Review: Murder at Marchmont & Bell (The Bloomsbury Bookshop Mysteries #1) by Imogen Penrose @imogenpenrose

Murder at Marchmont & Bell

The Bloomsbury Bookshop Mysteries #1

by Imogen Penrose

Published: July 29, 2026

Genre: Mystery, Thriller, Suspense, Short Read, Cozy Mystery, Animals, Ghost

 

Blurb:

The bookshop comes with a cat. The stairs come with a ghost. And the Russian literature, this morning, comes with a body.

Cleo Marchmont came home to Bloomsbury for a quiet bookshop and a quieter life.

She did not expect the cat and the ghost that came with it.
She really did not expect the dead collector among the Dostoevsky on the morning she meant to reopen.

The police call it a sad accident. Cleo, who spent eleven years telling true first editions from clever fakes, does not.

The book by the body is a forgery. The cellar is full of stock that was never her aunt's. Her shut shop has been a warehouse for eighteen months.

That leaves no shortage of suspects, and the quiet man at the centre of it has been nothing but kind to her.

A careful man does not leave a loose end on the shelf.

Murder at Marchmont & Bell is the first Bloomsbury Bookshop Mystery. For readers of Lucy Connelly, Verity Bright, and Jackie Baldwin.

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My Review:

While Murder at Marchmont & Bell is technically book one of The Bloomsbury Bookshop Mysteries by Imogen Penrose, I actually started my journey with the delightful prequel novella, The First Edition. I fell completely in love with the characters there and couldn't wait to continue the series. I am thrilled to say that this first full-length novel did not disappoint—if anything, it made me love the series even more.

The story connects beautifully to the prequel. Cleo Marchmont inherits both a Sussex cottage and a struggling London bookshop from her Great-Aunt Vivienne. While packing up the cottage, she is immediately adopted by an opinionated tabby cat named Boswell and discovers that her aunt's ghost refuses to cross over. Rather than selling the business, Cleo decides to move to London to run the Bloomsbury bookshop herself.

On reopening day—after the shop has been closed for eighteen months—Cleo stumbles across a dead collector stashed in the Russian literature section. The police rule it a tragic, accidental fall, but Cleo’s eleven years of experience as an antiquarian book expert tell her otherwise. Spotting a forged book next to the body, she knows instantly that foul play is afoot.

The bibliophile elements of this mystery are fantastic. I loved learning about the technicalities of rare books, first editions, and the competitive world of collectors. The pacing kept me turning the pages late into the night as Cleo uncovered astonishing secrets hidden in the shop's history. Vivienne's ghost is a brilliant addition to the investigation, and as a dog person who doesn't know much about cats, watching Boswell steal the spotlight was incredibly fun.

I can’t wait to read the next book in the series! I highly recommend Murder at Marchmont & Bell to all cozy mystery lovers. Grab your copy today!

Check out all the books in the Bloomsbury Bookshop Mysteries seriesI’ve read.

The First Edition (Prequel to Murder at Marchmont & Bell)

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Murder at Marchmont & Bell #1

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Review: Nebulous Affairs (Poisoned Stars #2) by Jina S. Bazzar @Jina_Bazzar

Nebulous Affairs

Poisoned Stars #2

by Jina S. Bazzar

Published: October 10, 2026

Publisher: Jina S. Bazzar

Genre: Aliens, Fiction, Science Fiction, Space, Space Opera, Teen, Young Adult

 

Blurb:

They fought the wrong enemy for a century.

Disowned, hunted, stripped of everything she's ever been, Dara has nothing left to lose. Except the truth.

The war between Vald and Dratos was never what it seemed. To find out who's really pulling the strings, Dara will have to trust the one man she has every reason to hate: Tarin, the Dratos heir she seduced, betrayed, and can't stop thinking about.

But the conspiracy runs deeper than either of them imagined. Beneath a century of hatred lies a secret older than the war itself. And the closer Dara gets to the truth, the higher the cost of uncovering it becomes.

They spent a century fighting for survival. Now they have to decide what they're willing to survive without.

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My Review:

Poisoned Stars is a captivating sci-fi series that completely pulled me into its world with the first book, Shattered Gravity, and continues to mesmerize me in the second installment, Nebulous Affairs by Jina S. Bazzar.

