Saturday, July 11, 2026

#BookBlitz ~ After Dark by Rose Titus (The Vampire Next Door, #2) ~ Paranormal Romance, Romance #PNR #Excerpt #Vampires

After Dark
Rose Titus
(The Vampire Next Door, #2)
Publication date: February 23rd 2018
Genres: Adult, Paranormal Romance, PNR, Romance

About the Book:

In Night Home: The Vampire Next Door Volume I, the fact that vampires truly exist was almost accidentally made public when a story presented as fiction seemed all too real to an amateur vampire hunter, who at the end, was made to remain silent about the secrets he discovered.

But it doesn’t end there: the tale circulates as far as the west coast, where a small community of vampires have been quietly hiding; and to them, also, this story is too close to reality to be just a fantasy. But while they take the time to decide whether to attempt contact with their own kind so far away, they have their own local problems to deal with.

A savage and barbaric serial killer, suspected of being a vampire, lurks in their own city, stalking the innocent at night. Will the vampires be able to stop the killer before they are blamed for his acts of extreme horror?

And that’s not all. A beautiful yet tragic and suicidal young woman wanders like a lost angel from out of the darkness and into their midst, hoping a vampire will make her end swift and easy.

Add to Goodreads / Purchase from Amazon

Read an Excerpt:

Alex drifted slowly through the back door to step down into the darkened entrance to the well-kept old building’s lower levels. On the upper floors there was an exclusive restaurant that catered to the wealthy and sophisticated; below, on the ground level there was a dance club, which attracted a completely different crowd of people—many with spiked purple hair. But under the dance floor, underground, there was served another kind of people. This dining area was not well known to many above ground.

He surveyed the area. A few tables were empty, but most tables had one or two people sitting and talking. And there she was, in the corner, alone, waiting for him. His sister Alexandra looked up and nodded to acknowledge him. He went to her table and sat down. “You wanted to see me?”

“Yes,” she put her fine crystal glass down. “Jim Ellison left a message on my answering machine. I was surprised to hear from him after so long a time. He said, ‘I know you’re asleep but I’ve got some shocking news.’“

“What is it?” he knew that Jim called everything shocking, incredible, amazing, mind-boggling. That was his profession. He wrote for the tabloids, the ones that reported on flying saucers and Bigfoot.

“So, I kept calling, and finally got him,” she sighed. Alex noticed that she sighed a lot lately. “Says he’s got something he wants us to see. Well, you know, the business he’s in, he’s always looking for unusual things, searching the web for news of the odd.”

“Has he finally captured the Sasquatch?” he smirked. He did like Jim, but also enjoyed having a laugh at his line of work. That was how they met. Jim had been allowed to do “an article” for his so-called newspaper, the kind of tabloid newspaper people picked up in the supermarket checkout line and took home to read just for fun. The article was titled “Civilized Vampires Come Out After Dark.” It was agreed by the community to allow him to publish it because no one believed anything in that sort of newspaper anyway.

“No, he hasn’t captured the Sasquatch, and he hasn’t had a ride in a flying saucer either. He thinks he may have found more people like us.”

“Really? How? Someone write the editor of that cheap paper?”

“No. It’s… well, you know how some colleges have magazines that students write for? I guess nowadays they’re all online. Jim searches the internet for anything he could use, and he found this article by a college student on the East Coast. It’s a story about vampires, but not the movie kind. The characters in her story, they are very much like us, Alex. Living, breathing… and all the rest, stop aging after thirty, and then gradually lose tolerance for the sun, live to be about three hundred. He told me over the phone about it. I haven’t seen it. I asked him to send it, but he said he might be travelling through, so he might come by and drop it off. “

“Oh, well, we’ll wait until he shows up, then.”

She lowered her voice. “But that’s not the only reason I asked you to come by.”

“What?” He hoped it wasn’t bad news; her tone seemed serious.

“Someone seems to be watching us, Alex.”

Meet the Author:

Rose Titus resides somewhere in cold, dreary New England with two manipulative cats and a very out of date computer with which she creates horror and fantasy fiction. She also has a restored classic Buick to ride around in while in search of adventure.

For travel she has stayed the night in an allegedly haunted castle, has taken a boat ride on Loch Ness, and has visited the Bermuda Triangle -- without getting lost.

Her work has previously appeared in Lost Worlds, Lynx Eye, Bog Gob, Mausoleum, Weird Terrain, Descend, The Dead River Review, and other literary magazines. She also writes regularly for Blood Moon Rising Magazine.

