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Showing posts with label #Suspense #Thrillers. Show all posts
Showing posts with label #Suspense #Thrillers. Show all posts

Sunday, August 31, 2025

Review of Embedded (book 1 in The Dakota Judd Series.) by John Lansing (#contests- Win a $50 Amazon Gift Card and a Copy of the Book.)

Embedded by John Lansing Banner

EMBEDDED

by John Lansing

July 14 - August 29, 2025 Virtual Book Tour

Synopsis:

DAKOTA JUDD THRILLER SERIES

Embedded by John LansingJailed Army Ranger Dakota Judd is offered a life-altering deal from Jean Steele, an ambitious and attractive Black FBI agent. Infiltrate a White Supremacist prison gang while he’s incarcerated, then embed himself into their militia on the outside. Become the eyes and ears of the FBI. If successful, his record will be expunged and he can live a normal life. If he fails, he’ll wind up dead.

Embedded, the first book in the new Dakota Judd thriller series, features John Lansing’s trademark propulsive, page-turning writing style, with a tough but sympathetic protagonist. Accompanying Dakota are two powerful women: Aunt Billie, his tough-as-nails wingman, a retired female detective who makes sure Dakota stays alive as he rotates back to civilian life where peril awaits, and Jean Steele, Dakota’s FBI handler, who must thwart her romantic impulses towards Dakota, as one false move can cost her a career in the male-dominated FBI

Book Details:

Genre: Thriller
Published by: White Street Press
Publication Date: July 8, 2025
Number of Pages: 317
Series: Dakota Judd Thriller Series, Book 1
Book Links: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Apple | Kobo | Goodreads | BookBub

MY THOUGHTS: 

"Embedded" is a thrilling, fast-paced novel featuring a captivating cast of characters that kept me engaged from the beginning. The protagonist, Dakota Judd, is released from prison by the FBI on the condition that he infiltrates a militia group to have his criminal record expunged. The story is filled with excitement, adventure, and unexpected twists, leading to an ending that genuinely surprised me. "Embedded" is an excellent start to a new series, featuring a hero who is likable, interesting, and complex. I look forward to reading the next book in the series. 5/5 stars

Read an excerpt:

Chapter 1

Dakota Judd wasn’t a man who questioned decisions once made. He’d had more than enough time to dissect every moment of the incursion. He could’ve turned a blind eye; after all, it was war. But reliving the raid, in fractured dreams that continued to insinuate themselves into his waking moments, was a burden he’d carry for life. His action sure as shit created an unexpected detour. But with disciplined daily pushups, chin-ups, and laps, his body was still intimidating. He lived by the Ranger credo, “Further, Faster, Harder.” That much he could control. Life behind bars, he took one day at a time. Rangers were trained to expect the unexpected, but nothing could prepare him for what was in store from the woman who sat across the metal table from Dakota.

Jean Steele was an African American FBI Agent with high cheek- bones, chestnut skin, shoulder-length brown hair, who wore a professional navy pantsuit. She was an attractive woman, something not lost on Dakota.

They were in the Greeley Federal Penitentiary’s visiting room designated for cops and lawyers. No cameras or recorders allowed. Steele removed her sunglasses before starting the interview, revealing sharp, intelligent, brown eyes that locked on Dakota’s.

“So, Mister Judd…you’ve served six years of a seven-year sentence,” she said, glancing up from her notes.

Dakota picked up the light scent of J’adore. The perfume his ex- fiancé wore.

“And three months before your early discharge, having been granted early release for exemplary compliance with institutional regulations, you blow it all by stabbing a Black inmate in the thigh, severing his deep femoral vein, leaving him to bleed out in the weight- room, almost killing him. Dakota…you don’t look like a foolish man.” “Is that a question, or an answer?” Dakota’s eyes creased into an easy smile. He hadn’t had a conversation with a good-looking woman for a very long time, and was intrigued by her visit and up to the challenge.

“In this case, it was kill or be killed,” he said matter-of-factly. “The man was out of his league, and I had no choice.”

“They didn’t find a weapon on the victim.”

“I left it in his leg. I’m sure it’s all in your report.”

“The Federal paperwork is in process to rescind your early release.” Dakota was aware they weren’t only going to rescind, they were going to add two years to his original sentence, bringing the life-killing number to nine.

