Smoke in the Mirrors is Out!

As I've spoken about before, I really loved Town of Shadows, the first book in Jessica Scarlett's new series, Slanted London. I was hesitant to try it, because I don't read a lot of historical fantasy, but the magic part of it was really well done and I was invested in the romance. The first book ended on a bit of a cliffhanger, so I was really excited to see that the second book had come out! I dove in, anxious to see what would happen with our hero and heroine.

 

The second book, Smoke in the Mirrors, is really long, 451 pages, and it has a lot of POV characters in it, which sometimes makes it hard to keep track of who is speaking and what's going on since there are several storylines all being woven together. It's kind of like a puzzle that you are finding all the pieces to and figuring out where they fit! But the thing I love about this world Ms. Scarlett has created is that everyone has secrets they are hiding and people they are trying to protect and the reader is sucked into attempting to unravel the little intrigues along with the big mystery right along with the characters. And we get a lot of movement in our hero's story with a jaw-dropping ending. I can't wait for the next one!

Do you ever read a genre you don't normally read and like it?

Smoke in the Mirrors is in Kindle Unlimited. You can get your copy HERE

Here's the back copy:

Some illusions save us. Others want us dead.

Dorothy St. James has three missions: slip inside the Rook’s circle, recover the stolen enchanted bracelets, and rescue her kidnapped father. But when whispers of a hidden map inside Buckingham Palace surface, everything shifts. Enlisting Ashley Gardner—the brilliant, backstabbing puzzle-solver she can never quite outsmart—might be her only chance of destroying him.

To Dorothy’s annoyance, her dangerous pull toward Ashley only grows, even as fellow Lightfoot agent Nicholas Hart offers a far safer path. Nicholas is steady and dependable, while Ashley is all secrets, sharp edges, and heartbreak waiting to happen.

But Ashley is running out of time. His mutating magic grows more sentient every day, and the final bracelet is the only thing keeping it from consuming him. Desperate, he agrees to help Dorothy hunt the hidden map, even though being near her threatens both his sanity and his survival. And as riddles twist into traps, he begins to fear that their fire may not be real at all—just another illusion his magic wants her to believe.

London’s smoke-choked streets are thick with danger. Where is Dorothy’s father? Who is the Samaritan? Why is the Rook kidnapping innocents? And who can she trust, when she can’t even trust herself?

The New App for No Spice Readers!

Today is a VERY lucky day! I get to make an announcement about something that I've been sitting on for months. As you all know, I love to read no-spice books and that's what I write. Well, a new app and community is being soft-launched tomorrow morning for people who want to discover new authors who write no-spice and not be worried it will have anything unexpected in it. Bright Haven is an app that will feature clean romance ebooks and audiobooks for you to download and read, with clear filters and tags that you can set to your comfort level. But there's more to it than that! This app will feature a no-spice community with monthly book clubs, reader challenges where you can earn badges and points, author Q&A, online author panels, a Daily Dish with cover reveals and occasional ARC giveaways and more! I could not be more excited!

 
So here's what's happening tomorrow morning. Bright Haven is doing a soft launch starting at 6:00 a.m. ET and they will accept the first 1000 subscribers. Those subscribers will get an OG readers badge which gives them premium access and other perks and experiences as well as the first look at the new Bright Haven app and community. The Bright Haven doors will close temporarily after the first 1000 subscribers are on board, but there will be a waitlist for those who don't make it on this time so they can be welcomed when sign ups open again.

I am thrilled to be part of this new community as an author and a reader and I hope I'll see you there! You can click HERE to get more information and sign up tomorrow!

A Little About Me

With a new year upon us, and some new followers, I thought I would do a little about me! I'd love to know more about you, as well! Do we have anything in common? What is your favorite genre to read? What is one thing you are looking forward to this year? Do you have a pet? Let me know!

A New Year's Gift For Me!

Happy New Year! I stayed up late to welcome in the new year, then started 2026 by watching Seeking Persephone, a movie based off of Sarah Eden's book of the same name. The movie was SO good! I can't wait to watch it again. The acting was really well-done, (my compliments to the casting director, they nailed it!) the story had me riveted, the entire production truly was so, so good. I hope we can get more movies like that!

