Review: Plagued World (EMP Aftermath #8) by Grace Hamilton

Plagued World

EMP Aftermath #8

by Grace Hamilton

Published: April 15, 2026

Genre: Dystopian, Science Fiction, Post-Apocalyptic 

 

Blurb:

Society collapsed. But the true nightmare is only beginning…

Bear and Laurel are still reeling from the attack on their small community. Their clinic has been reduced to ashes, and what little remains of their medical supplies won’t last long. They need time to recover—but fate has other plans.

A brutal illness rages through the battered community, and there’s nothing Laurel can do to stop it. One by one, Thunder Bay’s residents are falling sick. Now, Trent is infected—and getting worse. With only natural remedies at their disposal, time is running out. They have to stop the spread before it’s too late.

Meanwhile, Gideon and Sharon travel with Kate, desperate to leave old enemies behind. But long, dangerous miles still separate them from the relative safety of Thunder Bay. And to make matters worse, someone is following them…

With two frightened children depending on them for protection, they’d rather avoid a fight. But every time they slip away, their pursuers close in again. It’s not bandits. It’s not hostile locals. They’re being hunted.

And soon, there’ll be nowhere left to run…

Goodreads ~ Amazon

My Review:

An illness is spreading rapidly in Thunder Bay, and Laurel finds herself powerless to combat it without any medication. She is doing everything within her power to assist everyone while ensuring the safety of Mae and her unborn child, but now Trent has also fallen ill.

At the same time, Gideon, Sharon, Lisa, and Kate are on the run, particularly Kate, who has stolen a truck loaded with medications. They are attempting to reach Thunder Bay, but their chances are dwindling after they shoot one of the men who was firing at them. Their situation has escalated from a desire for revenge to a thirst for blood, putting Gideon, Sharon, Lisa, and Kate in greater danger than ever before.

The more I read, the more I was drawn in, and I couldn't have stopped even if I had wanted to, which I certainly didn't, as everyone's circumstances grew more intense with each page I turned.

I know I've mentioned this before, but I can't emphasize it enough: this is one of the best series I've ever encountered. The world-building improves with every book, and the suspense keeps me hanging on every word as I eagerly anticipate the fates of the characters. I wish I could turn the pages faster as I race toward the conclusion, not that I want it to end—certainly not now, and not ever.

I wholeheartedly recommend that all fans of dystopian fiction pick up a copy of Plagued World today for another exhilarating installment in the EMP Aftermath series!

Check out all the books in the EMP Aftermath Saga I’ve read.

Broken World #1

Goodreads

Amazon

BookBub

Chaotic World #2

Goodreads

Amazon

BookBub

Dangerous World #3

Goodreads

Amazon

BookBub

Divided World #4

Goodreads

Amazon

BookBub

Collapsed World #5

Goodreads

Amazon

BookBub

Lawless World #6

Goodreads

Amazon

BookBub

Sabotaged World #7

Goodreads

Amazon

BookBub

Plagued World #8

Goodreads

Amazon

Connect with Grace Hamilton

Website ~ Facebook ~ Goodreads ~ Amazon ~ BookBub

Read More

Book Blitz + #Giveaway: The Man In The Middle by Julie Lee Williams @RABTBookTours

A Tapestry of Tangled Lives

Family Saga / Fiction / Based on True Lived Experiences

Date Published: April 6, 2026

Publisher: Serapis Bey Publishing, Arizona, US www.parulagrawal.com

 

A story of human connection between twins, between lovers, between comrades in war, set against the shadow of the evangelical religion and its judgments."

 

Based on a childhood of shadowy secrets surrounding her parents’ marriage and the rigid judgment of the Evangelical religion, the author attempts to find her truth. A work of historical fiction and romance, it spans the era of WWII and beyond, weaving the story of her father, mother and aunt (her mother’s twin sister). The unexpected twists and turns mirror those of our own lives, and readers can empathize and identify with the characters’ humanity as they struggle with their flaws. The power of religious judgement is explored along with the strength and resilience of individuals challenged by the ethics of life. This is also a fascinating study of the complexities of being twins. With the strongest of bonds that overwhelms their very different personalities, their love for the same man creates a gulf between them that threatens their entire adult relationship. It is also a story of a man and how he navigates his own journey after love and loss. When his WWII experience takes him to countries he has never dreamed of seeing, and opens him to the excitement of new cultures, he finds new meaning. At the same time, his bonds to his comrades in arms and their shared experiences of battlefield traumas leaves him with emotional scars. A story of secrets and the power of love, the themes of self-doubt and second chances are embedded in the narrative, along with the acceptance of one’s actions following painful choices.

