Worth The Effort Reviewed by Ashleigh ✓ book blogger

I found this story very enjoyable. I liked learning about Ayden and watching Ella grow.

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The Wolf and the Water Reviewed by rebeccacrunden ✓ author, ✓ book blogger

In Kepos, the story’s setting, our MC Kala is less than delighted by her mother’s remarriage after her father dies under questionable – at best – circumstances.

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The Century Blade Reviewed by rebeccacrunden ✓ author, ✓ book blogger

This short story was a good teaser for the series and I can't wait to dive into Never Die.

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The Pirates of Pepper Pot Point Reviewed by rebeccacrunden ✓ author, ✓ book blogger

Great pictures and fun alliteration, too!

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Golden Threads: Collection of Poetry Reviewed by rebeccacrunden ✓ author, ✓ book blogger

These poems are fantastic! Like, freaking awesome. So many lines grabbed me!

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If I Lie in a Combat Zone by Will Tinkham ✓ author

Ordered to inspect a suspected Viet Cong tunnel in November of 1968, Private Walt Whitman von Funck crawls inside and falls in love. And rips a hole in his foot. IF I LIE IN A COMBAT ZONE finds Zow spending eight months nursing him back to health, while her brother and grandfather conduct midnight raids and accumulate prisoners, including a general. During his convalescence, Walt and Zow wed; theirs is a love story that defies race, religion and military red tape. Upon his return to Chu Lai Air Base with his pregnant wife and six prisoners, Stars and Stripes declares Walt a hero. Awards follow. And plans for a Medal of Honor ceremony with President Nixon. Till a U.S. Army doctor declares the foot wound to be self-inflicted. Hailed, then jailed—repeatedly—Walt becomes a favorite of the anti-war crowd and a thorn in Nixon's side. Walt accepts offers to speak on college campuses. Protests involving gunfire and bombings become routine. It's almost as if they are targeting him.

The Living Waters by Dan Fitzgerald

Wonder swirls beneath murky water. When two painted-faced nobles take a guided raft trip on a muddy river, they expect to rough it for a few weeks before returning to their life of sheltered ease. But when mysterious swirls start appearing in the water, even their seasoned guides get rattled. The mystery of the swirls lures them on to the mythical wetlands known as the Living Waters. They discover a world beyond their imagining, but stranger still are the worlds they find inside their own minds as they are drawn deep into the troubles of this hidden place. The Living Waters is a sword-free fantasy novel featuring an ethereal love story, meditation magic, and an ancient book with cryptic marginalia. It is the first book in the Weirdwater Confluence duology; the second book, The Isle of a Thousand Worlds, comes out January 15 2022.

Crown of Aster by Emmaline Strange

When Adair first catches Nathaniel’s scent in his forest, he’s curious and aroused. He’s never smelled anything like it, and though the faun has been avoiding entanglements with humans for decades, he thinks the time might be ripe to make an exception. When Nathaniel first sets eyes on Adair, he’s terrified--and, to be honest, a little aroused. Learning that the forest near his village is full of mysterious fae folk has Nathaniel’s head spinning, and finding out the handsome faun now intent on courting him is the heir to the fae kingdom is, quite frankly, a lot to handle. However, their attraction is mutual and undeniable, and Nathaniel finds himself falling hard for the mysterious forest dweller. As they grow closer, Nathaniel learns that the trees he’s lived beside his entire life are full of secrets, magic—and danger. A dark new presence in the woods threatens the fae folk and the humans alike, turning the gentle fae wild and violent, Adair among them. For Adair and Nathaniel to protect their shared world, they must discover who is behind this force of wild magic before Adair and his kin are too far gone to save.

The Man and the Crow by Rebecca Crunden ✓ author, ✓ book blogger

Some witches curse, others are cursed. And sometimes, the cursed want revenge.