When she's not working or writing or messing with her old car, she waits by the mailbox for her Fortean Times to arrive.

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After Dark Blitz


The Needs of the Heart by Phillip Anderson ~ @RABTBookTours #RABTBookTours #TheNeedsoftheHeart #PhillipAnderson #SelfHelp


The Needs of the Heart by Phillip Anderson


Self-Help / Philosophy

Date Published: May 30, 2023



Living in this world is hard, no matter the point in history or the dominant culture which governs how society conducts itself.

About the Book:

Wars, famine, political corruption, economic depression, social injustice, civil unrest, all of which leads to the spiritual, personal unrest of the human soul.

And it makes us wonder... How do I, as a person, and we as human beings, work together individually yet collectively to make the world a better place for those who live here today and for those who will be born into this world tomorrow?

Aspiring author Phillip Anderson, author of The Needs of the Heart, provides deep insight into the human emotional spectrum as well as giving deep introspective insight into the emotions and principles he believes people of all races, religions, ethnicities, and demographic backgrounds need to not only make themselves better people, but the world a better place.


About the Author:


Hello, my name is Phillip Anderson. I am a young Author from New York City. My love for writing started when I was 16 years old when I was writing in my journals rather than thinking about publishing a book as a professional Author. I graduated high school in 2014 and later in that year was accepted into Morehouse College where I would graduate with a Bachelors degree in Kinesiology. However, It wasn't until I was in grad school where my passion for writing truly took hold. After completing the first year of my 2 year master's program, I dropped out of the program to pursue my passion of writing. A year and a half later, I would go on to complete and publish my first book titled The needs of the Heart in 2020 with the intent to pursue writing as a full time endeavor.


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Purchase Links:

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If you make a purchase using my links, I will receive a small commission from the sale at no cost to you.
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Friday, July 10, 2026

1-Week Virtual Book Tour Sign Up Invitation ~ Amanda Cadabra and The Hidey-Hole Truth by Holly Bell (September 14-18, 2026) #WitchyCozyMystery #ParanormalCozyMystery #BritishUrbanFantasy #UrbanFantasyMystery

 

About Amanda Cadabra and The Hidey-Hole Truth:

Amanda Cadabra’s life LOOKS perfectly normal...
But looks can be very deceiving.

In the picture-perfect English village of Sunken-Madley, a young covert witch is laying
low. Amanda Cadabra has her reasons.

Orphaned when her family’s van mysteriously plunged over a Cornish cliff many years before, Amanda is keeping herself to herself, quietly working for her grandfather’s furniture restoration company, hoping the world will leave her alone.

However, soon Amanda’s peace is disturbed by the arrival in the village of the inquisitive Inspector Trelawney, dogging her footsteps as he investigates the strange fate of her family. But the persistent detective becomes the least of her problems, as a restoration job at the Tudor manor propels the young witch into a swirl of mystery and intrigue.

Events quickly conspire to drag Amanda into the building’s murky past and its even more dangerous present. Armed only with her wits, her grumpy feline familiar, Tempest, and a wand, Amanda Cadabra is going in.

A body, ghosts, hidden passageways, and a host of unanswered questions soon emerge. Can Amanda dodge the inspector long enough to solve the Manor’s many mysteries and unravel her own past before the scandal of murder engulfs the village?

Book 1 of the Amanda Cadabra British Urban Fantasy Mysteries

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Release Day Blitz ~ The Engine in the Sky (The Dyson Bridge Series, Book Three) by V.G. Harrison #SciFi #Excerpt #TimeTravel


The Engine in the Sky
The Dyson Bridge Series 
Book Three
V.G. Harrison

Genre: SciFi
Publisher: Mocha Memoirs Press
Date of Publication: 7/10/2026
Number of pages: 161
Word Count: 46,139

Cover Artist: Maya Preisler

Tagline: The greatest threat to Earth is the only one that can save it.

About the Book:

When Professor Meridia Vail’s space station is hurled across time and dimensions, she and the rest of the Bridgeway crew wake on an alternate Earth that's only five years into the future but looks like it's a century behind her technology. Their goal is to reclaim their crippled station, return to their dimension, and hope that a mysterious interdimensional illness doesn't kill her and her people first.

Stuck on a backwards version of her own planet, Meridia must deal with governments who want her technology and intelligence agencies who want control. Nobody trusts anyone, and the longer they delay, the closer the Bridgeway gets to a catastrophic reentry.

However, the greatest shock comes when Meridia meets her doppelganger, a brilliant mechanic with a loving family that leaves her heart aching for the life she could have had.

