Uncaged Book Reviews

NOTE FROM THE EDITOR

Welcome to November/December 2024 issue of Uncaged Book Reviews.The year has sped by, and now we are already gearing up toward all the holidays.

I hope you enjoy the last issue of 2024, it’s been a crazy year and it’s flown by. Be ready for the special issue of Uncaged that will focus on the Historical genre, coming out for a tentative release in February 2025. This will be in addition to the normal issues.

Merch is now available with more being added soon, and you will find the links HERE. This will include Uncaged themed items, Raven themes and some fun book and reading themes and will also include everything from shirts to coffee mugs. There will also be some horsethemed items available with a portion of those profits going to charity. Soon I hope to be selling also on Amazon.

We will be continuing with the “Buy 2, Get 1” promotion we’ve been running for the forseeable future. The promotion will only be for Full Page Ads, so if you buy 2, you will get one free. No other advertising will be eligible. With the issues selling out advertising more frequently, this gives more opportunities for all in advertising in the magazine. It really does help from a marketing standpoint, to have an advertisment run three issues in a row to repeat in the readers mind. You don’t just see a commercial on TV one time and remember it, right? So we will continue to try and provide the best bang for your buck and get the most eyes we can on your work.

Enjoy the November/December issue of Uncaged Book Reviews and have a safe and happy holiday season.

Issue 80 | November/December 2024

upcomingconventions

Uncaged will watch for any cancelations or modifications for the 2024 season. Please watch their websites for information as the dates get closer.

Rebels & Readers

November 1; Huntington, WV https://www.eventbrite.com/e/rebels-readers-authorevent-10th-anniversary-tickets-757264808427

Kentucky Book Festival

November 2, Lexington, KY https://kybookfestival.org/

Y’ALL Fest

November 15-16; Charleston, SC

https://yallfest.org/

Reader Author Vegas Event

November 14-15; Las Vegas, NV https://www.authornation.live/RAVE

Texas Book Festival

November 16-17; Austin, TX https://www.texasbookfestival.org

Miami Book Fair

November 17-24; Miami, FL https://www.miamibookfair.com

feature

authors

cozy mystery | historical

Meara Platt C.S. Kjar

Jade Lee

C.S. Kjar

C.S. Kjar is an award-winning author living in the West, where bison, deer, and antelope play. She writes wholesome stories set in small towns, where ordinary people are faced with tough choices that ultimately make them stronger. Her books of sweet romance, cozy mystery, and women’s fiction offer lighthearted fun with touches of humor and wisdom. Pronounced “care,” her last name reflects her care and passion for creating good books for readers to enjoy and as a reminder that in life, as in her books, caring for one another makes all the difference.

Welcome to Uncaged! Your latest book is Walkers on the Run: Oldsters Love Adventure. Can you tell us more about this book?

Walkers on the Run follows Leona Walker who is determined to uncover who broke into her home in Red Creek, South Dakota, and stole her most cherished belongings. With the help of her older sister Betty and their walker-toting neighbor Clarence, Leona sets off on a mission to recover her late husband’s wedding ring. Her search quickly spirals into a dangerous game, landing Leona in more trouble than she bargained for, including the possibility of facing murder charges. As her relentless pursuit puts her friends, her, and others at risk, Leona must decide if holding on to the past is worth endangering the present. Filled with humor, heart, and suspense, Walkers on the Run is the spirited first installment in the Oldsters Love Adventure cozy mystery series.

Other books in the series, Walkers on Water and Walkers on Thin Ice, will be released on a future date.

You also have a series called Daughters of Time, with three books out now. Are you planning on writing more in this mystery series?

This series came into being during a workshop I attended where our table plotted Book 1, the story of the three daughters of Father Time who don’t like each other and haven’t been in the same place for 15 years. Since the characters wouldn’t leave my head so I had to write it with the permission of my tablemates. I wrote three books with the characters and released them in the contemporary fantasy/mystery series: The Secrets of the Clock (solving the mystery of the magic clock), The Secrets of the Cottage (finding the ghost of a pirate’s long-lost love), and The Secrets of the Storm (Mother Nature is mad at Father Time and vows to destroy the cottage). All three are about sister relationships and how to maintain them with husbands, children, and holiday characters involved.

My readers are begging for a prequel to the series to describe the black wedding and its showdown that initially tore the sisters’ relationships apart. I’ve written it, but it’s not ready for release. Some of the

Uncaged welcomes C.S. Kjar

side characters in the book and sequel have very interesting stories to explore, so there’s a possibility of more books about the daughters of Father Time and Mrs. Hagg.

How do you use social media as an author?

Most of my readers are middle-aged to older women who spend time on Facebook and Instagram, so my focus is mostly on those two platforms. I spent years on Facebook with friends, so it was easy to expand it to my books. It provides a great place to see and get acquainted with other authors and readers and discover book signing opportunities. I’ve boosted posts and run ads on Facebook with fair success in book sales. This year, I opened an Instagram account to which my assistant posts my memes and information for me. I’ve enjoyed interacting with other writers, editors, and readers on that platform, so much so I wish I’d joined earlier. I recently set up a Pinterest account for my books and am still working on getting it going. So far, TikTok is not on my list because I’m still waiting to see if it’s going to be banned in the U.S. or stay in place. I’m on X but have had no success with being on there as a writer.

What behind-the-scenes tidbit in your life would probably surprise your readers the most?

I’m a late bloomer who tried all kinds of careers trying to find out who I am. I was a stay-at-home mom until I started college at age 30, graduating with degrees in mathematics and math education. I never took college level writing or English classes because I tested out of all of them. I wish I hadn’t. In searching for what I supposed to be, I’ve been a teacher, an artist, a substitute teacher (worse job ever), a statistician, a literacy tutor, a newsletter editor, a timber sale accountant, an archeological technician, a quilter, and a natural resources technical writer/editor (the best job I ever had). After I retired, I went to the West Texas Writer Academy and discovered who I truly was, a fiction writer.

If you could spend time with any author, living or

not, who would it be and why?

I’ve loved history all my life and would love to spend time with David Lavender who wrote some of my favorite history books. His research is detailed and well written, and I’d like to know how he does that. It would help me discover how to find small town people who have interesting stories that have never been told but hold a volume of wisdom. After that, I’d love to spend time with Lynn Austin, one of my favorite authors, and learn how she writes such wonderful historical fiction. Her writing inspires me to be a better writer.

What are some things you like to do to relax when you aren’t writing or working?

My husband and I travel quite a bit, and I do a lot of reading. Since the beginning of this year, I’ve been to

C.S. Kjar’s husband of 48 years, Craig

Texas, Hawaii, Idaho, Wyoming, Colorado, England, back to Wyoming, Oregon, Pennsylvania, West Virgina, and Virginia. My favorite times are quiet and peaceful like sitting on the beach with a book, sitting around a campfire, seeing beautiful scenery, reading in my own bed before I go to sleep, and being with friends and family.

they write. Do you like to have music/white noise or do you prefer it to be quiet?

I prefer to write in the quiet. I close my eyes and play the movie of my book in my mind while my fingers dance over the keyboard. Any sound I hear disrupts the movie and pulls me out of the zone. My husband bought me noise-cancelling headphones to help with that.

How would you describe yourself in one sentence or less?

I’m a playful, young-at-heart senior who loves books, writing, me time, family, friends, and most everyone.

What would you like to say to readers, and where can they follow you?

