Review: The Vampire and the Case of the Ghastly Golem (The Portlock Paranormal Detective #8) by Heather G. Harris and Jilleen Dolbeare

Rating: 5⭐️

It had been a while since this terrific series has been updated and through author’s comments at the end, I found out that, sadly, her long-time friend and co-author, Jilleen Dolbeare, had passed away last October 2025 from cancer.

Jilleen Dolbeare wrote many great urban fantasy series as well as the wonderful collaborations with Heather G. Harris. She’s going to be deeply missed by so many. My sympathies to her family and friends.

I’ve loved this series from the beginning when Bunny first arrived in hidden paranormal town of Portlock, Alaska. She was a newly turned (against her will) vampire with a rescue German Shepherd in tow, and became a part of the town and small Sheriff’s Department, solving mysteries and magical crimes in a very different way, involving mythical creatures and fantastical monsters.

And finding love and a mate along the way with a vampire Prince.

The characters are beautifully written, the mysteries are often heartbreaking and complicated, and stretches over multiple books. Even the smallest of roles and characters can become endearing, and pop up later to fill in narrative holes left by characters who have been lost. It’s done well, emotionally satisfying and makes the story feel more like a real community.

The Vampire and the Case of the Ghastly Golem is a great story. Full of loss, grief, high suspense, mystery and multiple storylines. Bunny and her co-workers and friends face one murder after another. These are people who have deep roots within their community. Harris makes the reader feel that loss, the impact just as deeply.

As the hunt for the killer continues, along with the investigation, there’s another important plot line happening. Connor’s father’s coming to the town. He’s got major plans for Connor, maybe for Bunny too. None of them good or in keeping with what either one wants.

That continues to be the next novel’s theme.

Who the villain is surprised me. And the outcome left other questions in place to be answered by the characters and story further down the series itself.

Heartbreaking, well written, detailed and beautifully executed.

I’m so sorry for Heather G. Harris for having to go on with this series without her friend and writing partner. But she wrote a very wonderful story that felt like both of them were very much together here in every part of the story and character.

Highly recommended. And go check out the other books by Jilleen Dolbeare as well as the charity that’s been set up in her name for Indie Fantasy authors .

Heather G Harrishttps://heathergharris.comWelcome to the Jilleen Dolbeare Scholarship for Indie Fantasy Authors.

Cover Design by Christian Bentulan.

The Portlock Paranormal Detective Series with Jilleen Dolbeare :

The Vampire and the Case of her Dastardly Death – Book 0.5 (a prequel story),

The Vampire and the Case of the Wayward Werewolf – Book 1,

The Vampire and the Case of the Secretive Siren – Book 2,

The Vampire and the Case of the Baleful Banshee – Book 3, The Vampire and the Case of the Cursed Canine – Book 4,

The Vampire and the Case of the Perilous Poltergeist – Book 5,

The Vampire and the Case of the Cozy Christmas – Book 5.5,

The Vampire and the Case of the Hellacious Hag – Book 6,

The Vampire and the Case of the Malevolent Mermaid – Book 7; and

The Vampire and the Case of the Ghastly Golem – Book 8.

The Vampire and the Case of the Raging Revenant – Book 9 ,December 9, 2027

Buy link

US: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0FF3JYSK2

UK: https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B0FF3JYSK2 

CA: https://www.amazon.ca/dp/B0FF3JYSK2 

AU: https://www.amazon.com.au/dp/B0FF3JYSK2 

DE: https://www.amazon.de/dp/B0FF3JYSK2 

FR: https://www.amazon.fr/dp/B0FF3JYSK2 

https://geni.us/GhastlyGolem

Blurb

bodies are bad. Dead bodies that break the laws of magic are worse.

Finding a dead fox in someone’s garden isn’t normally a police matter. Finding a dead fox shifter who should have turned human the second he died? Yeah, that’s more my department.

Remmy has no wounds, no blood and no obvious cause of death. He’s simply dead, trapped forever in his fox form. Apparently there’s only one thing that can do that to a shifter: drain every last drop of magic from them.

Great. Because what Portlock really needed was another magical murderer.

I’ve got an eidetic memory, a badge and two extremely questionable sidekicks. One is a traumatised werewolf who prefers being a German Shepherd, and the other is an ever-growing lynx with a criminal disregard for personal property. Between us, surely we can crack one impossible murder.

Then some local teenagers report seeing a huge creature stalking through the woods, covered in branches and leaves with blazing red eyes.

And red eyes are always bad.

I’m starting to think our mysterious monster and our dead shifter might be connected, which means I need to find whatever is prowling Portlock before anyone else ends up magically drained.

