Rose is in her late 70s, living out her golden years at the Autumn Springs Retirement Home.
When one of her friends dies alone in her apartment, Rose isn’t too concerned. Accidents happen, especially at this age! Then another resident drops dead. And another. With bodies stacking up, Rose can’t help but wonder: are these accidents? Old age? Or something far more sinister?
Together with her best friend Miller, Rose begins to investigate. The further she digs, the more convinced she becomes: there’s a killer on the loose at Autumn Springs, and if she isn’t careful, Rose may be their next victim.
Praise for The Autumn Springs Retirement Home Massacre:
“Rose isn’t your average final girl. She’s a woman and a survivor who you’ll cheer for every step of the way in this smart, fast-paced slasher.”
—Erika T. Wurth, author of White Horse and The Haunting of Room 904
“A wholly original slasher novel with a uniquely strong and vulnerable heroine...Fans of the genre should put this on their must-read list.”
—Christina Henry, author of Alice and The Place Where They Buried Your Heart
“Autumn Springs is packed full of characters that you can’t help falling in love with, just as their bodies start hitting the floor. Fracassi sticks the knife in your heart and twists it. A tear-stained blood-soaked slasher for the ages.”
—Brian McAuley, author of Breathe In, Bleed Out and Curse of the Reaper
PHILIP FRACASSI is the Bram Stoker Award-nominated author of the story collections Behold the Void and Beneath a Pale Sky. His novels include A Child Alone with Strangers, Gothic, and Boys in the Valley. His stories have been published in numerous magazines and anthologies, including Best Horror of the Year, Nightmare Magazine, Southwest Review, Interzone, and Black Static. Philip lives in Los Angeles.
Tagline: A Dark Psychological Serial Killer Thriller with Shocking Twists, Dark Secrets, and a Fearless Female Lead
About the Book:
When a successful bookstore owner is abducted by a meticulous serial killer, she finds herself in a sterile cage designed for torture.
But as the captor attempts to break his victim, the roles of predator and prey begin to blur.
In a deadly psychological game where survival means becoming the greater monster, she must confront her own dark history to not only escape, but to take everything from the man who trapped her.
The room is dim, shadows casting sinister shapes as
Violet hangs suspended from the ceiling beam. The air is sharp, metallic. Her
upper back is pierced by two thick, curved steel hooks, twisting cruelly into
her flesh, skin stretched unnaturally taut. The thick rope threaded through the
hooks connects her to the beam. Blood seeps in thin rivulets down her sides,
creating jagged streaks that pool at her underwear’s waistband, before dropping
to the cold concrete below.
Her legs are submerged in a steel basin, the stool
beneath it unsteady. The water, tainted with rust and streaks of her blood,
ripples faintly. Her arms dangle, hands still bound together. Her head tilts
slightly forward, chin resting against her chest. She forces each breath to
remain slow, even.
Erik crouches beside a car battery, his clean,
collared flannel shirt tucked into dark jeans, sleeves rolled to the elbows. He
tightens the clamps on the terminals, sparks leaping at the contact.
“You know, I’ve read every page of your life.” He
lifts the jumper cables, taps them together, causing a spark to ignite.
“Medical files, police reports, case manager notes. Every sad word.” He shakes
his head, disgust feigned, setting the cables aside momentarily. “When you have
money, nothing’s off limits, it’s sick really.” He moves to the basin,
adjusting it beneath her feet. “I know exactly where you’ve been, what was done
to you, who did it.” Leaning in, his voice drops, almost intimate. “Nothing about
you is hidden from me.”
Violet’s lips curl in a half-smile, eyes sharp despite
the pain. “Then you must know how all this will end.”
Erik holds her gaze for a beat, then lowers both
jumper cables into the basin. Violet’s body seizes violently, legs kicking,
sending ripples through the bloody water. The jolt rips through her, every
nerve set on fire. Her jaw snaps shut, teeth grinding. There’s a rush of static
in her ears, then nothing but blinding white. She bites her tongue to keep from
crying out. In the haze, she thinks she hears Erik counting under his breath.
