Review: After the Fallout (Survivors of the New Dawn #1) by Grace Hamilton

After the Fallout

Survivors of the New Dawn #1

by Grace Hamilton

Published: August 13, 2025

Genre: Dystopian, Science Fiction, Post-Apocalyptic, Thriller, Disaster Fiction

Blurb:

The world has gone dark. And now danger lurks in the shadows…

After a massive EMP attack cripples the West Coast, civilization collapses overnight. Claire’s only focus is finding her sister Lydia—before it’s too late. With chaos erupting around every corner, Claire is forced to team up with the last person she ever expected: her ex-husband. But in a world without rules, trust is a luxury they can't afford.

Meanwhile, miles away in the remote wilderness, Lydia awakens in the wreckage of a plane crash—alone, injured, and pregnant. But this isn’t just any pregnancy. Lydia is carrying a child for one of the country’s most powerful and ruthless families... and now they want her back. Alive is optional.

Armed with nothing but the survival skills their father taught them, the sisters must navigate a landscape where the only thing more dangerous than nature is the people still left in it. Their goal: reach the family’s old homestead and ride out whatever’s coming.

The road to each other is dangerous—but it’s the only one worth taking.

Goodreads ~ Amazon ~ BookBub

My Review:

After the Fallout is the first book in Grace Hamilton’s new series, Survivors of the New Dawn, and it provides an excellent beginning. The story is told through the perspectives of many characters as they make their way to safety after the fallout, searching for a secure place and family.

The aftermath has led to the rise of dangerous individuals eager to take control of everything. Stores have been looted, leaving little for others; people struggle to find food and supplies. The survivors are cautious and unsure about whom to trust.

Claire and her pregnant sister, Lydia, along with Alejandro and Danny, are trying to reach Claire and Lydia’s family’s old homestead. Along the way, they face numerous challenges; at one point, they are forced to flee a raging fire visible in the distance.

We also see the story through the perspectives of Rob, Buck, and Rob’s grandson Danny, as they try to keep to themselves and survive. But there are dangerous people out there. Rob tries to play it safe, but it’s tough, especially with a teenager who tends to trust too easily.

As always, Grace Hamilton has done it again; she has crafted another brilliant story and a fantastic start to a new series. I was hooked from the first page. I couldn’t turn the pages fast enough, which happens every time I read stories like After the Fallout, especially a book by Grace Hamilton. I am eager to read the upcoming book, After The Escape, in this brand-new series, Survivors of the New Dawn, to find out what awaits everyone as their journeys continue.

If you enjoy reading dystopian and post-apocalyptic stories, I highly recommend grabbing a copy of After the Fallout today and starting a new adventure in this series.

Connect with Grace Hamilton

Website ~ Facebook ~ Goodreads ~ Amazon ~ BookBub

 

Read More

Book Tour + #Giveaway: Daemones ex Machina by Russell Anders @RABTBookTours

 

Cyberpunk/Urban Fantasy Fiction

Release Date: July 23rd, 2025

Publisher: Acorn Publishing

If you make a deal with the Devil, don’t forget to read the fine print. 

Three operatives find themselves on the run after a corporate sabotage job goes awry. Now, their predatory employer, a heavyweight weapons-tech firm, wants its elite A-team dead at all costs.  Jon is a smooth-talking charmer. Friedrich is a hacker prodigy. And Guion is the ice-cold tactician who keeps them all in line.

Backs against the wall, the men strike separate infernal pacts to stay alive. They vanish into the urban badlands of New York’s Five Hives, vowing to lie low and figure out why they’ve become targets. Meanwhile, Jon suspects there’s an insidious evil possessing his friends, and he wonders if they all got more than they bargained for. 

Amid an escalating war between local gangs and the firm’s private shock troops, the fugitives uncover a conspiracy that threatens to destroy everyone they know and love. But can they stop the destruction before their inner demons seize control?

Interview with Russell Anders

What is your favorite part of the book?

There’s a scene in which Friedy and Nana Robin sit at her kitchen table and have a real heart-to-heart. Over the course of that conversation it becomes obvious that this is the first time Friedy feels fully accepted without any pressure from anyone, including himself, to be anything other than what he is. It’s sweet and genuine and very much based on the relationship I had with my grandmother.

Does your book have a lesson? Moral?

This is a story about the dangers of normalizing malignancy. The demons make that case pretty bluntly, but you can see it in the mundane world as well. The world is unkind, and it is that way largely because people collectively decided that was okay. They accepted institutionalized poverty and oppression as normal and it was allowed to spread.

