Book Spotlight For There be Demons by M. K. Theodoratus

Hello Everyone! I hope that you're all having a wonderful day today. I'm so glad to welcome young adult paranormal fantasy author M. K. Theodoratus - author of There be Demons to Emeraldfire's Bookmark. This is also my thirty-third Book Spotlight post ever, but I still hope that I do There be Demons by M. K. Theodoratus justice.

About There be Demons:

After her father remarries, Britt Kelly’s life becomes a cesspit. She lives in her sister’s two-bedroom tenement apartment with her mother, two brothers, and two young nephews. She starts a new high school where she knows no one. And, even when Britt thinks she’s making friends, the church where she studies in is torn down.

Then, the field commanders of The Demon Wars draft her and her friends to aid the four Gargoyle Guardians who fight the demons invading the city of Trebridge. The fate of the city hangs on Britt’s ability to lead and learn enough self-control to manipulate the natural magic of Grace. Meanwhile, she also needs to decide what to do about Cahal, her chemistry lab partner who is as strong as her and may have interests more than just protecting Trebridge.

There Be Demons is a continuation of M. K. Theodoratus’ urban fantasy, Night For the Gargoyles. It tells the tale of Gillen and his team of Gargoyle Guardians as they defend Trebridge while teaching Britt and her friends - the untrained “reinforcements“. Along the way, Gillen and Britt learn things about each other to make them stronger both together and alone.

Purchase your copy from Amazon!

Meet M. K. Theodoratus

Fantasy has always been part of M. K. Theodoratus’ life, starting when she starting playing with an imaginary friend when she was three. Comics, books, TV, and movies followed throughout her life. A northern California girl, many of her Andor alternative-world stories are firmly rooted there. Today, she lives in Northern Colorado with her husband and two lap-cats, and writes when she’s not wasting time on social media.

Connect and Socialize with M. K.!

Website * Facebook * Twitter * Goodreads * Blog

May you read well and often

Michael Okon Chats About Current Events and How They Influence His Writing

Meet Michael Okon

Michael Okon is an award-winning and best-selling author of multiple genres including paranormal, thriller, horror, action/adventure and self-help. He graduated from Long Island University with a degree in English, and then later received his MBA in business and finance. Coming from a family of writers, he has storytelling is his DNA. Michael has been writing from as far back as he can remember, his inspiration being his love for films and their impact on his life. From the time he saw The Goonies, he was hooked on the idea of entertaining people through unforgettable characters.

Michael is a lifelong movie buff, a music playlist aficionado, and a sucker for self-help books. He lives on the North Shore of Long Island with his wife and children.

Connect and Socialize with Michael!

Amazon Author Page * Facebook * Twitter * Website

Synopsis from Amazon:

Welcome to Monsterland - the scariest place on Earth.

Wyatt Baldwin's senior year is not going well. His parents divorce, then his dad mysteriously dies. He’s not exactly comfortable with his new stepfather, Carter White, either.

An ongoing debate with his best friends Melvin and Howard Drucker over which monster is superior has gotten stale. He’d much rather spend his days with beautiful and popular Jade. However, she’s dating the brash high-school quarterback Nolan, and Wyatt thinks he doesn’t stand a chance.

But everything changes when Wyatt and his friends are invited to attend the grand opening of Monsterland, a groundbreaking theme park where guests can interact with vampires in Vampire Village, be chased by werewolves on the River Run, and walk among the dead in Zombieville.

With real werewolves, vampires and zombies as the main attractions, what could possibly go wrong?

Coming to Amazon on October 15, 2017!

I would like to welcome Michael Okon, author of the young adult paranormal novel Monsterland, to Emeraldfire's Bookmark. Mr. Okon was kind enough to write a guest post for me and here it is below in his own words:

‘How Current Events Influence My Writing’

by Michael Okon

Current events, just like anything else, plays an important role in my writing. You can't help but feel impacted by what you see and hear around you.

In Monsterland, Vincent Konrad is able to come to power due to a raging plague. I remembered the news reports of the Bird Flu and the Ebola Outbreaks to describe the pandemic of the plague that turn people into zombies.

Watching aging rockers was my inspiration for Vampires. Seeing a talk show with my favorite band, now looking old and campy served to inspire me to portray vampires in a brand-new light as social outcasts that have failed to reinvent themselves and adapt to society. Everybody has one crazy uncle who can't seem to let go of his glory days and live in the present. I consider all current topics from climate to the economy, trends and social issues and then I try to weave them into the story to make it relatable.

When you read Monsterland, you'll see global tensions between countries much like we are experiencing now between world superpowers. Homeless people, joblessness and the effects on towns in America find it way in the story as the world economies collapse with the outbreak.

Recalling the financial crash of 2008, from our not so distant past, served as a reminder of what so many people lost and how they suffered. Social issues like tolerance and acceptance are in the news and very much a part of the book. Everyday life influences my books and if it is around me, affecting me, it will find a way into my stories.

Ultimately, whether I am writing about the past, the distant future, or a fantastical imaginary world, all my stories are about the human element and the things that surround our lives.

Michael Okon is a bestselling author and screenwriter. His newly revised book, Monsterland, is scheduled for release on October 15. Michael invites readers to connect with him on his website.

May you read well and often

Why Have I Not Been Around Much Lately!

Hello everyone! I hope that you're all just fine this morning - I certainly am! :) Anyway, I just wanted to give you an update on how I'm doing so far.

I’m doing pretty well - except for the fact that Lollipop managed to knock a book that I started reading last week behind my easychair. Actually, I should probably say that Lollipop’s managed to knock another book behind my chair, because this is like the sixth book she’s pawed down off my bookshelf. I love her dearly, but this is starting to get slightly annoying.

I’m only upset because I was reading at least two of the books that disappeared behind the chair, and the chair is difficult to move in order to retrieve the books. It will probably take me months to get them back. Oh, well!

Anyway, I haven’t been posting too much on my blog because I was actually setting up a fresh blog at: http://emeraldfiresbookmark2.blogspot.com. I’ve transferred my posts over to the new blog, but unfortunately I can’t transfer my followers. So that’s why I’m keeping my other blog as well, although I hope that I can remove it at some point. Not to worry though, I won’t be doing that for a while, yet!

