M.C.V. EGAN ❧Defining Ways❧

She kept up a brisk pace through the wooded path as the sun peaked in and out of the clouds, shifting the shadows of the trees. Some of the trees had shed their leaves, but the mighty oaks still clung to theirs, and they rattled in the breeze. She kept her arms under her cloak for warmth but slowed momentarily when the sound of the rattling changed. She did a quick turnaround but saw nothing. “Must have been some critter scampering about,” she said, and picked up her pace again.

It happened so fast it scarcely registered.

Large hands overpowered her and grabbed her from behind, one covered her mouth, the other circled her waist. A surge of adrenaline triggered a painful heartbeat in her chest. She screamed through the clamped hand, but the sound was choked off. Lila struggled to free her arms from inside her cloak while she wildly kicked backwards. The harder she fought, the fiercer the grip. Lila raised her leg and shot it backwards again, this time hitting a shin. A rough voice cursed in her ear.

She was lifted off her feet and shoved against a tree, snapping the side of her head against the trunk. Pain shot through her head. Dazed, she made a feeble attempt to grab the arms. A hand slapped hard against her face. Spots danced before her eyes with the disappearing daylight, then nothing.

When Lila came out of the fog of unconsciousness, she found herself in darkness. She was blindfolded. She was on a horse with someone sitting behind her, someone with unspeakable body odor whose breath reeked of whiskey. What was happening? Who has done this? She had a throbbing headache, made worse with each step of the horse over the uneven ground.

Reaching for her head, she realized her hands were bound together. Why am I tied up? This makes no sense. She was a captive and there was nothing she could do to give herself any advantage. The realization sent her into a frenzy of fear, and tears swelled under her blindfold. Dear God, what am I to do?

Now fully awake, her heart pounded as she tried to clear her head. She had no idea how long she’d been unconscious, no idea where she was, no idea who sat behind her in the saddle. She shuddered to think who her captor was and what he had in mind.

About the Author

When she’s not writing, Jane is singing in a choir, exercising in some fashion, or soaking up nature from a shady spot in the yard with a good book. She and her husband live in Kansas and have two children and six grandchildren. She treasures time spent with their far-flung family and still entertains the fantasy of appearing on Dancing with the Stars for Grandmas, although the clock is ticking. . .

Jane is a member of Women Writing the West, Western Writers of America, and Wyoming Writers, Inc.

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by Costi Gurgu

Genre: Space Opera Horror

The gods are not dead. 

They are waiting in the dark between the stars.

The Cursed

by Costi Gurgu

Genre: Space Opera Horror

The Earth is compromised and forbidden. The human Imperium stretches throughout the galaxy. It terraforms planets with indigenous life, destroying it. An organization fights against these terraforming projects, and it is pronounced a terrorist organization by the government and the Imperator.

JO WARWICK, the heiress of Warwick Galactic Enterprises, is on an archeological mission on the forbidden Earth. She contracts an unknown disease, and her expedition leaves Earth. While in space, the disease kills everyone on board but her, as she seems protected by an invisible shield.

Captain TOSHI HUNTER and his crew are activists fighting against the terraformation projects, and after a failed attack on one of these projects, they are pursued by the imperial ships. The chase goes on, but they manage to escape.

And by chance, they discover the unmoving, silent ship of Jo Warwick. They board it and see the massacre inside, but manage to save Jo.

Jo and Toshi begin their adventure in uncovering the truth and the origin of this mysterious disease that now threatens the galaxy, while being hunted by the imperial troops.

