Author: freelancewriterjannyc

Joining the book tour hosted by R&R Book Tours today I am happy to spotlight The Broken Darkness by Theresa Braun! Read on for more info about this gorgeous collection.

The Broken Darkness
Publication Date: January 26th, 2023
Genre: Dark Fiction/ Spec Fiction/ Short Story Collection
Publisher:  Gorgon Blood Press

In her debut collection, Theresa Braun explores the inner workings of the human heart and what it is we most desire—forgiveness, acceptance, love, fame, or merely to escape who we really are. Whether we are battling ghosts, demons, mythical monsters, the past, or other dimensions, we are really facing the deepest parts of ourselves. These thirteen tales of horror and dark fantasy may appear to be a matter of good versus evil, but they are all a reflection of the hidden corners of the soul that are often shades of broken darkness. The characters in these stories must face their inner and outer terrors, or else suffer the consequences.

Available on Amazon

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Theresa Braun has a Master’s degree in English literature and lives in South Florida where she has taught literature and writing for over 20 years. Traveling, ghost hunting and all things dark are her passions. In 2018 Unnerving released her horror novel Fountain Dead, a coming-of-age ghost story. Her short works have appeared in The Horror Zine, Sirens Call, Hardened Hearts, and Best Indie Speculative Fiction: November 2018, Double Barrel Horror (Volume 3) and Emporium of Superstition.

Follow Braun via Twitter | Facebook | Instagram

 

Pucker up your lips as this Thursday I am spotlighting along with Bursting Bookshelf Blog to spotlight Let Your Lips Twitch by R.A. Clarke!

Let Your Lips Twitch

Book Release: February 4, 2023

Synopsis

Comedy is everywhere if you allow yourself to see it—to feel it. It can be subtle or overt, dark or joyous, adorable or cheeky. Such ageless versatility is beyond compare. Curated with that in mind, author R.A. Clarke proudly presents sixteen humorous stories to the world.

Between these covers, you’ll find short fiction in several genres. Each tale is infused with unique characters and comical situations, some rooted in reality, others certainly not. Flip the page and join a jewel heist executed by bumbling thieves at a gastronomy party, meet a lowly soul gifted the fantastical chance to redo an all-consuming moment of regret, or sweat alongside a father as he realizes his daughter is growing up too fast. Turn another page, and you’ll enjoy clowning around while meeting Mr. Right, then zoom in on a perfectly focused meet cute, or feel Mother Nature’s wrath as a rebellious fishing excursion goes all kinds of wrong. There is something in this collection for everyone to enjoy, including eight never-before-seen stories.

Allow yourself to be entertained and whisked away. Let humour in all its glorious forms tempt your lips to move. Don’t fight the urge. Embrace it. Go ahead and let your lips twitch.

Buy Now on BookSirens and AMAZON

Listen to R.A. Clarke read an excerpt from Let Your Lips Twitch

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Author and illustrator Rachael Clarke grew up in Brandon, Manitoba, but always felt like a country girl at heart. A lover of nature and animals, and all things creative, she grew up writing poetry and drawing everything she admired in the world around her. In her youth, she published a few poems and short stories and often created custom drawings for family and friends. Her favorite subject in school was art… no shock there.

Rachael’s multi-genre short fiction – written under the pseudonym, R.A. Clarke

Rachael Clarke is currently working on her first YA fantasy novel, an adult science fiction novel, a sequel to her children’s chapter book, The Big Ol’ Bike, and several picture books. Plans for future novels are constantly sloshing around in her brain, wreaking havoc. There’s simply too many ideas and not enough time!

Follow R.A. Clarke

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/raclarkeauthor

Instagram: https://instagram.com/rachaelclarkewrites?igshid=YmMyMTA2M2Y=

Twitter: @raclarkewrites

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/19916621.Rachael_Clarke

Website: https://www.rachaelclarkewrites.com/

Youtube: https://youtube.com/@rachaelclarke9631

Newsletter Signup: http://eepurl.com/ih-3XH

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A jovial Thursday to you all as I have joined the book tour hosted by R&R Book Tours for Shades of Night (Book one of The Night Order Series) Let’s dive in!

