05/20/26 ~ The Avid Reader

Wednesday, May 20, 2026

Review: Desperate World (EMP Aftermath #9) by Grace Hamilton

Desperate World

EMP Aftermath #9

by Grace Hamilton

Published: May 20, 2026

Genre: Dystopian, Science Fiction, Post-Apocalyptic

Blurb:

All they want is a safe haven. They’ll have to fight to get it…

Dr. Laurel Rivera, Bear and their small band of survivors have left their home, fleeing into the wilderness near Lake Superior. With children to protect, they’re forced to make ruthless choices, as they run a gauntlet of desperate survivors willing to kill for vital supplies.

Then Mae collapses.

Pregnant, feverish, and slipping fast, she needs medication Laurel doesn’t have—and can’t make. The only remaining supply belongs to another group: armed, organized, and determined to protect what’s theirs at any cost.

Stealing the medicine could ignite a war they won’t survive. Walking away will condemn Mae and her unborn child to death.

As time runs out and enemies close in, Bear and Laurel must decide how far they’re willing to go to save one life—and how many others they’re willing to damn in the name of survival.

Goodreads ~ Amazon

My Review:

A sorrowful beginning, having everything returned to you in such a manner. It felt akin to awakening from a dreadful disaster and having to relive it all once more. My heart ached for Mae and the struggles she was facing.

Then they were forced to abandon their home, gripped by fear of who or what might be pursuing them. The Rossis are still in pursuit, searching for Laurel, eager to seize their medical supplies and likely anything else they possess.

With the Rossis hot on their heels, Laurel and Bear feel they have no option but to gather the group and flee. They decide to head to an island on Lake Superior, believing it will offer them a safe and isolated existence.

I thoroughly enjoyed reading Desperate World, particularly about their preparations for the journey, especially with the children contributing in every way they could. I adore narratives that feature children and families. I could vividly picture the kids on the beach, assisting with the boat repairs. I could almost hear the gentle sound of the waves lapping at the shore.

Then Mae falls ill while pregnant. Laurel suspects she might have gestational diabetes. Concern fills Laurel as they lack the necessary medicine to help Mae. The only way to obtain the required medication is through theft. Acquiring the medicine could ignite a conflict. Laurel and Bear are torn about the best course of action. Should they instigate a war to save one individual, or should they prioritize the welfare of the entire group?

I eagerly anticipate diving deeper into this world, the EMP Aftermath series, or at least I sincerely hope more installments are forthcoming. I am excited to follow the journeys of Laurel, Bear, Kate, Mae, Trent, and the rest to see where their paths lead next.

I wholeheartedly recommend Desperate World to all fans of post-apocalyptic tales. Be sure to grab a copy today!

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

Broken World #1

Chaotic World #2

Dangerous World #3

Divided World #4

Collapsed World #5

Lawless World #6

Sabotaged World #7

Plagued World #8

BookBub

Desperate World #9

Goodreads

Amazon

Connect with Grace Hamilton

Website ~ Facebook ~ Goodreads ~ Amazon ~ BookBub

Book Blitz: Princess and Scruffy by Sean O’Leary @RABTBookTours

4:30:00 AM Book Blitz, Children's Book, Princess and Scruffy, Sean O’Leary No comments

Children's Book

Princess, a graceful cardinal, and Scruffy, a lovable silvery-gray squirrel, discover an unlikely friendship in the forest. As the seasons change, Scruffy must face his greatest fear and learn that courage often begins with a friend by your side.

A tender forest friendship story about courage, trust, and overcoming fear.

About the Author

Sean O’Leary is a local Utah author whose work spans dystopian thrillers, heartfelt children’s stories, and reflective literary nonfiction. From dark futures to woodland friendships, his writing is driven by imagination, emotional depth, and the belief that every story should leave a mark. Backstory: Nearly four decades ago, what would one day become Princess and Scruffy began not as a children’s book, but as a love letter. When Sean O’Leary was first dating the woman who would become his wife, he put his feelings into story form. In his heart, he saw himself as Scruffy—the hesitant, lovable squirrel learning to climb beyond his fears—and her as Princess, the graceful cardinal who drew him toward courage, wonder, and love. What began as an intimate letter between two people slowly took on the shape of a fairy tale, revised and cherished across the years of their life together. Then, two years ago, with the arrival of his first grandchild, the story found its true home. Sean wanted to leave behind more than a book; he wanted to preserve a living piece of family history—a bedtime story born from the love he felt for the child’s grandmother, now transformed into a legacy for the next generation. Brought vividly to life through the enchanting illustrations of Turkish artist Hatice Bayramoglu, Princess and Scruffy is both a woodland fable and a quiet love story that has endured for 38 years.