 

What readers are saying:

 “…Prose that is gritty, direct, and sometimes a touch awkward powers a voyage of grand proportions as a diverse cast, ancient aliens, sensory worldbuilding, and space battles entertain with thrilling action. In this quick read, Gurgu reveals the foolishness of humanity, moral dilemmas, the folly of war, and the hope of second chances in a hearty science fiction adventure.” _BookLife Review

 

“…Ultimately, The Cursed delivers the pleasures of expansive science fiction: big stakes, bigger ideas, and heroes whose personal journeys matter as much as the fate of the galaxy. Gurgu offers an energetic, imagination-rich ride that will appeal to readers eager for adventurous sci-fi drama—and leaves the door open for further exploration among the stars.”  —CANREADS BOOK REVIEW

 

“Overall, the author has a keen knack for mixing and melding SF and the supernatural in all kinds of intriguing ways. Clear allusions to vampirism would be too obvious; Gurgu opts instead for more obscure archetypes: When was the last time one read about a wendigo in outer space? A fast-paced and fun adventure beyond the stars.” – _Kirk’s Reviews

  

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1.      The Red Tattoo

 

      The archeology team was busy and noisy inside the Bats Cave. The huge boulders blocking the entrance of the dry, large, very deep cave had not been a real deterrent for Jo Warwick. Young, strong, and beautiful, she was not used to rejection or defeat.

The cave was a hidden gem discovered recently in the Carpathian Mountains on Earth. The entire place seemed to be a treasure trove. And “discovered recently” meant after the interdiction against stepping on Earth had been put in place. After the interdiction and especially the defense mechanism had been put into place. But that was not something to keep Jo’s family, the powerful Warwicks, away. Not even the imperator could stop a Warwick if they put their mind to doing something.

The co-op students were giggling as they worked, sometimes louder than they thought they were. With the help of electrical lamps they were collecting and cataloging ceramic pieces, stone tools, animal remains. Next to them, real archeologists were slowly carving into the floor after more remains. The cave was full to the brim with signs of a very old civilization. A civilization that Jo hoped to prove was part of the Vinca culture. The project of her life.

Professor Hannigan, a corpulent man of about sixty, was studying some cave paintings. He tried not to expose them to too much light, or heat, or sweat, or anything else for that matter. He was mumbling while studying. His custom, as Jo knew, adding to the general noise in the confined space of the cave. It was becoming quite claustrophobic.

Jo was in her mid-twenties, athletic, newly graduated from the university, and already in charge of her first dig. She knew how students could get, but that didn’t mean she agreed with the practice and the indulgences.

She approached the walls with paintings, or more accurately, pictographs. One of them in particular had drawn her attention. The drawn figures were vaguely human. Most had huge round eyes and concentric circular shapes on their bodies. That was specific to the Vinca culture, to the fashion or aesthetics of their times. That was why she could barely contain her enthusiasm, her joy—she was ninety-nine percent sure she’d just made the discovery of her life.

The pictograph that had drawn her attention was part of a group, representing small humanlike figures interacting with huge masked beings in weird, ritualistic suits. In the first panel in the group, the humans bowed to the masked figures, obviously their deities. There were no written sources for the Vinca culture, so nothing was known of their religion or mythology.

Jo got closer to the drawings.

“Silence!” she barked over the background noise in the cave. Everyone looked at her and shut up. She was known for a frightful temper and no one wanted to enter into a conflict with her.

“They’re just students on their first practicum,” said Hannigan in a low voice only the two of them could hear. He was like a grandfather to everyone on the team, always ready to indulge them and spoil them.

“Not on my money, they’re not,” said Jo. “They’re students in their first practice and one day they could brag about the experience they got here. They could brag and get the best paid gigs because of this.”

“Yes, but young people…” Hannigan hesitated, looking at Jo. Then, probably realizing he was talking to a young person, he gave up.

The best practice was to ignore the old man and leave it be. She had to put up with all his eccentricities because he was the best in the field and expert on this period of time in Earth’s history. And he was easy to satisfy in terms of credits and accolades. He valued money above all else.

So Jo returned to the pictographs. She got closer to the next one. In it, a man with a wolf head shot stars through some sort of weapon toward one of the masked figures. The masked figure’s body was covered in symbols and shone a bright red.

In the next panel, the masked figure had collapsed, probably dead. His body was still covered in unknown symbols.

