Interview with Sherri Dodd, author of Moonset on Desert Sands

 

With a traumatic year of fending off a serial killer behind her, Arista has settled contentedly into her temporary home with Auntie in Sedona, Arizona. She enjoys her new job selling all things metaphysical and even has her eye on the hot security guard, Dakota, after her recent breakup with Shane. But a series of new fainting spells has her worried, and when Auntie witnesses one, they decide the answer lies in her home of Boulder Creek. However, returning means not only dealing with her breakup and its heartache but also the possibility of drawing her bloodthirsty Uncle Fergus to her once safe haven in the redwoods. And this time he has recruited an even more dangerous alliance. Arista's closest bonds will be strengthened, but the mounting tension of a death in the desert, a stalker on the streets, and the relentless pursuit of Fergus puts her in dangerous territory, and escaping sorrow proves impossible.

 

Interview With Author Sherri Dodd 

·       It’s time for the fantasy dinner party – but you must invite only writers (living or dead). Who are you inviting?

J.R.R. Tolkien (surely, the greatest trilogy ever written), Beatrix Potter (not only lovely stories but she created her own illustrations), Alice Hoffman (brought witch-lit to the mainstream), Thich Nhat Hanh (to bring the calm), Miyamoto Musashi (because I believe it would be quite ‘novel’ to have a military warlord adept at martial arts and penning strategy), and Robert Langdon, as he was my father’s favorite author. It would be interesting to watch them interact, and thereafter, I could have a one-on-one with each of them for in-depth learning.

·       What made you decide to write about modern day witches?

I studied Wicca as a late-teen and found it fascinating, however, life went on and I confirmed as a Catholic when I met my husband. Many moons later in 2023, I was shopping in a crystal shop in Los Gatos, CA and overheard a customer hounding the cashier. “How into this stuff are you?” The cashier answered in a wry undertone, “Well, I’m a witch, so …” I do not remember the rest, but I got to know the cashier over my next few visits, then took her to lunch to better understand and appreciate modern-day nature-based witchcraft. At that time, I was also experiencing much grief with the passing of my father, and between the two – the story poured forth. I had plenty of time on my hands since my youngest child had just left for college, making me a 100% empty nester.

·       Do you consider your Murder, Tea & Crystals series to be New Adult or YA?

Arista’s age puts Murder, Tea & Crystals in the New Adult category, but the sexual content is tame enough for Young Adult. Also, my writing style is fit for someone with a shorter attention span. I like dialogue and even use onomatopoeia to break up large monotonous paragraphs of text. In school, it was overwhelming for me to flip the page and see no paragraph breaks! A definite candidate for ADD, but in that era few adults wanted to hear excuses for poor schoolwork. Luckily, by college, I found reading time more enjoyable, but if I’m being honest, I still like a bit of space on the page – ha!

·       How important do you think setting is to a book?

A setting for me is crucial for a fine reading experience. Make it a natural setting and I’m hooked even more so. Haunted house settings are enjoyable, too. It adds another layer to the storyline. I appreciated when a few different reviewers commented that my redwood forest reads as another character in my trilogy.

·       You’ve working on your fourth novel now. Do you feel it gets easier? Do you learn things from each book that make the writing process more streamlined?

It definitely became easier for me! Murder Under Redwood Moon, book one in my trilogy, was my debut into fiction writing. I spread myself a bit thin on the plot and had quite a bit of supporting cast! By the second book, I found that my plot tightened, grammar improved, and the conveyance from my pared-down characters was better understood. It can be a little painful to return to that first step you took, no matter what your artistic endeavor, and see the discrepancy to perfection. Though, I also believe Murder Under Redwood Moon will always be my sentimental favorite!

·       What are you reading now or what’s on your TBR list?

Falling back on my martial arts recently, I just re-opened The Book of Five Rings. It may seem bizarre for an aged female writer to read such a book, but strategy can be relatively used in everyday life. Also, my current reading consists of research for my Master’s Thesis, so a lot of scientific studies pertaining to wellbeing - diet, exercise, sleep, breath, and even pet ownership. Very informative and even a little fun with the latter!