“Why are you here, Agent Steele?” Dakota asked, cutting to the chase. “What did I do to deserve a visit from the Feds?”

Steele held his gaze. “The government needs your help.”

“Why the interest?”

“You’ve had no gang affiliations since your arrest and conviction. That couldn’t have been an easy ride.”

Dakota leaned back in the metal chair and let her talk.

“The OC Wolf Pack are an anti-government white supremacist militia operating out of Orange County. We’ve been picking up chatter on the dark web and social media. The Wolf Pack may have a link to California Senator Jack Bradley, who’s up for re-election.

“Bradley’s constituency leans heavily to the extreme right. He hides their bias like a momma bear protects her cubs. The Wolf Pack are crude. And even though they share similar philosophies with the senator they are to be seen and not heard. That’s where Blackfox Elite Protection fits in. We think Blackfox is providing the money used to fund Bradley’s re-election and a growing list of homegrown militias.”

“What’s their MO?”

“Blackfox recruits ex-military, retired cops, FBI, and guns for hire. It’s an elite private security force that has no compunction employing known felons. They’re supported by a group of wealthy right-wing patriots…their description. Blackfox is getting fat on government contracts, assisted in part by the CEO’s tight relationship with the senator who’s the Chairman of the House Armed Services Committee, to the tune of forty-five million in the last quarter.”

Agent Steele had definitely piqued his interest.

“Aren’t you gonna ask where I stand?”

“If I thought you stood with them, I wouldn’t be sitting here. Neither would you.”

Dakota didn’t argue the point. “Where do I fit in?”

“We need someone outside local law enforcement.”

“And outside of the FBI,” Dakota intuited.

Steele nodded. “A few of our retired agents still have friends in high places. We’re aware of leaks. We need to shore them up. You’ve got the bona fides. Your skill set, your attack on a commanding officer while serving in Afghanistan. Your exemplary record before the assault charges, your silver medal. That, and now, stabbing a Black inmate three months before your release, should make you a rock star with the skinheads in quadrant-D.

“We need someone to cozy up to the supremacists who have ties to the Wolf Pack in Orange County and a probable link to Blackfox, our main target. Best-case scenario, you infiltrate Blackfox upon your release, and deliver their plans.”

“Why?”

“The Alt-right’s first armed insurrection on the U.S. Capital failed, but shook the world. We want to shut these militia groups down before there’s a second attempt that succeeds.”

“Why would I sign on?”

“That’s up to you. The Army is about to rescind your pardon and add time to your release date for attempted manslaughter. When you get out…you’ll be handed over to the United States Probation Office, where they’ll dog you with years of probation and a host of rules that if not followed, will stack on more prison time. You’ll be living in purgatory.”

“I don’t respond to threats,” he said without attitude.

“We’re offering you a lifeline.”

“I’m sure you’ll understand, Agent Steele. I’ve got trust issues with the government.”

“I understand, and Blackfox will understand. I’ll be your handler. You won’t have to deal with the suits.”

“You’re wearing a suit.”

“I’ll have your back. Infiltrate Blackfox. Become our eyes and ears, and you walk away a free man. Your conviction, expunged. Pension reinstated. You can work, vote, get married, have kids. A normal life.” Steele pulled a contract out of her attaché case and slid it across the table.

“How do I explain you?”

“I work at your law firm.” Steele hands him a contact card. It read, Jean Clarkson. Associate at Peluso, Costa, and Litto, Attorneys at Law. “It passes the sniff test.”

Not the way Dakota thought his day was going to unfold.

“Take some time,” she continued. “Read the fine print. I already had a conversation with your representative, Joseph Peluso, and sent him a copy of the contract. It guarantees your future for services rendered.”

“What did he say?”

“He was inclined to accept, but wouldn’t give me a definitive answer until we spoke. Said it was your call.”

“Sounds like Peluso.” Dakota Judd lifted the paperwork, maintaining eye contact, trying to get a read on this federal agent before diving into the contract that might just be the answer to his prayers. He held the life-changing document in his hands, but his mind drifted on the scent of J’adore. The contract was fifteen pages of legalese that protected the government from any liability in the execution of said agreement. Shorthand for: If Dakota signed the contract, he was agreeing to risk his life in service to the government. If successful in the mission, he’d have his life back. He’d be a free man with no one looking over his shoulder. If he failed, well, he’d be back in the slammer, or he’d be dead. Dakota straightened the pages, looked deep into Steele’s eyes, and nodded his assent.