Shades of Night (The Night Order Series #1)
Publication Date: December 4th, 2022
Genre: Dark Fantasy
Publisher: Eerie River Publishing

Fated for greatness; Destined for pain.
A prophecy of beauty, untold power and the strength to save them all.
They said I was destined to save every witch, my entire race, but life is never that cut-and-dried. I am Aramay Shenade, or Shade for short. After a demon attack left me scarred, the Night Order elders declared the prophecy was broken, discarded and my destiny along with it.
No longer tied to fate, my sister Dellena and I, chose our own path, cutting down every demon that crossed it. That was until the fateful day I pulled the demon-cursed Nora from the mud and the world around us began to unravel.
War is upon us and the demons are gathering. Now I must walk the path of a destiny I thought had abandoned me.
Will I be able to correct the tides of war before the demons destroy us all?
I can only hope those I hold dearest will not be sacrificed in the struggle.

Add it to GOODREADS AVAILABLE NOW ON Amazon

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Rachael Boucker doesn’t know how she got on this planet, but she sure doesn’t know how to get off it. She’s settled in the Forest of Dean UK, a hub for peculiar beings, with her human Richard (enslaved in a long-term relationship) and three hybrid semi-sentient miniatures. With a tentative connection to the hive mind, Rachael listens in on strange stories spanning multiple dimensions and passes these eavesdroppings off as fiction, mostly horror and fantasy. Sci-fi can be triggering, dredging up memories of the space-bound life she left behind, but she does occasionally indulge in this genre. Look out for her Night Order dark fantasy series published by Eerie River Publishing.

Visit Rachael Boucker at Rachael Boucker.

The Quiescence Trilogy is complete, but we are starting the trilogy back at book one with The Relics of Illayan!

The Relics of Illayan

Publication Date: November 2021

Genre: Fantasy/ Epic Fantasy

Publisher: Mad Endeavor

In the stillness, a power wakes

Caerlon is a kingdom where the power of Resonance has long been bound to a single bloodline, a single all-powerful ruler. Now, for the first time in centuries, the magic has been divided.

On the night of the new king’s coronation, something causes his magic to fracture, and Catanya, a young woman living on the outskirts of Caerlon discovers the long-kept secret of her connection to the throne.

Driven mad by his lust for power, King Cadyan sends his soldiers to hunt her down. He is determined to reclaim his birthright and uncover the truth about the legendary Relics of Illayan, which could hold the key to eternal power and immortality.

On the run, terrified and alone, Catanya must decide how—or even if—she can wield the magic of Caerlon to protect herself and save everyone she loves.

Add to Goodreads

Complete trilogy is available now

The Quiescence Trilogy

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Kathryn Knowles is a composer, cellist, conductor, and writer currently based in Toronto, Ontario. She splits her time between writing, teaching, conducting, composing, and running Mad Endeavour.

In her spare time, Kathryn enjoys taking on new creative projects (i.e. filling up that “spare” time), spending time with friends and family, tending her ever-growing plant collection (obsession), and looking at pictures of puppies and dreaming of the day she can have one of her own.

Learn more about Kathryn Knowles below:

Kathryn Knowles | Mad EndeavorInstagram | Mad Endeavor IG | Goodreads | BookBub

Just because you don’t drink doesn’t mean you can’t ring in the new year in style. Have fun and flavor with Mocktail Club’s non-alcoholic can drinks! These are exotic and tastefully yummy alternatives to the sugary alternative because these drinks are low in calories and actually good for you! Non-GMO and Vegan- friendly. Read on for my full review of Mocktail Club Non-alcoholic can drinks.

https://vocal.media/proof/ring-in-the-new-year-2023-with-mocktail-club-canned-drinks

CHEERS AND HAPPY NEW YEAR!

What better day to release your book than on your birthday! Happy birthday to author Whiney Dean! And happy book release day of A Kingdom of Frost and Fear read on!

A Kingdom of Frost and Fear (The Four Kingdoms #2)

Publication Date: December 6, 2022

Genre: Dark Fantasy/ Romance

Tropes: Arranged Marriage, Forced Proximity, Hidden Identity, Chosen Family, Dark Magic, Grumpy/Sunshine, Dual POV 

After years of wondering where she came from and what her story was, Raven received the answers she had been craving: she has a family and is the true heir to the throne of Seolia. But the answers she so hopelessly sought only bred more questions. As she digs deeper into her past, she wonders if maybe she should have stayed hidden in the shadows, safe from the pain and agony of knowing her happily ever after may not be so happy after all.

