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BOOK SPOTLIGHT THURSDAY: Fairy Tales from the Underworld Part II by L.C. Moon

Catching my eye with such a detailed title, and the fact that I love dark fairy tale retellings. Fairy Tales for the Underworld Part II (The Buried Tale: Star Crossed Lovers) by L.C. Moon is getting my spotlight treatment this week! Let’s Read on!

Do you know who you are?

Fairy Tales from the Underworld Part II The Buried Tale ( The Star-Crossed Lovers )

Release Date: December 2025

Genre: Fantasy Romance/Erotica

💜fairy tale fantasy
💜Star-crossed Lovers
💜 Revenge Plot
💜 Enemies to Lovers
💜 Morally grey MMC
💜 Hidden pasts & secrets
💜 Emotional Angst


Not all children are born equal. To say otherwise is a lie. So much is decided for us upon birth. Our name. The skin we live in. The family we're born into. A war-torn country… or a Beverly Hills ZIP code. So much of what shapes us lies beyond our control.
What of our choices? Do they not define us? Or is it the inner child we sacrificed to survive who holds the secrets to who we are?

Laura Malkin went through hell and came out crowned in flames. In the shadowed alleys of Montreal's Underworld, they all whisper the same words: "Beware the Purple Witch and her Little Wolves..."

And so, our tale begins again. Not where the last chapter ended, but where the pieces have landed. After all the lines were drawn, and the dust settled.
The Son of Snow… meets the Daughter of Sand.

(*Please note, this book contains graphic sexual content and deals with heavy subject matter, suitable for readers 18+.)

AMAZON

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Canadian author L.C. Moon explores the themes of trauma, identity, and fate in her series Fairy Tales From the Underworld. A fan of Gothic fiction, domestic thrillers, character-driven stories, and epic sagas alike, Moon blends elements from various genres to craft deeply immersive tales featuring complex protagonists.

Her writing has been described as raw, evocative, and thought-provoking.

Learn more at https://www.fairytalesfromtheunderworld.com/

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BOOK SPOTLIGHT THURSDAY: Bound by the Sky by Megan G. Elisabeth

“Treasure Planet” meets “Final Fantasy” in this fast-paced romantic fantasy by Mega G. Elisabeth. Read on as I spotlight BOUND BY THE SKY.

Bound by the Sky (Aether & Industry Book 1)

Release Date: January 28, 2026

Genre: Romantic Fantasy

Featuring
⦁	Sky pirate romantasy
⦁	Steampunk world
⦁	Found family
⦁	Morally grey MMC
⦁	Touch her and die
⦁	Dual POV 
⦁	Forbidden romance
⦁	Treasure Planet vibes


The sky brought them together.
The storm could tear them apart.

While pirate ships and floating cities soar overhead, Amaya Sinclair’s feet are planted on the ground. But when a violent tragedy results in her abduction by a villainous Sky Lord, her once-clear path vanishes underfoot. In its place, she finds a beautiful, unforgiving world that challenges everything she believes about herself and her future.

William Lexington has spent over a decade carving out a space for himself among the clouds, at the cost of his identity and ideals. When a twist of fate lands Amaya on his airship, he writes her off as a pretty inconvenience—until he realizes she’s the only thing standing between his monstrous former mentor and a brutal new era.

Caught in a fight to live on their own terms, Amaya and Will’s growing connection calls every priority into question. As the enemy’s looming shadow darkens, their race to control forces best left untouched reveals that much more than their lives are at stake.
Welcome aboard the Maelstrom. Enjoy the view—and don’t get killed.
AMAZON

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Megan G. Elisabeth has spent most of her life obsessing over stories and exploring the many different ways they can be told. Her passion for storytelling has led her to pursue disciplines like dance, theater, music, screenwriting, and design, but books and the written word are her deepest love—especially when they contain a dash of whimsy. When not writing, Megan loves experimenting with mixed-media crafts, adding to her book collection, and generally avoiding the outdoors. She lives in Virginia, where she works in humanitarian aid marketing and communications.