Steele handed him a pen.

Dakota signed on the dotted line.

“Good,” Agent Steele said. She slid the contract into her attaché case and pushed away from the table. “I’ll be in touch.” Steele started toward the door and then turned on her heel.

“And Dakota…try and stay alive for the next eight weeks.”

***

Excerpt from Embedded by John Lansing. Copyright 2025 by John Lansing. Reproduced with permission from John Lansing. All rights reserved.

 

 

Author Bio:

John Lansing

John Lansing is the author of six thrillers featuring Jack Bertolino—The Devil’s Necktie, Blond Cargo, Dead Is Dead, The Fourth Gunman, 25 to Life, and MIA, the prequel—as well as the true-crime non-fiction book Good Cop Bad Money, written with former NYPD Inspector Glen Morisano. Embedded is John’s first thriller in the Dakota Judd series. He’s been a writer and supervising producer on network television, and the co-executive producer of the ABC series Scoundrels, and co-wrote two MOWs for CBS. The Devil’s Necktie is in development at Andria Litto’s Amuse Entertainment, with Barbara DeFina attached as a producer. A native of Long Island, John now resides in Los Angeles.

Catch Up With John Lansing:

JohnLansing.com
Amazon Author Profile
Goodreads
BookBub - @JohnLansing
Instagram - @johnlansingauthor
Threads - @johnlansingauthor
Facebook - @devilsnecktie

 

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EMBEDDED by John Lansing

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Monday, August 25, 2025

Guest Post by R.K. Jackson Author of The Girl In the Maze (#Contests -Enter to win a Gift Card.)


 

THE GIRL IN THE MAZE by R. K. Jackson Banner 

 

THE GIRL IN THE MAZE

by R. K. Jackson

August 25 – September 19, 2025 Virtual Book Tour

Synopsis:

THE GIRL IN THE MAZE by R. K. Jackson

USA TODAY BESTSELLER • Perfect for fans of Alice Feeney, Megan Miranda, and Tana French, R. K. Jackson’s lyrical, twisty psychological thriller follows an aspiring journalist as she uncovers dark truths in a seaswept Southern town—aided by a mysterious outcast and pursued by a ruthless killer. 

Now available for the first time as an audiobook, this lyrical novel comes alive in a tour de force performance by narrator Hillary Huber.

When Martha Covington moves to Amberleen, Georgia, after her release from a psychiatric ward, she thinks her breakdown is behind her. A small town with a rich history, Amberleen feels like a fresh start. Taking a summer internship with the local historical society, Martha is tasked with gathering the stories of the Geechee residents of nearby Shell Heap Island, the descendants of slaves who have lived by their own traditions for the last three hundred years.

As Martha delves into her work, the voices she thought she left behind start whispering again, and she begins to doubt her recovery. When a grisly murder occurs, Martha finds herself at the center of a perfect storm—and she’s the perfect suspect. Without a soul to vouch for her innocence or her sanity, Martha disappears into the wilderness, battling the pull of madness and struggling to piece together a supernatural puzzle of age-old resentments, broken promises, and cold-blooded murder. She finds an unexpected ally in a handsome young man fighting his own battles. With his help, Martha journeys through a terrifying labyrinth—to find the truth and clear her name, if she can survive to tell the tale.


Audio clip from The Girl in the Maze a psychological thriller narrated by Hillary Huber:
Book Details:

Genre: Psychological Thriller
Published by: Audiobook: Paradise Press in Association with Fright Night Audio; Print & eBook: Penguin Random House
Audiobook Publication Date: August 5, 2025
Number of Print Pages: 300
Audiobook ISBN: 979-8-218-70529-9
eBook Links: Kindle | Goodreads | BN | Apple | Penguin
Audiobook Links: Audible | BN | Apple | LibroFM | Chirp | AudiobooksNow | Spotify

GUEST POST: 

 

Wait … I Wrote This? What It’s Like to Be Read by a Top-Tier Narrator

By R. K. Jackson

When I first wrote The Girl in the Maze, I never imagined I’d one day get to hear it performed by a narrator of Hillary Huber’s caliber. Just named one of AudioFile Magazine’s “Golden Voices” of 2025, Huber is one of the best in the industry. Her vocal performances have given life to hundreds of audiobooks, spanning thrillers, memoirs, literary fiction, and bestselling authors like Lisa Gardner and Nora Roberts. And now, lil’ ol’ me.

