BOOK REVIEW: Barron Midnight Unearthed by Dblkrose

Barron Midnight Unearthered

Published: July 12th, 2025

Genre: Supernatural horror/ Fantasy/Suspense/Black African Mystery Thriller

When justice lies dormant, the dead will not.

In the haunted heart of Tremé, where ancestral spirits whisper through jasmine-flavored smoke and secrets hang heavier than the southern air, Gabriel Saint-Croix—a criminology student raised on ghost stories and generational grief—is caught between the worlds of the living and the dead, uniquely tethered by both bloodline and belief. A criminology student with a legacy soaked in flood waters and betrayal, Gabriel is drawn into a web of lies surrounding his father’s mysterious death—a case sealed shut since Hurricane Katrina.

But when his search for truth nearly kills him, something hungry awakens to answer his call.

Reborn through ritual and rage, Gabriel awakens as Baron Midnight—a vessel of vengeance clad in myth and shadow. Now wielding power born of grief, grave dirt, and ancestral justice, he must confront a corrupt police force, a network of conspirators, and the question that haunts his soul: Can true vengeance ever set you free?

Steeped in Southern Gothic mysticism and Afrofuturist lore, Baron Midnight: Unearthed is a novella of rebirth and reckoning, where family, legacy, and truth converge in a tale as sharp as a sickle and as enduring as time.

REVIEW

New Orleans gets its supernatural vigilante in Baron Midnight Unearthed. It’s Candyman meets “The Crow,” yeah, that is it, in this spellbinding debut novella by Dblkrose. You see, Madame Norie is known for her spiritual guidance. When her deceased police officer son’s ex-partner comes unexpectedly into her parlor with his girlfriend for a reading, Madame Norie learns the truth about her son’s so-called accidental death. When her grandson, a rising college student in criminology, discovers his father was murdered, he starts digging, only to get brutally beaten to near death. Justice, vengeance cry out, and Baron Midnight hears.

Considering I read and promote books for a living, reading has lately felt like a job, rather than an enjoyment. I have to say, Barron Midnight Unearthed brought back that joy. While the book is only 100 pages long, I was thoroughly engrossed and surprised to have finished it in just 4 hours while waiting in the waiting room with my kids at therapy. I love it when a book reads like a film in your mind as you read, and that is how Baron Midnight reads.

Dblkrose’s writing style is smooth as jazz with great dramatic breath. Not overly descriptive, he provides just enough to let your imagination flourish and fill in the rest, even with the action scenes! Each slash is written so poetically. He does everything right because he is a storyteller. Not a writer. Not an author. A storyteller. Many might claim they are, but very few truly grasp the true nature of the honored title. I thought storytellers were a dying breed, but no, our ancestors still thrive in this crazy time we live in.

Baron Midnight Unearthed has a modern, folksy paranormal mystery cadence that captivates and holds you, pulls you in until the end. The story takes place in the Treme neighborhood in New Orleans, which I had never heard of. More proof this guy is a storyteller, as all stories teach us something.

Overall rating ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐(Five stars)

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Carlton DeCosta, writing as Dblkrose, is a veteran, visionary, and founder of Black Spyder Publishing. Born in Okinawa, Japan, and raised in North Carolina, he brings a global perspective to grounded, genre-bending storytelling rooted in grief, legacy, and transformation. A Navy veteran with a deep love for horror, fantasy, manga, and folklore, Carlton channels his lived experiences into narratives that haunt, heal, and demand remembrance. Baron Midnight: Unearthed is his declaration of narrative intent—where ancestral trauma meets supernatural justice in the shadows of New Orleans.

Learn more about Carlton and his writing at https://www.blkspyder.com/

Follow him on Instagram @dblkrose

July 17, 2025July 16, 2025

BOOK REVIEW: The Afterlife Experiment by Sam Weiss

A bit of a change this Thursday. As I bring you a book review!

ABSOLUTELY MIND-BENDING!

The Afterlife Experiment (The Altered Planes Book 1)

Published: October 10, 2023

Genre: Dark fantasy/Sci-fi- horror/ American horror

Pages: 310 pages

Reality ends where madness begins.