Contact Links

Purchase Link

Teaser: Audit This! by Anne Kane @AnneKane @RABTBookTours @changelingpress

4:00:00 AM Anne Kane, Audit This!, Interracial Romance, Mystery, Reading Addiction Book Tours, Suspense, Teaser 1 comment

Interracial Romance, Mystery & Suspense

Date Published: May 22, 2026

No matter how you add the numbers, Nick is one hunk of an auditor!

When government tax auditor Nick finds himself obsessed with the work of romance author Khloe Matters, there's only one thing to do. Audit her! But getting a closer look at the author in her own home just makes him switch his obsession from the writing to the writer.

When he accompanies her to a writers' festival, things heat up in a hurry. Neither of them is being entirely honest, and as the weekend progresses so does the hilariously tangled webs of deceit as each of them seeks to further their own agenda.

EXCERPT

"What do you mean you're disallowing ninety percent of the expenses I claimed?" Khloe tried not to scream at the smug smile on the auditor's face. Hard to believe her libido had jumped to attention when he'd first showed up at her door. Just went to show how bad a judge of character she was. "You can't do that. They are all legitimate business deductions."

"Really?" The man raised one of those perfect brows. "Care to explain how a trip to Spain qualifies as a business expense? You're a writer. You don't have to leave the house. You don't even have to get dressed."

Khloe gritted her teeth, taking a deep breath to calm herself down before she answered. She knew his name. Nicholas Carver. She just didn't think a government auditor deserved such an impressive name. Calling him a dumb-assed bean counter probably wouldn't help her situation, though.

"Although I have not claimed any clothing expenses, I assure you I do have to get dressed. My neighbours are a conservative bunch. I do have to leave the house occasionally, and I generally make a point of putting some clothes on before I do. That trip was for research." Well, duh, what else would it be? Maybe this guy got all the looks and none of the brains. "My last mystery novel was set in Madrid during the running of the bulls. I needed to be there to get the feel of the place and understand the atmosphere, how the crowd reacted. I wouldn't stay in business long if I didn't pay attention to the little details. Readers can smell a mistake a mile away, and if I lose their trust I'll be working at the grocery store for a fraction of what I make writing."

The auditor snorted. "Quite the drama queen, aren't you? I might accept the research excuse if the tone came through in your work, assuming we're talking about a published manuscript. Do you have a copy of that alleged book?"

The sceptical tone of his voice, not to mention his use of the word "alleged," set Khloe's teeth on edge. How dare he sit there in his perfectly pressed suit and make her justify every item on her tax return? Oh right. He was the almighty tax department auditor! Maybe it would help if she curtseyed or kissed his ring or something.

She smiled sweetly. "Of course." Turning, she ran her fingers along the spines of the books on the shelf. Plucking Bullfighter's Downfall out, she handed it to him. It took quite some effort to keep her smile from turning into a snarl. "I hope you enjoy it. It spent two months on the New York Times Best Sellers list."

He took the book, his brows rising at the cover picturing a couple in a passionate embrace against a backdrop of the famous bull run. Turning the book over, he read the back cover before looking up at her. "Romantic suspense? You're one of those kinds of authors?"

Okay, he might be the big-shot auditor, and he had the ability to make her life, not to mention her finances, a living hell, but he had no right to use that tone of voice when describing the genre she loved.

"Exactly what do you mean by that?" She straightened up to her full five feet five inches and glared down at him. "If you mean one of those authors who can take two characters, introduce them to each other and make them fall passionately and fervently in love while they dodge bullets, murder, mayhem and other nasty plot points, then yes. I'm one of these kinds of authors. And in case you don't believe me, you might want to ask the thousands of readers whose buying habits have put me on the New York Times Best Sellers list time and again."

"No need to get defensive. It's hardly War and Peace but I'm sure it's a very nice story."

It took all of her willpower not to grab the heaviest book on the shelf and smack him over the head with it. War and Peace indeed! "Have you ever tried to read War and Peace?" She took a step forward, gratified at his flinch. "My books are meant to entertain people and take them away from their everyday lives, not bore them to death."

He had the grace to look uncomfortable. "Well, no, I haven't actually read it. I'm more of a John Grisham fan. Lots of war but not much peace."

She felt the tension in her gut relaxing a bit. He wasn't quite the pretentious prig he looked like. Actually, if she took an honest look at him, he resembled the cover models for some of her steamier books.

And that gave her an idea.

About the Author

Anne Kane lives in the beautiful Okanagan Valley with a bouncy little rescue dog whose breed defies description, a cantankerous Himalayan cat, and too many fish to count. She spent many years trying to fit in and act normal, but finally gave up the effort. She started writing romance in 2008, and her fate was sealed when she won a publishing contract with Red Sage Publishing and just a month later Changeling Press accepted her first submission. Since then she has published more than thirty stories in a variety of sub-genres, all with a happily ever after.