With so many mystery-filled twists and turns, it was impossible to stop reading until I reached the final page; the more I read, the more hooked I became. Bazzar's descriptions are beautifully written, making it easy to visualize the story in my mind as if I were watching a cinematic movie or TV show. In fact, I would love to see this series adapted for the screen—it would absolutely make my day!

The story follows Dara and Tarin, two characters who have spent their entire lives fighting on opposite sides of a century-long war. Dara was once a dedicated soldier in the Vald army, but she has since been disowned, hunted, and stripped of her rank. Meanwhile, Tarin is the proud heir of the Dratos faction, carrying the immense weight of his people's legacy and future leadership on his shoulders. Driven by unanswered questions, this unlikely duo is forced to team up to uncover who is hiding secrets from them, and why. As they spend more time together, a slow-burn relationship naturally begins to develop.

In this sequel, the world-building explodes in scale. Bazzar introduces greater political depth and showcases the broader consequences of a manufactured war on everyday citizens. The lore brilliantly shifts from a localized conflict between two nations into a story about a vast, corrupt galactic economy built entirely on the industry of war.

I highly recommend Nebulous Affairs to all fans of military space operas. Grab a copy of both books in the Poisoned Stars series today for an unforgettable space adventure!

Check out all the books in the Poisoned Stars Series I’ve read.

Shattered Gravity #1

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Nebulous Affairs #2

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Review: Murder Leaves an Echo (The Alderfield Witch Mysteries #1) by Lucy Harrowell

Murder Leaves an Echo

The Alderfield Witch Mysteries #1

by Lucy Harrowell

Published: October 10, 2026

Genre: Cozy Mystery, Mystery, Woman Sleuth, Crime Fiction, Witches, Wizards 

 

Blurb:

Mara Whitmore came home to Alderfield to run her family’s historic inn—not to solve a murder.

But Mara is a witch, and some objects remember more than people do.

Hours after respected civic leader Judith Prescott leaves Hawthorn House, she is found dead. Then Mara accidentally touches the dark green folio Judith left behind.

The echo hits hard: cold air, damp wool, paper pulled sharply against leather, a surge of panic—and a single word.

Tomorrow.

Mara’s gift doesn’t give her names, dates, or explanations. The fragments are real. What they mean is another matter entirely.

And the Alderfield Mara returned to after thirteen years away is not the town she remembers. Judith’s death exposes family resentment, an old professional grievance, hidden civic tensions—and more than one person with something to lose.

At first, the echo seems to point Mara in one convincing direction.

But the echo isn’t wrong.

Mara is.

With Detective Sergeant Daniel Hart following the evidence, Mara must separate what she sensed from what she assumed before a false interpretation hides the truth about Judith’s murder.

Because echoes don’t lie. They just don’t tell the whole story.

Murder Leaves an Echo is the first book in The Alderfield Witch Mysteries, a small-town paranormal cozy mystery series with a historic Vermont inn, a touch of slow-burn romance, a tuxedo cat, and a complete murder mystery in every book.

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My Review:

Murder Leaves an Echo is a fantastic first book and a wonderful introduction to Lucy Harrowell’s The Alderfield Witch Mysteries series. The mystery and suspense kept me turning the pages as each new clue came to light.

Within three hours of leaving Hawthorn House, Judith Prescott is found dead. There are plenty of suspects to interview, and it quickly becomes clear that Alderfield is holding onto quite a few secrets—secrets that make you wonder just how far someone is willing to go to keep them hidden.

Mara Whitmore has returned home after thirteen years to run her family’s inn, Hawthorn House. A witch, Mara experiences an "echo" whenever she touches an object. The echoes are always true, though Mara's interpretations of them may not be. When Judith leaves a dark green folio behind at the inn, Mara touches it and receives an echo that complicates the investigation into Judith’s death and sends the mystery in a confusing new direction.

I thoroughly enjoyed this cozy mystery. The magical elements make the plot even more intense, interesting, and captivating. I’m already eagerly awaiting the next installment in The Alderfield Witch Mysteries to see what supernatural puzzle Mara has to untangle next.

