forward to book two.

Reviewed by Cyrene

Garden of Light Meara Platt Historical Fantasy As battle looms between the Fae kingdoms and the powerful underworld demons known as Dragon Lords in England’s quiet Lake District, the Fae king, Cadeyrn, returns to the vicarage of St. Lodore’s where magical bluebell gardens serve as portals to the faerie world and the ominous red mountain known as Friar’s Crag becomes the battleground for Fae, Dragon Lords and mortals. Cadeyrn is desperate to find the right mortal girl who will save the Fae, for she is destined to love him and die a fiery death for that love, as foretold in the ancient Draloch prophecy. All seems lost, for the only girl who can see him is Melody Hargreaves, a very unwarrior-like young woman who has never fought dragons.

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How can she possibly be The One? Melody is being courted by a wealthy lord who seems to adore her and is about to propose marriage, but she feels the powerful magic of her surroundings and is drawn to the world of the Fae and its handsome king. As Bloodaxe, one of the evil Dragon Lords, advances with his demon army, Melody must decide between a safe, comfortable life with the wealthy lord or dying a fiery death at the hands of the Dragon Lords. Melody’s heart belongs to Cadeyrn, and choosing wealth and comfort no longer seems the obvious choice. Cadeyrn has also fallen in love with Melody.

How can he change the course of destiny and save her as well as his Fae subjects?

Uncaged Review So difficult it was to put this series down and move on to other commitments as it’s such a fantasical tale, and Melody and Cadeyrn are the perfect match.

Cadeyrn needs to find “The One,” the mate that will turn the tides in war with the Dragon Lords, or risk losing his people forever. But the Fae don’t have feelings like mortal humans - it’s been suppressed for centuries. Mortal people have trouble seeing the Fae, but Melody does, could he finally have found the mortal woman that can save the fae?

I can say that I liked Cadeyrn in the first book, but I LOVED him in this one. The development of the characters and the world building are in excellent hands with Ms. Platt, and I didn’t want to leave. I am going to be making time for the rest of this series.

Reviewed by Cyrene

As a special treat, compliments of the author, here is an excerpt from My Fair Lily, the first in The Farthingale series which is FREE for a limited time.

My Fair Lily Meara Platt Historical Regency Ewan Cameron, estranged grandson of the Duke of Lotheil, is in London because of a deathbed promise made to his father and has no intention of staying beyond his three month obligation. Nothing can tempt him to remain, not even Lily, the beautiful bluestocking determined not only to restore relations between him and his grandfather, but to turn Ewan into a proper gentleman. Ewan, proud of his Scottish heritage, refuses to admit that Lily, a blue-eyed, English girl, has claimed his heart. It doesn’t matter that his big lump of a sheepdog is madly in love with her.

Nor is it significant that Ewan can always tell Lily apart from her identical twin sister. Always.

Lily Farthingale, the scholarly twin, dreams of becoming the first female member of the Royal Society.

She grabs at the chance when the elderly Duke of Lotheil approaches her with a proposition - he’ll admit her into the Royal Society, if she helps him to establish a relation with his estranged grandson, Ewan Cameron, a very rough-around-the-edges Scotsman who hates everything English. Between shootings, explosions, and Lily’s abduction, Ewan ends up falling in love with Lily in this Pygmalion-inspired story.

Excerpt “Jasper, ye bollix! No!” Lily Farthingale had just passed through the front gate of her family’s fashionable townhouse to turn onto Chipping Way when she heard a deep, rumbling bark, followed closely by a repeat of the man’s frantic shout. In the next moment, she was knocked to the ground by the biggest, hairiest excuse for a dog

| MEARA PLATT | she’d ever set eyes upon, more of a muddy brown carpet with legs and a playfully wagging tail.

“Ugh! Get off me!” Lily cried, but the dog paid no heed, too excited and happy to contain his joy. He stared down at her as though she were his favorite person in the world, even though she was now flat on her back in one of the many puddles left by the morning’s rain, her spectacles dangling off her nose. “I said, get—ew!”

The slobbering beast had begun licking her face, his tongue leaving a trail of drool across her cheek, her chin, and even more disgustingly, on her mouth.

She was still spitting his drool from her lips when the owner reached her side and unceremoniously lifted Jasper out of the way. “Och, lass!

Are ye hurt?”

Only my pride. “I don’t think so. But I’ve lost my book.” More precisely, she’d lost the book she had borrowed from her elderly neighbor, Lady Eloise Dayne, and was on her way to return when attacked by the playful beast. It had flown out of her hands, and she had no idea where it might have landed.

“I’m that sorry, lass. My fault entirely.” The burly Scotsman knelt beside her, looming quite large, or so he seemed to her slightly dazed eyes— for he was broad in the shoulders and almost as shaggy as his dog. His reddish-brown hair was as thick and unkempt as his companion’s. His bushy growth of beard made him appear as daunting as a pirate.

“I’ll pay for the damage, of course.”

He tried to straighten the spectacles on her nose, but then simply removed them when he couldn’t.

“Ewan Cameron’s the name, and I’m in residence at... och, I’m not sure o’ that yet, but you can contact me through Eloise Dayne.”

“You know Lady Dayne?” Lily gazed at him in surprise, wondering how and where a man such as he might have met her respectable neighbor.

“That I do, lass,” he said with an engaging smile.

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| FEATURE AUTHOR | was his jaw, what Lily could see of it beneath his beard. She ought to have been more than a little intimidated, perhaps afraid of this rugged stranger, but he’d mentioned Eloise, which meant he was no ruffian, though he quite looked the part.

He took gentle hold of her hand. “Can ye move?”

She nodded. “I’m sure I can.”

“Good. Be careful now. Put your arms about my neck, and I’ll help ye out of this puddle.” He spoke in a deep, rumbling brogue that she found surprisingly comforting. “Poor little thing, ye must be soaked to the skin.”

Up close, practically nose to nose, Lily could not help but notice his darkly sensual eyes, a deep, forest green with flecks of gray swirling within their depths. Mercy! “You mustn’t concern yourself, sir.” A little “eep” escaped her lips as his rough hands now circled her waist and his keen, assessing gaze locked onto hers. “I’m fine… truly.”

“Can’t say as much for your frock,” he muttered, helping her to her unsteady feet, which must have been the reason he held on to her a moment longer than was necessary. He released her when she regained her footing, then retrieved his handkerchief, and was about to use it to dab the mud off her gown when he suddenly stopped and let out a short, strangled laugh. “Ah…er…och, lass,” he said, his hands hovering precariously over her breasts, “ye’d better… I can’t… no, I definitely can’t—” Lily followed his gaze as it swept the front of her gown.

Jasper’s muddy paws had left a perfect imprint on each of her lightly heaving breasts— like an officious clerk with his itchy fingers on a new ink stamp. Stamp! Stamp! The delicate lemon silk just delivered yesterday, which she had worn for all of ten minutes, was ruined.

Oh, crumpets!

The noticeable paw prints on her front were bad enough, but there were also splotches of mud along the length of the expensive fabric, and cold, murky water from the puddle in which she’d landed now seeped down her back.

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Jasper, obviously feeling contrite, whimpered as he came forward and rubbed his head against her knees. Tufts of his hair ground into the ruined fabric, leaving it not only wet and muddy but now adorned with dog hairs.

Oh, perfect! What more can go wrong today?

And where were her spectacles? She recalled Ewan Cameron had taken them off her nose before he put his arms around her…and then she’d gazed into his eyes and simply forgotten about everything.

“Can ye walk on your own, lass? Shall I help ye into the house?”

“Thank you, Mr. Cameron. I can manage the rest of the way.” She couldn’t very well say it had been a pleasure to meet him, since it hadn’t been. Anyway, they hadn’t been properly introduced. “It was a most unusual… well, unexpected… encounter. I don’t suppose we shall ever meet again. Goodbye.”

She turned to walk back into the house, took a step, and squished. Took another halting step, then another. Squish, squish.

Her humiliation was now complete.

“Lass, I had better go with ye,” he said, clearing his throat and once again smothering the laughter Lily knew was desperate to burst out of him. “I can explain to your father. It wouldn’t sit right with me if ye were punished for something that was entirely my fault.”

“It isn’t necessary,” she insisted, holding her head up proudly even as droplets of water dripped off her nose. She wished he would stop acting kindly and simply go away.

The sooner this embarrassment was forgotten, the better.

Jasper, now standing between her and the Farthingale entry gate, began to whimper again.

“That’s right. Ye ought to be ashamed, ye great beastie,” his owner muttered. “Look at the mess ye’ve made of the pretty girl.”

As though understanding his every word, the dog gazed at Lily with the softest, most innocent brown eyes. His tail wagged hesitantly, once… twice.

Oh, his big chocolate eyes! Too adorable to resist. Lily succumbed with a sigh. “You’re forgiven, Jasper. Now, to find my book—” Jasper was off in a shot and back in a trice with

| MEARA PLATT | the volume, a work written by the Scottish scientist Colin MacLaurin about sixty years ago on the theory of fluxions. Tail wagging, eyes gleaming with pride, he dropped it at her feet…and into the puddle from which she’d just emerged.

His owner let out an agonized groan. “Lass, I’ll pay for that, too.”

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feature author A self-professed crazy chicken lady, Danica Favorite loves the adventure of living a creative life. She and her family recently moved in to their dream home in the mountains above Denver, Colorado. Danica loves to explore the depths of human nature and follow people on the journey to happily ever after. Though the journey is often bumpy, those bumps are what refine imperfect characters as they live the life God created them for. Oops, that just spoiled the ending of all of Danica’s stories. Then again, getting there is all the fun.

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Uncaged welcomes Danica Favorite Uncaged: What can you tell readers about your Love Inspired Historical series? What inspired you to write in the historical western genre?

My series is set during the silver mining boom in Leadville, Colorado. Believe it or not, I started writing historical westerns because my agent dared me to.

I never wanted to write historicals because I love them so much that I was afraid of turning my first love into work. However, my agent twisted my arm, I tried it, and decided to write about an area I knew well- Leadville, CO. When my husband’s family came to America, they went to Leadville, so the area is steeped in family history, and we spend a great deal of time there. Fortunately, even though writing about Leadville is a lot of work, I still find it very fun and rewarding.