Unfortunately, murder isn’t my only problem. Connor’s father, the Vampire King of the US and an all-round arsehole, has announced he’s coming to town. And he’s bringing the other vampire leaders with him.

So now I have a supernatural killer to catch, a creepy forest monster to find and the most powerful vampire in America heading straight for my home.

Portlock has survived murderous shifters, deadly conspiracies and more supernatural disasters than any tiny Alaskan town has a right to. Hopefully we can survive this too.

Preferably without anyone else turning up dead.

Dive into this fast-paced urban fantasy series if you love mystery, humour, found family, and a slow-burn romance.

Don’t miss the rest of the Portlock Adventures!

The Vampire and the Case of her Dastardly Death, a prequel.

The Vampire and the Case of the Wayward Werewolf, Book 1.

The Vampire and the Case of the Secretive Siren, Book 2.

The Vampire and the Case of the Baleful Banshee, Book 3.

The Vampire and the Case of the Cursed Canine, Book 4.

The Vampire and the Case of the Perilous Poltergeist, Book 5.

The Vampire and the Case of the Cozy Christmas, Book 5.5.

The Vampire and the Case of the Hellacious Hag, Book 6.

The Vampire and the Case of the Malevolent Mermaid, Book 7.

The Vampire and the Case of the Ghastly Golem, Book 8.

Review: The Wild Awakened (The Soul and Soil Trilogy Book 1) by Portia Pierce

Rating: 4⭐️

The Wild Awakened (The Soul and Soil Trilogy Book 1) by Portia Pierce is a book I wanted to love so badly. From the description to many of the really interesting, well done elements in this story, I kept thinking it’s going to come together in a positive, and well crafted narrative at the end.

So close.

One thing immediately that tells us about the story and removes a part of the mystery it’s that the prologue gives away that the Fracture was a “manufactured” and not naturally occurring environmental disaster. A recent one of only 20 years past that civilization is still dealing with the consequences. That could have been left out.

Because the villain, a man, is a huge part of the story and series as we will soon find out.

The elements I enjoy, the characters, including the animals like the Nyx, cat and Bram, the GSD dog, both sentient, who interact with Vivien “Viv”, Calder, the veterinarian with special abilities ,

There’s werewolves, vampires, witches, and of course, the “human race only government/enforcement group, the Concord. The author hasn’t solidly laid out a foundation for all of these various elements so as a reader encounters them in the book we don’t have a definitive explanation for them.

It’s a good plot and a not uncommon one where we see nature rebalancing itself against technological advances. However in this case, clearly a man has decided he’s going to be the one to make the decision to fracture the world and start the process. He’s “right” in his position. A decision that will play out over the course of the trilogy.

Which brings me to what I believe works against the narrative and characterizations here. The foundation and theme are interesting. The animals are engaging. It breaks down where the main characters are concerned.

That’s power use and gender roles. Viv has powers that she’s afraid to use. There’s a big backstory here about her childhood and parents but time and again, she refuses (and the author is telegraphing her pattern here with Viv) to make her decision to use her full powers but instead withholding or opting for a lesser use of them. Which gives her opponents the upper hand every time.

It’s a tiring game of Viv saying “oh no I can’t do that” and not using her powers for whatever reason. And the male villain retaliating by saying “ yes, you are exactly like every ineffectual woman in your family , unable or fearful to use your own powers”. Repeat.

Could she? Yes. Does she? No. So it lingers on for 3 books of this. While she makes choices that continually frustrates the reader.

All of this a reader can see coming , in the pages in the first book.

I guess I feel this had so much potential to be a better book. The characters started out so well. So strongly. And then it all devolves into a weird little power imbalance gender struggle between Viv and the villain. For the next couple of stories too for those who want to continue.

I really would like to see less characters like this in stories. More well crafted and empowered women. Not one, let alone 3 books of “I’m so frightened of my own powers that I’ll be the footnote in my life “ type of person while the villain (male) becomes the strongest powerful player in the narrative.

Aren’t we past that yet?

The Soul and Soil Trilogy, complete:

The Wild Awakened #1

The Wild Divided #2

The Wild Unbound #3

Buy link

Book 1 of 3: The Soul and Soil Trilogy

Blurb

BOOK 1 OF A COMPLETED FANTASY TRILOGY ⭐

The world fractured twenty years ago. Nature is steadily reclaiming its power and magic has been forced into the open.

I’ve spent my life pretending I’m ordinary. Just a small-town veterinarian with a stubborn garden and two opinionated pets. That is what I told myself.