As time is running out for her crew and New Earth, Meridia faces an impossible mission: return to the station, save her crew, and prevent a global disaster. Duty first. Family second. When Meridia is thrust into a situation where the two become synonymous, she must decide how much she's willing to risk for a world she's sworn to save and a life she can never have.



Read an Excerpt:

"If you must blame someone, blame me," Dr. Wei said. "Mr. Cooper takes his orders from me, as does the rest of my crew. He was acting on those orders, which the rest of my people were unaware of for obvious reasons."

"Dr. Wei, you’re our guest, albeit a rogue one at best. It’s about time you and your crew acted like it. You want NASA on your side and you have it. But this stunt does nothing except set back relations between us. Our trust has been—"

"Violated? Whether NASA was aware of Homeland Security’s intentions or not, our expectations of trust and respect do not stop at your organization."

"We had nothing to do with this!" She huffed for a moment as if she were gathering her thoughts. "The feds are not under my jurisdiction."

"Why not?" Cal replied over the comm. "Seeing as we’re on your base, you would think you’d know what your other guests are up to at all times, too."

"I can’t speak to that, but someone had damn well better tell me who authorized movement of the pod from the landing site in the first place." That last part sounded like she was talking to those outside of the MCC and not us. If she didn’t know about the attempted theft of our pod, then who did?

"The CIA," an officer said over his earpiece. "We had orders from our agency to move the pod to a more secure location where it couldn’t be accessed by any foreign entities."

"You’re an idiot," I replied. "You can’t get more secure than outer space, which is where it was going."

Jaxon activated the thirty-second countdown on the glass and the flashing security lights to warn people back. He must have finished laying out the course and double-checking his calculations. I began waving everyone out of the area. None of them wanted to leave, so I started shoving them to get their attention. It took a tremendous amount of thrust to get those engines revved high enough to push the pod through the Earth’s gravity.

"No way." Several of the officers began to move, but the lead guy didn’t. "I have my orders. That pod stays here."

"Your orders are going to get you blown to pieces, if you don’t get out of the way," I shouted. "There’s an initial blast to give the pod a jumpstart."

"He shuts those engines down now or I’ll blow a hole through the glass." He aimed his gun. "Tell him to stand down! Now!"

Worry etching his face, Jaxon pressed his hands against the glass at T-minus ten seconds. Once the engines started, turning them off wasn’t advised, since the ignition already used up a third of the power cell. Igniting it again, the pod will never make it back to the Bridgeway without a recharge. I doubted the feds would allow us to let the solar panels sit in the sun for even six minutes without trying to steal it.

Since the stupid officer wasn’t going to move, I raced back and heaved him out of the way. A blast sent us flying. We tumbled down a small hill. Pain sliced through my upper arm before we landed in the grass. We watched the pod rocket into the air.

"Damn it!" The officer leaped off the ground and stared. He turned his ire on me. "We had our orders! Keep the pod safe."

"Too bad your orders didn’t include the Bridgeway crew." Unable to move my throbbing arm, I crawled toward the tablet, grabbed it, and prayed it hadn’t been cracked in our nosedive.

Pain shot through my arm again. When I touched the spot, I noticed blood coating my palm. It hurt like someone stuck a hot poker through my skin and out the other side. Thankfully, it was the meatier side, but it still stung like hellfire.

 

About the Author: 

Amazon best-selling author, V.G. Harrison enjoys creating smart heroines who are more comfortable dealing with things like Fine-structure constant and quantum entanglement than the fallout from their conflict. She loves to write stories that leave her audience so engaged they can't sleep at night, thinking about the possibilities. In a nutshell, she specializes in humanity-facing sci-fi thrillers with cinematic tension and grounded physics.

V.G. holds a Bachelors in Biomedical Engineering and a Masters in Information Technology. When she's not writing, she's an IT manager in the healthcare information field.  

Her ever-growing list of hobbies include astronomy, attending comic cons, keeping an eye on the cryptocurrency and stock markets, hydroponics gardening, hiking, dabbling in technology, and connecting with her daughter, Vivi, on a cool level. 







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.
Thank you for supporting Sapphyria’s Books.

The Engine in the Sky (The Dyson Bridge Series, Book Three) by V.G. Harrison #BewitchingBookTours #SciFi


The Engine in the Sky
The Dyson Bridge Series 
Book Three
V.G. Harrison

Genre: SciFi
Publisher: Mocha Memoirs Press
Date of Publication: 7/10/2026
Number of pages: 161
Word Count: 46,139

Cover Artist: Maya Preisler

Tagline: The greatest threat to Earth is the only one that can save it.

