When Smiles Fade


Paige Dearth - 2013
    As she matures into a resourceful teenager, she is unwilling and unable to stifle her desire for revenge. Reaching her breaking point she can no longer control the impulse to fight back and finally takes matters into her own hands.Having learned the art of hatred from her father and the mastery of manipulation from her mother, young Emma now sets out to make a better life for herself, leaving the memory of the abused child she had once been behind her. Hardened by the heartless brutality she encounters and the dangerous situations she must overcome in the course of her journey, she faces every challenge that comes her way in her quest for a normal life for herself and for those she loves.Finally a person emerges from within that guides her toward a better life until she learns of a secret that sets her on the path of ultimate redemption.**WARNING**18+ Readers Only. Graphic content and subject matter.

The Weight of Water


W.A. Schwartz - 2021
    Raised by relatives, they become fiercely devoted to one another until tragic circumstances intervene. They are separated, Talia disappearing into a life of drugs and petty crime, Rachel fleeing to New Orleans. Years later, Rachel is living in New Orleans and married to the CEO of the Southeast’s largest provider of long-term healthcare. She lives what appears to be a perfect life, yet she struggles with anxiety, prescription drug abuse, and grief.One night, Rachel receives a phone call. The information she is given sets in motion a series of events that will unravel her life, force her to examine past decisions, and take her on a psychologically arduous journey to save her sister. Ultimately she is faced with the an almost impossible choice.Set against the backdrop of Hurricane Katrina, The Weight of Water tells the story of two sisters, their love for one another, and their struggle to survive and overcome the consequences of one of the greatest disasters in human history.WHAT ARE READERS SAYING ABOUT THE WEIGHT OF WATER?

The Woman in the Mirror


Rebecca James - 2018
    Falling under the de Greys’ spell, Alice believes the family will heal her own past sorrows. But then the twins’ adoration becomes deceitful and taunting. Their father, ever distant, turns spiteful and cruel. The manor itself seems to lash out. Alice finds her surroundings subtly altered, her air slightly chilled. Something malicious resents her presence, something clouding her senses and threatening her very sanity.In present day New York, art gallery curator Rachel Wright has learned she is a descendant of the de Greys and heir to Winterbourne. Adopted as an infant, she never knew her birth parents or her lineage. At long last, Rachel will find answers to questions about her identity that have haunted her entire life. But what she finds in Cornwall is a devastating tragic legacy that has afflicted generations of de Greys. A legacy borne from greed and deceit, twisted by madness, and suffused with unrequited love and unequivocal rage.

The Gypsy: A Romantic Thriller


T.J. Jones - 2021
    Standing, and straddling my broken body with a well-muscled leg on either side of me, she looked like an ethereal giant: a beautiful Amazon, impossible tall, and equally invincible. She fired immediately, spun quickly and fired again, then dropped down and crowded me against the antique safe that had become our sanctuary. Improbably, she grinned at me. "Two down, and one to go."A mass shooting, an FBI coverup, and a madman with his own militia and a political hit list. Adam Cain is caught in the middle with only one person to trust; the beautiful and mysterious woman that calls herself the Gypsy. She seems to have all the answers, and a hit list of her own.

A Defender Rises


T.R. Cameron - 2021
     The Mist Casino sits just above a kemana with an interior that would make a ghost feel right at home. Of course it does.After all, Magic City has to compete with nearby Vegas. A different kind of magic.Ruby is just back from University for the summer, catching up with an old friend when everything changes with a BANG! A series of small blasts are exploding all around her. Chips are flying through the air. Someone wanted to announce their arrival in town. But who?Ruby is about to get drawn into a battle for control of Magic City. They just made the fight personal. Is the Ebon Dragon Casino next?Will Ruby’s secrets get in her way?What waits at the end could change her life forever, if she survives the journey.For action, magic, snarky banter, martial arts, mystical creatures, and high intrigue, take a vacation to Magic City!

Grounded


Sarah Hualde - 2020
    Dark roast with a side of Death Omens.It's just another workday for Penny Nicols.Penny is haunted by a secret.One that forces her, and her snarky cat, to move around in her tiny house on wheels.As Penny settles into a new town, she realizes something much darker is afoot.The Raven, her nemesis, has tracked her down once again.She finds herself in a race against time to vanquish the darkness and save those around her.This case is like nothing she has faced before.To solve it, she enlists the help of two Podcasters of the Paranormal.Will Penny ever be able to outrun her secret?What will she discover along the way?One thing is for sure; nothing will ever be the same again.★Jump into the first Paranormal Penny Mystery and hang on tight.★This fast-paced series will captivate you from start to finish.