Then, a wolf dies on my porch and I am suddenly pulled into a deadly conflict that I never asked for.

Now, something is spreading through the Wild: twisting and pushing it, turning predators into weapons. The wolf pack wants answers. The vampires are watching. The Concorde is circling.

And somehow… it all leads back to me.

If I don’t discover what I am, and what I’m willing to become, the Wild won’t just awaken. It will choose.

And I may not like who it chooses.

Perfect for readers who love strong heroines discovering power, animal companions with personality, alpha werewolves with a bite, slow-burn tension, political supernatural intrigue, and nature reclaiming the world.

This book is the first of three in the urban fantasy series ‘The Soul and Soil Trilogy’.

February 16, 2026

Language

‎English

Print length

315 pages

Book 1 of 3

The Soul and Soil Trilogy

Review: How to Catch a Hellhound (Hellhounds of Paradise Falls # 6) by Shannon Mae

Rating: 4.5🌈

How to Catch a Hellhound is the conclusion to the Hellhounds of Paradise Falls series by Shannon Mae and it’s absolutely one of my favorite stories of the series, a great way to finish it off.

Through the series we’ve been learning more about the different types of otherworldly beings who are living in Paradise Falls as well as following the Smith hellhounds as they each find their mate amid a mysterious new drama that comes their way and enlarges the current universe that everyone is familiar with.

That’s the story here. We get to see the events that brought Sheriff Paul to Paradise Falls, his perspective on Jude’s pursuit of him, and the town’s community itself. I always wanted his POV and this really connected me to him and see how they worked together as a couple. They absolutely meshed together so well, but it took them time.

Paul’s development is very much a terrific aspect of the story, not just the relationship. It pulls from past events and his and Jude’s storyline features importantly into further series and Paradise Falls itself.

There’s a great twist here and I really hope that it means we will see this couple as well as the other characters crossover into more of the forthcoming Paradise Falls series.

This is a great story and wonderful way to finish it all off. Highly recommended. As is everything else in the related Paradise Falls universe.

Hellhounds of Paradise Falls:

How To Flirt With A Hellhound #1

How To Hack A Hellhound #2

How To Tame A Hellhound #3

How To Trust A Hellhound #4

How Not To Kill A Hellhound #5

How to Catch a Hellhound #6 – finale

What else takes place in Paradise Falls?

Demonic Disasters and Afterlife Adventures (8 book series) more coming plus a new series

Buy link

How to Catch a Hellhound (Hellhounds of Paradise Falls Book 6)

Blurb

Paul

I’m not exactly sure how I became sheriff of Paradise Falls, but I take the protection of the people in my town seriously. That even includes Jude, who’s constantly pulling pranks in the hopes of getting arrested. I know he’s flirting with me, but how can someone as damaged as me be a match for his eternal good cheer? Never mind the fact that I may also be losing my mind—I’m getting crazy feelings about people, and the urge to act on them is getting stronger. My goal has always been to save people, not to harm them. Something is changing, though, and I’m not sure who I am anymore.

Jude

Being an assassin and a hellhound is all-around fun, and teasing my sexy sheriff makes my life complete. Lately, though, something’s been wrong with Paul. He’s been cranky and secretive, and I’m determined to get to the bottom of it. Is something from Paul’s past haunting him? Because if someone needs killing, then I’ll be happy to do it. Although maybe it’s time to show the sheriff what he’s really capable of. He’s a kindred spirit—I can sense it—and I’m only too happy to show him how hellhounds take care of the bad guys.

Tags: Sheriff Paul can sense things; Jude is, as always, ridiculous; there are numerous Beatle references, so get ready to have songs stuck in your head; Jude is the happiest assassin you’ll ever meet; these two have explosive chemistry; Paul might kill Jude (or at least shoot him); the entire pack is there for all the fun; Paul isn’t exactly what he appears; Oracles give the vaguest advice; trying to get arrested is Jude’s love language.

October 1, 2026

Language

‎English

Print length

235 pages

Book 6 of 6

Hellhounds of Paradise Falls

Review: The Ghost Brigades (Old Man’s War #2) by John Scalzi

Rating: 4.5⭐️

The Ghost Brigades, the second in the Old Man’s War series by John Scalzi, is a better story in many ways. It’s also more horrifying.

I don’t remember if it comes with trigger warnings but it should. Especially as an alien baby is kidnapped and then horrifically killed as part of the mission , with its alien mother’s emotional devastation on page and as part of the mission’s goal. Maybe because it’s in no way identifiable as a human being but it doesn’t make the scene any less raw or heartbreaking. And it does have different deep impact on the characters in the narrative.