About the Book:

When Professor Meridia Vail’s space station is hurled across time and dimensions, she and the rest of the Bridgeway crew wake on an alternate Earth that's only five years into the future but looks like it's a century behind her technology. Their goal is to reclaim their crippled station, return to their dimension, and hope that a mysterious interdimensional illness doesn't kill her and her people first.

Stuck on a backwards version of her own planet, Meridia must deal with governments who want her technology and intelligence agencies who want control. Nobody trusts anyone, and the longer they delay, the closer the Bridgeway gets to a catastrophic reentry.

However, the greatest shock comes when Meridia meets her doppelganger, a brilliant mechanic with a loving family that leaves her heart aching for the life she could have had.

As time is running out for her crew and New Earth, Meridia faces an impossible mission: return to the station, save her crew, and prevent a global disaster. Duty first. Family second. When Meridia is thrust into a situation where the two become synonymous, she must decide how much she's willing to risk for a world she's sworn to save and a life she can never have.

Read an Excerpt:

"If you must blame someone, blame me," Dr. Wei said. "Mr. Cooper takes his orders from me, as does the rest of my crew. He was acting on those orders, which the rest of my people were unaware of for obvious reasons."

"Dr. Wei, you’re our guest, albeit a rogue one at best. It’s about time you and your crew acted like it. You want NASA on your side and you have it. But this stunt does nothing except set back relations between us. Our trust has been—"

"Violated? Whether NASA was aware of Homeland Security’s intentions or not, our expectations of trust and respect do not stop at your organization."

"We had nothing to do with this!" She huffed for a moment as if she were gathering her thoughts. "The feds are not under my jurisdiction."

"Why not?" Cal replied over the comm. "Seeing as we’re on your base, you would think you’d know what your other guests are up to at all times, too."

"I can’t speak to that, but someone had damn well better tell me who authorized movement of the pod from the landing site in the first place." That last part sounded like she was talking to those outside of the MCC and not us. If she didn’t know about the attempted theft of our pod, then who did?

"The CIA," an officer said over his earpiece. "We had orders from our agency to move the pod to a more secure location where it couldn’t be accessed by any foreign entities."

"You’re an idiot," I replied. "You can’t get more secure than outer space, which is where it was going."

Jaxon activated the thirty-second countdown on the glass and the flashing security lights to warn people back. He must have finished laying out the course and double-checking his calculations. I began waving everyone out of the area. None of them wanted to leave, so I started shoving them to get their attention. It took a tremendous amount of thrust to get those engines revved high enough to push the pod through the Earth’s gravity.

"No way." Several of the officers began to move, but the lead guy didn’t. "I have my orders. That pod stays here."

"Your orders are going to get you blown to pieces, if you don’t get out of the way," I shouted. "There’s an initial blast to give the pod a jumpstart."

"He shuts those engines down now or I’ll blow a hole through the glass." He aimed his gun. "Tell him to stand down! Now!"

Worry etching his face, Jaxon pressed his hands against the glass at T-minus ten seconds. Once the engines started, turning them off wasn’t advised, since the ignition already used up a third of the power cell. Igniting it again, the pod will never make it back to the Bridgeway without a recharge. I doubted the feds would allow us to let the solar panels sit in the sun for even six minutes without trying to steal it.

Since the stupid officer wasn’t going to move, I raced back and heaved him out of the way. A blast sent us flying. We tumbled down a small hill. Pain sliced through my upper arm before we landed in the grass. We watched the pod rocket into the air.

"Damn it!" The officer leaped off the ground and stared. He turned his ire on me. "We had our orders! Keep the pod safe."

"Too bad your orders didn’t include the Bridgeway crew." Unable to move my throbbing arm, I crawled toward the tablet, grabbed it, and prayed it hadn’t been cracked in our nosedive.

Pain shot through my arm again. When I touched the spot, I noticed blood coating my palm. It hurt like someone stuck a hot poker through my skin and out the other side. Thankfully, it was the meatier side, but it still stung like hellfire.

 

About the Author: 

Amazon best-selling author, V.G. Harrison enjoys creating smart heroines who are more comfortable dealing with things like Fine-structure constant and quantum entanglement than the fallout from their conflict. She loves to write stories that leave her audience so engaged they can't sleep at night, thinking about the possibilities. In a nutshell, she specializes in humanity-facing sci-fi thrillers with cinematic tension and grounded physics.