A story of human connection between twins, lovers, comrades during World War 11, families, and generational trauma, set across the United States and Europe and against the shadow of the Evangelical religion and its judgments. A family saga of secrets, shadows, and unspoken enduring love, and its impact across three generations, based on a true story of lived experience. A work of romantic, historical fiction, The Man in the Middle; A Tale of Tangled Lives is based on the true story of the author’s parents. It follows their youth in the early 1900s in US, through the years of WWII in Europe, and after, and their lives as friends, lovers, parents, and elderly individuals.

This is a story of love and its many forms. There are no heroes or demons, only people dealing with their humanity. Or maybe there are heroes: Luke, as he navigates his life honourably and responsibly, while harbouring feelings for more than one woman; Anna as she comes to terms with her selfish impulses and attempts to overcome them; Pierrette, who recognizes and accepts that she cannot give Luke the life he wants, and that their love is not enough. Karoline is perhaps the true heroine of the book. A victim of the religious beliefs she is trapped by, she finds it impossible to love herself. Instead, she spends her life feeling inferior to her sister and undeserving of Luke’s love. At Luke’s passing, she finally receives the confirmation of her worth and her place as the love of his life.

 

About the Author

"The author lives half-time in San Diego, CA, and half-time in a small village in Southern France. This is her exploration of the unexplained secrets that shadowed her childhood and the consequences that haunt all our choices."

“I wrote this book to come to terms with my past. I wanted to understand the people who raised me, through the fictional characters of Karoline and Luke, who represent my parents and my mother’s twin sister, Anna, who represents my aunt. My childhood was full of love, but as I watched the individuals around me, I sensed a drama that excluded me. I knew my father had been in WWII and experienced Normandy, the Battle of the Bulge and much more during the four years he spent in Europe. The way he talked about the world he had discovered there intrigued me and I knew there was more to tell, which he never spoke about. My mother adored my father, but there was a tension in the room when my aunt was present. A connection between my father and my aunt was obvious despite their effort to hide it. Through the years, there were inadvertent comments that hinted of a previous relationship between them, but it wasn’t until the end of my father’s life that conversations took place that enlightened me. I didn’t ask, but they each wanted to tell their story, their truth about what happened. This book is my truth, my experience in living with them and loving them. It is my attempt to honor them by exploring their humanness and accepting that we are each a complex entity.”

 

Contact Links

Instagram: @julie.lee.williams

Purchase Link

https://mybook.to/TheManintheMiddle

Amazon

Read More

Book Blitz: Sasq'et by Maxim Langstaff @sasqetthebook @RABTBookTours

 

Historical Fiction / Mythology

Date Published: ‎April 7, 2026

Publisher: ‎ Manhattan Book Group

IN 1939, A DEADLY CONFRONTATION IN THE CANADIAN WILDERNESS shatters young Albert Pingree's life and leaves him the keeper of a truth so staggering it could tear apart mankind's understanding of itself. Sixty years later, his granddaughter Mallory - a small-town veterinarian in rural New Hampshire, inherits more than his fortune; she inherits his secret. When Albert is found dead behind his remote British Columbia cabin, Mallory is drawn into a world of deception, lost identity, and scientific obsession. Inside a locked candle box, she uncovers a horrific relic - a severed hand too large to be human - and a note that beckons her toward the impossible.

Mallory recruits Dr. George Avery, the world's leading field zoologist to help her identify what she has found. At first, he is reluctant, unaware of the magnitude of what she has brought to him. As the puzzle begins to take shape, he is confronted by what the answers they find, reveal.

Exploring deeper, their growing affection ignites a sense of purpose, even as they face the shadows of the past and the dangers of their pursuit. In the haunting wilds of the Pacific Northwest, nature's grandeur and brutality are ever-present. Tangled forests and untamed rivers, bears, wolves, and the ancient reverence of Indigenous traditions surround them, blurring the lines between myth and reality. Their quest becomes a journey not only to solve a mystery, but to reconcile love, loneliness, and the immortal question of our place in a world still ruled by secrets.

Register to learn more: https://sasqetthebook.com/press/

 

 

About the Author

Maxim Langstaff is a Grammy-and Emmy-nominated writer, producer, and author whose creative and editorial work has reached millions of people worldwide. He is recognized for his innovative vision and exceptional versatility and reach, crafting narratives that reflect powerful insight into the natural world and our relationship to it.