My Top Ten Books of 2025

It was hard to choose my top ten books of 2025 but here's what I came up with.

1. The Fur Trader's Lady by Gabrielle Meyer

2. Town of Shadows by Jessica Scarlett

3. Over the Edge by Stephanie Black

4. Against a Crescent Storm by A.L. Sowards

5. Discovering Dahlia by Jennifer Moore

6. A Hopeful Proposal by Samantha Hastings

7. Rules for Ruin by Mimi Matthews

8. The Marriage Method by Mimi Matthews

9. The Best-Kept Secrets by Sarah Eden

10. If You'll Have Me by Esther Hatch

What was your favorite book you read this year?

Christmas Sweater

 I just couldn't resist posting this picture of my sweet little Teddy in his new Christmas sweater! He's such a happy little guy and a very good boy. I hope you had the best holiday!

The Book I Devoured in ONE Day!

I had a wonderful Christmas with my family and we've had a restful weekend after all the celebration. I hope you did, too! But I have to tell you about this book I read--IN ONE DAY!

My friend and fellow author Becky Monson recommended The Fur Trader's Lady by Gabrielle Meyer to me and I've sort of been in a little book slump so I immediately downloaded it from KU and started reading and I couldn't stop! It was SO well-written and I was sucked right into the story. I loved the slow burn romance, and the tension of what the villain was going to do when he finally found our hero and heroine was ratcheting up higher and higher with every page and I couldn't wait to see how it all ended! I devoured this book and I've already downloaded the next one in the series.

Does that ever happen to you? What have you been reading lately?

Get your copy of The Fur Trader's lady HERE

Here's the back copy:

To escape her guardian’s plans to marry her, Lady Charlotte Fairfax steals away to Montreal to locate Reid McCoy, a fur trader who owes her fiancé a debt for saving his life. Even though European women are forbidden from entering the interior, she is desperate to get to her fiancé deep within the northwestern wilderness.

Reid McCoy has worked hard for fifteen years to become a shareholder in the North West Company and is on the brink of realizing that goal. Taking Charlotte into the interior will not only put her life at risk, but it could also jeopardize his dreams. Honor bound to repay his debt, his only option is to have Charlotte dress as a man and enter as his assistant clerk.

With Charlotte’s guardian close on their trail and a personal rival willing to do anything to keep Reid from becoming a shareholder, they will embark on an epic journey that will test not only their strength and endurance, but their hearts, as well.

A Métis Christmas is On Sale!

I was talking to a friend about my children's picture book, A Métis Christmas, and when we looked it up on Amazon, the HARDCOVER is on sale for half price and it will still be delivered by Christmas! If you love to learn about different cultures and how they celebrate Christmas, you will love learning about the beautiful Métis traditions!

Get your sale copy HERE

Here's the back copy:

A beautiful introduction to Métis culture and traditions . . .

Thelma, a young Metis girl, can hardly wait for Christmas, and it is the night before the big day. Her family is celebrating with lots of food, including Thelma's favorite jam with bannock, and her father will dress in his traditional clothing to tell them the ancestor stories---but all Thelma wants to do is her best, most fancy, jigging dance. Stopping for a moment so her grandmother can read the story of the Christ child's birth, Thelma wonders what she could have given the baby had she been there that special night---and then her heart tells her what gift she can give right now!

*Winner of the Best of State Medal for Children's Books*

"Julie Coulter Bellon captures the specific distinction of the Métis powerfully...This story has a rightful place on the shelves of every home and school library." ---Readers' Favorite

Review of The Marriage Method

Mimi Matthews' new book, The Marriage Method, combines love, mystery, and a little bit of mayhem! Nell is the deputy headmistress of the Crinoline Academy and she has been sent on her first mission--to meet with newspaperman Miles and deflect his curiosity about the academy. Before she can so much as answer more than one of his questions, however, a mishap with a cat changes her life forever. Caught in a compromising position, Nell must marry Miles to save both of their reputations. They find common ground as they work to discover what happened to a missing reporter and a missing orphan, but the villains are tightening the circle around Nell and Miles and they are in more danger than they think. Can they trust the love they are building? Or will they be torn apart by those who have secrets to keep?