If you’re looking for your next page-turning mystery, grab a copy of Murder Leaves an Echo today!

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Release Blitz + #Giveaway: The Building by Kevin G. Chapman @KGChapman @RABTBookTours

 

Mystery / Thriller

Date Published: 10-10-2026

Publisher: First Legacy Publishing

 

The community comes first – no matter what.

 

For ten years, the Utopia Tower experiment has been a resounding success. Conceived by a tech billionaire, the state-of-the-art apartment complex offers a life-changing opportunity: rent-free living for residents who adhere to the "Five Pillars of Harmony" and maintain the building's pristine reputation. It is a tight-knit community where neighbors look out for one another, ensuring that nothing endangers their sanctuary and their right to continue living there.

Antonio, a young lawyer, moves into the tower to care for his grandmother, eager to join this idyllic social experiment. But the veneer of perfection cracks when two young men—both considered bad apples and threats to the community's serenity—die in unusual circumstances within a single month. Despite warnings to leave well enough alone, Antonio suspects a connection and digs deeper. He discovers that, in a building designed for total harmony, asking the wrong questions can make you the next problem to be handled. Is there a killer hiding among the residents? Is the billionaire founder protecting his investment? Or is the truth far more terrifying?

In an environment where preservation of the collective is the prime directive, how far will the community go to protect itself?

 

Perfect for fans of Black Mirror, Blake Crouch, and high-concept tech mysteries.

 

About the Author

 

 Kevin G. Chapman is an attorney specializing in labor and employment law and an independent author. His seven -book (so far) Mike Stoneman Thriller series, includes Lethal Voyage, Winner of the 2012 Kindle Book Award, and Fatal Infraction, the #1 Police Procedural of the year (CLUE Blue Ribbon Award). Kevin's stand-alone mystery/suspense/romance, Dead Winner was the winner of the CLUE Blue Ribbon for best suspense/thriller, and Kevin's most recent stand-alone mystery, The Other Murder, was the Grand Prize Winner of the 2024 CLUE Award (best over-all mystery/suspense/thriller). Kevin has also written a serious political drama, A Legacy of One (2016). Kevin is a resident of Central New Jersey and is a graduate of Columbia College and Boston University School of Law. Readers can contact Kevin via his website at www.KevinGChapman.com.

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Review: Murder on the Early Boat: A Charming Island Cozy Mystery Novella set on the Isle of Wight (The Squirrel Sanctuary Mysteries) by Imogen Penrose @imogenpenrose

Murder on the Early Boat

A Charming Island Cozy Mystery Novella set on the Isle of Wight

The Squirrel Sanctuary Mysteries

by Imogen Penrose

Published: September 10, 2026

Genre: Mystery, Thriller, Suspense, Short Read, Cozy Mystery

 

Blurb:

A red squirrel steals a teaspoon. A man is dead on the early boat before it docks. The cook at the sanctuary café tells Robyn Cheverton she is an overner with good paperwork.

Robyn came over for a week. Bury her grandfather, sell the forty acres of hazel he left her, go back to the zoo.

Nigel Cotgrave buys houses off the newly bereaved and calls it paying quicker. He gave Robyn his card with his condolences. He goes to a good many funerals, and he says so.

The crew say he fell in the swell. Nobody on that boat is sorry.

A hardback book with every car on the deck. A collar up against a headrest. A man who would not get out for the whole crossing.

Robyn has a funeral in three hours, a grandmother expecting her, and a squirrel who is about to pick the wrong pocket.

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My Review:

A charming, fast-paced cozy mystery that steals your heart!

Murder on the Early Boat is a delightful short read in Imogen Penrose’s The Squirrel Sanctuary Mysteries series. It is a charming story involving a red squirrel named Hendrix who absolutely steals the show! Our protagonist, Robyn, has come to the Isle of Wight to bury her grandfather and sell the forty acres of hazel woodland he left her, with plans to immediately return to her work at the zoo. Her plans change when she discovers Hendrix living in her property's attic barn.

But the real trouble starts on the journey over. On the boat, Robyn meets Nigel Cotgrave—a sleazy man who targets the newly bereaved to pressure them into buying their inherited property. Before Robyn can even depart the boat, Nigel is found dead, and absolutely no one on board is sorry to see him gone.