Her back arches against the hooks, fresh blood weeping from the wounds. The
water bubbles and hisses as the current surges.
As smoke fills the Cage and the pain recedes, Violet’s
awareness drifts. For Erik, each session in the Cage is a key, unlocking a
different memory he has constructed from her files. He pictures another house,
another set of wounds, another day when everything was already broken.
He sees it as clearly as the files he read. She would
have been younger then, thinner, eyes already trained on disaster. He pictures
her entering a silent house, feeling the weight of what waits inside. It is not
guesswork anymore. The details are always the same.
***
Twenty-One Years Ago
The house door creaks open. Violet steps inside,
fifteen and all sharp angles, her backpack slipping from one shoulder. She
doesn’t bother fixing it. The air inside is heavy with stillness, as if the
house knew what it held and decided to stop breathing.
She does not call out. The house would not answer.
Dust drapes the furniture like snow. The living room
is quiet, dark in places it never used to be. A coffee mug lies on its side
beside the couch, cracked and forgotten. The blinds are crooked. No breeze. No
motion.
Nothing waits to greet her.
Fifteen years old. She walks into a nightmare.
She steps further in, sneakers whispering across the
worn floorboards. Her eyes scan the room like she’s been here before and
expects what’s coming. Maybe she does. Girls like Violet don’t walk through
life with surprises. They walk through patterns.
In the center of the room, her mother hangs.
The ceiling fan turns slowly, each rotation jerking
her body just enough to keep the sound going.
Creak.
Creak.
Her legs are stiff, toes pointed downward. A bruise
rings her throat, buried beneath the cord. Her dress has slipped from one
shoulder. Her mouth is open.
The smell is subtle: sweet rot, sour perfume.
Her mother, tangled in her own mess.
Violet doesn’t cry. She doesn’t cover her mouth or
run. She just watches the sway of the body. The way the fan keeps spinning,
mechanical and obedient. Then, without a word, she walks past it. No glance
back.
The kitchen has its own secrets.
Her father slouches in a chair by the table, neck
limp, jaw slack. A bullet hole marks the center of his forehead like a
forgotten dot on a test paper. The blood beneath him has dried into maroon
shadows, seeping into the wood grain.
The table is chaos. A burned spoon. A twisted
tourniquet. A cheap yellow lighter.
He never cleaned up. Never thought she’d come home
early.
Her mother finally snapped. Maybe she couldn’t take
the guilt anymore.
Violet crouches beside the body. She looks at his
hands, still dirty beneath the nails. At the way one boot stayed on while the
other sits overturned by the fridge. At the stubble that never grew evenly.
She doesn’t touch him.
Maybe Daddy spent too much money on junk.
She rises again.
Moves down the hall, light as breath, like she doesn’t
want to wake whatever still lives in the walls. At the end of the hallway, she
lowers herself to the floor. Her back presses against the floral wallpaper, now
peeling. Knees drawn tight. Arms locked around them.
She doesn’t shake.
She doesn’t blink.
Or maybe she realized her main source of income was
drying up.
The older the girl got, the less she was worth. Mommy
shot Daddy dead, then strung herself up.
The house is still now, except for the soft tick of a
clock and the distant, endless turn of the fan.
Violet breathes evenly. Her face is blank. Not numb.
Blank. Numbness implies a feeling that once existed.
This is not grief. It is recognition.
A girl walks into a house and finds herself orphaned.
And somewhere inside her, she knew it was coming.
Some part of her always knew.
About the Author:
Floy Owens writes stories about survival, obsession, and the ways people change when pushed past their limits. The debut novel, Shades of Night, is a dark psychological thriller that dives into the mind of both captor and captive. When not writing, Owens is usually plotting the next story, fueled by strong tea and a curiosity about what makes people tick.
Essentials of Death: An Aromatherapy Apothecary Mysteryby Kim Davis
About Essentials of Death:
Essentials of Death: An Aromatherapy Apothecary Mystery
Cozy Mystery
2nd in Series
Setting: California
Publisher: Harbor Lane Books, LLC.