 

About the Author

Sherri grew up in southeastern Texas walking barefoot and catching crawdads as they swam the creek beds. Her childhood ran rampant with talk of ghosts, demons, and backcountry folklore, inspiring her first short story about a poisonous flower that shot toxins onto curious children. Her classmate bought it for all the change in his pocket. Not long after, her mother packed the two of them up and headed to the central coast of California. She has explored the vast area ever since, using it as a catalyst to her writing, from journaling to fitness articles to fiction. She holds a bachelor’s degree, and is pursuing her master’s, in holistic theology and believes this helps her to see the world through a more colorful and accepting lens.

In writing, her publisher labeled her 2024 debut novel as a paranormal thriller. She would have described it as a cozy murder mystery with generous dashes of magic realism, showing that she loves to merge genres. Her trilogy — Murder, Tea & Crystals — released book one - Murder Under Redwood Moon in March 2024; book two - Moonset on Desert Sands in March 2025; and the final book in the series- Hummingbird Moonrise released October 2025! All three books became an Amazon #1 Best Seller in the Occult Supernatural genre.

You can follow the author at:

Website: www.sherridodd.com

Instagram: @Sherri.Dodd.Author

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/168513579X

The Story Behind Karen Charles, the Author of the Evan’s Adventures in Africa Series

 

Eight-year-old Evan leaves New York aboard a freighter bound for West Africa, beginning an adventure of a lifetime across the Atlantic...

Eight-year-old Evan has never crossed an ocean before. Leaving behind the familiar streets of New York, he boards a massive freighter ship with his parents, bound for West Africa, where his family will live for the next four years. Excited yet uncertain, Evan watches the Statue of Liberty fade into the mist and wonders what waits for him on the other side of the Atlantic.

Life aboard the freighter feels like a floating world of its own. The ship carries only a handful of passengers, and Evan quickly befriends Mateo, another boy his age who is traveling to Ghana to live with his grandparents for a year. Together, the boys explore the ship’s narrow passageways, climb to the bridge where Captain Morales lets Evan help steer the vessel, and spend long afternoons in the ship’s library building model kits and solving puzzles while storms churn across the ocean outside.

As the days pass, their friendship deepens. Evan learns that Mateo misses his family as much as he does, and the two boys discover what it means to trust someone far from home. But when Evan’s prized airplane model kit suddenly disappears, suspicion and hurt threaten to destroy their friendship. Angry and confused, Evan must decide whether to hold onto resentment or search for understanding.

Meanwhile, the voyage itself grows more dangerous. A hurricane drifts far off its usual course, slamming the freighter with towering waves that leave passengers frightened and seasick. In the middle of the storm, Evan witnesses courage from the crew, compassion among strangers, and the quiet strength of his own parents as they face uncertainty together. Through the chaos of the sea and the heartbreak of betrayal, Evan begins to mature in ways he never expected.

When the ship finally reaches the bustling ports of Liberia, Ghana, and ultimately Lagos, Nigeria, Evan is overwhelmed by sights and sounds unlike anything he has ever known—towering cranes unloading containers, humid air thick with salt and diesel, crowded harbors alive with movement, and vibrant new cultures waiting beyond the docks. Yet the hardest moment comes when Mateo must leave the ship in Ghana. Their emotional goodbye forces Evan to confront how deeply friendship can change a person, even in a short time.

Filled with adventure, heart, humor, and emotional depth, Evan’s Stormy Voyage is a middle-grade coming-of-age novel about courage, kindness, forgiveness, and finding home in unfamiliar places. Inspired by the author’s experiences growing up in Africa, the story offers young readers a vivid journey across the Atlantic as it explores universal themes of friendship, empathy, resilience, and cultural discovery. Fans of heartfelt adventure stories will be swept into Evan’s unforgettable voyage as he learns that the greatest discoveries are often the ones made within ourselves.

Evan’s Stormy Voyage is available at Amazon.