V.G. holds a Bachelors in Biomedical Engineering and a Masters in Information Technology. When she's not writing, she's an IT manager in the healthcare information field.  

Her ever-growing list of hobbies include astronomy, attending comic cons, keeping an eye on the cryptocurrency and stock markets, hydroponics gardening, hiking, dabbling in technology, and connecting with her daughter, Vivi, on a cool level. 







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.
Thank you for supporting Sapphyria’s Books.

Summer of the Blue Jay by Mike Demaio ~ @RABTBookTours #RABTBookTours #SummeroftheBlueJay #MikeDemaio #Novella #Fiction


Summer of the Blue Jay by Mike Demaio 

Literary Fiction Novella

Date Published: March 30, 2026

Publisher: Manhattan Book Group




What would you do with the last 24 hours of your life?

About the Book:

For nineteen-year-old Tina, the answer is simple: live.

After receiving devastating news, Tina refuses to spend her final hours confined to a hospital bed. With time slipping away and an impossible dream still burning inside her, she convinces Jake, a fellow patient, to run. Together, they escape the hospital, steal a car, and set out for New York City—determined to squeeze an entire lifetime into one unforgettable day.

As their frantic parents race to find them, Tina and Jake chase freedom through the heart of the city. From the peaceful lawns of Central Park to the dazzling lights of Times Square, every stop becomes a stolen moment, every laugh an act of defiance, and every heartbeat a reminder that time is the one thing no one can bargain for.

But as the sun begins to set, their breathtaking adventure turns into a race toward one final, symbolic destination—one that will test their courage, their bond, and the meaning of a life fully lived.


Emotional, urgent, and deeply human, Summer of the Blue Jay is a poignant contemporary novella about friendship, love, resilience, and the power of choosing joy when the clock is running out.

Perfect for readers who enjoy heartfelt coming-of-age fiction, emotional literary stories, and thought-provoking books that ask life’s biggest questions, this unforgettable debut reminds us that tomorrow is never promised—and that one day can hold the meaning of a lifetime.

 

About the Author:


Mike DeMaio is an author and seasoned technology professional whose career has spanned more than twenty-five years in corporate Information Technology, including leadership roles supporting global teams across the pharmaceutical, biotech, and specialty food industries.

After decades of solving complex technical challenges, Mike turned to writing as a way to explore the human stories behind pressure, change, resilience, and time. What began as humorous reflections on life in IT soon evolved into a deeper creative calling, leading him from industry commentary and tech-focused articles into fiction.

His debut novella, Summer of the Blue Jay, asks one of life’s most powerful questions: what would you do if you only had twenty-four hours left? Inspired by Mike’s own reflections on career disruption, identity, and the urgency of living intentionally, the story blends emotional depth with a fast-paced journey about friendship, courage, and the priceless value of the present moment.

Mike continues to develop a diverse range of writing projects, including humorous technology-inspired work, fiction, and thriller concepts. Through his storytelling, he hopes to remind readers that time is never guaranteed—and that the moments we choose to truly live are the ones that matter most.

 

Contact Links:

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Purchase Links:

Amazon

Barnes & Noble


RABT Book Tours & PR
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.
Thank you for supporting Sapphyria’s Books.

Thursday, July 9, 2026

Storms of Crick Road Bridge by David G. Kerr ~ @RABTBookTours #RABTBookTours #StormsofCrickRoadBridge #DavidGKerr #Thriller


Storms of Crick Road Bridge by David G. Kerr 

 


Crime Thriller

Date Published: April 8, 2026

Publisher: MindStir Media



About the Book:

Eden Valley is a quiet town in northwestern Pennsylvania still healing from a dark chapter in its history. Two years ago, the community was shaken by a kidnapping and a series of murders. Tom Stallings, the celebrated town hero, solved the crimes and identified the evil demon responsible. In an effort to revitalize the town, Tom's son, Josh, has purchased the town's orchard, naming it The Stallings Orchard at Crick Road Bridge.

However, Tom is soon informed by the local sheriff that he and his family are the targets of a threatening letter, mysteriously signed "The Avenger." The unknown author accuses Tom and Josh of being land-grabbers with blood on their hands and vows to seek revenge.

Against this tense backdrop, three individuals-each driven by their own pain and misguided sense of justice-embark on separate journeys of revenge. While the first merely seeks to resolve personal grievances and jealousy through minor acts of vandalism, the other two harbor far more sinister intentions, representing both physical and metaphorical storms on a path of chaos and destruction.