Jo returned to the previous panel. The weapon looked like a bone, a real bone encrusted in stone. The stars shooting from it had started to sparkle and fluctuate. What the… Jo got even closer and tried to discern what could make it sparkle like that. There didn’t seem to be anything on the stone base but the painting. She extended her hand and held it above the sparks. No heat. She then touched the bone embedded in the stone. Dry, porous bone. She walked her fingers over the sparks and the shooting stars and then, a red spark passed from the stone to Jo’s skin.

Where it touched the skin a red impression, like a tattoo, spread on Jo’s skin. It had happened so fast that Jo couldn’t do anything else but watch the whole thing with curiosity. She lifted her camera to take a picture, but froze. The tattoo had spread up her arm and down her other arm and she realized it was all over her body, flickering on her skin. It felt like an electric shock. Jo shuddered and collapsed.

Costi’s fiction has appeared in Canada, the US, and Europe. He has sold 8 books and over 50 stories for which he has won 32 awards. He was three times a finalist for the Canadian Aurora Awards.

His latest sales include the anthologies Tesseracts 17, The Mammoth Book of Dieselpunk, Dark Horizons, Street Magick, Water, and Alice Unbound.

His bestselling novel RecipeArium has won three awards (Kult, Nemira, and Vladimir Colin) and was a 2018 finalist for the Aurora Awards.

His novels, “Servitude”, “Green Corrosion”, “Pink Corrosion”, and “Black Corrosion” were published in 2022, 2023, 2024, and 2025. And his latest novel “The Cursed” was launched on April 1st, 2026.

“Green Corrosion” has won four awards (Book Excellence, The Typesmith Writers, The International Impact Book, and the Maincrest Media Award).

“Black Corrosion” has been an Amazon Bestseller for three weeks and is a finalist for Canreads Awards 2026.

 

To find out more about Costi Gurgu visit https://costigurgu.com/

  

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 A Cold War Adventure

Date Published: 03-01-2026

Publisher: Bim Bom Books

When the first privately owned Soviet circus arrived in 1990 America as the Soviet Empire unraveled, its elite performers expected to build cultural bridges through spectacular shows. Instead, this prestigious troupe faced a perilous journey through Cold War America.

Circus director Yuri had to navigate treacherous waters where American mobsters, Soviet agents, and political forces circled like predators. Young aerialist Anton dreamed of becoming a clown against his family’s wishes, while forbidden romances and unexpected connections bloomed between Soviet performers and Americans who saw past the ideological divide. As high-stakes conspiracies threatened to tear the circus family apart, they had to choose between the authoritarian chains of home and the uncertain promise of freedom.

As The Ringmaster reminds us, “The best Soviet stories are like vodka—they burn with suffering, intoxicate with conflict, keep you stewing in reflection, and yearning for your heart’s desire.” This genre-bending tale explores whether human connection can transcend ideology—and whether storytelling can bridge the divides that separate us.

About the Author

 Cliff Lovette is a father, storyteller, and dog lover living in Sandy Springs, Georgia. For over 40 years, he practiced entertainment law, serving as Senior Vice President at LaFace Records and representing artists including Usher and Lisa “Left Eye” Lopes. His passion for bridging historical divides led him to co-produce a groundbreaking reconciliation event between descendants of Buffalo Soldiers and Lakota Native Americans. In 1990, when Bobby Liberman—road manager for the first privately owned Soviet circus touring America—became his client, Cliff discovered the true story that inspired this debut duology.

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books.by/bim-bom-books 

The Author’s Edition comes with:

• Signed bookplate

• Digital circus poster

• Charter Bim Bom Book Club Membership

• Exclusive access to “Rabbit Hole” chapters

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SAGATHRILLER

Meat Cove combines saga and thriller via Fundy’s lurid diary, which appears between each chapter, forming a tale within a tale. As Fundy’s grim memories slowly come back to life, her past and present collide in a riveting conclusion worthy of the first sagathriller.

