BOOK SPOTLIGHT THURSDAY: Buried Heroes by Beth Ball

In my spotlight today is Buried Heroes, the first book in the Age of Azuria series. Once you get hooked, books two, three, and four are also available in this ongoing series!

Let’s look into the first book-in-series novel by Beth Ball!

Buried Heroes (Age of Azuria Book 1)

Genre: High-Fantasy/ Epic Fantasy

Features

⦁ Chosen one
⦁ Found family
⦁ Slow-burn (like super slow)
⦁ Romance subplot
⦁ Fated lovers
⦁ Search for true self

As the Festival of Renewal approaches, Iellieth must choose: Stay with her distant mother and abusive stepfather or accept an arranged marriage to a cruel, power-hungry nobleman from another kingdom.
But just as she faces the consequences of her decision, her father’s amulet whisks her away to a snow-covered mountainside. Hidden within is an ancient warrior waiting to be awakened—waiting for her. He holds the key to the life of adventure she’s always wanted and—most importantly of all—to her destiny.


And that’s only the beginning.

TW: Death of a mentor, allusion to past assault (not on page).

AVAILABLE NOW

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Beth Ball is a weaver of words and worlds spinning stories of druidic magic and the power of nature that span the epic fantasy realms of Azuria and Eldura. If you enjoy lyrical tales of action and adventure, dragons, werewolves, fae, wily foxes, and more, then grab your enchanted amulet, flaming longsword, poisoned dagger, or other mystical accessory of choice, and let’s start our journey together!

When she’s not writing fantasy fiction, Beth is a tabletop RPG designer whose adventures, as you might imagine, incorporate lots of druids!

Book Spotlight Thursday: Tide Song (Melody of the Deep) by K.E. Hummel

Today, I’m spotlighting “Tide Song, Melody of the Deep” by K.E. Hummel. “Tide Song” is a spellbinding tale of bravery, friendship, and the transformative power of a single voice. Dive into an enchanting adventure perfect for readers who believe in the magic within themselves and the strength found in unexpected friendships.

AVAILABLE ON AMAZON

Tide Song: Melody of the Deep

Pub Date: Jan 18

Genre: YA Fantasy/ No Romance

Tropes:
🐙Coming of age,
🐙 Reluctant hero
🐙 Mythical creatures,
🐙Found family,
🐙Epic quest,
🐙 Overcoming prejudice


"A young woman’s extraordinary voice is the only hope to save her tribe and their allies, a civilization of intelligent octopi, from annihilation. But doing so may cost her freedom and her life."

In the tranquil waters of Tirahanko Bay, Kei's voice holds the power to bridge worlds. As a NetSinger, her melodies forge a deep bond with the mysterious Kopri, intelligent octopi essential to her people's way of life. But peace is shattered when a Kopri Prophet arrives, begging Kei to use her voice to speak to a ruthless seafaring people, the Koru-Kah, who are intent on exploiting the Kopri for their own gain.

When Kei is captured and taken far from home, she must find a strength she never knew she had. Despite partially paralyzed legs, Kei navigates the treacherous waters of captivity and forges unexpected alliances with Jacuti, a young enslaved sailor, and her loyal Kopri friend, OldFish. Together, they face the cruelty of the Koru-Kah who have destroyed the Kopri's spawning grounds and disrupted the balance between worlds.

With her voice as her greatest weapon, Kei sets out on a perilous quest to protect the Kopri and restore harmony between land and sea. Amidst danger and uncertainty, Kei discovers that her voice has the power to change destinies. Through the power of song and the strength of friendship, Kei’s journey becomes one of courage and resilience, as she fights to save her world and the Kopri.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

“Life is beauty. You just have to open your eyes.” – K.E. Hummel

BOOK REVIEW: Read Receipts by Ella C. Potter

I feel poetry is becoming a lost art. So, when a new poetry book comes across my desk, I am more than happy to spotlight it. I recently got gifted a chance to read Read Receipts by Ella C. Potter (aka Katrina Thornley).