Follow Megan on Instagram @megwritesalot

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BOOK SPOTLIGHT THURSDAY: The Blood That Binds Us by Erin Mainord

Caught in our Spotlight today is The Bound by Blood series, which got a serious glow-up. Thus, we are showcasing the first book in the series, THE BLOOD THAT BINDS US.

The Blood that Binds Us (Bound by Blood #1)

Release Date: January 15, 2026

Genre: Dark Romantasy

Designers: @dreamechodesigns & @giulia_fw.arts

Featuring
⦁	Captor/captive
⦁	Enemies to lovers
⦁	Touch her and die
⦁	Tension & angst


A vow sworn in duty.
A love stained in blood.

Wren has never stolen a life, but that doesn't stop her from believing her darkness makes her a walking nightmare. Harboring a power so lethal, unpredictable, and entirely forbidden by kingdom law, Wren's spent her whole life hiding who she is—what she is. A bloodwitch.
Meanwhile, a war is looming, and Wren's feral magic may be the only thing that can stop the uprising from destroying the kingdom, her home, and everyone that stands in their way. After her sister is captured by the rebellion, Wren must seek help from her kingdom's ruler, the dark mage whose magic is as bloodthirsty as her own. Oath-bound to protect his kingdom from bloodwitches, he would sooner destroy her than offer aid, except... Singard needs her, and when she volunteers the use of her power in exchange for his help finding her sister, an unlikely alliance is born.

Forced into a reluctant compromise with the "white-haired witch," Sin finds himself protecting Wren for his kingdom's survival, but their star-crossed relationship quickly spirals into one straddling the precipice of hate and passion. As secrets are unveiled and loyalties are tested, neither are sure who they can trust.

When hostilities deepen and war draws near, Wren is determined to rein in her wild magic and bind it to her will. With the lives of everyone she loves at stake, Wren must look within and decide if she is the monster she fears, or if there is light to be found in the darkest parts of herself.

Content Warnings: 
The Blood That Binds Us is a dark fantasy with mature themes

GET IT ON AMAZON!

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Erin is a lover of all things fantasy and more than a little obsessed with morally gray characters. She holds a degree in Film and Media Studies but has shifted her focus to her one true love: writing novels set in fantastical places with dark, twisty romance. A self-proclaimed iced coffee enthusiast, you can often find Erin writing in local cafes, poorly singing along to the radio in any coffee drive-through, or rewatching The Vampire Diaries with a cold brew in tow. An avid traveler, Erin has lived all over the country, but Alaska and the Pacific Northwest has a special place in her heart. The Blood That Binds Us is her debut novel, and she looks forward to writing more stories where the “villain” gets the girl.

Follow Erin on IG: @erinmainordauthorTikTok at @erinmainordauthor

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BOOK SPOTLIGHT THURSDAY: The Skeleton Faerie by A.P. Mobley

It’s my birthday, and I am back spotlighting THE SKELETON FAERIE by A.P. Mobley! The cover caught my eye! It’s fantastic as Faerie folklore meets a nuclear post-apocalypse in this dark mythological fantasy woven with secrets, treachery, and star-crossed lovers!

Let’s dive in deeper!

The Skeleton Faerie (Children of the Death Gods Book 1)

Release Date: November 8, 2025

Genre: Dark Fantasy

Features

⦁	star-crossed lovers
⦁	emotional scars
⦁	different worlds
⦁	hidden identity
⦁	postapocalyptic settings
⦁	magical powers
⦁	mythology and folklore
⦁	faeries and monsters
⦁	portals to the otherworld

Ninety-nine years after the Nuclear War of 1989, twenty-one-year-old Gus Brandon should only be interested in the survival of humanity and the expansion of his compound. But he’s obsessed with legends from the distant past, superstitions of an expired people.
While searching forbidden ruins for the scraps of stories lost to time, he stumbles upon a mysterious young woman covered in scars. Her name is Saoirse, and their meeting sets off a bloody chain of events—one in which Gus discovers that the folklore he loves just might be real, and that it’s tied to mankind in ways he could have never imagined.
Soon the lines between myth and reality blur, as do the lines between realms.
Gus will have to rely on his knowledge—and Saoirse—to survive the horrors awaiting him… in this world and the next.
GET IT NOW