His debut novel, SASQ’ET will be released on April 7, 2026.

Max holds an honorary doctorate from Connecticut College and a degree in Anthropology. He is a member of The Writer’s Guild and past participant at the Breadloaf Writer’s Conference. His editorial and creative writing has been published by The New York Times, Philadelphia Enquirer, Gannett, Wildlife Conservation Magazine, PBS, Disney, and the Wildlife Conservation Society.

Max produced the multi-media Making of Sgt. Pepper with Sir George Martin, featuring Paul McCartney, Ringo Starr, George Harrison and Phil Collins.

He wrote and produced the most complete filmed history of the Beatles through the eyes of Sir George who signed them, produced their work, and played on many of their recordings. A part Max’s film became the award-winning PBS series Soundbreaking.

Many of the greatest pop culture icons of the 20th century have collaborated with Max on projects he has created, written, and produced including Herbie Hancock, Brian Wilson, Elton John, Joni Mitchell, B.B. King, Tony Bennett, Vince Gill, Burt Bacharach, Bonnie Raitt, Mark Knopfler, Michael Tilson Thomas, Gordon Lightfoot, Smokey Robinson, Jack White, Dave Grohl, Run-DMC, and Willie Nelson. A more complete listing of artists he has worked with can be found at: www.maximlangstaff.com

Known for his work with John Denver, Max created and produced the acclaimed television event, the Wildlife Concert, spawning the highest rated music program in cable TV history upon broadcast, two multi-platinum CD sets, and one of the best-selling music video programs ever released by SONY.

Working with the Wildlife Conservation Society, Max helped lead the largest fundraising effort ($100mm) ever undertaken for wildlife conservation, seeding the first integrated global conservation initiative to save endangered tigers.

On any given day you will likely find him on a wilderness river or mountain trail. A three-time Boston Marathoner, he lives in North Carolina. SASQ’ET is his first novel.

Register to learn more: https://sasqetthebook.com/press/

Contact Links

Website

Goodreads

Facebook

TikTok

Instagram

YouTube

"X"

Bluesky

IMDB

Purchase Link

Amazon

B&N

Bookshop.org

Read More

Book Blitz + #Giveaway: Royal Mayhem by Samantha Jayne Grubey @SamanthaJayne_x @XpressoTours

Royal Mayhem
Samantha Jayne Grubey
Publication date: April 15th 2026
Genres: New Adult, Romance

Part one of a duet.

Melinda Brown doesn’t want much in life, graduate university and survive.

Prince Alexander has everything, surrounded be riches and spoilt to the core. Everything he’s ever wanted has been at the tip of his finger due to his prestigious status as future King of England.

Despite coming from two different worlds, they share the same university. One day everything changes when the two crash into each other’s lives, literally.

As they both enter each other’s worlds, they’re forced to make compromises for the sake of their growing attraction.

Will Melinda and Alexander be able to win people with their love, especially when it becomes clear that they both hide secrets? Or will Prince Alexander by denied for the first time by the first woman that he truly wants? Not everything is as it seems in Royal Mayhem.

Goodreads / Amazon

—

EXCERPT:

Rolling onto my side, I was met with thin air falling to the floor letting out a groan as I hit the floor.

How did I fall out of bed?

I opened my eyes seeing I was in the living room. The memories of last night finally came rushing back to me. We had been binge-watching my favourite reality television show and fell asleep.

Looking behind me, Alex was still fast asleep. He looked so peaceful. With him asleep, I had time to admire him without him knowing it. It had taken a bit for Alex to get comfortable after the incident again. I could tell he was fighting with himself. There must’ve been a huge part of him that wanted to run and hide, whilst the other part of him wanted to stay.

What scared me the most is that I wanted to know both of those parts of him. The good, the bad, and the ugly. I wanted to know it all. I wanted to know him.

Then, there’s the secret.

Could I cope with not knowing what his secret was?

It was obvious he had one, no adult had a grown babysitter without a reason. The security that had suddenly appeared around the campus, it all coincides with when Alex started at university.

I couldn’t figure out what the reason was.

Did he have a famous and important family?

Was he secretly a political figure?

Would I end up hurt?

I wanted to google him so bad. I reached for my phone, opening up the browser and stared at it.

Could I break my promise?

I told him I wouldn’t.