May you read well and often

Peter Thompson - Summer on Earth

33. Summer on Earth by Peter Thompson (2017)

Length: 294 pages

Genre: Science Fiction 

Started: 7 September 2017

Finished: 26 September 2017

Where did it come from? Many thanks to Dorothy at Pump up Your Book for sending me a copy of this book to read.

How long has it been on my TBR pile? Since 7 September 2017

Why do I have it? I like science fiction and Peter Thompson is a new author for me.

In the summer of 1978, eleven-year-old Grady Johnson is grieving the recent loss of his father. Times were already tough for the Johnsons, but Grady suspects now that it’s just the three of them: him, his Ma, and his younger sister Luanne, this summer will be especially hard. After all, his dad was the rock of their family. Now dad has died and the family just isn’t the same.

Grady knows that Ma is trying her best, but they just don’t have enough money to get by. He wishes that he could do more to help, but he doesn’t know how. The night that he looked out his bedroom window and wished upon a shooting star, Grady had no idea how much his life would change. And ultimately, the summer of 1978 will stay in Grady’s heart forever.

Actually, the shooting star that Grady saw that night was a spaceship plummeting to Earth. Secretly landing in a pasture behind Grady’s farm, extraterrestrial engineer Ralwil Turth has only one goal - to repair his craft’s power source and go back home. The mission should be simple enough to accomplish on an unpopulated planet such as this one. However, Ralwil’s mission doesn’t go quite as well as he planned...

Due to an equipment malfunction, Ralwil finds himself stuck in human form as he works on the Johnson farm. As he gets to know Grady and his family, Ralwil begins to learn what it means to be human. He also discovers more about the exotic charms of this planet Earth - things such as the taste of potatoes and how amazing bugs are. These are all extraordinary experiences and situations for Ralwil, and his strange reactions and odd behavior causes Grady no small measure of bafflement to witness.

As Ralwil grows to care more for Grady and his family, he comes up with a plan to try and help them, certain that it will solve all their problems. However, when trouble comes, the family’s survival and Ralwil’s very life will be on the line. The question is: will Grady find the courage he needs to help his family and save his new friend?

I have to say that I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book. I found the story to be poignant and well-written, and fully appreciated that the plot was about so much more than just the science fictional element. In my opinion, this was a refreshing change from most science fiction novels, which seem to be told from a more galactic point of view, rather than a personal point of view.

The historical setting of the story was also intriguing, and not necessarily overwhelming. I look forward to reading more from this author in the future and I would certainly give this book an A+!

A+! - (96-100%)

May you read well and often

Linda McCarter Bridge - Cats: Little Tigers in Your House

32. Cats: Little Tigers in Your House by Linda McCarter Bridge (1974)

The National Geographic Society’s Books For Young Explorers Series Book 12

Length: 32 pages 

Genre: Non-Fiction

Started/Finished: 16 September 2017

Where did it come from? From Paperback Swap

How long has it been on my TBR pile? Since 14 September 2017

Why do I have it? I like non-fiction and Linda McCarter Bridge is a new author for me.

This short nonfiction book is all about the life of a mother cat named Fezziwig and her two newborn kittens, Toddly and Paddy Paws. The story actually follows the kittens’ life from newly born to two months old, using photographs to chart their growth and their interaction with the world around them. From Toddly’s and Paddy Paws’ first grooming session with their Mom to meeting several unique family members and making friends; from playing with each other to meeting their new humans: the two youngsters, Sam and Dana.

I think that this particular book would certainly be appropriate reading for young children who are just learning about how to care for animals. Although I didn’t really learn much more than I already knew about cats, I still enjoyed reading the cute story and looking at the photographs. I would give this book an A!

A! - (90-95%)

May you read well and often

Connie Corcoran Wilson - Hellfire and Damnation

31. Hellfire and Damnation by Connie Corcoran Wilson (2011)
The Hellfire and Damnation Series Book 1
Length: 124 pages
Genre: Horror
Started: 6 September 2017
Finished: 14 September 2017
Where did it come from? From Amazon
How long has it been on my TBR pile? Since 26 December 2012
Why do I have it? I like Connie Corcoran Wilson as an author and have read and enjoyed several books by this author in the past.

Hellfire and Damnation is Connie Corcoran Wilson's first book of short stories that she published in 2011. This book features an intimate tour of Dante's 'Nine Circles of Hell' from his Inferno. It also features fifteen original short stories: from the convicted murderer James 'Big Jim' Bingham trying to reconnect with his estranged son before his death sentence is carried out in 'Hotter Than Hell' to the treacherous betrayal between two best friends that leads to murder in 'An American Girl'. Each story highlights its particular Circle in a novel way, but is partially based on fact as explained by the author at the end.

I really enjoyed this book - it was suitably horrific for me. Each story is well-crafted and believable, and I found myself very satisfied with each story's pacing. I give Hellfire and Damnation an A! and I look forward to reading more books by Connie Corcoran Wilson in the very near future!

A! - (90-95%) 

May you read well and often

Book Spotlight For Murder on Set by Duncan Whitehead

Hello Everyone! I hope that you're all having a wonderful day today. As this is his long-awaited Release Day, I'm delighted to welcome award-winning Contemporary Mystery author Duncan Whitehead author of Murder on Set - Book 3 of The Forest Pines Mysteries Series - to Emeraldfire's Bookmark. This is also my thirty-second Book Spotlight post ever, but I still hope that I do Murder on Set by Duncan Whitehead justice.

About Murder on Set:

Two years after the events in Miami and a heart-wrenching funeral newly married and pregnant Jenny once again finds herself embroiled in a murder mystery. When Hollywood comes to Forest Pines to film a movie based on the killings of infamous serial killer 'The Slaughter Man' the production is thrown into chaos after a cast member dies on set.

Was it an accident or was it murder? With a host of suspects and motives to chose from a revitalized Jenny leaves no stone unturned as she digs into the bizarre case.

Purchase your copy from Amazon!