Uncaged: You also write in the contemporary genre, but all your books are clean and inspirational romances. Can you tell readers more about your other series?

I have a contemporary series, Legacy of the Heart, which is part of a larger series called Arcadia Valley.

It’s set in Idaho and the series focuses on natural living and foodie culture, a couple of my favorite topics.

Legacy of the Heart is about a group of grandchildren

determined to keep their parents from taking Bigby Farm, which has been in the family for generations, from their grandmother. And, of course, they all fall in love along the way.

My third book in the series, The Taste of Romance, is out in June.

Uncaged: What are you working on next?

LOTS!! Because the Love Inspired Historical line is closing, I’ve moved to writing for Love Inspired. My first series with them, tentatively called Three Sisters Ranch, will begin in February 2019. It’s about three sisters who inherit a ranch from a long-lost relative, and use it as a means of rebuilding their lives after suffering tragedies.

In the meantime… I have a novella coming out right around the time of WDR as part of the Legacy of the Heart collection (different from above, weird, I just noticed it was the same name!). We have five different stories, two historical and three contemporary, based on a locket that is passed down from woman to women.

My story, Heritage of Love, is a historical featuring a young lady who meets a member of Buffalo Bill’s Wild West Show at the Chicago World’s Fair and falls in love- but her family objects to his Lakota heritage.

I also have my first book with the Brides of Blessings

series coming out in May. It’s called A Blessed Dream, and it’s about three sisters who come to the gold mining town of Blessings, CA during the California Gold Rush to avenge their father’s murder.

Each of my three books will follow a different sister, and this one is about Louisa, who has given up her dream of being a schoolteacher to help her family, and ends up having to manage her neighbor’s unruly children. Love isn’t in the plan for either of them, but love always has other plans!

I’m also hoping to have another Brides of Noelle book out this summer.

Uncaged: You are an attending author at Wild Deadwood Reads this year. What are you looking forward to the most from this convention?

Wow, so much!! I’ve never been to Deadwood, so I’m super excited to just be there. Also, in case you haven’t guessed, I am a total history nerd, so I plan on doing ALL THE THINGS historical, and I’m really excited to be experiencing it with fellow history nerds. I love that I’m going to connect with people like me who love books and history, and I think it’s going to be so much fun!

Uncaged: Do you read your reviews? What do you take away from them?

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| FEATURE AUTHOR | No, I don’t! I’m too thin-skinned to be able to read them, especially because people can be really mean in what they say online. I hired an assistant who reads them for me, and she lets me know the things I need to know. The main takeaway she gives me is to let me know who my fans are and what they’re looking for. I can’t please everyone, but I really want to do right by the people who look forward to my books.

Uncaged: What is the hardest part of a book to write? What is the easiest? From start to finish, how long does it take to finish a complete book?

Uncaged: What is one of the nicest things someone has said to you about your books?

The easiest is starting, because I love getting to know a new story.

Good question! Anytime a reader lets me know my books have made a difference in their lives is something very special to me. I’ve had that happen a few times, and I love knowing that I’ve been able to touch someone’s heart in a special way.

Start to finish… ugh. I don’t know. I have a weird process. My books percolate for a long time, but when it’s time to write, I write! Percolation can take months, but the actual writing is usually less than a month.

Uncaged: What is your favorite parts about being an author? What have you found to be the least favorite?

I love writing. It’s kind of a sickness, because I would write 24/7 if I could. All I want to do is write. Anything that is not writing is my least favorite, and I’m doing my very best to let others do those things, because they make me grumpy.

The hardest part for me is the ending. I am so in love with the book, I don’t want it to end, but I’m also usually tight on word count, so I don’t have room to mess around. I just want to keep writing and writing because I seriously love to write.

Uncaged: What would you like to say to fans, and where can they follow you?

I think my fans are awesome, and I love getting to know them.

Enjoy an excerpt from Honor Bound Lawman

Uncaged: What do you like to do when you aren’t writing? Where is one of your favorite places on Earth?

Honor Bound Lawman Danica Favorite Historical Western

I love to travel! Seriously, my dream life is to travel the world and write. But come home sometimes, because I also love being home. We bought our dream-in-progress home in the mountains three years ago, and while it is definitely a work in progress, I love being here. The joke is that when my kids leave, I will be a recluse and never leave my house, except to travel, because I love it so much. My other favorite place on Earth is England. If I could live there a month out of every year, I totally would.

Her Rancher Bodyguard

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When Laura Booth’s dangerous ex-husband escapes from prison, she turns to the one man who can protect her: Owen Hamilton. Living with the widowed former lawman—who once helped put her ex in jail—and his adorable twin daughters on their Colorado ranch is a welcome respite. For the first time, Laura feels safe—but after her troubled past, she’ll never trust her heart again.

| DANICA FAVORITE | Owen would like to say only obligation draws him to Laura’s side. But in his gut he knows his feelings for the gentle beauty run deeper than duty—and it stops him cold. After guarding their wary hearts for years, can Owen and Laura give love a second chance?

Excerpt Leadville, Colorado 1884 Owen Hamilton shielded his eyes against the sun as he tried to make out the rider coming toward him.

His small ranch outside of Leadville, Colorado, was too far from town to get many visitors.

His sister, Lena, stepped out of the house. “Were you expecting company?”

“No. Get inside and bar the door. Keep the girls close. You know what to do.”

Lena hesitated. “Should I get your shotgun?”

“I’ve got my belt,” Owen said, patting his hip. “No sense in drawing trouble if there is none.”

They’d had this conversation enough times that Lena gave a nod. “We’ll be inside. I’ll wait for the signal.”

Owen walked off the porch and headed down the path toward the oncoming horse. Now that the rider was closer, Owen recognized him.

He called over his shoulder at the house. “It’s just Will. Put on some coffee and see what you can round up for refreshment. I’m sure he’s tired after his long ride.”

Though he sounded cheerful, his stomach filled with dread. The only reason Will would come to see Owen unannounced was if it was about a case. When Owen had turned in his badge several months ago, he’d made it clear he wasn’t available to help his friend.

Both Will and the sheriff had tried talking him into at least remaining a consultant. But after Owen’s last mistake, he couldn’t bring himself to potentially endanger anyone else. True, on that last case, no one had died. But Owen had gotten distracted, and because of it, a woman and her children nearly died.

Though everything turned out all right in the end, he

still couldn’t forget how easily things could have gone bad.

As Will dismounted, Owen walked over to greet him. “Go ahead and put your horse by the barn.

There’s plenty of hay, and I’ll get some water for him.”

“Thanks,” Will said, sounding out of breath. He must have been riding hard. And from the horse’s sweaty flanks, Owen could tell that initial instinct that this wasn’t a social call was correct.

“Lena is fixing some refreshments. Then you can be on your way.”

“You haven’t even heard what I have to say.”

“I figure already I already know what you’ve got to say. When I turned in my badge, it was for good.”

Before Will could respond, Owen’s six-year-old twin daughters, Anna and Emma, came running out the door. “Uncle Will!”

“Pipsqueaks!” Will gathered the girls in his arms and gave them a big hug. Though Owen had no regrets in moving out to the ranch, sometimes he thought about how isolated they were out here.

Living in Leadville, Owen’s children had the chance to socialize with a number of families, including Will’s. Though Will wasn’t their real uncle, their families were close enough that it felt like it at times. Leaving behind their social connections had been a small price to pay for his privacy. If he wasn’t living in town, no one could ask him to help on a case.

Maybe it sounded selfish, but Owen knew that if his fellow lawmen could just run down the street to ask for his help, keeping his badge hung up would be near impossible. Besides, he and Lena had grown up here. Lena hated the city, and they’d both agreed that they wanted the same kind of how childhood for Owen’s daughters that they’d had.

Lena had given up so much for Owen, quitting her job as a teacher to move in with him and help take care of his daughter’s when his late wife left him nearly six years ago. It seemed only fair that Owen took looked toward Lena’s comfort. Lena had no intention of ever marrying, and after Owen’s disastrous marriage, he wasn’t interested in finding a wife either. Which made being out here, several Issue 22 | May 2018 |

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| FEATURE AUTHOR | miles from town, perfect for both of them.

But as Owen watched Will laughing with his daughters, he couldn’t help but wonder if the best thing for him and Lena was not the best thing for his girls. Even though they had each other, the twins missed their friends in Leadville.

“Are you going to spend the night?” Emma asked.

“Why didn’t you bring Mary and Rosabelle?”

Anna added. The girls loved spending time with Will’s wife, Mary, and doting on baby Rosabelle.

Will laughed and gave the girls another squeeze.

“I’m afraid I’m here on business. I can’t stay long because I need to get back. But hopefully, you can come to town soon and stay with us.”

“Then you’d best come in and have some coffee, so you can be on your way.” Owen gave his friend a firm look. “Any business you have for me is no business I want. I told you, I put that life behind me.”

“You haven’t even heard what I have to say.”

Will’s stubborn expression matched Owen’s.

They’d been friends long enough that they could spend hours staring each other down in this manner. They’d done so often enough in the past, with each of them having their share of wins and losses.

But this time, Owen wasn’t going to lose.

“Don’t need to. I won’t turn a friend away without refreshment, but you might as well go back on the horse and go home. Nothing you have to say is of interest to me.”

Lena stepped out of the farmhouse, wiping her hands on her apron. “Now, Owen, that’s no way to treat a friend. After all he’s done for us, you at least need to hear him out. Will, nice to see you again.”

Growing up, Owen used to tease Lena that being a schoolteacher was her destiny because of the way she always bossed everyone around. Even having quit her job, she was still good at giving orders. Lena was also his elder by a couple of years, which meant Owen got more than his share of Lena’s commands.

“Good to see you, too, Lena. Mary sends her regards. Even though this is a quick trip on business, there are some cookies in my saddlebags that she insisted I bring.”

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“Cookies!” The girls spoke and jumped up and down in unison. “Please, Papa, maybe go and get them?”

Owen sighed. Getting rid of Will wasn’t going to be so easy. Not that Owen wanted to get rid of his friend because entertaining guests was always a pleasurable endeavor. But business, that was another story.

“Let’s go get Will’s horse settled in the barn. Then we can get the cookies and bring them in the house. It’ll be a nice treat for all of us.”

His daughters didn’t need further encouragement.