╰┈➤Book Details
➺Author: Karen Charles
➺Genre: Children’s Series
➺Language:English
➺Pages: 72
➺Publisher: BookBaby
➺Publication Date: ‎ August 24, 2026
➺Formats: Paperback
➺Paperback ISBN: ‎979-8317844738

Excerpt:

Evan stood at the railing of the enormous freighter ship, his sneakers planted wide as the deck trembled beneath him. The engines rumbled low and deep, like a giant clearing its throat before speaking. New York Harbor sparkled in the morning sun. Restless seagulls wheeled overhead, crying out sharp and wild. Tugboats puffed along like busy little beetles, guiding the massive ship toward open water. And there she was. The Statue of Liberty stood tall against the sky, her torch glowing gold in the light. She appeared brave and steady, her torch raised high as if she were waving goodbye just to him. Evan raised his arm and waved. “Goodbye,” he whispered. The wind pressed against him harder now, flattening his shirt against his chest. It felt different out here, stronger, wilder. The water slapped against the ship’s sides with a hollow boom… boom… boom… like a drumbeat echoing from somewhere far below. Behind him was everything he had always known. He would miss this place. Ahead of him was Nigeria, West Africa, a place of bright sun, red earth, and tall palms that rustled like whispers of secrets. His parents had new jobs there, and he would be going to an American boarding school. He imagined classrooms filled with maps, new accents, new games, and nights under stars bigger than he had ever seen. Excitement fizzed inside him like fireworks. But underneath it, something else moved. A twisty feeling. Like clouds gathering where the sky had just been blue. He watched as the Statue of Liberty grew smaller and smaller, her torch shrinking to a tiny spark against the horizon. 1 The sky above the harbor shifted. A bank of gray clouds stretched low over the Atlantic, dark and quiet and waiting. The freighter pushed forward anyway. Evan gripped the railing tighter. The ocean ahead looked wide and endless, like a giant blue blanket that could shake itself awake. He took a deep breath. Adventure was calling. But far out on the horizon, where the ocean met the sky, something darker was rising. And it was coming their way.

– Excerpted from Evan’s Stormy Voyage by Karen Charles, BookBaby, 2026. Reprinted with permission.

 

The Story Behind Karen Charles, the Author of the Evan’s Adventures in Africa Series

My writing journey began at age eight during a family relocation to Nigeria in West Africa. Seeing the magnificent crowned crane for the first time left such a lasting impression that I wrote a poem about the experience. To my delight, it was published in the children's magazine Jack and Jill, giving me my first taste of sharing my writing with others.

Although teaching became my lifelong career, writing remained an important part of who I was. As I taught students the art of storytelling, I wrote stories alongside them, often casting my students as characters in our adventures. Those years nurtured my creativity and reinforced my belief in the power of stories to inspire, entertain, and connect people.

After retiring from teaching, I finally pursued my dream of writing thrillers inspired by true stories. My novels weave real events into gripping fiction, creating stories that resonate with readers long after they turn the final page. I have been honored to appear as a guest on podcasts and to speak as an author at schools, libraries, and book festivals, where I enjoy sharing my passion for writing and encouraging others to tell their own stories.

One of the greatest challenges of being a self-published author has been learning the world of book marketing. It has required persistence, adaptability, and a willingness to continually learn new skills. Despite these challenges, the overwhelming encouragement from readers keeps me motivated. Hearing how deeply readers connect with my characters and the true events woven into my stories is the greatest reward and continues to inspire me as I write the next chapter of my journey. 

About the Author

Karen Charles grew up in West Africa and traveled across Africa, the Middle East, Central America, and Europe. Her rich background and lifetime experiences are reflected in the depth of her writing. In her stories, she transforms real-life narratives into gripping thriller fiction. Her novels intricately weave threads of truth into a tapestry of suspense, intrigue, and riveting storytelling. She is the author of three children’s books in the “Evan’s Adventures in Africa” series, including Freeman Earns a Bike, Evan’s Gift, and Evan’s Stormy Voyage. Her three thrillers include Fateful Connections, set in the aftermath of 9/11, and Blazing Upheaval, set during the Rodney King riots in Los Angeles and the Northridge earthquake. A Glimpse Too Far offers the mystery and heart-pounding suspense of a psychological thriller and is based on a true story. Karen Charles has two businesses—a global company that trains international teachers to teach American English and an Airbnb on a beautiful bay in Washington State, where she and her husband currently live.

Karen’s latest book is Evan’s Stormy Voyage.

Visit her website at www.weaveofsuspense.com.

