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Non-Fiction, Memoir
About the Book:
Follow the true story of two young yet disparate Brits as they venture east to Hong Kong to join the colonial police out there. Initially bought-in to the adventure, bright lights and the hedonistic pleasures of the Exotic East, Alan and Bob are thrown into a world somewhat divergent to the picture painted whilst under training. They begin to butt heads with corruption, colonial excess, privilege and protectionism and run into connivers, skivers and survivors.
The story follows the two young, relatively naive men along their journey from their eight-month police training to their posts as policemen. It is filled with colourful incidents and exotic tales, with liberal doses of tongue in cheek humour and literary licence thrown in, you'll scarcely believe what they encountered.
About the Author:
Victor Blair is a well-travelled, humorous, rather overly-free spirited ‘baby booming’ Brit, who is luckily still imbued with an energy belying his years, so hence the slightly provocative gesture above, showing him probably disagreeing with something or someone, yet again… our apologies! He has worn ‘many different hats’ in UK banking, and in a host of overseas appointments, including ten years in the colonial Hong Kong Police Force, the tourism sector in Asia, and subsequently in worldwide oil and gas exploration and logistics, and finally, engineering consultancy. An as yet unappreciated comedic wit and poet, with a bright, if latent, creative spark, and with early roots in Gloucestershire and Africa. He is now semi-retired in north Thailand, where he busies himself with his sugar cane plantation, scripting away at night time, and as the patriarch of his local wife’s ever-increasing, extended family.
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Young Adult Fiction, Coming-of-Age, Contemporary Romance, Magical Realism, Contemporary Fiction
Date Published: May 30, 2026
About the Book:
At eighteen, Solehn has everything figured out. A thriving social life in New York, a close-knit circle of friends, and a future she's carefully imagined. But when her family unexpectedly falls apart, she's uprooted from everything familiar and forced to spend her final semester of high school in Austin, Texas. Determined not to disappear into a life she never chose, Solehn reinvents herself. She trades vulnerability for sharp edges, falls into friendships that demand more than they give, and slowly becomes someone she barely recognizes. Then there's Alexander. Quiet, observant, and seemingly immune to Solehn's carefully constructed defenses, Alexander is the boy next door who sees the person beneath her performance. Their unlikely connection grows through rooftop conversations, shared silences, and an understanding neither knows how to ask for. But when tragedy strikes, Solehn discovers that a mysterious yellow umbrella holds an impossible promise: the chance to go back and change everything. Armed with knowledge of what lies ahead, Solehn sets out to rewrite the past. Yet the closer she gets to saving the person she loves, the more she questions whether love means holding on, letting go, or accepting what cannot be controlled. Because second chances aren't always gifts. Sometimes, they come with a price.
Seasons of Blooming is an emotional coming-of-age novel exploring messy girlhood, complicated families, friendship breakups, first love, grief, and the desire to undo our greatest regrets. Blending contemporary realism with magical realism, Doreen Otaru explores what it means to lose yourself, find your people, and discover that growing up isn't about becoming perfect. It's about learning when and how to bloom. For readers who love complex characters, slow-burn romance, found family, unexpected twists, and stories that linger long after the final page.
About the Author:
Doreen Otaru is a multidisciplinary storyteller and creative strategist whose work explores human connection, culture, and the evolving relationship between media and community. Drawing from experiences across storytelling, design, and collaborative creative spaces, her work is rooted in curiosity, emotional honesty, and a deep appreciation for the ways stories shape how people see themselves and each other.
The Shadowless
R.J. Garcia
(At the Corner of Eden and Darkness, #1)
Publication date: November 26th 2025
Genres: Paranormal, Young Adult
Modern Faerie Tale Meets Murder
Mae Dawson returns to her family’s cabin in a mysterious forest to search for her missing sister. One night, she goes to sleep in her bed only to awaken in the depths of the woods surrounded by eerie and indiscernible voices that lead her to her sister’s grave.
A year has passed. Mae has pieced her life back together. She has a supportive boyfriend and is completing her first semester in college. However, everything begins to unravel when strange late-night calls come from the beyond, and a malevolent force begins to invade her friends.
Adding to her unease is the presence of a mysterious stranger, Brandon Sills, who seems to lurk in the shadows, watching her every move. Despite the warning bells ringing in her mind, Mae feels an inexplicable attraction to him.
As mortal and magical forces conspire against them, Mae must trust Brandon to uncover the secrets of the fae. Secrets that will change her life forever, if she even survives.