Meet Duncan Whitehead

Winner of the 2013 and 2014 Reader’s Favorite International Book Award and Gold Medalist. Award Winning Writer, Duncan Whitehead, was born in England and is the author of the best-selling and award-winning The Gordonston Ladies Dog Walking Club Trilogy. The series, inspired by the quirky characters and eeriness in the real life Savannah neighborhood in which he once lived is a humorous mystery, which boasts an assortment of characters and plot twists. He has also written over 2,000 spoof and comedy news articles, under various aliases, for a variety of websites both in the US and the UK.

He has written further novels; a dark comedy set in Manhattan, The Reluctant Jesus, published in April 2014 and republished in July 2015 and three short stories. Duncan is well known for his charity work, kindness to animals, children and old people; and, of course, his short-lived bullfighting career and his hideous hunchback. In February 2045, he invented time travel and now spends much of his time in either the future (where he has won the lottery an astonishing 117 times) and the present day.

Connect and Socialize with Duncan!

Website * Twitter * Facebook

May you read well and often

Carlyle Clark - A Nice Jagged Edge: A Short Story

Reread. A Nice Jagged Edge: A Short Story by Carlyle Clark (2013)
The Atticus and Rosemary Mystery Thriller Series Book 0.5
Length: 14 pages
Genre: Short Story
Originally Read: 19 January 2014

Reread Finished: 8 August 2017

Where did it come from? Originally I downloaded a copy of this book for free from Amazon in January of 2014. I acquired this book again as a gift to myself from Amazon in July of 2017.

So back in January of 2014 - January 18th, to be exact - I downloaded a copy of this book for free from Amazon. Actually, I had initially read this short story in January of 2014 - January 19th - while I was also reading The Black Song Inside by Carlyle Clark. Although I deleted the first copy of the book right after I read it, I had always wanted to be able to reread the book again at some point.

I got my chance to download a second copy of this book back in July of 2017 - July 27th, to be exact - and I downloaded it for free again. I reread the book over one day in August of 2017 - August 8th, 2017. I'm keeping this book to read again at some point in the very near future.

May you read well and often

Calling All Book Reviewers!

Hello everyone! :) I hope that you are all having a wonderful day today. I know that I am! ;) Anyway, I recently saw on Facebook that author Kathryn Meyer Griffith is looking for more reviews for some of her books, and because I think she is such a remarkable writer, I thought that I would make a request of all the readers of Emeraldfire's Bookmark.

Like so many authors out there, Ms. Griffith is always on the look out for more reviewers for her books - most specifically her horror novels The Calling, Evil Stalks the Night and Blood Forged. All that is required from these potential reviewers, is a willingness to read the book, and also to write a fair and honest review of what you read. As I've said before, this is just a request of all the readers of my blog - but if you do decide to review these books I would appreciate it very much! And I know that Ms. Griffith would as well. ;)

Meet Kathryn Meyer Griffith

Since childhood I’ve been an artist and worked as a graphic designer in the corporate world and for newspapers for twenty-three years before I quit to write full time. But I’d already begun writing novels at 21, over forty-two years ago now, and have had twenty (ten romantic horror, two horror novels, two romantic SF horror, one romantic suspense, one romantic time travel, one historical romance and three murder mysteries) previous novels, two novellas and twelve short stories published from Zebra Books, Leisure Books, Avalon Books, The Wild Rose Press, Damnation Books/Eternal Press; and I’ve self-published my last five novels with Amazon Kindle Direct and my dinosaur novels are my best-sellers.

I’ve been married to Russell for thirty-six years; have a son, James, and two grandchildren, Joshua and Caitlyn, and I live in a small quaint town in Illinois, which is right across the JB Bridge from St. Louis, Mo. We have three quirky cats, ghost cat Sasha and Cleo, and live cat Sasha (Too), and the five of us live happily in an old house in the heart of town. Though I’ve been an artist, and a folk singer in my youth with my brother Jim, writing has always been my greatest passion, my butterfly stage, and I’ll probably write stories until the day I die…or until my memory goes.

2012 EPIC EBOOK AWARDS *FINALIST* for my horror novel The Last Vampire - Revised Author’s Edition ~ 2014 EPIC EBOOK AWARDS *FINALIST* for my thriller novel Dinosaur Lake.

Connect and Socialize with Kathryn!

Website * Facebook * Goodreads * Amazon Author Page

The Calling by Kathryn Meyer Griffith (2015)

Length: 339 pages

Purchase your copy from Amazon!

The Calling Blurb:

Faye Summer has been haunted by a three-thousand-year-old-murdered Egyptian princess, one of the five daughters of Nefertiti and the doomed pharaoh Akhenaton, since she was a young girl...and has glimpsed her desperate ghostly face in darkened mirrors and heard her whispers in her dreams. Whispers begging for Faye’s help in uncovering the true story of her and her family’s long ago disappearances and deaths, their terrible fate, so the ghost would no longer be damned to her eternal wandering. On that grave quest, Faye and her husband, Nick, reluctantly travel to Egypt and among the ancient pyramids, sparkling hot sands and the ghosts of the past they discover a truth far worse than they could have imagined and end up fighting for their own survival.

Evil Stalks the Night by Kathryn Meyer Griffith (2015)

Length: 402 pages

Purchase your copy from Amazon!

Evil Stalks the Night Blurb:

Twenty years ago psychic Sarah Summers fled from the evil that lurked in the woods behind her childhood home after it killed most of her family, but a nasty divorce and financial hardships forced her back when nothing else could have. With her son, Jeremy, she returns to her inheritance, her grandmother’s dilapidated house, and tries to begin a new life. She meets a police detective, Ben, who falls for her, and she prays her fresh visions of bloodshed and death deep among the dark trees aren’t true.

Then the murders begin again and Sarah is hurtled back into the familiar nightmare that has haunted her her whole life. The evil in the woods is awake again and this time it wants her last remaining brother, Jim; her son...and her. With Ben and Jim’s help can she defeat it this time...and live?

Blood Forged by Kathryn Meyer Griffith (2015)

Length: 453 pages

Purchase your copy from Amazon!