Connect with her on X, Facebook and LinkedIn.

The Economy Always Gets Better by Dr. Nikki Finlay

 

For those of us who forgot what we learned years ago or never had the opportunity to take an economics class, terms like recession, depression, tariffs, inflation, and gross domestic product can make our heads spin. If that sounds like you, you’re in the right place. In The Economy Always Gets Better, award-winning economist Dr. Nikki Finlay explains the economy in its simplest terms, making it easier to understand and giving readers the tools to approach even the most distressing economic information with confidence.

Dr. Finlay combines her knowledge and years of academic experience in this practical and accessible guide for anyone wishing to better their understanding of the economy. Using personal stories, useful metaphors, visual representations, and statistical data, she makes economics accessible to everyone. Whether you’re worried about the current economic troubles or trying to figure it all out for the first time, The Economy Always Gets Better will leave you better informed and better prepared to thrive.

Purchase a copy of The Economy Always Gets Better: Navigating Turbulent Times with Confidence on Amazon, Barnes and Noble, or Bookshop.org. Add it to your GoodReads reading list too.

 How I Set Up My Writing Practice With Mobility Impairment In Mind

I fell down a flight of stairs and nearly broke my neck. The good news is that I’m still here. A little less able to do the things I used to do. But still here. But it cost me my academic career. It also cost me three years of coping with the depression and learning to manage the pain.

So, in the summer of 2021, I decided to do something I hadn’t done in a decade—write. I started with an idea for a memoir about my life teaching economics. By December, I’d finished a healing draft. Then someone told me this: “I just don’t get inflation.”

And I said, “I can explain that.”

I combined the bits about the economy from the healing draft with notes I’d taken while I was teaching. Notes that were always intended as a book for my students. But I didn’t have the discipline to keep at it. That’s when I found my tribe, a group of nonfiction writers who meet each weekday at 4 pm to work on their books. I finished a 35,000-word draft in three months. Writing by hand, my preference, was too difficult at this time. So, I learned to compose on the keyboard. Badly!

I did most of the work on an iPad from my bed. Then my husband set up a desk in the converted garage for my office. But we had to make modifications because the circulation in my legs and feet was poor. Probably all that writing in bed. I stuffed an ottoman under my desk. While I can only sit there for an hour or two, I can get about 400-500 words out. That’s more than enough to write a book and publish on Substack. Occasionally there will be a 1,000-word day. Those days call for celebration. But I don’t depend on them.

 

About the Author

Dr. Nikki Finlay is an economics educator and author of The Economy Always Gets Better: Navigating Turbulent Times with Confidence. She helps adults who feel intimidated by economics understand how it actually works in their everyday lives—without the jargon. With over two decades of teaching experience at institutions including Clayton State, Georgia State, and Gwinnett Technical College, Dr. Finlay has worked with students of all backgrounds and experience levels. Her approach is simple, practical, and rooted in real-life examples that make complex economic concepts easier to understand. Through her writing, Dr. Finlay translates topics like inflation, employment, and economic cycles into clear, relatable insights that help readers build confidence—not just knowledge—about the world around them. She lives just outside Atlanta, Georgia with her husband of over 40 years and enjoys reading, cooking, and spending time with her children and grandson.

You can follow the author at:

https://nikkifinlay.substack.com

www.linkedin.com/in/economics-for-the-rest-of-us

TV Series review: Agatha Raisin

                                                 

Agatha Raisin is a sharp-witted, very attractive PR executive who swaps her high-flying London career for a quiet life in the English village of Carsley, imbued with the bucolic charm that only English villages with extraordinarily high murder counts can achieve. The Cotswolds seem to be light years away from the hustle and bustle of London life, but Agatha is kept very busy as murders follow in her footsteps. Soon she is an unofficial sleuth, and very shortly after her talents are both recognised and deplored by the local coppers, she opens an official detective agency. The series is adapted from MC Beaton’s novels of the same name and blend quirky charm with cosy murder mystery and the unique sense of ‘Britishness’ of a typically English rural setting.

