Author: ramblingmads

I am a thirtysomething from London, with a cat, a husband, bookshelves which keep threatening to crush me under their load and chronic health conditions. Basically your average over stressed millennial. Welcome.
blog tour, books, reviews

Blog Tour: The Cursed Heir – Heather Atkinson

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Edinburgh 1896. At Alardyce House, the family are gathered to celebrate the engagement of the heir to the estate, Robert, to his childhood sweetheart. But what should be a precious memory for his
mother Amy, is marred by darkness. For Robert’s biological father was a demon and a criminal, and now Robert is coming-of-age, disturbing reports are beginning to emerge about his behaviour.
Amy is torn between her love and loyalty to her son, her hope that she can save his soul, and her growing sense of dread that the streets of Edinburgh aren’t safe when Robert is in town. Meanwhile the increasing distance between Robert and his stepfather Henry threatens the peace of her loving marriage.
The Alardyce family is riven by secrets and scandal, but will this most cursed heir of all, be the one to ruin their reputation forever, or can the power of a mother’s love save them all?
If you love Emily Organ, Kate Saunders and Ann Granger, you’ll love The Cursed Heir. Discover bestselling author Heather Atkinson and you’ll never look back…
Please note this book was previously published as Corruption of the Son.
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Heather Atkinson is the author of over fifty books – predominantly in the crime fiction genre.
Although Lancashire born and bred she now lives with her family, including twin teenage daughters, on the beautiful west coast of Scotland. Her gangland series for Boldwood, set on the fictional Gallowburn estate in Glasgow begins with the title Blood Brothers.

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My thoughts: terrified her son has inherited the dark traits of his biological father Matthew and her cousin Edward, both rapists and murderers, Amy Alardyce and her husband Sir Henry will do anything to stop Robert from marrying sweet, innocent Jane, and keep him from harming any more maidservants. But nothing seems to be able to stop Robert from his path.

Amy is haunted by her past (The Lost Girls of Alardyce House, currently 99p for the ebook, tells her story) and especially by the terrible Matthew. Henry is desperate to save his wife and stepson from the past that threatens to destroy the family they’ve built.

Robert is a repulsive creature, beating servants, raping women and carousing and whoring with his friends. Violence flows through him. Jane, completely unaware of who he really is and refusing to hear her family’s concerns, is basically an idiot. Nothing penetrates her romantic imaginings and since Robert is sweetness and light to her, she never will.

The lengths his parents go to to stop him are extreme – from sending him to stern Uncle Abel and hiring his own huge minder, to cutting him off. But he just won’t listen. Which culminates in a chase to Gretna Green – where you can still elope to and get married over an old anvil (I saw it on a travel show!).

Poor deluded Jane has a terrible time ahead of her if Amy and Esther’s experiences are anything to go by. Amy and Henry can do nothing more. And Robert’s super creepy pal Andrew is still loitering around too. I can’t imagine the horrors those two will get up to in the next book.

*I was kindly gifted a copy of this book in exchange for taking part in the blog tour but all opinions remain my own.

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Blog Tour: What We Never Say – Paulette Stout

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SOMETIMES SECRETS ARE TOO BIG TO IGNORE.

After a lifetime of lacking confidence at work and in life, Rebecca has finally found her voice. Her blog for women is gaining traction, even getting noticed by the world’s top fashion magazine. When they request an article, Rebecca is beyond thrilled. So why is her boyfriend Kyle so concerned?

Kyle has a blank spot in his past he won’t share—not even with Rebecca. But his secret is blown when a powerful woman from Kyle’s fashion past, becomes desperate to get his attention. It’s attention he never wanted and has been trying to forget for eleven years.

As Kyle takes steps to heal, Rebecca’s article becomes a global sensation. Events force Kyle’s past and present to converge, putting Rebecca’s future at serious risk.

Kyle and Rebecca must now act to reclaim their lives before it’s too late.

With this bold novel, Paulette Stout delivers a deeply personal story that proves the power we hold to reclaim our own lives. What We Never Say is yet another bingeable read from a rising Women’s Fiction author.

This book includes delicate subject matter.