Charlie Crawford - New York Homicide


Tom Turner - 2021
    “Don’t miss it, it’s Turner’s best crime thriller yet."For fans of Elmore Leonard, John Sandford, Carl Hiaasen, and Stuart Woods comes the prequel to the Charlie Crawford Palm Beach mysteries.It’s the year before he heads down to the Sunshine State… and CRAWFORD’S LIFE IS A DISASTER!His marriage is on the rocks, his partner’s a drunk, and a psycho killer is loose on the streets of New York.One reader said, "once again Turner hits it out of the park! Should be the start of a Netflix series."

Home Sweet Witch


Bettina M. Johnson - 2020
    An aspiring artist who is living in New York State and discovers a mystery unfolding around her when a letter from her deceased mother shatters everything she has ever believed about herself. When Lily opens the package left to her by her mom, she finds an ornate key, a careworn journal, old photos, and a peculiar letter with curious instructions to head to Sweet Briar, Georgia. Lily not only discovers her birthplace, and a plethora of new relatives but also come to realize they are all witches. She is, in fact, a witch herself. A dark one. As she humorously wanders her way through discovering her new reality, Lily manages to find a place to call home, makes a new best friend, meets a bevy of great looking men to keep her distracted and learns to deal with her whacky relations. Throw in a decades-old murder along with a new body to cross her path, and Lily is embroiled in a tale that tests her resolve and has her questioning whether or not being a little wicked can make everything right in her world! Book one of the Lily Sweet Mysteries is here for you to enjoy...with many more in the series to follow!

The Afterlife Series Box Set


Willow Rose - 2012
    She wakes up on a flying steamboat on her way to a school run by Angels in a white marble castle. On the boat she meets Mick who has been dead for more than a hundred years but still looks like a teenager. He helps her past the difficult beginning at the new school in a new world filled with magic.One day some of Meghan's roommates find a mirror in the cellar of the school and they persuade her to go through it with them - well knowing it is strictly against the rules of the school. Meghan ends up back on earth where she meets Jason. But Jason is in danger and Meghan knows something important. Something that is a matter of life and death. Soon she is forced to choose between the two worlds. The one she belongs to now and the one she left.Praise: - Willow Rose definitely keeps you on the edge of your seat. She balanced fantasy and intense emotion brilliantly. I highly recommend it to anyone that enjoys the paranormal. - Fictitious Musings- I loved this book! It was really good and just warm with a touch of darkness to it (...) It's good stuff! - That Chick That Reads- Death & Life meet with a twist. Definitely worth a read - Becky's Barmy Book BlogBook 2 - SERENITYIt is Meghan's second year at The Academy. While trying to help and care for Jason on earth she is struggling to keep up in school, where they this year will learn both to ride Pegasus' and fly through severe storms. Meanwhile Mick is becoming more than a friend to her and soon she finds herself facing the unavoidable choice. But something evil is threatening the students at the Academy and Meghan is no longer safe within the walls of the castle. Something causes several of the students to be caught in the middle of a nightmare, that they can't wake up from. Soon they realize that they might have a traitor in their midst. Praise:This was a wonderful sequel. Every bit as good as the first book in the series. Now on to the third one - I am really excited to see what happens next. I can recommend this to anyone who enjoys a good paranormal romance. /GoodreadsBook 3 - ENDURANCEMeghan's training at the Academy is coming to an end. Everything is going great as she comes closer to graduation. She is engaged to be married and the wedding is near when she hears some disturbing news that makes her rethink her future.In class the students are learning to catch dreams and fly with the speed of light. Meghan soon discovers her special talents and that she is much stronger than she thought. But unfortunately that doesn't help her as she faces the truth about her own death, which will be revealed to her at the end of the year.Endurance is the third book in Willow Rose's Afterlife series about a young girl's life after death.Praise:I hope there will be more in this series because I have enjoyed getting to know Meghan and her friends, Mick, Jason, and the teachers at the Academy. by Once Upon a Twilight

The Wise Ass


Tom McCaffreyTom McCaffrey - 2021
    But scores need to be settled, so when the betrayed Wise Guys finally meet the Wise Ass and friends, all hell breaks loose.