Ashley Jensen is Agatha; attractive, quick-thinking, and with a love of very expensive shoes with very high heels. I think a large section of the budget must have been devoted to the shoes. She lives next door to James Lacey, played by Jamie Glover, and their on/off love affair plays out over the episodes. He is handsome, rugged-looking, suave, and well-dressed. Even his jeans are pressed. However, he is a bit of a stuffed shirt and pretty soon I thought Agatha was better off without him. So did she. Then we have Sir Charles Fraith (Jason Merrells) who is a confirmed flirt and desperate to find love. He lives in a stately pile that any woman would be happy in. The exact opposite of James, Sir Charles always looks slightly dishevelled, as if he jumped into a laundry basket and then wore what stuck. He is so funny and disarming and is much more appealing.

The coppers mentioned above start out like the Keystone Cops so it’s easy for Agatha to run rings around them. Matt McCooey plays DC Wong, a handsome half Japanese officer who is utterly sweet and disarming. Jason Barnett plays DC Wilkes, a chubby black officer who is very officious and has a few run-ins with Agatha. These two are hilarious and prove that there are no small parts. However, the absolute scene stealer is Marcia Warren as Mrs Boggle. The name says it all; the old lady who inserts herself into every aspect of village life. She is so funny and well worth watching. There are no age barriers when it comes to acting.

The absolute joy in watching this series is the ensemble acting. The village has a great sense of camaraderie and so do the characters who make up Agatha’s team. There are a few more I have not mentioned. While there were a few determined DEI castings initially, I think soon the scriptwriters stopped meddling and the makeup of the village was determined by the stories and the situations leading to the murders. This is a great pick for weekend viewing but be warned: you will binge watch so make plenty of popcorn!

Movie Review: The Commuter

 

I started watching Fuze which sounded exciting; a WW2 unexploded bomb in London. What a boring and dismal movie. A wooden Aaron Taylor-Johnson headed up the army detail sent to defuse it. Long and dreary, with much time wasted in exchanges with various people who seemed to have no connection to the various departments in the army. No sense of panic and mayhem when people were being evacuated. It was so dull that I stopped watching and found The Commuter, starring Liam Neeson who does thrillers so well. Yes, it sounds like a rehash of Non-Stop, set on a plane, but this one is set on a train. When an insurance broker, Michael MacCauley, very strangely loses his job and is on his way home, his future in tatters, he is approached by a woman who says he can earn a quick $100,000 by doing one very simple thing. But as with all these scams, nothing is ever simple.

The photography is excellent and Neeson comes across as a man who has had his nose to the grindstone, weary and beaten down by life and mortgages and bills. His desperation fuels his frantic actions, as he must identify someone on the gradually emptying train. A witness to a murder committed by the cops. This is not just any murder. It reveals deep-seated political corruption. But as he tries and fails and tries again, it seems as if the woman who hired him has her claws in his family, and the people she works for have infiltrated so deep.

The action scenes are just spectacular and Neeson is incredibly fit. He was 64 when this movie was made. The focus is on his character, but this does not bypass others like Vera Farmiga (the woman), Sam Neill (chief of police), and Patrick Wilson (his former colleague in the force). Critics complained they were underused but there are no small roles, only small actors and an observant viewer will see the back script, the history behind the relationships, and the tiny nuances that say more than the dialogue. A look, an expression, eyes shifting sideways tell the viewer what is really happening. The suspense and tension escalate as the train journey comes to an end, and the witness must be found. The final train smash sequence is absolutely breathtaking, and it must have been spectacular on the big screen. If you want action, a hero, an almighty train smash, justice, and deep politics corruption in spades, this is your movie. Make popcorn. Lots!

TV Series Review: Gone

 

Gone is a British TV series starring David Morrissey. The story revolves around the disappearance of a headmaster’s wife at the elite boys’ school in Bristol where they both work. One day Sarah Polly just does not come home. Her husband Michael takes a while to report her missing, which immediately raises red flags. The school rallies around him but he is a hard person to sympathise with, appearing cold, uncaring, indifferent, and guilty. There’s no body, no note, no indication of whether she left on her own or was kidnapped. Gradually initial sympathy from the other teachers, parents, and the boys turns against Michael, and he becomes the prime suspect. When her body is found in the woods, not far from their home, next door to the school, the gloves come off and the police actively seek to pin the murder on him.