I let out a groan, throwing my phone back on the sofa.

I stood up, made my way to the bathroom, and showered quickly. I wrap the towel around me heading to the bedroom changing into some clean clothes. My body ached so much. Sleeping on a small sofa with someone else was not the best way to sleep.

After finishing getting ready, I made my way downstairs, Alex was still asleep on the sofa, and into the kitchen. I grabbed a can out of the fridge, opening it and taking a small sip.

Maybe I should prepare some breakfast.

I know Alex brought breakfast things I couldn’t believe he went shopping for me. I don’t think anyone would top what he did for me. I walked into the living room and saw he was sitting up looking confused.

“Hey.”

“Hi,” he said. “I was really confused about where I was then.”

“Do you often wake up at random houses not knowing who you’re with?” I asked, raising an eyebrow.

“Not happened in a few years,” he admitted. “Do you have plans today?”

I shook my head.

“Do you want to go on that date?”

“I’d love to.” Butterflies filled my stomach, this was my first real date.

“Great,” he smiled. “I’m going to go home and then I’ll come pick you up” he looked at his phone “around midday if that’s alright with you?”

“Yeah, that sounds good,” I said. He stood up, stretching his arms out.

I made my way over to the door and let him out. “I’ll see you soon.”

“Yes, you will. Just so you know, I had fun last night,” he said.

“Me, too.”

He got into his car and drove off.

I headed into the living room, grabbing my phone.

Megan answered straight away. “If this isn’t life or death, I’m going to fucking kill you, Melinda,” she mumbled.

“Does Alex asking me on a date count?”

Author Bio:

Samantha Jayne Grubey is an author of new adult romance.

When she's not writing or reading, she will be playing sims or doing some diamond art and if she isn't doing any of that she could be pole dancing or most likely working.

Website / Goodreads / Facebook / Instagram / TikTok / X

GIVEAWAY!

Royal Mayhem Blitz

—

Read More

Virtual Book Tour + #Giveaway: Word Up! by Raven Howell @atpearthkeeper @GoddessFish

This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. Raven Howell 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.

Blurb:

Words are the windows through which children view the world. Familiar, uncommon, short and sweet, long and quirky; words make all the difference.

In Word Up, discover how a word packs a punch and possesses the power to heal, hurt, help, and humble. Watch children learn how to choose words wisely, and to recognize that sometimes, the simplicity of kindness itself is expressed in gentle silence.

 

Purchase Word Up! on Amazon

Read an Excerpt

Words are mighty!
Words are strong!
We write them,
Speak them,
Sing our song.

I hope you learn new words today,
And think about the ones you say.

Interview with Raven Howell

Could you tell us about any research trips you took for this story? Which places did you visit, and what made them essential to your writing?

My new book, Word Up! was inspired by students, by many classroom visits and time spent with preschoolers in story time situations. Because I wanted to create a picture book accessible across a broad range of kids’ interests and backgrounds, for me, it was essential to literally be with children and interact in their territory.

What's the strangest thing you've ever had to research online for your book?

At one point during my research about the history of words and various interesting facts, I came across the longest word in an English dictionary: pneumonoultramicroscopicsilicovolcanoconiosis. I happen to have it up on my computer screen and my husband walks by, glances at it, and says, “No way are you going to use that in one of your articles, are you?” (I’m a journalist, too). We ended up belly laughing - there’s no way we could even pronounce it correctly!

What research (history, mythology, science) goes into your world-building?

Word Up! is based in word-building and I think word-building extends to “world-building”. I wrote my picture book to encourage kids and all of us to pause and think about the words we want to use because they are truly powerful. The language you use is a creator of your experience. Even in a simple example such as stepping outside and proclaiming, “Ugh! I hate rain. Now I’ll have mud everywhere.” On the other hand, you can use powerful positives and say, “Yes! The rain feels refreshing! The flowers will bloom, and I want to try on my new rainboots.” Now THAT’S world-building.

Have any of the people you've known, past or present, left a lasting impression on your writing journey? If so, we'd love to hear about a memorable experience that stands out to you.

When my first children’s poetry compilation, Shimmer, Songs of Night, was published- now almost a decade ago, I met the renowned children’s author/poet, Jane Yolen, at a book fair. She was kind, and open to conversing, and she took the time to look through my book (me, at her side, holding my breath!) and then she looked at me and said, “You can do this. You’re a good writer.” It was an impressionable moment in my career, helping to overturn my feelings of inadequacy and doubts. A few years later, I reconnected with her again when I featured her latest children’s release and interviewed her in my The Book Bug column/Story Monsters Ink magazine.