It’s probably the most emotional scene of the book.

In a book that constantly questions what it is that makes you a human being, where the characters are those who have had their “consciousnesses or souls “ copied and put into fabricated bodies, repeatedly. Are you really human beings or something else?

Is a question that is asked over and over. And each character has to find their own answer given their circumstances.

Jared Dirac is a “copy” of a scientist who turned traitor. Jared is now a member of the Ghost Brigades, a special force of super “ghost soldiers” , who are fabricated from the DNA of dead people and supposedly don’t remember their pasts. Only it’s not working out that way. And the traitor is very much alive.

It’s a fascinating story. Full of hard truths about space exploration, wars, self awareness and what it means to be human.

This isn’t series I’m reading quickly though but I’ll finish it eventually. I’m not emotionally attached to any of the people here. They get disposed of too easily and very quickly. Maybe that’s the way of war and Scalzi’s message here. That everyone here is basically seen as gun fodder. If so, message received. The higher ups are exactly as ruthless and manipulative as they would be in the situation.

However, it doesn’t make me feel engaged in the same way that I would if I was following any of the characters.

Interesting. And well done in many other respects.

Buy link

Blurb

The Ghost Brigades are the Special Forces of the Colonial Defense Forces, elite troops created from the DNA of the dead and turned into the perfect soldiers for the CDF’s toughest operations. They’re young, they’re fast and strong, and they’re totally without normal human qualms.

The universe is a dangerous place for humanity—and it’s about to become far more dangerous. Three races that humans have clashed with before have allied to halt our expansion into space. Their linchpin: the turncoat military scientist Charles Boutin, who knows the CDF’s biggest military secrets. To prevail, the CDF must find out why Boutin did what he did.

Jared Dirac is the only human who can provide answers — a superhuman hybrid, created from Boutin’s DNA, Jared’s brain should be able to access Boutin’s electronic memories. But when the memory transplant appears to fail, Jared is given to the Ghost Brigades.

At first, Jared is a perfect soldier, but as Boutin’s memories slowly surface, Jared begins to intuit the reason’s for Boutin’s betrayal. As Jared desperately hunts for his “father,” he must also come to grips with his own choices. Time is running out: The alliance is preparing its offensive, and some of them plan worse things than humanity’s mere military defeat…

Old Man’s War Series

#1 Old Man’s War

#2 The Ghost Brigades

#3 The Last Colony

#4 Zoe’s Tale

#5 The Human Division

#6 The End of All Things

Short fiction: “After the Coup”

Review: Ale Storm (Tales from the Dragon Diner Book 4) by Lindsey Buroker

Rating: 4⭐️

Ale Storm picks up right after Rylana and Jildarin have decided to take their relationship to a different stage, a date and maybe more.

Plus there’s that pesky dwarf hunting horn that Rylana was given during the last story, one that glows blue on mysterious occasions, that she has to find out where it’s from before it causes her trouble.

Ale Storm predictably features a meal with ale, a special menu, and multiple storylines, all really interesting and involving the characters that live in and around the community.

It also has many dragons, ones who don’t seem to take no for an answer.

I enjoyed it. Found Jildarin somewhat less appealing, especially when he continues to be non-communicative about his plans and ever eager to repeat his mistakes when dealing with the other dragons. That’s getting old.

But her bestie the assassin elf? The dwarf baker? Love them. More of the community please.

Still a terrific series.

Tales from the Dragon Diner (5 book series to date)

Calculated Whisk #1

Knead for Speed #2

Morel Dilemma #3

Ale Storm #4

About Jam Time #5 – Nov 30, 2026

Buy link

Blurb

Now that her business partner, the dragon and award-winning chef Jildarin-grozanarav, has realized he has feelings for her, Rylana’s looks forward to going on a date with him. The elven queen has departed and the troll-god curse has been resolved, so it’s the perfect time for a moonlit walk and a kiss.

Or so Rylana thinks.

But dwarven thieves show up, ransacking the diner and looking for an antique hunting horn she recently found. Even worse, Jildarin has unearthed a centuries-old book on the proper protocol for courting a human woman. Now, he’s determined that he needs permission from Rylana’s father before they can go on a date. Lastly, the female dragons that want Jildarin to mate with them have returned and are threatening Rylana.

Why can’t life ever go according to plan?