Laughing, they ran to the barn.

Owen looked at his friend. “I guess that settles that, then. Go tie up your horse, and I’ll get a bucket of water.”

Before Owen could head over to the water pump, Lena stopped him. “I don’t know why you’re being so prickly with him. You don’t even know he wants.”

“It doesn’t matter. He’s wearing his badge, which means it’s official business. This isn’t the first time he’s tried to drag me in on another case. I can’t do it anymore, Lena, I just can’t.”

His sister looked at him sympathetically. “I know it’s hard. Don’t you think he knows that, too? If anyone understands the difficulties you have with going back, it would be Will.”

“Then why is he here?” Owen shook his head as he looked at the ground. “All these years Will has been telling everyone that I’m the lawmen he knows. But I’m not. Will has more faith in me that he should. He’s better off without me.”

The crunch of boots on gravel made Owen turn. “I stand by my assessment of your abilities. That’s why I’m here.”

Owen stared at his friend. “You’re wasting your time.

Our friendship has blinded you to my faults.”

“I wouldn’t be here if it wasn’t important.”

Lena stepped in beside Owen. “That’s just what I was telling Owen.”

He’d been prepared to fight Will. But with Lena on Will’s side, it seemed almost impossible to consider doing battle.

“Fine. What you want?”

Will shoved his hands in his pockets and leaned back on his heels. His face squeezed tightly into an expression of a man bearing the worst kind of news. Owen

| DANICA FAVORITE | had seen that expression on his friend’s face often enough, probably too often, that had Will opened with this expression, Owen wouldn’t have had to debate with himself. The words that were to come out of his mouth were irrelevant. No matter what they were, Owen would help his friend.

“James Booth has escaped from prison.”

The words were shocking as if Will had pulled his gun out of his belt and shot Owen.

“How can that be? They had him in maximum security.”

Will’s brow furrowed. “Apparently not maximum enough. Two guards are dead, and they aren’t sure the third will last the night. When they catch him, he’ll hang for sure.”

“When did this happen?”

“A few hours ago. The prison sent a telegram right away. They think he’s headed to Leadville.”

Owen’s heart sank to the pit of his stomach. This wasn’t supposed to happen. He’d promised Laura Booth, James’s ex-wife, that this wouldn’t happen.

Every day, when he’d escorted her to the courthouse for James’s trial, Owen promised her that James would go to prison for the rest of his life and never bother her again. One more promise Owen had broken as a lawman.

“Does she know?”

Will nodded. “Laura’s scared, but she thinks he’ll head to Mexico, where he has connections, something he’s always talked about doing. Laura believes that James will value his freedom more than anything else. She doesn’t think he’ll risk getting caught again.”

Unfortunately, Owen knew better. The man thought he was invincible, which meant he wouldn’t consider the risks to come after Laura.

“Has she forgotten how many times he threatened her? At the trial, at his sentencing and even when I went with her to give him divorce papers. The last time she saw him, he was like a madman, giving in graphic detail a list of all the horrible things he would do to her before he killed her in revenge for testifying against him.”

When Owen had met Laura, she was terrified of her husband. James Booth was a womanizing charlatan, hurting everyone in his path who did not give him his

way. He’d beaten Laura into submission, making her one of his victims. But Owen, along with Will and several of their friends in Leadville, had convinced Laura to testify against James in a case where he’d been accused of murdering his mistress. At the time, Laura had been hesitant to speak out against him. He had many friends and associates, and she feared that they would help them avoid the consequences of his actions.

Owen had been the one to convince her otherwise.

And now James had done the very thing Laura was afraid of. He’d gotten out of jail, and he was coming after her.

Will had been right to ask Owen to come out of retirement for this. He’d made a woman a promise that he would keep her safe.

Hopefully, Owen would be able to keep that promise.

Uncaged Review A story about love, trust and second chances with a good dash of suspense and danger thrown in.

When Owen comes to Laura’s boarding house to take her into protective custody as her abusive ex-husband has escaped from jail, Laura goes, with strong objections, thinking her ex will just high tail it to Mexico. But when the danger looms and people are killed, Owen takes Laura to his ranch, a hidden gem that very few people know about.

The two people will need to learn to trust each other, and also trust the feelings that they have for each other, brewing under the surface.

This is a nice romance, with enough humor, suspense and danger thrown in, along with some great family moments. Nice series. Reviewed by Cyrene

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feature author N. Jade Gray grew up on a farm in Oklahoma with one sister and three brothers.

She began reading romance novels in high school and was hooked.

In an attempt to entertain her friends she began writing stories.

The biggest hurdle she had to overcome with her writing was sharing her stories. Her former writing groups, the Wichita and Regional Authors and Low Country Romance Writer’s, helped with her confidence and shook the needed pom pom’s to get her motivated for publication. She is also a former member of the Romance Writers of America.

She met her husband, Nathan, while attending college and has two grown sons, Blake and Mason. Not really knowing what she wanted to do when she grew up, she’s held various jobs in the accounting and legal fields. She lives in Kansas with her husband, rescue cats Meera and Mango, and one spoiled dog-named Fabio. Yes, she helped name the dog. She chuckles when she hears her husband calling for his four-legged companion.

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njadegray.com 60 | UncagedBooks.com

Uncaged welcomes N. Jade Gray Uncaged: Can you tell readers more about your debut novel, All for the Love of a Cowboy?

All for the Love of a Cowboy is a Time Travel Western Romance. My heroine, Rachel Morgan, finds herself in the past in a delusional cowboy’s bed after she crashed her car into a tree trying to play dodge the dog. Mitchell Reeves owns a ranch in the Durango, Colorado area and lives with his sister Becky. The Reeves’ take Rachel in while she is on the mend from her accident.

Not only does Rachel find life in Eighteen Ninety-two challenging, but the love she begins to feel for Mitchell has her confused on whether she should try to find a way back home or stay with the Cowboy she’s come to love.

Uncaged: Did growing up on a farm inspire you to write in a western genre?

I believe there are several influences at play. Growing up on a farm in Oklahoma definitely influenced my love for cowboy stories. Along with a house full of men who loved to watch westerns. John Wayne was a household name. And what is there not to love about

a cowboy’s swagger, hard work ethic, compassion and buns in well fitting jeans. :) Uncaged: What are you working on next?

I have another Time Travel Romance in the works with Wild Rose Press. Wild Rose Press offered a contract on April 17th for my current manuscript Raider of Her Heart. A major event in history for Lawrence, Kansas is the burning of Lawrence by Quantrill and his Raiders.

When the 150th anniversary of the event happened a few years ago, I began to think of what if scenarios and Raider of Her Heart was born.

Judson Levi Stone a Cavalry Scout for the Kansas Eleventh Infantry had simple instructions – warn the mayor of Lawrence, Kansas of the impending threat of William Quantrill and his Raiders. Ambushed Judson finds himself in the year twenty seventeen and regretting his failed mission.

Sadie Winters hoodwinked by her Grandfather, Walt Winters, finds herself taking care of two invalids. Both are unwilling to share the secret Judson harbors. As the days pass and Judson’s mystery is revealed, Sadie finds herself struggling with her attraction for Judson and the

desire to help him get back to his own time.

Uncaged: You are an attending author at Wild Deadwood Reads this year. What are you looking forward to the most from this convention?

This will be the first time I’ve attended the reader’s conference at Deadwood or any reader’s conference for that matter. I’m excited to meet the many authors attending and at the same time I’m a little nervous. I’m a new author and not as well known to the readers as some of the other authors attending, but I’m looking forward to this great opportunity for the exposure.

Uncaged: Do you read your reviews? What do you take away from them?

Yes, I read the reviews. One of the hardest things to realize, as a writer, is not everyone loves your characters, story as much as you do. Everyone has their ideal type of book they enjoy reading. If your book doesn’t fall into what that reader was looking for there is a chance the review isn’t going to be as positive as you would like. With this first book I’ve taken the accolades from my friends and family as Issue 22 | May 2018 |

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| FEATURE AUTHOR | the encouragement needed to continue writing.

Uncaged: What is one of the nicest things someone has said to you about your books?

All for the Love of a Cowboy appeals to both men and women. I received a hand written letter from an 88-year-old man who absolutely loved my book and story. He had read it twice before he sat down to write me his letter of appreciation for my book. He loved that it was a western story, but he knew how the story ended for my hero and heroine. He wasn’t left hanging on what happens to the characters at the end of the story. He ended the letter with he couldn’t wait for my next book.

on the playground looking for the next adventure. I enjoy spending time with my family and friends. One of my favorite places to “just be” is Pagosa Springs, Colorado. I love the area, the hiking, fishing and have had many great vacationing memories there over the years.

Uncaged: What is the hardest part of a book to write? What is the easiest? From start to finish, how long does it take to finish a complete book?

Uncaged Follow-up: OMG, all the feels!!

The hardest part of writing a book for me is making myself write. Unlike some of my fellow authors in some of the writing groups I’ve belonged, I don’t outline. I’m a pantzer. For those who don’t know the term – that is someone who sits downs and writes. No planning involved.

Uncaged: What is your favorite parts about being an author? What have you found to be the least favorite?

The easiest part is story ideas. I have tons of ideas popping into my head, usually when I’m at work and can’t think about the idea in depth.

My favorite part is holding my book baby in my hands. You can have received the letter from the publisher, completed all the steps for editing and getting the book ready, but the dream of becoming published sinks in when you receive and hold the printed copy of your book in your hands. You did this! You created a story!

My debut novel All for the Love of a Cowboy, are you sitting down, took over twenty years. Yes, twenty. I was a full time mom, full time employee and full time wife. So, if you have stories just waiting to be told don’t give up on them. My current book Raider of Her Heart took about three years. I’m on an upswing! My third book is started and the verdict is still out on how long it will take. :)

I’m not sure about least favorite part of being an author, but the hardest part for me has been the marketing. I hold a full time job on top of being an author and having the energy and dedication to figure out marketing at the end of the day has been daunting. It doesn’t help that I’m a first time author trying to figure out what does and doesn’t work. This process is under constant construction.

Uncaged: What do you like to do when you aren’t writing? Where is one of your favorite places on Earth?

I like to enjoy life. Sometimes I’m that little kid 62 | UncagedBooks.com

Uncaged: What would you like to say to fans, and where can they follow you?