Are your characters based off real people or did they all come entirely from your imagination?

Most of the characters in this book are based on real people. I say based on because they all moved quite far from their source material. Those close to me will likely recognize where Steve comes from and likely say it’s an exaggerated but accurate portrayal.

Jon, Guion, and Friedy are all based on me. They all represent different facets of me from different times in my life, but they all come from deeply personal experiences and traits. Friedy is the doubt and self-loathing of my childhood. Guion is my tendency to hyper-rationalize. Jon is my naive and sometimes stark sense of morality. All these characters grew into entities independent and less representative of me as I developed the book. The seed from which they all sprouted, though, was me.

Of all the characters you have created, which is your favorite and why?

As I worked my way through the book and the characters revealed themselves and grew, I found I liked all of them for one reason or another. However, if I had to pick just one I would, after some teeth gnashing, pick Steve. Not only was he a ton of fun to write, but I got to reveal some unexpected depth with him. Even better, he wound up perfectly spotlighting the idea of boiling the frog when it comes to accepting evil. He’s innocuous enough at first, even fun. Jack is creepy and the beast is terrifying from its first appearance. But Steve? He just eats a lot and refuses to take anything seriously. Annoying at times, but evil? Come on.

Until all of a sudden things change. He doesn’t change. He’s who he always has been. And he’s been a demon.

What character in your book are you least likely to get along with?

Friedy. I get the guy. Like I said earlier, he’s based on a young me. But he’s hard to like. He has a lethal allergy to taking responsibility for himself and his actions. He’s thin skinned and reactionary with a rancid sense of consequences. In his heart of hearts he’s not a bad guy, but he hates himself and that makes it hard to get along with him.

What would the main character in your book have to say about you?

Jon: “Dude, what the fuck? You’re a god. You can make anything and anyone and this is the world you decided to create? This is the life you gave me? My team and I struggled. We struggled to do our jobs. We struggled to stay alive. We struggled to save people. We struggled because of you. You didn’t have to do any of this. We didn’t have a choice. You did. What kind of person makes that choice?”

Do you want each book to stand on its own, or are you trying to build a body of work with connections between each book?

A rule I have is that I won’t tell a story unless it needs to be told. When I feel I have to get a story out of me is when I know I have something worth writing.

At the risk of sounding pretentious, I want my writing to primarily be art, not product. Sure, I want my books to sell well and collecting a nice royalty payment on the regular sounds pretty nice, but I don’t want that to be the prime driver.

I wrote this book to get certain things out of my head and into the world. I’ve done that, and I did it in a way that didn’t leave dangling threads. In time, I might go back to the Five Hives and discover there’s more there than I thought and feel the impetus to tell another tale set there. But for now, I’m moving on to another cast of characters in another corporate-dominated, overdeveloped and impoverished urban sprawl on a whole other Earth.

About the Author

 At the age of four, Russell Anders started telling stories, often interrupting his mother during bedtime reading to ask, “Then what happened?” She always answered, “You tell me,” and his imagination conjured fantastical tales of dragons and dinosaurs.

He gravitated toward a career as a technical writer and writing coach for software companies. He also briefly served as a columnist for Dragon Magazine. One of his favorite hobbies includes tabletop role playing, especially as the game master. And yes, he's as cruel to the characters in his games as he is to the characters in his books; his players love him for it. 

Russel lives with the constant canine companionship of whip-smart but goofy Sigurd, an English Mastiff (the best breed ever).     

Daemones ex Machina is his debut novel.

 

Contact Links 

Website

Facebook

Instagram

Goodreads

Bluesky

Purchase Links

Amazon

B&N

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Read More

Audiobook Tour + #Giveaway: Where Eagles Nest by Helen F. Wand @HelenWandBooks @RABTBookTours

 

Historical Fiction

Date Published: August 20, 2024

Publisher: Luminare Press

Narrator: Carolyn Wand Eslick

Run Time: 8 hours, 13 minutes

 

Where Eagles Nest chronicles a young couple, Alex and Julianna Lampert, as they immigrate from Lichtenstein, in search of land where they can raise a family and participate in the American dream. The young newlyweds eventually settle in the rugged hills and pasturelands above the Sandy River in Oregon, where they forge a life of love and pursue their quest for prosperity in spite of the struggle in the wild terrain of the Pacific Northwest in the 1880s. —Sharon Nesbit, writer and historian, author of It Could’ve Been Carpdale.