My thoughts: this book certainly packs a punch, covering some big issues; abuse of power, sexual assault in men, women’s sexual issues, relationships, work, ethics (stealing someone else’s work product is not ok) and weddings.

But it’s done really well and at no point does it feel like you’re being hit over the head with a book labelled “issues”. Instead through Rebecca and Kyle you come to see and understand the things that they’re struggling with, past and present, the impact it has on them individually and as a couple and how they deal with it.

The heaviness of some of the sybject matter is dealt with a lightness of touch. And while nothing is shied away from, you don’t end up feeling uncomfortable. Rebecca and Kyle are likeable people, they feel like the sort of people you might know – outwardly successful and happy, but with hidden depths and troubles.

I enjoyed this book and felt it brought things to the surface empathetically and realistically. These things can and do happen – and there is little understanding or support for men who are sexually manipulated and abused, and very rarely repercussions (much as with women who are victims of similar behaviour by men). The power imbalance is often too great.

The other issues are equally well handled and while some characters come out of this well, others do not (deservedly so). A clever and clearly well researched and developed set of characters and plots. Very interesting and thought provoking.

*I was kindly gifted a copy of this book in exchange for taking part in the blog tour but all opinions remain my own.

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Blog Tour: Arianne the Mistress – Wendy L. Anderson

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ArianneTheMistress copy

Check out the exciting next installment in The Legends of Everclearing series by Wendy L. Anderson, Arianne the Mistress!

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Arianne the Mistress (The Legends of Everclearing #2)

Publication: September 14th, 2022

Genre: Fantasy/ Epic Fantasy

Arianne will stop at nothing to escape life as a prostitute, even committing murder.

She’s not just the mistress running a brothel, but a temptress and an alchemist. Arianne creates an addictive elixir that can bring pleasure or death.

Lord Torrent, her regular client, has secrets of his own, and once forced to reveal what is best left unknown, he has to leave her. Arianne quickly learns not everything is revealed and the truth is not always as it seems.

Running from the life she hates; Arianne avoids prosecution for her crimes and travels far across the sea to find forgiveness for breaking his trust and spurning his love. There were rules she broke, battles she lost, and triumph in surrender.

Blind hope drives Arianne to find out the truth as she faces the uncertainty of love while he faces a never-ending war. How far will she go to assuage a broken heart? As far as the legendary land of Everclearing?

Arianne the Mistress, book two in the Legends of Everclearing fantasy romance series. If you like heart-stuttering adventure, intriguing characters, and a fantasy world full of wonder and mystery then you will love this next journey in the Legends of Everclearing.

Find out if trust can be regained, love revived, and redemption won.

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Excerpt

Tonight, she was going to break the rules! Maybe not all the rules, but surely some of them. Well…maybe all of them. Some or all, it was a risk she was willing to take.

During the years Arianne had lived at the Maiden’s Bower brothel, she never had a client like him before. When he appeared the first time, he made his demands and made his rules. Why he always chose her and not one of the other girls to perform this service was a mystery. From the very first, he commanded that she follow certain rules of engagement. Yes, her life was just like a war. There were rules, battles, and surrender.

Her husband was the proprietor of the Maiden’s Bower. Arianne had been a young girl when they married. Marriage only meant that she no longer had to earn food and shelter on her back. Except for this one client who had requirements that, until now, she had willingly obeyed.

The story of her life was not a new one. When she was very young, her unwed mother sold her to the brothel’s owner, and she never knew her father. Arianne did not differ much from the other girls who lived and worked as prostitutes at the Maiden’s Bower. When she came of age she was put to work as one of them. One lesson she learned from a very young age was to trust no one!

Her husband was a louse whom Arianne only referred to as, ‘the Bastard’ and not by his given name which she deliberately forgot. He took a fancy to her. The Bastard taught her to read and write and developed an appreciation for her head for numbers and her skill with potions. Eventually, he forced her into marriage, though he was at least twenty years older than her. At the time, Arianne realized that there were advantages to the union. One of them was that she could help run the brothel and stop earning her living satisfying the customers.

Then, just when her desperation to escape was the strongest, Lord Torrent appeared. Tonight, Arianne was expecting him once again.