Soul Trapper


F.J. Lennon - 2010
    . . and that sometimes they have unfinished business. Shortly after death, a soul will see a door of light leading to the afterlife. But sometimes, when there’s something or someone still pulling at them, souls turn their back to this door. Instead, they haunt the living . . . Hollywood native Kane Pryce isn’t your average twenty-something dabbling musician. Yes, he’s an occasional substance abuser with a distrustful nature and self-destructive streak. And yes, most people might take him for a down-on-his-luck slacker. But to those in a very small circle, he’s also known as a ghost-hunting legend. Delving deep into the supernatural isn’t a lifestyle that Kane chose for himself, however; it was thrust upon him when his father vanished under mysterious circumstances. Unbeknownst to anyone besides Kane, his father left instructions to his son that led Kane to the Soul Trap, a powerful supernatural treasure that allows him to hunt down, capture, and send ghosts from the earthly realm to the afterlife. For Kane, power over the supernatural has come with a price. Despite his attempts to do good with this power, his efforts often leave a path of destruction. So when his paranormal side-job attracts the attention of Eva Kells, a crack reporter intent on breaking his story, Kane is reluctant can he trust her? Soon, though, risking his heart on a snooping journalist is the least of Kane’s worries. He receives a call from a terrified priest whose church is haunted by the soul of a deceased little boy. Kane takes on the case, but as he begins to learn the strange details surrounding the boy’s death, he realizes that there’s much more at stake than he ever could have imagined. And to complicate things even further, he falls hard for the boy’s mother. The only problem is, she’s been dead for almost fifty years . . . Nail-biting and darkly humorous, SoulTrapper takes readers on a thrilling ride through the ghostly realm.

A Cauldron of Hot Coffee


Samantha Silver - 2021
    Never one to believe in superstitions, let alone magic, the receptionist makes the best discovery of her life during her worst day on the job.Eliza is a witch. A witch born into a family banished from the paranormal world generations ago due to bad behavior. Well, they can't be that bad, can they?Introduced to her long-lost family and powers she never knew she had, Eliza moves to the island of Enchanted Enclave, where she falls in love with the quirky little Pacific Northwest town and the coffee shop owned by her family. But her dream come true quickly turns into a nightmare when one of Eliza's customers is poisoned.Unfortunately, the smoking hot guy she has her eye on also has an eye on her, but for the wrong reason — turns out he’s the lead detective on the case. Eliza sets out to clear her name and hopefully her calendar for a date with Mr. Dimples-when-he-smiles. Will Eliza find the killer before it’s too late or will her new start come to an untimely end?This is a boxed set containing the first three books in the Enchanted Enclave Mysteries: Wake Up and Spell the Coffee, Whole Latte Magic, and A Witch, Dark Roast.

FCBD 2021: Suicide Squad: King Shark Special Edition #1


Tim Seeley - 2021
    Discover more about the breakout character from Task Force X in an original SUICIDE SQUAD: KING SHARK story written by Tim Seeley and illustrated by Scott Kolins. This issue also includes a preview of the sensational Suicide Squad: Get Joker! limited series by Brian Azzarello and Alex Maleev. An incarcerated and angry Red Hood receives a chance at freedom from Amanda Waller. All the former Boy Wonder needs to do to gain his release is lead the Suicide Squad on a mission to terminate The Joker. Paired up with Harley Quinn and Gotham City killers, such as Firefly and Killer Croc, he doesn’t care if any of them come back alive, as long as The Joker dies!

A Ghost In The Store


Gillian Larkin - 2016
     Ruby Laurel is a ghost hunter. She locates ghosts who are haunting places – or people. In this first story, Ruby is called upon to investigate a haunting in a supermarket. She soon discovers the ghost of a young woman called Mary Jackson. How is Mary connected to the supermarket? And why is she haunting it? Ruby’s investigation is made more difficult by the arrival of her troublesome younger sister, Nessa. Will Nessa help, or hinder, the investigation?

Sisters of the Sweetwater Fury: A Novel


Kinley Bryan - 2021
    Two Great Lakes. One furious storm.It's 1913 and Great Lakes galley cook Sunny Colvin has her hands full feeding a freighter crew seven days a week, nine months a year. She also has a dream—to open a restaurant back home—but knows she'd never convince her husband, the steward, to leave the seafaring life he loves.In Sunny’s Lake Huron hometown, her sister, Agnes Inby, mourns her husband, a U.S. Life-Saving Serviceman who died in an accident she believes she could have prevented. Burdened with regret and longing for more than her job at the dry goods store, she looks for comfort in a secret infatuation.Two hundred miles away in Cleveland, the youngest sister, Cordelia Blythe, has pinned her hopes for adventure on her marriage to a lake freighter captain. Finding herself alone and restless in her new town, she joins him on the season’s last trip up the lakes.On November 8, 1913, a deadly storm descends on the Great Lakes, bringing hurricane-force winds, whiteout blizzard conditions, and mountainous waves that last for days. Amidst the chaos all three women are offered a glimpse of the clarity they seek, if only they dare to perceive it.Inspired by actual events during the Great Lakes Storm of 1913, Sisters of the Sweetwater Fury is meticulously researched and grippingly told. A powerful debut.