Publication date: September 23, 2025
Print length: 299 pages
Digital ASIN: B0FMS643F7
After a scandalous arrest in San Francisco, Carissa Carmichael has moved back to her small Southern California hometown to start over as she opens her Aromatherapy Apothecary shop and reflexology services. A tourist destination, Oak Creek Valley, seems the perfect place to put the past behind her, but it seems no one will let her forget, especially her high school nemesis, Lacie. When Carissa finds her frenemy murdered after having a public altercation at the town's playwright conference and festival, she becomes the primary suspect. It doesn't help that the tarot cards she drew earlier in the day foretold the nature of the murder weapon. Despite her father's position as Oak Creek Valley's chief of police, the detective assigned to the case assumes she's guilty.
When tarot death cards begin turning up to taunt her, Carissa not only has to prove her innocence to keep her freedom, she has to make sure death doesn't come calling for her or those she loves. With the suspects acting as slippery as the essential oils she distills, it's up to Carissa to apply pressure and sniff out the truth before it's too late.
Includes essential oil and reflexology tips.
About Kim Davis:
Kim Davis writes the Aromatherapy Apothecary cozy mystery series and the award-winning Cupcake Catering cozy mystery series.
She lives in Southern California with her husband and rambunctious mini Goldendoodle, Missy, who has become an inspiration for several plotlines. When she's not spending time with her granddaughters or chasing Missy around, she can be found either writing on her next book, working on her blog, Cinnamon, Sugar, and a Little Bit of Murder as well as Mystery Lovers' Kitchen, or baking up yummy treats to share.
Kim Davis is a member of Sisters in Crime, Mystery Writers of America, and Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators.
The Akopov Bratva Duet, a forbidden, workplace, bratva romance from bestselling author Nicole Fox is now complete and available in audio. Narrated by Laura Horowitz and Walker Williams!
College is rough, but being possessed by a vengeful spirit who wants you to
murder your old boss? That’s next-level.
Freshman year was supposed to be a fresh start. But between his party-animal
roommate, mounting anxiety, and a creepy black vulture that keeps showing up
at the worst possible times, he’s barely keeping it together.
Then the nightmares begin. The voices. The blackouts. And soon, he’s not
sure if the darkness closing in is stress… or something else entirely.
Something old. Something angry. Something that wants revenge and has chosen
him to deliver it.
With his mind slipping, his only hope is a friend who refuses to give up on
him… even when the person she’s fighting to save might already be
gone.
About the Author:
Jo Loveday is the award-winning author of gripping psychological
thrillers and chilling horror novels that will keep you up way past your
bedtime with just enough romance to make your heart race for more than one
reason. Her stories delve into the shadowy edges of the human psyche,
exploring morality, madness, and the eerie unknown that lurks beneath the
surface of everyday life.
With a background as a registered nurse, Jo brings both compassion and
clinical insight to her work, offering an authentic and unsettling look into
the human condition. Whether it's a slow descent into madness, a supernatural
presence worming its way in, or a moral dilemma that haunts the characters
long after the story ends, Jo’s writing grips you by the soul and stays
with you long after you’ve turned the last page.
Born in the frosty tundra of Winnipeg, Canada, Jo eventually escaped the cold
when a job offer in Florida lured her south. Now a dual citizen of Canada and
the U.S., she divides her time between Florida, Georgia, and frequent
pilgrimages to Winnipeg. You can find her lurking online at JoLoveday.com.
A Flash of Shadow (Dogleg Island Mystery)by Donna Ball
About A Flash of Shadow:
A Flash of Shadow (Dogleg Island Mystery)
Cozy Animal Mystery/Police Procedural
7th in Series
Setting - Dogleg Island, Florida
Publisher : Blue Merle Publishing
Publication date : September 25, 2025
Digital ASIN : B0FNKTGBJ3
The Hunter Comes to Dogleg Island
A notorious serial killer, come home to die. A young woman found hanging from a tree. A missing billionaire. In the quiet coastal community of Dogleg Island, nothing is as it should be. And for Police Chief Aggie Malone and her extraordinarily perceptive canine assistant Flash, time is running out.
