Review: Mystic Brews & Murder (Magical Teashop Mysteries #1) by Karen McSpade

Mystic Brews & Murder

Magical Teashop Mysteries #1

by Karen McSpade

Published: January 27, 2026

Publisher: Newcastle Media

Genre: Mystery, Cozy Mystery, Witch, Wizard, Magic

 

Blurb:

A witchy teashop. A knitting competition. A murder mystery that unravels dark town secrets.

When Samara Snow opens Mystic Brews, her dream teashop in the charming coastal town of Winter Haven, Maine, this midlife witch hopes for nothing more than a fresh start. But when she stumbles upon a local knitting champion’s body in her apartment stairwell, her peaceful new life is steeped in danger.

The police are on the hunt for a suspect, but Samara isn’t prepared when suspicion falls on Jack Andrews—a rugged fisherman she’s been trying not to fall for. Determined to clear his name, she teams up with her best friend Ruby, a nosy knitting circle, and her mysterious talking black cat to uncover the truth. What she finds is a tangled web of long-buried secrets, a motive for murder, and a local who seems far too interested in keeping everything quiet.

As another body drops and threats start hitting closer to home, Samara must trust her instincts—and her magic—to uncover the truth before she becomes the next victim. Will she solve the case in time, or will her new life in Winter Haven come to a deadly end?

Perfect for fans of witchy mysteries, charming small towns, quirky witty characters, and talking familiars!

Grab your copy of Mystic Brews and Murder now and discover the deadly secrets brewing in Winter Haven!

Goodreads ~ Amazon ~ BookBub

My Review:

Mystic Brews & Murder serves as an excellent introduction to a new magical series within Karen McSpade’s Magical Teashop Mysteries. Samara Snow opens Mystic Brews, her dream teashop located in the picturesque coastal town of Winter Haven, Maine, in hopes of embarking on a fresh beginning. The duration of her stay in Winter Haven remains uncertain.

When Samara is requested to cater a knitting competition, tensions quickly escalate between two contestants. Upon returning home, she discovers a cat waiting for her. After she returns the cat to its rightful home, she stumbles upon the winner of the knitting competition lying in the stairwell, with the trophy positioned at her feet. The trophy may be the very object that led to the unfortunate demise of Mrs. Appleton.

Although Samara had no intention of assisting in the investigation of Mrs. Appleton’s death, she feels compelled to help her best friend clear her brother’s name after he is arrested. Her inquiry uncovers numerous secrets that someone is prepared to go to great lengths to conceal. The situation intensifies further when another body is discovered.

Mrs. Appleton’s talking cat, Pumpkin, chooses to adopt Samara as his new owner. Despite this, Samara has no intention of keeping Pumpkin, as she believes she is not a suitable caretaker for him.

Mystic Brews & Murder is an engaging mystery that marks a delightful beginning to this new magical series. I was captivated from the very first page to the last, with no dull moments in between. I eagerly anticipate what the next installment in the Magical Teashop Mysteries will reveal for Samara and Pumpkin.

I strongly recommend obtaining a copy of Mystic Brews & Murder today to embark on a new journey in the Magical Teashop Mysteries!

Connect with Karen McSpade

Goodreads ~ Amazon ~ BookBub

Facebook ~ Instagram ~ TikTok

Read More

Book Blitz: Your Brain Weighs 500 Pounds by Derrick Pledger @RABTBookTours

 

Change Your Mindset to Achieve Desired Outcomes

Self-help, Motivational, Success, Transformational Psychology

Date Published: November 8, 2023

 

 What if the biggest obstacle to your success isn’t your circumstances—but your mindset?

Every day, your brain consumes a steady diet of negative news, social media noise, unhealthy beliefs, and self-limiting ideas. Just like poor nutrition damages the body, poor mental input sabotages discipline, productivity, and long-term success.

In Your Brain Weighs 500 Pounds, U.S. Army combat veteran, Fortune 500 technology executive, and high-performance advisor Derrick Pledger delivers a powerful and practical framework for transforming how you think, act, and achieve.

This thought-provoking and highly accessible book presents 100 short lessons—called “recipes”—designed to help you detox your mindset, strengthen discipline, and build habits that compound into life-changing results.