Ms. Matthews has truly outdone herself in this riveting new mystery romance. Nell and Miles have both survived difficult childhoods and made something of themselves, and both characters are easy to relate to and care about. The setting and description is so beautifully done and each character comes with a depth that endears them to you. Readers will love Nell's determination to find the missing girl and be there for her as no one was for Nell as a child. Miles collects stray cats like friends and it is so tender to see him fall in love with Nell and the wonder he feels at having someone to call his own. He also has an abundance of daring in trying to find out what happened to his reporter and when his efforts are combined with Nell's, there's no good place to stop reading because you'll want to see what happens next. The author deftly intertwines the mystery with the love story and contrasts the seedy underbelly of London with two love-starved souls who need each other, but are afraid to take a risk. Ms. Matthews is truly a gift for readers who enjoy a mystery with plenty of twists and turns combined with a swoony romance that will suck you in and keep you up late reading one more page.

You can get your copy HERE

Here is the back copy:

The Academy always comes first . . . which makes marriage to its most formidable adversary an exceedingly inconvenient arrangement.

Well removed from London’s more curious eyes, the Benevolent Academy for the Betterment of Young Ladies strives toward one clandestine goal: to distract, disrupt, and discredit men in power who would seek to harm the advancement of women—by appropriate means, of course.

When intrepid newspaper editor Miles Quincey starts to question the school’s intentions, the Academy appoints Penelope “Nell” Trewlove, one of their brightest graduates, to put this nuisance to rest. An easy enough mission, she supposes. Or it would be, if Miles wasn’t so fascinating—too fascinating to resist—and if Nell’s visit to London didn’t perfectly coincide with the murder of one of Miles’s reporters.

When the inexorable claws of fate trap Nell and Miles in a compromising situation, they agree to an arrangement that will save their reputations while enabling them to investigate the story that led to a man’s death, as well as the surprising chemistry between them . . .

Veterans Day and a Hometown Heroes Sale!

On this Veterans Day I'm thinking about my grandpa who served two tours of duty in the Korean War. He received medals for his bravery, but he sacrificed so much. I'm grateful he was able to return home when many of his friends did not. He worked hard to overcome the demons he'd picked up on the battlefields and gave his life in service. He served in a civilian capacity for the Army and received awards and recognition for his efforts, he was part of several committees to help senior citizens and other veterans and he was voted Volunteer of the Year in his community the year he died. I miss him. I miss his phone calls and visits and how he could make me laugh. I'm so grateful to all veterans who gave up so much to serve and will be thinking of them all this Veterans Day.

And in honor of Veterans Day, there is a Hometown Heroes Sale going on for books featuring military or law enforcement heroes. And they're all just .99 cents!

You can see all the books HERE and click on the cover you want to buy!

Weekend Book Report

I just started reading A.L. Sowards new book in her Balkan Legends series, Against a Crescent Storm. It is so good! I love learning more about this time in history and the writing is superb! Have you read any of the books in this series yet?

Here's the back copy:

The Serbs defied the world’s most powerful ruler, and now Danilo and Maja must fight to save their people and their newly forged love before the sultan exacts his revenge.

The Balkans, 1389

Three years ago, Danilo’s people won their freedom from the hated Ottoman Empire, but with enemies on every side, the Serbs’ hard-earned peace remains fragile. Knowing the sultan will soon come for revenge, Danilo sets out to gain key allies for the coming war—and to escape the haunting grief of personal loss.

War has orphaned Maja and her brother, but they’ve moved forward from the turbulent aftermath of battle by crafting religious mosaics. Yet after being cheated and robbed, they are desperate for help. Rescue comes from Danilo, the man who once saved them from slavery to the Turks. What begins as an offer for safe escort is soon complicated by threats from a Hungarian noble who suspects them of conspiracy and from Iskandar, an Ottoman spy consumed by a vendetta against Danilo and a dangerous obsession with Maja.