Atra Hart’s shadow has grown teeth. It moves on its own and whispers her name. She calls it Dread, and it threatens to devour her mind.

When a fire breaks out at the asylum where she’s locked up, Atra seizes the chance for freedom, only to witness an electric-purple rift split the sky open. Like Dread, the rift is visible only to her.

Then, she awakens back in the asylum, unharmed, as if the fire, the escape, and the rift never happened. But everything feels wrong. No one remembers her old life. Her family, her friends—even her past—have vanished. The doctors insist she’s delusional, but the messages scribbled on the mirrors suggest otherwise. The darkness beneath her bed whispers secrets. And the black cat that watches from where the veils thin? It doesn’t belong here.

As Atra ventures deeper into the mystery, she uncovers a chilling truth: this isn’t an asylum. It’s a trap woven between broken realities. The rift isn’t a vision. It’s a crack in the barrier between worlds, and something is trying to come through. Dread isn’t a hallucination. It’s a harbinger, connected to something ancient that moves between realities like a parasite, searching for a perfect host.

If Atra can’t sever her connection to Dread, she won’t just lose her grip on sanity—she’ll become the vessel that lets the horror in. She’ll open the door to something that could end reality itself.

REVIEW

As I prepared to receive my ARC for the upcoming book, “In the House of Root and Rot” (book two in the Altered Planes Trilogy), I had to read book one, which the author had kindly gifted me as well. This book mind *ucked me and I liked it!

We are introduced to Atra, who has spent most of her life in an asylum. She sees a dark shadow companion whom she calls Dread, which no one else can see. We also meet Tom, her father, who had abandoned Atra, leaving her for dead after a sinister experiment went wrong.

A rift has opened in the fabric of time, and only Atra, Tom, and some others can see it. An ancient evil wants to break through. Atra has the final piece it needs.

Think Stranger Things meets Sliders meets The Travellers or Fringe. I don’t know! This book makes you question the very reality you are reading! This is the very first book where I couldn’t predict what would happen next! THE VERY FIRST! I was reading for my sanity, so there was that. These characters become you.

I love unreliable characters, and Weiss delivers cause this whole book is full of them. The ending leaves you craving what is next. What horrors and madness await us in the next book? Stay tuned, as I’m set to read the second book “In the House of Root and Rot” soon!

My overall rating is 5⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐out of 5 stars. This book gave me a trip, no drugs needed.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Sam was named after a dog, a fact her mother disputes to this day.

While she’s terrible at writing “About Me”s about her, she’s been told she’s great at writing about what fictional people do. The more miserable she can make them, the better.

Her love of horror films from the 80s, sci-fi shows from the 90s, and alternative music from the 00s have inspired her to write what she’s calling “Dark Science Fantasy” although she’s kind of making that up as she goes along.

When she’s not ready to pull her hair out after discovering another plot hole she’s created, she goes camping with her husband as far away from society as possible. So far, this tactic has been mostly successful and she’s only had to physically converse with a grand total of nine people this year. Next year, she hopes to get that number down to six.

Follow Sam and her books on IG @Weiss Author 🇨🇦

Get The Afterlife Experiement today!

July 10, 2025July 7, 2025

Book Spotlight Thursday: NEVERMORE by Monique Shepherd

Caught in my book spotlight today is the best-selling spicy forbidden age-gap college romance, NEVERMORE by Monique Shepherd. Intrigued? Let’s take a look!

Nevermore: A Forbidden Age-Gap College Romance

Release Date: May 20, 2025

Genre: Dark Romance

Features
🐦‍⬛ Forbidden age-gap M/F
💜 Broody Professor X College student
🐦‍⬛ Edgar Allan Poe Vibes
💜 He falls FIRST
🐦‍⬛ Touch her and 💀
💜 BDSM Exploration
🐦‍⬛ Impact play
💜 S/X in a library 📚🥵

“Sometimes the most forbidden fruit is the sweetest.”

Kieran McKnight: Ten years ago, my world crumbled around me. Losing my wife turned me into a shell of a man, stuck teaching entitled Ivy League brats by day and drowning my pain in meaningless sex by night. The club has saved me countless times, until she walks into my classroom. There’s something behind the pain in her eyes that pulls me in, and even though I know she’s forbidden, I can’t stay away, no matter how hard I try.