She has two handsome sons and six adorable grandchildren and enjoys spending time with them whenever she can. Her hobbies, when she’s not playing with the characters in her head, include kayaking, hiking, swimming, playing guitar, singing and of course, reading.

Publisher on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and TikTok: @changelingpress

Pre-Order Today

Blurb Blitz + #Giveaway: TWINKLE OF DOUBT by Patricia Leavy @PatriciaLeavy @GoddessFish

3:00:00 AM Blurb Blitz, Giveaway, Goddess Fish Promotions, Patricia Leavy, Romance, TWINKLE OF DOUBT No comments

This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. Patricia Leavy will be awarding a $10 Amazon/BN gift card to a randomly drawn winner. Click on the tour banner to see the other stops on the tour.

Blurb:

For fans of Colleen Hoover, this inspirational follow-up to Shooting Stars Above continues the love story between internationally best-selling novelist Tess and counterterrorism agent Jack as they both fight to overcome their deepest fears.

Tess Lee is a wildly successful and world-famous novelist whose inspirational books explore our innermost struggles and the human need to believe that there is light at the end of the tunnel. Jack Miller is a federal agent who has spent decades working in counterterrorism—a violent world that has left an inevitable residue on his psyche. Two years into their marriage, as Tess and Jack both heal from past trauma, their epic love, fostered by their ability to truly see one another, has brought them profound happiness. When an anonymous threat is made against Tess’s life, however, everything changes. Will they learn to lean on each other, or will they fall apart into the darkness?

In Twinkle of Doubt, the second Celestial Bodies Romance, Tess, Jack, and their chosen family explore the nature of doubt and the struggle to feel worthy of love.

Purchase TWINKLE OF DOUBT on Amazon, She Writes Press, Simon & Schuster , and The Celestial Bodies Romances

Read an Excerpt

The next morning, Tess and Jack were snuggling in bed. Jack was playing with Tess’s hair and teasing her. “I’m serious. You’d look good in a tiara; maybe you should have gone for that royal.”

“First of all, everyone looks good in a tiara.”

“That’s your first of all?” he said, tickling her mercilessly.

She giggled uncontrollably until he stopped.

“Okay, I should have said, ‘In no particular order.’ But my other points were that royalty is absurd, and that man was dull and uptight. And furthermore, Omar is out of his mind. He wasn’t in love with me.”

“Well, that’s where you lose all credibility. I trust Omar on this one. It’s impossible not to fall for you.”

She slid her hand behind her head, pulled out her pillow, and walloped him in the face.

“You did not just do that,” he said through laughter.

“That’s what you get for saying such silly things,” she said, now lying flat on the bed.

“Hey, I’m just grateful you’d give up a crown and palace for a guy like me,” he said.

“Jack, there are no guys like you. There’s only you.”

He leaned over, caressed her face, and kissed her.

“Give me my pillow,” she said.

“Oh, now you want it back?” he teased, holding it in his hand as far away from her as he could stretch. “You’re gonna have to come and get it.”

She started to crawl over him when his cell phone rang. “Ah, you’re in luck,” he said, handing her the pillow. “It’s Bobby.”

“See if they want to go to the movies with us later,” Tess said, propping herself up against her pillow. “If Gina’s there, we can persuade you two to see a romantic comedy and not one of those killing spree monstrosities.”

Jack laughed and answered the phone. “Hey, Bobby. What are you guys up to later? Save me from a chick flick.”

About the Author:

Patricia Leavy, PhD, is an award-winning, best-selling author. She is also the publisher and CEO of Paper Stars Press. She was formerly Associate Professor of Sociology, Chairperson of Sociology & Criminology, and Founding Director of Gender Studies at Stonehill College. She has published more than fifty books; her work has been translated into many languages, and she has received more than one hundred book awards. Her novel Shooting Stars Above was featured on People “10 Romance Books to Read After Great Big Beautiful Life by Emily Henry” and was the 2025 Firebird Book Award First Place Winner in Contemporary Novel, Romance, and Summer Beach Read. Patricia has also received career awards from the New England Sociological Association, the American Creativity Association, the American Educational Research Association, the International Congress of Qualitative Inquiry, and the National Art Education Association. In 2018, she was honored by the National Women’s Hall of Fame and SUNY-New Paltz established the “Patricia Leavy Award for Art and Social Justice.” In 2024 the London Arts-Based Research Centre established “The Patricia Leavy Award for Arts-Based Research.” Patricia lives in Maine. In addition to writing, she enjoys art, reading, and travel.