 

Interview with Helen F. Wand

What is your favorite part of the book?

My favorite part of the book is Alex and Franz worrying over the birthing of Alex's first child.

Does your book have a lesson? Moral?

I think one of the biggest lessons is loyalty to friends and family.

Are your characters based on real people or did they all come entirely from your imagination?

They are all real people based on stories told to me by my grandmother, Tracy and my father who was her first born child.

Of all the characters you have created, which is your favorite and why?

I think Tracy is the dearest and Juliana is the most courageous.

What character in your book are you least likely to get along with?

Marsden

What would the main character in your book have to say about you?

"Why in the world would you want to write about me?"

Do you want each book to stand on its own, or are you trying to build a body of work with connections between each book?

I want them to stand alone, but tie into each other.

About the Author

Helen Wand was raised in the rugged hills of Oregon's Columbia River Gorge. A child of a large Catholic family, she has fearlessly trespassed into the lives of her immigrant ancestors who first settled at the west end of the Gorge. Her writing places the reader by their side as they raise and feed a large brood of children, build a farm, and ultimately, a community. Those who see the neat farms and green fields of Multnomah County, east of the Sandy River, will get a sense of how they began and the challenges they faced along the way.

 

Contact Links

Website

Facebook

Goodreads

Purchase Link

Amazon

a Rafflecopter giveaway 

Read More

Book Tour + #Giveaway: The Plight of the Pudgy by Tammy Waldoch @RABTBookTours

Health & Fitness Diet & Nutrition / Weight Loss Humorous Memoir

Date Published: 07-29-2025

Publisher: BookBaby

Studies have shown that laughter and music are proven ways to facilitate healing. Author Tammy Waldoch uses this potent secret sauce in her book Plight of the Pudgy: Stories, Inspirations, and Preposterous Parodies for the Slim at Heart. From weight loss drugs, chronic diets, and toxic body shame, the book is an open invitation to connect authentically with someone who deeply understands the plight. Her own pilgrimage to finding self-love and a place to "fit in" includes a near-death car accident, a bipolar diagnosis that turned her life upside down, and a lifelong struggle with poor body image.

Waldoch authentically pours her heart and soul into sharing raw stories and songs filled with deep faith, side-splitting humor, and a resounding message that we are all perfectly made in God's eyes.

Tammy writes this book not only as a testimony of her faith but also to share her private path of redemption and healing.

Among the pages, readers will also enjoy fiction stories designed to encourage laughter and reflection, along with some preposterous (and creative!) parodies that provide a backdrop of humor to lighten the burdens of The Slim at Heart.

Early Review

Heart Felt And Honest - This book will make you laugh and cry. The lament of women who struggle with body image applies to a good majority of women.

Interview with Tammy Waldoch

How did publishing your first book change your process of writing?

I was blessed with a team of people who helped me bring my book from start to finish to completion. My editor Becky Flansburg and Krista Soukup from Blue Cottage Agency brought the book to fruition.



What was an early experience where you learned that language had power?

I discovered that language had power relative to my writing from the words of affirmation from my college creative writing teacher. He validated my creativity and gave me the confidence to continue to pursue my passion for writing. Prior to my class with him I had plans to quit school entirely, but after my experience in his class, I chose to go on and finish my degree.



What one thing would you give up to become a better writer?

I would give up giving power to the voices of my inner critic.



Tell us a little about yourself? Perhaps something not many people know?

I was able to overcome my adversity to being in a swimsuit for the first time in 30 years this summer at my cabin on the Fourth of July. I was excited to finally join others in the lake just as I am without shame. I will always consider this my own personal Independence day.



If you had to do something differently as a child or teenager to become a better writer as an adult, what would you do?

I would have attempted to read more authors and poetry and creative writers to learn from their expertise in the written word.



What is the biggest surprise that you experienced after becoming a writer?

I could make people laugh.



Could you tell us a bit about your most recent book and why it is a must-read?

My book is a must read for anyone who suffers from negative body image or toxic body shame. Included are raw stories and inspirations for the slim at heart. It is also a testiment of my faith and a companion to anyone who has a long lost dream that they may have given up on. Included in my message is a personal journey of hope healing and restoration for anyone who suffers from a mental health condition.  