Zeke had been right all along: she hates him for what he’d hidden from her. Now, with Raven desperate to learn who she is, he’s desperate to win her back. But while still holding secrets of his own, doing so will come at a price he may not be able to pay.

And all the while, magic is slowly reawakening in the realm of The Four Kingdoms, and not a soul is prepared for the new black magic Raven is now in possession of.

This is book two of an epic dark fantasy adventure series and contains graphic and mature content scenes. Reader discretion is advised.

Now Available on Amazon

Also Available

A Kingdom of Flame and Fury (The Four Kingdom #1)

Publication Date: May 26th, 2022

Genre: Dark Fantasy/ Dark Romance

At ten years old, Raven was mysteriously willed to be the next ruler of Seolia, a kingdom nestled within the realm of The Four Kingdoms. Orphaned as a baby, she has spent fifteen years ruling over a kingdom she believes she did not earn, all while hiding secrets: she possesses dark magic, and she thirsts for blood. Now at almost twenty-five years old and with a sudden addiction to stealing life, Raven must fight through her newly procured darkness to save her soul, but when a mysterious stranger arrives in her kingdom, she starts experiencing vivid dreams that detail who she truly is. As she slowly starts to unravel her story, what she uncovers at the end of the spool will change the course of her life and her kingdom forever.

Free for KU

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Whitney was born in Fayetteville, Arkansas, and raised in Allen, Texas. She resides in a quaint little town in Arkansas with her husband, two children, and her labradoodle, Simba.

Her love of reading came from the Harry Potter series when she was seven years old and frequent trips to the most magical place on earth. Because of it, the fantasy realm has taken up residence in her brain for a very long time.

While her writings include real-life pain and angst, she is a fan of happily-ever-afters and always strives to bring that forth in her stories.

Whitney Dean | Instagram | Facebook | Amazon

Joining with R&R Book Tours for this special holiday book blitz Monday, let’s join our favorite veggie-eating T-Rex as he celebrates his very first Christmas!

The Littlest Dinosaur’s First Christmas (The Littlest Dinosaur Series)

Publication Date: September 5, 2022

Genre: Children’s Books/ Picture Books

The Littlest Dinosaur is excited to play in the snow for the first time. He wishes he could play in the snow forever, but Christmas is a busy time of year, and Mama Tyrannosaur has plans for those presents under the tree!

Available at The Littlest Dinosaur and on Amazon

ABOUT THE AUTHORS

Bryce Raffle was the lead writer for the video game studio Ironclad Games. He also writes stories for young adults and designs book covers.

Steven Kothlow is making his debut as a children’s book writer. He hopes to tell many more stories that help spread a message of diversity and inclusion, especially in children’s literature.

Tessa Verplancke is a sound designer by day and an illustrator by night. She lives to tell stories through as many mediums as possible.

A Kung Fu master becomes a Jesuit priest ordained as an exorcist fighting demons in the streets, demons in the souls of the possessed, and wrestling with his own. Inspired by Historical Events.

After their hit rom-com, Love N Quarantine, the indie film power duo David J. Espinosa and Craig Ahrens return to their supernatural roots (Evil Down The Street) (The Crumbs) with Demon Fighter.

A former martial artist and underground fight clubber, old habits die hard for Father Michael  (Mike) Martinez (John Ozuna), it seems. A priest by day, an underground fight club fighter, and city streets vigilante by night. Father Mike knows all too well the unknown evil that lurks in the world and in people, as we see in flashbacks to his childhood via his nightmares. When a stranger Hank Jefferson (Robert Crow), stops him asking for help for a friend and his family Father Mike reluctantly agrees. Now, Father Mike must prepare for a fight not only for their souls but for his own as well.

Written and directed by David J. Espinosa, his overall tone and direction here remind me of reading a Stephen King book. I always found the beginnings of his books a bit slow, but he keeps you engrossed enough not to shut the book, and by the end, boy, are you glad you didn’t. That is how I felt with Demon Fighter. Espinosa starts out a bit slow but keeps you enticed, rewarding you in the end. This is also thanks to the cast, who delivered impressive performances. Jeff Hatch (Nicolas Stark) and Jeanne Young (Vivian Stark) are powerful in their 180-degree performances. My breakout star, though, is Jeffery Battaion (Anthony Stark). When they are all praying in the end, and Battaion gets on his knees… oh boy! It wasn’t the line that struck me but how he delivered it. I felt it. I connected with it. I’ve watched many horror exorcism films but never not emotional over one. That is due to Espinosa, Ahrens (producer), and the cast.