Deirdre Ravencroft: For the last year, I’ve been running from my tortured past, hiding amongst the shadows in hopes that he won’t find me. When I end up in a small town in Connecticut, I’m determined to take control of my life—so I fill my time as a cocktail waitress by night, and a student by day. I stick out like a sore thumb among these snooty frat boys and sorority girls, but one thing draws me in: the broody professor teaching my literature class.

I know I shouldn’t cross the lines of temptation. But when an embarrassing incident forces us together, we find ourselves caught in a whirlwind of heated moments, and I start to wonder if I can really stay away… or if I even want to.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Monique Shepherd is an author from Texas who has been an avid reader and writer since she was sixteen years old. Monique is very much a mood reader and mood writer.

When not writing, Monique is a nurse and a mother of four kids who keep her on her toes, and has four fur babies running around.

Monique enjoys exploring different worlds of romance whether it is writing about steamy cowboys in her small town contemporary romances, to obsessive vigilante and Mafia kings, to her Gothic academia romantic suspense duet.

Her favorite hobbies include writing, of course, traveling, attending concerts, improv comedy shows, and spending time by the water with her children.

Follow Monique on IG @moniqueshepherd_author & TIKTOK: @monique.shepherd6

July 2, 2025June 19, 2025

BOOK REVIEW: Snoop, Come Home (A Parody) by Jeff Whitcher

The Peanuts gang is gonna drop it like it’s hot. What happens if Charlie Brown goes to feed his beloved pet, Snoop Dogg? For shizzel! Let’s find out!

SNOOP COME HOME: A PARODY

Published: March 13th, 2020

Genre: fiction/satire/celebrity humor/parody

In “Snoop, Come Home: A Parody”, cartoonist Jeff Whitcher delivers a hilariously twisted tribute to childhood nostalgia, mixing Saturday morning innocence with Saturday night smoke. When the world’s chillest rapper lands in the suburbs of Schulz’s beloved gang, things get… hazy. From prescriptions signed by Dr. Dre to neighborhood girls interrogating gangsta rap lingo, no character escapes this riotous remix unscathed.

Illustrated in pitch-perfect Peanuts style, this grown-up picture book is a subversive celebration of hip hop, youth culture, and the strange, delightful ways we all mash up meaning. Whether you’re a lifelong fan of comic strips or a disciple of West Coast beats, this is your new favorite coffee table conversation starter.

Not for kids. Not for the faint of heart. But definitely for anyone who loves satire with a blunt edge.

A perfect gift for pop culture junkies, parody lovers, and anyone who’s ever wondered: “What would Snoop Dogg do in a Charlie Brown world?”

Review

To quote good ol’ Chuck, “Good grief!” This book is iconic! Jeff Whitcher strikes gold in this parody of the classic Peanuts titled “Snoopy Comes Home,” with “Snoop, Come Home” that I didn’t know I needed. Not for your kids, as when Charlie Brown asks Snoop Dogg if he has a prescription for “that,” and Snoop hands him a card that says Dr. Dre, I rolled over laughing. Oh! And when Lucy gets hold of Snoop’s CD, she has a few choice words, and Linus…dear sweet Linus! (shakes head).

Image courtesy of Jeff Whitcher from *“Snoop, Come Home (A Parody)”*

“Snoop, Come Home” is a must for any Peanuts collector or Snoop Dogg fan. By the way, does Snoop Dogg know about this book? I can imagine him laughing and passing the “puff puff” to Jeff, saying Yeah, man, I dig it. Whitcher does Charles Schulz proud, capturing Schulz’s illustration style uncannily. This is a book I will treasure and turn to for a smile. COMEDY GOLD!

Therefore, my rating is Five out of Five stars ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Jeff Whitcher is an author, painter, music YouTuber and former standup comedian who has written over 40 books for children and adults alike. He began writing to entertain his five children and has since expanded his line of books to include parodies of popular children’s books. He is also an avid vinyl collector and has a YouTube channel, Jeff Whitcher’s Vinyl Destination.
Learn more about Jeff and his books at jeffwhitcherbooks.com.