When Acting Sheriff Ryan Grady apprehends a suspect attempting to rob his father’s bait shop, he has no idea that the man he has taken into custody will eventually confess to over one hundred murders… nor is he particularly interested in the notoriety a high-profile criminal like Patrick Henry Jessup brings to his home town. Absorbed in the anticipation of his impending fatherhood and forced to take on a job he did not seek, Grady wants nothing more than to be rid of Jessup and all he represents.
Florida Department of Law Enforcement Investigator Jim Clark is anxious to take over the case, hoping to gain clarity into the shadows of his own past. But as the interviews with Jessup unfold both Grady and Clark find themselves reluctantly drawn into the world of the hunter, and are shaken to find they have more in common with him than they ever would have believed.
On Dogleg Island, Police Chief Aggie Malone Grady, struggling to navigate the challenges of fast-approaching motherhood while training a new police officer, discovers a chilling connection between two apparently unrelated crimes. As Aggie, Flash and new recruit Saunders weave together the strands of a mystery that will lead them to a killer, they also find themselves navigating the shadows of the human soul… a terrain that proves more treacherous than they ever could have imagined.
A Flash of Shadow is a gripping tale of survival, loyalty, and redemption. Donna Ball masterfully weaves a story that will keep readers on the edge of their seats, turning pages late into the night.
About Donna Ball:
Donna Ball published her first book in 1982. Since that time she has written over eighty works of commercial fiction under pseudonyms that include Rebecca Flanders, Donna Carlisle, Leigh Bristol, Taylor Brady, and Donna Boyd. She is known for her work in women's fiction and suspense, as well as supernatural fantasy and adventure. Her novels have been translated into well over a dozen languages and have been published in virtually every country in the world. She has appeared on Entertainment Tonight and Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous, and has been featured in such publications as the Detroit Free Press, the Atlanta Journal Constitution, Ladies Home Journal, Good Housekeeping, and even T.V. Guide. She is the holder of the Storytelling World award, 2001, the Georgia Author of the Year Award, 2000, Romantic Times Reviewer's Choice Awards for consecutive years 1991-1996, the Georgia Romance Writers' Maggie Award, and the Lifetime Achievement Award from Romantic Times, among others.
She
sees people’s emotions in colour—except for the one man she is determined to
dislike.
After a fall from her horse, Elizabeth Bennet
wakes to an altered world—one where her mind translates emotion into colour,
painting those around her in vivid ‘aires’ born of breath, pulse, and movement.
She reads truth in every shade, sees affection, envy, fear—until she meets
Fitzwilliam Darcy. He has no aire. No colour. He is a void. Against her will,
she is immediately drawn in.
Having lost both parents as a young man,
Fitzwilliam Darcy struggles to meet society’s expectations: faultless manners,
measured conduct, and the relentless weight of duty. Raise his young sister.
Tend to a vast estate. Years ago, he made a promise to his mother—to allow love
to find him. But he no longer believes in such a destiny. The girl with eyes of
two colours, the one foretold to ease his burden, cannot exist. Then one night,
at a minor country assembly, she does.
And in the background—watching, needling,
provoking—is Mr Thomas Bennet, a father who treasures all five of his
daughters, though each in her own maddening way. With a glass in hand and a
barb always ready, he speaks in jest but strikes with truth. His wit conceals a
sharper wisdom—and a heart that may yet open the door to understanding,
forgiveness, and joy.
If you
could see a man’s soul in colour—would you still trust your heart?
This post contains affiliate links.
If you make a purchase using my links, I will receive a small commission from the sale at no cost to you.
A rescue team searches for a missing young girl and suspects all is not as it seems in this high-stakes romantic suspense novel from the author of Lethal Standoff and Facing the Enemy
When wilderness survival expert Therese Palmer receives a frantic phone call from former colleague Professor Rurik Ivanov, she is shocked by the news that his young daughter, Alina, is missing—and that Rurik wants Therese’s help finding her. She’s sure Rurik hasn’t given her the whole story . . . especially since he refuses to report the kidnapping to the police. Yet with a child’s life hanging in the balance, Therese can’t turn down this mission. She knows the clock is ticking and she can’t do this alone.
