Posts

Showing posts from 2025

Debut Novel News: Beta Reader Copies Are Headed to Readers!

Image
   Hello, Fellow Bookworms and Book Dragons,            Full steam ahead! After nearly five years of writing in my spare time, my debut thriller is finally headed to Beta Readers. It is presented in three parts, each 100-200 pages long.       Part one is out there and being enjoyed so far. One reader already requested the second part.  Cover designed by Thomas Bahr II      Visit Bethlehem Heights, Connecticut, a city with secrets. One fiction author's move to true crime leads her to investigate the serial killer known as the Bethlehem Butcher.       In 1989, the future graduates of Marshelting High are terrorized by a deadly killer. One brave group of friends battles the odds as their classmates succumb to the Butcher.       What secrets will E.N. Daughtry reveal in 2019 before she is marked for death?       I am excited to finally release my novel to reader...

April Wrap-Up & May TBR

Image
  Hello, Fellow Book Worms and Book Dragons,          It was a crazy April. Not only did I travel a lot, but I also found some great book deals . My TBR is a lot larger. I picked up some old library copies of some Star Wars novels and new books from my favorite authors..   I also finalized the first Beat Reader Copy for my debut novel. They are ready for my beta readers, with 2 more parts to come. It will be easier for readers to give feedback on my book in sections. Each section will be 150 to 200 pages.   During all this, I did not read any new books since I was busy preparing my novel for beta readers. I also began my second novel's outline and prologue.            I am looking forward to reading again. My May reading picks (subject to change, of course) are mostly carried over from April:  A Game of Lies by Clare Mackintosh (read by Chloe Angharad Davies) Bad Liar by Tami Hoag (read by Hilary Huber) One ...

March Wrap-Up & April TBR

Image
    Hello, Fellow Book Worms and Book Dragons,          I admit I purchased more books in March than I read. But many of you most likely do the same thing. It's hard to say no when a good deal hits the bookstore . And March was filled with road trips to new bookstores. The air outside is Spring and nothing makes this book lover more happy than a widows-down car ride to a book sale.   But when I was reading, I was visiting one of my favorite authors and the start of her new detective series. I look forward to the next installment (review to come).   Here is my reading result for March: The Last Party by Clare Mackintosh (read by Chloe Angharad Davies)        My April reading picks (subject to change, of course) have a few thrillers and a childhood favorite: Bad Liar by Tami Hoag (read by Hilary Huber) The Butcher and the Wren by Alaina Urquhart (read by Sophie Amoss and Jo Knezevich) One Last Kill by Robert Dugoni...

The Xepherus Studios 2025 Reading Challenge- My Challenge Update

Image
  Hello, Fellow Book Worms and Book Dragons,    I hope you are getting some ideas for what you want to read in 2025 using this year's Reading Challenge!     It is time to share  my Reading Challenge picks. As always, my list may change depending on new releases. As I read my books, I will note them by highlighting them in bold. I will also add a link to any review I publish.    Book Challenge books read: (3/50)   Books Read Not in a Category: (01)   Total Books Read: (04)   Updated 03/31/2025  Xepherus Reads Challenge categories (in alphabetical order):                 A 2024 Goodreads Choice winner- You Like It Darker by Stephen King A banned book- Nineteen Minutes by Jodi Picoult A biography of a musician- Gold Dust Woman: The Life of Stevie Nicks by Stephen Davis A book a film was based on- We Used to Live Here by Marcus Kliewer A book an Amazon Prime show was based on- Killi...

February Wrap Up and March TBR

Image
    Hello, Fellow Book Worms and Book Dragons,          February 2025, where have you gone? With road trips, birthday parties, and a couple of days as a studio audience member on two talk shows, February has disappeared.   But did I read any books? The answer is kind of. I started 2 books and have yet to finish them. With that said, let's focus on March.     My March reading picks (subject to change, of course) have returning favorite authors and another childhood favorite: Bad Liar by Tami Hoag (read by Hilary Huber) The Butcher and the Wren by Alaina Urquhart (read by Sophie Amoss and Jo Knezevich) The Last Party by Clare Mackintosh (read by Chloe Angharad Davies)  Middle of the Night by Riley Sager (read by Santino Fontana) One Last Kill by Robert Dugoni (read by Emily Sutton-Smith) Ramona Quimby, Age 8  by Beverly Cleary (read by Stockard Channing)      Let me know  what you are reading  in the comm...

Book Review: The Third Victim (FBI Profiler #2) by Lisa Gardner

Image
  Hello, Fellow Book Worms and Book Dragons,          The Third Victim is Lisa Gardner's second book in her FBI Profiler series, published in 2001 by Bantam Books.     Fan-favorite Officer Rainie Conner is thrust into a horrific crime scene in the aftermath of a school shooting. With innocent lives taken, she not only has to tamp down her own emotions but also keep her rookie partner together as they process the scene. What she discovers sends her small town into chaos. Rainie knows what she sees and procedure dictates what she should do. But in her heart, she is certain not all of the facts are present. As she comes closer to the truth, she realizes she is in the cross-hairs of a killer who will not hesitate to remove her from the investigation permanently.      The too-real subject of shootings has weighed heavy on us in the past few years.  Lisa Gardner has handled tough subjects in the past, and I trusted her to g...