 

About the Author:

 

 David Kerr grew up in the small, rural community of Enon Valley, Pennsylvania, in the '50s and '60s where the main source of employment was farming or working in the steel mill industry. Surrounded by families who struggled to maintain their middle- class lifestyle and hold tightly to the American values of God, family, and country, little did he realize that these people and places would become the inspiration for his novels.

A graduate of Georgia Southern University, Kerr served as an English teacher and school administrator for forty-four years. Following his retirement, he wrote and published two mystery novels, Secrets of Crick Road Bridge and Storms of Crick Road Bridge.

Today, he and his wife, Lois, live in Woodstock, Georgia, where they enjoy being close to their daughter Paige, son-in-law, Chris, and grandsons, Banks and Ford


Purchase Links:

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RABT Book Tours & PR
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.
Thank you for supporting Sapphyria’s Books.

The Edge of Motherland by Michael Leppert ~ @RABTBookTours #RABTBookTours #TheEdgeofMotherland #MichaelLeppert #LiteraryFiction


The Edge of Motherland by Michael Leppert


Literary Fiction

Date Published: May 14, 2026

Publisher: Manhattan Book Group



A moving literary novel about friendship, identity, belonging, and the search for home in a divided America.

About the Book:

In the shadow of the COVID-19 pandemic and the racial reckoning of 2020, two unlikely friends are forced to confront what home really means.

A young Black man and a middle-aged White man meet through the Indianapolis tech company where they both work. Though separated by age, race, and life experience, they discover a powerful connection through music, poetry, and the emotional landscapes that have shaped them. What begins as an unusual friendship becomes something deeper as both men find themselves questioning the world around them—and their place within it.

Disillusioned by their state’s response to the pandemic and shaken by the racial strife unfolding across the country, the two men leave Indianapolis on a transformative journey. Against the eerie backdrop of a fractured America, they face isolation, grief, uncertainty, and the complicated truths that define love, loyalty, friendship, and identity.

As the road carries them away from everything familiar, they begin to reevaluate their beliefs, their histories, and the meaning of belonging. Through shared adversity, conversation, art, and memory, they forge a bond that challenges them to see themselves—and each other—with greater honesty and compassion.


The Edge of Motherland by Michael Leppert is a moving work of cultural heritage fiction for readers who appreciate character-driven literary fiction, contemporary historical fiction, stories of unlikely friendship, and novels that explore race, resilience, connection, and hope during uncertain times.

“Motherland is a poignant story about love, friendship, identity—and the music, poetry, and places that shape us.”
—Lesley Weidenbener, Managing Editor, Indianapolis Business Journal

 

About the Author:

 

 Michael Leppert is an award-winning lecturer, columnist, essayist, and author based in Indianapolis, Indiana. A longtime communicator, public affairs professional, and educator, Leppert brings decades of experience in government, policy, business, and storytelling to his work.

He teaches speech and writing at Indiana University’s Kelley School of Business and serves as an adjunct professor at IU’s O’Neill School of Public and Environmental Affairs. He earned his B.S. in Public Affairs from Indiana University and his M.S. in Communication from Northwestern University, building a career rooted in the two fields that have shaped his life: government and communication.

Before entering academia and writing, Leppert spent thirteen years in public service for the State of Indiana. His career began at the Indiana Boys School, where he worked for five years and later served as program manager in the Intensive Treatment Unit. He then spent eight years at the Indiana Utility Regulatory Commission, ultimately serving as Executive Director of the IURC. In that role, he became known for his ability to explain complex and often controversial issues with clarity, insight, and accessibility.

After leaving state government in 2002, Leppert spent two decades as a private-sector lobbyist, public affairs consultant, and communications advisor, working with corporations, nonprofits, government leaders, community organizations, and business executives to help advance strategic priorities. His experience with public policy, political systems, and institutional decision-making has deeply informed his fiction and nonfiction writing.

Leppert began writing a weekly column in 2014, with his work appearing in newspapers throughout Indiana. His first book, Contrary to Popular Belief: A Chronicle of a Progressive in Indiana, was published in 2016. His novel Flipping the Circle, published by Greenleaf Book Group in 2021, is a political thriller that draws from his deep knowledge of Indiana politics, lobbying, and government culture. His fiction explores power, corruption, identity, morality, and the complicated human stories behind public life.

At the heart of Leppert’s work is a passion for helping people understand complicated ideas through story. Whether in the classroom, in public commentary, or on the page, he is driven by the belief that storytelling can bring clarity, challenge assumptions, and create meaningful connection.