The Spellbound
R.J. Garcia
(At the Corner of Eden and Darkness, #2)
Publication date: December 2nd 2026
Genres: Paranormal, Young Adult
Magic Meets Mayhem
Back in Willows End, Mae and Brandon find themselves in the thick of things after kidnapping her ex. As they attempt to banish a changeling, Mae begins to question her sanity, and the threat of a serial killer draws ever closer.
Even sleep offers no reprieve. Mae can no longer find Emmie in the Garden—her dreams of wonder have become nightmares. Before long, she discovers her sister is lost in Limbo.
One night, Mae is alone in the cabin when she hears someone breaking in. Her only hope is her possessed ex—chained in the spare room. Mae is forced to choose the lesser of two evils. Once Mae makes her choice, the changeling assumes human form, an ancient prophecy stirs, and nothing is as it seems.
Haunted by fear and doubt, Mae clings to her love for Brandon, the last sure thing in her life, and her greatest hope of saving her sister. But are things really as certain as they seem?
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SNEAK PEEK QUOTES:
The Shadowless:
“I pulled myself out of a dream and glared with a pirate eye at my buzzing phone. Then I caught sight of Emmie’s name flashing on the screen. There would be nothing unusual about it except, of course, it’s the middle of the night and my sister’s dead.”
The Spellbound:
“It was more than the way his blue eyes twinkled, and how his mouth moved like honey. It was more than him being handsome, kind, and magical. It was the feeling I had, a connection I can’t quite explain.”
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Meet the Author:
R.J. Garcia is a wife, and proud mom of two smart kids. She earned her MSW and worked with foster children and as a school social worker. Writing has been her other great love. She has been writing short stories for as long as she can remember. To her amazement, those short stories became novels!
GIVEAWAY!
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A Classic Case of Murder (A Literary Dining Mystery) by Daryl Wood Gerber
A Classic Case of Murder (A Literary Dining Mystery)
Cozy Mystery
3rd in Series
Setting – North Carolina
Publisher : Kensington Cozies
Publication date : October 27, 2026
Print length : 320 pages
Hardcover ISBN-10 : 1496748239
ISBN-13 : 978-1496748232
Digital ISBN-13 : 978-1496748256
ASIN : B0GMTK2XTM
Personal chef and caterer Allie Catt combines her love of fiction with her love of food in the scenic North Carolina mountains—but amid her latest themed event, based on Dickens’s beloved classic, A Christmas Carol, a rare-book expert’s goose is cooked…
In the charming town of Bramblewood, not far from Asheville, Allie’s preparing for a special seasonal soiree: a literary-themed dinner party that’s a tribute to Charles Dickens’s A Christmas Carol. It’ll take place at the Amber Lantern, the quaint inn recently opened by her best friend’s mother, Noeline—and the holiday spirit has even led a Scroogelike local businessman to lend his prized first edition of the nineteenth-century novella for the event.
With the voices of carolers ringing in the air and the community theater staging a special performance, it looks like it will be a happy Christmas—until the priceless book disappears and someone murders the expert who authenticated it. And if the police have their way, Allie’s lawyer friend Freddy will be dragged away in chains like Marley’s ghost…
The crime has also cast a shadow over Noeline’s fledgling business, so Allie feels doubly obliged to find the real killer among the gathered guests and local visitors—and put an end to this nightmare. It’s time to investigate them all, every one . . .
My Review:
A Classic Case of Murder is another fantastic book in the Literary Dining Mystery series. Allie and Tegan are back, along with Vanna, Darcy the cat, and a well-rounded supporting cast. They are wonderfully written characters and I loved getting to know them more. This book in the Literary Dining Mystery series really delivers. The author set up another wonderful mystery, provided numerous suspects, and filled the story with twists, turns, and red herrings.I was provided with a copy of this book. This does not
affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review. The opinions I have
expressed are my own.
My Rating:
Daryl Wood Gerber is the Agatha Award-winning and nationally bestselling author of the Literary Dining Mysteries, Aroma Wellness Mysteries, Fairy Garden Mysteries and Cookbook Nook Mysteries. As Avery Aames, she penned the popular Cheese Shop Mysteries. In addition, Daryl writes suspense novels, including the well-received Accidental Murder, The Son’s Secret, Girl on the Run, and the popular Aspen Adams trilogy. Daryl has published a standalone Christmas romance, Hope for the Holidays, a mystery anthology, and a children’s illustrated rhyming book. Fun Tidbit: as an actress, Daryl appeared in “Murder, She Wrote.” She loves to cook, garden, read, and walk her frisky Goldendoodle. Also she has been known to jump out of a perfectly good airplane. You can learn more on her website: https://darylwoodgerber.com
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