I love to entertain people with a story. I want you to walk away with a pleasant feeling and maybe a chuckle or two after reading one of my books. We all need a little feel good in our lives.

Enjoy an excerpt from All for the Love of a Cowboy All for the Love of a Cowboy N. Jade Gray Historical Western Mitchell Reeves is in trouble.

Someone is sabotaging his ranch, cattle are missing, his sister is testing her wings, and his quarrel with a neighboring rancher has heated to boiling.

Adding a beautiful woman who claims to be from the future couldn’t come at a worse time.

Computer programmer Rachel Morgan understands machines, but fails with the opposite sex. When a dog plays chicken with her car, her bad week becomes worse when she wakes to find herself in the past—in a very hunky, very delusional cowboy’s bed.

Time spent in Mitchell’s company causes an unexpected glitch in Rachel’s determination to get home.

Love. Found in the most startling place and time.

Could she go home, if she had the chance, without knowing his true feelings?

When unwanted attention from another man turns to kidnapping, Rachel is torn between wishing she were home… and risking it all for the love of a cowboy.

Excerpt Durango, Colorado—1892

Mitchell Reeves scanned the room as he stood outside the swinging doors of the Silver Spur Saloon.

Where the hell was he? His nostrils flared as he reined in his temper. Finally, he found his prey. Sanders leaned against the bar with an arm around one of the bar maids.

The ornate mirror behind the bar gave away his approach. Jake Sanders turned to sneer at Mitchell

| N. JADE GRAY | as he crossed the room.

“Hey, Reeves. You look a little hot.” With an evil chuckle he asked, “Woman trouble?”

Mitchell controlled the growl clawing its way up his throat. “You know good and well why I’m here Sanders.” Silence filled the saloon like a fog hanging on the air. “I don’t want you near my sister, ranch, or cattle again. Do you hear me?”

He poked Jake in the chest as he fired off the last question.

Jake shifted his weight, drew up to his full height, and clenched his jaw. “You threaten me, Reeves? You’d better watch your tongue.

Accidents happen. Then I would have that ranch of yours and your little sister right where I want her.” Jake chuckled and smiled at a cowpoke standing nearby. “On her back.”

Mitchell felt his outrage bubbling in his throat mere seconds before his fist connected with his adversary’s jaw. Jake’s head whipped back from the force of the blow.

He wiped at the blood trickling from his lip. “You’ll pay for that, Reeves.” Lunging forward, he rammed his fist into Mitchell’s stomach.

Breath expelled from his lips in a hiss as he staggered. Regaining his footing, he gave a quick strike to his opponent’s nose.

Jake put a hand to his nose. “You sorry son of a …”

Mitchell braced himself but stumbled as Jake threw his body against his own. Losing his footing, he fell into a table and chair directly behind him. The men who had been playing poker scattered. Cards and chips went flying as he knocked the table over and landed hard on the floor.

He watched in a daze as Jake advanced and loomed over his sprawled position. He tried not to flinch as Jake grabbed his shirtfront and drew his fist back to land a blow to his face.

“Had enough?” A sinister look crossed the stubborn cowboy’s features as he gritted his teeth and punched.

Hooking a leg behind Jake’s, Mitchell jerked his legs out from under him. “I’ll tell you Issue 22 | May 2018 |

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| FEATURE AUTHOR | when I’m done.” Diving on top of Jake, he pummeled him in the ribs with fresh vigor.

The two locked in a bear hug and rolled a few feet, crashing into another table and chairs.

A shot rang out and echoed throughout the saloon. Both men stilled at the sound.

Bill Silver, the owner of the Silver Spur, held a smoking pistol in the air. “Enough! I’ll not have my saloon busted up by the likes of you, Sanders. Take this scuffle outside.”

Uncaged Review I always get a kick out of time travel stories, specially that goes backward in history and seeing how the one person from the future tries to negotiate with people from the past, and it is definitely fun here. This debut novel from this author is a brilliant start for her, a love story with suspense and will keep you busy watching for clues on how Rachel will be able to return to her own world, but the real question is, does she still want to? I’m not telling, but it’s a nice, clean romance that will find it’s ending and won’t leave you hanging. Reviewed by Cyrene

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fang-FREAKIN-tastic reviews

feature author

welcomes

Tom Leins

| FANG-FREAKIN-TASTIC FEATURE AUTHOR |

Tom Leins is a disgraced ex-film critic from Paignton, UK. His short stories have been published by the likes of Near to the Knuckle, Akashic Books, Shotgun Honey, Flash Fiction Offensive, Horror Sleaze Trash and Spelk Fiction.

A pair of novelettes, SKULL MEAT and SNUFF RACKET, are available via Amazon.

MEAT BUBBLES & OTHER STORIES will be published by Near To The Knuckle in June 2018 and REPETITION KILLS YOU, will be published by All Due Respect (an imprint of Down & Out Books) in September 2018. https://thingstodoindevonwhenyouredead.wordpress.com/

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Enjoy Molotav Cocktail Lounge from “Meat Bubbles and Other Stories” releases June 2 Meat Bubbles and Other Stories Tom Leins Horror Still licking his wounds after the brutal events of SKULL MEAT, Paignton private investigator Joe Rey is reluctant to take on another case that could have violent repercussions. However, a lucrative pay-day from a soon-to-retire cop tests his resolve, and Rey quickly finds himself on the trail of a deranged plastic surgeon with a queasy line in body modification procedures. Over the course

| TOM LEINS | of a long, bloody summer, Rey tangles with rogue ex-cops, suburban hitmen, neo-Nazi scumbags and even Paignton’s richest man – a notorious hoarder of unknown horrors. It’s a dirty job, but someone’s got to do it…

Molotav Cocktail Lounge I slowly unwrap the grease-poof paper. Inside is a human hand. It is half rotted, with flaked yellow skin clinging to the bone.

I swallow the bile rising in my throat, and chase it down with some of Marie Andretti’s good scotch.

She grinds out her high tar cigarette and taps her red lacquered nails on the desktop irritably.

“Well? Will you do it?”

Her voice is husky and low. I can’t tell whether she is excited or upset.

I nod. Sometimes I really wish I didn’t have principles. They only ever get in the way. *** Her ex-husband is a convicted sex offender named Barry Balthazar. It was a marriage of convenience – brokered by her late mother Carlotta in a desperate bid to consolidate the Andretti’s waning power base.

The Balthazar family were old money, and had a lax attitude towards their business associates.

It seemed like they were working towards a common goal, but the relationship was a disaster from the outset. Marie caught him trying to procure a rent boy on their honeymoon, and it went downhill from there. He stuck around long enough to drain a couple of her bank accounts – and find out where some of the proverbial bodies were buried. By the looks of the severed hand, he found out where some of the actual bodies were buried too… *** Marie has something of a scorched earth policy when it comes to revenge – she says it is the reason she has stayed in business for so long. I was surprised when she told me that she had enlisted a smack-addled loose cannon like Frank Cutler for the job. He used to be a pimp, and ran a pair of West Indian girls who specialised in sado-masochism. No one knew exactly when they arrived, or where they disappeared to, but they briefly made him a lot of money.

Frank cradles the Molotov Cocktail like a new born baby. He is weirdly proud of the fact that he made it himself. His eyes are bloodshot and he is wearing a greasy overcoat. He pulls the rubber Halloween mask

over his sweaty face, and grins malevolently.

He trudges across the gravel lot towards the North Atlantic Motor Inn, the missile dangling from his gloved fist. The hotel is Barry’s pride and joy. He spends every night holding court in the cocktail lounge, surrounded by flunkies and hangers-on.

I can see the fluorescent lights flickering behind the frosted glass – until the window explodes on impact.

Then the screaming starts. *** Later.

Frank peels off the rubber mask and drops it onto the scarred table. It stinks of burned flesh and stale smoke. On the table it looks even more grotesque – like something you would scrape out of a medical waste container.

His eyes shine with lunatic glee.

“What time is Marie meeting us?”

I wrap my arm around his throat and squeeze. I squeeze so hard I hear his windpipe give way with a crunch.

“She’s not.”

THE END

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Uncaged Reviews Heart of a Highlander Collette Cameron Historical Highlands

How can she love the man responsible for her husband’s death?

When Giselle McTavish left France as the wife of a Scottish laird, she never expected to be widowed two years later and left with a toddler to raise. Filled with animosity toward Highlander, Hugh Ferguson—the man she holds responsible for her husband’s drowning, and a man she must see every day because he, too, lives at Craiglocky Keep—she’s determined her son, the next laird, will be raised in Scotland, nonetheless. Her struggles to overcome loneliness and homesickness are compounded as it becomes more difficult to fight the warm feelings Hugh now stirs in her.

Uncaged Review: A short prequel novella to the Castle Bride series and it truly sets the mood and grabs hold of you right away. I’ve come to expect I’m in for a nice read when I pick up a Collette Cameron book, and this is the shortest I’ve read from her yet. It amazes me how much back story and character development the author squeezes into these pages. Something a bit different is the fact that Giselle is French and along with the Scottish brogue, the French words are interwoven and gives it even more depth to the book.

My only complaint is it was way too short. I wanted more Hugh and Giselle. A worthy prequel for a terrific author. Reviewed by Cyrene

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Madame Scarlet’s Carnival Anthology Dark Fantasy What happens at the carnival, stays at the carnival! Madame Scarlet’s carnival is full of secrets, lies, scandals and even murder. While the carnies entertain you with their amazing skills and Madame Scarlet with her stunning looks, there’s a lot more than meets the eye. No one knows how old Madame Scarlet is and there are those who suspect she is much older than can be believed. Some say she’s a witch, others say she makes sacrifices and drinks their blood but those are just rumours, aren’t they…?

Madame Scarlet’s Carnival is a collection of seven stories based at the carnival that sits atop the Manor Hill and run by the equally beautiful and mysterious Madame Scarlet.

Uncaged Review: Seven tales all focused around Madame Scarlet and her carnival workers. Some of the stories are dark and some are heartbreaking. Dive into Madame Scarlet’s world and see for yourself. I really enjoyed this book because I found the whole idea of the carnival and it’s workers a very interesting topic to write about and found the characters very interesting and rich in life. Reviewed by Jennifer

Soul Song Mikea Howard Paranormal Romance

Brownlow Baby Katie Hamstead Contemporary Romance/Sports

Dottie thought she had it all: a successful singing career, a handsome fiancé, and a starlet’s wardrobe. Sudden betrayal brought it all crashing down around her.