Blood Forged Blurb:

An ancient snake-demon lies trapped behind the stone walls of an Incan prison; for centuries demanding blood sacrifices and scheming to escape. Then it discovers a pathway into the world of men, forging itself into a malevolent and cursed 357 Colt Python gun, and making itself capable of giving misery and bringing death to all who touch it. Through decades it torments, decimates, the lives of the unfortunate people it comes into contact with until a married couple, Emily and Sam Walters, have enough love and faith - and the help of a mysterious priest who’s much more than he appears to be - to fight against and destroy it forever...and to finally send it back to hell where it belongs.

May you read well and often

Karl Drinkwater - If That Looking Glass Gets Broken

Reread. If That Looking Glass Gets Broken: A Short Story by Karl Drinkwater (2016)
Length: 12 pages

Genre: Short Story

Originally Read: 10 July 2014

Reread Finished: 3 August 2017

Where did it come from? Originally I downloaded a copy of this book for free from Smashwords in February of 2014. I acquired this book again as a gift to myself from Amazon in July of 2017.

So back in February of 2014 - February 18th, to be exact - I downloaded a copy of this book for free from Smashwords. Actually, I had initially read this short story in July of 2014 - and after I learned that the book itself was being offered for free back in August of 2014 - I downloaded it immediately. I read the stories again and wrote my review on August 11, 2014. Although I deleted the first copy of the book right after I read it, I had always wanted to be able to reread the book again at some point.

I got my chance to download a second copy of this book back in July of 2017 - July 16th, to be exact - and I downloaded it for free again. I reread the book over one day in August of 2017 - August 3rd, 2017. I'm keeping this book to read again at some point in the very near future.

May you read well and often

Reading Wrap-up For July at Emeraldfire's Bookmark

Hello everyone out there and I hope that you all had a terrific reading month for yourselves. I am known as Emeraldfire around the Internet and this is my new personal reading blog.

Anyway, I started out July with about two hundred unread books lying around the house and ended the month with...umm...uncountable amounts of books unread. All of the books that I acquired this month came from Bookmooch, an author, Amazon, and Apple I-Books.

Let me try to break down the influx for you:

Changes to the TBR pile

Rereads
- Spooky Short Stories by Kathryn Meyer Griffith

Read from my TBR pile (Yes! I am a reading machine :))
- Diary of Anna the Girl Witch: Foundling Witch by Vic Connor

Added to my TBR pile (oh well, you win some and you lose some! :))
- Five go to Smuggler's Top by Enid Blyton
- Five Get Into a Fix by Enid Blyton
- Five Run Away Together by Enid Blyton
- Five Get Into Trouble by Enid Blyton
- Night in Jerusalem: A Novel by Gaelle Lehrer Kennedy
- Monsterland by Michael Okon
- If That Looking Glass Gets Broken by Karl Drinkwater
- Dinosaur Lake II: Dinosaurs Arising by Kathryn Meyer Griffith
- Dinosaur Lake III: Infestation by Kathryn Meyer Griffith
- The Enchanted by Elaine Cantrell
- Stonehill Downs by Sarah Remy
- The Crime of the Ancient Mainer by Russ Munson
- Before we Die Young by L. T. Quartermaine
- All Things Slip Away by Kathryn Meyer Griffith
- The Soul of the Sun by Genevieve Crownson
- A Nice Jagged Edge by Carlyle Clark

Taken off my TBR pile and sent to a new home (Yay! Happy Dance! :))

- Spooky Short Stories by Kathryn Meyer Griffith
- Diary of Anna the Girl Witch: Foundling Witch by Vic Connor

Well, there it is...the breakdown! All in all, a very good reading month for me, considering. Here's a further breakdown:

Books Read: 2
Pages Read: 542
Grade Range: A+! to A!

So, there you go! The reading month that was July. I hope that you all had an equally good reading month; if not a little better. :) See you all next month! :)

May you read well and often

Introducing The Forest Pines Mysteries Series by Duncan Whitehead!

So, back in April of 2017, I had the pleasure of reading The Gordonston Ladies Dog Walking Club by Duncan Whitehead and here is my review. I'm also delighted to mention that the second book in Mr. Whitehead's Forest Pines Mysteries Series - Murder in Miami - will be free to download from Amazon for two days starting in the month of August. Yes, from Wednesday, August 30th, to Friday, September 1st, 2017, you will be able to grab a copy of Murder in Miami by Duncan Whitehead for yourself. I'm really looking forward to reading this book sometime soon, myself.

Meet Duncan Whitehead

Winner of the 2013 and 2014 Reader’s Favorite International Book Award and Gold Medalist. Award Winning Writer, Duncan Whitehead, was born in England and is the author of the best-selling and award-winning The Gordonston Ladies Dog Walking Club Trilogy. The series, inspired by the quirky characters and eeriness in the real life Savannah neighborhood in which he once lived is a humorous mystery, which boasts an assortment of characters and plot twists. He has also written over 2,000 spoof and comedy news articles, under various aliases, for a variety of websites both in the US and the UK.

He has written further novels; a dark comedy set in Manhattan, The Reluctant Jesus, published in April 2014 and republished in July 2015 and three short stories. Duncan is well known for his charity work, kindness to animals, children and old people; and, of course, his short-lived bullfighting career and his hideous hunchback. In February 2045, he invented time travel and now spends much of his time in either the future (where he has won the lottery an astonishing 117 times) and the present day.

Connect and Socialize with Duncan!

Website * Twitter * Facebook

Murder at the Fourth by Duncan Whitehead (2016)

Length: 147 pages

Purchase your copy from Amazon!

Murder at the Fourth Blurb:

Retired Miami Detective, Jenny Pickett, is loving life in the small Montana town of Forest Pines. That is until local businessman, Donald Sands, is found murdered on the local golf course.

Young and inexperienced Sheriff, Steve Calder, needs help and turns to Jenny to assist him in his investigation. Suddenly Jenny is plunged into a mystery unlike any other she has encountered and faces a multitude of suspects who all have a reason to rejoice the victim's death. It isn’t going to be as easy as Jenny thought, as she tries to find out who killed the most unpopular man in town.

A string of mistresses, a jealous husband, a shady realtor as well as a down on his luck store owner, who couldn't repay a debt, are just some of the suspects as the plot thickens, and twists abound.

Meanwhile, skeletons from Jenny's past are rattling their unwelcome bones.

