SPOTLIGHT AUDIO - ADVENTURE - LIVING AT THE EDGE OF THE WORLD - SUMMER by S. J. Barratt Narrator Gill Mills

Twelve-year-old Tabitha returns to the remote Shetland island of Papala expecting adventure – not a mystery linked to an ancient selkie legend.

As pollution threatens the coastline and the island faces an uncertain future, Tabitha and her twin brother Timothy, must uncover the truth before the islanders lose both their livelihood and their home.

Living at the Edge of the World – Summer
The Papala Island Adventure, #3
written by S. J. Barratt
narrated by Gill Mills
Genre: Middle Grade Eco Adventure 

When twelve-year-old Tabitha returns to the remote Shetland island of Papala, she expects adventure with her twin brother and friends–not trouble.

As their ferry approaches Papala, Tabitha discovers what appears to be a selkie skin drifting in the harbour. Local legend says the skin belongs to a mythical creature–half human, half seal–and that if it is not returned before midnight, the island will be cursed with generations of bad luck.

But Papala is already under threat. Pollution creeps along the coast, the bird sanctuary is at risk, and the island’s owner plans to sell. With time running out, Tabitha and her brother must uncover the truth and convince the islanders to protect their home.

A lyrical eco-adventure for those who enjoy atmospheric island stories like The Storm Keeper’s Island by Catherine Doyle, with the adventurous spirit of Malamander by Thomas Taylor.

 

“Educational storytelling doesn't come any better than this.”  Dieter Korger, Science fiction author for adults.

This story has a little of everything that 9-12+year-olds love to read: ocean life, adventure, animals, science and suspense. The list goes on and the pages keep turning!" - Janet Ashmore, children’s writer

“The fast pace and beautifully vivid descriptions add to the richness of the story. Judy Wollin, Writer Fun Fast Reads” 

 “I am still as thrilled with this third volume of the Papala Island Adventure Series: the writing is top-notch, the plot is gripping, and we are getting attached to the characters. This time, the main themes are environmental conscience, and whether it's even worth fighting against a global problem.

An uplifting and important read for young people.” - Anne-Chat – Amazon 5 star review

Amazon * Amazon ebook * Apple * Google * Bookbub * Goodreads

 

Don’t miss the first two Papala Island Adventures!

Living at the Edge of the World – Winter

The Papala Island Adventure, #1

Audible * Amazon ebook

 

Living at the Edge of the World – Spring

The Papala Island Adventure, #2

Audible * Amazon ebook

S. J. Barratt is a self-published, professionally edited children’s author whose eco-themed stories celebrate the connection between people and the natural world. Rooted in an English countryside upbringing and shaped by a career in agriculture, she blends a gardener’s curiosity with a storyteller’s warmth to her writing. Now based in Lyon, France, Suzanne creates tales that inspire middle-grade readers to swap screen time for green time—and rediscover the wonders waiting just outside their door.

Website * Facebook *Instagram * TikTok * Bookbub * Goodreads

A former BBC broadcaster and journalist, Gill Mills brings over 20 years of experience in entertainment to her narration. Known for her warm, resonant voice, she began her voice career while DJing on BBC Radio 1 and has since voiced numerous TV and audio productions. She now runs a content company specialising in podcast and film production from her studio in East London.

LinkedIn* Instagram

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Enter the Living the the Edge of the World – Summer Giveaway Here

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SPOTLIGHT w/INTERVIEW - DARK COMEDY - MALABRAVA by Carol James Marshall

MalaBrava 

Carol James Marshall 

Date of Publication: August 1st 2026

Genre: Horror, Dark Comedy

ASIN: B0H12RB68Z

Number of pages: 241

Word Count: 58,477

BLURB

Welcome to Malabrava a town where the squirrels carry knives, the vampires have HOA problems, and the local mad scientist is still workshopping the perfect dick.

When Grizzy Del Monstruo isn’t decapitating problems or resurrecting boyfriends in her basement lab, she’s navigating family dinners, supernatural bureaucracy, and the inconvenience of having a moral compass. Around her, monsters bicker, humans wander in by accident, and nobody seems particularly concerned about the body count as long as it stays within city limits.

Malabrava is a brutally funny, deeply inappropriate adult dark comedy packed with gore, sex, monsters, and unhinged domesticity.

If you like your horror ridiculous, your comedy filthy, and your towns aggressively cursed, you’ve just found your new favorite place to never visit.