Lindsay Buroker

Publication date

September 25, 2026

Language

‎English

Print length

318 pages

Book 4 of 5

Tales from the Dragon Diner

Review : Tea and Tarot: Crossroads Queen Side Quest (A Cozy Urban Fantasy Novel) by Annabel Chase

Rating: 4.5⭐️

I absolutely love this story. Tea and Tarot is a side story in Annabel Chase’s completed and fantastic urban fantasy Crossroads Queen series.

It does help to have read that series to have a firm understanding of these characters and a foundation for their histories , the town and world building. Honestly, this makes me want to pick up that series and start over again.

That said, this is a wonderful story. We dive right back into the town and characters by way of the wonderful Tarot Mages we got to know in the Crossroads Queen series.

The fabulous cousins Camryn Sable and Gunther “ Gun” Saxon, and Indigo Briggs, all three former members of La Fortuna, a secret and ancient society of mages skilled in the art of tarot magic. Now along with Claude, the revenant, they are residing in Fairhaven. Cam and Gun are private investigators and , the focus of this story, Indigo, is trying to open a tea shop.

But Indigo is having trouble getting started launching her business. Then another mage appears with a surprise business proposal. Boone Fincher needs a fake fiancée that his strict ill father will approve of so Boone can get his inheritance.

Yes, it’s a fake fiancée trope storyline. And it works so well here. Chase has crafted a wonderful narrative with a great relationship between Indigo and Boone that’s got chemistry, vulnerability and shared background damage.

There’s also a side plot about Indigo’s past history, a dramatic event that comes back to haunt her and how that involves many other important characters from the Crossroads Queen series that just makes this even better and adds layers to Indigo’s story and her future adventures.

I really hope this is just the beginning of more stories like this in the Crossroads series universe. I adore the characters so much.

Highly recommended.

Crossroads Queen (9 book series)

Tea and Tarot: Crossroads Queen Side Quest

Cover design by Jenny Zemanek

Buy link

amazon.comhttps://www.amazon.comTea and Tarot: Crossroads Queen Side Quest: Chase, Annabel – Urban Fantasy Novel

Blurb

She walked away from the life she was born to live. Now she has one chance to build the life she’s always wanted.

Indigo Briggs was one of the most feared tarot mages in the business—until a job went wrong and she walked away from it all. Now she’s in Fairhaven, a quirky supernatural town with secrets of its own, trying to build something quieter: a tea shop, a fresh start, and a life she might actually deserve.

The only problem? Her new venture needs funding she doesn’t have.

Enter Boone Fincher—charming, infuriatingly handsome, and in desperate need of a fake fiancée. His father’s will requires him to marry a mage with a powerful lineage, and Boone is running out of time. The arrangement is strictly business: Indy gets the money she needs, Boone gets his inheritance, and when it’s over, they part ways.

Simple.

Except nothing about this is simple. Between a blind vampire with unsettling insight, a revenant who likes to lend a hand, a mysterious bone monster that wanders through the crossroads, and a ghost from her old life determined to unravel everything she’s built, Indy is starting to suspect the universe has a plan she didn’t envision.

Then the past she thought she’d escaped comes looking for her, and Indigo must decide whether she’s willing to risk everything for the future she’s finally begun to imagine—one that includes a love that was never supposed to be real.

Tea and Tarot is a Crossroads Queen Side Quest Novel—an enchanting cozy urban fantasy standalone with fake dating, witty banter, found family, and the slow-burn realization that happily-ever-afters are worth believing in.

Red Palm Press LLC

Publication date

September 17, 2026

Accessibility

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Language

‎English

File size

1.5 MB

Screen Reader

Supported

Enhanced typesetting

Enabled

X-Ray

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Word Wise

Enabled

Print length

240 pages

Review: Pumpkin Spice Spells (Witchcakes #1) by Sara Bourgeois

Rating: 3.5⭐️

I made the mistake of reading this without reading the prequel, Magic Muffin Magic, and felt that Pumpkin Spice Spells was decidedly lacking in background knowledge and in world building for the story to make sense and the reader to feel any connection.

After I backtracked and read the prequel and got up to speed, Pumpkin Spice Spells was a better story. Ivy’s new start in her deceased aunt’s bakery in Harvest Hollow is slowly becoming her own, venturing into her own recipes and making her own mistakes, all with the help of her best friends and Nutmeg.

The rest of the town is still vague in community and shops, details of which I’m sure the author will fill in as events happen. But it’s the town inhabitants and descriptions that give the reader a glimpse into its own character and a sense of “identity “ that small towns have about them.

So far that’s lacking here. Surprising in a book that is very wordy. It’s too “told to” and not enough, ambiance, I guess to make up for it. Something is missing here, and I’m finding it hard to figure out what.