Date Published: January 22, 2026

Publisher: Seacoast Press

As local disturbances and international tensions escalate around a NATO conference in Halifax, Fundy must leave her safe lane and resurrect an implacable past. Generational love story meets geopolitical suspense in a SAGA THRILLER barreling across the North Atlantic.

 About the Author

 Janice Weber grew up in Ridgewood, New Jersey and graduated summa cum laude from the Eastman School of Music in Rochester, New York.

At the time of her Carnegie Recital Hall debut at age nine, she was writing her first short stories. She has continued both pursuits, with her novels providing counterpoint to the staid world of a concert pianist, or perhaps with her recitals offsetting the staid world of a writer.

Janice’s novels have a worldwide following. Her debut, The Secret Life of Eva Hathaway, enjoys near cult status and is widely recognized as iconic Chick Lit – though appearing years before the genre was invented. Its colorful characters, verbal virtuosity, wit, and sensuality established the hallmarks of a style that has earned Weber comparison with Mark Twain, Fran Liebowitz, Harold Pinter, and Robert Ludlum (if such a hybrid can be imagined).

Janice’s novels happen between (and occasionally during) concerts. Music on some level infiltrates almost every book: Eva Hathaway writes hymns between trysts, Floyd Beck met the love of his life at Carnegie Hall, Leslie Frost is a concert violinist, and Ross Major listens to Beethoven when the going gets rough. Characters without music in their lives fill the void with swinging, murder, and treason, activities musicians tend to eschew since this would detract from practice time.

Janice divides her time between fishing villages in Massachusetts and Cape Breton.

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New to the neighborhood and reeling from the traumatic birth of her second child, Marlowe Moore is barely holding it together. Battling postpartum depression and anxiety, she’s desperate for stability.

But when she learns that a woman who once lived in her family’s new home vanished without a trace, Marlowe becomes obsessed. As strange things happen and neighborly smiles feel like veiled threats, Marlowe can’t shake the feeling that someone is hiding something.

She spirals further into paranoia, fixated on the abandoned case and determined to seek justice. But how can a woman who feels lost find a missing person?

Juggling the demands of her beloved family and her harrowing mental illness, Marlowe doesn’t realize she is caught in a cat-and-mouse game that could cost her everything … including her life.

About the Author

 Ashley Hanna-Morgan is a licensed clinical social worker (LCSW) certified in perinatal mental health (PMH-C). In addition to her work as a psychotherapist, she writes about mental health to advocate for change and inspire hope. In 2016, she wrote The Afterglow, a mindfulness and cognitive behavioral therapy curriculum that supports parents with postpartum depression and anxiety. In 2017, she published I Gave Birth to My Heart, a collection of poems about the secret anguishes and innumerable joys of reinventing oneself after postpartum depression.

When she isn’t counseling clients or volunteering with Postpartum Support International, Ashley loves to experiment in the kitchen and spend as much time outside as possible in San Diego, where she resides with her family. In Her Own Backyard is her first novel.

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@RABTBookTours #RABTBookTours #YouGottaHaveGUTS #MarthaDaniel #Nonfiction

Growing up in 1960s Memphis, Martha Daniel was no stranger to injustice. But her mother’s playful jab at her determined spirit, “One Way!” became a badge of honor, a reminder that her path would be hers alone to forge.

From an unplanned pregnancy and a troubled marriage to workplace discrimination and the sting of betrayal in business, Martha faced challenge after challenge. But she didn’t just survive, she soared. With grit, unwavering faith, and her trademark determination, she built a groundbreaking career in tech, launched multiple successful businesses, and ultimately found the love she always dreamed of.

You Gotta Have G.U.T.S. is Martha’s powerful true story, and a guidebook for anyone ready to turn adversity into achievement. With her four core principles, Gratitude, Unity, Trustworthiness, and Spirituality, you’ll discover how to unlock your own strength and success, no matter where you start.