My books are filled with humor and mystery, and some were even finalists in national competitions. They are perfect for readers from eight to eighty and beyond, wholesome, light-hearted, with a sprinkle of humor and wisdom. They offer a pleasant escape from life’s challenges into a world where love and hope are the greatest possessions of all.

Please follow me on Facebook, Instagram, Goodreads, Amazon, Pinterest, and Bookbub. Sign up for my monthly newsletter at https://cskjar.com and get a free humorous short story about three older women who take over a coffee shop one morning.

Stay Connected

Enjoy an excerpt from Walkers on the Run

Walkers on the Run

C.S. Kjar Cozy Mystery

How did she get herself into this mess?

Elderly Leona Walker is determined to uncover who burglarized her home in Red Creek, South Dakota, and absconded with her treasured belongings.

She enlists the help of her older sister Betty and their squeaky-walker-toting neighbor Clarence. Their investigative escapades land them in hot water at every corner, and Leona might even face murder charges. Her relentless quest to retrieve her late husband’s wedding ring raises questions: Is she endangering herself and her companions? Does the end justify the risks? And is her sister Betty genuinely eccentric, or is it all an act? Dive into the humorous and spirited Book 1 of the ‘Oldsters Love Adventure’ cozy mystery series for the revelations.

Excerpt

Chapter 3

Leona and the others sidled into the ruined living room. Betty let out a cry of despair. Prissy squirmed free of Betty’s embrace and shot out the open door.

Leona had trouble keeping her emotions under control and trying not to choke on bleach fumes. This place didn’t feel like her home anymore. The serenity it once provided lay shredded and broken like all the contents.

After taking stock of the damage in the living

room and kitchen, Leona crept down the hallway, peering into Betty’s bedroom and the bath along the way. Betty’s normally spotless room had been ransacked. Her clothes were scattered everywhere, and the drawers of her wooden chest were thrown on the bed. Betty stood in the doorway, too stunned to enter farther. Clarence remained with her as Irene and George followed Leona down the hallway to her own bedroom. With Irene’s hand on her shoulder, Leona swung her bedroom door open. Her heart nearly quit beating, her body trembled, and her throat constricted. The bureau drawers had been emptied onto the bed and flung aside. She saw the edge of her jewelry box underneath clothes and unmentionables. She clawed through the pile, hoping she might find her most precious pieces left behind.

Jerking upright, she covered her mouth to keep the cry of anguish from escaping. All her jewelry was gone. The pearl necklace Joe gave her for their fortieth anniversary. The diamond bracelet for their forty-fifth anniversary only three years ago. But what hurt the most was the two things Leona most wanted to be there were gone. Her late mother’s ruby necklace and Joe’s wedding ring. She let out a distraught howl and began to cry. “Oh, my word! No!” she cried as she pawed through the clutter and mess on her bed.

“What is it, dear?” Irene pushed Leona’s hair away from her face.

“They’re gone!” Leona covered her face with her hands. “My most treasured possessions are gone!” She picked up one of her blouses off the bed and sobbed into it. Unwilling to believe it, she wiped her eyes and shuffled through the pile again, sorting clothes from underclothes as she went. She dropped to the floor and felt the carpet along the bedside and under the bed while George and Irene urged her to tell them what she was looking for.

Nothing. She sat back and clutched her aching heart. Joe’s wedding ring was gone. A sob made its way past the lump in her throat and another cry of anguish escaped her lips. That ring meant more to her than anything else on earth. It was her last link to Joe.

“Are you having a heart attack?” She looked up to see Clarence leaning over his walker, peering down at her with more wrinkles than usual across his brow. He

pulled his cell phone out of his pocket. “I’ll call 911.”

George reached out and put his hand over the phone.

“No, she’s not having an attack. She’s grieving over what she’s lost.”

Betty gently nudged her sister with her cane and told her to get up off the floor and sit on the bed. “Did they get Momma’s necklace?”

Leona nodded without looking at her.

“Oh no! Not Momma’s ruby necklace!” Betty sat beside her sister and sobbed along with her. When the crying subsided, Leona wiped her eyes with her hands. Irene got toilet paper out of the bathroom. She handed some to both of them but kept a small piece to wipe her own eyes.

The toilet tissue was black when Leona looked at it. Embarrassed for her friends to see her like that, Leona hurried into the master bath and looked in the mirror. Her mascara had run down her face and turned her normally pleasant expression into something from a zombie movie. One rub of a moistened face wipe, and she looked better. Less zombie like.

Irene stood in the doorway, her eyes red around the bottom. “What can I do for you, Leona?”

Leona shook her head, then wiped her face again.

“Nothing. It’s gone, and I have to accept it.” The breath she drew in was ragged. “I’m over the shock and ready to get to work.” It was a lie, but she didn’t want her friends to fuss over her.

Irene guided her through the kitchen and out the front door to the porch where the air was fresh and clean. George led Clarence and Betty out behind them. The sunshine, the singing birds, and the fragrance of flowers revived Leona and reminded her the world was still turning. Most things could be replaced or restored and those that couldn’t, maybe Smythe would find them. Hope still existed.

George talked about what he’d observed during his trips inside the house. Some items were unbroken, like pots, pans, and utensils, and only needed a good scrubbing to be reuseable. Not everything would need to be replaced.

Leona laughed to herself. She saw her 30-year-old Tupperware bowls had survived. Not even destructive burglars could damage Tupperware. Maybe in their rampage they’d found the two lids and one bot-

tom that were missing before the crime.

Clarence squealed his way home and found a spiral notebook for the list George Junior and Smythe wanted. When he came back, he started listing the things the group recalled were damaged. The joint effort was a small start but having the help of her friends brought a measure of comfort.

The TV was gone. Her old turntable was gone, along with the old records she’d kept from years gone by. Her VCR player was still there but must have been used to make some of the holes in the wall. Its mangled case lay among the VHS cassettes with the tapes pulled out and tangled together. The group discussed whether to make a claim on the outdated technology. Clarence scratched it off their list, but George told him to put it back on.

The china cabinet was face down and the only unbreakable things in it were the tablecloths. Everything else was likely shattered to smithereens. Somewhere she had a photo of her grandson in front of it. If she found that photo, it would help her remember what was there.

She, Irene, Clarence, and George made progress on the list until they noticed Betty was gone. Leaving them behind to check the notes, Leona hurried inside and down the hallway to her sister’s room where she found Betty picking up her clothes and hanging them up. Prissy watched from the sunny windowsill.

“Stop!” Leona cried out.

“What?” Betty stood frozen with a blouse in her hands. “I can’t stand this mess! If I can get my room neatened, I would feel better.”

“You’re hanging up clothes that the thieves had their hands on. Goodness, sister, at least wash them before you put those filthy things back in your closet.”

“On my clothes?” Betty’s mouth fell open with a grimace. “Eww! I didn’t think about those horrible people touching my clothes! We need to wash everything.” She threw the blouse she was holding across the room and held out her hands like they had been rubbed in poison ivy.

Betty slumped onto her bed. “I don’t understand who would do this. We don’t have anything worth

stealing. Why did they have to be so evil? I hope an elephant tramples those thieves into mud so deep they’ll never see daylight again.”

Fat chance of that happening, Leona thought. If and when the police found them and they came to trial, she’d be there to burn a hole through them with her laser stare. In her former life as a teacher, her students always said they could feel the burn. She put an arm around her sister. “Go wash your hands, then join the rest of us.”