Whatever it is that is the missing ingredient, it’s what is keeping me from being 100 percent engaged in the lives of the people here and the storyline. I’m just too removed emotionally to care about the mystery and the characters involved.

Surprising in a novel by this author.

I’ll keep reading, you never know.

Lick it up and check it out for yourself.

Witchcakes (3 book series)

Maple Muffin Magic #0.5

Pumpkin Spice Spells #1

Apple Cider Charms #2

Sugar Cookies Sorcery #3

Buy Link

Pumpkin Spice Spells (Witchcakes Book 1)

Blurb

Welcome to Harvest Hollow, where the pastries are sweet, the magic is real, and murder is always bad for business.

Ivy Merriweather never planned to come home. But when life in the city goes up in flames, she returns to Harvest Hollow to help save her family’s bakery, Witchcakes, just in time for the town’s busiest season… Halloween.

Between pumpkin spice cupcakes, enchanted recipes, and a chonky orange cat named Nutmeg who is far more trouble than help, Ivy already has enough on her plate.

Then a member of the Halloween festival committee is found dead behind the bakery, and suddenly all eyes are on Witchcakes.

The police chief is more interested in keeping the peace than solving a murder. The town rumor mill is working overtime. And Ivy’s kitchen magic keeps warning her that the wrong person is about to get away with it.

To clear her name, protect her bakery, and keep Harvest Hollow’s spookiest season from turning deadly, Ivy will have to follow the crumbs, trust her instincts, and hope Nutmeg does not destroy the evidence first…

September 15, 2026

Accessibility

Learn more

Language

‎English

File size

527 KB

Screen Reader

Supported

Enhanced typesetting

Enabled

X-Ray

Not Enabled

Word Wise

Enabled

Print length

225 pages

Page Flip

Enabled

Book 1 of 3

Witchcakes

Review: A Most Excellent Midlife Crisis (Good To The Last Death Book 3) by Robyn Peterman

Rating: 4.5⭐️

Peterman’s storylines and characters are developing beautifully, giving realistic growth to the depth that they’ve unlocked in themselves as events has shown.

It’s funny, sometimes painful, heartbreaking and joyful, depending upon what characters are involved here, ghost squatters, members of Daisy’s new found family or someone completely different.

And hilarious when it comes to those detailed “facts” that Tim and Jennifer are experts at spewing out during get togethers. I’ll admit, I really look forward to those. They make my day and I really need to start writing them down. In each book.

Gideon and Daisy are well on their way to an established relationship but twists are a fact of the series as are cliffhangers.

Read swiftly through to the next book for all the answers. I’m way ahead at this point. Loving this series.

A great series and read.

Cover design by JJ’s Design & Creations

Good To The Last Death (16 book series)

It’s A Wonderful Midlife Crisis #1

Whose Midlife Crisis Is It Anyway? #2

A Most Excellent Midlife Crisis #3

My Midlife Crisis, My Rules #4

You Light Up My Midlife Crisis #5

It’s A Matter of Midlife and Death #6

The Facts of Midlife #7

It’s A Hard-Knock Midlife #8

Run For Your Midlife #9

It’s A Hell of A Midlife #10

A Leaner Meaner Midlife #11

Having the Time of My Midlife #12

Someone Save My Midlife Tonight #13

Semi-Charmed Midlife #14

Got To Get You Into My Midlife #15

Spice Up Your Midlife #16

Buy link

Book 3 of 16: Good To The Last Death

Blurb

Midlife’s a bumpy journey. The ride is a freaking rollercoaster. The crisis is real.

With my life back to normal—normal being a very relative word—one would think I’d catch a break.

One would be very wrong.

With an Angel gunning for me and a Demon in my bed, life couldn’t be more complicated. Not to mention, I’m going to have to make a rather large life choice.

Do I want to live forever? Does anyone?

Forever is a very long time.

Whatever. I’ll think about it tomorrow… or next week… or next month. As long as I have my girlfriends, my dogs, a super-sized case of merlot and my deceased squatters, I’m good to go.

My midlife crisis. My rules. If it doesn’t kill me dead first, I plan to have a most excellent midlife crisis.

Robyn Peterman

Publication date

July 27, 2020

Language

‎English

Print length

338 pages

Book 3 of 16

Good To The Last Death

Review: Maple Muffin Magic (Witchcakes prequel) by Sara Bourgeois

Rating: 3⭐️

I’m a absolute fan of author Sara Bourgeois and am reading several of her terrific series right now , from a paranormal murder mystery set in a small mysterious town in the Arizona desert (a real favorite) to another unfolding in a witchy town of Cauldron Hollow. So when I see yet another book, the first one in a new series, yes, I immediately pick it up.