Dreams are powerful, are they not? They nudge us, inspire us,

and won’t let go until we pay attention. But let’s be honest:

turning dreams into reality can feel like climbing a mountain. Fear,

uncertainty, financial sacrifices, or the fear of failing are enough to

make anyone hesitate. Sound familiar? You are not alone.

Welcome to the world of G.U.T.S.—Gratitude, Unity, Trust-

worthiness, and Spirituality. These are the tools you can use to tackle

challenges and turn your dreams into reality, one step at a time.

My life has been all about pushing through the lows that have

come my way, and believe me, I have encountered them at every turn.

From segregation and discrimination in 1960s Memphis, Tennessee, to

an unplanned teenage pregnancy, a less-than-ideal marriage, business

partners who stole from me, personal bankruptcy, and even the

heartbreak of losing a child to suicide —those lows made me question

everything in life.

Through it all, my faith, my dreams, and my integrity, coupled

with my G.U.T.S., kept me going. These core values helped me survive

and thrive.

Despite all those lows, God built in some critical highs to encourage

me to keep going. From earning my way into workplaces that valued my

input, to starting successful companies, winning multi-million-dollar

contracts, and meeting the love of my life, the highs have certainly

outweighed the lows. Those highs gave me hope and reminded me

of what was possible. Even though I had moments of hopelessness, I

learned that persistence, faith, and not giving up are key, even when

everything feels uncertain. The ups and downs, the good and the bad,

bring lessons. Sure, life can be stressful at times, but I learned that

every experience moved me closer to my dream. I didn’t give up, I kept

going, and it was worth it. I experienced a beautiful rainbow at the end

of the storm.

As a trailblazing entrepreneur and CEO of two high-profile

companies in the technology field, I have been through it all, and I

can tell you this: Success does not happen by accident. It takes clarity,

determination, and a solid strategy. Success in any pursuit is possible,

and it starts with dreaming big, making a plan, staying confident, and

working hard. From there, you have to activate the power that resides

deep inside you.

That is where G.U.T.S. comes in. In this book, I break success

down into simple, actionable steps you can follow. You’ll learn how to

face fear head-on, build unshakable confidence, say goodbye to “no”

as the final answer, and prepare for the sacrifices needed to make your

dream a reality. You’ll discover the importance of practicing Gratitude,

Unity, Trustworthiness, and Spirituality, qualities that have kept me

grounded through life’s toughest moments.

I am a big dreamer who does not back down from challenges, and

I owe it all to G.U.T.S. These four principles have been my guide,

helping me achieve success beyond what I imagined.

Martha Daniel is a trailblazing entrepreneur, cybersecurity innovator, and motivational speaker whose four-decade career spans the U.S. Navy, government, and advanced technology sectors. A former Navy cryptologist, she transformed racial and gender adversity into a foundation for leadership as Founder and CEO of Information Management Resources, Inc., securing more than $425 million in contracts for clients including the U.S. Army, U.S. Navy, the State of California, and Disney, and later founding Cytellix Corporation, an award-winning, patented cybersecurity SaaS platform.

A published author and thought leader, Martha co-authored Million Dollar Conversations and On the Other Side of Midnight 2000, and her latest book, You Gotta Have G.U.T.S., delivers a powerful framework for overcoming fear and unlocking potential. Recognized by the White House as a “10 Women Veteran Champion of Change” and honored with multiple Stevie Awards, she is also an ordained minister and active board leader. Through her books, speaking, and mentorship, Martha inspires others to lead with courage, resilience, and purpose.

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The Occult Series Book 1

by Lauren Louise Hazel

Genre: YA Urban Fantasy

A shuddering, thrilling urban fantasy series

The Reign of the Occult

The Occult Series Book 1

by Lauren Louise Hazel

Genre: YA Urban Fantasy

The Reign of the Occult is a shuddering, thrilling, urban fantasy for Young Adults. Filled with hair raising chases through shadowy streets, frightening fights and mind-blowing magic, it’s sure to keep many a different genre loving reader happy.