But what makes her truly remarkable, in my view, is her ability to inhabit character.

Her range is uncanny and her mastery of regional dialects was a particular asset for the novel, which is set on a barrier island off the coast of Georgia. Beyond her technical skills, she brings nuance, warmth, menace, and humor in all the right places. Listening to her narration felt like being reintroduced to my own book … and to the characters I thought I knew.

In the years since I wrote The Girl in the Maze, I haven’t spent much time rereading it—partly out of superstition, partly because I’m always working on the next thing. So, when I sat down to listen to the audiobook, it was with relatively fresh ears.

Some passages felt instantly familiar: ones I’d revised multiple times or read aloud at promotional events. But others? It was like someone else had written them. A stranger who happened to share my name. I found myself surprised—sometimes pleasantly, occasionally with a wince. (My inner editor remains armed and dangerous.)

Gummy Bears and Plot Twists

Even though The Girl in the Maze is an intense psychological thriller, I always knew it had flashes of humor—especially in the interactions between Martha, my high-functioning but deeply vulnerable protagonist, and her hallucinatory companion Lenny. But what I didn’t anticipate was how funny some of those moments would land when delivered by Huber.

One of my favorite examples comes during a particularly tense sequence. Martha has been shot in the leg. She’s lost in a Georgia marsh, dehydrated and delirious, when she encounters a fisherman named Loren Call, who’s clearly somewhere on the spectrum. What does he offer her? Not help. Not water.

Gummy bears.

When I wrote that scene, I was aiming for something creepy and absurd. But hearing Huber perform it, I couldn’t stop laughing. The whole Loren sequence plays out like a slapstick black comedy—Hitchcock by way of Flannery O’Connor.

I Got Emotional, Too

There’s a vulnerability to Martha that’s always been close to my heart. She’s brave and smart, yes, but she’s also haunted, fragile, and misjudged. Listening to Hillary voice her, I felt an almost parental protectiveness rise up in me. I knew exactly what was going to happen—I wrote it—but even so, I found myself sometimes holding my breath, worrying for her, rooting for her.

It reminded me of that famous story (perhaps apocryphal) about Stephen King watching the film adaptation of Misery. As the climactic scene unfolded, he supposedly yelled at the screen, “Watch out—she’s got a gun!”

Now I get it. When a great actor brings your characters to life, you don’t just remember what happens. You feel it again.

I Enjoyed the Book. Maybe for the First Time.

Writing a novel is a bit like building a ship in a bottle. You're so close to the glass, so focused on the fine (and sometimes tedious) details, that you rarely step back and just sail the thing. But listening to the audiobook gave me that rare chance to experience the book not as its creator, but as a member of the audience.

And to be honest, I enjoyed it a lot.

That’s not always a given for authors. We tend to be our own harshest critics. And don’t get me wrong, there were several moments when I cringed and wished I could go back and tweak certain passages. But for a few golden hours, I got swept up in the story. The mystery. The voices. The weird charm of a fictional island where the past and present collide.

I hope listeners will have a similar experience. Huber’s performance is truly something special, and I’m incredibly proud of the audiobook we’ve created together.

And hey—if you ever get lost in a marsh and someone offers you gummy bears? Maybe just keep walking.

 

Read an excerpt:

Prologue

She wants to kill you.

Martha’s fingers tightened onto the Pentel No. 2 pencil, clutched in her lap like a secret talisman. Dr. Ellijay picked up the stack of test booklets, squared them on her desk with soft raps, and began handing them out. She walked slowly down the aisle, her heels popping on the linoleum.

Not today, Martha thought. Please, Lenny, not today.

Outside the casement windows, the campus was awash in gray, a silent movie, as it had been for days, suspended between fog and drizzle, the dull light suppressing shadows, flattening the neo-Gothic buildings of Ponce de Leon College like a plywood set. Only two o’clock, but outside looked more like dusk.