June 26, 2025June 23, 2025

BOOK SPOTLIGHT THURSDAY: All Gods Must Die by Soraya Cole

Romantic fantasy and Irish mythology combine in this week’s spotlight with the stunning ALL GODS MUST DIE by Soraya Cole! Full of mystery, betrayal, a unique magic system, and a prophecy, get ready to be brought on one epic adventure, and this is book 1! Let’s read on!

All Gods Must Die by Soraya Cole (All Gods Must Die #1)

Release Date: September 2024

Genre: Romantasy/ Irish Mythology

Features

✨A strong female lead who can fight
✨Fated mates
✨“Who did this to you?”
✨ Fae. Gods. Monsters.
✨Competition with trials
✨Irish Inspired Mythology
✨Shadow and Light powers
✨Sloooww burn (But definite spice in book 2)
✨A prophecy
✨Action. Adventure. Mystery

ENTER A WORLD OF SHADOWS AND LIGHT…

Seren was born into a world divided by shadows and light. And yet… she can wield both. She fights against the corruption plaguing her kingdom, but when dark creatures breach the shield and begin slaughtering under the cover of night, her world is thrown into chaos. To save her people, she enters the savage guards’ competition. A deadly game of betrayal, bloodshed, and lies with hopes of winning an audience with the royals.
But the competition is only the beginning.

As secrets unravel, Seren discovers a world far larger and more dangerous than she ever imagined.

Gods. Fae. Monsters. And a prophecy that could destroy everything.
In a world of Sidus and Caligo, where fae, humans, and beasts collide, one truth remains:
All Gods Must Die.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Soraya Cole is a fantasy romance author. All Gods Must Die is her debut fantasy series and is inspired by Irish Mythology.

When she’s isn’t creating fantasy worlds with strong female leads and swoon-worthy heroes, she is spending time with her family in Ireland or trying to chip away at her never-ending tbr that only seems to grow bigger.

Soraya can be found on TIkTok and Instagram @sorayacoleauthor.

June 19, 2025June 16, 2025

BOOK SPOTLIGHT THURSDAY: Realm of Silk and Starlight by Ashley J. Vinson

Featured in the spotlight this Thursday is the romantic fantasy REALM OF SILK AND STARLIGHT by Ashley J. Vinson.

Realm of Silk and Starlight (The Divine Realms) 

Release Date: April 8, 2025

Genre: Romantasy

Features

✨Lovers to Enemies
💙Enemies to lovers
✨Slowburn
💙Morally gray characters
✨He falls first
💙Touch her and ☠️
✨Fated Mates
💙Spice
✨Unlikely Allies
💙Found Family
✨Forced Proximity
💙High Stakes
✨Divine Beings

In a world torn between the mortals and the divine, Aerilyns life took a shocking and unexpected turn. She heard the stories, that those who die the most brutal of deaths can be blessed by the Gods and join the divine in their respective realm, but she never imagined that her own tragic death would unveil a destiny beyond her wildest dreams.
Aerilyn goes from being a slave to the crown to pay off her fathers debt, to a tragically brutal death. Awakening within the realm of the divine, she finds herself the object of affection for a charming high lord, but beneath his alluring surface lies a treacherous tapestry of lies that could dismantle everything she’s come to cherish.

Haunted by guilt and betrayal, Aerilyn must confront her tumultuous past as she fights against encroaching darkness that threatens the balance of the world as they know it. Will she be able to utilize her fiery spirit to help unify the realms of the divine, or will her passion only deepen the rift between her and her fated mate? Dive into the pages of Realm of Silk and Starlight and discover a tale where love and vengeance collide in the most unexpected ways.

Will she harness her inner strength to bridge the worlds as the bringer of peace – or will she be the reason that it all comes crumbling down once and for all?

AVAILABLE NOW ON AMAZON

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Ashley J. Vinson writes romantic fantasy inspired by the stories and ideas she fell in love with as a child. Born in Michigan, she studied in Michigan and Florida before beginning to travel the world, as her husband was in the Military. With experience working at Walt Disney World and Universal Orlando Studios, her love for stories and romance started with the classic tales of happily ever after that we grew up with. After she was introduced to the idea of happily ever after, she began writing stories of her own at the age of five.