Available on Amazon

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Killian the Assassin (The Legends of Everclearing #1)

Publication Date: March 30, 2022

Genre: Epic Fantasy

Assassin, thief, arrogant rogue…

Pagan drumming in Killian’s veins would never let his sword fail or his heart stop thirsting for blood. It felt as if the old gods gathered around him, waiting for blood to spill.

Killian the Assassin has been hired to guard the daughter of a wealthy Lord. Blackmailed into going on a perilous journey over treacherous seas, and among violent mountains, he faces danger and demons. Fighting the bloodlust that always follows him, Killian discovers a lonely, innocent girl who did not betray but has been betrayed. She deserves love and protection, but is he the one to give her what she needs?

Tainted by the need for salvation, driven by sword lust, darkness follows them as together they become the first in the Legends of Everclearing.

Killian the Assassin! He’ll double-cross you, bed your wife, and steal your gold, all with a smile.

Amazon

About the Author

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Wendy L. Anderson is a Colorado native and mother of two boys. She has an English Degree from Regis University and writes books, short stories and poetry. Wendy is a devout reader of the classics, fantasy, sci-fi and historical fiction. She has decided it is time to write down the fantasies from her own mind. Writing about everything from fantastical worlds to the stuff of her dreams she takes her stories along interesting paths while portraying characters and worlds she sees in her mind’s eye. Her goal is to deviate from common themes, write in original directions and transport her reader to the worlds of her creation.

Wendy L. Anderson | Facebook | Instagram | Goodreads

My thoughts: I liked Arianne, forced into a life she doesn’t enjoy, she escapes and tries to build a better one but she isn’t safe from her past or enemies. Using her skills as an alchemist and seductress, she attempts to find a new life free from the past and the brothel.

She’s married to a horrible man, yes he taught her to read and write but he also pimps her out in his brothel. Forced into marriage, another form of prison for her, she’s miserable and frustrated. Quite rightly she’s determined to get away from him. She’s clever, resourceful and her determination sees her through many struggles, and leads to something better.

This series is a lot of fun and enjoyable, I’m looking forward to seeing where it goes next.

Book Tour Schedule

October 24th

R&R Book Tours (Kick-Off) http://rrbooktours.com

The Faerie Review (Spotlight) http://www.thefaeriereview.com

Cocktails & Fairytales (Spotlight) https://www.facebook.com/CocktailsFairytales

Bunny’s Reviews (Review) https://bookwormbunnyreviews.blogspot.com/

October 25th

Books Blog (Spotlight) www.booksblog.co.uk

@caffeinatedbibliophilia (Review) https://www.instagram.com/caffeinatedbibliophilia

@gryffindorbookishnerd (Review) https://www.instagram.com/gryffindorbookishnerd/

October 26th

I Love Books & Stuff (Spotlight) https://ilovebooksandstuffblog.wordpress.com

@better_0ff_read (Spotlight) https://www.instagram.com/better_0ff_read/

@booksintheirnaturalhabitat (Spotlight) https://www.instagram.com/booksintheirnaturalhabitat/

October 27th

Latisha’s Low-Key Life (Spotlight) https://latishaslowkeylife.com/

@latishaslowkeylife – https://www.instagram.com/latishaslowkeylife

@accio_mischief (Spotlight) https://www.instagram.com/accio_mischief/

Rambling Mads (Review) http://ramblingmads.com

October 28th

Sophril Reads (Review) http://sophrilreads.wordpress.com

Reads & Reels (Spotlight) http://readsandreels.com

@calmstitchread (Spotlight) https://www.instagram.com/calmstitchread/

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Cover Reveal: Fountain Dead Audiobook – Theresa Braun

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I am thrilled to share this beautiful new cover of the upcoming audiobook edition of Fountain Dead by Theresa Braun! 