The quad was empty, except for a lone figure seated on a bench, a man in a tweed blazer taking notes in a composition book. He looked up in Martha’s direction, then down at the notebook, then toward her again. To escape his gaze, she looked elsewhere, beyond the campus buildings, above the crenellated rooflines.

It was there again. She had seen it before, on bad days, and now it stretched across the buildings, high above the spires and turrets, gelatinous and nearly invisible except for a network of threadlike capillaries. It pulsed and it heaved, breathing, alive.

Don’t look at it, Lovie. Lenny murmured in her ear, his voice moist and intimate. You know they don’t want you to see that, right? Just pretend you don’t see it.

Today Lenny was only a voice, but on some days she could see him. He was tall and gaunt, his skin white and mottled, like the belly of a toad. Spiked hair. Blue jeans shiny with stains. Canvas sneakers, gray and frayed.

Martha felt a touch on her shoulder, jerked around.

“Relax, Martha.” Wade leaned forward in the desk behind her. “You look as tight as a piano wire. You’ll do great.”

You won’t do great. You’ll die. Lenny hissed. S’truth. You’ll die if you even touch the paper.

This was the first time Wade had spoken to her in months. In the early weeks of the semester, he had flirted with her, singled her out for special attention. For a while, the attraction had been mutual. She liked his pug nose, his subversive sense of humor. But that was before.

Dr. Ellijay walked to the end of the next aisle, Martha’s aisle.

Have a look out, Lovie. ’Ere it comes.

Martha tried to concentrate, to review her mental notes. This was the final. Her grades had been floundering—that’s all part of the plan, innit?—but Martha had decided she would overcome the plan. She wouldn’t let them win.

Don’t touch the paper, Lenny rasped. It’s printed with poison ink. It’s like them colorful frogs in Ecuador. We learned about that in Biology 101, remember? Beautiful, but lethal. If you touch the ink, you’ll die.

Dr. Ellijay returned to her desk at the front of the room and glanced at her wristwatch. “All right, you have forty-five minutes,” she told the class. “You may begin now. Good luck.”

Look at ’er. She’s watchin’ you. She wants to see you fail. Touch the frog poison, and you’ll die. Look out the window. The man on the bench, he’s watchin’, too. They’re all watchin’. They’ve all been waitin’ for this moment, doncha see?

Martha stared at the page, paralyzed. She felt a drop of perspiration release from her armpit and crawl down her side. Around her, she heard the frantic scratching of her fellow students’ pens. They mingled with the sounds of the rats in the walls, the ones that chewed at the masonry with their sharp teeth, like yellow rice grains. The other students acted as if the rats weren’t there.

She glanced at the clock. Six minutes gone already. She looked down at the paper and tried to focus, to form the answers in her mind.

If you fall for it—don’t say I din’t warn you, Lovie.

She wanted to cry, or to scream, but she was motionless except for the pounding of her heart.

Don’t react. Don’t let ’em know. Don’t let ’em on to you, right? That’s the worst thing.

She heard Dr. Ellijay’s footsteps approach and stop next to her desk. She didn’t look up.

“Martha? It’s been ten minutes, and you haven’t even started. Are you all right?”

A swarm of ghostly, amoeba shapes floated in front of Martha’s eyes, and she felt as if her head would explode.

“Martha?” Dr. Ellijay placed a hand on her shoulder.

Martha screamed and lunged out of her seat, pushing the desk over, causing books to tumble out.

Run. It’s yer only chance—run like hellfire.

She bounded up the aisle, reached the door, and flung it open with a bang.

Run, Lovie.

In the hallway, Martha collided with a student on his cellphone, texting. She turned the corner onto another hallway and spotted the door to the custodial closet. She tried the knob. It opened. She slipped inside, squeezed next to a plastic mop bucket with rubber wheels, pulled the door closed, and slid to the floor.

In the darkness, she could smell ammonia. She heard the rats scurry around her. One brushed against her ankle, another along the back of her neck. Out in the hallway, footsteps approaching.

Voices calling her name. But Martha remained silent, invisible.

This is one thing we’re good at, hey, Lovie? Lenny said. We know how to vanish.

Chapter 1

Ten months later

Martha sat on an iron bench in front of the Wash-and-Fold and watched a column of ants as they marched away carrying crumbs from the smashed corner of a ham sandwich.

