#BookReview: An Education in Malice by S. T. Gibson

Synopsis: Sumptuous and addictive, An Education in Malice is a dark academia tale of blood, secrets and insatiable hungers from Sunday Times bestselling author S.T. Gibson, author of the cult hit A Dowry of Blood.

Deep in the forgotten hills of Massachusetts stands Saint Perpetua's College. Isolated and ancient, it is not a place for timid girls. Here, secrets are currency, ambition is lifeblood, and strange ceremonies welcome students into the fold.

On her first day of class, Laura Sheridan is thrust into an intense academic rivalry with the beautiful and enigmatic Carmilla. Together, they are drawn into the confidence of their demanding poetry professor, De Lafontaine, who holds her own dark obsession with Carmilla.

But as their rivalry blossoms into something far more delicious, Laura must confront her own strange hungers. Tangled in a sinister game of politics, bloodthirsty professors and dark magic, Laura and Carmilla must decide how much they are willing to sacrifice in their ruthless pursuit of knowledge.

#BookTour: The Year of Return by Ivan Akotowaa Ofori @RABTBookTours @_Akotowaa

 

Horror / Fantasy

Date Published: May 21, 2024

Publisher: Android Press

 

In December 2019, as Ghana's vibrant streets buzz with the climax of the "Year of Return," an initiative marking 400 years since the first enslaved Africans were forcibly taken to Virginia, Adwapa, a Ghanaian journalist living in the U.S., decides to journey back to her homeland. Accompanied by friends, she seeks to reconnect with his roots during this historic commemoration, unaware that the trip will lead them into the heart of a mystery that transcends time and reality.

As the celebrations reach their zenith, the Atlantic Ocean, witness to untold horrors of the past, begins to stir with an ancient and restless energy. From its depths emerge the spirits of the enslaved, those who perished in the harrowing Middle Passage, returning not in peace but in turmoil. Their emergence sends shockwaves around the globe, transforming the "Year of Return" into a haunting spectacle of reawakened histories and unresolved grievances.

As the line between the living and the dead blurs, Adwapa finds herself caught in a whirlwind of supernatural events and historical reckonings. With each passing day, the ghosts grow more powerful, their centuries-old sorrows manifesting in a series of chilling, vengeful acts that threaten to unravel the very fabric of the present.

#BookReview: The Awakening (The Dragon Heart Legacy #1) by Nora Roberts @lexilikestoread

Synopsis: #1 New York Times bestselling author of the epic Chronicles of The One trilogy returns with the first in a brand new series where parallel worlds clash over the struggle between good and evil.

Breen Kelly had always been a rule follower. So when her father left when she was twelve years old, promising to return, she waited. Now, more than a decade later, she needs to move forward. She can wait no longer. A summer trip to Ireland seems like the perfect next step. She never dreamed it would lead her through a portal to another world, where her latent powers of magick will be awakened, her true ancestry revealed and an epic battle against evil fought.

#BookReview: Forestfall (World at the Lake's Edge #2 ) by Lyndall Clipstone

Synopsis: Some oaths can never be broken...

The curse that haunted Lakesedge Estate has been broken, but at great cost. Violeta Graceling has sacrificed herself to end the Corruption. To escape death, Leta makes a desperate bargain with the Lord Under, one that sees her living at his side in the land of the dead.

But this world of souls and mist hides many secrets. And when Leta realizes she is still connected to Rowan by a tethering spell, she will risk everything— even her soul— to try and reach him.

Torn between power and love, life and death, Leta struggles to keep hold of her humanity as she falls further and further under the spell of the world Below… and the Lord Under.

#CoverReveal: Rendezvous at Midlife by Maggie Blake @XpressoTours

Rendezvous at Midlife
Maggie Blake
Publication date: June 11th 2024
Genres: Adult, Contemporary, Women’s Fiction

A fateful meeting in an airport sends her on the journey of her life.

Margot had always been a woman who knew what she wanted. She worked hard to build her successful locations scouting business in Los Angeles, and in her late forties, Margot felt she was in the prime of her life. A prosperous businesswoman with a loving husband and a beautiful daughter, Margot was living the dream. That is, until her husband left her for a younger woman. Moving forward with the help of her daughter and best friend, Margot once again enters the dating scene and soon finds that she is unable to make a meaningful connection.

Vaughn Jameson has spent his life on the road as a drummer for a well-known rock band, thankful to be living his childhood dream of making music and good times. While he yearns for something more, he isn’t sure what.

Margot and Vaughn’s lives change when they have a chance meeting that sends them on an incredible rendezvous at midlife.

#BookReview: Butcher & Blackbird (The Ruinous Love Trilogy #1) by @brynne_weaver @zandoprojects

Synopsis: Every serial killer needs a friend. 
Every game must have a winner.

When a chance encounter sparks an unlikely bond between rival murderers Sloane and Rowan, the two find something elusive—the friendship of a like-minded, pitch-black soul. From small town West Virginia to upscale California, from downtown Boston to rural Texas, the two hunters collide in an annual game of blood and suffering, one that pits them against the most dangerous monsters in the country. But as their friendship develops into something more, the restless ghosts left in their wake are only a few steps behind, ready to claim more than just their newfound love. Can Rowan and Sloane dig themselves out of a game of graves? Or have they finally met their match? 

Butcher & Blackbird is the first book in the Ruinous Love Dark Romance trilogy of interconnected stand-alone dark romantic comedies. This dual POV novel ends on a HEA.

#BookBlitz: Through the Storm by Ikwumma Ogbuagu @RABTBookTours

 

Nonfiction / Journal / Cancer

 

A breast cancer journal. I really wanted the journal to be full of life and colourful. The illustrations made it come to life, I find them so inspiring and I hope you do as well!

This book has been a genuine labor of love. It is full of purpose and hope. Everything you see is my vision come true. Cancer threatens everything you believed to be true, I had my chemo-port removed and flew to Atlanta later that day, on the flight back, I believe it was a 6AM flight, all I wanted to do was sleep for the 2 hour flight.  Instead, this idea for a bookmark started forming in my head. I figured lots of people read in waiting rooms and chemo suites etc., so it made sense to create bookmarks with little quips to lift the spirit during these waits. Well, the ideas were flowing so fast that I couldn’t write fast enough and I had no paper, so I wrote on the plane barf bag (I still have it). It became apparent I had a lot more to say than a bookmark could hold. I still plan to make bookmarks some day soon.

I have included prompts for questions to ask. Symptom trackers to report to providers. Daily prompts to do something intentionally kind and uplifting in small bites because some days are really tough and it becomes difficult to remember the amazing person you were prior to a breast cancer diagnosis and treatment. I am truly proud of it. There is a prayer/meditation script written by one of my dearest friends who chose words that can resonate with anyone regardless of faith or the absence thereof and in any tough life situation. There is a feature to track daily water intake and so much more.

 

#breastcancersurvivor🎀 #breastcancerbaddie #breastcancer