Therese reaches out to Texas Ranger Blane Gardner, whom she met seven months ago during one of her training courses in wilderness survival skills. Blane’s specialized training and background with the Crisis Negotiation Unit make him uniquely prepared for this search-and-rescue mission. He agrees to help Therese and to accept Rurik’s terms to keep Alina’s disappearance quiet, and as the two begin working together, Therese is determined the spark growing between them won’t distract from their mission to save Alina.
Traversing deep into the desert of Guadalupe Mountains National Park, Alina’s last known location, Therese and Blane struggle to separate truth from lies within the mix of intel they’re receiving. As they close in on answers that suggest the involvement of Russian organized crime and a high-profile international assassination attempt, they must fight to rescue Alina before she becomes an innocent casualty of a much bigger plot—no matter the risk to their own lives
Praise for Canyon of Deceit:
"…Time was running out, and the chilling certainty settled in Alina’s life depended on them unraveling the truth before the ruthless men hunting them closed in. With danger at every turn, Therese and Blane had no choice but to trust each other, even as the secrets they carried threatened to pull them apart…" ~ Sue Garland, Christian Novel Review
"Set against the rugged, dangerous beauty of the Guadalupe Mountains, Canyon of Deceit is a riveting tale of high stakes, survival, and trust that I couldn't put down. DiAnn Mills has crafted a page-turning novel. This is romantic suspense at its finest!" ~ Elizabeth Goddard, award-winning author of Storm Warning
"A pulse-pounding blend of romance and suspense, Canyon of Deceit has a gripping plot and unforgettable characters with a story that keeps you on the edge of your seat until the very last page." ~ Carrie Stuart Parks
"Buckle up, readers! Canyon of Deceit is a heart-pounding suspense packed with intrigue on every page. Danger, action, and adrenaline-fueled drama make this a must-read for fans who crave edge-of-your-seat adventure." ~ Natalie Walters, bestselling, award winning author of the SNAP Agency series
Watch the Canyon of Deceit Trailer:
Plus, Canyon of Deceit includes two original songs written by the heroine, Therese—one from her childhood and one that captures the depth of her love and transformation as an adult. These heartfelt lyrics come to life in custom-recorded tracks that reflect the emotion and spirit of the novel.
New Caney, Texas
October, Thursday, Current Day
Therese
The shrill ring of my mobile phone jolted me awake at 2:00 a.m., a haunting prompt that emergencies seldom emerged in daylight. Someone had ventured into the wilderness and needed me to lead a rescue mission. My skills of trekking over precarious terrain to find victims who suffered from physical injuries, dehydration, starvation, or all three, kept me on alert. At times I viewed my life like a Star Trek tagline, “Where no man has gone before.”
I grabbed the phone off my nightstand. Unidentified caller. “Hello?”
“Ms. Palmer, this is Professor Rurik Ivanov from Houston Leonard University. We met nearly a year ago. You taught a course in wilderness survival as an adjunct professor.”
I captured a mental image of the Russian man—gray-blue eyes, stone-gray hair, angular face. “Yes, sir. How can I help you?”
“I apologize for the hour, but I’m in a desperate situation.”
The angst in his voice zapped me into guarded mode, especially when I barely knew the man. I snapped on my bedside lamp. “Are you all right?”
“No, ma’am, which is why I’m calling you. Do you remember my wife and daughter?”
“I met them both at a faculty dinner last Christmas. A lovely family.”
“My wife was murdered today, and kidnappers have taken my daughter.”
I inhaled sharply, and alarm for the professor’s family fired hot from the soles of my feet. “Daria? Alina? What happened?”
“A man called me late this afternoon while I prepared to leave for home. He said he’d taken Alina. Then he sent a link to a video showing my wife’s execution—”
He stopped abruptly, his final words drumming into my senses. The seconds ticked by, and I waited.