David Morrissey gives a master class in restrained anguish. Gradually the icy wall he has constructed around himself starts to crack and finally break. In an amazing performance, he demonstrates the class and social issues in the UK, the school ethos, the personal history that moulded him from boy to man; and the breakdown of the marriage. Also revealed are the machinations of the various teachers and their pursuit of career goals, the marital issues of several parents, with each new reveal taking the viewer deeper into a maelstrom of drama, deception, lies, and obfuscation. When the murderer is finally revealed, I was gobsmacked. I had no idea.

For once the scriptwriters used a light touch in the casting and we did not get the usual heavy-handed woke nonsense with unsuitable POC castings that require dense backstories to explain why they are there. Every character was cast in a believable way and there were no ‘issues’ aired that had nothing to do with the story, which is a refreshing change from the usual tiresome twaddle peddled as British TV entertainment. Generally, an excellent cast, albeit overshadowed by Morrissey whose agony over the death of his wife and indeed the death of his ambitions and dreams tears at your heart.

If I have one criticism, it is the casting of Eve Myles as DS Annie Cassidy and the lack of due diligence by the scriptwriters, who clearly have no idea of how the police work and how police procedure is followed. No detective secretly records a witness or a suspect. It would be completely inadmissible in court and violates all protocol and the suspect’s rights. No detective inserts themselves into a suspect’s home and takes up residence there day and night. No detective initiates ‘intimate’ conversations and oversteps the boundaries. Eve Myles was misdirected and as a result the series lost a lot of credibility. The producers fluffed quite a few procedural steps. However, apart from that, Morrissey is riveting, giving a towering performance. Watching him was an absolute pleasure. The character breaks down once in tears and, like me, I think viewers will also reach for the tissues. Do not miss it. Scores a perfect 10.

Book Spotlight: To Murder a Marquis by Arabella Sheraton

 

When Jane Carstairs goes to Chelston Hall to complete an archival project, she wakes up in the woods there, only it's no longer 2015 ... it's 1815, and she's faced with the discovery of a possibly dead man…

Escape into the drama and romance of the Regency era with To Murder a Marquis, an immersive time travel adventure full of mystery and passion!

When modern-day Jane Carstairs awakens in 19th century England, she’s thrust into a captivating world of lords and ladies, grand estates, and old-fashioned courtship. But Jane soon realizes there’s a sinister murder plot afoot. As Jane works to discover the truth, she finds herself entangled in a web of intrigue. Will she solve the mystery in time or fall victim to the assassin? And can Jane resist the magnetic pull of attraction in this unfamiliar era?

Transport yourself back to the richly detailed Regency world and join Jane on her unforgettable quest for justice and love. With vivid descriptions, gripping suspense, and passionate romantic encounters, To Murder a Marquis is a time travel adventure you won’t want to miss. Embark on the journey today and discover why readers are raving about this unique, spellbinding tale of courage, connection, and timeless romance.

Read Sample Here.

To Murder a Marquis is available at Amazon.

╰┈➤Book Details

➢Title: To Murder a Marquis

➢Author: Arabella Sheraton

➢Genre: Regency Romance

➢Sub-genre: Time Travel

➢Language:English

➢Pages: 324

➢Publisher: Bublish

➢Publication Date: February 23, 2025

➢Formats: Paperback, Kindle

➢Paperback ISBN: ‎978-1647048969

➢Price: Paperback $14.99, Kindle $2.99

╰┈➤Excerpt

Furious barking woke me from a very nice dream in which my ex-fiancé Allan Hunter was on his knees, begging me to stay, and I had just flung his ring back in his face in a most satisfying manner. The fact he’d dumped me for a full-breasted bistro waitress called Tawnee—that’s right, with a double “e”—who clearly said all the right adoring things, had the intelligence of a single-celled organism, and was a tigress in the bedroom was something I chose to ignore.

The dog wouldn’t stop barking. I opened my eyes, and there he was, a beautiful russet-coloured retriever, barking like mad, but with his tail wagging. Still slightly dazed, I shook my head. What the hell was I doing lying under a tree? I was supposed to be in the library at Chelston Hall, helping Dad, who was in hospital in London with bronchitis, collate the archives of the Hadley family. I could almost hear him say, “Jane Carstairs, what on earth are you doing there when you should be working?”