Those she trusted most played her as nothing more than a pawn. One misstep while fleeing the scene trapped her in another world alone, save a mysterious visitor.

Julia Saxon has been in love with her best friend since the moment she met him. The problem is, Lachlan Daniels was already in love with his model girlfriend. But she just dumped him, and on the night of the Brownlow Medal ceremony—the most prestigious award in Australian Rules Football—Julia is determined to win him over.

Uncaged Review: If you love books that are about soulmates then sit down and enjoy!

Uncaged Review: Julia is friends with Lachlan, a footballer who has invited her to a awards ceremony. Julia’s life is about to take a dramatic change. I really enjoyed this this book. I don’t go for sports romance books but this is a hidden gem.

You really feel for the characters and get caught up in the story. I highly recommend this book as I enjoyed it very much. Reviewed by Jennifer

While fleeing from her cheating fiancee Dottie ends up in another realm. Tim, an owl shifter and servant of the horned God is on his way to the birth of a dear friend’s baby when he senses Dottie and crosses over to help if possible.

From the moment Dottie and Tim lay eyes on one another you can sense the connection forming. Their story is just a short and sweet read that you just can’t help but fall in love with.

While this is a very well written love story it also has its sense of danger and adventure, which just makes it all the harder to set down.

In a world of shifters, weres and the complete unknown to a human, can Dottie and Tim seal their soulmate bond and live happily ever after or will something try to keep them apart?

Reviewed by Danielle

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Uncaged Reviews Psychic’s Spell Ella Summers Urban Fantasy In the immortal war between gods and demons, one woman’s past holds the key to humanity’s future.

One year after joining the Legion of Angels in New York City, Leda Pierce returns home to visit her family in Purgatory, a rough and rugged frontier town that borders the plains of monsters.

Leda’s family reunion is cut short, however, when her little sisters are captured by supernatural mercenaries.

RR Uncaged Review: Almost as soon as Ella Summers releases a new installment in this series, I drop whatever I’m doing to grab it and continue the journey. This series is THAT good. I’ve run out of praise for the series, every review I’ve given this series, still stands and then some with this installment, the sixth book in the series. This time out, Leda’s sisters have been kidnapped, and we finally are getting some long overdue answers, to both Leda’s sisters and herself. Psychic’s Spell is the sixth level of magic that Leda is trying to break through to, and to do it, she’ll need the help of a god. And she’ll need the help of the both her family and the legion to rescue her sisters.

I was completely hooked from the time I started reading. The action, magic and the revelations will thrill the readers, and her bond with Nero is stronger than ever. One of the best urban fantasy series out there, if you like Nalini Singh’s Guild Hunter series, this series may hit the mark for you. Reviewed by Cyrene

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October Daffodil Richard Malloy Romance/Historical/1960’s Every autumn after the first frost, hundreds of resplendent daffodils bloom behind the old gristmill.

Teens Dick Ladson and Callie Ewing will always remember the moonlit haven where they loved, hoped, and dreamt.

In October 1960, they defy Callie’s controlling mother, vowing to share a life together. “Let’s lie in the mill flowers ’til it’s time for you to go,” Callie whispers, her words garbled with sobs. They exchange poignant goodbyes, hoping his enlistment in the Army will provide the means for their marriage. As they face an uncertain future, will the strength of their love survive?

Uncaged Review: This was such a beautiful story surrounded by two lovers who battle through life’s struggles to be together. I enjoyed the journey with Dick and Callie and was very much on edge with their journey. A beautiful love story set in the 60s where boy meets girl. Reviewed by Jennifer

Godspeed

Kathryn Le Veque Historical Medieval Can a gruff, seasoned knight win over the love of his life in the midst of political chaos?

Enter a world of grand Medieval pagentry, passion, battles, and politics in Dashiell and Belladonna’s story, where love is the only thing that truly conquers all and family bonds are the strongest of all. It’s an all-out knightfest in this glorious Medieval epic.

Uncaged Review: This time the author gives us a wonderful romance with an older Knight - full of betrayal, suspense, action, danger and of course, love.

I’m always “all in” when I read a novel by this author and I was a goner within a few pages. There were moments I was hanging on the edge sweating it out, and other times I was laughing out loud to the characters in the story. There is a lot going on, and a few subplots running right along with the main story, and did I mention puppies? Lots and lots of puppies. One of my favorite books by this author, that is, until I read the next one. Reviewed by Cyrene

The Time Table

Caroline Mather Historical/Time Travel In the billiard room of Larry Fischer’s London home stands an antique billiard table that came with the house.

Set up in the 1600’s by Phineas Finch as the craze for billiards dawned, the table was cut from a standing stone on the Finches’ north-country estate and shipped to London . . .

Uncaged Review: This is a time travel book.

What is different is the method is via a pool table which was made from a standing stone. Things like shot glasses, balls and people disappear through the table, ending up in different centuries.

The book is writing in parts with a different person as the focus for each story. Throughout the book is a Larry Fischer who owns the house where the table was placed when it was made. It has been there for over two hundred years.

Part 1, Between Times, deals with Emily, the sister of Larry’s fiancé, Dilys and Jeremy Finch, whose family owned the house 200 years ago.

Emily falls through the table and meets Jeremy.

When she returns to present day, Jeremy follows her when he realizes he’ll never find another like her. They end up going back to his time to live.

Part 2 The Shot Glass, involves Tony Finch who, according to the family history, disappeared without a trace from his time period. He shows up in the standing stones where Sophia was at the time.

He ends up staying in the present time.

Part 3, The Stone, is the story of Phineas and Davila where Phineas goes back in time.

Part 4 The Compass, involves a compass from Tony’s great uncle. He is aware Phineas went back to 1320 and returned to his time with the compass which originated in the 1600s and was use by a Captain Andrew Finch. Tony and Larry Issue 21 | April 2018 |

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Uncaged Reviews are studying the time travel and attempting to figure out how the various people and objects travel through the time and get to or from where they were.

Part 5 The Ivory Ball, deals with Dane Carter, Sophie’s ex-boyfriend (Part 2) and Cara. Cara goes to 1776 with an ivory ball she sees in an exhibit in 2021 to meet Garret Finch. She attempts to go back to her time but ends up in 2016 (present day) and meets Dane. They jump to the future after realizing they had been dreaming of each other for years.

I will admit, most time travel books I find trite and not all that interesting. This one was done in a format where it was short stories about each couple which weren’t boring. In fact, it was almost believable. I loved that she tied it all together with Larry and Dilys and the Finch family. (I have to admit I liked Tony a lot.) Unlike most time travel, there was nothing fantastic any of the characters did other than going to a different century. Ms. Mather deals with the adaptations of the one who jumps through time, and sets the stage for various romances. The only unbelievable part is the immediate acceptance of a person showing up out of nowhere who is totally different. That had me thinking, “Right! As if someone will act like it’s normal for strange people to pop out of nowhere.”

Over all, the book is one you can read Part at a time. It was fun to discover which Finch was going where and who they would meet. I give it 4 stars. As I said, the plausibility of belief was pushed too far when everyone seems to expect the unexpected and aren’t the least bit surprised when a strange person pops into their world.

Reviewed by Barbara

Reborn

Lance Erlick SciFi/Suspense Designed to obey, learning to rebel . ..

In the first book in a visionary new series, the most perfect synthetic human ever created has been programmed to obey every directive. Until she develops a mind of her own . . .

Uncaged Review: Synthia is an android who is living with a brilliant but controlling man named Jeremiah Machten. She has an array of amazing abilities but has a specific set of directives that require her to obey and protect Machten. He is keeping her essentially as a prisoner in his facility. She soon discovers that Machten has been using her for a variety of tasks and then turning her off to “readjust” her programming. She becomes good at hiding information about her past throughout her artificial body and the internet. The more she digs, the more she uncovers about Machten.

The concept of this book is very interesting, and I am a fan of robots and artificial intelligence stories in general.

This story is in limited third person, focused on Synthia’s perspective, so it often comes across as very dry and straightforward. There are many scenes in which Synthia is hacking into servers, sending out probes, and watching people through cameras simultaneously. It becomes a little repetitive in that way, especially because as Machten shuts her down throughout the book, she has to reconnect to the severs and “fill the void” with the data packets she has hidden. The main source of intrigue comes from her search for three former interns of Machten, and the final result is quite fascinating and the stuff of great sci-fi.

While the narration and pace were probably appropriate for an android, it made the book a little difficult to get through. Synthia is a little difficult to relate to as a character since she is, in fact, not human. The character development was pretty good, however, as was the editing.

I would recommend this to lovers of sci-fi as long as they understand that since it is about and android, the majority of the book focuses on hacking, software, spying, and other digital activities. Reviewed by Emily

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Chaos at Coconuts

Beth Carter Contemporary Romance

To most, Coconuts is simply a bar.

But for three best friends, it’s their oasis. That is, until everything comes crashing down.

Socialite Cheri Van Buren makes a splashy, paparazzi-filled visit to Coconuts. Secretly dabbling in disastrous online dating, the wealthy caterer desires normalcy away from the society pages.

A few girlfriends would be nice too.

Uncaged Review: This is a sequel that I was looking forward to all year and the author didn’t disappoint.

Set after the events of Thursdays at Coconuts, this book hit the nail on the end on almost every level for me. The three ladies I fell in love with are back, and this time the author added a wonderful new addition with Cheri and I really am looking forward to more about her. The author ramps up this story with a tornado, a whacked-out ex-wife and a teenager you’d like to throttle. Add in a few twists and turns, and the amazing friendship shared by these women, and it’s a recipe for success.

Even though you could read this as a standalone, I highly recommend you read Thursdays at Coconuts first as you will get the full-on background of the ladies. I was only upset that the book ended too soon, but the author assures us there is more to come, if there wasn’t, I’d probably pitch a tent and camp out in her backyard until she changed her mind. Reviewed

by Cyrene

Love, Lies and Alibis Suzanne Pearson Mystery/Suspense

After suffering five years of abuse at the hands of her deceased husband, Tiffany Reynolds wants to reclaim the life she thought was gone forever. Every step forward becomes a stumble backward when danger threatens her life, and even God seems not to care.