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

A. P. Mobley is the Halloween-loving, rock-music-obsessed author of dark fantasy inspired by mythology. She doesn’t only write about her favorite myths, folktales, and fairy tales in books, though; she discusses them on her podcast, Myths (& Folktales & Fairy tales), as well as on her blog and newsletter. She grew up in Wyoming and Nebraska and currently lives in South Dakota, and when she’s not up to her elbows in research for her next project, she can be found consuming dangerous amounts of coffee, reading speculative fiction, or rewatching The Good Place.

To learn more about A.P. and her books, follow her on Instagram @author_apmobley

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BOOK REVIEW: The Folly of Relics by Nikki Meeks

The last book review of 2025! I got this book back in September(2025), having bought it directly from the author herself. I had promised I’d review her book, as supporting and promoting indie authors is what I do. Keeping my promise amidst the chaos that life can be, I am delighted to bring you my review for “THE FOLLY OF RELICS.”

The Folly of Relics

Published: April 1, 2023

Genre: Fantasy/ YA fantasy/ YA fantasy romance

Pages: 387

Synopsis – 

In the search for his relic, a young demon must find the courage to face the one thing he has been avoiding, but is it possible for Victor to truly love?

Victor Ledger is next in line to rule over the noble Ledger demon clan. Before he can undergo this process, he must first overcome the biggest distraction to all young demons — the human world.

Destroying his relic and any smidge of emotion is his only goal, or at least it was until he stumbled upon Leah with her beautiful green eyes and reserved demeanor. The undeniable attraction comes with a slew of questions… What is she? Why can’t he leave her alone? Does she know what he is?

No demon can prepare for the intensity of human emotions that its relic awakens. Will Victor be able to overcome this? Find out which path he will follow as he discovers what his relic truly means.

AMAZON

REVIEW

Drawn in with a lustful opening, The Folly of Relics is a fan girl’s dream. It’s like Japanese anime meets K-drama, and I was all for it. Victor and Leah are a swoon-worthy couple as the story is told through Victor’s eyes. You see, Victor is a demon here in the human world, finding and ridding himself of his relic, which will quell any desire to dwell in the human world and to take his place as heir to the Ledger demon clan. Victor finds his relic, and he also finds Leah. Drawn to her, he doesn’t know why. Demons can’t love as humans do…can they? Does it even matter when Victor finds out Leah comes from a powerful bloodline of exorcists who could banish him back to hell? Or that hell is coming to the human world to make sure he does as he is supposed to. 

Okay, I really enjoyed this book. The overall tone and voice drew me into the story the deeper I went. I started reading on December 21st, and I finished on December 27th. Meeks drew me in with the most horney exposition I have ever read. Victor burst onto the scene with a hankering, if you know what I mean. To avoid being misleading on the spice scale, I’d give The Folly of Relics a spice rating of maybe 1 to 2 🌶️🌶️ on a scale of 1 to 5, with one being low and five being high. Meeks starts with spicy moments, but then closes the curtain on us, which was a bit of a bummer. I kind of wanted a bit more. There was also a bit of overall vagueness throughout, for example, what is with the demons and their relics? I wish it were fleshed out more. Also, why are demons in the human world to begin with? Who are these exorcist people?  Maybe it will get answered in a second book? It did end open-ended, so fingers crossed. Nikki Meeks, if you are reading, I need a second book with these characters! 

Therefore, my rating is 4 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐/5 stars.

Find your copy of The Folly with Relics at:

Original Cover Art:  Amazon 

Original or Revised Cover Art  Powell’s Books and ESTY

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BOOK REVIEW: Red Summer by Ana Lee

Gifted a copy to review, Red Summer is filled with a unique, gritty Southern Gothic flair, set against the vibrant backdrop of New Orleans. Red Summer gives you hints of a high school Harry Potter orPercy Jackson.