The dog was still barking. I’m not afraid of dogs so I raised myself on one elbow. “Here, boy. What’s the matter?”

I held out one hand for him to come over and have a sniff as an introduction. The dog took a few steps forward, then ran back to his original spot, and barked once. Clearly, a clever canine. He was telling me something. But what? I struggled to sit up. For some reason, my clothes were constricting; something like a straitjacket encircled my chest. Instead of my casual T-shirt, jeans, and sneakers, I wore an ankle-length flowing dress, and short lace-up boots, along with a tight, short, long-sleeved jacket. I was in period costume straight out of Pride and Prejudice. Not funny! Someone had obviously pranked me but managing to undress and get me into this suffocating costume was beyond a joke. Plus, how did I get from sitting in a chair in the library to lying under a tree? 

Back to the dog again, which now seemed very agitated. He ran back and forth a bit and whined. By pulling my dress and copious amounts of petticoat up to my knees, tearing something at the jacket shoulder in the process, I managed to stand. The dog ran off through the trees as if on a mission. Maybe someone was hurt, and the mutt was looking for help? Dogs can be so clever that way. Running in the narrow skirt was impossible so I hitched the skirt as high as I could and chased after the dog. Ten minutes later I arrived, panting, at the scene of a bloody accident. Bloody is no exaggeration. A man, also dressed in period costume—riding gear—lay on his back, his arms flung out. He was either asleep, or unconscious, or ... I didn’t even want to consider the last option. The dog stood next to him, its tail wagging. It looked at me, whining as if to say, “Help him.” I knelt and took a closer look. Robert William Edward Hadley, the Marquis of Coleston, lay before me. An arrow protruded from the top of his left shoulder, a massive amount of blood soaked the front of his fawn-coloured coat, and he looked very dead.

– Excerpted from To Murder a Marquis by Arabella Sheraton, Bublish, Inc., 2024. Reprinted with permission.

About the Author

From Jane Austen to Georgette Heyer, Arabella Sheraton has found both enjoyment and inspiration in sparkling, witty Regency novels. She also loves history and generally finds the past more fascinating than the future. Arabella wrote her first Regency romance to entertain her aged mom who loved the genre. Arabella is honoured to share the adventures of her heroes and heroines with readers.

Arabella’s book, To Murder a Marquis, is available at Amazon.

Visit her website at https://www.arabellasheratonbooks.com.

Connect with her on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/regencyromances/ and X at https://x.com/ArabellSheraton.

Sponsored By:

Book Blast: Under the Norse Star by Cheryl Carpinello

Nothing in their wildest imagination could have prepared Rosa and Jerome for what lay in wait in Ancient Iceland as they search for the 2nd Feather…

Rosa can hear the dead. That gift has already pulled her into impossible places… and deadly danger.

Now, on the Autumnal Equinox, Rosa and her cousin Jerome are summoned again. Their mission: travel to Iceland, the Land of Fire and Ice, and retrieve the second Golden Red Feather of the Phoenix. Because only when all five Feathers are united can Atlantis rise from the ocean depths and its lost people finally return home.

But Iceland isn’t empty.

Ancient guardians still roam beneath the Norse Star… and something far worse has arrived first. A shapeshifting Horseman rides the frozen wilderness, hunting the Feather, and willing to kill for it.

With earthquakes shaking the land, wicked laughter in the wind, and a mysterious Ancient One waiting in the ice, Rosa and Jerome must survive the most dangerous quest yet… before time runs out. 

Under the Norse Star (Feathers of the Phoenix Book 2) is available at Amazon and  the author’s website.

╰┈➤Book Details

Genre: Time Travel/Fantasy

Sub-genre: Norse Mythology/Legends/Teens & Young Adult

Language:English

Pages: 132

Paperback ISBN: 978-1804401323

╰┈➤Here’s What Readers Have To Say!