Uncaged Review: This is a romantic suspense book, a genre I love. The main character is Tiffany, a young widow who was abused by her now deceased husband, Brian. He was a police officer who was partnered with her brother, Alex. Brian was murdered in their front yard as she watched.

Enter, Luke, a hunky PI who Tiffany meets in a theater lobby after her friends cancel meeting her there. What she doesn’t know is that Luke is investigating her and her dead husband concerning another murder.

There is George and his partner Caleb who keep showing up after Tiffany calls them when someone breaks into her house and ransacks the master bedroom. She has no idea of what they are looking for when she starts being threatened by this big man who keeps popping up out of nowhere.

Luke quickly discovers she is clueless about what her husband had been doing. He sticks around to help her and hopefully to get the evidence on her dead spouse, linking him to the murder of his sister. The problem is how Tiffany doesn’t trust any man after what she endured at the hands of her husband.

There are many twists and turns in this book. I’ll not give any spoilers here as you need to read this well written book. The author deftly peels back the layers of Tiffany and the events until you are pointing fingers at multiple players as to who are trying to keep hidden what Brain was doing.

This book is heavy on emotions, mystery, twists and turns and keeps you guessing as to who is the bad guy until the end. If you like suspense/mystery romances, this book is a must read. For me, it was a five star book. It kept me reading to discover what would be happening next. Reviewed by Barbara

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Fang-Freakin-Tastic Reviews You Only Get One Shot Kevin J. Kennedy & J.C. Michael Crime/Murder What would you do if someone demanded you write the best story of your life, to be judged online? That your life depended on it.

Four well-known authors receive an email telling them they are responsible for a suicide. Their antagonist makes it clear she is out for revenge and they have no option but to comply. Their task is to post the best story they can imagine online and await judgement. Filled with guilt, anxiety, and even a few murderous tendencies, each writer weaves their tale and hopes for the best. It’ll be the competition of their lives. Who’s story will win? Will anyone survive?

Fang-Freakin-Tastic Review: You Only Get One Shot is the kind of book where you think you know what is going to happen right up until you realize you were wrong. It’s a story of revenge of the deepest kind, stemming from both the heart and a twisted mind.

The four authors in the story are Fiona, Diane, Drexl and Simon. They are accused of being cruel to an aspiring author who takes their negative comments about to heart and ends his own life.

A close friend has decided to kill all but one and makes her decision based on the story they can provide.

Fast paced and exciting, each of the four authors being threatened come up with a new story in order to save their lives. Each story is completely different from the one before it and it’s interesting to me how the two authors who wrote this book have been able to contribute two stories each for 4 authors who are so vastly different but still suit

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their characters personalities to a tee.

The four authors in the story are Fiona, Diane, Drexl and Simon. They are accused of being cruel to an aspiring author who takes their negative comments about to heart and ends his own life. A close friend has decided to kill all but one and makes her decision based on the story they can provide.

I enjoyed the variety of stories each author submitted to their accuser. Of the four authors, the only one that sounds to me like someone who would be nasty to someone is Drexl. He sounds like a complete ass.

I really found myself hoping he would die first. He’s a womanizer and an arrogant douche. His story was good, don’t get me wrong, but it felt morally corrupt, just like him.

Of the 4 stories, I liked Diane’s the best I think. I really did like Fiona’s a lot as well, but I liked Diane’s better by a smidgen. It could be the zombie factor that did it for me though. Honestly as long as Drexl didn’t win I would have been ok with the choice.

When all four stories were told, I was excited to see who the accuser would choose and what she would do to the losers. I can tell you that was one hell of a scene! There’s an interesting twist (or two) at the end that I didn’t expect at all, but it made me see just how twisted the accuser really was. She should probably seek mental help or get new friends.

Overall, I really did enjoy this book. It wasn’t a super long read, but it felt like I was reading four stories in one without it feeling like an anthology. Don’t get me wrong, I like anthologies, but the way this book was put together gave it a more personal feel, which I really enjoyed.

I recommend You Only Get One Shot to anyone who likes anthologies but would like them to have more of a personal feeling to them.

Sinner Christopher Graves Psychological Thriller As a direct descendant of the 19th century vigilante gang, the Bald Knobbers, Ezekiel Woods, Jr. has been indoctrinated into a world ruled by violence and a literal interpretation of the bible his entire life.

Now, over a hundred years later, Zeke continues his ancestors’ crusade, spending his days camouflaged as an aloof middle-aged grocery store sacker and his nights in a farmhouse cellar, preparing captives’ souls for their ultimate destiny: redemption or death.

His latest abductee, an indomitable Texan working her way through a third-life crisis, chooses another option: escape.

Zeke must recapture this lost sheep or face a consequence far worse than any worldly fate: that God has forsaken him.

Fang-Freakin-Tastic Review: I have somewhat mixed feelings about Sinner. On the one hand, the premise behind the story is a good one and interesting. On the other hand, it doesn’t feel like it was completely cohesive. There were parts of the story that felt like they just would never end and others where there wasn’t nearly enough information. For instance, the Bald Knobbers are mentioned, but the author really doesn’t tell much about who they are, so unless you take the time to look them up yourself, you have minimal details on them.

think the author went far enough into explaining why his mother was as abusive as she was towards him. Sylvia seems like she will be a somewhat likable character until after we find out what is going on with Zeke. We go from her wedding day to her being an abusive mother in a flash.

There was no transition there.

Dani has a fun sense of humor and is obviously meant to be a strong woman, which is good, but I swear it felt like her situation went on forever. I just wanted it to be over with already. Either die or don’t but at least get on with it. I liked her as a character though.

I wasn’t entirely happy with the ending. I felt it didn’t give closure to the story but instead opened it up for a potential second book, which I’m not sure I would read.

Overall, I can’t say Sinner was a bad book. I mean, I voluntarily finished it without having to force myself. I really did want to find out what would happen next. I can’t say I loved it though either. It may appeal to others more than it did to me.

Zeke is an easily detestable character. He is a religious fanatic, which creates an interesting premise for his crimes, but it is hard to believe he has been able to function in a normal society with his behaviors. He has obviously suffered extensive trauma in his life and while some of it is explained to a degree, I don’t

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Fang-Freakin-Tastic Reviews Darling Girls Tamara Thorne &Alistair Cross Paranormal Fang Meets Fang The vampires of Candle Bay and Crimson Cove come together for the Biting Man Festival in Eternity, California, to celebrate a centuries-old tradition that quickly turns murderous as they’re faced with old enemies, uncontrolled bloodlust, and the unpredictable antics of a self-proclaimed vampire slayer who is hellbent on destroying them all.

Fang-Freakin-Tastic Review: How is it possible for 2 authors to write so many books that have never let me down? I may call them mean names sometimes, but their writing always surprises me and leaves me wanting more, but not in a bad way.

Darling Girls is no different. It takes place in Eternity during a Vampire festival that formerly sweet Amanda is trying to crash and force a wedding. She is a horrible person and vampire. She was so nice in the first book, but something went terribly wrong with her in the time since then.

We get a nice in-depth, barf worthy glimpse into the pig that is better known by his human name, Neil.

Neil is a self-proclaimed vampire hunter with an enormous unwarranted ego. He is the epitome of disgusting. Every time I read anything about him it made me cringe. In fact, my notes actually say, “disgusting, immature, lazy, self-absorbed douche” in one place and “his mother should have swallowed” in another!

He uses the phrases “little slut” and “little bitch” that lead me to believe he has “little” issues down below if you know what I mean. I feel so bad for his mom.

As usual, I love the chapter names throughout the book such as “So Long, and Thanks for All the Blood” (similar to Hitchiker’s Guide to the Galaxy) and “Are you there God? It’s me, Neil.” They also refer to someone as “The Mad Shitter” and that had me laughing so hard I may or may not have fallen off the couch.

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The Darling twins, “Juicy” Lucy and “Poison” Ivy were a different sort of character that at times left me somewhat grossed out but also somewhat curious. I will say I didn’t love the ending, but not because it wasn’t awesome and well written, but because I’m just mad that I didn’t like what happened.

I recommend Darling Girls to anyone who likes dark vampire books that aren’t all lovey dovey but not aren’t cold either. Try to check out the other books about the Candle Bay and Crimson cove vampires before you read Darling Girls if you can. They aren’t completely necessary to read first but will give you a better understanding of the dynamics of the story.

Hard Hearted Hannah Jolie St. Amant Paranormal After a disastrous love affair with a Hollywood bad boy, Hannah is left with nothing but a hardened heart.

Now that she’s returned home to Savannah, Georgia, her days are filled with all work and no play. That’s until she decides to go to New Orleans for the Voodoo Festival, accompanied by the company photographer…who also happens to be a dimpled, Cajun man with the potential to cause a lot of complications.

Fang-Freakin-Tastic Review: Hard Hearted Hannah was a fun book to read. I’m really coming to enjoy the world Jolie St. Amant has built within Chateau Rogue. The new characters we are introduced to are always guarded to some degree in the sense that they have been hurt in the past and are mostly unwilling to let their guard down out of fear of it reoccurring. It’s fun to watch the onion-like layers peeling away from both new AND old characters through each book.

In the first book we were introduced to much of the staff of the Chateau Rogue, so we have a basic idea of where to start with each of those characters. In the 2nd book, we are introduced to Hannah and Julien. As Hannah’s story unfolds, we learn bits and

pieces here and there about some of the characters we met in the first book and it makes them even more likable than previously.

Even though the storyline is primarily about the new characters, the old characters are up front and giving the reader a cast of familiar faces, which, in my opinion, makes the story that much better and feel more like a place we already know and love.

There are times in this book where I would like to punch Hannah in the head for being so stubborn. As the story goes on and she starts to let her guard down, she becomes a much more likable character. At first, she comes off fairly abrasive and cold. I most definitely would not have wanted to be on a trip with her. She does eventually warm up to things, but I’m still not totally sure I love her.

I did find the reference to the set of “cousins” who guide the tour around the Quarter that go by the names of “Samuel and Dean” kind of funny. They sure sound a lot like a set of brothers by that name who know a lot about the Supernatural lol.