Now, she writes stories primarily for an adult audience.

When Ashley is not writing or reading, she enjoys exploring wherever her husband and she are stationed, watching movies, or playing the Nintendo Switch.

Follow Vinson on Instagram @authorashleyjvinson

June 12, 2025June 9, 2025

BOOK SPOTLIGHT THURSDAY: Fairy Tale Road by Christina Farley

Those kid-friendly Choose Your Own Adventure books from the past (I loved those books so much growing up) get a grown-up flair in FAIRY TALE ROAD by Christina Farley! Definitely earning a spot in my spotlight. Let’s read on!

Fairy Tale Road (Choose Your Happily Ever After Book 1)

Release Date: June 3, 2025

Genre: Enemies-to-Lovers Romcom

FEATURES
⦁ Enemies-to-lovers
⦁ 2nd chance romance
⦁ Celebrity romance
⦁ Modern fairytale retelling
⦁ Slow burn
⦁ Happily Ever After (x3!)
⦁ One bed
⦁ Magical realism
⦁ Traveling
⦁ Fake dating

Your Choice, Your Fairy Tale.

When Scarlett discovers her sister’s heart was broken by the notorious Mr. Wolfe, she travels to Germany to expose this Big Bad Wolf and his Fairy Tale Tours. Disguised as a tourist, she explores the world of the Grimm Brothers’ tales, magical castles, and quaint towns while plotting Wolfe’s downfall. But things are not as they seem, and Scarlett soon finds herself entangled in a web of decisions and unexpected romance.

On this interactive romcom adventure, you will guide Scarlett’s path as she navigates a modern retelling of Red Riding Hood. Will she find her true love with the charming Hunter, mysterious Wolfe, or the dazzling Movie Star? Each choice leads Scarlett closer to a different fairytale ending, filled with twists, laughter, and sizzling romance.

Fairy Tale Road is not just a story, it’s your story. With each decision, you shape Scarlett's destiny. Along the way, you’ll guide her choices and determine which of the three swoon-worthy love interests she ends up with. And yes, each path leads to its own unique happily ever after. Or, if you’re feeling curious, read all three endings to experience every possibility.
Choose your fairytale ending where revenge, romance, and the magic of the unknown beckon at every turn. Explore a world where the path to love is one choice away.

AVAILABLE NOW ON AMAZON

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

CHRISTINA FARLEY is the author of the bestselling Gilded series, The Princess and the Page, The Dreamscape Series, The Immortal Bound series, and the Library of Alexandria series. Prior to that, she worked as an international teacher and at a top secret job for Disney where she was known to scatter pixie dust before the sun rose. When not traveling the world or creating imaginary ones, she spends time with her family in Clermont, Florida with her husband and two sons where they are busy preparing for the next World Cup, baking cheesecakes, and raising a pet dragon that’s in disguise as a cat. Visit her at ChristinaFarley dot com.

CONNECT WITH CHRISTINA

Instagram: @ChristinaLFarley

Facebook: @ChristinaFarleyAuthor

YouTube: @ChristinaFarley

June 6, 2025May 26, 2025

BOOK REVIEW: A Sister To Butterflies by Aaron Christopher Drown

A lover of fairytale and folklore, “A Sister To Butterflies” brings you a very different kind of fairytale.

A Sister To Butterflies

Published: May 27th, 2025

Genre: Fantasy/ Folklore/ YA Fantasy

Age: 13+

Pages: 581

Synopsis

There are lures irresistible regardless of peril, because some yearnings renounce all wisdom. There are bonds that compel no matter how faraway, because some needs are dire enough to defy all cost. But when reason, distance, and danger go unheeded, that price can be devastating despite all the magic in one’s grasp.

A Sister to Butterflies tells a different sort of once upon a time, a shimmering tale of a creature torn between worlds, whose wondrous deeds would become fable and whose terrible mistakes would alter the destinies of everyone around her.