Leona went back to the porch where the others were formulating a plan of attack for cleaning. The topic was too much to bear. Leona sat in her chair and rubbed her eyes, hoping to ease the fatigue headache that was pounding in her head. The urge to shower and go to bed was almost overwhelming, but she had nothing to put on and no place to lie down. Her head ached more.

George wrote in the spiral notebook. “I added your mother’s ruby necklace to the list. In addition to those, I have the TV, the record player, and your computer and monitors. Those are the things missing. I started a second list for the things destroyed and need to be replaced, like the sofa, recliners, end tables, lamps, and china cabinet and contents. Most of your food stock has been destroyed so that goes on the list as well.” George closed the spiral notebook and gave it to Leona. “It’s only a start. You’ll have to include your clothes, bedroom furniture, and anything else you find.” She looked through the list quickly, not really caring about it. It took considerable effort to force her brain to consider the breadth of all the damage. “I have a photo of my mother with the necklace on, but who knows where it is in this mess. I didn’t take photos of my TV or things like that.” Leona let out a soft laugh. “Does anyone?”

Clarence cleared his throat and readjusted his seat. “I read that you should video your house so if it gets robbed, you have documentation of your possessions. I did that quite some time ago. I probably should do it again.”

George seconded the motion. “George Junior had us do it.”

Leona looked across her lawn and down the street

in hopes her face wouldn’t show her sorrow. The whole world knew about doing this, but she’d missed the memo.

The afternoon sun was fading as evening came toward them. When darkness came, she didn’t want to be in the shambles of her house. Creepy, crawly feelings squirmed up her arms. She and Betty still had to buy something to wear, go by the pharmacy to start the process of getting replacement medications, and drive to the hotel. Oh, a cat cage for Prissy. She wouldn’t share a hotel room with that cat running free. She suddenly stood up, “Let’s go. We’ve done all we can today. I have errands to run before we can rest.”

“Can I help?” Irene offered. “I could go get you new clothes and underclothes while you tend to other things. I’ll bring them to you at the hotel.”

And tell her what size underwear she wore? Leona would never do that. That information was as top secret as nuclear codes. It was sweet but nothing doing. Leona gave her the sweetest smile. “Thanks, but we’ll pick up something.”

Irene and George left to go home, promising to come back and help clean. Leona scurried off to her room to take one last look, for something, but she didn’t know what. Her prescription medicines were gone, and she wouldn’t wear any of these clothes ever again. She quickly turned and left.

Don’t miss these titles:

Meara platt

Meara Platt is an award winning, USA TODAY bestselling author and an Amazon UK All-Star. Her favorite place in all the world is England, which may not come as a surprise since many of her stories are set amid the idyllic seacoast landscape of Cornwall, where moonbeams kiss the sea in her Moonstone Landing series, and the majestic crags and dales of the Lake District where her dragon shifter dukes prowl within those misty dales in the Regency “romantasy” Dark Gardens series. Learn more about Meara’s lighthearted and humorous Regency romances in her Farthingale series and Book of Love series, or her warmhearted Regency romances in her Moonstone Landing series, and her Dragon Lords in the Dark Gardens series by visiting her website at www.mearaplatt.com.

Uncaged welcomes Meara Platt

Welcome back to Uncaged! You have the start of a new series releasing in October called The Silver Dukes and the first book is Cherish and the Duke. Can you tell us more about this book and the series?

It is a pleasure to be back here with you, and thank you for all the wonderful work you do to support authors and their stories. Oh, yum, those Silver Dukes! This series features handsome, older heroes (in their forties) with a dash of silver in their hair who are determined never to marry (or remarry), and heroines who are in their mid to late twenties and considered spinsters. As with most of my stories, these contain humor and are designed to leave the reader with a smile on their face and a good feeling throughout the day. In Cherish and the Duke, our Silver Duke Gawain, Duke of Bromleigh, has decided it is time for his nephew and heir to marry, so he sets out to find the right young lady for this wayward young man. While at a country house party, he meets the lovely Cherish Northam, daughter of the late Earl of Northam and decides she is perfect

– brains, beauty, wit, and charm. But Cherish is shy and knows little about flirting with men, so Gawain undertakes to teach her in the hope she will catch his nephew’s eye. Can you guess the problem? Right! Gawain is horrified to realize he is falling in love with Cherish himself. This story will have you laughing as Gawain’s family (nephew included) conspire to match him with Cherish.

You have a few other series running, The Farthingale Series, The Moonstone Landing series and The Book of Love Series. Are you still writing in these series also?

Most definitely, yes! I get so involved with these families and each hero/heroine that it is very hard for me to ever let them go. My latest releases in the Farthingale Series are Marigold and the Marquess, and The Make-Believe Marriage. In 2025 I will have A Slight Problem With The Wedding, the next Farthingale release. I have written the Farthingales into the Book of Love series as well. They are such a fun, crazy family with lively heroines all bearing

the names of flowers and a propensity to get into a heap of trouble. Those poor heroes don’t stand a chance once they walk down Chipping Way and encounter one of John and Sophie Farthingale’s daughters or nieces (and every female within six degrees of blood affiliation is considered a niece). In 2025 I hope to write another Book of Love story (#16 full length book in that series) and another Moonstone Landing story (#7 full length book in that series) because this Moonstone Landing series is such a glorious mix of heartwarming and fun (because even misery is written with a light touch) –wounded heroes who come to this picturesque seacoast village in Cornwall for the purpose of healing and along the way find true love. I hope everyone is enjoying The Moonstone Pirate, a charming, humorous story filled with adventure and an adorable dog named Parrot. I also hope to write another “romantasy” in my Dark Gardens series because these Dragon Lord bad guys (some of whom are 3-flames hot) lost their High King in the last book (Garden of Angels) and now have a vacant throne to be filled.

How do you use social media as an author?

Oh, ha, ha. I would say I use social media fairly poorly. I pretty much stick to Facebook where I have my author page and belong to several wonderful historical and Regency specific groups, along with other groups about England/Scotland history that I just enjoy. I am on Instagram but hardly ever post. Would love to try TikTok but haven’t had the time, although I know I should make time for it. I think the historical romance community on Facebook is filled with very nice, kind readers, and this is where I am most comfortable. I try to stay away from negative groups or posts because I am very much opposed to anyone putting others down for any reason.

What behind-the-scenes tidbit in your life would probably surprise your readers the most?

I think most readers would never guess that my early childhood was spent as a refugee. We were

basically stateless until we finally became US citizens when I was a teenager. The thing this experience taught me most was the power of kindness, how the smallest act can affect a struggling person’s day for the better, even something as small as a smile. The experience also taught me that our human spirit can bounce back from anything and will make you braver as you face the natural difficulties that many of us will face in life. This is why I always look at the positive, never demean anyone, and am never afraid of saying yes to whatever possibilities might come along.

If you could spend time with any author, living or not, who would it be and why?

Oh, my. That is a difficult question because there are so many talented authors in every genre that I admire. Truly, I could not pick one but would gather a team that included William Shakespeare, Jane Austen, Lord Byron, Percy Bysshe Shelley, Joseph Conrad, Umberto Eco, JRR Tolkein, Victoria Holt, Edgar Allan Poe to

name a few. Shelley wrote a poem called Love’s Philosophy that I think is one of the most beautiful poems ever written and I used it for inspiration for The Moonstone Hero. It is also the way I felt about the fictional seacoast village of Moonstone Landing and its lore that the moonstones beneath the sea will shine on the night of a full moon when true love is in the air. In Shelley’s poem, he writes:

And the sunlight clasps the earth

And the moonbeams kiss the sea

This is the beauty I felt when describing the village of Moonstone Landing, a place where injured heroes come to heal their damaged bodies and souls – and of course, find true love.