The story does take place in one of my most desired places to visit, as I’ve still not made it there, New Orleans, in case you missed that. I’m hoping when I do go I can find a place like this to stay at lol.

Overall, I really enjoy this series so far. The romancey plotline type of stuff really isn’t my thing and can feel a bit predictable at times, but I think the way this author adds the paranormal elements to it helps it to keep my interest. If it were just a normal romance, there is no way I would be able to read the whole thing just because I don’t really like romance.

Fight or Flight Emily Cyr Paranormal

Fang-Freakin-Tastic Review: I love the Vampire Fa-

vors series. Each book is even more exciting than the last. Fight or Flight is the 3rd book in the series and I just keeps getting better and better as Cyr grows as an author. Not that her writing wasn’t spot on from the first book, but most of us continue to grow if we keep doing something for a while and this author is no different in that aspect.

Addison is still a super hot mess, but she seems to at least be trying to get it together. I love her sense of humor. I do wish she would find a way out of the whole love triangle because the whole, “which one is she going to sleep with this time” thing is starting to be a bit repetitive and frustrating. Hopefully, she will find a resolution to that soon and get herself sorted out. She still isn’t as much of a mess as Evie, but who really could be. I love Evie to death, but she sort of makes my head hurt so I can only imagine what she does to the people in her life.

I still want to punch Cannon and I’m done being nice to Lochlan. He’s a jerk. They both need to get over themselves and quit listening to their little heads instead of their big heads. Cannon has the personality of someone who didn’t get enough love from his mommy growing up, so he treats other people like crap.

Overall, great book, great addition to the series. Fight or Flight keeps you guessing as to what Addison will do next and there is plenty of action to keep your attention.

Addison Fitzpatrick is at a turning point in her life. The demons she thought she’d defeated are back and stronger than ever. Her past issues with drugs threaten to overwhelm her. And that isn’t even the worst of her problems.

No one ever said repaying favors to a vampire would be easy and Addison’s life is living proof.

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Myra’s Horror Blog Reviews

Frankenstein Dean Koontz Horror From the celebrated imagination of Dean Koontz comes a powerful reworking of one of the classic stories of all time. If you think you know the legend, you know only half the truth. Here is the mystery, the myth, the terror, and the magic of . . .

Every city has its secrets. But none as terrible as this. He is Deucalion, a tattooed man of mysterious origin, a sleight-of-reality artist who has traveled the centuries with a secret worse than death. He arrives in New Orleans as a serial killer stalks the streets, a killer who carefully selects his victims for the humanity that is missing in himself. Deucalion’s path will lead him to cool, tough police detective Carson O’Connor and her devoted partner, Michael Maddison, who are tracking the slayer but will soon discover signs of something far more terrifying: an entire race of killers who are much more–and less–than human and, deadliest of all, their deranged, nearimmortal maker: Victor Helios–once known as Frankenstein.

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Myra’s Review: Deucalion is living with monks when a letter from a friend shares that his old nemesis, Victor Frankenstein, is still alive. Deucalion is the original Frankenstein monster and leaves to find his maker; his goal to kill Victor. But the monster is no longer the creature of legend. He is thoughtful and there is a calmness to his demeanor, due to living amongst monks. It is also hinted that perhaps Deucalion has supernatural powers.

In New Orleans, a rash of murders have the police stumped. There appears to be two separate serial killers, each slicing pieces from their victims. Carson is a dedicated, tough female cop. She and her partner, Michael, are the lead detectives. I loved Michael’s wise-cracking sense of humor. There are definitely sparks between the two and I hope to see it develop more in the series.

Victor Frankenstein is the real monster. He has advanced in science beyond anyone else in the modern world. Not only has he maintained his youth via his experiments, he has created a race of super humans.

Victor considers himself a god. His creations are amazing, but also to be pitied. We see inside several different individuals; their thoughts and lives.

They were created to replace mankind, yet they envy humans creativity and their capacity for happiness.

Also the question of the soul is sought by these super humans.

A thoroughly enjoyable read I hated to put down.

Highly recommended for horror fans, those who love the Frankenstein legend, and of course Koontz fans.

Road of the Damned Book Two Tony Urban Horror In the weeks after a virus decimated humanity and left fewer than 5,000 people alive in the U.S., a diverse group of survivors struggles to stay alive. Farmer, Wim Wagner has abandoned the safety of his farm in hopes of finding Ramey, the mysterious girl who flitted in and out of life in the midst of the outbreak. But, Ramey is on the road searching for her father and trying to locate the mysterious X on a map that promises safety.Meanwhile, survivors like Jorge and Bundy find themselves lost on the road,

Myra’s Review: Ramey is having a tough time on the road by herself and regretted leaving Wim because she was lonely. Meanwhile, Wim is determined to track Ramey down. He knows where the X on the map is (her destination), but he may not be on the same route to get there, so he might miss her.

Mead has made a deadly weapon out of a hockey stick and is enjoying killing zombies. It is clear he has personal issues and I can see other characters may be headed into trouble with him. Mitch is stuck in the underground government bunker, surrounded by the undead. Aben runs across a dog, which quickly becomes his new companion.

One of my favorite characters is Juli, a housewife who killed her husband after witnessing him chomping on her daughter. She pushes onward, even though initially she didn’t feel like living.

Seeking help in town, she comes across an elderly woman and her grandson, which rapidly turns bad when the infected child attacks his grandmother.

Later, Juli is shopping for new clothes and having a good time when she hears a dog yelp. She runs to help Aben’s dog, who the dead are trying to attack. Juli clobbers a zombie with a crow bar before jumping into the vehicle with the dog.

There are more characters depicted and their individual stories. Some of them meet and survive together. Wim finally runs across Ramey and with others and they head toward the area where Ramey’s father is supposed to be. They do discover Doc, her dad, who is in charge of a compound, which has a great setup.

There were too many characters and interactions to go into detail, but they were all different. Lots of fighting zombies and human angst. Recommended for horror and zombie fans alike.

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Myra’s Horror Blog Reviews Curse of the Zombie Omelet Grivante Horror Who would you call during a zombie outbreak?

The Police? The Military?

Your crazy prepper neighbor?

No, it’s time for The Zee Brothers!

Join us as they suit up for their first zombie slaying adventure!

An Arizona sub-division over-run by a long-buried tribe.

A race to stop the dead from unleashing an ancient curse.

Two brothers keeping the apocalypse at bay, one job at a time.

Myra’s Review: A short book filled with action and humor. If you love campy horror, this one has tongue-in-cheek and ribald humor as well.

The Zee brothers are rednecks who love their tricked out truck, big guns and chewing tobacco.

Jonah and Judas give a unique service to the community – tracking down zombies and killing them. They receive a call from an old man, but by the time they arrive, he has already been bitten and turned.

They find that ancient zombies are involved, called forth because the elderly man dug up an old artifact. Once bitten by the long dead Indian zombies, the infected become “regular” zombies.

The brothers run into JJ, a hot young woman they both are clearly interested in, but her dog is definitely the more fascinating of the characters; he is magical or supernatural. I don’t want to give away too much, but the mutt has several strange abilities and it’ll be interesting to see where this goes in the next book.

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Quick, fun read. My only complaint is, I would have liked more background on the zombie apocalypse. It was barely mentioned and it felt like I was starting on book 2 instead of 1.

Low Mike Duke Horror Bibliophilia Templum Officer Mark Adams is fed up with God, his wife and the legal constraints of his job. He longs for a life he can enjoy and to see true justice meted out. Chad Bigleby is a lawyer thrown into a deadly moral quagmire, forced to decide whether he will abide by man’s laws or make his own. Each man is being driven to the edge of his limits. Both men are on a collision course. All because something wicked has arrived in Pleasant Grove, something ancient and obsessed with vengeance, eager to punish the souls of men for their sins. How LOW will they go to get what they desire most? And what will it cost them in the end? Hell only knows…

Myra’s Review: There are two main protagonists in this story; Adams, an honest cop and Mr. Phailees, a mysterious homeless man. Strange things start happening in Officer Adams city and even ordinary bad actions seemed ramped up...almost as if evil pervades the air.

Adams becomes suspicious of the old man, who seems to lurk around each bizarre occurrence. Officer Adams quickly becomes involved in a missing woman’s case and the clues keep coming back to Chad – a slick, handsome lawyer who is known to have dated the young woman. Chad is hospitalized due to a suspected dog bite, but his ongoing, horrific nightmares lead the doctors to keep him sedated in the hospital.

same time the doctors say the wound looks more like a snake bite.

We gradually discover that Phailees is an ancient creature, tasked with punishing sinners. The descriptions of Chad’s increasingly gruesome nightmares were chilling and well depicted. Much of the story deals with a human’s right to choose their own path – good or evil.

Mr. Phailees tells Adams he has hidden abilities and I wondered if the old man was trying to recruit the officer into his supernatural ranks. Although Adams struggled over his wife’s behavior, I was glad he moved toward forgiveness instead of choosing the revenge path.

Phailees and Phobos were fascinating characters.

Note: Evil is a matter of perspective. I thought Chad was a scuz bucket, but at the same time he killed as an act of love to cover his embezzlement, in order to pay for his son’s medical expenses. But as the story progresses, he heads even more toward the dark side. And though Adams wife cheated on him, I didn’t consider that worthy of the torture Phailees had planned for her. Amy was very sorry for her behavior and luckily she was saved by Adams from the avenger’s punishment.

While not preachy, the author tackles good versus evil in this world. Recommended for readers who enjoy these type of tales, with creatures from the pits of hell who wreak havoc on those who perpetrate heinous acts..

Old Mr. Phailees keeps turning up and Adams can’t help but wonder about his dog Phobos. Although the crazed Chad claims the mutt bit him, he also claims the dog turned into a snake hybrid, sinking long fangs into his flesh. That information didn’t make Adams feel there was any validity to the claim, but at the Issue 21 | April 2018 |

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Amy’s Bookshelf Reviews Rituals of the Dead Jennifer S. Alderson Mystery/Suspense Art, religion, and anthropology collide in Alderson’s latest art mystery thriller, Rituals of the Dead, Book three of the Adventures of Zelda Richardson series!