Despite being a quick read, the mystery and suspense of trying to find out what happened to Nigel kept me turning the pages. Each twist reveals its secrets slowly and masterfully, making this short story feel as rich and satisfying as a full-length novel.

Be sure to grab a copy of Murder on the Early Boat to meet all of these wonderful characters and help them solve a perfect cozy mystery!

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Book Blitz: Eternity In Motion by James E. Winder @RABTBookTours

 

Poetry

Date Published: August 24, 2026

 

All joy wants eternity … wants deep, deep eternity. With this declaration of primordial lust, the patron saint of post-modernity exalts his mania for joy, alongside the unquenchable thirst of the will to power, and, with it, the futile quest for the super-human. The cultural force of this dictum, which has become a commonplace among the literati, still drives the onslaught of thought and behavior, even, and perhaps foremost, among those who remain ignorant of its explicit pronouncement. A prophet is always heard most widely and wrongly, not through his own voice, but through the discordant voices of his wayward disciples. Amid the endless cacophony of copycats, who vainly mimic the grand style of their master, you’re tempted to forget the desperate loneliness of the solitary individual, a hermit in his many hideaways and masks, who, above all else, sought to transmute his solitude into a macho justification for human tenderness.

Late at night, when she is fast asleep, you crawl into bed; and in the midst of the dark, quiet night, you hear rhythmic spasms in her breathing as she dreams. Thoughtlessly, carelessly, inevitably, your mind empties itself so that there is only the sound of her breathing – paradoxically steady and spasmodic. In your own late-night, overwrought, careworn mania, you manage to convince yourself that what you really hear at this moment is the sound of eternity singing. Physiologically, you might interpret this as a mental phantom concocted out of the stresses and strains of a tiring day. But this illusion produces a reality that the mind cannot deny without destroying a part of itself. Loving your mind too much to bear losing even its most illusory fragments, you cannot help but think that these moments are gateways to eternity, that they are not merely the pleasant afterimages you dream up to forget a day of painstaking and tedious work but that they are indeed what you have lived through the day to reach, to grasp and caress, if only for a fleeting instant. Such moments (and not the jobs you do) are the serious work of your life.

 

This book, the third and final one in the eternity trilogy, continues to recount the conspiracy of nowhere and now here that unfolded in "The History of Eternity" and "Passages to Eternity." Read this book, if you will, and follow the adventures of this paradox as it reveals itself in the lives of 36 historical individuals, including Musil, Bloy, Peguy, George Eliot, Kripke, Blake, Nishida Kitaro, Cather, Nagarjuna, Fitzgerald, Bruno, Paz, John Duns Scotus, Mallarmé, Burke, Achebe, Murdoch, Epictetus, St. John of the Cross, Turing, Lispector, Goya, Pirandello, Blanchot, Tennyson, Messiaen, Cantor, O’Connor, Nin, Lowell, Racine, Vidal, Niebuhr, Twain, Derrida, C.S. Lewis and many others.

 

About the Author

Mr. James E. Winder was born on June 16, 1953, in Athens, Tennessee, and graduated summa cum laude from Vanderbilt University in 1975 with a B.A. in philosophy and literature. He earned an M.A. in philosophy from Purdue University in 1980.

James Winder spent the lion’s share of his career as a mid-level manager and intelligence analyst for the National Security Agency (NSA), where he retired in 2013 after 30 years of service. At NSA, Mr. Winder’s most noteworthy assignment was in 1991-1992, when he served as Assistant Director of the President’s Foreign Intelligence Advisory Board (PFIAB). During that time, he co-authored a report for President George H.W. Bush on intelligence lessons learned during the first Gulf War and provided extensive research and documentation on a wide range of other matters of great interest to the PFIAB board members. In a special commendation, then Acting PFIAB Chairman, Admiral Bobby Ray Inman, cited Mr. Winder for his “expert advice to the President of the United States” and for his “extremely incisive and timely contributions on some very complex issues.”