Michael lives in a historic neighborhood in downtown Indianapolis with his wife, Amy Levander, and their rescue dog, Birdie. He has two adult children, Alex and Jack. He and Amy are competitive golfers, beach walkers, and enthusiastic lovers of live music, comedy, and theater.

 

Contact Links:

Website

Goodreads

Youtube

Instagram

BlueSky

Threads

LinkedIn


Purchase Links:

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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.
Thank you for supporting Sapphyria’s Books.

Wednesday, July 8, 2026

You Had Me at Meow by Gracie James

You Had Me at Meow
Gracie James
Publication date: July 7th 2026
Genres: Adult, Comedy, Romance, RomCom

About the Book:

Some girls get fairy godmothers. Abby Thompson gets a talking cat with a British accent and absolutely zero chill.

After her latest blind date—arranged by her loving (but relentless) mother—ends in a concussion, a wine-soaked dress, and enough humiliation to power Manhattan, Abby decides she’s done with dating. Forever.

Too bad her cat, Mr. Whiskers, has other ideas. And he’s suddenly sharing them. Out loud.

“Honestly, Abby, your taste in men is almost as concerning as your taste in sweaters.”

His mission? Fix her train-wreck love life and help her land her dream job. His qualifications? None. He’s a cat. His methods? Questionable at best.

But somewhere between the disastrous first dates, ruthless office politics, and the unexpectedly charming veterinarian who might actually be worth shaving her legs for, Abby starts to wonder…

Is Mr. Whiskers a miracle? Or a catastrophe with whiskers?

Either way, her opinionated feline isn’t backing down. And if Abby wants her dream life, she might have to trust the one life coach she never asked for. Her cat.

You Had Me at Meow is a sweet, laugh-out-loud romantic comedy about finding your voice, risking your heart, and one very determined cat who refuses to let his human settle for anything less than purr-fection.

Add to Goodreads / Purchase from Amazon

Read an Excerpt:

Before I even reach the fridge, Mr. Whiskers has settled into his favorite spot on the couch while I gather the essentials of a proper pity party: a pint of mint chocolate chip, my largest spoon, and one of Dottie’s cosmic brownies. Ahhh, perfect.

Curling up next to my furry little roommate, I pull our softest blanket over my legs and queue up one of our favorite movies. Maybe watching someone else’s embarrassing moments will make me feel better about my own.

As the opening credits roll, I crumble Dottie’s brownie over my ice cream, letting out a contented sigh. At least dessert never disappoints.

“Why can’t I find love like in the movies, huh, buddy?” I ask, running my fingers through his soft fur. “You know, the kind where tripping in front of your dream guy leads to true love instead of a concussion.”

Mr. Whiskers blinks up at me, his eyes reflecting the TV’s flickering light.

“I mean, look at tonight,” I continue, digging into my brownie-ice-cream creation and regretting nothing. Well… except maybe going out in the first place. “Mom sets me up with someone who’s supposedly perfect for me, and he turns out to be a complete jerk. And then when I finally meet a genuinely nice guy, he’s my cat’s veterinarian and he’s already taken.”

I scratch under Mr. Whiskers’ chin, earning a faint purr.

“Maybe I should just give up on dating altogether,” I muse. “I mean, who needs romance when I have you, anyway? We could be two crazy cat ladies together. Well, one crazy cat lady and one crazy cat, but you know what I mean. No more terrible blind dates, no more falling head over heels, literally, for the wrong guys. Just us, some yummy snacks, and the sweet escape of a good movie night. What do you think, huh, buddy? Sound good?”

“Darling, that sounds like the best idea I’ve heard all night.”

Meet the Author:

Gracie James lives in the Pacific Northwest with her husband and their sweet rescue cat, Pinky, and absolutely loves the rain. When she’s not writing swoony, laugh-out-loud rom-coms sprinkled with a touch of magic, she’s usually hiking up a mountain or eating chocolate like it’s a personality trait. Her creative peak occurs somewhere between “I should go to bed” and “well, it’s basically morning now,” and she considers sunrise more of a suggestion than a deadline.