What are some things you like to do to relax when you aren’t writing or working?

With my work schedule and writing output, I have very

little time for relaxation. However, writing for me is a form of relaxation. I’ll work in the garden or do crossword puzzles and jigsaw puzzles. I do a lot of couch potato things that don’t require me to move around much, although I am fairly active most days. I’m also a bit of a foodie, so I’m always up for trying a new restaurant or tasting dishes I have never tried before.

A lot of authors like music or background noise when they write. Do you like to have music/white noise or do you prefer it to be quiet?

I definitely need it to be quiet when I am writing. I might have a song that goes through my mind when I am writing, but I won’t actually play it while I write because it is too distracting. In the Farthingale series book The Duke I’m Going To Marry, the song Today I Met The Boy I’m Gonna Marry by Darlene Love went through my head the entire time. For The Moonstone Marquess (oh, what a sexy dog he is!) I was inspired by Ed Sheeran’s Bad Habits because

it had that sexy, throbbing beat that suited my hero, Cormac, so perfectly.

How would you describe yourself in one sentence or less?

I think I can describe myself in a word - optimistic.

What would you like to say to readers, and where can they follow you?

Of course, I would like to thank all my readers, past, present, and future who take the time to read my books, and especially those who have been so incredibly kind and supportive over the years. I now have over 60 books released, something I never in my life thought would happen. Just shows that dreams can come true! Some pundits say to write for yourself or write to the market, but I just think of my readers and hope my books will make them happy as they read.

If readers would like to learn more about me and my books, here are a few links to peruse – they can follow me on Facebook, Amazon, Bookbub, and sign onto my newsletter to learn more about my upcoming releases or specials on past releases, as well as a freebie novella called If You Kissed Me. Last, but not least, I want to thank you again for giving me the opportunity to speak about these books that I love and are close to my heart.

Enjoy an excerpt from Cherish

and the Duke

Cherish and the Duke Meara Platt Historical Romance

Sometimes, the best-laid plans go awry in the best way.

Gawain Burton, the Duke of Bromleigh, is a Silver Duke, and everyone in the ton knows these exceptionally handsome forty-something men with some gray salted in their hair have no intention of ever marrying. However, carrying on the Bromleigh title is important, and Gawain is determined to find a proper wife for his nephew and heir. To that end, he attends a house party at the country estate of his cousin, Lady Shoreham, who claims to have found his nephew the perfect wife. Gawain heartily agrees with her choice, for Lady Cherish Northam is intelligent, soft-spoken, has a lovely sense of humor, and is beautiful. Her hair is the color of molten honey and her eyes are a dark brandy brown. The only problem is that she is shy, and Gawain must help her overcome that shyness and put herself forward so that his nephew notices her. Gawain certainly has noticed her…and, dear heaven, she seems to be noticing him. Will his heart allow him to give up Cherish?

Lady Cherish Northam’s life has taken a turn for the worse after the death of her parents. She finds herself reduced to little more than a servant in what was once her own household. Her uncle, the new Earl of Northam, is a toad who means to keep her on as unpaid help. So when her friend and neighbor, Lady Shoreham, invites her to her house party, Cherish leaps at the chance. She needs to marry to claim the trust fund inheritance her father left in the control of

her uncle, but what seems a simple decision becomes quite complicated when she falls in love with Gawain. He is a Silver Duke and everyone knows these gorgeous-as-sin dukes do not marry. Can she harden her heart and marry his nephew? She doesn’t think so. But what choice does she have? Unless… Can she possibly win Gawain’s heart?

Excerpt

Chapter One

Shoreham Manor

Brighton, England

August 1817

Dear heaven, he is gorgeous. Lady Cherish Northam stared at Gawain, Duke of Bromleigh, who had just arrived at Shoreham Manor, the Brighton estate of her dearest friend and neighbor, Lady Shoreham. He strode into the parlor with his two friends, also dukes, and all three of them graying at the temples. These men were known throughout the ton as the Silver Dukes, and Cherish now understood what all the fuss surrounding them was about. They weren’t so much silver as silverish, for there were only hints of gray shot through their hair and none of them looked at all feeble.

A buzz of excitement filled the air as others noticed them.

They had arrived fashionably late to Lady Shoreham’s week-long house party, striding into the room with all the arrogance of warriors just returned from battle. Lady Shoreham, who stood beside Cherish, now frowned. “So typical of those beasts to purposely make a grand entrance. Now all the ladies are going to fuss and flutter over them because they are dukes and too handsome to ignore.”

“Is that so terrible, Fiona?” Cherish asked. “Was this not the point of your house party, to match unmarried young ladies to eligible gentlemen?” “Yes, but these three are confirmed bachelors, and it

will take more than a week to wear them down.” She tapped a finger to her lips as she stared at them. “But wouldn’t it be fun if we managed it?”

“We? Oh, no.” Cherish’s eyes rounded in surprise. “Fiona, do not get any silly ideas into your head, especially about me.”

“You are my dearest friend,” Fiona said with a little sniff. “I would never do anything to hurt you.”

Cherish trusted Fiona. In fact, she adored her. But she could also tell that her friend was plotting something.

Dear heaven.

She hoped Fiona was not thinking to match her to one of those ton gods.

“Oh, drat,” Fiona said with a huff. “The ladies are already fluttering around them. What a nuisance. And just look at how those rascals are eating up the attention. They will ruin my party because no lady will pay attention to the other gentlemen while busy swooning over those old dogs. What gall, showing up late. They did this on purpose to rile me, I’m sure. I ought to toss them out on their vaunted backsides.”

Cherish laughed. “Why did you invite them if they were only going to rile you? And especially if they are not of a mind to marry.”

“I had to. Bromleigh is a cousin of mine, and we are on a mission.”

Cherish wanted to ask what sort of mission, but they were interrupted as the three dukes now marched toward them with smiles on their faces. She meant to ease away, but Fiona grabbed her hand. “Stay right here, Cherish. I have need of you.”

“What for? Surely you do not need me to—”

“Gawain!” Fiona cried with abundant cheer, giving her cousin, the stunning, dark-haired one with

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a hint of silver at his temples and striking green eyes, a kiss on the cheek as he reached their side. “Sorry we’re late, Fiona.” He bussed her cheek in return. “Camborne’s horse threw a shoe and it took us forever to find a farrier to repair it.”

“I suppose there were serving maids to comfort you while you waited at the nearest tavern,” Fiona muttered. “You had better be on your best behavior here, or I will never forgive you.”

The other two dukes now joined them in time to hear her grumbling.

“Och, no lassies for us,” Malcolm, Duke of Camborne, assured her. “We’ve sworn off them. Well, I have for now. It’ll be off to Scotland and fishing next for me. Alone, I assure ye. I’ll be having no theatrics from a fish.”

Cherish had read in the gossip rags about this duke’s latest fiasco with some actress, but she kept her expression blank. It was not her place to approve or disapprove of his behavior. She disapproved, of course.

Connor, Duke of Lynton, nodded as he stepped forward to give Lady Shoreham a kiss on the cheek. “I have my own theatrics to attend to,” he said with a light groan. “My children are acting up again. I fear I will have to cut short my visit and return to Lynton Grange to see what they have done to their latest nanny. I hope to still find her alive.”