Amazon

Excerpt:
Griselda grew up in Malabrava. Her family founded the town. The streets, the smells, the houses, the people, and even the squirrels with knives run through her veins. She loves Malabrava and all its quirks.
Grizzy is a Del Monstruo. Not the youngest, not the oldest. She’s the middle-aged one. The Auntie. The one who never married, never wanted to. Grizzy’s the one people call when something needs to be handled. Because that’s what Grizzy does. Grizzy handles things.
Nobody asks how. It’s understood. Grizzy is what some might call sketchy with a heart of gold. She’ll go to war for the people she loves, and she has a clean, no-fuss method of decapitation for the ones she doesn’t.
She lives in the family home, dead center in the town of Malabrava. Her parents retired to a smaller place on the outskirts, saying they needed more land for at-home burials. Her sister Gracie prefers her condo near their parents. Gracie said that the convenient burial space is a plus. Makes cleanup easier.
They left Grizzy the house. You’d expect a gothic mansion, right? This is Malabrava, where things creep in broad daylight. A home for someone called Del Monstruo should come with bats, cobwebs, a gong, a butler who only groans, and a maid with wild frizzy red hair and access to the gong.
But no.
Grizzy’s grandfather was a modernist. Way ahead of his time. He wanted to be a supervillain, and in his mind, supervillains needed sleek, sprawling homes with underground bunkers, hidden rooms, and plans for a moat.
He never made it to “super.” He was a decent villain. He refused to recycle and regularly flipped off children, but he lacked the follow-through. He couldn’t commit to one evil scheme long enough to earn the title.
Grizzy’s grandmother was the true force. A science-minded woman with dangerous ideas. She adored the modern mansion. It gave her room for her lab.
That lab became Grizzy’s favorite place in the world.
Grizzy the fixer, the inventor, the one always tinkering away in her lab is deeply loved by her family. But her mother, a devout occultist with a dramatic streak, had other hopes. She wanted Griselda to be witchy. Ideally, a Voodoo Priestess. She always said Griselda looked striking in white. Though, in the end, she would’ve settled for a kitchen witch with a solid essential oil game.
Her father, a known vampire, had his hopes too. Gracie inherited the thirst. Gracie was the one born with a taste for blood.
But not Grizzy.
Instead, she snuck into her grandmother’s lab as a child. Touched everything labeled “Do Not Touch.” Sniffed everything marked “Hazard.” Dreamed of beakers and blueprints. She ignored every warning.
At twelve, she came out to the family as a Mad Scientist.
Her parents told her they loved her. Accepted her, a little reluctantly. Gracie grinned. She had another reason to be the favorite now.
They threw a family barbecue for her official announcement. The cousins came. The uncles, the aunts, the vaguely-related lurkers. Grizzy cut a cake shaped like a beaker and declared, “I’m a Mad Scientist, like Granny.”
There was a pause.
Some awkward glances.
Then applause.
The Del Monstruos were known for monsters...being them, birthing them, bargaining with them. But Grizzy wasn’t rattled by the hesitation. She knew the truth.
What was better than being a monster?

Inventing them.

Author Info

Carol James Marshall is a storyteller who loves serving up scary stories with and sometimes adds some laughs. 

Carol writes genre-bending horror packed with comedy, paranormal twists, sci-fi, and suspense. As a bilingual, low-vision author, she uses adaptive tech and bold fonts to bring her stories to life, crafting her books in English, Spanish, or sometimes both. 

When she isn't weaving nightmares or getting lost in an audiobook, Carol works as a medical coder and biller. Her journey spans from the sunny streets of Los Angeles, California, to the vibrant culture of Mexicali, Mexico, and she now happily calls Georgia home.

The Book Junkie Reads . . . Interview with . . . Carol James Marshall . . . 

Q: How would you describe your style of writing to someone who has never

read your work?

A: Wow, that’s a difficult question for me. It’s almost like asking someone to describe themselves. When you do that, you are describing your own perception of who you are, not necessarily who you really are. 

So, I’ll answer with the word “hope.” I hope my readers will consider my work "NEW." New ideas, new concepts, and new themes. I want it to feel unpredictable, like something they have never seen or thought of before.

Q: Do you feel that writing is an ingrained process or just something that flows naturally for you?

A: I am a natural storyteller. I usually have at least three stories going on in my head, notes for 20 more books, and it never ends. I love a good story whether it’s written, on television or film, or over a cocktail with a good friend. Writing for me flows easily. I always have a story to tell.

Q: Do you take your character prep to heart? Do you nurture the growth of each character all the way through to the page?

A: The answer is yes and no. I think about my upcoming characters' lives, the way they think, and who they are in relation to the story, but it never feels like preparation. I simply mull it over while washing dirty dishes or brushing my teeth.