Website / Goodreads / Instagram


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The Mango Murders & A Delicious Deception Key West Food Critic Mysteries by Lucy Burdette ~ Cozy Mystery


The Mango Murders & A Delicious Deception Key West Food Critic Mysteries by Lucy Burdette

About The Mango Murders:

Now Available in Paperback

The Mango Murders: A Key West Food Critic Mystery

Cozy Mystery

15th in Series

Setting - Florida

Publisher ‏ : ‎ Crooked Lane Books

Publication date ‏ : ‎ August 12, 2025

Print length ‏ : ‎ 288 pages

ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 979-8892421652

Kindle ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 979-8892421669

ASIN ‏ : ‎ B0DMTQ5QXH Paperback

Publisher ‏ : ‎ Crooked Lane Books

Publication date ‏ : ‎ July 7, 2026

Print length ‏ : ‎ 288 pages

ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 979-8892424530

ASIN ‏ : ‎ B0FV7CYMLC

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The turquoise waters of Key West are stained with pink in this explosive 15th installment of the Key West Food Critic mysteries from USA Today bestselling author Lucy Burdette.

Food critic Hayley Snow’s employer, Key Zest, is throwing the event of the season, a lavish cocktail party catered by Janet Snow, Hayley’s mother. As Hayley boards the luxurious cruise, she anticipates a smooth sailing soirée filled with shimmering cocktails, mouthwatering mango-infused delicacies, and new supporters for the e-zine. But as the boat sets sail, the festivities take a tragic turn when an explosion rocks the vessel, plunging the party guests into chaos.

In the days that follow, Hayley learns that a local culinary entrepreneur died in the explosion and it was no accident–someone on board had a deadly agenda. With the tropical city of Key West as her backdrop, Hayley navigates a web of secrets and lies. Her investigation takes her from the shadowy corners of island politics to fierce competition between high-end event caterers and personal vendettas.

With the clock ticking and the stakes higher than ever, Hayley must rely on her keen intuition to unmask a cunning culprit before they strike again.

About A Delicious Deception:

 

A Delicious Deception: A Key West Food Critic Mystery

Cozy Mystery

16th in Series

Setting - Florida

Publisher ‏ : ‎ Crooked Lane Books

Publication date ‏ : ‎ July 14, 2026

Language ‏ : ‎ English

Print length ‏ : ‎ 320 pages

ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 979-8892426251

ASIN ‏ : ‎ B0FWBC8M37

Digital ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 979-8892426268

ASIN ‏ : ‎ B0G3SSHF54

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Mother-to-be Hayley Snow bites off more than she can chew in the sixteenth installment of Lucy Burdette’s USA Today bestselling Key West Food Critic mysteries.

When Sheriff’s Deputy Darcy Rogers asks Hayley for a small favor, she can’t say no. Nine months pregnant and temporarily benched from her food critic duties, Hayley’s itching for a distraction and eager to help. All she has to do is tag along while a young woman picks up her daughter from her father at Monroe County’s safe custody exchange location. Easy, right?

Wrong.

In the chaos of the Sheriff’s Office open house, the mother disappears. Then the father bolts, leaving Hayley with a terrified girl and the realization that something has gone terribly wrong. Hayley and Deputy Rogers head north up the Keys to search for answers.

When a body turns up, Hayley realizes this isn’t just a missing-persons case—it’s a race against time. With the little girl’s safety at risk, Hayley must trust her instincts—and her heart—to uncover the truth.

About Lucy Burdette:

Clinical psychologist Lucy Burdette writes the USA Today best-selling Key West food critic mysteries, a cozy, culinary mystery series starring food critic Hayley Snow, including #16, A DELICIOUS DECEPTION. A CLUE IN THE CRUMBS, won the Florida Book Award's gold medal for popular fiction. Both the 12th book in the series, A DISH TO DIE FOR, and the 10th, THE KEY LIME CRIME, won the bronze medal for popular fiction from the Florida Book Awards. Lucy's first women's fiction title, THE INGREDIENTS OF HAPPINESS, came out in July 2023.

As Roberta Isleib, she wrote the golf lover's mystery series (SIX STROKES UNDER) and the advice column mysteries (DEADLY ADVICE.) Lucy loves using her psychology background in her stories. She also loves to cook and to eat and to talk and write and read about food. She blogs with the wonderful crime fiction writers at Jungle Red Writers, and shares recipes and stories with twelve other cozy mystery writers at Mystery Lovers Kitchen.

Lucy's books and stories have been short-listed for Agatha, Anthony, and Macavity awards. She's a past president of both Sisters in Crime and the Friends of the Key West library.

Author Links:


Purchase Links:

The Mango Murders - Amazon - B&N - PenguinRandomHouse 

Purchase Links:

A Deadly Deception - Amazon - B&N - PenguinRandomHouse

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Thank you for supporting Sapphyria’s Books.