Fiona appeared genuinely concerned. “Oh dear. When will you go, Connor? But yes, you must go to your children. They are most important and you mustn’t neglect them.”

The Duke of Lynton laughed. “Neglect them? I cannot be away from them for more than a week or two before they act out. I suppose it is their way of telling me to come home, which I will do tomorrow. But I wanted to see you first. It has been

too long since…well, since you lost your Albert. I’m sorry I did not visit sooner.”

“You’ve had your own troubles,” she said with genuine sincerity. “How are you managing on the whole?” “Apparently quite badly, if you ask my children. However, I think I am doing well. And you?”

“I am managing, mostly because of the kindness of good friends.” She now turned to Cherish, who had remained beside her despite her wish to run away from these daunting men. “Lady Cherish Northam is my neighbor and dearest friend. You might have known her late father, the Earl of Northam? He was a lovely man and not to be mistaken for his toad of a brother, who recently inherited the title. Well, he is a halfbrother who can only be described as despicable.”

“Fiona,” Cherish said in an urgent whisper, wishing her friend was not so vocal in her opinions.

She tried not to blush as each duke in turn bowed over her hand, the Duke of Bromleigh being the last to greet her and somehow neglecting to let go of her. “Lady Cherish, it is an honor,” he said in a husky rumble that shot tingles through her. “None of us were well acquainted with your father, but he was reputed to be an excellent man. Seems you are cut from the same cloth. My cousin speaks very highly of you.”

Dear heaven, this Silver Duke was devastatingly handsome and quite dangerous. What had Fiona told him about her? Why had she told him anything?

“Thank you, Your Grace.” She held her smile, waiting for him to release her hand. When he did not, she finally slipped it out of his grasp. “I ought to leave you to catch up with each other. I am only in the way.”

“Stay, Lady Cherish,” the Duke of Bromleigh said, his gaze lingering on her with enough heat to melt her insides. Was this duke eyeing her for a meal? Well, she had no intention of becoming the latest gullible lady to satisfy his appetite. “My cousin is obviously busy, so why don’t you take me around to make introduc-

tions?”

She swallowed hard. “Me? You must forgive me, Your Grace. I do not know most of these guests. You see, I have not been to London in quite a while. Not since I was a little girl.”

He frowned. “Were you never presented at St. James?” “No.”

Fiona took it upon herself to embellish Cherish’s response. “Lady Cherish had her hands full managing her father’s estate when she ought to have been making her debut. My dear Albert and I offered to sponsor her at the time, since her parents were not in good health and could not manage the London whirl.”

His frown deepened. “Did they refuse?”

Cherish cleared her throat. “No, I refused. I am an only child and all they had. They were my heart and my life. I could not leave them in their time of need.” His expression softened. “I see. And what of now? Will the new Earl of Northam sponsor you?”

“No,” Fiona cut in, her tone incensed. “He is an ogre, Gawain. Utterly detestable. Why he—”

“Fiona,” Cherish whispered once more. “Please.”

She did not need her dirty linen exposed to these strangers. Besides, she was too old now to make a debut. Standing among all the fresh young partridges would only make her look ridiculous.

“Lady Cherish, I see your throat is parched. So is mine.” The Duke of Bromleigh held out his arm to her. “Come onto the terrace with me and we shall have a lemonade.” He gave her no chance to protest, wrapping her arm in his and then placing a hand over hers to make certain she did not dart away. “My friends will not be here long, and I am sure they would prefer to chat with Lady Shoreham without us.” Cherish thought his excuse was utter nonsense, but

did not protest, since others were on the terrace and there was a refreshing breeze off the sea. She had to admit, the odor of sweating bodies and stale perfume was a bit overpowering in the parlor. Even though the doors and windows had been thrown open, there were too many guests packed in here to allow the breeze to properly circulate.

As for this duke, despite his having just arrived after a long ride, his scent was divine. A mix of bay spices and male heat. A bead of sweat trailed down his neck. Cherish blushed as she watched it slowly slide along his skin.

She wanted to put a finger to it. Perhaps take out her handkerchief and gently dab it dry.

Or put her lips to it and taste it.

Dear heaven. What would he think of that?

Probably nothing at all, since he must be used to women fawning over him. He had to know how the fairer sex responded to him. He was tall and powerfully built, somehow managing to look exquisite despite his long journey and the heat of the day.

She groaned inwardly, hating to think she was no better than the mob of silly ladies who simpered over him. But she could not blame them, for there was a ruggedness to this man she found irresistible. Everyone turned to watch them as he escorted her onto the terrace. What did he want with her? The other ladies surely were wondering the same.

He motioned for one of the footmen to bring them lemonade and then led her to a bench under a shade tree just beyond the terrace. They were now in Fiona’s garden surrounded by a soft breeze that carried the lemony scent of roses from a nearby arbor.

There was nothing improper about their sitting together, since others were strolling on the grounds and they were in full view of the parlor, yet it all felt exceedingly improper because she was with

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him. “Tell me more about yourself, Lady Cherish.” She pursed her lips, not liking this one bit. “Your Grace, I am sure this will sound impertinent, but why do you wish to know anything about me?”

He arched an eyebrow and laughed. “You do not like that I am paying you attention?”

“Not at all, to be truthful.” Honestly, would a hen be pleased to find a fox licking his lips while staring down at her in the henhouse? It was no different for her to be caught under the assessing gaze of this handsome fox.

“Why not? I expect every young lady here is wishing at this moment to exchange places with you.”

“Modest fellow, aren’t you?” Oh, she ought to have kept her mouth shut. He would now take insult, and Fiona would be irritated with her for offending him within minutes of his arrival. She rose, muttering something about the need to excuse herself. He rose along with her, his eyes agleam as he caught her wrist gently and held her back. “Stay, Lady Cherish.”

“I’m afraid I cannot. Will you let me go?”

“No.” His laughter was deep and rich, as divinely husky as his voice. “Forgive me if I am too forward. You are right to rebuke me. It is easy to be full of myself when all I receive is adulation. But I am glad you are not like the others. It is refreshing to chat with someone as sensible as you.”

Cherish shook her head. “No, actually, quite the opposite is true. If I were sensible, I would have grabbed the chance for a Season or two and found myself a biddable husband.”

“Biddable?”

“Yes, someone who would have allowed me to stay with my parents to nurse them and not made a fuss about it. Someone who…” She sighed. “Well, it did not happen.”

“And now you are in a coil because your father has broken your heart by leaving everything to the new earl, including a trust fund reportedly set up for you that he controls.”

She stared at him in surprise. “How did you know? Oh, of course. Lady Shoreham wrote to you about my circumstances. How much did she tell you?”

He arched an eyebrow.

By his expression, Cherish gathered he had been told everything. “And now that I am utterly humiliated, I hope you will excuse me.”

He would not let her go. “No, I am not of a mind to excuse you. In fact, I would like you to sit with me and tell me more about yourself.”

His hold remained gentle but firm.

“Why in heaven’s name do you care? Well, I don’t suppose you really do. But if you think I am now some sad spinster who will be an easy mark for you, then think again.”

His smile was devastatingly appealing. “I was not considering that at all. How old are you? Twenty? Well, probably older than that, although you do not look it. Twenty-two? Twenty-three?”

“I turn twenty-five next month.” She was now blushing furiously and wishing he would just walk away and leave her alone.

“And your trust fund will not be released to you until you turn thirty, or is it thirty-five? Or unless you marry?”