The battle between the Underworld, full of darkness, and the Overworld, full of light, has been evenly balanced for millennia. Caught between them is the mortal world, where humans have become so afraid of a magic they cannot understand or control that they allow the Occult to rule them. After the Occult joins forces with the Underworld, the balance shifts and the Overworld is decimated.

But still, in the mortal world, the magic won’t die. It appears when a supernatural being and a human have a child, like Prue.

This is the first volume in an epic new fantasy series that spans the three richly detailed worlds as Prue, her non-magical half-brother Everett, and all Magic Users, fight to survive. They are being hunted by the Occult, who turn the Magic Users they capture into tools to eliminate their own kind and, eventually, to destroy all traces of magic.

 

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Chapter 1 – Run

“Prue!” Everett gasped, unable to disguise the desperation in his voice. His legs were aching, his lungs burning, and his heart was pounding erratically in his chest – a reminder that, despite everything, he was still alive.

Maybe not for much longer.

He wheezed, attempting to inhale more air, but from the weakness in his legs, he knew he wouldn’t last much longer.

“Prue! Which way?” he cried, casting a panicked glance at his sister. He imagined he could hear them, the cocking of their guns, drawing near. Every flicker of movement in the streetlight, every sound, felt magnified, as though even the shadows were poised and ready to pounce.

“Both ways are blocked,” Prue replied at last, her feet pounding the pavement beside Everett, faltering only as they approached the junction. She frowned, eyelashes fluttering, and clenched her fists, her nails leaving angry red indentations in the palms of her hands. She was very pale.

“What are you talking about?” Everett gasped, slowing to a canter.

“Nothing is certain.”

Everett, while used to his sister’s cryptic remarks, was not in the mood for games. “That’s not helping!” he cried, skidding to a halt as they reached the turning. He cast a glance over his shoulder. “Are we going left, or right?”

Prue froze and her eyes did too, as they often were when she saw things nobody else could. “I told you,” she said, in a detached tone. “Both ways are blocked.”

Everett cocked the gun he’d held loosely in his palm, trying to ignore the way it slipped slightly in his grasp, dampened by his sweat-slick skin. “Does that mean we’re dead either way?” he asked, with a carelessness he didn’t quite feel. He checked his ammunition, if only to busy his shaking hands, knowing it would probably make little difference in the end. Maths had never been his strong point, but he knew one gun against hundreds were never favourable odds.

“They’re coming,” Prue informed her brother, although she did not meet his eyes. She was staring into the blackness at the other end of the street; Everett followed her gaze, but as always, saw nothing.

“Where—?” he began, before freezing. He couldn’t see, only hear, the rapid pounding of footsteps along a cobbled street. Low at first, the sound was growing louder, clear in the otherwise silent night. The hairs on the back of his neck were standing up in warning. “Ok, you’re right,” he conceded, in a generous tone, “They’re coming! No foresight needed for that. Which way do we go?”

Prue shook her head, dark hair clinging to her bowed face, her eyes crunched in concentration. She was covered in sweat.

“Wait— wait—” Everett muttered, in a panicked breath, realising his sister was going to be of no help. He could see them now, shadows moving in the darkness, emerging at the end of the street. The Officers of the Occult. He shot three times in quick succession – one, two, three – and something must have found its mark, from the strangled cry of pain that followed. They were still alive, then. Good.

Everett had only a moment to feel relief before the others swarmed. They were closing in on them. Although in range, they had yet to fire a single shot; as he expected, their aim was to capture, not to kill.

“Something is changing,” Prue said from beside Everett. She clutched her head, fisting her fingers into her hair, as though physically trying to remove something from her mind. “Another factor is clouding things. His choices are unclear. He’s conflicted already.”

“Prue!” Everett cried, trying to pick something of use from her incoherent ramblings. He pushed her sideways, behind the wall of a garden and out of sight – at least for the moment. They were running out of time – the Officers would be upon them in less than a minute, and then there would be no escape. “Pick a way! Which way has more chance of survival?”