“I watched Daria grab her chest and struggle . . . The blood rushed from her precious body—my dear Daria’s life gone forever.” He grappled again to control his tear-filled voice. “He said they would release Alina unharmed if I paid three million dollars. They’d call with instructions. When the man hung up, I hurried home thinking it had to be a terrible mistake or someone had used AI to generate the video. On the way, I phoned Daria and the call went to voice mail. I also redialed the man who’d contacted me. The phone rang repeatedly, but the number offered no way to leave a message. I contacted Alina’s school and learned Daria had picked her up before noon.
“At home, reality rooted. A lamp and a table in the living room lay in pieces. Daria would have fought hard, but there were no signs of blood. I didn’t recognize the place in the video where they killed her. I even checked for geotag information on the clip, but it had been stripped. I later clicked on the link . . . the video had disappeared.”
I ached for his loss. “What do the police say?”
Silence answered me, then Rurik finally said, “Contacting them is impossible. The man warned me against telling anyone who works in law enforcement, or I’d never see Alina again.” He sobbed into the phone. “Please, give me a moment.”
“Take all the time you need.”
The professor taught Russian language and literature at Leonard University and was highly respected and liked among faculty and students. I’d enjoyed our occasional chats, and he’d observed some of my classes. What had he done to upset the wrong people?
“Thank you. I can talk now,” he said. “I have no idea where the killers have taken Daria’s body or how to find Alina. Neither do I suspect anyone.”
I willed my pulse to slow. “Professor, the police are trained in handling confidential matters and how to find who is responsible. They have families and understand what you’re going through.”
“And endanger my daughter?” Panic throbbed in his ragged voice.
“I’m sorry.” My grief over losing Kate many years ago surfaced raw and bleeding. “Are you alone?”
“Yes. At home.”
“Are there family or friends who can stay with you?”
“My family is in Russia, and I do not trust anyone.”
“You could very well be in danger too.”
“My welfare is unimportant.”
“Who are these people, and why has your family been victimized?”
“I have no idea. The man refused to identify himself, but he did say ‘we.’ Maybe he thinks I have money or believes I have done something criminal to my country or to the US.”
What was he not telling me? I tossed off my blanket and stood in my bedroom, shivering, not from the cold but the horror of this unfolding story. “Professor Ivanov, I’m confused. Why call me? This is a job for the police or the FBI.”
“I cannot risk my daughter’s life. You are my only hope to find Alina. You have the skills to get her back.”
I ran my fingers through my hair. “I’m a wilderness-survival specialist, nothing more. I’m not equipped to carry out a hostage negotiation without backup, which is another reason you need to involve the authorities.” More questions bolted into my mental space like a landslide. “How would I find her?”
“That’s where I can help you. Alina has GPS trackers hidden in her shoes. Not even Daria knew about them.”
“Why would you track your young daughter?”
“Alina’s biological mother died when she was a baby, and I’ve been consumed with protecting my daughter ever since. I checked my phone app and learned at one thirty this afternoon, Alina was taken to a private landing strip west of Houston. I called there, and a woman who worked in the small office said no one had filed a flight plan. But she made a mistake. The tracker had stopped registering.” He coughed and asked me to wait while he got a glass of water.
A connection at Harris County Office of Homeland Security & Emergency Management popped into my consciousness. They had the technology to confirm the date and time a plane took to the skies and where it landed.
“I’m better. I apologize for my lack of control,” the professor said. “My app showed tracking again near an abandoned airstrip in a remote area south of Hobbs, New Mexico. The tracking indicated ground-speed movement for two and a half hours to a section on the north side of Guadalupe Mountains National Park called Dog Canyon. That’s where the tracking ended, and I’ve detected nothing since. I assume the kidnappers parked the vehicle and proceeded on foot with Alina. Research shows the area is off-grid. Ms. Palmer, did they remove her shoes? How would they expect her to walk in bare feet?”