Cherish felt completely stripped of her dignity by this man. Why was he asking her these questions? The conversation was completely inappropriate. More important, why was she fool enough to stand here and listen? Well, she had to admit that despite his roguish reputation and impossibly good looks, there was something

quite trustworthy about him. She did not know why she should think so. Perhaps because there was no hint of condescension in his voice.

In fact, his deep rumble was quite soothing. He also had a broad and lovely shoulder to cry on. She feared to succumb to his comforting manner.

No, she would never dare get that close to him.

“You seem to know all there is to know about me,” she said, no doubt sounding a little snappish. “Now, you really must let me go, Your Grace. I doubt we have anything more to say to each other, unless you wish to save me from my desperate straits by offering to marry me. Do you?”

She was certain that comment would chase him off.

Why was the wretch still smiling at her?

He appeared quite relaxed and certainly amused as he said, “In truth, I am almost tempted.”

She laughed at the sheer impossibility of it. “Dear heaven, you are a haughty fellow.”

His expression turned serious. “I am not going to offer to marry you, but I know someone who will. I am speaking of my nephew, Lord Reginald Burton. He is my sister’s only son and my heir. Have you met him?” Cherish swallowed hard as she nodded. “The one who laughs like a woodpecker?”

Bromleigh winced. “Only when he is drunk.”

“Which he has been since arriving at Lady Shoreham’s two days ago. I’m sure you’ll find him off in the study with some of the younger reprobates digging into her stock of brandy.”

“Ah, then you have met him.” He raked a hand through his hair. “He is nice looking, isn’t he?”

Cherish was either going to hit this arrogant man or

choose to go along with the humor in the absurd situation. She chose the humor because she was not a violent person and would never strike anyone. “Did you plan this ambush of me with Lady Shoreham?”

“I wouldn’t call it an ambush,” he replied.

“Oh, then what would you call whatever it is that you are doing?”

“Matchmaking,” he said in all seriousness. “Fiona is my cousin and sort of a godmother to Reginald. We are worried about him. He is a good lad, but perhaps immature for his age. At the age of six and twenty, he ought to be thinking like a man and building a respectable future for himself. We were hoping that marriage to a beautiful, sensible young lady like you might appeal to him and mold him into the good man he has it in him to be.”

She curtsied, bowing low and keeping her gaze on him as she said, “Well done, Your Grace. You have thoroughly humiliated me, completely demolished my pride and self-respect. I thank you for considering me as the sacrificial lamb, but I must decline.” She straightened and glowered at him. “Do me the courtesy of never speaking to me again.”

His mouth gaped open.

Was this man serious? Had he believed she would leap at the chance to marry his wastrel nephew just because her life was utterly abysmal at the moment?

Well, perhaps she was the idiot. But she could not bring herself to sell her soul to some dolt who would never love her.

She strode back into the parlor and sought out Fiona, hoping to draw her aside for a serious conversation. Fortunately, she happened to find her in the hallway with her housekeeper, the very able Mrs. Harris, discussing room arrangements. Cherish approached as soon as the housekeeper hurried off.

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“Fiona, how could you do this to me? I thought we were friends.”

“Do what, Cherish?” She appeared genuinely confused.

“Foist me on your nephew, Reginald Burton. Will you deny this was your scheme all along?”

Fiona’s eyes widened in surprise. “Bromleigh told you that? Lord, he is such an ass.”

“For telling me the truth about your intentions? Yes, he is a supreme ass and impossibly arrogant, but at least he is honest about your schemes.”

Fiona emitted a trill of laughter. “His scheme.”

Cherish eyed her warily. “Only his?”

“Good heavens, you don’t think I would ever consider matching you with Reggie. You are completely unsuited to each other. However, Bromleigh is determined for the lad to marry someone strong of heart, reliable, intelligent, and honest. Good looking, too, since Reggie has an eye for the ladies and would not look twice at someone he did not deem beautiful. I immediately thought of you. Apparently, Bromleigh believes you have all these qualifications. It certainly did not take him long to approve. One glance at you and he knew.”

“But—”

“I knew it as well, but that is because we have been friends for quite some time now. And before you berate me, just be aware that I quickly dismissed you as a possibility for Reggie.”

“Thank goodness for that,” Cherish muttered.

“Indeed, you are far too educated for him. Oh, I love him dearly. But he can be a bit of a clot at times, don’t you agree? I put your name forward

and am only pretending to go along with Bromleigh’s scheme because…well, because my scheme is something altogether different.”

“Yours?” Cherish clasped her hands, now worried about what Fiona had in mind.

“Do you really think I would burden you with Reggie? Oh, he is a good-hearted boy, but I fear this is all he may ever be. Sweet, fun loving, and not nearly as sharp as Bromleigh.”

“How do you know? Has Bromleigh ever given Reggie a task that would test his mettle?” Although she did not know the duke or his nephew, Cherish understood how it felt to be living under another’s control and how daunting it could be.

Perhaps Reggie was behaving like a schoolboy because he had never been given the chance to be anything more.

Or was she giving him too much credit because she felt so trapped under the weight of her own uncle’s control?

Fiona sighed. “I know Bromleigh will see him set up well and leave him in the capable hands of his best advisors when the time comes. But that will not be for quite a while yet. My cousin may be a Silver Duke, but he has a lot of life still in him. Don’t you think? Goodness, he is only forty.”

“And your point?”

“I do not want you matched with Reggie. Good gracious, you are far too smart for him. But it is imperative that you agree to gaining Reggie’s affections.”

“Fiona, you are making no sense. Why should I agree to your cousin’s scheme? First of all, I am not Reggie’s type at all and do not stand a prayer of gaining his affections.”

“You are very pretty, Cherish. I’m sure every man

thinks so. But as I’ve said, you and Reggie would not suit.”

Cherish nodded. “Second of all, I would not even know how to go about gaining any man’s affections. Yes, it is my fault for never taking lessons in such matters. But the fact remains, I do not know how to flirt.”

“Which is why you are so perfect.” Fiona glanced around furtively and then cast Cherish a beaming smile. “This is what you will say to Bromleigh when you approach him to tell him you have reconsidered and will accept the challenge.”

“I am to admit that I do not know how to flirt?” Cherish burst out laughing. “And why would I tell him that?”

“Because he will never be able to resist the challenge. More important, he will never be able to resist you. Do you not see where I am going yet? I want you for Bromleigh. Is it not obvious? I mean to make you his wife.”

MEARA PLATT

Jade lee

AUSA Today bestseller, Jade lee has been scripting love stories since she first picked up a set of paper dolls. Ball gowns and rakish lords were her first loves which naturally led her to the world of regency romance. She is is a big fan of The Bridgertons, Big Bang Theory (even though it’s over), and her favorite movie is The Avengers because she loves the MCU.

Jade Lee has a gift for creating a lively world, witty dialogue, and hot, sexy humor. Winner of several industry awards, Jade has published 70 romance novels and says she’s just getting started. Her nest series Daring Debutantes launches in 2025, but don’t miss her exotic China series Forbidden Pleasures starting with Vixen.

Uncaged welcomes Jade Lee

Welcome to Uncaged! You recently released the second book in a series called Temptress, part of the Forbidden Pleasures series. Can you tell readers more about this book and series?

Come to the Forbidden City! Join the competition to become the next Empress of China!