The truth contorts to a climax that will leave readers breathless.

Murder in Miami by Duncan Whitehead (2017)

Length: 153 pages

Purchase your copy from Amazon!

Murder in Miami Blurb:

An escaped serial killer forces retired detective Jenny Pickett to leave the idyllic town of Forest Pines and return to Miami. The FBI claim they need her expertise; but is she just the bait? Meanwhile, as the killings continue, Jenny finds herself embroiled in a mystery involving the board members of a run down condo building in Fort Lauderdale.

Murder on Set by Duncan Whitehead (2017)

Length: 115 pages

Purchase your copy from Amazon!

Murder on Set Blurb:

Two years after the events in Miami and a heart-wrenching funeral newly married and pregnant Jenny once again finds herself embroiled in a murder mystery. When Hollywood comes to Forest Pines to film a movie based on the killings of infamous serial killer 'The Slaughter Man' the production is thrown into chaos after a cast member dies on set. 

Was it an accident or was it murder? With a host of suspects and motives to chose from a revitalized Jenny leaves no stone unturned as she digs into the bizarre case.

May you read well and often

Vic Connor - Diary of Anna the Girl Witch: Foundling Witch

28. Diary of Anna the Girl Witch: Foundling Witch by Vic Connor (2016)

The Diary of Anna the Girl Witch Series Book 1

Length: 284 pages

Genre: Fantasy

Started: 19 July 2017

Finished: 28 July 2017

Where did it come from? From Hidden Gems Ebooks
How long has it been on my TBR pile? Since 19 July 2017
Why do I have it? I like fantasy and Vic Connor is a new author for me.

Anna Sophia Medvedeva has always known that she was different from everyone else. She has no idea how she knows this about herself, she only has the distinct impression that her feeling will come to fruition very soon. Although she doesn't know that much about her past, she still finds immense comfort in hearing the fairytale that her beloved uncle tells whenever he comes to visit. All in all, the eve of her thirteenth birthday should herald an extraordinary year to come; at least in Anna Sophia's opinion.

In the Swiss orphanage where she has spent most of her childhood, Anna has often wondered about her past. She never knew her parents, and she isn't even entirely sure of where she comes from. So much of her past still remains a mystery to her, yet Anna Sophia has always believed that there was a certain element of truth to her Uncle Misha's extraordinary story: that a shining woman had once led him to discover her somewhere in the Russian wilderness; as a newborn baby nestled among a litter of bear cubs. The story certainly seems fantastic, but Anna Sophia has always held on to the secret hope that the shining apparition was actually her mother's loving spirit, making sure that her daughter was found safe and sound.

To be perfectly honest, Anna Sophia has already begun to notice some very strange and disturbing things about herself. When she was little, Anna used to imagine what it would be like to have superpowers; but she was only playing a game to pass the time. She knows that whatever is happening to her now isn't part of any game - and she is getting scared. Suddenly, she's able to see things that shouldn't be there; she can do things that nobody else can do. So far, she has managed to keep her strange new abilities to herself, but she isn't sure how much longer she can do that - after all, she has some pretty frightening powers.

It's only when she receives a letter from her mother - someone who she will never meet - that Anna finally begins to learn some of the truth about her past. She is absolutely thrilled to have any sense of connection to her parents, and to have at least some of the information that she has craved for so long. However, just what should she do with the knowledge that she is actually an honest-to-goodness witch...and that each time she uses her new powers, she destroys a tiny piece of her soul? She doesn't quite know what to do next, but she is excited to begin uncovering the potential in her future.

As Anna continues to learn more about her secret abilities, she suspects that her affluent neighbors have a sinister agenda of their own: a plot to harm Anna and her friends. Can Anna Sophia possibly use her newfound supernatural powers to put a stop to their devious plans? Is there a way for her to fight them, without endangering her own soul? And maybe, just maybe, is her own secret tied into theirs?

First of all, let me say that I wasn't expecting my reading pace to be quite as slow as it turned out to be; although, having said that, I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book. I was caught up in the story by the first page, and thought it was very well-developed. I certainly appreciated that the plot was as dark as it was, although there were also a surprising number of light moments as well. There were elements of fantasy interwoven with the reality of the story, and I would give this book a definite A!

A! - (90-95%)

May you read well and often

Introducing The Hellfire and Damnation Series by Connie Corcoran Wilson!

The Hellfire and Damnation Series by Connie Corcoran Wilson is a tour of the 9 Circles of Hell described in Dante's Inferno. It uses the framing device of the sins punished at each of the 9 Circles of Hell. If you enjoy scary short stories that will linger long after you've finished reading them, these are the books for you.

I was also delighted to learn that the second book of the series will be free to download from Amazon for one day only - Friday, August 25th! Grab yourself a copy as soon as possible.

Meet Connie Corcoran Wilson

Connie (Corcoran) Wilson taught composition at 6 IA/IL colleges and wrote for 5 newspapers. She currently writes for 6 blogs, was named 2008 Content Producer of the Year by Associated Content (2009), Midwestern Writing Center Writer of the Year (March 30, 2010), received the Illinois Women's Press Association Silver Feather Award on June 6, 2012, and has received numerous E-Lit Gold Medal awards for her works, including the first book in The Color of Evil series. She currently is a Featured Contributor for Yahoo, reviewing movies, television, entertainment and politics.

A graduate of the University of Iowa, Berkeley, Western Illinois University, Northern Illinois University and the University of Chicago, she was film and book critic for the Quad City Times during the 70’s and 80’s. Her (Jan., 2011) nonfiction release It Came from the ‘70s: From The Godfather to Apocalypse Now consists of 50 reviews written during the seventies, with 76 photos, major cast and interactive trivia.

Connie’s continuing short story collection, Hellfire and Damnation, stories focused on the 9 Circles of Hell described in Dante's Inferno will soon have a third installment. Her screenplay based on her novel Out of Time was a winner in the 2007 Writer’s Digest competition.