When I sit down to write, the story usually develops in blocks, each building on the last. The characters evolve in the same way.

I had zero plans for Gracie in MalaBrava. She simply happened, and she was so much fun to write.

Q: Do you people-watch to help with character development? Or do you build upon your characters during story creation?

A: I love people-watching, but that is not how my characters develop. I like to give each of my characters a distinct “vibe.” I use my personal experiences and overactive imagination to build upon that vibe as the story develops.

Q: Do you have a character you have been working on for a long time that still isn't quite ready, but that still excites you to work on the story?

A: Two of them: Manson and Letty. I have a vampire novel mapped out in my head. My two main characters are Manson, a clueless, average Joe who happens to cross paths one night with Letty, my sociopathic vampire. As you can imagine, nothing goes well for Manson. 

I think about those two and their intertwining stories often, even though I am currently writing a different novel.

Q: Have you found yourself bonding with any particular character(s)? If so, which one(s)?

A: Maybe not bonding, but I have my favorites. I love Ella from Ella is One of Many. Matea from my Santa Muerte series and Gracie from MalaBrava. Gracie, a vampire with ADHD, was so much fun to write.

Q: Do you have a character that you have been working on that you can't wait to put to paper?

A: A serial killer in MalaBrava, Book 2, who is not very good at what they do. It is a concept I have been working on for a while. Think of it as gallows humor they are doing their damnedest to become a serial killer. Still, they cannot get organized enough to pull it off. 

Q: Can you share your next creative project(s)? If yes, can you give a few details?

A: I’m currently halfway through writing my gothic horror novel, The Order of the Wicked. I read an autobiography about the life of a sequestered nun, and the concept of “evil nuns” eventually evolved into The Order of the Wicked. I plan to release it in the fall of 2028.

After that, I’ll begin writing MalaBrava, Book 2, because the MalaBrava series is such a good time to write. 

Q: What are some of your writing/publishing goals for this year?

A: I learned long ago not to give myself strict deadlines or put too much pressure on my writing. I have a full-time day job, so I write when I can. Since I do not earn an income from my books, I write my stories for pleasure when I have the time and feel inspired. I would like to publish two books a year, but if that does not happen, I do not stress about it.

Q: If you could have dinner/dinner party with 7 fictional characters, who would they be?

A: The Weasley’s. 

Q: If you could spend one week with 5 fictional characters, who would they be and where would you spend that time?

A: Not any particular character, but I would sign a lease to live in the world of The Other's by Anne Bishop. It's my favorite fantasy series. So cozy and wonderful.

Q: If you could go ANYWhere, money is not a concern, and spend one full year. Where would you go and what would you do with this time?

A: I am a big fan of Somebody Feed Phil on Netflix. His episode on Croatia took my breath away. I'm a water person. I love everything ocean, river, lake, stream, anything water. I would spend all my time swimming and being a mermaid.

Thank you Carol James Marshall for joining and giving a little insight to you and your process. Your work is appreciated.

Link Tree: https://lnk.bio/CJMauthor
Newsletter Signup: https://mailchi.mp/ce3ca8b02d56/cjm
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/carol_james_marshall_/
Amazon: 
https://www.amazon.com/stores/Carol-James-Marshall/author/B01KOFSSDQ
GoodReads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/15652313.Carol_James_Marshall

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COVER REVEAL - THRILLER - DEBTS OWED (Conor Thorn, #1) by Glenn Dyer

Debts Owed

Conor Thorn, #1

by Glenn Dyer

Publication date: November 1st 2026

Genres: Adult, Thriller

BLURB

France belongs to the Gestapo. His wife is trapped inside. And the only way in is a shadow mission no one will admit exists.

Spring, 1943. Conor Thorn is sick of losing those he treasured. So after the woman he loves gets sent behind Nazi lines on a secret assignment, the frantic OSS agent is ready to move heaven and earth to get her home safe. And when British intelligence offers to send him to Paris on an off-the-books hunt for a traitor, Thorn jumps in with no backup, no cover, and no idea who he can trust.

Landing in a city where the Gestapo owns the streets and collaborators control everything else, the grief-hardened American moves forward one forged paper and one held breath at a time. But while he helps to smuggle downed airmen past Nazi patrols and tracks down the traitor, the one person he longs to keep alive remains cloaked in danger.

As Conor’s enemies close in, can the desperate agent snatch his beloved from death’s arms?

Debts Owed is the taut fifth book in the Conor Thorn spy series. If you like relentless heroes, wartime treachery, and stories inspired by true events, then you’ll love Glenn Dyer’s atmospheric World War II thriller.

Buy Debts Owed to unmask a double agent today!