As their journey grows more perilous, Danilo and Maja are drawn together by shared grief and affection. Yet upon returning home, Danilo finds that his župan, unaware of Danilo’s growing emotional entanglement with Maja, plans to use Danilo’s hand in marriage as a tool to forge a crucial alliance. Danilo is soon torn between love for Maja and loyalty to his family and people.

As tensions escalate, sabotage and vicious rumors weaken Christian unity, and hope of victory in the Balkans grows dim. Allies and enemies converge on the fields of Kosovo, where an epic battle will shape the destiny of nations for centuries to come.

Click HERE to buy

Over the Edge Review

Have you ever ridden on a horse and then it starts to canter and you're surprised, but after a minute you settle into it, but then the horse starts to gallop and while the wind is rushing through your hair, there is a thread of fear as you hold on to the reins too tightly and try not to imagine yourself thrown to the ground in a heap, staring up at the sky with the wind knocked out of you? That's how it feels reading Stephanie Black's new Trespassers novel, Over the Edge. It is SO good!

 
The mystery starts out all twisty and turny with a few surprises, but you know, you're settling in and trying to figure out who the villain is, then things take off and there's the increasingly intense mystery with romantic yearning going on, and just when you think you have everything figured out, you're thrown off and everything is upside down and then you turn the last page and it seriously takes your breath away. (I still haven't stopped thinking about that last scene!)

Rayna is a complicated heroine who is torn between her love for her family and how her powers have changed her life. She gets caught up in a murder mystery that gets even more twisted with the requirements of the team that wants Rayna to join them and the agent she's got feelings for. Damon is written so well with wanting to do his job, yet wanting to protect Rayna. His choice between duty and love is so difficult and yet so absorbing for the reader. I cannot wait for the next book in the series. One of my top stories of the year!

Get your copy HERE

Here is the back copy:

SIX MONTHS AGO, ACCUSATIONS of murder threw Rayna Kirkpatrick’s life into turmoil, and her fight to prove her innocence nearly got her killed. Now, she seeks healing and refuge, but as a Trespasser—a person with lethal paranormal abilities—she can’t escape the attention of the covert government organization monitoring her. They want her on their team, but Rayna wants to maintain her quiet life in Willet Beach, living next door to her sister and running a small pottery studio.

SPECIAL AGENT DAMON HALE has been assigned to keep an eye on Rayna. The abilities that would make her a valuable member of the Trespasser team would also make her a powerful weapon in the hands of an enemy; it’s Damon’s job to keep her safe and ensure that information about her Trespasser status remains classified. He’s posing as her boyfriend to provide an excuse for the time they spend together, but, privately, each of them is struggling with that cover story; their feelings for each other are becoming all too real.

RAYNA’S ATTEMPT AT A peaceful life shatters when she rescues a woman from a fire, an act that drags her into a whirlpool of rumors and deadly secrets. As Damon works to protect her, he’s torn by the knowledge that managing this crisis might require decisions that will devastate Rayna and that the line between ally and enemy may be more blurred than either of them imagined.

Happy Halloween! And a Spooky Book Sale!

Stephanie Black is one of my favorite suspense writers. She walks that fine line with toe-curling scenes that make you want to keep the lights on and an amazing plot that pulls you in and doesn't let you stop reading until the wee hours of the morning. I read the first book in her new series, The Trespassers, and could not wait for the second one to come out and guess what? It's coming out next week! I'm so excited! 

In order to celebrate, the first book in the series is on sale and you are definitely going to want to pick it up if you love romantic suspense with a little paranormal. It's so, so good!

Get your copy HERE
 

Here's the back copy:

Rayna Kirkpatrick has lived her entire life with a secret: she possesses dangerous paranormal abilities. But she’s carefully kept her powers hidden from the world―or so she thinks. When new struggles in her life prompt her to seek information about her abilities, her internet search sends up red flags. Without her knowledge, she is placed under surveillance by a government team who monitors people with unique gifts like hers, individuals known as Trespassers. There are only two options for those manifesting such supernatural abilities: submit to regulation and scientific study or be eliminated.