In addition to interviewing Kurt Vonnegut, William F. Nolan, David Morrell, Joe Hill, Frederik Pohl, Jon Land, John Irving and Anne Perry for print and online publications, Connie taught for 33 years, founded and was CEO of 2 businesses (Sylvan Learning Center #3301 and Prometric Testing Center #3301), has a son (Scott) and a daughter (Stacey) born 19 years apart, is married 45 years to husband, Craig. Her twin granddaughters, Ava and Elise, who appear on the cover of her humorous book of essays, Laughing Through Life, turned four on January 11, 2013.

Hellfire and Damnation by Connie Corcoran Wilson (2011)

Length: 124 pages

Purchase your copy from Amazon!

Hellfire and Damnation Blurb:

Hellfire and Damnation is a series of short stories (some based on true stories) organized around Dante's Inferno and the 9 circles of Hell. As William F. Nolan (Logan's Run, Nightworlds) put it, "Her frame for this collection is unique: stories built around Dante's 9 circles of hell, a unifying concept that is classically fresh. Many of these hellish tales are based on truth, amplified into fiction. Her 4 stories set along Route 66 from Missouri through California are all true ghost stories. The final statements of convicted prisoners on Death Row, as they await execution in Georgia, provide the dialogue for the story that takes us through the Gates of Hell, "Hotter than Hell."

Scott Edelman (Sci Fi Weekly) put it this way "Connie (Corcoran) Wilson puts her characters through Hell in Hellfire and Damnation, and with her horrific stories, takes me along to places I did not want to go." Gary Braunbeck (Coffin County, Far Dark Fields) said, Hellfire and Damnation marks her not so much as a writer to watch, but one to watch out for. Exploring the 9 levels of Dante's Inferno via contemporary settings and sensibilities, and the sins punished therein, this collection veers from sinister noir (Going Through Hell) to the bizarrely whimsical (Amazing Andy, the Wonder Chicken) to the outright, no-holds-barred horrific. Never have the 9 Circles of Hell been so much fun. I had a blast following Wilson on her tour of the Inferno, and you will, as well." 

M. J. Turner of Dark Scribe Magazine said, "A unique concept binds the tales in Connie Corcoran Wilson's short story collection Hellfire and Damnation. Unified by the theme of Dante's Inferno and its 9 Circles of Hell, each story corresponds to the sin represented by the circle in which it appears and each takes readers deeper into the bowels of Hell...Subjects of many of the tales in the collection seem ripped straight from the headlines, and Wilson's cool and matter-of-fact style serves only to make the stories more disturbing."

Hellfire and Damnation II by Connie Corcoran Wilson (2012)

Length: 170 pages

Purchase your copy from Amazon!

Hellfire and Damnation II Blurb:

Hellfire and Damnation II by Connie (Corcoran) Wilson is another tour of the 9 Circles of Hell described in Dante's Inferno. It picks up where the first collection of short stories (2011, www.HellfireandDamnationTheBook.com) left off, using the framing device of the sins punished at each of the 9 Circles of Hell in Dante's Inferno.

Winner of the (IWPA) Silver Feather award, sequel to the E-Lit Gold Medal award winner Hellfire  and Damnation, Hellfire and Damnation II as a tour of Dante's Inferno doesn't require that you have read the first collection of short stories, which also illustrated the sins punished at each of the 9 Circles of Hell. There are no recurring characters, but there are 11 short stories, accompanying illustrations and a "From the Author" section explaining the inspiration or each story.

As 5-time Stoker winner Gary Braunbeck said: "I really don't know how she managed to do it, but Wilson surpasses her previous Hellfire and Damnation collection with its sequel. Her writing is stronger, streamlined, and often lyrical, despite the nastiness her words describe. This is another impressive collection of tales from a writer I could very well learn to hate if she gets much better. Seriously, Connie, can't you write just one stinker so the rest of us will feel a little bit better?"

New York Times best-selling author Jon Land, the author of the Caitlin Strong series says: "Connie (Corcoran) Wilson's Hellfire and Damnation II is a remarkable collection of somber, noirish, flat-out scary and altogether satisfying stories that seek to find hope in a dark world that defies it. Her subtle irony and penchant for finding terror in the least expected places will generate comparisons to Stephen King and Ray Bradbury, with just a hint of Philip K. Dick thrown in. But don't be fooled: Wilson has a wondrous voice in her own right and her tight, twisty tales establish her as a force to be reckoned with."

Nate Kenyon, award-winning author of Diablo: The Order and Day One said: "Take a twisted ride through Hell and back with Connie (Corcoran) Wilson's Hellfire and Damnation II.....Frozen corpses, homicidal authors and sociopathic presidential candidates just scratch the surface of this inspired collection. Don't miss it!"

Terrie Leigh Relf, author of The Waters of Nyr and co-author, with Henry Lewis Sanders, of Blood Journey and The Ancient One said, "Whether Connie (Corcoran) Wilson has been visited by Dante's spirit or eavesdropping by Hell's confessionals, Hellfire and Damnation II definitely delivers on its title. There is a fine line between good and evil within these pages. A very fine line. Be careful that you don't teeter into the abyss. From a Norwegian army deserter trapped in Limbo within the Colorado ice to parents pondering the sale of their organs to fund their college-bound son, these stories abound with life's - and death's - ironies."

Brian Pinkerton, author of Rough Cut: "Connie Wilson's new short story collection Hellfire and Damnation II sends the reader spiraling down Dante's 9 Circles of Hell with devilish twists and turns of time and place, across eleven superb short stories."

If you enjoy scary short stories that will linger long after you've finished reading them, this is the book for you.

Hellfire and Damnation III by Connie Corcoran Wilson (2015)

Length: 120 pages

Purchase your copy from Amazon!

Hellfire and Damnation III Blurb:

Hellfire and Damnation III is a third tour of the 9 Circles of Hell described in Dante’s Inferno. Each of the 9 stories illustrate one of the crimes or seven deadly sins punished at that level of Hell.

This third installment in the award-winning series has a large number of stories substantially based on true life events - 7 out of 9. This adds a sense of authenticity to their engrossing plots. Whether the tale centers on a new species of spider or a crazed Satanist urging a mentally challenged young man to commit murder, readers will experience stories of Limbo, lust, gluttony, avarice and prodigality, wrath and sullenness, heresy, the violent, the fraudulent and treachery.