Whether your goal is career advancement, entrepreneurship, improved relationships, better health, or personal fulfillment, this book shows you how success is built—not overnight—but daily.

Inside This Book, You’ll Learn How To:

● Reframe failure as fuel for growth and long-term achievement

● Build discipline and consistency without burnout

● Eliminate self-sabotaging behaviors and mental clutter

● Develop habits that drive upward mobility and performance

● Create clarity around goals and obsess over what matters

● Treat your brain like your body—by feeding it the right “mental nutrients”

Grounded in real-world experience, extensive research, and years of personal journaling, Your Brain Weighs 500 Pounds distills complex success principles into clear, actionable insights you can apply in minutes a day.

Why Readers Love This Book

Readers from all walks of life have experienced profound transformation, including:

● Losing significant weight and reclaiming control over their health

● Advancing from mid-level roles to executive leadership positions

● Gaining clarity, confidence, and momentum after years of stagnation

“I read this book on a four-hour flight and landed as a completely different person.”

This isn’t motivational fluff. It’s a mental operating system for becoming a daily achiever—someone who understands that success is the by-product of learning, failing forward, and getting better every single day.

If you’re ready to put your brain on a better mental diet and finally achieve the outcomes you want, this book is your recipe for success.

 

About the Author

 

 Derrick Pledger is a U.S. Army combat veteran, Fortune 500 technology executive, digital strategist, and author passionate about helping people unlock their full potential through mindset, discipline, and intentional action.

Currently serving as Chief Digital and Information Officer (CDIO) at Maximus Inc., Derrick leads enterprise-wide technology strategy, artificial intelligence operations, and large-scale digital modernization initiatives. With more than 20 years of industry experience, his expertise spans systems integration, automation, cloud and edge computing, AI, data analytics, IT governance, and end-to-end solution development.

Before joining Maximus, Derrick was Chief Information Officer at Leidos, where he oversaw global IT delivery operations supporting a $17-billion organization with more than 48,000 employees worldwide. Earlier in his career, he ran a multi-million-dollar export business in his twenties and became a Fortune 500 CIO by age forty.

As an author, Derrick’s journey is rooted in resilience and persistence. While serving in the U.S. Army, he transformed a failed screenplay into a novel manuscript—written during downtime in Iraq. After dozens of rejections, that effort led to a co-written book deal with Curtis “50 Cent” Jackson, resulting in the 2008 release of The Diamond District.

Fifteen years later, driven by a mission to democratize success, Derrick released his second book, Your Brain Weighs 500 Pounds, after investing more than 1,500 hours researching mindset, habits, and high-performance behaviors. His work challenges conventional thinking about failure, goal-setting, and achievement, offering readers a practical blueprint for sustained personal and professional growth.

In addition to writing, Derrick advises individuals, teams, and organizations on high performance and leadership, and he is a partner at 500 Pound Media, a digital content company focused on personal development and achievement.

Born and raised in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, Derrick believes that success is not reserved for the lucky or the privileged—but for those willing to develop the right mindset and show up consistently, even when failure is part of the process.

Contact Links

Website

LinkedIn

Instagram: @derrickrpledger

Youtube: @500poundmedia 

Goodreads

Purchase Links

Amazon

B&N

Read More

Review: Freefalling Into Love: Soulmate Registry (Fairy Tales With Fangs #5) by D. N. Leo @dnleostory

Freefalling Into Love: Soulmate Registry

Fairy Tales With Fangs #5

by D. N. Leo

Published: January 24, 2026

Publisher: Narrative Land Publishing

Genre: Romance, Shifter Romance, Fated Mate Romance, Clean Romance, Paranormal Romance, Romantic Comedy

Blurb:

SOULMATE REGISTRY — CASE FILE #5

Three women. Three falling men. Three sidekicks with opinions.

She caught him at thirteen thousand feet—and his wolf decided she was his.

She caught him falling off a cliff—and he hired her to teach him not to die.

She caught him crashing through her ceiling on a flying carpet—and now there are vampires in her kitchen.