Damon Hale is an invaluable asset to the government. As a Trespasser himself, he is perfectly positioned to determine how to handle others like him. When a series of unexplained deaths is connected to Rayna, Damon is assigned to go undercover to her California hometown to determine whether she’s the killer they suspect she is. As he gets to know this kind and charming woman, he’s determined to not allow his growing attraction to her to shake his objectivity. But the deaths surrounding her are no coincidence, and as his suspicions about her guilt begin to fade, he realizes he and Rayna must work together to discover the truth or risk becoming the next victims.

If You'll Have Me Review--This One Was So Good!

I got to read an advanced copy of Esther Hatch's new book, If You'll Have Me, and it was one I did not want to put down. 

If You'll Have Me was an amazing story of love and healing. Our heroine is at a crossroads in her life as she tries to find a situation for both her and her mother that doesn't involve marrying an odious man just to keep a roof over their heads. They've come back to Breckenridge, a town that once held happy memories, hoping to find a place to live or work until Anna is old enough to claim her inheritance. The shy boy who she'd spent a wonderful summer with years ago is still there, but has now become a handsome man. They begin to renew their acquaintance and Anna is once more captivated by his eyes and humor. But David is hiding a secret that could prevent him from being able to ever do anything about the growing feelings between them. The author skillfully weaves a story of love between two people who are each carrying the effects of trauma and emotional wounds, but there is always that thread of hope that love can heal and is worth the risk. The yearning between these two was really well done and the kisses absolutely swoon-worthy! This one is definitely going on my keeper shelf!

Here is the back copy:

A lady desperately seeking freedom. A prosperous younger man. An unexpected connection.

Anna Atwood returns to Breckenridge, where she spent one blissful summer as a young woman. This time, though, she comes to the quaint town as a penniless spinster with a single hope: to build a life free from the constraints her father’s death put on her and free from the persistent suitor Mr. Green, whose plans for marriage are Anna’s worst nightmare. When she runs into David Tate, the boy she knew from that memorable summer, she finds he has grown into a confident and striking man. As they rekindle their friendship, David offers her warmth and protection in the moment she needs it most—when Mr. Green appears in town and threatens to destroy Anna’s carefully laid plans.

David Tate remembers Anna as the spirited woman who once brought light into his dark childhood. Now a man of means, he has a promising future, if he can withstand the powerful Lord Murphy—a man whose menacing hold on the town he owns is surpassed only by his relentless hold on David’s life. When David meets Anna again, he realizes he has a chance to save her from Mr. Green’s schemes, even if it means putting himself in danger of Lord Murphy’s wrath and revealing his own deepest secrets.

In a moment of desperation, David and Anna agree to a proposal of convenience to provide the safety they both need. But as their attraction ignites, the looming dangers from Lord Murphy and Mr. Green threaten to destroy their budding happiness.

You can preorder your copy HERE

Rules for Ruin Review

I think this is Mimi Matthews' best book yet! I loved how she carefully crafted Effie and Gabriel's characters. They had a bumpy road to love, but it was so worth it! There were so many favorite scenes I could never name them all. Effie was a strong woman on a mission looking into her past so she can build a future. Gabriel is a man with a past who might not get the future he envisions for himself. But when Effie comes along, he gets something better! They both have to learn to trust and I love how the author shows their vulnerabilities and insecurities. And every scene with Franc stole the show! I love that little dog. The epilogue was sigh-worthy and I can't wait to read more in this series.

Get your copy HERE (I hope you got it when it was on sale!)

Here is the back copy:

No one betrays the Academy. But now Euphemia must decide: break the rules for her enemy, or let the rules break her heart.

On the outskirts of London sits a seemingly innocuous institution with a secretive aim—train young women to distract, disrupt, and discredit the patriarchy. Outraged by a powerful lord’s systematic attack on women’s rights in Parliament, the Academy summons its brightest—and most bitter—pupil to infiltrate the odious man’s inner circle. A deal is struck: bring down the viscount, and Miss Euphemia Flite will finally earn her freedom.

But betting shop owner Gabriel Royce has other plans. The viscount is the perfect pawn to insulate Gabriel’s underworld empire from government interference. He’s not about to let some crinoline-clad miss destroy his carefully constructed enterprise—no matter how captivating he finds her threats.