That was the call in 1851 to all eligible virgins in China. Girls endured tests of purity that included physical inspections and a cultural talent display. If they passed, they met the young emperor who picked one to be his wife. Four more became favored concubines. And several were selected as lower concubines. The winners would never leave the Forbidden City again. The losers left in disgrace.

VIXEN features a young woman who has been reared to be the next empress. But in the days before the selection begins, she realizes that purity and virtue won’t attract

a man. If she wants to catch the emperor’s eye, then she must learn the ways of seduction. And who better to teach her than the handsome scholar next door?

What begins as a scandalous diversion quickly escalates to deadly risks. They will both be killed if they are caught, and yet they find purpose, hope, and love with every glorious caress. Will she give up being the Empress of China for love? Is he worthy of such a sacrifice? Spoiler alert: YES!

TEMPTRESS follows a woman who enters the competition. She hasn’t the wealth of the others to bribe the eunuchs, but she has been trained in statecraft and is smarter than her competitors. She is also vulnerable to the one man who can destroy her. He is the Emperor’s best friend and Master of Ceremonies. (Spoiler alert: he is also completely fabricated. There were no other “whole” men in the Forbidden City, but I needed a hero who was not a eunuch.)

The Master knows she is the best woman to become

empress, but he wants her for himself. Will he risk both their lives on his feelings? Will she choose him over becoming empress? And what happens when they are inevitably caught? (Spoiler alert: Yes, they take the risk. And yes, they do get caught. Oops!)

You’ve also written in The Lyon’s Den connected world, which is a very fun world to read. Are you planning on writing anything more in that world?

I launched the series with INTO THE LYON’S DEN, then did another book LYON HEARTED later on. I loved, loved, loved writing those books, especially the second one with the “abacas woman” as heroine. So yes, I do hope to write in the Lyon’s den again. I’m just so caught up with the Forbidden Pleasures books, that I missed the sign up date. Oops! But I hope to get in another book soon.

How do you use social media as an author?

Not as well as I’d like! I’m active on Facebook, have a Jade’s Jewels group there plus author pages. That’s where I put most of my information and random pictures of my cat, plus the jigsaw puzzles I do. Feel free to find me there! But also, sign up for my newsletter. You’ll be sure to catch all the good news that way. I also share pretty pictures of my books and inspirations for my stories on Instagram, if you want to join me there.

What behind-the-scenes tidbit in your life would probably surprise your readers the most?

I was recently diagnosed with ADHD. Honestly, looking back, the signs were always there, but girls weren’t ever diagnosed back when I was young. The journey to understand my neuro-spicy brain has been fascinating. (Normal people might call me neuro divergent.) I no longer hate myself for my hyperfocus when I wander off into the random wilds. And who cares if I never complete a housework task on the first go. Or the tenth. The world is full of wildly different and amazing people. I’ve stopped trying to fit into normal and started appreciating all my spicy side quests! That’s been a game changer for me.

If you could spend time with any author, living or not, who would it be and why?

Russell T. Davies. Anybody know who that is? He’s the showrunner who revitalized Dr. Who in 2005 and again last year. I’ve watched the tv show since my sister discovered it in the 80s. It was always campy fun with questionable special effects, but that made it even better. And then Russell T. Davies took it over. Suddenly there was nuance and such heart in the program. Dr. Who fell in love (a couple times) and those stories were beautiful. Imagine taking an established goofy series to a whole new extraordinary level while still keeping the fun. Oh what I could learn from that man! How did he do it? What battles did he fight? What are his guiding principles? Please teach me!!!!

What are some things you like to do to relax when you aren’t writing or working?

My husband is a Disney adult, so he “forces” me to go to Walt Disney World with him a lot. We don’t even go into the parks that much anymore. One or two special rides a visit. Mostly, we enjoy all the other things to do in WDW. Okay, I confess. We eat. A lot. There’s a ton of good food at WDW. And we enjoy the weather there because we visit in winter. There are ways to make this affordable, and frankly, it’s one of the few times I can get my husband to totally relax. (Spoiler alert: there is no force involved in getting me there. I love it, too). And now—bonus—we have grandchildren who love it as much as we do!

A lot of authors like music or background noise when they write. Do you like to have music/white noise or do you prefer it to be quiet?

Gotta be quiet for me. I can write in cafes or places with background music, but I mostly tune it out. I grew up

with a strict Chinese mother. Study happened in silence. And we had strict study hours. That’s carried through to my writing time.

How would you describe yourself in one sentence or less?

A loving goofball who can tell a damn good story. Oh wait! Let me add “neuro-spicy” so that I can be as wild and wacky as I want and everyone just says, oh, that’s an ADHD side quest.

What would you like to say to readers, and where can they follow you?

My books are sexy, fun, and off the beaten path. If you like something different that is still filled with emotion, try one of my books. You won’t regret it!

Stay Connected

Temptress

Jade Lee Historical Romance

COMPETITION TO BECOME EMPRESS

The time has come for Emperor Xian Feng to choose a wife. All noble virgins must come to the Forbidden City to compete, hoping to become Empress. They will endure three trials of purity before they meet their emperor. And they must find favor from the dowager empress, her greedy eunuchs, and most dangerous of all…the Master of the Festivity. Sun Bo Tao.

THE FOX IN CHARGE OF THE HEN HOUSE

Sun Bo Tao is the emperor’s best friend and the only other male in the Forbidden City who is not a eunuch. He has no time for virgin games. Not with a rebellion in the north, a Dutch envoy seeking trade status, and opium choking the country. But the emperor cannot trust the greedy eunuchs to help select his bride, and so Bo Tao must weed out those who are weak, spoiled, or stupid. He never expected to find a brilliant mind in the delectable body of a virgin.

THE VIRGIN DETERMINED TO WIN

Chen Ji Yue is prepared to be a political wife. She knows how to appear chaste, bribe where appropriate, and navigate the bitter rivalries inside the Forbidden City. But she never learned how to resist the temptations of the emperor’s best man. Sun Bo Tao holds her future in his hands. He also touches her body with reverence and kisses with passion. How can he stir such desire in her when she knows her purpose?

But in a competition to become Empress, love is the greatest weapon of all.

Excerpt

Chapter One

Chen Ji Yue struggled to breathe. Excitement pounded in her blood, she was already dizzy with the noise, and yet she still could not draw a full breath. How blessed she was to be of the right age for a Feast of Fertility! Only a few hundred girls every few decades had such an opportunity! To catch the eye of the Emperor was every girl’s dream. But first, she had to escape all these wailing women!

She stood in all her finery outside their Peking home, ready to climb into the palanquin that would take her to the Forbidden City. If everything went well, she would be chosen and never see her family again, but she would have the consolation of knowing that the Emperor would gift her family great riches in thanks. For some perverse reason, Mama thought that the bigger display of grief here, the better Ji Yue’s odds inside the palace. So she had hired mourners, wailing women to fill the street this early morning, but all it did was give Ji Yue a headache. “Mama,” she murmured from behind the clattering ivory beads. “Let me go. I cannot be late.” “Not yet, little heart. Show respect to your father.” She’d already bowed to her father several times. “Mama, believe in me. I can do it.”

Mama didn’t hear her. She was busy wailing again. And worse, she would not let go of Ji Yue’s hands. “Mama…” Ji Yue began, but then her mother pulled her close.

“You won’t win the Emperor on beauty, Ji Yue. You must be smart. You must see what others don’t and capitalize on it.”