The Boss by J. Calamy

Nicholas Erickson is happy to be the smallest cog at the US Embassy in Singapore, a big step up from prison. Nick lives with a terrible secret: he killed a family of three in a traffic accident, for which he was imprisoned and became a pariah back home. The only threat to his second chance is the truth—and Nelson Graves. Shipping Magnate Lord Nelson Graves is secretly the head of crime syndicate Red Sky, making him the biggest arms dealer and drug boss in Southeast Asia. Graves is tired, lonely, addicted to opium, and trying to get his imploding crime syndicate back to business. There is a traitor in his organization and an old enemy is back on his tail. A romance builds between hot-headed, reckless Nick and unhappy, ruthless Graves. But nothing is that easy. Shoot-outs, bombings, and vindictive exes prove Nick’s past and Graves’s present may be a lethal combination.

A Sea of Pearls & Leaves by Rosalyn Briar

Princess Ingrid of Norella Isle does not want to get married. So, her priestess girlfriend, Lilura, devises a wicked plot to deter suitors with a nearly impossible marriage contract: should Ingrid die first, her husband must be buried at sea beside her. The plan backfires when all seven suitors agree, and the king announces a competition for Ingrid’s hand. Ingrid must keep her head above water as she deals with the suitors, a jealous girlfriend, and the news of two murdered priestesses. As the suitors are eliminated, one man stands out: the quirky and anxious Prince Soren who charms both Ingrid and Lilura. When Lilura goes missing, Ingrid and Soren must piece together who has murdered the priestesses and why before it’s too late. CW: This novel contains violence, sexual situations, and adult language.

The Fate of Stars by S.D. Simper

A devout mermaid. A disgraced princess. A feud as ancient as the gods Worlds collide when Tallora is kidnapped from her ocean home and forced to be a pet to a tyrannical foreign empire. Her only hope for rescue lies with a sworn enemy--Princess Dauriel, infamous for her stone heart and conflicted past. But when Dauriel's kingdom comes to the cusp of war, could their uneasy alliance be the key to defeating a common foe? Or will their growing feelings for each other lead them to ruin? From the world of FALLEN GODS comes a tale of ancient magic and cutthroat politics--and finding redemption through love.

River Magic by M.A. Phillips

Budding clairvoyant Lacey Moran seeks to understand her dreams and find her life’s purpose along the St. Lawrence River. If only her visions of silver arms and Cian O’Connor’s blue eyes were easier to understand! The pieces begin coming together when she encounters a mermaid in the river, joins a group of Druids, and opens herself to romance with an old friend. Can Lacey overcome her doubts, or is she in over her head?

Worth The Effort by Kai Strand

Ella Jones is a coward. There is a teen boy living in the alley behind her work and she is terrified of him. Desperate to leave behind the stereotypical and judgmental world she was raised in, Ella forces herself to make a true connection with seventeen-year-old Ayden Worth. As their friendship grows Ayden’s quiet, gentle ways teach her true courage. But there’s more to Ayden’s story than Ella knows. When their worlds collide in the most unexpected place, Ella feels betrayed. Will she find the courage to learn who Ayden really is, or will she determine he’s not worth the effort?

Somebody in the Neighborhood by Judy Moore

Dawn Andersen and her parents are horrified when her carefree Aunt Amy is found stabbed to death on the beach, the second woman to be murdered in the small oceanside town of Manatee Beach. The police have arrested a homeless man for the murders, but is he the real killer? Dawn, 25, makes the biggest decision of her life when she decides to leave her routine existence in Ohio to move into her aunt’s cottage a block from the ocean in South Florida.From the first night that Dawn arrives in Florida, the feeling of uneasiness never leaves her. There’s the strange man next door who always seems to be watching her. Married neighbors who were infatuated with her beautiful aunt. The nosy, too friendly mailman. A hooded figure who’s been lurking outside her house at night. As Dawn learns more about her aunt’s life in Florida, she becomes convinced that the murderer is closer than she ever imagined, that her aunt’s killer is actually somebody in the neighborhood.