She had made the walk from the Pritchett House to Tobias Avenue in only fifteen minutes, strolling past dew-damp lawns and sprinklers, reaching the business district early. Nothing to do now but wait and watch the town slowly wake up. The morning was hazy, already humid. The rising sun painted sharp, expanding triangles of yellow on the buildings and storefronts.

Martha opened her leather satchel and unfolded the advertisement, the one Vince found on the bulletin board at the Gateway Center. She reread it for the hundredth time.

EDITORIAL ASSISTANT
The Historical Society of Amberleen, Georgia, seeks a full-time intern to assist with book project. Must be bright, organized, and detail-oriented, able to hit the ground running. Will transcribe/edit interviews, write introductions, assist with research. Three-month term with stipend. Assist with book project. Must be bright, organized, and detail-oriented, able to hit the ground running. Will transcribe/edit interviews, write introductions, assist with research. Three-month term with stipend.

She felt restless, considered moving to the local diner for a cup of coffee, then scrapped the idea. Like so many things, caffeine was no longer admissible.

She wished she’d brought a book to read, or maybe a newspaper. Anything to take her mind off the fluttery feeling in her gut, a sensation that took hold yesterday when the Trailways bus crossed the Intracoastal Waterway and rolled past that sign in the grass median:

Welcome to Amberleen. Spacious Oaks, Friendly Folks.

Martha held the leather satchel close to her face and sniffed. The smell calmed her. It reminded her of her father, who kept it bulging with papers as he shuttled between their house and the university. She tilted the satchel and heard a faint rattle from within, a secret sound. The part of herself she would keep hidden.

A Lincoln Continental pulled up in front of the brick building across the street and parked. A tall woman with white hair and an old-fashioned, collared dress got out, unlocked the glass door to the building, and entered. Martha checked her watch—eight fifteen. She took out a mirror, freshened her lip gloss, and brushed a few strands of loose hair from her face. It was time.

***

Excerpt from THE GIRL IN THE MAZE by R. K. Jackson. Copyright 2025 by R. K. Jackson. Reproduced with permission from R. K. Jackson. All rights reserved.

Author Bio:

R. K. Jackson

R.K. Jackson is a former CNN journalist who now works at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory. He is the author of two novels of psychological suspense: the USA Today bestseller The Girl in the Maze and its sequel, Kiss of the Sun, both originally published by Penguin Random House.

Catch Up With R. K. Jackson:

RandalJackson.com
Amazon Author Profile
Goodreads
BookBub – @RKJackson
Instagram – @randal.jackson1
Threads – @randal.jackson1
Facebook – @rkjacksonAuthor

 

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THE GIRL IN THE MAZE by R. K. Jackson

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Sunday, August 3, 2025

Book Blitz of Wolfsbane Hall by Hazel St. Lewis (#Contests- Enter to Win the Deluxe edition of Wolfsbane Hall )

Wolfsbane Hall
Hazel St. Lewis
Publication date: August 13th 2025
Genres: Adult, Fantasy, Romance, Thriller

Phantom meets Clue:

She’s forced to murder to survive—until it’s her turn to die.

At Wolfsbane Hall, a secretive 1930s San Francisco murder mystery club, actress Celestine Sinclair plays a deadly role: executing victims who can only return to life once their murders are solved. Haunted by guilt yet bound by unwavering loyalty, she obeys the orders of the Specter—the club’s unseen mastermind and source of its magic.

But when his nemesis seizes control and poisons her, the game changes. The only way to survive? Solve the night’s mystery and unmask the Specter—an identity that has remained hidden for centuries. Even worse, the three prime suspects are the men closest to her: her lover, her enemy, and her best friend. One of them has betrayed her, and she has only hours left to uncover the truth.

The clock is ticking, the stakes are fatal, and this time, death will last forever.

Goodreads / Pre-order / Kickstarter

Wolfsbane Hall: A Deluxe Edition Romantasy Thriller
Check out the Kickstarter here!

EXCERPT:

Celestine Sinclair hated being a murderer.

She hated blood dripping through her fingertips and clumping in her hair. She hated watching poison devour a body, and the feeling of her hands stretching around a slender throat.

Everything about murder was ghastly, but if she had to choose, her favorite way to kill was suffocation with a pillow while a person was drugged and unconscious. It was two and a half minutes of hell—hell she deserved for the act—but at least it was quiet and didn’t leave a mess.