Published: November 16th 2024

Genre: Poetry

Pages: 130


“We were the stars

Burnt out before anyone knew,

Exploding in the blink of an eye.

But god were we beautiful.”


Read Receipts from Ella C. Potter is a collection of free verse poems inspired by the past and moments of hard reflection. With undertones of angst mingling with moments of hope and healing, this poetry collection reflects upon toxic relationships and the processes associated with moving on. It explores themes of heartbreak, love, loss, transformation, self worth, and growth. Imagery of nature is weaved through out along with fairy tale references. The collection ends with a poem dedicated to a past self, a message to the reader to treat themselves with care and the importance of prioritizing yourself.

REVIEW

Read Receipts is a poetic story about dealing with toxic relationships, breaking free, and healing afterward. Each poem has no title, which I found a bit odd, but each poem transitions so well into each other as if telling a story. Yet I do have favorites like the start titled “Were directed..” “I found..” and the powerful “I have loved…”

To be honest, I was hesitant to read this book due to its raw emotional topic that felt all too close to home, but I found myself wrapped in support and power. Potter’s poetry empowers, not weakens, and that is how it should be. Read Receipts; therefore, it gets five stars from me!

Rating: 5 out of 5.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

To learn more about the Author visit https://linktr.ee/KatrinaThornleyAuthor

BOOK SPOTLIGHT THURSDAY: Angel of Earth & Bone by Tory Guyon

Welcome to the first Book Spotlight Thursday of 2025! I saw this book come on my radar again, and seeing it is releasing close to my birthday, I decided to feature it. Angel of Earth & Bone is the second volume in The Book of the Watchers, an upper YA/NA urban fantasy romance series about the secret heiress to a powerful archangel and the half-angel demon hunter sent to destroy her.

Angel of Earth & Bone (The Book of the Watchers Vol II)

Expected Publication Date: January 16, 2025

Genre: YA/NA Urban Fantasy Romance 

Features

⦁ Enemies-to-Lovers
⦁ Forbidden Love
⦁ Second Chance Romance
⦁ Warring realms
⦁ Dagger to the Throat
⦁ Morally Gray MMC
⦁ Found Family
⦁ Mental Health Rep
⦁ Magical Creatures
⦁ “We shouldn’t be doing this”
⦁ Dungeon Runs
⦁ Backpacking Culture

Six weeks isn’t long enough to heal a broken heart. Not for River Harlow, who lost her best friend, Javi; her mentor, Olivia; her lover, Ryder—her entire life—in what feels like the blink of an eye. Yet, as the new Angel of Water and with a bounty on her head placed by the conniving enemy realm, the only thing left to do is try to move on.

To take back her life, River stands against Chet, the horrific guy-turned-wolf who assaulted her at a bonfire. But when she tries to testify against him at the werewolf tribunal, she—and her remaining friends—realizes he has not only slithered into the welcome arms of the enemy, but the enemy is very much among them. It won’t be too long before their army of demons infiltrates Mortal Earth and destroys everything she loves.
Finding the three other elemental archangels, the Watchers, might be her only hope of saving the realm.


On a dangerous search abroad to find the Angel of Earth, her strength, hope, and heart are tested in the deceitfully glittering realm of the Huldufólk. The Queen of the Elves strikes a bargain with River to take her to the Angel of Earth, but elves always demand payment for their magic, and River owes her dues—in bones and blood.

PRE-ORDER HERE

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Tory Guyon grew up dreaming about dragons, pretending to craft potions, and eagerly awaiting to be summoned by the realm of the fae. She lives with her family in Santa Cruz, CA and continues to actively seek out the magic of this world. Whether that’s working with orangutans in the jungles of Borneo, summiting Mount Kilimanjaro’s grueling 19,341 ft. peak, or looking for fairies in the redwoods with her daughter.

Connect with her at www.toryguyon.com or on social media at @wri_tor.

BOOK REVIEW: Bonded Nightmare by E.M. Rinaldi

I actually finished this book on December 31st, 2024, so I am welcoming the new year with a review for the spicy paranormal romance BONDED NIGHTMARE by E.M. Rinaldi.