Especially when the cover is ablaze with fall colors and elements. Hooked.

That said, I don’t find I was as connected to the story and characters here as I was with the other series. Bourgeois loves a woman who is in the process of restarting her life. Whether it’s because she’s been fired from her job, or because her relationship has gone downhill, whatever the reason, she’s needing a jumpstart to a new stage in her life.

And the plot gifts her with a shop or something from a deceased relative, fill in who it is, and what it is, that allows the woman to relocate and begin again. With new powers. And a familiar.

Here it’s a bakery , a cat familiar, a magical town that leans into its reputation, and Ivy Merriweather returning to Harvest Hollow where Ivy takes over her aunt’s bakery shop, Witchcakes and Nutmeg, the aunt’s familiar.

Of course, soon after, there’s a murder, several mysteries to investigate, and recipes to bake for the next festival.

The friends that Ivy have in town make a nice foundation for the main character to settle into but the slow burn romance aspect is nonexistent here. You can see where the author wants to build the storyline but it’s a real stretch right now.

This is a nice outline at best. I feel her other series have better depth and deeper layering, even at the beginning.

Witchcakes (3 book series)

Maple Muffin Magic

Pumpkin Spice Spells #1

Apple Cider Charms #2

Sugar Cookies Sorcery #3

Buy Link

Amazon.comhttps://www.amazon.comMaple Muffin Magic (Witchcakes) – Kindle edition by Bourgeois, Sara. Mystery, Thriller …

Blurb

Welcome to Harvest Hollow, where the ovens are warm, the magic is old, and one chonky orange cat has already decided who belongs.

Ivy Merriweather only came back to Harvest Hollow to settle her grandmother’s affairs and decide what to do with Witchcakes. Clean the bakery. Make a plan. Leave before anyone calls it a homecoming.

Then she finds an orange cat sleeping in a proofing basket like he owns the place.

Nutmeg is nosy, bossy, underfoot, and somehow always exactly where he should not be. He is also determined to help Ivy reopen Witchcakes for Harvest Hollow’s fall market, whether she asks for his help or not.

But when Rosemary Merriweather’s signature harvest spice tin vanishes, small acts of sabotage start piling up. Someone makes it very clear that they do not want Witchcakes back in business, and Ivy realizes that her return may have upset more than just the “official bakery cat”.

To save the business, survive the market, and solve the mystery of who is trying to push her out, Ivy will have to trust her instincts, trust her magic, and trust the ridiculous orange menace currently sitting on her recipe cards.

August 8, 2026

Language

‎English

Print length

106 pages

Check out the new Release “Search for the Lost“ by J. Scott Coatsworth & Kim Fielding (tour and excerpt from Other Worlds Ink Tours)

J. Scott Coatsworth and Kim Fielding has a new MM romantasy book out, Chaos and Order book two: Search for the Lost.

SOMETIMES ORDER BECOMES CHAOS…

Leopold Lane—after being “collected” for the Office of the Lost by Crispin Eladrin Moss’caladin—is tucked away cozily with his beloved office fae in their treehouse. Happily ever after, right? Not so fast.

Before Leo can even get settled, Crispin’s mother disappears, leaving Crispin in charge and his brother Aspin in a panic. As Queen of the Fae, she has also left them a little surprise: a bit of oxymoronic magic that turns their world upside down.

Crispin and Leo set off in search of the queen and a solution to their predicament. Aspin tags along, with some less-than-helpful friends. On the way they will discover important family secrets and learn new things about each other… and themselves. Nothing is simple when Chaos and Order get involved. Besides, it wouldn’t be a proper quest if it was straightforward, would it?

Series Blurb:

Crispin and Leopold are poorly matched. They’re nothing like one another – Crispin is Order personified, while Leo’s nothing but Chaos. So of course, they are perfect for each other. Now they just have to figure out why the Universe has thrust them together – and how not to get themselves killed (or murder each other) in the process.

Note: Book One is on sale everywhere for just 99¢ from October 1st-31st.

Universal Buy Link

Excerpt

A sharp banging at the door brought Crispin back to the present. Or rather, to the past, when Leo had been taken away from him by Juzir and Qyl.

They shared a look. Leo was clearly thinking the same thing.

Wordlessly, he gathered up his clothes and disappeared into the bathroom, snicking the lock closed.

We have a bathroom lock now? Crispin brushed away the thought. “Coming!”