Kudos also to the makeup crew of Dan Acosta and Robert Vargas. For being an indie film, I was impressed by their work and how they transformed beautiful Jeanne Young evil looking, though Hatch looked a bit like a purple spotted leopard on his body. I went with it, though. I got it; he was possessed.

The best BEST moment had to be when the neighbor friend(The brilliant NJ Brown) came in mid-exorcism asking if anyone wanted a burrito. I nearly fell out of my seat!

 Demon Fighter’s only downside is I wish Espinosa had the chance to expand the story more and delve deeper into the characters. As with indie and any film, there are always time and budget constraints. Demon Fighter showed that a bit. With a bigger budget and time, Demon Fighter could be more intense than it already was.  Still, it’s another good one under Ahrens and Espinosa’s belts.

WATCH TRAILER

WATCH DEMON FIGHTER ON  Amazon Prime / YOUTUBE /Tubi / VUDU and GOOGLE PLAY

My Rating 8/10

Happy Thursday! Today am spotlighting the sultry Peter Pan retelling The Heart of Neverland by Natalie J. Reddy. Joining with R&R Book Tours Let’s dive in!

The Heart of Neverland (The Neverwitch Chronicles #1)
Expected Publication Date: November 30th, 2022
Genre: Fantasy/ Romance/ Adventure/ Pirates/ Pan Retelling

One night.That’s all it takes to turn my life upside down. It’s not like I had the most stable childhood to begin with. Most of it was spent on the run from the villains in my mom’s head. It isn’t until after she’s murdered right in front of me that I realize maybe they weren’t in her head after all.
After her death, I go to stay with an uncle I didn’t know existed to try to make sense of my life and find some answers about who I really am. As I search for the truth, a guy named Peter shows up and makes it his mission to constantly get in my personal space. He’s gorgeous, flirty, and completely infuriating. And possibly not actually human or from this world.
The things he tells me sounds insane, and I don’t think I can trust him. It doesn’t matter that each heated touch draws me deeper into his web. Things like magic, pirates, and Peter Pan just aren’t real.

AVAILABLE ON AMAZON, ORDER HERE!

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Natalie J. Reddy is a Canadian Author who spends her days trying to escape reality by making up stories about the characters in her head.

Natalie realized at an early age that she had a passion for storytelling and that passion followed her into adulthood. She loves nothing more than to be pulled into a fictional world, whether it’s in her own writing or the writing of others. Natalie is the author of the Scar of Days Forgotten series, a New Adult Urban Fantasy series with characters who have supernatural abilities and dark and sometimes unknown pasts to overcome.

When she’s not writing, Natalie can be found having all sorts of real-life adventures with her husband and daughter or curled up with a good book and a cup of tea.

To keep up to date on upcoming books, subscribe to Natalie’s newsletter at nataliejreddy.com.

Follow Natalie at Natalie J. Reddy | Instagram | Facebook | Goodreads

While you’ve all seen my wizardry in informative writing. I thought I’d treat you all to my creative side. I home-school my son, who is autistic, and in his ELA class, he was to do 15 minutes of journal writing. To help motivate him, I sat next to him and said I would write too, and I wrote this little diddy (under 15 minutes at that). Per request, I read it to my boys at bedtime for their bedtime story. They loved it and said I should post it online. So for your reading pleasure, I present to you…

The Turkey That Loved Thanksgiving

Tibby The Turkey loved Thanksgiving. 

Insane! Do you say?

Well, let me tell you the story of Tibby The Turkey.

Tibby, just like any turkey, lived on a farm.

Wait, what did you say? Not all turkeys live on a farm. Some live in the wild, you say?

 Our Tibby lives on a farm (if that’s okay). Her friends were a barn cat, a goat, a cow, a rooster, and a dog named Libby.

Huh? Libby is not Tibby’s friend? What? Who told you that?! Sal, the mouse! Where did he come from?! Okay, whatever moving on.

Tibby’s life was content on the farm with everything a turkey could want, and Thanksgiving was Tibby’s favorite holiday.

How do you ask? Why! You ask?

Her owners were vegetarians, of course.