Quiet Keystrokes and Midnight Ramblings

 Hey there. Yes, yes, I know I've been offline forever. A lot has happened since April 2022 . I bought a house and have been renovating like crazy. But while my life has evolved into a never-ending cycle of trips to Lowe's for supplies, other authors in my orbit are still doing the good work of producing stories. My good friend, S.E. Anderson will have her new book, Wanderer, coming out soon, and she's been gracious enough to give us a sneak peek of her gorgeous cover. Check it out: In case you're not familiar with the Starstruck Saga, Wander is the ninth novel in a space adventure series. There are teleporting aliens, dastardly (and disgusting) bad guys, and one frail human leaping through space and time to experience it all. Here's a bit about Wanderer from S.E. Anderson: For Sally and Zander, enjoying much-needed R&R means hitting up spa planets and chasing buried treasure. But their sun-soaked vacation is rudely interrupted by a visitation from Nimien, who...

  When a young outcast fights to become recognized by her town as a worthy citizen, she's sent out into the woods to prove herself. A dragon appears to her, and commands her to go on an epically dangerously magical quest. But Keriya has a problem. Not only is she young, unexperienced, and without the support of her community, but unlike every other person she knows, she can't wield magic. This is a great fantasy series with a female lead. I usually find it hard to get into dragon stories, but this one had me gripped within the first few pages. To check it out for yourself, find it on Amazon right here . As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. This doesn't cost you anything extra, but does help to fund Chai lattes and book purchases.

  When competitive gymnast Sunny Price finds out her mother's decided to enforce her custody agreement, she finds she's about to lose more than a couple weekends a month with her father. She's got to give up her dreams of being an Olympic contender, leave her friends behind, and move to another planet for a whole year! The move transforms her life from one of endless training at the gymnasium, to becoming an alien warrior, protecting her mother's family from a terrible threat. You can find out more about the Faarian Chronicles on Amazon right here . As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. This doesn't cost you anything extra, but does help to fund Chai lattes and book purchases.

  As I've been writing Bound to Deceive, I've been reading some on how to write more good. The more I write, the more I want to expand my ability to tell better and more complex stories. In 7 Figure Fiction, T. Taylor looks at writing through the lens of using universal fantasy stories to improve all types of fiction. If you're a writer, I definitely recommend this one for your reading list. Find it on Amazon here . As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. This doesn't cost you anything extra, but does help to fund Chai lattes and book purchases.

  One of my goals for this year is to get through my physical TBR pile. I've been reading through the short stories in Welcome to the Monkey House  between writing projects and other books I've been reading for quite a while, and finally made it to the end. Each story holds its own sort of magic, with amazing character building and emotional depth. And a big surprise for me, at the end of this special edition there's a section with drafts of Vonnegut's early attempts at writing Welcome to the Monkey House . It was incredibly interesting to catch a glimpse of Vonnegut's process. If you'd like to see it for yourself, you can find it on Amazon right here . As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. This doesn't cost you anything extra, but does help to fund Chai lattes and book purchases.

  While attending a virtual crime and thriller writing conference last fall, I got to hear Karin Slaughter talk about writing deliciously devious crimes. She was so engaging and entertaining, I was sure I'd enjoy her books. I got into her Grant County books, and as all good readers do, I started near the end of the series with no idea what was going on. And I enjoyed every page! See if this is the series for you on Amazon's series page right here . As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. This doesn't cost you anything extra, but does help to fund Chai lattes and book purchases.

  My kiddo and I read the second book in the Tally series, and enjoyed revisiting some old characters, and watching them fight to save some new ones! When Ebby is kidnapped, she finds out there's more to the story of her life than she could have ever imagined. The new human Epic, her captors are interested in helping her discover her powers. She must choose to accept their help, or find a way to escape... which will she choose? Check it out for yourself here on Amazon . As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. This doesn't cost you anything extra, but does help to fund Chai lattes and book purchases.

  Every so often, I take a stroll through the best selling books on Amazon to see what the masses are reading, and boy howdy am I glad I picked up The Moonlight Child by Karen McQuestion . The Moonlight Child has a wide cast of characters. There's the grandmotherly neighbor who sees a mysterious child through the window of a home over her back yard fence. A young woman who aged out of foster care and is trying to make it on her own, with a strong sense of right and wrong. A lawyer who worked with the CASA (Court Appointed Special Advocate) program. And the suburbanite elitist woman keeping a secret house servant hidden within her home. This book has several interwoven stories that show who the characters are and how they relate to one another and the neighborhood surrounding them. It was an absolute delight to read this well-written story that features strong women who won't stop until the weakest among us are protected. I absolutely adored this book and will be reading more of...