Settings range from New Zealand to Washington state to the Midwest. Each story contains an illustration that helps anchor the setting in the reader’s mind. Cover art for this freaky horror collection is by World Famous Artist Vincent Chong.

May you read well and often

Calling All Book Reviewers!

Hello everyone! :) I hope that you are all having a wonderful day today. I know that I am! ;) Anyway, I recently saw on Facebook that author Kathryn Meyer Griffith is looking for more reviews for some of her books, and because I think she is such a remarkable writer, I thought that I would make a request of all the readers of Emeraldfire's Bookmark.

Like so many authors out there, Ms. Griffith is always on the look out for more reviewers for her books - most specifically her horror novel The Calling. All that is required from these potential reviewers, is a willingness to read the book, and also to write a fair and honest review of what you read. As I've said before, this is just a request of all the readers of my blog - but if you do decide to review this book, I would appreciate it very much! And I know that Ms. Griffith would as well. ;)

Meet Kathryn Meyer Griffith

Since childhood I’ve been an artist and worked as a graphic designer in the corporate world and for newspapers for twenty-three years before I quit to write full time. But I’d already begun writing novels at 21, over forty-two years ago now, and have had twenty (ten romantic horror, two horror novels, two romantic SF horror, one romantic suspense, one romantic time travel, one historical romance and three murder mysteries) previous novels, two novellas and twelve short stories published from Zebra Books, Leisure Books, Avalon Books, The Wild Rose Press, Damnation Books/Eternal Press; and I’ve self-published my last five novels with Amazon Kindle Direct and my dinosaur novels are my best-sellers.

I’ve been married to Russell for thirty-six years; have a son, James, and two grandchildren, Joshua and Caitlyn, and I live in a small quaint town in Illinois, which is right across the JB Bridge from St. Louis, Mo. We have three quirky cats, ghost cat Sasha and Cleo, and live cat Sasha (Too), and the five of us live happily in an old house in the heart of town. Though I’ve been an artist, and a folk singer in my youth with my brother Jim, writing has always been my greatest passion, my butterfly stage, and I’ll probably write stories until the day I die…or until my memory goes.

2012 EPIC EBOOK AWARDS *FINALIST* for my horror novel The Last Vampire - Revised Author’s Edition ~ 2014 EPIC EBOOK AWARDS *FINALIST* for my thriller novel Dinosaur Lake.

Connect and Socialize with Kathryn!

Website * Facebook * Goodreads * Amazon Author Page

The Calling by Kathryn Meyer Griffith (2015)

Length: 339 pages

Purchase your copy from Amazon!

The Calling Blurb:

Faye Summer has been haunted by a three-thousand-year-old-murdered Egyptian princess, one of the five daughters of Nefertiti and the doomed pharaoh Akhenaton, since she was a young girl...and has glimpsed her desperate ghostly face in darkened mirrors and heard her whispers in her dreams. Whispers begging for Faye’s help in uncovering the true story of her and her family’s long ago disappearances and deaths, their terrible fate, so the ghost would no longer be damned to her eternal wandering. On that grave quest, Faye and her husband, Nick, reluctantly travel to Egypt and among the ancient pyramids, sparkling hot sands and the ghosts of the past they discover a truth far worse than they could have imagined and end up fighting for their own survival.

May you read well and often

Book Spotlight For The Comfort of Secrets by Christine Nolfi

Hello Everyone! I hope that you're all having a wonderful day today. As this is her long-awaited Release Day, I'm delighted to welcome award-winning Contemporary Romance author Christine Nolfi author of The Comfort of Secrets - Book 2 of The Sweet Lake Series - to Emeraldfire's Bookmark. This is also my thirty-first Book Spotlight post ever, but I still hope that I do The Comfort of Secrets by Christine Nolfi justice.

About The Comfort of Secrets:

Cat Mendoza needs a win. After a business failure and years of dating the wrong men, she’s ready to turn things around.

First she must convince the residents of Sweet Lake, Ohio, that she’s taking her responsibilities seriously. As the events director of the newly restored Wayfair Inn, she has the support of her best friends, Linnie and Jada. But everyone else - including her overprotective mother and the well-meaning Sweet Lake Sirens - can’t help but chime in with advice about her plans, her apparently too-tight clothes, and her undeniable attraction to Ryan D’Angelo, the charming ad exec hired to promote the inn.

Cat knows she should keep Ryan at a distance, but she’s drawn closer by the heartbreak he tries to hide. Will uncovering his secrets derail the new life Cat hopes to achieve...or will she gain something to cherish forever?

Purchase your copy from Amazon!

Meet Christine Nolfi

Award-winning author Christine Nolfi provides readers with heartwarming and inspiring fiction. Her novel Treasure Me, Liberty Series Book 2, is a Next Generation Indie Awards finalist. The Midwest Book Review lists Second Chance Grill, Liberty Series Book 1, and the other Liberty books as "highly recommended".

Look for Sweet Lake, Book 1 of her new series, on February 28, 2017 and The Comfort of Secrets, Book 2, on July 18, 2017. Visit her at www.christinenolfi.com

Connect and Socialize with Christine!

Website * Twitter * Facebook * Amazon Author Page

May you read well and often

Book Blast For The Raid on Troy by Murray Lee Eiland Jr.

Hello Everyone! I hope that you're all having a wonderful day today. I am delighted to welcome Murray Lee Eiland Jr., author of the young adult historical fantasy novel The Raid on Troy to Emeraldfire's Bookmark. Mr. Eiland will be going on a Virtual Book Blast Tour with Pump up Your Book! lasting through the middle of July. This is also my thirtieth Book Blast post ever, but I still hope that I do The Raid on Troy by Murray Lee Eiland Jr. justice.

About The Raid on Troy:

The Greek raid on Troy is chronicled in the Iliad and the Odyssey. These poems are pillars of ancient literature and continue to be carefully studied. Homer, who lived in the 8th or 7th century BC, is credited as the author. The actual conflict has been dated from 1260-1180 BC or even earlier. The question is, how close is Homer’s account to real history?