During three decades at NSA, Mr. Winder produced three classified, book-length studies, most notably including a comprehensive report on an important subject, which won NSA’s annual Cryptologic Literature Award. He also wrote a wide variety of other in-depth reports on Soviet intelligence, terrorism, and technical threats to U.S. telecommunications.

Mr. Winder is the author of The History of Eternity, a series of philosophic meditations in poetic form, which is, according to Mr. Winder, the cryptic story of his life and the lives of many others. There is – in the history of philosophy or literature – no other work that is akin to it in nature and scope.

 

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Teaser: Land Of Math by Lan H. Reilly @RABTBookTours

 

Children's Non-Fiction

Date Published: 11-09-2026

Publisher: Mission Point Press

Land of Math is a vibrant juvenile picture book that introduces early learners to the building blocks of mathematics through a whimsical narrative centered on the structured realms of Ones, Tens, and Hundreds. The story follows the diligent King Equation as he strives for stability in his kingdom, only to have his plans upended by the playful antics of Prince Addition and Prince Subtraction. When the princes’ magical meddling leads to an overflow of Ones, the king must consult the High Wizard of Ordinals. By utilizing the enchanted Carry-Over and Borrow Rivers, King Equation successfully manages the numerical surplus, teaching readers about place value and operational balance. This delightful adventure blends creative storytelling with academic fundamentals, providing an accessible and engaging way for children to master basic arithmetic and logic.

Excerpt

In the Land Of Matth with an A, the subjects loved order so much that they built their towns in tight, neat little blocks. They were grouped by the size and lived in homes built just for them. There were ONES, TENS, and HUNDREDS.

The ONES were peasants who kept the villages running.

The Tens were ten times taller than the Ones. They were royalty who ruled over towns and cities.

The HUNDREDS were ten times larger than the Tens and, therefore, one hundred times greater than the Ones. Because of their enormous size, they watched over the entire kingdom, There were only three of them: King Equation and his brothers, Prince Addition and Prince Subtraction.

 

About the Author

 

 After recently completing Stahno the Space Explorer, Lan H. Reilly, a self-taught artist, was inspired to write her next book, hoping to cultivate a love for mathematics among her young audience. She was born in Saigon, Vietnam, and spent most of her childhood there.

In 1975, she was evacuated with her family from the US Embassy and settled in Wisconsin.

She later earned her Engineering degree at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. She met her husband while working in Minneapolis, then relocated to Michigan to raise their three children.

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Review: Her Dangerous Memory Book 1 by Selvin Faye

Her Dangerous Memory 1

A detective hunting a hidden predator is forced to confront the missing memory that may connect her to him.

by Selvin Faye

Published: May 10, 2026

Genre: Serial Killer Thrillers, Psychological Thrillers

 

Blurb:

Some cases pull a detective in.

This one was already waiting for Clara Whitmore long before she knew her own past was involved.

Detective Clara Whitmore is sharp, relentless, and dangerously good at reading what other people miss. When a raid at The Pallor Club puts her face-to-face with a man who should not have been there, the night leaves her with more than questions. It leaves her watched.

That man is DI Declan Calloway, a cold, brilliant investigator with a reputation for getting to the truth before anyone else even understands the crime. He is also the last person Clara wants near her case. He is secretive, impossible to read, and somehow always one step ahead. Worse, he seems to know more about her than he should.

Then the attacks begin.

A young woman is assaulted in her own flat. Another is hunted. A pattern emerges around a single department store, a handful of ordinary routes home, and a predator who has learned how to disappear in plain sight. He studies women before he strikes. He knows their routines, their buildings, their fear, and exactly how to make a crime scene look like chaos when it is anything but.

As Clara and Calloway are forced into an uneasy alliance, the investigation opens into something darker than a single attacker. The city's violence is not random. It is structured. Patient. Intimate. Beneath the surface lies a chain of men connected by secrecy, humiliation, and ritualized cruelty, each one learning from the man before him.

To stop them, Clara must do more than chase evidence. She must enter the psychology of men who turn obsession into discipline and resentment into method. She must trace a trail that leads through assault cases, hidden loyalties, fake alibis, and women who survived just long enough to leave behind the smallest clues.

But the deeper Clara goes, the more unstable the ground under her own life becomes.