Celestine loathed messes.

Unfortunately, the very nature of her profession required much more theatrical deaths. The audience didn’t come to Wolfsbane Hall to watch, as they put it, dull and tedious deaths; no, like vultures, the rich, pompous pricks wanted carnage.

They wanted a show.

So, Celestine Sinclair would give them one. That was her one objective as an actress at the infamous nightclub: show above all else.

Show above one’s own sanity.

“You’re wasting time,” said a voice forged from darkness, twisting from the room’s shadows. It was glazed in honeyed whiskey. Sweet yet potent.

The Specter—the magical and mysterious owner of Wolfsbane Hall, the glittering palace at the edge of San Francisco, filled with as much mystery as magnificence. It was a place patrons became a part of a murder mystery show. Glitter, grandeur, and witchcraft were laced into every inch of the manor, interwoven into a tapestry of entertainment.

“You must prepare for your next murder,” the Specter said as a whisper in her ear, darkness twirling and cloaking her from the patrons meandering into the Grand Ballroom—the club’s showroom.

“I know, Specter,” Celestine breathed.

Author Bio:

Hazel St. Lewis is a Northern California-based Romantasy author. Diagnosed with dyslexia at a young age, she struggled to read and write, but fantasy stories inspired her to start storytelling. Unfortunately, now, she is a little too obsessed with morally gray characters. When she isn’t writing, she can be found playing with her hoard of cats (too many to count…it’s a problem), singing songs to said cats, or painting.

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Monday, July 21, 2025

Showcase of Inverted Reality By Fran Lewis (#Contests- Enter to win a print copy of the book.)


Inverted Reality by Fran Lewis Banner

INVERTED REALITY

by Fran Lewis

July 21-25, 2025 Book Blast

Synopsis:

Inverted Reality by Fran Lewis

Inverted Reality is a compilation of five books that teach people, through the characters involved, the consequences of doing harmful, dangerous or mean things to others. The person will face in some cases the “mirror” that will replay their wrongdoing and then ask if they will repent. If not, the mirror will decide their fate for them.

Each story has different characters who have done something wrong or evil to someone else. Some of the stories have voices that have been silenced and can no longer be heard. One story describes someone who was wrongly accused. The last part “The Third Choice” is Fran’s favorite. It tells a story about people who do not repent, and fate or consequences will be inflicted, but she won’t tell you how.

Some of the stories are fiction while others are true and factual. You, the reader, will decide whether the story is true or false as you enter the world of Inverted Reality. You can decide what your own definition of the title means, and how you would react if you had to face the mirror or the third choice for what you might have done. You decide if it really happened and how you would react.

It’s good vs. evil, and consciousness vs. unconscionable.

Praise for Inverted Reality:

"Actions Have Consequences! Inverted Reality by Fran Lewis is a chilling look at bad people committing horrific deeds."
~ Irma Fritz, author of novels and short stories

Book Details:

Genre: Horror, Short Stories, Suspense and Thrillers
Published by: Just Reviews
Publication Date: May 13, 2025
Number of Pages: 219
ISBN: 979-8998613807
 Book Links: Amazon | Goodreads

 

Author Bio:

Fran Lewis

Fran worked in the NYC Public Schools as the Reading and Writing Staff Developer for over 36 years. She has three masters degrees and a PD in Supervision and Administration. Currently, she is a member of Who's Who of America's Teachers and Who's Who of America's Executives from Cambridge.‬‬

Fran is the author of more than 14 titles including three children's books. She has written several books on Alzheimer's disease in order to honor her mom and help create more awareness for a cure. These include Memories are Precious: Alzheimer’s Journey; Ruth’s Story and Sharp as a Tack and Scrambled Eggs Which Describes Your Brain?. She also wrote A Daughter’s Promise about her walk through the disease with her mother. ‪Fran is the author of the Faces Behind the Stones series, a middle school series featuring stories growing up in the Bronx with her sister and MJ magazine. Voices from Beyond is her latest book which was preceded by Mirror Image, What If?, Population Zero, and Accusations.‬

Catch Up With Fran Lewis:
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Instagram - @ferndine49
X - @franellena
YouTube - @franlewis8

 

 

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INVERTED REALITY by Fran Lewis (Print Books)

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