About the Author

Tammy Waldoch is an imaginative author/singer/songwriter/painter with a degree in Liberal Arts from the University of Wisconsin, Lacrosse, emphasizing Aesthetic Education—teaching using the creative arts. She did just that in The Plight of the Pudgy, combining musical parodies with literature to teach others how to overcome obstacles and rise above adversity. She is actively involved with the Writer’s Well at the White Bear Center for the Arts and gathers with other inspiring writers of all ages to explore their creativity. She also consults with the Springboard Center for the Arts in St. Paul, MN for further resources.

She and her husband of 38 years share a dynamic love for better for worse, in sickness and in health, that has endured all things.

She is also a proud parent of two sons and has two beautiful daughters-in-law who share life’s joys and challenges. Her faith is at the heart of everything she does, and this book is a testimony of her Lord and Savior’s incredible loving kindness toward her. Gilda Radner once said, “Life is full of delicious ambiguities.”

Tammy invites everyone to share those ambiguities with her!

Contact Links

Facebook

Goodreads

Blue Book Shelf

Instagram

PurchaseLinks

https://mybook.to/ThePlightofPudgy

Amazon

BookBaby

a Rafflecopter giveaway 

Read More

Book Blast + #Giveaway: Ghosted by Lori Matsourani @LoriMatsourani @GoddessFish

This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. Lori Matsourani will be awarding a $20 Amazon/BN gift card to a randomly drawn winner. Click on the tour banner to see the other stops on the tour. Also, the author has organized a Goodreads giveaway for the book: https://www.goodreads.com/giveaway/show/418301-ghosted.

When her fiancé’s infidelity prompts Bethany Hendren to map out a new path forward, her plans are disrupted by an unexpected encounter with Nick Dorsey, who convinces her to help search for the remains of a troubled eighteenth-century ghost. Nick is the handsome summer boyfriend who ghosted her years ago, and now he wants to rekindle their relationship.

Despite her reluctance to trust him, Bethany discovers he’s still the funny, caring person who captured her heart as a teen, but giving him a second chance is risky—it could lead to love and happiness or result in another devastating heartache.

Although Bethany wants a happily ever after with Nick, does she have the courage to trust him with her future?

Purchase Ghosted on Books2Read, Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Apple Books, and Wild Rose Press

Read an Excerpt

He walked toward her as though they were long-lost friends, and she half expected him to pull her into an embrace. Then she recognized the dark chocolate eyes behind the black-framed glasses and her stomach lurched.

Nick Dorsey. He’s Mrs. Snowden’s nephew?

“Aunt Margaret told me you were checking in today.”

Stunned, Bethany stepped backward, bumping into the edge of the desk as her heart thudded. A white-hot flush scorched every inch of her skin as she stared at Nick. Of all the people she could run into, it had to be the first guy to break her heart? And why did he have to be so handsome, with that bit of hair curling over his forehead and late-day stubble?

She inhaled deeply to rein in her composure, hating her can’t-catch-your-breath reaction to him, then dipped her chin in a neutral acknowledgment.

“Hello, Nick.”

His smile morphed into a full-on, lopsided grin. “It’s been ages since I’ve seen you. Ten years, I bet. Not since the summer Zach and I got our drivers’ licenses.”

Mrs. Snowden laid her hand on Nick’s shoulder. “Bethany is staying in the Howard Room. Can you help her with her bag?” Then, turning to Bethany, she said, “Come back down when you’re ready and I’ll give you a tour of the house.”

As Bethany followed Nick to the second floor, the pain, questions, and self-doubts she’d buried years ago reemerged, seeping into her belly like liquid concrete. The last thing she needed was Nick Dorsey invading her healing zone. It had taken her months to get over the summer romance they’d shared—and he’d abruptly ended—when they were teens. And even longer before she could bring herself to date again.

And now he was in her safe space.

About the Author:

Author Lori Matsourani is a romance addict. Give her stories with a touch of heartbreak and a spark of joy, and she’s happy. Throw in characters with a huge helping of heart and soul, and she’s up reading all night in romance heaven! While currently a Texas resident, Lori grew up near Baltimore and often draws on the historical flavor of Annapolis and Maryland’s Eastern Shore to inspire her story settings. She authored her first fiction story at twelve and has been hooked on writing ever since. Early on, her writing career focused on articles for magazines and newspapers before shifting to her first writing love—fiction. For Lori, connecting words to tell a story is like assembling a jigsaw puzzle, and she loves the challenge of creating every piece.