From the rookeries of St. Giles to the ballrooms of Mayfair, Euphemia and Gabriel engage in a battle of wits and wills that’s complicated by a blossoming desire. Soon Euphemia realizes it’s not the broken promises to her Academy sisters she should fear. . . . It’s the danger to her heart.

Free Regency Today!

Josi Kilpack is one of my favorite authors and her regency romance, The Valet's Secret, is free today! You won't want to miss this one!

Get your free copy HERE  

Here's the back copy:

As a once happily married woman, Rebecca Parker had a good life, but now widowed, working for a living, and her only child grown, she feels invisible, tired, and lonely. That is until the day a valet speeding by on a horse nearly runs her off the road. Mr. Malcolm Henry is apologetic, gentle, and handsome. She’s instantly drawn to him, which is why, rather than stopping him from kissing her, she kisses him back, reigniting a nearly forgotten passion. But love at first sight only happens in fairy tales—never to an ordinary woman like her.

She sees Mr. Henry again and feels the possibilities growing until, while working in the kitchens during a dinner party, she sees the valet she kissed sitting at the right hand of the baroness. Mr. Henry is not the earl’s valet; he is the heir to the earldom—-Kenneth Winterton.

Heartbroken, angry, and betrayed, Rebecca does not trust Lord Winterton and refuses to accept his apology. But when Lord Winterton proves he is as kind and gentle as “Mr. Henry” was, she finds herself willing to give him a second chance. But will he take a chance on her? He needs a wife to help him in his place in society, and nothing about Rebecca’s life does that ...except how he feels when she is with him.

Trust, love, loneliness, and passion collide in this story about a man who will risk it all to fight for the woman he loves and a woman who does not believe in fairy tales—until she finds herself living in one.

Monday Morning Book Report

I had a busy weekend, but managed to read Mimi Matthew's new book, The Governess and the Rogue. It was SO good I almost read it in one sitting!

I really love her writing style and how the characters just jump off the page. Jack finally finding his person and having to work for her regard was fun to read and to see how he's grown since the last book. Bea is so world-weary after her life's circumstances have given her so many trials to bear, but her heart is still open. I loved Bea and Jack's journey to love. This one can be read as a standalone, but it's the last book in her second generation Somerset stories and I loved seeing couples from previous books. And it was such a sweet ending! I loved it.

What did you read over the weekend?

What's in a Name?

So in my book, Pocket Full of Posies, the hero's name is Bart. He was named after Blessed Bartholomew of Cervere by his grandmother, which is explained in the book. When I wrote the first book in the series, All Fall Down, Bart was a supporting character and I didn't know he would eventually get his own book one day and I was thinking maybe I should have chosen a different name. 

Would the name Bart put you off reading a book? Does a character's name really matter to you?

Free Historical Romance Today!

This one looks so good! An American heiress and a British spy? Yes, please! 

Here is the back copy:

An American heiress and a British intelligence spy share an unexpected kiss that will change their lives—and their hearts.

When heiress Gwen Barton aids an injured gentleman in an opera box in London, she shares a kiss with the stranger that upends her quiet world. More determined than ever to be herself, in spite of the limp she's sustained since childhood, she will marry for love and not a title. She also resolves to learn the identity of the man she helped—and kissed. Surely he can't be the irritating Avery Winfield. But as circumstances continue to throw Avery and Gwen together, she begins to wonder if there is more to this man than she first thought.

You can get your copy HERE

Monday Morning Book Report!

Monday morning book report.  What did you read over the weekend?

Well, I started a new-to-me author over the weekend and I gave it about 100 pages, but I couldn't connect to the hero. He was so surly and angry to everyone around him, and though the readers are told from the beginning he has a reason for being so awful, we aren't told what it is until about 75 pages in. And even after we find out what his reason is, (someone close to him died and he feels responsible), he's still very unlikable and doesn't even show the tiniest hint that he's going to change the way he treats the heroine or anyone else he comes in contact with. 

So, I gave up. 

I used to be the kind of person that needed to finish a book no matter what, but I have so many books on my TBR list now, if I can't connect to the story after giving it a good try, I don't finish. 

What about you? Are you the kind of person that finishes a book no matter what?