Do you write in the same genre all the time?

Many of my books are inspirationally themed children’s fiction, some in rhyme, some not. I also write children’s poems and have several kids’ poetry compilations released over the years. In 2025, I released my first early reader, The Charms of US Farms/Finding Out How Things Work. Although fiction, it’s informational fiction.

If so, have you ever consider writing in another one?

I am presently writing in another genre I have not delved into before. I’m in the process of writing an adult non-fiction piece for an anthology. And it’s fun – I enjoy challenging myself!

Which character, supernatural or human, do you enjoy writing the most and why?

Up until the past year, I most enjoyed writing about or from the perspective of a child. But I have an upcoming picture book, A Day with the Dragons, written from the dragons’ point of view – and THAT has been the most surprisingly rewarding and delightful experience!

About the Author:

Raven Howell is the author of over 25 picture books for children. She’s a writer for several children’s magazines. Raven contributes The Book Bug column for Story Monsters Ink magazine, is the Arts & Crafts Director of Kids Corner, and Publishing & Creative Director with Red Clover Reader. She is a contributing author for Reading is Fundamental SoCal and I Am a Promise Books, and a story book writer for world-wide educational programs.

Connect with Raven Howell

Website ~ Twitter ~ Instagram ~ Facebook 

Facebook ~ Pinterest ~ LinkedIn ~ TikTok ~ Bluesky

Giveaway:

$20 Amazon/BN GC

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

Read More

Teaser + #Giveaway: The Bric-a Brac of Mickey Mack by Mickey Mack @RABTBookTours

Poetry /Comedy Satire Gift Rhyme Millennial Humor Silverstein Memory

Date Published: 04-15-2026

Publisher: The Tink and Tank Press

A wry poetry collection that captures the jarring sink-or-swim leap into adulthood. This book honors the limbo of exiting youth, a unique period where responsibility suddenly smashes the youthful optimist, crushing it under the crippling weight of adulthood. Twenty-somethings scatter across life's spectrum with some jobless and couch-surfing, while others marry, become parents, and buy a house. Everyone eventually finds themselves old enough to fight in foreign wars but too young to rent a car. It's the fast, brutal shift to an unguarded world, to bowling without bumpers. You've entered a chaotic soup of competing ambitions and subterfuge, where one hand offers help while the other conceals a knife. You're expected to be an adult without ever having been one, like seeing the ocean from afar and suddenly wrestling its waves. This book highlights the inevitable sense of crushing defeat and loss, but reveals the importance of laughing anyway. After all, life is a game of avoiding the consequences of your own actions. The Bric-a-Brac of Mickey Mack will hand you a mirror and dare you to laugh at its reflection.

Excerpt

I sat across from him, he had a twisted distant gaze while he wracked his mind and grappled with a foolish phrase which was written on a note and shuffled in a mess of junk atop a desk ensconced in filth, no doubt the man was drunk. His name was Mickey Mack, both laser focused and aloof, fenced in by Bric-a-Brac unpacked and stacked up to the roof. A product of his times, so wise, yet dumber than a door. A man of vast experience and yet he’s such a bore. He’d traveled ’round the world and been to many foreign lands to simply say he had, to sit and sulk, his only plans. For “that’s what people do,” he’d say, “they travel to enjoy the petty world and what it offers every girl and boy.” Despite the fact that Mr. Mack had traveled far and wide he would do what’s done at home and find a bar to sit inside. And there, while many past him by, bemoaning life itself, it tortured Mickey for he couldn’t help but see himself. He realized now that time is gone, and that’s the way it is, and he, while living other people’s lives, had wasted his. And as a way, as best he could, expel the toxic bile, he has compiled every groan and gripe within a file. And written down, at last, now put together in a book the crying whines of all he heard from all the trips he took. A vapid, superficial twit, he sobered up somehow, and Mickey Mack looked up at me behind a furrowed brow, and as he squinted, leaning closer straining hard to see, He was looking in a mirror, for the hopeless fool was me.

 

 

About the Author

Mickey Mack is a world-weary traveler and obsessive collector of life’s absurd talismans and trinkets. After years of eavesdropping on bar-stool confessions around the globe, he distills the Suffering Olympics of modern adulthood into witty, rhythmic heroic couplets.

Contact Links

Website

Instagram

Read More