Connect with Lori Matsourani

Website ~ Facebook ~ Instagram 

Goodreads ~ Bluesky ~ Threads ~ X/Twitter ~ TikTok

Giveaway:

$20 Amazon/BN GC

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Follow the tour and comment; the more you comment, the better your chances of winning.

Read More

Preorder Blitz: Never Stay Broke by Joseph Rutakangwa @Jrutakangwa @RABTBookTours

Nonfiction, Self-Help, Personal Finance

Date Published: September 9, 2025

You’re not broken. The system is just built backwards.

This book is for the person who’s done everything they were told—study hard, work harder, stay positive—and is still asking: Why does it feel like I’m always starting from zero?

Never Stay Broke is a clear, honest guide for figuring out what actually works when things aren’t working. It won’t promise millions or magic. It gives you a way forward—whether you need to make it to the next day, next week, next month, or the rest of your life without looking back.

It’s not about motivation. It’s not about mindset. It’s about movement—small, smart, stacked decisions that build into something you can stand on.

 

Inside, you’ll find:

 

• What to do when you have no time, no credit, and no help

• How to stretch what you have without shrinking your future

• How to turn one move into momentum, then turn that momentum into freedom

• How to stop feeling like you’re catching up, and start acting like you’re in control

 

No fluff. No pity. Just the truth about what it takes to move from survival to security—and beyond.

 

If you’ve ever thought, “I can’t keep living like this,” but didn’t know what to do next, start here.

 

 

About the Author

After completing his education, Joseph embarked on a career in the technology industry, quickly establishing himself as a talented and innovative professional. He has worked with some of the top companies in the field, honing his skills and gaining valuable experience along the way.

In 2021, Joseph founded Rwazi, a company that specializes in providing cutting-edge technology solutions to businesses.

Joseph is known for his visionary leadership style and his ability to inspire and motivate his team. He is deeply committed to the success of his company and the growth of the technology industry in Rwanda. He is also passionate about giving back to his community, and is involved in a number of charitable organizations that work to improve the lives of people in need.

 

Contact Links

Author website

Instagram

Twitter/X

LinkedIn

Purchase Link

Amazon

Read More

Review: The Ashes of Coral Cove (Murder and Mayhem in Coral Cove) by J.J. Macaw

The Ashes of Coral Cove

Murder and Mayhem in Coral Cove

by J.J. Macaw

Published: April 1, 2025

Publisher: J.J. Macaw Publishing

Genre: Mystery Romance, Cozy Mysteries, Small Town Romance, Cozy Mystery

Blurb:

Murder and Mayhem in Coral Cove

An Immersive Covey Mystery

A massive once-in-a-lifetime storm sweeps Coral Cove. Townhall goes up in flames, the city clerk’s tragic end sparks suspicion.

Maxine3 harper (Maxy), a renowned investigative reporter returned to her childhood hometown and steps into the web of confusion and chaos with Tony, her former high school sweetheart and therapist. They are joined by Tom, a retired cyber security expert and local bookstore owner, Together they explore dark secrets to protect the town.

With steely determination and unique skills, the trio unravels a puzzle of cyber clues and hidden motives. As the investigation unfolds, Maxy rekindles her romance with Tony.

A hidden victim turned villain lurks amid the ashes. With vengeance in his veins and decades of rejection in his heart, he continues his arsonist rampage, targeting Coral Cove’s historic buildings.

As embers cool, the team races against time to uncover the truth before Coral Cove’s history turns to smoke. A shocking confession halts the town’s heart. Loss and guilt hang heavy as the sea breeze whispers in a community, longing for its kinder past.

Goodreads ~ Amazon

My Review:

The Ashes of Coral Cove is the first book in J.J. Macaw’s Murder and Mayhem in Coral Cove Series. The story begins after a once-in-a-lifetime storm has swept through the town. The town hall goes up in smoke; other buildings are also being set on fire.

Never fear, though; Maxine Harper (Maxy), a renowned investigative reporter, has returned to her hometown, and with the help of Tony, her former high school sweetheart and therapist, along with Tom, a retired cyber security expert and local bookstore owner, they join forces to solve the mysterious crimes.

The investigation uncovers many dark secrets that the town has been trying to hide for a long time. The mystery, suspense, and dark secrets kept me hooked and rushing to the end as the truth was revealed.

I can’t wait to read more cozy mystery stories by J.J. Macaw, preferably set in Coral Cove! I highly recommend grabbing a copy of The Ashes of Coral Cove today!

Connect with J.J. Macaw

Website/Publisher ~ Goodreads ~ Amazon

 

Read More