FOUNTAIN DEAD AUDIOBOOK copy

Fountain Dead

Expected Publication Date: Fall 2022

Genre: Mature YA/ Paranormal/ Ghost Story

Mark is uprooted from his home and high school in the Twin Cities and forced to move with his family into a Victorian in Nowhere-ville. Busy with the relocation and fitting in, Mark’s parents don’t see what’s unfolding around them—the way rooms and left behind objects seem alive with a haunted past. Of course, Mark keeps his ghostly encounters to himself, all the while sinking deeper into the house’s dark, alluring, and ultimately terrifying history. As romantic entanglements intensify, the paranormal activity escalates. Past and present come together. Everything is connected—from the bricks in the walls to the hearts beating in their chests, all the secrets of Fountain Dead are finally unearthed.

Coming Soon!

About the Author

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Theresa Braun has a Master’s degree in English literature and lives in South Florida where she has been teaching literature and writing for over 20 years. Traveling, ghost hunting, and all things dark are her passions (when she is not coming up with romantic subplots). She has presented at HWA conferences, as well as Utah Quills Conferences. Her published works include both novels and short stories that have appeared in various horror fiction publications. In 2018, she was included in a Best Speculative Fiction anthology.

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Blog Tour: Snowed in for Christmas – Sarah Morgan

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She’s snowed in with the family. The only problem? They’re not her family.

A family gathering
This Christmas the Miller siblings have one goal – to avoid their family’s well-meaning questions. Ross, Alice and Clemmie have secrets that they don’t intend to share, and they are relying on each other to deflect attention.

An uninvited guest
Lucy Clarke is facing a Christmas alone, and the prospect of losing her job – unless she can win a major piece of business from Ross Miller. She’ll deliver her proposal to his family home in the Scottish Highlands and then leave. After all, she wouldn’t want to intrude on the Miller’s perfect family Christmas.

A Christmas to remember
When Lucy appears on the Miller’s snow-covered doorstep, she is mistaken for Ross’s girlfriend. But by the time the confusion is cleared up, a storm has hit and Lucy is stuck. As everyone settles in for a snowed-in Christmas, tensions bubble to the surface and suddenly Lucy finds herself facing a big family fallout with a family that isn’t hers…

My thoughts: it’s time once more for the classic Sarah Morgan Christmas romance. And this time we’re in the Scottish Highlands with the Miller family and Lucy – a PR exec with a plan to save her boss and the company. But a few feet of snow means a change of plans.

The Millers are warm and welcoming, and meddling (I see you Nana Jean with your old lady schemes) and won’t let Lucy leave without some serious festive cheer. And will the Miller siblings find love in the snow?

These books are always a cheer, every family in them is delightful and they’re always very jolly – perfect in fact to read during Christmas.

*I was kindly gifted a copy of this book in exchange for taking part in the blog tour but all opinions remain my own.

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Blog Tour: A Study in Survival – W.H. Lockwood

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Welcome the book tour for the second installment in the Endymion College trilogy, A Study in Survival by W.H. Lockwood!

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A Study in Survival (Endymion College #2)

Expected Publication Date: October 27th 2022

Genre: Cozy Horror Romance/ Dark Academia

She survived the spirit. She survived the demon. She survived term one.

Winter at Endymion College should mean only good things for Anna James: books, best friends, and studying Gothic Literature under the most handsome professor Anna has ever laid eyes on. Unfortunately, just as she prepares to relax and enjoy her very hard-earned place at this coveted university, an impossibly dashing stranger arrives to turn everything upside down.

Suddenly, Anna finds herself caught in a life-or-death struggle against a fiendish new supernatural assailant, and with explosive revelations and closely held secrets forced out into the open, a tragic history comes back to haunt Anna and her friends.

Knife skills and friendships will be put to the test as enemies, both human and paranormal, work to destroy everything Anna has fought to build.

Can Anna get to the bottom of her haunted apartment mystery and resist the eerily familiar charms of a gorgeous new interloper, all while trying to keep herself and her friends alive? Or will she and those she holds dearest be torn apart by a new kind of evil?

Equally as gothic, just as romantic, even more dangerous, packed full of ghost stuff and demon stuff, Endymion College 2: A Study in Survival is the inappropriately-amusing, cosy-horror sequel you’ve been waiting for. It’s time to enrol.