REVIEW

As poetically written as this book is, my review will not be. Oh my gosh, THIS BOOK! It tore me asunder! I am so happy! It has been a long time since a book has done that. It has also been a long time since I read a nice thick novel, and this book has some heft. An absolutely stunning read, Drown captures the cadence of fairytale and folklore but gives it just the right amount of visceral grimness, a la the Brothers Grimm, with a deeper overall moral at the end. Told in a poetic, forlorn fashion, a mysterious old woman has slipped into the nursery, picking up the swaddled babe from the crib as she sits in the rocking chair, and she tells her tale that she has said once before. Other worlds exist out there, and one of those other worlds is hers.

Now, fairytales are often short, but Drown manages to hold on to you for a full-length novel of an exquisite folktale-inspired story that hosts realism with a chilling no-happy-ever-after.

You care and sympathize with our narrator, Abigail, all through the story until the climax, when you realize she’s a whole lot messed up. She did the unthinkable, all with partial good intentions, I think, but then again…

“A Sister To Butterflies,” you have to read it, and then we can discuss it.

The overall rating is five out of five stars ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Aaron Christopher Drown is a Maine native who’s lived all over, and whose stories have appeared in equally numerous magazines and anthologies. His debut novel, A Mage of None Magic, won the Darrell Award for Best Novel, and as he’s promised his publisher for years, the follow-up will be ready soon. His collection of short stories, titled The Gods Must Clearly Smile, received the 2022 BIBA along with the 2023 Imadjinn Award. An award-winning graphic designer as well, Aaron is a frequent guest speaker who enjoys discussing not only the writing process but the important role branding and presentation play in promoting an author’s work. Aaron resides in Washington State with his wife, Sarah, their dog and cat, and his trusty Macbook, Sancho.

Follow Aaron Christopher and his books at: aaronchristopherdrown.com

June 5, 2025June 2, 2025

BOOK SPOTLIGHT THURSDAY: Potions & Prejudice by Tee Harlowe

Okay, witch hates warlock. Warlock hates witch. Warlock falls for witch. . . . Things are about to get very, very complicated in Potions & Prejudice by Tee Harlowe. Let’s see more!

Potions & Prejudice (Moonflower Witches Book #1)

Release Date: June 3, 2025

Genre: Cozy Fantasy

Features
⦁	Enemies to lovers
⦁	He falls first
⦁	Slow burn
⦁	Cottagecore
⦁	Cozy fantasy
⦁	Only one closet

Elspeth Moonflower just wants to cast a spell. Unfortunately, that’s impossible due to a curse her grandmother cast that forces every witch in her family to marry before using magic. As a result, Elspeth and her sisters are outcasts, helping their mother run her traveling apothecary shop—while she complains that her daughters are all magicless spinsters.
When their cart breaks down and strands them in the charming village of Thistlegrove, Elspeth’s older sister meets a handsome warlock who’s smitten. If only the warlock’s best friend wasn’t completely insufferable. Draven Darkstone is broody, arrogant, wealthy—a perfect example of why Elspeth never wants to marry. But for the sake of her sister, she needs to be nice.
Which is hard when all Draven does is glower at her. It’s even harder when the glowering turns to longing glances. It’s downright impossible when he kisses her.
Little does Elspeth know, the line between love and hate just got thinner.

Potions & Prejudice is a low-stakes fantasy of Legends and Lattes meets the romance of Bridgerton, in this spicy cozy fantasy romance with a grumpy sentient cottage, an anxious miniature dragon, and all the cottagecore vibes.

AVAILABLE NOW ON AMAZON

May 29, 2025May 26, 2025

BOOK SPOTLIGHT THURSDAY: Shadow of the Yew Tree by Kate Gateley

Teaming with R&RBookTours this week to help celebrate the release of “Shadow of the Yew Tree” by Kate Gately! You must heed our warning and check it out!