In the Orfeo Saga Volume Seven there are some familiar characters from Homer. Their motivations, as well as their history, can be radically different. Memnon is a self-made man and a petty king who craves the fabled gold of Troy. His brother Menas is king of Sparta. They assemble a coalition to sack the city.

Telemon, not eager to join the expedition, is moved to act after his daughter Elena is taken. He seizes the city of Mycenae and goes to Troy. Odysees might not be as clever or brave as the man described in Homer, but he joins the expedition out of greed. He soon meets Orfeo’s son, who is in search of his first real adventure.

Orfeo is on the Trojan side, and has to face the assembled military might of Greece as well as Odysees cunning plans. The Greeks have Ajax, who they count on to defeat any foe in single combat. Can Telemon - now an old man - defeat the greatest Greek warrior and recover his daughter?

The Raid on Troy might not be any closer to real history than the ancient poems, but it does offer insights into what might form the basis of the stories.

Purchase your copy:

Amazon

Meet Murray Lee Eiland Jr.

Dr Eiland is a psychiatrist by training, and has written about Near Eastern art and culture. His novels are set in the heroic past and feature fictional characters in a realistic matrix. He has a special interest in exploring how and why people lead. The books contain themes that are suitable for young adults who have an interest in history.

Connect and Socialize with Murray!

Website * Twitter * Facebook

The Raid on Troy Excerpt:

Memnon knew the ship was hitting the beach. He heard the scraping of the hull against sand and pebbles, and the angle of the deck changed as the prow rose higher. He had not seen the ship’s deck for days, nor had he been permitted to walk around on land for perhaps two years. Slaves on Theran ships were treated with about the same respect as sheep, only slaves could not even be eaten because of some Theran religious prohibition.

Galley slaves were useful, but were neither expensive nor in short supply. At age fourteen, Memnon had seen little else of the world, as he had been seized in a slaver raid as he and his brothers played on an unknown beach now well beyond remembering. He knew he was less than five years old at the time, and now he believed he was nearly fifteen, although no one had been interested in explaining the concept of birthdays to him. Memnon had learned virtually all of what he knew from other slaves in the orchards of Thera, where he had begun his working career by carrying buckets of water to the men who tended the trees and picked the fruit. 

He had been separated from the two older brothers seized at the same time, but recognized one of them as he was taken to his place at an oar on one of the warships the Therans used to exact tribute from various cities; Memnon had occasionally spoken with him when their different groups of oarsmen were allowed on deck. Memnon recognized that his brother burned with rage. Over time, Memnon found himself coming to understand its origin and nature. Although he could not recall much about his life before his abduction, he remembered a world with occasional comforts, and even times of celebration.

May you read well and often

Kathryn Meyer Griffith - Spooky Short Stories

Reread. Spooky Short Stories by Kathryn Meyer Griffith (2013)

Length: 103 pages 

Genre: Horror

Originally Read: 11 August 2014

Reread Finished: 6 July 2017

Where did it come from? Originally I downloaded a copy of this book for free from Amazon in August of 2014. I acquired this book again as a gift to myself in March of 2015.

So back in August of 2014 - August 2nd, to be exact - I downloaded a copy of this book for free from Amazon. Actually, I had initially read all four short stories featured in this book separately over three days in January of 2013 - and after I learned that the book itself was being offered for free back in August of 2014 - I downloaded it immediately. I read the stories again and wrote my review on August 11, 2014. Although I deleted the first copy of the book right after I read it, I had always wanted to be able to reread the book again at some point.

I got my chance to download a second copy of this book back in March of 2015 - March 4th, to be exact - and I downloaded it for free again. I reread the book over three days in July of 2017 - from July 3rd, to July 6th, 2017. I'm keeping this book to read again at some point in the very near future.

May you read well and often

Book Review Campaign For Gossamer by Joni Parker - Come Join Us!

Hello Everyone! I am extremely happy to announce that Joni Parker will be touring the blogosphere to promote her fantasy novel Gossamer. This is Ms. Parker's third virtual book review campaign with Pump up Your Book! It will last until October 3, 2017 so come join us for all the fun!

Gossamer Book Review Campaign Information:

Meet Joni Parker

Joni Parker was born in Chicago, Illinois, but left the windy city at an early age when her family moved to Japan. Upon return to the United States, her family moved to Phoenix, Arizona where she graduated from Camelback High School and began college. However within months, Joni quit college and joined the Navy where she became a Photographer’s Mate.

After 3 years in the Navy, she returned to college and got married. She got a Bachelor’s degree in Accounting and an MBA before she returned to the Navy. As a Commissioned Officer, Joni attended the US Army Command and General Staff College, completing a Master of Military Arts and Sciences Degree. She retired from the Navy with over 22 years of service and spent several years traveling the United States in a motorhome with her husband.

When he died unexpectedly, Joni returned to work for the federal government in a civil service job. Five years ago, she started writing and retired once more to devote more time to her new passion. She currently lives in Texas.

Her latest fantasy book is Gossamer - Book Three in The Chronicles of Eledon Series.

Connect and Socialize with Joni!

Website * Facebook * Twitter * Goodreads

About Gossamer:

Lady Alexin, Eledon's Keeper of the Keys must continue to prove her powers when her grandmother, Lady Lestin and her friend, Lady Opaline of the Gossamer Elves are kidnapped by rebels and held for ransom. Alex attempts a daring rescue, only to discover that there is far more to this plot than she immediately suspected and the betrayal extends to the highest levels of the High Council of Elders. Threatened by rebel factions, suspected by Council members and under attack by deadly spiders, the young warrior has only her wits, her fighting skills and the power of the Keys to help her. But will they be enough to save them all?

Praise For The Chronicles of Eledon: Spell Breaker: Book One, 2016 Book Excellence Award Finalist:

"A crisp, clean, straight-forward story; a rich, strong plot; a mind-blowing concept on the lines of parallel worlds; a head-strong protagonist - gave me one of the most fascinating reads..." 

- Preeti posted on Preeti's Panorama and Goodreads

"I personally really enjoyed this book..."

- Teah Mist posted on Goodreads 

The Blue Witch: Book Two: "It is a story of contrasts and double standards and deceit. At the end you will want to grab the next book as soon as you can."

Purchase your copy from Amazon!

May you read well and often