Red Summer (Stone and Scale Book 1)

Published: August 4, 2025

Genre: Urban fantasy, Contemporary Fantasy/ Paranormal fantasy

Ages: Older Young Adult/ Adult Readers

Synopsis –

Seventeen-year-old Wilder Ansley is being followed. By who? He hasn’t got a clue. By people and creatures no one else can see. That’s a good enough place to start.

To make matters worse, he’s also able to do things that make no sense at all — like unintentionally setting fire to his foster brother’s bed, without the help of a lighter or matches.

Wilder prides himself that recently, aside from a few unfortunate incidents, he’s been able to keep whatever happens when he loses his cool mostly under control. That is until a freak lightning storm alerts the mysterious New Orleans Council to his whereabouts.And his burgeoning abilities.

Within hours, Wilder is thrown headfirst into a whole new world, hidden behind a Shroud, and it feels more like home than he cares to admit. Despite his initial hesitations, Wilder finds friendship, and maybe something more, among these new strangers. But it turns out uncovering his place in the Eadar might be harder than he thought. Wilder must force himself to face the truth about who everyone else believes him to be—all while a decades long war escalates within and beyond the Shroud, threatening not only the Eadar and his new found friends, but the human world he’s left behind.

REVIEW

Red Summer: Stone and Scale is “Harry Potter” meets “Percy Jackson” on Bourbon Street. Our hero here is Wilder, an orphan with a reputation for so-called trouble. Things happen around Wilder, and oh, there are those creatures he sees that no one else can. When another episode occurs, landing a foster sibling in the hospital, Wilder’s future looks slim. When he decides to run away, only to encounter and follow an annoying owl, Wilder enters into a whole new realm, and that is in the midst of a war to discover who and what he is. It’s up to Wilder now and his newfound friends to help protect the magical worlds as well as learn more about himself.

GET IT NOW AMAZON

Red Summer was a fun read. It reminded me of a darker take on Harry Potter or Percy Jackson, yet it was its own thing as well. Our protagonist, Wilder, is a good character, and I love his progression as a character so far. Lee also creates a lovely world-building, with the human realm and the magical realm,  filled with lycans (werewolves), fae, vampires, witches, halfbreeds, and more. If you feel you’ve outgrown “Harry Potter” or “Percy Jackson?” Graduate to the grit and magic of Red Summer: Stone and Scale.

My rating is 4 out of 5 stars. ⭐⭐⭐⭐/ 5

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Ana Lee is the debut author of Red Summer—the first novel of the upcoming dark, gritty, and fast-paced epic contemporary fantasy series, Stone and Scale.

Ana lives in Charlotte, North Carolina, where she spends her time reading, writing, or dreaming about reading and writing.

Her influences include (but are definitely not limited to) Cassandra Clare, Rebecca Yarros, Sarah J. Maas, Leigh Bardugo, J.K. Rowling, C.S. Lewis, and J.R.R. Tolkien.

Follow Anna and her books at @analeewriters on Instagram.

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BOOK SPOTLIGHT THURSDAY: I Played My Best for Him! By Olapeju Simoyan

It’s a ho, ho, ho-liday book spotlight this Thursday as I am spotlighting the holiday historical, I Played My Best For Him!: The Inspiring Stories Behind The Little Drummer Boy and Other Christmas Favorites. It welcomes readers to learn the fascinating true stories behind how their favorite holiday classics came to be. Ideal for that history or musical history lover in your life, I Played My Best for Him delves into how such classic holiday songs like “O Holy Night”, “Joy to the World,” and “Silent Night” were birthed by each composer and lyricist. Including the “Little Drummer Boy” when the title is inspired by.

 Olapeju said, “The stories behind these songs are as moving as the music itself. In 2023, I recorded an album featuring 13 popular Christmas songs, and this book is a collection of essays that tell the inspiring stories behind those songs.”