*This book is intended for mature readers 18+

Bonded Nightmare

Publication Date: May 2024

Genre: PNR/ Spicy

Tropes

Enemies to lovers

⚫Fated mates

⚫Shadow daddy

⚫Touch her and die

⚫Slow burn

⚫F0rced pr0ximity

⚫He falls first

⚫Dual POV

Synopsis

She can run but she can’t hide…

As the last unbonded nightmare in existence, Eryn Montalli has been hunted her entire life for the mere potential of her magick. She’s only ever wanted a quiet life tending to the hurt and sick animals that seek her out. Those dreams go to absolute shit with four little words…

They found your bond.

Now she’s hiding amongst the humans at Moorcroft University, trying to make a life for herself—if one overprotective witch wasn’t so determined to set her carefully laid plans on fire. His arrogance is enough to make her want to punch him in the face…but his touch has her questioning why she’s fighting so hard to stay away.

AVAILABLE NOW ON AMAZON

REVIEW

Eryn and her family are the near last of their supernatural kind called Nightmares. When the tribunal counsel says they found Eryn’s bonded mate, who happens to be of the Witch faction, Eryn flees. She is not into all that. At least not having one chosen for her.

Deciding to come out of hiding and hoping for a new life, Eryn enters college to continue her life and studies. When she encounters an upperclassman named Kaiden, who she is annoyingly drawn to and seems to know all about what is suitable for Eryn, much to Eryn’s protest. Unbeknownst to Eryn, Kaiden is her bonded, and when hunters come calling, Kaiden will risk life and death to protect her. 

Bonded Nightmare features a duel pov format, which I like. In fact, my own book features a dual pov format, and Rinaldi does a nice job of keeping the plot of the story going between the two characters.

I usually gobble up paranormal romances. Bonded Nightmare is a gobble-up good, spicy read, yet I had a hard time getting fully engrossed in it. The character of Eryn seemed too stereotypical of a typical college girl to me, and I really had a hard time believing she loved Kaiden in the end.

Kaiden, on the other hand, was the perfect too-good-to-be-true hunky guy and what can I say I like too good to be true hunky guys. I did kind of like him.

Maybe I have outgrown college-age paranormal romances? The spice, though, was pristine! I enjoyed the slow burn pace as I was squirming in my panties along with Eryn over Kaiden’s antics, I will say that. 

My favorites were the side characters Ezra and Rani, and learning their story will be next I am utterly there for. 

Therefore, my rating for Bonded Nightmare is still 4 out of 5 stars.

⭐⭐⭐⭐

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Visit https://www.emrinaldi.com/

BOOK SPOTLIGHT THURSDAY: Royal Lies by Rina Huang

A holiday edition 🎄 In the spotlight today is the upcoming Royal Lies (FaeTale Lies #1 ), releasing December 25th, 2024. “Being a bastard son, you have to make tough decisions. I had to make tough decisions. But they were all for her. Always for her.” ~Eli

Royal Lies: Adventure into a New Realm of Magic and Betrayal (FaeTale Lies #1)

Expected Publication Date: December 25, 2024

Genre: Romantasy/ Fae

Features

-Found family
-Love triangle
-Enemies to lovers
-Soulmates
-Backstabbing bargains
-Morally grey MCs
-Overpowered MCs
-Anti-heroes
- Unexected Twists
-Action/Adventure

In the Fae realm nothing is for free, and everything is a game of lies and half truths. When Everetta and her companions are reincarnated they come back with one thing in mind to get back their crowns. But with Everetta's most trusted companion, Eli, keeping a major secret from her will they truly be able to take back their thrones?
Lucarious is an evil, monstrous, murderer. Fae have always called him the King of Blood and Shadow. But is there more to this dethroned King than meets the eyes?
What secrets lay in wait? Who will betray who? In a fight for the crowns to their respective Courts Everetta, Eli, and Lucarious must work together if they will ever find out what really happened in their past.