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About the Author

Author

W.H. Lockwood writes feminist gothic and historical fiction, dark academia and cosy horror, all with a romantic twist.

Raised on a diet of Point books and Pepsi, only willing to leave her den to attend chess club at public school, W.H. Lockwood started writing at a young age and has kept this passion throughout her life.

Always a voracious reader, she obtained an undergraduate degree in literary studies from a gorgeous sandstone university, following that with a master’s degree in publishing and editing, then another master’s degree in astronomy, thus uniting her two great loves of the arts and science, leaving her utterly unqualified to cope with the real world.

These days, W.H. Lockwood works as a professional editor and can often be found aimlessly wandering through the coffee shops and bookstores of the beautiful city she calls home.

WH Lockwood | Twitter | Instagram | Newsletter | Facebook

My thoughts: we’re back at Endymion College for a second term, and while Anna is getting to grips with her relationship with Eve and her insane jealousy, making a new friend in Percy and reading a lot of books (oh I remember that from my undergrad days, so many books!) new danger is coming, because of course it is.

Dark, funny, clever and entertaining. I think I actually liked this even more than book 1 as the characters are more rounded and bedded in. They know themselves and each other a bit better but when new horrors show up, Anna needs to depend on her wits and the skills she picked up last time to survive. I think I would have transferred schools by now!

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Blog Tour: Red as Blood – Lilja Sigurđardóttir, translated by Quentin Bates

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When entrepreneur Flosi arrives home for dinner one night, he discovers that his house has been ransacked, and his wife Gudrun missing. A letter on the kitchen table confirms that she has been kidnapped. If Flosi doesn’t agree to pay an enormous ransom, Gudrun will be killed. Forbidden from contracting the police, he gets in touch with Áróra, who specialises in finding hidden assets, and she, alongside her detective friend Daniel, try to get to the bottom of the case without anyone catching on.

Meanwhile, Áróra and Daniel continue the puzzling, devastating search for Áróra’s sister Ísafold, who disappeared without trace. As fog descends, in a cold and rainy Icelandic autumn, the investigation becomes increasingly dangerous, and confusing.

Chilling, twisty and unbearably tense, Red as Blood is the second instalment in the riveting, addictive An Áróra Investigation series, and everything is at stake…

Icelandic crime-writer Lilja Sigurdardóttir was born in the town of Akranes in 1972 and raised in Mexico, Sweden, Spain and Iceland. An awardwinning playwright, Lilja has written four crime novels, with Snare, the first in a new series and Lilja’s English debut shortlisting for the CWA International Dagger and hitting bestseller lists worldwide. Trap soon followed suit, with the third in the trilogy Cage winning the Best Icelandic Crime Novel of the Year, and was a Guardian Book of the Year. Lilja’s standalone Betrayal, was shortlisted for the Glass Key Award for Best Nordic Crime Novel. In 2021, Cold as Hell, the first in the An Áróra Investigation series was published, with Red as Blood to follow in 2022. The film rights have been bought by Palomar Pictures in California. Lilja is also an award-winning screenwriter in her native Iceland. She lives in Reykjavík with her partner.

My thoughts: this was very good, much like my favourite Russian dolls, this was plot within plot. The kidnapping, Flosi’s dodgy financial arrangements, the family’s complex relationships, all neatly stacked inside one another as Daniel and Áróra dig into Flosi and Gudrun’s lives and business, more things start coming to light and it gets scary.

And then there’s Daniel and Áróra and their tangled personal relationship. He wants her but she wants him to find her sister more. Throw in an extravagant drag queen who believes in the little folk, Helena’s system and you have a complicated, messy world that this case makes more so by throwing people together in new and not entirely happy ways.

*I was kindly gifted a copy of this book in exchange for taking part in the blog tour but all opinions remain my own.

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Blog Tour: Pulse – B.A. Bellec

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Pulse copy

Welcome to the book tour for Pulse by B.A. Bellec! Read on for exclusive music and book details!