“Spellbinding, chilling, and dazzling, Rosa’s icy quest for Phoenix feathers enthralls completely. Highly recommended.” – The International Review of Books

“It’s a multilayered adventure that blends time travel, ancient lore, and danger. It can easily stand alongside Rick Riordan’s Magnus Chase and the Gods of Asgard, which blends modern fantasy with Norse mythology. But Under the Norse Star also stands out in its own way with its rich world-building and its engaging and memorable storyline.” – ReaderViews

Excerpt:

Off in the distance, calving ice trembles and explodes, bouncing off granite, sending ocean waves crashing across the northern fjords of Eyjafjordur. Puffins flee into the cloudless sky. Killer whales expose their white bellies as they leap in the air and dive deep into the reverberating blue ocean to escape. And always the stench of rotten eggs makes its way across the water to the land beyond.

Just beyond the horizon, beneath the ofttimes frozen earth, molten lava courses. Continually through light and dark, it forges a way through millennium old glaciers, melting a pathway through the volcanic rock. Sharp, red hot surfaces create vents the liquid fire rises through, filling the air with odorous sulfur. Gaseous clouds form inches above the ground, fatal to any invaders, and wind their way up my valleys bounded by basalt cliffs

Still further yet across its width, mountains tremble, shake, cry, and break as the Earth-fire comes alive. Thunderous roars fill the air, twisting trees, crashing rocks, splitting the earth. More caustic odors flow from newly missing mountain crowns. Fiery liquids flow down those sides further reshaping the terrain and carving out deep furrows. Immense heat incinerates all it touches: vegetation, trees, and ice. The mountains keep belching, sending scorching lava faster and faster down the slopes. Soon entire valleys disappear beneath hot, red glows. As night approaches, the mountains cough and quietly go to sleep. In the cool of late night and early morning, fires burn out, leaving blackened lava rock on the earth. Steaming vapors find a way through and curl up into small clouds hanging just inches from the burnt ground. 

Protecting and watching.

Long before the dawn of civilization, before today’s world took shape, this island stood here. Long before humans set foot on its shores and rocky landscape, beings lived here. Mystical beings which guarded and protected this isle.

Always this isle is guarded. Land Spirits (Landvaettir) watch. In the North, a massive Griffin roams. A Fire Breathing Dragon guards the East. The South sits under the all-seeing eye of a Giant who stands taller than the trees. In the West, an enormous bull watches for danger. My guardians, forever on duty, ensure the safety of our home. I oversee them all.

And above all, long before names were given, long before humans knew of them, heavenly stars lit this northern world. Given names by the Norsemen, these guiding stars brought far away travelers to these shores. Today, some call them by different names, but one is always known by the same name: the Norse Star. This star and others still shine, in the light and in the dark, upon this land adding mystery to the magical. These beings watch closely even over me.

This is my home.

I am the Gyrfalcon. Greatest of Strength and Speed. I am the Land of Fire and Ice.

I am Iceland.

But once, from centuries far removed, a simple golden red Feather floated down and hid itself here. And now danger threatens all.

– Excerpted from Feathers of the Phoenix: Under the Norse Star Book 2, Silver Quill Publishing, 2025. Reprinted with permission.

About the Author

 

Cheryl Carpinello is a retired high school English teacher. Her Tales and Legends appeal to readers of all ages, particularly those who have struggled with reading. Through her 25 years teaching diverse readers, she’s found that stories from the Ancient Worlds and Arthurian Legend draw in readers of all abilities.

She writes Arthurian Legend focused on these cornerstones: Courage, Honor, Loyalty, & Friendship. Her tales from Egypt & the new series Feathers of the Phoenix meld the ancient/medieval worlds with today. The Atlantean Horse and Under the Norse Star, books 1 &2 of Feathers of the Phoenix, brings the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse out of the Bible & into the modern world.

Her Grandma/Grandpa’s Tales, short illustrated nature stories, help the youngest readers build their reading skills. At the 2nd grade reading level, these stories are suitable for readers aged 4 and up.

She also does classroom & zoom visits where students can create their own Illuminated Poetry.

As retired teachers, Cheryl and her husband love to travel. They attend college football games around the US each year and also travel abroad for fun and research. They’ve been to Egypt, the UK, Iceland, Norway, Mexico & the Caribbean. 

Visit her website at  https://www.cherylcarpinello.com.

Connect with her on social media at:

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