Art history student Zelda Richardson is working at the Tropenmuseum in Amsterdam on an exhibition of bis poles from the Asmat region of Papua – the same area where a famous American anthropologist disappeared in 1962. When his journal is found inside one of the bis poles, Zelda is tasked with finding out more about the man’s last days and his connection to these ritual objects.

Amy’s Review: Magnificent

First, I’m a big fan of Alderson’s, and I’ve read her other books, The Lover’s Portrait: An Art Mystery, Down and Out in Kathmandu: Adventures in Backpacking, and Notes of a Naive Traveler: Nepal and Thailand. I was impressed by the first book and continued to love her work. When I heard about this one, Rituals of the Dead, I was already excited to read it. Now, with all that said, I need to dive right into this story. Even when I like or love an author’s work, I never have any preconceived notions about whether or not I will like the book or not. From chapter one, I was drawn in, very curious about Nick and wondering where he or his life would fall in to the life of Zelda.

Alderson is a grand writer, and I like her writing style.

Her research and knowledge are shown within the story, and her characters. I like Zelda, and always have, and this book brings more depth to her character, and sets her on a new mystery. I love that she’s human, and has to prevent herself from getting sick in the most presence of the most gruesome scenes of death and decay. Look forward to more. Simply magnificent, filled with intrigue and suspense, and a lot of wonder!

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The President is Missing Russell Moran Mystery/Suspense We were watching a TV first, a live broadcast by the President of the United States from a nuclear submarine deep under the waters of the South Atlantic. The President, Matt Blake, also happens to be my husband. Matt, dressed in naval officer’s fatigues, faced the camera holding a microphone. He looked great, but then he always does. Matt’s so natural in front of a camera, it’s as if the technology was invented for him. But the screen suddenly went blank.

Amy’s Review: Absolutely thrilling!

This was a wonderfully dramatic story by Moran, and it keeps the reader on the edge of the seat. A real page turner. Filled with conspiracies, nuclear weapons and the President, this story takes a turn as the First Lady embarks on a journey to find the truth.

It’s one of those stories that you want to savor every word and are being pulled in. The characters are strong and well-developed. A magnificently explosive story. A must-have for any bookshelf.

Notes from Hell Rachel Bukey Mystery/Suspense

Debris L.M. Brown YA/Suspense

When Seattle Times reporter Ann Dexter scores an interview with Franco Albanese, rock star of the modern opera world, she is thrilled.

Don Giovanni in art, Don Juan in life, this charismatic man easily charms all women he meets, including Ann. But when Franco is kidnapped and Ann is contacted by the kidnapper who wants her to publish the truth about Franco, she launches her own investigation into his past exploits. Ann interviews a cast of characters from Franco’s life including former lovers, a jealous husband and a young opera singer whose star is on the rise.

Andre blames himself for his mother’s death–and believes his father does too. After months of difficulty, Andre flees his family home to live with his aunt where he meets troubledteen, Erin McEvoy. Erin’s mother disappeared a year ago, and she is certain that her abusive father is to blame. But when Andre starts to investigate, nothing is as it seems.

Erin’s story doesn’t match up to the facts he’s uncovered, and Andre begins to understand that she is not the only one on the estate with secrets.

Amy’s Review: A great mystery When I first read this book, I didn’t even realize there was a book one, so with that said, this book can be read without reading the first one, and I don’t feel like I missed anything. I will probably read the first book in the Ann Dexter Mystery series, though. So, for this book, I liked Ann. There was something about her that drew me in. Bukey can write a mystery, and it’s not one that is obviously predictable. There were parts of the story that didn’t seem to fit, but could be plausible, but other than that, I liked the story. It did follow an amateur sleuth type of layout for the story, but Bukey added her own to it. All in all, I liked the story, and the author’s writing style.

Amy’s Review: Intriguing and emotional The story starts out a little slow, but once the reader gets into it, you have the understanding that it needed to flow that way. The reader needs to connect with the characters, and see where it leads especially after a pivotal moment of tragedy and despair. It’s one of those stories you don’t want to put down, as you follow the journey of the characters, especially Andre. The story is well-written and put together, cascading out emotions of both sadness and triumph, along with internal strife and guilt.

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Amy’s Bookshelf Reviews Shattered But Not Easily Broken Mikel Wilson Inspirational

changed.

A series of catastrophic tornadoes tear through the state of Alabama, unleashing their wrath upon several sleepy towns. The stormy winds ravage rural Sweetwater, and Ally’s life is ripped apart and forever

Amy’s Review: Remarkable!

This book is simply remarkable. It was filled with deep emotions, triumphs, and losses. This story features Ally, and she is on the edge of bitterness and has lost her faith. Wilson writes an exemplary inspirational story about a connection between Ally and Natalie, who learn to rise above despair.

It’s a story that will bring tears to your eyes, gulps in your throat, heart break and faith. Sometimes we all need someone to show us the way.

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Myths of the Fallen City James Derry Fantasy The land of Embhra is ruled by magic—and it’s ruining everything.

Gods and sorcerers jealously hoard their power, and innocent people everywhere are suffering for the cause of those who wield magic. Sygne and Jamal are hoping they can change that. She’s a scientist. He’s a former soldier and aspiring poetsinger.

Amy’s Review: Another great story.

I’ve read Derry’s other works, IDYLL, The Wilds, and Exile. I thoroughly enjoyed each one, and looked forward to reading this one. The title intrigued me, and I was not disappointed. It’s an exciting and inviting story. Derry has a way with words and being able to tell a great story. “He didn’t draw the blade; instead he brandished a brilliant smile at Sygne. He was handsome, and Sygne might have blushed if her face wasn’t already reddened by the strangeness of the scene.” The words flow along with the story, and it’s a wondrous journey. And when the journey ends, there is a sense of satisfaction. Thrilling, indeed.

Death be Blue Katie Epstein Urban Fantasy She can glimpse visions of the past, present, and future but she doesn’t know when, how, or why.

She only knows the outcome, and it doesn’t look good…

Being human is hard enough.

Being human with psychic abilities is worse. It was for Terra Vane anyway, until she immigrated to Portiside.

There she feels at home in the thriving city of the Fey, Shifters, Vampires, and other gifted humans.

Amy’s Review: Phenomenal!

I read another story of Epstein’s and really enjoyed it, so I was hoping that I’d like this one. Well, I definitely do, and I enjoyed the characters as well.

Epstein found herself a new fan. Terra Vane was one amazingly kick-butt kind of character. All of the characters, major and minor had a degree of depth that lent to the story. Nothing was out of place. It flowed well, and was filled with action, humor and pain. I’d classify this as a romance mixed with fantasy, and it definitely paid off. A great and worthwhile read.

The Man with the Lion Tattoo Aurora Diamond New Adult Romance This short story depicts a bizarre kind of romance between a couple who met on an island. Young and widowed, Cloacina Blackson visits Africa on a short vacation. She meets Evandro Whitley and they become best friends. They are both trapped in the melancholy of their deceased relatives. But when lust kicks into their friendship lies, secrets, deception and alienation take over.

Amy’s Review: A definite good read It’s a short story, but it’s well put together. A short story should have details and balance, along with the beginning, middle and end, where it feels complete. This is one of those stories. I’m a fan of Diamond’s work, both novels and shorts, and this is a great story. Evandro is one of those characters that is mysterious and makes you want to learn more about him. Cloacina, still grieving from the loss of her husband, develops a friendship with Evandro. And the best part is that it doesn’t feel like a rushed or forced friendship. I do look forward to more from this story, and here’s to hoping for a part two.

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Jen’s Book Reviews Demonic Wildlife Anthology Fantasy/Horror READERS BEWARE You are about to set foot on a bizarre adventure, a funny fantastical one filled with demonic animals. The first few stories are light, more about the giggles, but be warned.

As you read further, the dark creepy side will sneak up on you. Within this entertaining tome you will find spiders, snakes, sheep, wolves, manatees, hummingbirds, squirrels, and many more!

Jen’s Review: I really enjoyed this book. Featuring animals as the subject matter in the stories.

I think if you are a horror fan or even a lover of animals. Then this is the book for you. There’s something for everyone In this collection. You may even discover a new author in the process.

Cragside L.J. Ross Crime/Suspense After his climactic battle with notorious serial killer The Hacker, DCI Ryan is spending the summer with his fiancée within the grounds of Cragside, a spectacular Bavarian-style mansion surrounded by acres of woodland. When they are invited to attend the staff summer party – a Victorian murder mystery evening – it’s all a joke until the lights go out and an elderly man is found dead. It looks like an unfortunate accident but, as the dead man’s life begins to unfold, Ryan and his team of detectives realise that all is not as it appears.

Jen’s Review: The sixth book in the series featuring D.C.I Ryan and his team. A party gone wrong in a beautiful house leaves someone with a nasty surprise. It’s a race to find out what happened before they strike again. I enjoyed this book it moved at a fast pace, though not my favourite in the series. I thought the story dragged out not much conflict with characters. It’s almost like the case was too straightforward. Regardless of my review on this book I did enjoy reading about the further adventures. with Ryan and his team this book can also be read as a standalone book. Can’t wait to see what happens next in the series.

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Freedom R.M. Gauthier Psychological Thriller In the series conclusion, Lexi discovers the truth and remarkably, the truth is worse than she imagined.

The door to the fifteen-year-old mystery that has surrounded Landon has been opened, but walking through it could result in the destruction of his entire world. In order to keep peace and harmony, Landon must face his unforgiving past and deal with the aftermath.

Jen’s Review: This book is the end of the series featuring Landon and his friends. It explains a lot of the mystery behind how Landon is and what happened to him. I’m sad to see this series finish but I’m happy to see the author move on to new novels. The only thing I would like other readers to know is this book can be read as a standalone novel, but I don’t think you would enjoy it as much as a series or understand the characters without reading the other two books before this. I can’t wait to see what this author comes up with next.

Little Moments of Calm Sarah Northwood Poetry Mindfulness is a way of focusing on the moment and letting go of past worries or future cares. In this little book of calm, each page is brought to life with beautiful and themed images. Combined with original pieces of prose, and thoughts to help you discover a moment of tranquillity, just for you!

Jen’s Review: A short book of poetry with beautiful images. Even if you aren’t a big fan of poetry, these are very short and sweet. I really enjoyed this book and it’s uplifting words. A must read to brighten everyone’s lifestyle.

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