PRE- ORDER HERE

COMING DECEMBER 25TH, 2024

Nature and The Human Soul Combine In ARCADIANS (Lullaby in Nature)

Poetry Book Review

Classic poetry is brought back to modern times with ARCADIANS: Lullaby in Nature.

ARCADIANS (Lullaby in Nature)

Published: November 17, 2020

Genre: Poetry/ Poetry women

Pages: 114


Synopsis

This is the culmination of quiet walks at night through trees and upon echoing boardwalks as the full moon lit the way. It was created from the smells of rain-cleansed earth and the voices of passersby commenting on the flowers blooming and inspired by the sun sparkling on the pond’s surface and the essence of a small town’s nature flooding my veins. Full of detail and imagery, see a small town through the eyes of a poet.

REVIEW

Nature and the human soul are the stars of this poetry collection.  Poetess Thornley captures the classic poetic writing of Browning or Blake. That abstract way brings forth a spiritual connection.  Thornley gives nature a voice. The seasons a voice.  One of my favorites is Autumn’s Wind. Autumn is my favorite season, and Thornley does an excellent personification of Autumn to me. Reincarnation is another good one. It is short but so damn profound it’s so refreshing to see nature respect this way.

ARCADIANS is a nice read for a slow Sunday afternoon, and it might make you want to go on a walk in nature.

My Rating 5 out of 5 stars⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

ON AMAZON

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Katrina Thornley is a freelance journalist, poet, and author residing in rural Rhode Island. She has been featured in numerous anthologies, including the Association of Rhode Island Authors’ short story anthology “In a Dark Time.”

Her first published novel, “Kings of Millburrow”, is a thrilling mystery full of small-town drama; readers have called it “well written” and “full of suspense”, making it impossible to “put down until the very end.”

Her Arcadians series is currently home to 3 poetry collections, the most recent being Arcadians: Awakening in Nature. Readers have called the series “deeply metaphorical, well written, and emotional” and “recommend it to anyone who enjoys nature or simply needs a break from the fast-paced world.”

To learn more about Katrina and her writing, follow her on Instagram @seekatwrite.

Book Spotlight Thursday: Lion of Zarall by Eddy Rose

This cover is so alluring! Lion of Zarall by Eddy Rose is an adult dark fantasy featuring gladiators, morally ambiguous characters, forbidden love, and gritty settings. Let’s read on!

Lion of Zarall (Twilight of Blood Book 1)

Publication Date: December 3, 2024

Genre: Dark Fantasy/ Gladiators

Features

⦁ Gladiators
⦁ Dark fantasy
⦁ Arena battles
⦁ Action-packed
⦁ Forbidden romance
⦁ Hidden Identity
⦁ Slavery
⦁ One bed
⦁ Forced proximity
⦁ Morally ambiguous
⦁ Gritty
⦁ Bred to kill
⦁ Injury care

A gripping dark fantasy featuring gladiators, morally ambiguous characters, forbidden love, and gritty settings.

In a kingdom built on slave trade, slaves are bought and sold like property. Among them is Lion, a purebred beast who was bred for the blood-soaked arenas. A man who exists for violence and entertainment.

A man whose life hangs by a thread.
Olira, a simple farmer, never wanted to own a slave. But when she finds herself entangled with a shady slave merchant, she reluctantly becomes the owner of an injured purebred beast. Renowned for their unwavering obedience and lack of emotions, purebred beasts are stripped of their humanity from birth, making them the perfect tools. As Olira grapples with her principles and the harsh realities of her world, she soon discovers that the slave has a deadly secret.

Can a beast learn to love?

Can a gladiator threaten a kingdom?

Can a man filled with hatred hold the key to unleashing the horrors of Darkhome?
Lion of Zarall is a fast paced dark fantasy novel that will captivate readers who enjoy complex, morally ambiguous stories that explore the themes of power, consent, and the blurred lines between humanity and savagery, making it a perfect fit for fans of gritty, thought-provoking fiction.