Prue gazed up at the sky, but she was seeing nothing. “Left,” she replied at last, “Maybe he will spare us.”

Without taking a second to contemplate what his sister might mean, Everett grabbed her slippery hand and pulled, turning a sharp left, the Officers of the Occult temporarily vanishing from view. 

The Queen of the Underworld

The Occult Series Book 2

The Queen of the Underworld is the second novel in the award-winning The Occult Series by Lauren Louise Hazel.

Following the fall of The Occult and its Head, Prue receives visions of The Queen of the Underworld—a powerful Demon who was once overthrown by her allies and exiled from her homeland—rising in its place.

Prue sees that the Queen is connected to Prue’s best friend, Lily. This leads Prue and her half-brother, Everett, on their mission across worlds to destroy the Queen and save their friend. But nothing is what it seems.

The Queen is ready and waiting for them—and she will stop at nothing to secure her future and wipe out anyone who opposes her.

 

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Lauren Louise Hazel is a Cyber Security Manager by day and writes YA fantasy by night. She has one annoying brother and younger sister. As she was growing up, the only item her dad would buy her without demanding her pocket money was books. He’s hoping the writing is successful so he can get a Ferrari!

Some of Lauren’s favourite books and influences include the classics – like Lord of the Rings and The Hunger Games – and anything by Haruki Murakami and GRR Martin.

 

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A reluctant hero, mysterious portals, inexplicable abilities! She must be off her trolley.

Cynthia Peabody can’t sleep. Recently widowed, her future seems a dreary blur. While practicing meditation techniques to fight insomnia, she discovers a mysterious portal in her backyard through which her dreams are shockingly realistic.

She runs to her neighbor for help after a dream about a dog leads to a real dog in her yard. The next-door teen offers to be the dog walker and a surprising friendship develops. Juniper’s natural sincerity influences Cynthia to reevaluate her grumpiness.

While dealing with complicated grief along with her life turning toward the supernatural, Cynthia’s doctor’s report brings lousy news. What else can go wrong? She’s desperate for answers.

Pouring out her heart to her husband’s memory, she fears the only logical explanation is that she’s gone mad. But people in her hometown need help, especially a certain next-door teenager. Wishing she’d had someone looking out for her when she was young, Cynthia will do whatever it takes to protect the vulnerable, even if it means risking her life.

About the Author

 USA Today Bestselling author Lynne Marshall has penned thirty-seven books. She has written Medical Romance for Mills & Boon, contemporary romance for Harlequin Special Edition and digitally with TULE. Publishing independently, she writes Women’s Fiction where she explores the mysteries of life through endearing characters in unexplainable situations. Or, as she likes to call it, fiction for women of a certain age plus everyone who loves their nana.

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Your twenties and thirties are packed with big decisions, bigger emotions, and the pressure to somehow have life all figured out. But what if you didn’t have to learn every lesson the hard way?

In You Got This!, personal and professional development coach Lisa Bartley shares candid advice and empowering mindset shifts—through sharp honesty, laugh-out-loud moments, and the kind of wisdom that only comes with experience. Bartley tackles what no one prepares you for—setting boundaries, navigating relationships, rebounding from failure, and finding the courage to go after what you really want.

This is not a guide to becoming perfect. It’s a guide to becoming powerful on your terms.

If you’ve ever felt stuck or like everyone but you got the memo on adulthood, this book is your reminder that growth is messy, clarity takes time, and no, you’re not behind . . . you’re just getting started.

You Got This! is a must-read for every woman standing at the threshold of the rest of her life. It’s the permission slip, pep talk, and playbook every woman needs while figuring it all out.

Lisa Bartley is an author and award-winning speaker who helps women break free from their comfort zones and step into the strongest, truest versions of themselves.

You Got This! began as an attempt to record words of wisdom she wishes she’d heard in her early adult years. Now, in its completion, it stands as a legacy of lessons written for her daughter and for every young woman finding her way.