Shadow of the Yew Tree (The Mythic Bones Duology #1)

Publication Date: May 27, 2025

Genre: Contemporary Fantasy Romance

Features
⬇️
🌙𝙳𝚞𝚊𝚕 𝙿𝙾𝚅⁠
🌿𝙶𝚛𝚞𝚖𝚙𝚢 / 𝚂𝚞𝚗𝚜𝚑𝚒𝚗𝚎⁠
🌙𝙼𝚎𝚗 𝚒𝚗 𝚝𝚑𝚎𝚛𝚊𝚙𝚢⁠
🌿𝙾𝚙𝚎𝚗 𝚍𝚘𝚘𝚛 𝚛𝚘𝚖𝚊𝚗𝚌𝚎⁠
🌙𝙷𝚒𝚍𝚍𝚎𝚗 𝚖𝚊𝚐𝚒𝚌𝚊𝚕 𝚠𝚘𝚛𝚕𝚍⁠
🌿𝙰𝙳𝙷𝙳 𝚛𝚎𝚙⁠
🌙𝙼𝚎𝚗𝚝𝚘𝚛 / 𝙼𝚎𝚗𝚝𝚎𝚎⁠
🌿𝙰𝚍𝚟𝚎𝚛𝚜𝚊𝚛𝚒𝚎𝚜-𝚝𝚘-𝚕𝚘𝚟𝚎𝚛𝚜⁠
🌙𝚂𝚕𝚘𝚠 𝙱𝚞𝚛𝚗⁠
🌿𝙾𝚗𝚎 𝚋𝚎𝚍 / 𝙵𝚘𝚛𝚌𝚎𝚍 𝚙𝚛𝚘𝚡𝚒𝚖𝚒𝚝𝚢⁠
🌙𝙳𝚛𝚞𝚒𝚍𝚜 & 𝚂𝚌𝚒𝚎𝚗𝚌𝚎⁠
🌿𝙵𝙼𝙲𝚜 𝚒𝚗 𝚝𝚑𝚎𝚒𝚛 30’𝚜 (& 𝙼𝙼𝙲𝚜 𝚒𝚗 𝚝𝚑𝚎𝚒𝚛 40’𝚜😉)⁠

Synopsis

It seemed a lifetime ago that Dr. Ronan Gallagher had succumbed to his obsessive need to uncover the deepest secrets of the Codex Druidicus, a grimoire of the very darkest magic. Though he’d tried to protect his closest friends from a threat that had followed them through multiple lifetimes, the choices made by the Druid doctor had been a betrayal of not only his friends but his own sacred oaths—a betrayal he would pay for with his life.
Through the intervention of the Otherworld, he was given a second chance on this earthly realm to set things right. Yet, while the curse of the evil Sorcerer Cassius, ancient Child of Rome, might have been vanquished together with the Codex, the torturous tendrils born of Ronan’s pride and obsessive weakness still thrive in the shadows, their reach extending further every day.
When his fellow Druids learn of a massive explosion that has reduced a secret experimental Wraith facility to ruins, none can understand how Phoebe Ashburn, the sole survivor of the tortured experiments, has survived the blast’s devastation … and evaded their capture. With dark and volatile Wraith magic now trapped inside her—threatening her control and sanity—Phoebe is determined to discover how to rid herself of this inner darkness … even if it means accepting the assistance of the very Druid doctor whose actions had led to her torture in the first place.

GET IT NOW

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Author KATE GATELEY has always been fascinated by history, Celtic Ideology, ancestral memory and generational wounding, and the “Divine Feminine,” and those personal studies continue to influence every aspect of her life, on the pages of her books and off.

When Kate published her first book, Tides of the Sovereign (FriesenPress 2022), Book One of the Lost Wells Trilogy, she knew that it was only the beginning of a story she has always wanted to write—one with heart and meaning that was actually worth sharing. In December, 2022, Tides of the Sovereign was announced as the winning title in the Fantasy/Sci-Fi category of the Canadian Book Club Awards. Continuing now in Book Two, Mantle of the World Ruler, and beyond into the next volume still to come, that story has grown far beyond what she could ever have imagined … into something that she dearly hopes can one day find—and deserve—a cherished spot among those volumes of both contemporary fantasy and historical romance that so inspired her growing up.

Kate currently lives, and writes, on a small farm in the Cowichan Valley on beautiful Vancouver Island, with her amazing husband, two incredible sons, an adorable dog, several barn cats who don’t earn their keep, and some decidedly ungrateful chickens … all of whom are very dearly loved. She is a member of The Writers’ Union of Canada (TWUC), Federation of BC Writers (BCFW) and Independent Book Publishers Association (IPBA).

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