He hoped Leo wasn’t in trouble again. After all, they’d fixed everything. There were no more flattened citizens aimlessly lying about. Well, except on Tarkon, where most of the wildlife and half of the people were naturally pretty flat. And they’d thrown a big party to smooth the waters with all their new friends, including the Mucklins, even though Molly the moth-woman had planned to feed Leo and Crispin to her children. But that was all in the past.

He opened the door, half expecting an angry mob. Instead it was his annoying older brother, Aspin, staring at him forlornly. “Hey, Elly….”

The old much-hated nickname—derived from his middle name, Eladrin—brought a rebuke to Crispin’s lips, but it died when he realized how dejected Aspin looked. “All clear!” he called over his shoulder. Crispin made way for Aspin to enter. “Come in. What’s wrong? Did something happen?”

Aspin nodded, looking as if he’d eaten a canary—or Minkis, Crispin’s pet squirrel.

“Who is it?” Leo had appeared, dressed formally for company—which for him meant flip-flops and a loose white T-shirt that he’d made a half-hearted attempt to tuck into his jeans. His hair, which usually stuck straight up, was slightly more tamed. “Oh, hey Aspin!”

Even though Aspin clearly despised him, Leo never held a grudge, one of the many things Crispin loved about him.

Aspin threw his arms around Crispin. “She’s gone, Elly. She’s gone.”

“Who?” But then it dawned on him: Aspin had only one her. And Aspin confirmed it with a single word. “Mother.”

Crispin stiffened. “Mother is dead?” Oh sordid heavens. I’m not ready to take over yet.

Aspin ended the embrace, returning to form. “No, you idiot. I said she was gone, not dead. Three days ago, and no one knows where she is or if she will come back. You have to help me find her.”

“Gone.” Crispin eased himself down onto their newest piece of furniture, the hideous old couch from Leo’s Earth apartment. Leo stared at him, blinking, then sat on the cushion next to him. “She’s gone. So that means….”

Aspin sank down onto one knee. “Hail to Crispin Eladrin Moss’caladin, King of the High Holy Fae.”

Oh flack. If there’s one thing that Crispin was positively absolutely emphatically five-thousand-percent not ready for, it was to take his mother’s throne. He had no aspirations to power, and he certainly didn’t share his mother’s proclivities for seducing mortals. Well, maybe just the one.

Author Bios

Scott lives with his husband Mark in a small Italian villa outside of Sacramento, California. He was indoctrinated into fantasy and sci fi by his mother at the tender age of nine. He devoured her library, but as he grew up, he wondered where all the people like him were.

He decided that if there weren’t queer characters in his favorite genres, he would remake them to his own ends.

A Rainbow Award winning author, he runs Queer Sci Fi, QueeRomance Ink, Liminal Fiction and Other Worlds Ink with Mark, sites that celebrate fiction reflecting queer reality, and was the committee chair for the Indie Authors Committee at the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America (SFWA) for almost three years.

Website: https://www.jscottcoatsworth.com

Facebook (personal): https://www.facebook.com/jscottcoatsworth

Facebook (author): https://www.facebook.com/jscottcoatsworthauthor/

Mastodon: https://mastodon.otherworldsink.com/@jscottcoatsworth

Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/jscottcoatsworth.bsky.social

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jscottcoatsworth/

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/8392709.J_Scott_Coatsworth

QueeRomance Ink: https://www.queeromanceink.com/mbm-book-author/j-scott-coatsworth/

Liminal Fiction: https://www.limfic.com/mbm-book-author/j-scott-coatsworth/

Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/J.-Scott-Coatsworth/e/B011AFO4OQ

BookBub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/j-scott-coatsworth

Kim Fielding is very pleased every time someone calls her eclectic. She writes fantasy, mm romance, science fiction, horror, and whatever else her muse demands.

Winner of the 2021 BookLife Prize for Fiction, a Lambda Award finalist and Foreword INDIE finalist, she has migrated back and forth across the western two-thirds of the United States and now lives in Oregon, where she will never have enough bookshelf space.

She’s a university professor who dreams of being able to travel and write full time. She also dreams of having two daughters who fully appreciate her, a husband who isn’t obsessed with football, and a house that cleans itself. Some dreams are more easily obtained than others.

Website: https://www.kfieldingwrites.com

Facebook (personal): https://www.facebook.com/pgerstenfeld

Facebook (author): https://www.facebook.com/KFieldingWrites

Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/kfieldingwrites.bsky.social

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kfieldingwrites/

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4105707.Kim_Fielding

QueeRomance Ink: https://www.queeromanceink.com/mbm-book-author/kim-fielding/