I Played My Best for Him (The Inspiring Stories Behind The Little Drummer Boy and Other Christmas Favorites

Published: October 30, 2025

Genre: Books, Music, Musical genre, Sacred hymns

Pages: 100

This second edition has a new foreword by Dr. Mary Rorro, Chair of the American Medical Women’s Association’s Music and Medicine Committee, as well as a new postscript.

This collection of essays complements the album “Peju Sings! The Little Drummer Boy and Other Christmas Favorites,” which features thirteen Christmas songs recorded by the author and was first released in 2023. In this book, the author explores the stories behind each song, delving into the lives of the lyricists and composers, the context in which the songs were written, and other intriguing details. Readers will gain a fresh perspective on beloved carols like “O Holy Night” and “Silent Night” as they uncover their rich history. The themes of hope and peace that resonate through these timeless songs are also reflected in newer classics like “Feliz Navidad,” which transcended cultural barriers to become a bilingual favorite.

This book’s educational content will appeal to a broad audience, including those who may not celebrate Christmas. For those who do, it offers surprising insights into the origins of some of their favorite carols. No matter your background, this book invites you to be inspired by its stories and enjoy its message of celebration and reflection year-round.

GET IT BY CHRISTMAS! AMAZON

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Dr. Olapeju Simoyan (a.k.a. The Doctor Writer and The Doctor Singer) is an addiction medicine physician, professor and longtime advocate for the intersection of art and science. She helped establish medical humanities programs at Geisinger Commonwealth School of Medicine and Reading Hospital, and has served as editor of several literary journals.

She combines her writing and photography in The Amazing World of Butterflies and Giraffes are Amazing. Her other books include the devotional Living Foolproof! Wisdom for Daily Living and the academic memoir Girls Become Doctors and Much More. Along with Dr. William Santoro, she co-authored Navigating the Methadone Maze: A Guide for Patients and Professionals.

Follow Olapeju www.thedoctorwriter.com and on Instagram @drsimo1, or LinkedIn at Olapeju SImoyan, MD, MPH

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Book Review: A Very Pagan Christmas by JC Brown and Lena Lane

Feeling festive? Instead of a Book Spotlight yesterday, I bring you today a holiday book review! Join me as we check out A Very Pagen Christmas by JC Brown and Lena Lane!

Title: A Very Pagan Christmas

Author(s): JC Brown and Lena Lane

Genre: Holiday Romance, paranormal romance

Release Date: June 27th, 2025

Format: Kindle

Pages: 105

Nicholas is a veterinarian and a man of science. He has no patience for the nonsense of natural remedies and herbal fix-it-alls. So when he meets Dahlia, an employee of The Blueberry Apothecary, he’s disappointed that she’s a believer of magical nonsense. But their worlds keep colliding.

As a born witch, magic is everywhere in Dahlia’s world, even in her blood. But considering the history between humans and witches, she hides it from everyone. And the sexy vet who’s taking care of her familiar is no different. It’s too bad, though, since he’s so cute.

Can their words come together? Or will their differences tear them apart?

Available on AMAZON

REVIEW

A Very Pagan Christmas is not my normal read. I usually run away from holiday romances like the black plague. I must say, though, A Very Pagan Christmas was surprisingly charming. We meet Dahlia and her feisty familiar calico, Theo. When Dalia thinks Theo is sick, she takes her to the vet, where she meets the hunky vet Nicolas. Nick is drawn to Dahlia, but when he learns she works at the Blueberry Apothecary, which sells herbal remedies, he becomes hesitant about his feelings cause she really can’t believe in that witch stuff, can she? Oh, but she does.

Nick and Dahlia keep crossing paths, though, and their banter is quite hilarious because Nick doesn’t believe in magic and Dahlia does. When Nick’s brother, a priest, asks the Apothecary to help in a fundraiser, Nick flips out because how can a Pagan go into a church? Dahlia mifed attend decked all out in witchy attire. I just love Dahlia, by the way!

 I did, though, have an issue with it ending flatly. The book led me through the exposition, rising action, and climax so well, but then faltered in the resolution. Still, A Very Pagan Christmas is a great Sunday-afternoon quick read that will delight your holiday romance fancy. 