A Book Signing To Die For by Judy Moore

Beck O’Rourke and her grandmother own Beach Reads bookstore and coffee shop, a gathering place for locals and tourists, a block off the ocean in Manatee Beach, Florida. They live above the bookstore with Beck’s feisty younger sister, Lizzie, a lifeguard. Beck is excited to host the country’s bestselling cozy mystery writer for a book signing event until a member of the audience turns up dead later that night. Afterward, Beck decides to pursue her lifelong dream of being a detective to try to catch the killer. The amateur sleuth finds several suspects, but the murderer isn’t happy about her interference. Neither is the town’s handsome new police detective who has a history with Beck.

The Goldilocks Planet by Paula Bernstein

Obstetrician Hannah Kline and her brand new fiancé, LAPD Detective Daniel Ross are about to begin house hunting, when Daniel is put in charge of a high profile murder investigation. Dr. Edwin Larramore was at the top of his game. A full professor of Astronomy at the prestigious Technological Institute, and a leader in the search for extra solar planets, he has just been awarded the Nobel Prize for an extraordinary discovery. Who would want to kill him? There turns out to be no shortage of suspects. The victim had an unhappy pregnant wife, an angry ex-wife, who is also his chief academic competitor, a jealous department chairman, and several under-appreciated and disgruntled graduate students. Daniel has his work cut out for him. Hannah has been very helpful in several of Daniel’s previous cases, but this time her hands are tied. Larramore’s pregnant wife is her patient, and medical ethics prevent her from telling all she knows. When Hannah discovers a crucial clue, and her patient’s pregnancy becomes high risk, Hannah has to resolve her conflicting loyalties.

Behind the Scenes by Sharmishtha Shenoy

Fading superstar of the Bengali film industry Ryan Gomez is poisoned to death while shooting for a film in the pretty hill town of Darjeeling. Sheila Dhar, the film’s beautiful female lead with whom Ryan had recently broken his engagement is the chief suspect. Sheila attempts suicide and is shifted to a hospital in Kolkata for treatment. The CID, Kolkata, takes over the investigation and the film crew is allowed to move back to the “City of Joy”. Though revenge for the broken engagement seems the obvious motive for the murder, there are several others who had reason to wish Ryan dead. Powerful film producer Rustom, the love of whose life ended up becoming Ryan’s first wife. Screenplay writer Allan, who was in danger of being fired from the production house thanks to a public tiff with Ryan. Acclaimed film director Paddy, who was in love with Sheila. Sheila’s mother, Jaya, who was strongly opposed to her marrying Ryan. The family of Ryan’s first wife, who bear a deep grudge against him. There are suspects galore, but the murderer has not reckoned with the tenacity of Vikram Rana.

A Death at Tippitt Pond by Susan Van Kirk

Secrets long buried surround the murder of teenage Melanie Tippitt. The daughter of a wealthy family in a small town, her lifeless body was found floating in Tippitt Pond in the summer of 1971. Six people were there that day, and one was convicted of her murder. Case closed. Now, forty-five years later, Beth Russell, a freelance researcher and genealogist, is brought to the town by a lawyer who believes Russell is the daughter of Melanie Tippitt and long-lost heir to the Tippitt fortune. Soon Beth finds herself surrounded by people who want her gone as soon as possible, people with a great deal to lose. The more they push, the more determined Beth is to discover the truth. With the help of a handsome detective, Beth vows to uncover what happened that day at Tippitt Pond. The ghostly presence of Melanie Tippitt, a stranger watching from the woods, and the discovery of secrets in Tippitt House make for a suspense-filled investigation where Beth discovers … A DEATH AT TIPPITT POND changed everything.

The Lost King by T.M. Kohl

She’s trapped on another world. With a strange voice in her head. What will it take to get back to Earth? Lauren Strauss wanted a normal life, but fate had another idea in mind. Plagued by bizarre dreams and questions about her family’s past, Lauren hopes the day of her college graduation will lead to her getting answers... When she’s caught up in a violent attack that rocks downtown Chicago, her mother arms her with a mysterious amulet which she will soon realize has a mind of its own. Tearing her from Earth and dropping her in an alien place, it abandons Lauren and leaves her to navigate this new world by herself. She will do anything to return home. But can she?