For four years she has lived with a blank space in her memory, a wound she learned to work around rather than confront. Then the dreams start. A river. Blood. A man whose face she cannot fully see. A voice that feels familiar in the most dangerous possible way. What begins as a case slowly becomes a crack in the wall she has built around herself.

And while she is trying to hunt a predator in the present, something in her forgotten past is hunting its way back.

At the center of it all stands Declan Calloway: infuriating, precise, and impossible to ignore. He pushes Clara harder than anyone else dares, sees too much, and withholds even more. Their partnership is all friction, instinct, and distrust, but every step forward seems to bind them tighter to the same nightmare.

Because this is no longer just about who attacked the women of Greybourne.

It is about who taught them.

Who protected them.

Who built the system around them.

And why Clara's missing memories seem to pulse in time with every new body.

Dark, addictive, and razor-sharp, Her Dangerous Memory blends psychological suspense, serial crime, buried trauma, and a slow-burn investigative partnership charged with danger from every direction. Perfect for fans of Tana French, Lisa Gardner, and Karin Slaughter.

• Intelligent female detective

• Dark psychological suspense

• Serial crime and criminal networks

• Buried trauma and recovered memory

• Slow-burn investigative partnership

Some killers leave fingerprints.

Some leave patterns.

And some leave themselves inside your memory, waiting to be recognized.

The Her Dangerous Memory Series continues in Book 2.

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My Review:

Her Dangerous Memory is the captivating first book in a new series by Selvin Faye. From the very first page, I was completely drawn in by the writing; it had me hanging on every word and pulled me deep into the story. I felt as if I was right there alongside Detective Clara Whitmore.

Clara is relentless and incredibly good at what she does—she can read a crime scene like no other. When a predator begins attacking women, Clara becomes determined to capture them. However, the high-stakes case triggers a series of troubling dreams, unlocking a blank space in her mind she had spent years avoiding. With each new attack, more of her forgotten past fractures and bleeds into the present.

This book is intense, captivating, and kept me on the edge of my seat as I raced to the end to see who the culprit would be. It is filled with twist after twist that kept the pages turning. I kept trying to figure out "whodunit" but had absolutely no luck! The ending was so well played, leaving me desperate to know more. I can't wait to dive into the next installment and uncover the rest of the story.

I highly recommend this book to anyone looking for their next mystery to solve! Grab your copy of Her Dangerous Memory today! 

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Book Blitz + #Giveaway: Love and Other Cures for the Recently Undead by H.J. Ramsay @XpressoTours

Love and Other Cures for the Recently Undead
H.J. Ramsay
Publication date: October 6th 2026
Genres: New Adult, Post-Apocalyptic, Romance

CeCe Campbell wakes on the asphalt of a mall parking lot with two missing years and a body that no longer feels like her own. Infected with the Kill Virus on her 18th birthday, she’s among the first to be cured.

Rehabilitation teaches CeCe how to walk, how to speak, how to exist in a world rebuilding itself, but it cannot return what she lost. Her mother is dead. Her brother is missing. And the last memory before the dark is a bite she cannot escape.

When CeCe unexpectedly meets Derrick—the boy who infected her—she’s torn between anger and a strange, undeniable connection. Derrick doesn’t remember what he did. CeCe does, and the truth of that moment is something he’ll never get. Not when he already took everything from her.

But if there’s to be life after the cure, CeCe will have to unwind the past, face what happened the night that bound them together, and decide if love and forgiveness can heal wounds deeper than the ones left by the undead.

Love and Other Cures for the Recently Undead is a haunting post-apocalyptic love story about guilt, survival, and choosing connection in a world where nothing can be undone.

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EXCERPT:

CeCe opens her mouth to ask for a ride, but by the time she gets the words out, Savannah is already jumping into the van. Her aunt pulls away from the curb.

Derrick looks toward the van and then at CeCe. He smiles. It’s probably meant to be charming, but she finds nothing about him appealing.

He steps toward her.

Why did she insist on walking home? If her dad was here, she’d already be in his car. Now she has to find a way around Derrick. Or maybe she doesn’t. She could wait him out. He’ll have to leave eventually.