When gravity throws billionaire alpha wolves into the arms of women who didn't ask for this, the mate bonds don't care about logistics. Or physics. Or the fact that one of them is a prince with seventeen titles and an interdimensional war following him.

Featuring a snow leopard who's "containing multitudes," a dachshund who climbs mountains while terrified, and enough property damage to make insurance adjusters weep.

Some love stories start with a spark. These start with terminal velocity.

Free-falling into Love — three complete fated mates romances with humor, heart, and a guaranteed HEA.

Goodreads ~ Amazon ~ BookBub

My Review:

THE SKYDIVER'S CATCH

Skye Thornfield, Soren Silvercrest, and Snow’s story.

Skye and Snow, a twenty-pound snow leopard who enjoys watching medical dramas, have a penchant for jumping out of planes for amusement. As Skye and Snow are freefalling through the sky, her camera becomes dislodged, plummeting through the air and colliding with Soren, a billionaire, rendering him unconscious. Skye hurries to his aid, despite Snow's better judgment, placing her own life at risk.

I appreciated Snow and his ability to express his desires without concern for others' opinions or feelings. I admired how he was willing to risk everything to ensure that Skye received the medical care he believed she required, demonstrating the depth of his care for her.

THE CLIFF RESCUE

Petra, Finn Hartley, and Frank’s story.

Petra works as a climbing instructor, while Frank, a twenty-pound dachshund, is a level three search and rescue certified dog, despite his fear of heights; he climbs daily, albeit with trembling. Finn, a CEO, has a need to ascend a mountain, though he remains silent about the reason. As Petra, Frank, and Finn tackle the same mountain, Finn rushes past both Petra and Frank.

In a split second, Petra catches him midair, thus saving his life. Subsequently, Finn employs Petra to instruct him on how to avoid peril. Both Petra and Finn harbor secrets, each possessing a motive for scaling this treacherous mountain. What secrets do they conceal? What drives them to ascend the same mountain? I wonder whether their motivations are intertwined in some manner.

THE CEILING CRASH

Summer Smith, Alexandrios Konstantinos Valerius Thorne-Ravencrest, and Frank’s story. Yes, the same Frank. He's on loan while Petra honeymoons.

Summer is enjoying a delightful day when Alex unexpectedly crashes through her ceiling on a damaged flying magic carpet. As if that were not enough, before she can fully comprehend the situation, it begins to rain vampires.

Summer's residence is being ravaged by a prince engaged in battle with the vampires. Once the prince eliminates the vampires, Summer takes Alex under her care, attempting to ensure his safety while she works on mending his magic carpet. He requires his magical carpet in order to return to his home.

Three women.

Three destined partners.

Three men who descended from unlikely heights into the embrace of women who never sought this burden.

Three extraordinarily enchanting narratives featuring three remarkable women, their three exceptionally attractive companions, and their furry sidekicks create a highly captivating collection of stories.

I found myself on the edge of my seat as I hurried through each tale, unable to turn the pages as quickly as I desired.

Each narrative was distinct in its own manner, and I cherished every one of them. I eagerly anticipate the next installment in the Fairy Tales With Fangs series, looking forward to discovering the upcoming characters and their adventures.

I highly recommend Freefalling Into Love: Soulmate Registry to anyone who enjoys a touch of magic intertwined with romance. Be sure to grab a copy of Freefalling Into Love: Soulmate Registry today!

Check out all the books in the Fairy Tales With Fangs I’ve read.

Hitting Into Love: Soulmate Registry #1

Goodreads

Amazon

BookBub

Serving Into Love: Soulmate Registry #2

Goodreads

Amazon

BookBub

Breaking Into Love: Soulmate Registry #3

Goodreads

Amazon

BookBub

Tackling Into Love #4

Goodreads

Amazon

BookBub

Freefalling Into Love #5

Goodreads

Amazon

BookBub

Connect with D. N. Leo

Goodreads ~ Amazon ~ BookBub

Website ~ Facebook ~ Twitter ~ Instagram

 

Read More

Review Tour + #Giveaway: Candle in the Wind by Kim Baccellia @GoddessFish

CANDLE IN THE WIND

by Kim Baccellia

GENRE: Young Adult Dystopian

 

Blurb:

What if you discovered everything you’ve been taught is a lie? For most of her life, seventeen-year-old Espie Hernandez’s world revolved around the Branch of Thomas, a cult-like haven in what’s left of a war-ravaged America. Their ruler, Reverent Father, keeps them safe from the Others, those outside the compound who wish to harm them. Espie questions what she’s been taught and finds herself banished from the compound. She's thrust into the harsh world beyond their walls with the mission to prove the Others actually have a plot against them. When tensions escalate, Espie must figure out who to trust before everything she loves is torn apart.