My thoughts trailed to the worst possible scenario. Why take Alina to a remote location unless they planned to dispose of her body there? Another argument lay with logic. Why go to the expense of transporting a kidnap victim there when they had the ability to dispose of her body in their backyard? A morbid idea, except true. Whatever the reason, they risked exposure from security cameras until they reached an off-grid area.
“I can’t stress enough how the authorities have technology and skills to find Alina. They can unravel valid threats and comprehend the danger of taking your story to the media.”
“The man who called me said they’d be watching my every move. I bought a burner phone tonight to call you.”
His anguish rippled through me, interfering with my ability to think clearly. “What about the ransom?”
“I can liquidate assets here and in Russia to meet their demands, but the statistics on kidnappers returning my Alina alive are not good. Perhaps they would accept what I can put together now. I’m sorry . . . I wish I had an answer. Why harm an eight-year-old little girl?”
“I have empathy for your grief.” Daria’s lovely face and the white-blonde-haired little girl refused to leave me alone. “Although I could lead you into Dog Canyon, I have no idea how to pull her out of the clutches of dangerous men. You’d need armed law enforcement and possibly a negotiator.”
“That would draw attention. I’ll pay you whatever you want.”
“Money is not the issue, Professor—”
“Alina means more to me than anything else in this world. What is love but to take ownership of a problem and do all I can to stop those men?”
“What if I fail?” The terror of not finding his daughter alive resurrected an echo from the past that had shaped my career.
“Can you live with yourself if you don’t try?”
Unaware, he’d pressed my weakest button. “I’ll hear you out. But I don’t believe you’ve given me the whole story, and I need the truth before I risk my life.”
“I’ve . . . I’ve given you all of it.”
“You’ve stated what you want me to know. What have you done or not done in this tragedy that Daria is dead, Alina is missing, and you can’t go to the police?
***
Excerpt from Canyon of Deceit by DiAnn Mills. Copyright 2025 by DiAnn Mills. Reproduced with permission from DiAnn Mills. All rights reserved.
Meet the Author:
DiAnn Mills is a bestselling author who invites her readers to step into stories where suspense meets adventure and romance warms the heart. Known for crafting unforgettable characters tangled in unpredictable plots, DiAnn believes every breath we take unfolds a story waiting to be told—so why not make it thrilling?
Her novels have consistently landed on bestseller lists including CBA, ECPA, and Publishers Weekly, and have won prestigious awards such as the Christy, Selah, Golden Scroll, Inspirational Readers’ Choice, and Carol awards.
DiAnn is a founding board member of American Christian Fiction Writers and Conference Advisor for the Blue Ridge Mountains Christian Writers. She actively participates in Advanced Writers and Speakers Association, Mystery Writers of America, the Jerry Jenkins Writers Guild, and International Thriller Writers, DiAnn passionately invests in helping fellow authors succeed through mentoring, book coaching, and editing. She travels nationwide speaking and teaching engaging writing workshops.
A proud coffee snob who roasts her own beans, DiAnn also enjoys diving into good books, experimenting in the kitchen, and unabashedly spoiling her grandchildren—whom she insists are the smartest kids in the universe. She and her husband make their home under the sunny skies of Houston, Texas.
Connect with DiAnn online for behind-the-scenes glimpses, writing tips, and lively discussions:
Saddled with a dying sun, humanity has no time to catch its breath after
barely fighting off alien invaders. A defective yet determined super-soldier,
Lieutenant ‘Duck’ Diaz shoulders the task of proving
humanity’s worth to the Stellarans, an advanced alien species offering
salvation.
Haunted by his failures and mistrusted by those he fights to save, Duck finds
an unexpected ally in Hannily, the Stellaran princess who believes in the
potential for unity. Together, they must bridge the divide between two
fractured worlds, confronting betrayal, cultural rifts, and their own doubts
to give humanity a second chance at survival—or risk losing everything
to the void.
About the Author:
I am a working new father and served in the US Army where I drew
inspiration for Earth’s Last Encore. I am a nerd at heart for Anime,
Kpop, TCG’s, you name it. When I’m not writing overly
introspective work I’m playing with my Corgi and new son. I currently
reside in the Minnesota Twin Cities.
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