 Are you following S.E. Anderson yet? This woman is on fire! I'm amazed at another Starstruck Saga novel already on its way. Coming November 16th, this promises to be another great adventure for Sally and her gang of wayward adventurers. If you haven't caught up with the series, grab the latest installments on Amazon here so you're ready when Dreadknot arrives. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. This doesn't cost you anything extra, but it does help to fund the purchase of good, comfortable socks.

  Remember my post a few days ago when I celebrated that Skulduggery Pleasant got my kid into mysteries ? Well, Halie Fewkes has bridged the gap between his like of "realistic future stuff" and fantasy. Secrets of the Tally is the start of an upper Middle Grade / Young Adult series that follows a teenage girl through the harrows of discovering her magic talent, avoiding dark and mysterious foes, and surviving adventures that kept even my little skeptic turning pages. I am lucky to have met this author at several events, and not only is she a great writer, but she's a wonderful woman, too. This makes me so happy, because when my son met her to get his copy of Secrets of the Tally signed, she gave him a great experience that I hope he remembers forever. This series is immensely popular and Halie is known for her pre-covid book signings that were standing room only (the last one I attended had a line out the door... even in winter weather). If you have a younger reader who...

  I have been trying to convince my grade schooler that mystery books are awesome. He's been suspicious, leery, and generally unconvinced that anything without Captain Underpants or DogMan could possibly be interesting. Luckily, school has required reading and one of the books this year was Skulduggery Pleasant by Derek Landy. It's funny. It's magical. And the mystery is involved and surprising. My kid was surprised at how much he liked this mysterious urban fantasy, and he was even happier to find that it's the first book in a series . If you're looking for a clean, not-too-scary but totally engrossing mystery to start your young sleuth on, I highly recommend Skulduggery Pleasant. Please note: As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. This doesn't cost you anything extra, but it does support the purchase of more books for my budding voracious reader. And maybe cookies.

Do you ever pinch yourself to make sure you're actually where you are? That's how I feel about Make Them Pay ! I've read each of the stories in this jam-packed anthology... some of them twice... and still can't believe my words are tucked inside the cover of this massive collection of thrilling adventures, daring escapes, and heroic rescues. If you like to be thrilled, itching to turn the page to see what happens next, this anthology is for you. You can find it on Amazon right here . As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

OHMYGOSH you guys. A couple weeks ago I had the absolute pleasure of reading all twenty-two stories in Make Them Pay: A Thriller Anthology   and I couldn't put it down. I'm a fairly slow reader compared to many of my author friends, but I finished this nearly six hundred page behemoth in just four days. Granted, one of the stories is one I wrote ( Innocence Lost by D.K. Greene), but I devoured the other stories, too. Make Them Pay is a mixture of thrillers from authors who write military, vigilante justice, science thrillers, kidnappings, murder, hit men, and more. The stories are varied and fast paced, and you may just end up filling your TBR with a host of new authors you enjoy. At the time of this writing, the anthology is free with a  Kindle Unlimited  subscription (it's just a few bucks otherwise), and is also available in a handsome print edition. One of the really wonderful things surrounding this anthology is Michelle PW's author spotlight  series. She has i...

A few weeks ago I got a surprise in the mail. I almost missed it because we've been mail-ordering everything for more than a year (Thanks, Pandemic!) and when the package came in, it was with a bunch of bulk packages I wasn't in a hurry to open. So I was very excited when I opened this one and discovered a good friend of mine had sent me a gift. A hardcover edition of The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue . In true "this is my life" fashion, I was in the middle of reading a very boring, long, drawn-out self-help book when Addie LaRue arrived and I had to get through that before I picked up another book. I swore to myself I would finish that thing, and I did, and you don't see a review for it on this blog because, well, if you don't have something nice to say, you shouldn't say anything at all. So I was beside myself with glee when I got through the slog of The-Book-That-Will-Not-Be-Named so I could pick up this deeply immersive novel by V.E. Schwab. But I didn...