Purchase Candle in the Wind on Amazon 

Excerpt:

Up close, the deserted building looked less threatening. More than a few tiles were missing from the roof. Scattered dry sagebrush littered the path. The low muttering of voices grew louder the closer I got to the door. I snuck another quick glance over my shoulder, scanning the area. Nothing seemed out of place but that didn’t still the unease that refused to leave. A lone owl soared overhead, and its hoot nearly stopped me in my tracks, the sound reminding me of Reverent Father’s alarms. I glanced back at the building and took a deep breath. I can do this. The rotted wooden door squeaked as I pushed through it to walk inside. Mostly women, dressed in dark clothing, hung to the edges of the room, whispering. Their telltale turquoise stone necklaces betraying their former status in the community. Hoods obscured their features. This act alone, of women gathering together was forbidden. I cast my gaze down, fearing to make contact with any of them. Yellowish haze filled the cramped space along with the burnt scent of smoke from a fire that ravaged the building a few years back. A lone table and a few broken chairs added to the sense of desolation. No, I couldn’t stay here especially if the Elite Guard got wind of this, which I knew would happen. I searched the room for Xochi, the urge to grab her and leave growing stronger by the moment. Sure, enough my sister hung over to the side. “Xochi.” I whispered, glancing furtively around. “I changed my mind.”

My Review:

Candle in the Wind is a captivating story that follows the journey of seventeen-year-old Esperanza, or Espie Hernandez, in a war-torn America where women's lives are tightly controlled by a strict patriarchal system. Espie lives in a cult-like community under the rule of the Reverent Father, where her own father was banished long ago.

Determined to uncover the truth, Espie sets out on a perilous quest after learning that her best friend has been shot and is in hiding or missing, and her sister has also disappeared. As Espie delves deeper, the truth begins to reveal its unsettling nature, leading to her own unexpected banishment.

Readers are left wondering: Will Espie find the answers she seeks on the outside? Will she be reunited with her loved ones? What challenges and discoveries await her in the world beyond her restrictive community? The narrative keeps you in suspense, eager to reach the final pages and witness Espie's journey to the truth.

Just like Espie, I was equally eager to uncover the truth. I was deeply captivated by the captivating world created in Candle in the Wind, and I sincerely hope to explore more of this enchanting realm in future installments. The world-building in this book is truly exceptional, and it's a story that will linger with me long after the final page.

I highly recommend Candle in the Wind to all fans of dystopian fiction! Embark on an adventure of a lifetime by grabbing a copy of this must-read novel. You won't be disappointed!

About the Author:

Award-winning author Kim Baccellia is the author of five fantasy/paranormal young adult novels, Crossed Out, Crossed Fire, No More Goddesses, Goddesses Can Wait, and Earrings of Ixtumea.

Kim has had many jobs. She was a bilingual teacher; homeschooled her son; served on her local RWA charter board; a Cybil’s panelist; and even read the slush pile for an agency.

In her free time, Kim loves long walks, yoga, watching psychological horror movies, and reading lots of books that she loves to review for YA Books Central.

A member of Women’s Fiction Writer’s organization, Kim is currently putting the finishing touches on a historical set in 1943 Italy. She also is working on a historical with a Utah suffragette loosely based on her own ancestor Lucy Clark. Kim lives in Southern California with her husband, son, and cockatiel Damon.

Connect with Kim Baccellia

Amazon ~ Goodreads ~ Website

Facebook ~ Bluesky ~ Instagram ~ Pinterest

Giveaway:

$10 Amazon/BN

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

Read More