My Rating: ⭐ ⭐⭐1/2 out of /5 stars

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BOOK SPOTLIGHT THURSDAY: Sage Haven by Paige Alexandra

I like Sage, so seeing the recent release of SAGE HAVEN by Paige Alexandra, it got picked to be in the spotlight this Thursday! It is book one in what is The Black Sigil of Naphal. Let’s dive in!

Sage Haven (The Black Sigil of Naphal) 

Release Date: November 19, 2025

Genre: Dark Romance

Feartures

• Dual-POV
• First in a Series
• Forced Proximity
• Forbidden Love
• Secret Pasts/Secret Society
• Trauma Recovery/Mental Health Rep
• Morally Gray MMC
• Captor/Captive Dynamic/Kidnapping
• Dark Romance
• Slow Burn
• BDSM
• Music as a Healing Element
• Redemption Arc
• He Calls Her "Wildflower"

SAGE
I ran to disappear. Providence was supposed to be a quiet and untouched place. A fresh start. But then I met Reich Davidian. Nothing escapes his gaze. Every word from his lips is a blade. And even as instinct begs me to turn away, something in me keeps finding its way back to him. But I know that every storm hides a calm at its core. And I think I’ve found his.
The only question is if it will be the end of me.

REICH
I was made to destroy monsters. But she isn’t one of them. Instead, she’s the complication that could ruin everything.Sage Holquinn is untamed, broken, and reckless enough to trespass on my property without realizing whose territory she’s stepped into. I should’ve turned her away. But distance is no longer an option.
She thinks she’s escaping the darkness.
She doesn’t realize she’s running straight into mine.
GET TODAY ON AMAZON

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

My stories are an exploration of the human psyche, where trauma leaves permanent marks, love is both salvation and ruin, and survival often means surrendering to the darkness before clawing your way back to the light. I write for those who have lived through silence, for those who understand that healing is messy, brutal, and sometimes beautiful in its destruction.

In my worlds, nothing is black and white. Love coexists with obsession. Safety comes at a cost. And the past never stays buried. I believe in stories that haunt you long after the last page, where psychological horror bleeds into reality, and the line between devotion and destruction is razor-thin.

If you’ve ever felt broken and kept going anyway, these stories are for you.

Follow Alexandria at: @authorpaigealexandria on instagram or www.paigealexandria.com

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BOOK SPOTLIGHT THURSDAY: The Shadowless by R.J. Garcia

Happy Thanksgiving to all who celebrate! In the spotlight on this special Thursday is a book you might want on your holiday wish list! The Shadowless (At the Corner of Eden and Darkness Book One) by R.J. Garcia. Let’s check it out!

The Shadowless (At the corner of Eden and Darkness Book One)

Release Date: November 26, 2025

Genre: Dark Romantasy

Features
🥀 Modern faery tale vs real-life suspense
🥀 White and black magic
🥀 Family dysfunction
🥀 Hidden realms
🥀 He falls first
🥀 Twists and turns

Mae Dawson returns to her family’s cabin to look for her missing sister. One night, she goes to sleep only to awaken in the depths of the woods surrounded by eerie and indiscernible voices, which lead her to her sister’s grave.

Trying to piece her life back together, Mae juggles college and a romance with her best friend-turned-boyfriend, Benji. Yet, everything unravels when strange late-night calls come from beyond, and a malevolent force begins to invade her friends.

Adding to her unease is the presence of a mysterious stranger, Brandon Sills, who seems to lurk in the shadows, watching her every move. Despite the warning bells ringing in her mind, Mae feels an inexplicable attraction to him.

As mortal and magical forces conspire against her, Mae must trust Brandon to uncover the secrets of the fae—secrets that could change her life forever, if she is able to survive.

Get it now on AMAZON

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

R.J. Garcia is a wife and proud mom of two smart kids. She earned her MSW and worked with foster children and as a school social worker. Writing has been her other great love. She has been writing short stories for as long as she can remember. To her amazement, those short stories became novels!

Follow R.J. and her books at @writer_rjgarcia