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Pulse (Book #1)

Publication Date: December 1st, 2021

Genre: Sci-fi Horror/ Thriller

Pulse is a plot-driven multi-POV dystopian sci-fi horror thriller set in 2040, centered around a corporation, a creature, and a music festival. Think Fyre Festival, Black Mirror, and X-Files combined. The story deals with themes of capitalism, consumerism, business, politics, pandemics, climate change, activism, and technology while bouncing between a diverse group of characters sure to entertain almost anyone. The book is already being praised for its fantastic use of horror, engaging world-building, and genre-bending approach utilizing some screenplay-like formatting. This is the first entry in a new series with the sequel well underway.

  • B.R.A.G. Medallion Honoree (Apr 2022)
  • The Wishing Shelf Finalist (Apr 2022)
  • Literary Titan Seal (Jan 2022)
  • Reader Views Seal (Dec 2021)
  • Readers’ Favorite Seal (Dec 2021)

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Available on Amazon

About the Author

HEADSHOT SQUARE

B.A. Bellec writes with a unique, modern, minimalistic voice. He is the author of Someone’s Story, his award-winning debut novel called a masterpiece by multiple reviewers. Never afraid of a challenge, Bellec switched genres to bring you this dark vision that simmered in his mind for years.

In addition to writing, Bellec also creates music. You can find it on his YouTube channel. Follow him on social media or at http://www.babellec.com to stay in the loop on new projects.

B.A. Bellec | Twitter | Instagram | YouTube | Facebook

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Blog Tour: Picture Perfect – Jeevani Charika

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Niro is a photographer who’s lost the joy of taking photos. Burned by a bad break-up, she’s in desperate need of inspiration.

Vimal is determined to win back his ex-girlfriend. When he hears she’s bringing her new boyfriend on a group holiday, he impulsively declares that he’s bringing a plus one too.

Their mutual friends have the perfect solution: Niro can pretend to be Vimal’s new girlfriend and join the holiday. Imagine the incredible photographs she could take in the Swiss alps…

She’s not thinking about love. He’s thinking about someone else. Can they fake a picture-perfect relationship – or will real feelings get in the way?

My thoughts: this was a fun and uplifting rom com set in a fancy lodge in the Swiss Alps. Vimal and Niro are thrown together by an interfering auntie (both are Sri Lankan, and like Asian aunties everywhere, they love to interfere). But Niro might just be able to help Vimal out with his ex-girlfriend, who’s also going to be on this trip.

There’s lots of romantic tropes to spot, and the characters are aware of them from rom-com movie nights. From the strangers to lovers, sharing a bed (awkward) and more!

There’s also some important messages about colourism, racism and privilege too, hidden in amongst the fun in the snow. It’s well done and subtle, but the author’s notes at the end remind you of their importance.

Niro needs to get her confidence back and Vimal needs to see he can move on from a relationship going nowhere. Both of them need a friend, and thankfully they’ve got each other and more in common than they thought.

*I was kindly gifted a copy of this book in exchange for taking part in the blog tour but all opinions remain my own.

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Blog Tour: Defilement – Jesse Nolan Bailey

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Defilement copy

Welcome to the book tour for Defilement, a terrifying collection of short stories by Jesse Nolan Bailey! Even the cover will give you nightmares!

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DEFILEMENT and Other Stories

Publication Date: October 10th, 2022 (Exclusively through Barnes and Noble)

Genre: Horror/ Short Story Collection (TWs will be provided before each story)

A boy and his father find impossible fossilized bones in their backyard…The disturbing contents and origin of a mysterious magazine conjure paranoia…Neighbors welcome a new couple by bragging about a miracle doctor who works from his garage…Memories from childhood fail to reconcile an old photo featuring an unidentified cryptid…Archaic gym equipment proves treacherous…A teen boy is plunged into a nightmarish realm known as Eden…

In these six stories, evil abounds, ready to defile.

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About the Author

author photo

Enthralled by the magic that written stories contain, Jesse Nolan Bailey has always wanted to be an author. With his debut novel, THE JEALOUSY OF JALICE, and his shorter fiction, AMETHYST, released to the masses, he can now claim such title with relief. He lives in Durham, North Carolina, where he has embraced the equally-gratifying lifework of hosting a trio of spoiled cats and two mini-aussies.

Jesse Nolan Bailey

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