 

Author Info

GLENN DYER is a former commercial television executive whose career spanned over thirty-five years. That career took him to cities such as Salt Lake City, Dallas, Washington, DC, and Denver. He returned to Park City, Utah in retirement in 2013 to write full-time. He is an associate member of the International Thriller Writers, the Author’s Guild and The OSS Society. Glenn attended Villanova University and graduated from Boston University. He and his wife, Chris, have three children, all of whom live too far away. Visit his website at www.glenndyer.net and follow him on Twitter @duffy_dyer and Instagram @glennduffydyer.

Presented by

BOOK BLITZ w/EXCERPT - COMPTEMPORARY - LOVE NEXT DOOR: A 90's Anthem Duet by Eve Kasey & Melanie A. Smith

Love Next Door: A ‘90s Anthem Duet

by Eve Kasey & Melanie A. Smith

Publication date: September 1st 2026

Genres: Adult, Contemporary, Romance

BLURB

One volume, two steamy interconnected romances set in 1995 Seattle

Come to My Window
Hazel Bell has lost everything — her job, her apartment, and her future in Seattle. Now her whole world is a thrift-store wardrobe, a family of houseplants, and a stranger in the opposite window who knows exactly what to say.

They exchange notes instead of names. Confessions instead of introductions. And somehow, the man she’s never met becomes the one person she can’t live without.

Gideon Sarkis knows the truth would end them before they ever begin.

He knows exactly who Hazel is. But she doesn’t know him — or how badly he once hurt her. The more notes they write, the harder he falls. But with his obligations pressing in and her options disappearing, their time is running out.

Some windows are meant to be opened.

But some secrets can shatter everything.

Knockin’ on Heaven’s Door
Ben Pedersen is a ghostwriter stuck crafting someone else’s thrillers when a misdelivered package introduces him to the mystery of unit 203 — and its elusive occupant, Heaven Lee.

Lee is a software engineer burning the candle at every possible end, helping build one of the first online bookstores. She doesn’t have time for nosy neighbors. She barely has time for sleep. But the guy upstairs keeps getting her mail, and he’s funny, patient, and her dog likes him more than the UPS guy. So maybe one coffee not-date won’t kill her.

The neighborly arrangement that follows becomes something neither of them planned. But Lee won’t admit what’s in the misdelivered packages, and Ben’s writer brain won’t let a mystery rest. When curiosity crosses a line, both must decide what matters more: protecting their secrets or fighting for what they’ve found.

Love Next Door is two warm, witty nostalgic love stories about the secrets we keep, the walls we build, and the people worth tearing them down for.

Pre-order

 

Authors Info

Melanie A. Smith is an award-winning, international best-selling author of steamy romance with smart, self-sufficient heroines and strong, swoony book boyfriends with hearts of gold. A former engineer turned stay-at-home mom and author, when Melanie is not lost in the world of books you’ll find her spending time with her husband and son, crafting, or cross-stitching.

Eve Kasey writes for a design firm by day and reads (and writes!) indie romance novels by night. Her contemporary romances balance swoon and steam while aiming to teach readers something new. She loves romance for the hope the genre conveys as well as the amplification of the simple truth that everyone everywhere deserves a happily ever after - however that looks to them. Eve lives in and loves the Pacific Northwest.

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COVER REVEAL - CONTEMPORARY - SMITTY (Satan's Fury MC - Little Rock) by L. Wilder

Smitty

Satan's Fury MC - Little Rock

by L. Wilder

Release Date: August 18th 2026

Cover Designer: Mayhem Cover Creations

Cover Model: Dom

Photographer: Wander Aguiar Photography

Genre: MC Romance

I had nothing when I found her.

No roof. No patch. No name that meant anything to anyone.

I was just a man clawing his way out of the dark.

She didn’t see a lost cause.

She saw me. Loved me.

But I had wounds even she couldn’t heal.



So, I pushed her away.

Two years had come and gone.

I was no longer the broken guy with nothing.

I’d faced my fears and earned my patch.

I had everything I wanted. Except her.

I’d fought for a place I could call home.

Now, I would fight for her.

No matter what the cost.

Some people only get one chance at love.

I’m praying for a second.

Wall Street Journal and USA Today Best Seller, L. Wilder, writes about hot, alpha men and the women who love them. She currently has six series available for readers: The Devil Chaser's MC, Satan's Fury MC, Satan's Fury MC-Memphis, the Redemption Series, the Happy Endings Collection, and the Ruthless Sinners MC. If you're looking for a book that will keep you on the edge of your seat and have you smiling like a school girl at the end, L. Wilder is the author for you.

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