GET IT NOW here

Content Warning: Lion of Zarall is an adult dark fantasy and deals with some heavy subject matter that some readers may find triggering. Please refer to the full list of content warnings available on the author’s website.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Eddy B. Rose started her writing career when she was in third grade. Her first readers were a small but dedicated group of her classmates who stopped by at her desk at recess to read the next chapter of the story she wrote on a notebook.

Eddy lives in Queensland, Australia, with her husband, toddler, and two German Shepherds (the original babies), Kara and Kal-El. She enjoys getting up at 4:30 a.m. to write.

Learn more about Eddy Rose at https://eddyrose.com/

Book Spotlight Thursday: The Book Binder by C.A. Cordova

Caught in my spotlight is C.A. Cordova’s soon-to-be release, The Book Binder! It will be released on December 6th, 2024. Read on for more details.

The Book Binder

Publication Date: December 6, 2024

Genre: Historical Fantasy

Features

✔️High Stakes
✔️Exotic Locale
✔️Forbidden Romance
✔️Love Triangle

Choice is an illusion gifted by the gods.

Aria never expected to be a mistress, especially to the Pharaoh’s son.
But when she accidentally witnesses the poisoning of his cup and intervenes, he is intrigued. Even more so when he discovers that she can speak the betrayer’s language and many others.

Aria’s forbidden education as the daughter of a book binder makes her valuable, and she quickly becomes the prince’s obsession.

As she embraces her newfound power, she begins to question the rulings of the palace and uncovers a world of deception.
Is Aria destined to receive the spoils of the gods or will tragedy befall her?

The Book Binder is an epic adventure novel with elements of suspense and mystery. C.A. Cordova’s tale is woven with intense emotion, dire situations, and female cunning.

COMING DECEMBER 6TH, 2024

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

C.A. Cordova is perhaps best described as a whimsical nomad. She has an ever-present thirst for new adventures that has resulted in many moves and many more stories.

C.A. Cordova’s unique novels are crafted under a shroud of bergamot from a bottomless cup of Earl Grey tea. She declares herself an observer of the countless tales that play out in her mind. It is not unusual for her to have upwards of ten works in progress at any given moment, the most active being determined by the tone of the day.

Guided by her love of reading, C.A. Cordova hopes to capture the feeling of blissful immersion she has experienced with her favorite books.

When she is not feverishly tapping away at her laptop with a cat in her lap, C.A. Cordova can be found enjoying time with her family, training her parrot, or tending to her flowerbeds.

C.A. Cordova lives in Texas with her family and many pets.

BOOK SPOTLIGHT THURSDAY: Even Angels Fall by E.V Sauvage

Welcome to a thankful Book Spotlight Thursday! In our limelight today is EVEN ANGELS FALL by E.V. Sauvage, which is releasing today!

Even Angels fall (The Even Ever After Series Book 1)

Publication Date: November 28, 2024

Genre: Fantasy Romance

Features

⦁ Enemies to lovers
⦁ Marriage of convenience
⦁ He falls first
⦁ She’s badass
⦁ Found family
⦁ Shapeshifters (she’s a crow/he’s a dragon)

300 years ago, my world collided with Earth.
My kind has been ruling over the world ever since, passing as archangels.
Doves, swans, cockatoo, their white wings in half shifted form are the sign of their power.
I should have been the next in line.
I should have been the new archangel Michaël.
But my wings aren’t white.
So instead I have to stay hidden. Instead, I’ve been trained my whole life. Instead, I’m their weapon.
Because who would be best suited to kill the dragon shifter living inside of Notre Dame than a fallen angel?
My name is Angélique. I’m a crow-shifter, and my mission is to marry Elhyor and to kill him on our wedding night.
But nothing is the way it seems, and the dragon might be harder to kill than I thought.
He might also be my only chance at freedom…
Do I have any chance of surviving unscathed?
Only time will tell…

AVAILABLE NOW ON AMAZON

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

E.V. Sauvage is a French author who writes in English and lives in Paris.

When she’s not writing, you can find her reading books, collecting them, trying to paint or sew.