It's that time again, where we travel through space and time, finding ourselves with another Starstruck Saga book! I had the absolute pleasure to read S.E. Anderson's  Inalienable  last fall (being a beta reader is awesome that way), and loved every turn of the page. Anderson has truly come into her own as an author. Her storytelling, while always entertaining and fun, brought on new depth and delight in the seventh installment of the Starstruck Saga. I have been so amazed at this author's ability to put her talents to work even through the chaos and strife of recent world events. I have a hunch she's got a little magic stardust up her sleeve, because Inalienable  reads as a superb escape from reality. If you haven't started reading the Starstruck Saga , now is the best time to get started. There's seven books to binge read now, and more on the horizon! I'm patiently awaiting the next installment, and can't wait to tell you about it when it comes. Inali...

 While I've been writing and editing my story for the Make Them Pay; Thriller Anthology , I've been reading the second book in Gregg Olsen's Detective Megan Carpenter series. This is probably the third or fourth book from Olsen that I've read in recent memory. He isn't my favorite author, but he is certainly one to pick up when I simply want to read something I am pretty sure I'll be able to get through without a lot of effort. Water's Edge promised that for me, which I absolutely needed after reading another book that slogged on, and on, and on, for what felt like forever. It was a relief to pick up a book with a clear, multi-thread plot, with enough clues dropped along the way to figure the mystery out along with the characters. By two thirds of the way through, I thought I knew who did it... but was wrong! Not only do we see our detective and her associate solve the serial murders plaguing Washington's northern coastline, but we also find out more ab...

  Happy Release Day! I am so excited! Today the newest collection of short stories (and a couple novellas) is out. This poor collection sat patiently by while I stressed over a couple other writing projects, we had a major loss in the family, and 2020/2021 went bananas. Somehow, after tinkering with it here and there or the last three months, it has come to fruition. And it's awesome. You can grab your copy of Mac Jones Short Story Collection #2 on most e-reader devices Right Here . If you're really fancy, like my mom and her friends, and want a paperback, you can order them from Amazon Right Here . (Affiliate Link) Thank you to everyone who has supported the Mommy Mysteries! If you want to check out all the single stories, you can find them by clicking the banner below.

  Late last year, the very talented S.E. Anderson (you've seen me mention her here before) told me about an anthology she was working on with some of her friends. It sounded magical, dangerous, and terribly romantic. When she showed me the cover, I was flabbergasted by how gorgeous it turned out, and having talked to two of the editors on the project, I know this is a collection these authors are intensely proud of. Unbound is a collection of novellas that will keep you warm on the coldest days, and get your imagination running wild. If you love young adult sci-fi and fantasy stories, you don't want to miss this binge-worthy anthology. The best part: It's available on most e-readers, in paperback AND hardcover. Download for your favorite digital device Right HERE . Want a physical book? You can order your copy from Amazon HERE (paid link).

 Hey-O! It's been a long time since my last completed read. I'll be honest, life has not made reading easy and I've let it slip over the last year. But I got back into the pages of fiction with Half-Breed by Hickory Mack. My TBR has been so flooded, I honestly can't remember if this was a promotional copy I got from the author directly, or if I bought it, or if I downloaded it from a giveaway... all I can say is it was on my Kindle and looked like the most interesting thing to read at the moment. The novel follows a young girl who discovers she possesses magic. She leaves her abusive and oppressive life as a human to live with magical creatures in the woods, away from the humans who hunt them. If you love magic, Japanese culture, and a landscape that is as much of a character as any of the moving parts of the story, this may be the book for you. Grab it at Amazon here (paid link*) and get lost in a world of fantasy that isn't too far removed from our own. ---- * As...

  (Paid Link) This fall, my kid has fallen in love with M.K. Radican's Zombie Reconstruction Squad . From my son: "It's ridiculous when they say, 'I'll get my dogs back if it's the last thing I doooooo!' It's funny because I like all the jokes. M.K. Radican is as funny as Dav Pilkey!" I have to add to his assessment of these books. They had my son parked on the couch, reading for hours, cackling like a madman at the jokes. There was one point where he was trying to tell me about one of the funny parts in the books and he was laughing so hard I had no idea WHAT he was saying. But it must have been good, because he kept reading. If you have a kid who likes Minecraft, monsters, farts and boogers, absolutely get them started on Zombie Reconstruction Squad . My kid says they're great. You can find M.K. Radican's books on Amazon here . Speaking of Amazon, they've asked me to remind you that as an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purch...