Lisa lives in Southern California where she prefers her hikes coastal, her wine bold, and her dinner parties unforgettable.

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@RABTBookTours #RABTBookTours #MontanaMatrimonialNews #CandaceSimar #HistoricalFiction

Digger Dancy paced back and forth across his soddy, ten steps from door to stove, eleven steps from table to bed. He had survived four long winters, and he would survive now. It was a matter of mental discipline. He focused on pleasant things: playing baseball in July, a keg of beer cooled in the river, turning the crank at the ice cream social, dancing to a polka band. Don’t think about Christmas coming. Don’t count the months until spring. Don’t worry about your brother. Read. Sing. Recite poetry. Read some more. Remember the poems you memorized in school. Listen my children and you shall hear of the midnight ride of Paul Revere. And the Bible verses you learned in church. Jesus wept. God is love. The Lord is my shepherd I shall not want. Get ahold of yourself.

Digger cracked open the door and peered out into the storm. A white curtain of blowing snow wrapped the world into a cocoon. He couldn’t see a thing. Yesterday, the storm roared out of Canada and dumped three feet of snow across Dakota Territory. Snow was still coming down. Icy cold robbed his breath. He slammed the door and added kerosene to the lamp. The earthen walls absorbed the light, leaving only a feeble glow.

He had sweet-talked his brother into homesteading the adjoining claim. They would share work and keep each other company. They would build their own life, away from their bossy mother and relatives. Sitting on a claim for five years was worth the title from Uncle Sam, in his opinion, but George suffered from melancholia. Dark winter days pushed him to the edge of sanity. George always snapped back in the spring, but even so, Digger worried about him. Lately he had been withdrawn and morose. As soon as the weather cleared, he would go check on him. Dear God, don’t let him do anything rash.

He pulled his chair next to the stove, rested his feet on the open oven door, and opened a Fargo Argosy that was almost old enough to vote. He reread a report of a baseball game. Homesteaders were too busy and too isolated to play much ball. Next summer he would convince his neighbors to play a game once in a while. It was the only thing he missed about Iowa. He didn’t miss his bossy mother or the town gossips. He didn’t miss everyone trying to tell him how to live his life.

About the Author

 Candace Simar likes to imagine how things might have been. She combines her love of history with her Scandinavian heritage in historical novels that examine the early days of Minnesota and North Dakota. “I write historical novels to share painless history lessons about the fascinating and unique history of our region.”

Her historical novels include: Sister Lumberjack, book five in the Abercrombie Trail Series (North Star Press, March 2024) Follow Whiskey Creek (Sweet Honey Press 2023) Escape to Fort Abercrombie (Five Star Cengage 2018) Shelterbelts (North Star Press 2015), Blooming Prairie (North Star Press 2012) Birdie (North Star Press2011) Pomme de Terre (North Star Press 2010), and Abercrombie Trail (North Star Press 2009). Her short story collections: Dear Homefolks (River Place Press 2017) and The Glory of Ordinary Time (Wolfpack Press 2018). Farm Girls (River Place Press 2013) is a book of poetry co-written with her sister, Angela Foster. Candace’s short stories have been published in the anthologies: Spoilt Quilt (Five Star Cengage 2020), Librarians of the West (Five Star Cengage 2021); and Why Cows Need Cowboys (Two Dot Press 2021).

Simar is a Spur Award winner and Spur finalist from the Western Writers of America for her Abercrombie Trail series. Shelterbelts was a finalist in both the Willa Literary Awards in Historical Fiction and the Midwest Book Awards. Escape to Fort Abercrombie holds a Will Rogers Gold Medallion and a Peacemaker Award from Western Fictioneers.

Her short stories and poetry have received awards from the Bob Dylan Creative Writing Contest, Lake Region Review, League of Minnesota Poets, National Federation of State Poetry Societies, Dust and Fire, and the Laura Awards for Short Fiction.

Candace enjoys sharing her research and writing with groups and book clubs across the nation.

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