CeCe turns back to the school. Just as she’s about to reach for the door, it swings open and Olivia slithers out. They’re so close that CeCe can see every strand of Olivia’s bangs—and something underneath. A scar? Does that mean Olivia isn’t a Survivor? She’ll have to think about that later. Not now.

Olivia inches to the side. The moment she’s out of the way, CeCe lunges for the handle, but it shuts before she can grab it. She yanks. It doesn’t budge. The damn thing’s on auto-lock.

CeCe presses her forehead against the locked door. Did Olivia do that on purpose? Knowing it would leave her trapped out here? She senses Olivia’s stare crawling over her—and Derrick’s.

She can’t deal with this. Can’t deal with them. Her hand clamps around the latch, unable to move. She just wants to go home.

“Hi again,” she hears Derrick say from behind her.

She groans. “Are you going to be here every day?”

“Ah, she speaks. I wasn’t sure if, you know, there was something wrong with your voice.”

“I speak,” she snaps as she turns, half expecting to see Olivia standing beside him, but she’s already down the stairs, heading toward the same rumbling truck. At least that’s one problem solved.

Author Bio:

HJ Ramsay holds an MFA in Creative Writing and is an award-winning author. She is the Editor-in-Chief of Gold Man Review, a West Coast literary journal, and has a background in Psychology and Criminal Justice with dual bachelor’s degrees. Passionate about storytelling that explores the human experience, she crafts narratives that blend emotion, imagination, and depth. When she’s not writing or editing, she enjoys diving into the worlds of speculative fiction and literary fiction alike.

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Love and Other Cures for the Recently Undead Blitz

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Book Blitz + #Giveaway: After the Fall by Wendy Roberts @authorwendy @XpressoTours

After the Fall
Wendy Roberts
Publication date: October 9th 2026
Genres: Adult, Thriller

“This is an excellent read for those who want true psychological crime built around family secrets. Very highly recommended.”
Asher Syed for Readers’ Favorite

__

Amber clings to the wreckage of a shattered life; a hermit drowning in the ghosts of what used to be.

When someone dumps a mutilated body on her wilderness property, a cryptic clue makes her the prime suspect. To clear her name, she must confront the dark secrets of her tragic past while a shadowy executioner is closing in.

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EXCERPT:

When the blade of death whittled my family of three down to only me, I ran. Grief had scraped me empty, so fourteen months ago I fled to a shack in the northeastern Washington wilderness. I was seeking sanctuary and hoping the pines would mend my shattered soul. Maybe that was too much to expect of the trees. At least they didn’t judge the monument to my failure; a recycling bin overflowing with wine bottles.

The morning light struggled through my grimy windows and poked at my hangover. I took my coffee mug outside and stood on the splintered porch of the small cabin. The air was deceptively still and heavy, carrying the sharp scent of sunbaked pine needles and the silent, shimmering threat of an approaching scorcher of a day. My cabin sat at the dusty elbow of two dirt roads. Between my door and the ditch was half an acre of thigh-high, dewless grass that stood stiff and dry alongside leggy wildflowers and a single tree.

The western hemlock tried for the heavens at nearly two hundred feet, and it was the area under the tree that drew my critical gaze. A woman sat in the tall grass, back against the tree. What was someone doing way the hell out here?

With an eye roll I left the house and stormed toward her.

“Hey!” I shouted.

The strap of her checkered sundress had fallen from one shoulder and as I reached her, I lifted a hand to tap her arm. As my finger got close, a cloud of flies lifted and re-settled into gaping, torn flesh. The wind shifted direction and a thick miasma of putrid decay stung my nostrils. I stumbled backward as my stomach lurched.

Dead!

I couldn’t stop the tremor in my jaw; my teeth clattered together as I whispered broken words, “I-I should check to be sure . . .”

But my voice trailed off because nothing that smelled like that could be anything but gone.

Author Bio:

Wendy Roberts is an armchair sleuth, fan of all things mysterious but a huge chicken at heart. Her mind is often in the secretive, cloak and dagger world of intrigue while her physical presence is usually at home or on the road in her camper van. Wendy resides in Vancouver, Canada where she happily writes about murder and is always at work on her next novel.

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