“I know. You’ve told me…” Ji Yue let her voice trail away. This close, she could see real tears in her mother’s eyes, and her heart lurched with pain. What would it be like to not see her mother’s face every morning? Who would help her father with his poetry or tutor her brothers? Mama, most likely, but Mama already had

plenty to do squeezing every penny so they had enough to eat.

“That playboy Sun Bo Tao was named Master of the Feast,” her mother continued. “This is very bad and very dangerous. He is a hanger-on because of his friendship with the Emperor. No title, no education, nothing but trouble. Avoid him, Ji Yue. Avoid him at all costs!”

“I know, Mama. I will stay away from him. I promise!”

“You can’t! He is Master of the Festival! He is in charge of all the Imperial Virgins. Remember what I taught you: follow the Confucian virtues, think pure thoughts, but see what the men do not. I trained you to be a political wife, and the first rule of politics is to not get caught by a man of no virtue.”

“I know,” Ji Yue repeated. “Have faith in me. I will become the Empress.” If she succeeded, then her entire family would be set for generations. They would become royalty and have all the money they needed. All she had to do was catch the Emperor’s eye.

“Go, now. Go before your father unmans himself and cries.” Mama pushed her away. Ji Yue didn’t need prompting. She was anxious to begin her new life even though her fingers clung to Mama’s arm. But it was hard to see through her curtain of beads, harder still to walk on the high platform shoes. Thankfully, this too had been rehearsed.

Her eldest brother ran to her side to escort her with all dignity to the imperial palanquin. It had been an exorbitant expense to get the conveyance, but it was the only pull her father had in the Forbidden City. He had spent a year tutoring a eunuch’s nephew and in return had been promised a single favor. Papa had used it to obtain this beautiful ride to the Forbidden City. A future Empress should arrive like an Empress, he’d said, but that was all

he could do. After this, she would have to catch the Emperor’s favor on her own.

The wailers grew louder as she and her brother neared the curtained palanquin. Her brother was to release her hand now and throw open the bower curtains so she could enter. He began to move away, but she suddenly gripped his arm, holding him still.

It was a silly thought, she knew, but she didn’t want her brother’s last sight of her to be one of extraordinary lavishness. They had so little, and even less now that so much had been spent to outfit her. She did not want her brother to see the interior luxury of the palanquin. After she became the new Empress, she would send him exquisite silks as a royal gift. He need not see them now. “Take care of father,” she murmured as a last good-bye to her brother. “Make sure he drinks his special tea.” Her brother hovered beside her, clearly unsure what to do. “Go back to Papa,” she said. “Study hard so that you can join me in the Forbidden City.” There were jobs as advisors to the Dragon Throne, but only for scholars who passed the exam. She nudged him back even as she tottered forward to the bower. With one last smile that they couldn’t even see, she ducked inside the palanquin.

It was dark inside and with the beads in front of her face, she couldn’t see a thing. She went by touch, crawling inside with little dignity and much speed. The cushions moved awkwardly beneath her hands until she touched a very hard one that remained stable. She pushed down, levering her weight on it.

The curtains slipped closed behind her, and one of the porters grunted as the palanquin lifted off the street. She slid off the heavy cushion onto something else. Goodness, silk was slippery. And the cushions were bizarre. The palanquin began to sway as it moved away from her family home. She wanted to peer out the curtain, but she didn’t

dare do something so vulgar though the tears burned in her eyes.

She would never see her family again. Once inside the Forbidden City, no consort ever came out again. Her father might be able to arrange to visit, but such things were rare even among those more politically astute than her father. Her mother had even less power, and her brothers wouldn’t be allowed unless they gave up their manhood first and became eunuchs.

Ji Yue widened her eyes in the darkness, trying to dry the tears. She didn’t dare cry because it would ruin the white matte that covered her face. Instead, she kicked hard at the cushions that refused to move.

“Ung,” someone grunted. Then she felt a hand grip her ankle hard.

Only years of training kept her from screaming. Ladies didn’t scream. By the time she was ten, she’d faced down rats, spiders, and snakes without a peep. She would not scream now when riding in an imperial palanquin. She simply kicked as hard as she could to dislodge—

“Ow! Hold still, damn it. I’m not here to rape you.”

A man. Oh, Heaven, a man! “Get out!” she hissed as she tried to scramble backwards. She couldn’t go far without falling out the back. “Get out or I will kick you again!” It was a silly threat. He had an iron grip on her ankle.

“Quit fighting,” he said in a low undertone.

“You cannot be here!” she said as she shoved as hard as she could. He lifted her leg up so that all she did was kick the air above his head. “I will scream!” she hissed.

“Would you really scream? And let everyone know that a man is riding with you to the Forbidden City?” She bit her lip, then promptly stopped since that would eat off the red paint. Her mother had told her

to be smart. It was time she started using her brain instead of her extremely ineffective brawn. “What do you want?” she spat. “I have no money for you. Be thankful if you are not whipped for daring to touch an Imperial Consort.”

He was still holding her ankle prisoner. Worse, he was putting his weight on it now as he maneuvered into a sitting position. “You’re not going to be a royal bride. I’m sorry but it’s true.” Then he yawned while horror chilled her bones.

“You insolent pig!” She kicked again for all she was worth. He was still yawning, his head thrown back with his inhale. Her leg slipped from his grip and caught him square in the ribs. This cut off his breath with a gasp and he doubled over. She didn’t give him time to recover but shifted and planted both feet on his hips and began to shove him right out the side of her bower.

He fought her, of course, but she escaped his grasp. His fists filled with crumpled silk. “If I fall out now, everyone will see,” he warned. “You do not have enough ivory to silence so exciting a story—a man in a potential bride’s palanquin.”

She paused. One last push and he would go tumbling through the curtains out into the dirt where he belonged. “They already know from the weight,” she said miserably.

“No, they don’t. They carried me here, remember? They only remember your added weight, which is very slight.”

She swallowed, torn between her two miserable options. Did she kick him out and pray that people believed in her purity? Never. Or did she let him stay and hope no one was the wiser? “How did you get in here in?”

“I slipped in when they rested; I can slip out again at the gates. I do it all the time and no one notices.” Now that her eyes had adjusted to the dim light, she

could see more of him. He was not a broad man like those carrying the palanquin, but tall like her father. His clothing was excellent, though the long queue down his back was misshapen from his sleep.

“Who are you?” she asked.

“A lackey for the Son of Heaven,” he said with obvious bitterness.

“Eunuch?” she asked hopefully. It was well known that some of the “cut” men were overly friendly. He released a sharp bark of laughter at that, and she abruptly shushed him. “No,” he said in a lower tone. “I am not so important as to be cut.”

She frowned. “I thought all minions to the Emperor were eunuchs. Else who would do the things the royals despise?”

“Me,” he groused. “And a few others.”

She shook her head. “I do not believe you.” It was well known that except for a few intimates of the Emperor, all men in the Forbidden City were eunuchs. If this man was an imperial friend, he’d have his own conveyance and therefore no need to borrow hers. The eunuchs, on the other hand, would often escape into Peking for pleasure. They would also, therefore, need a secret way back into the Forbidden City.

She narrowed her eyes, inspecting this man more closely. “You dress too fine to be common. You speak too well to be ignorant. And your hands…” She jutted her chin at his long, elegant fingers. “They are used to a brush and ink, not labor. You must be a secretary then, someone who works as an assistant to the Emperor.” She sighed in relief. “Which means you are a eunuch pretending to be whole. There is nothing exciting about an overly friendly eunuch, even if he lands in the dirt.” And with that, she shoved him out of her bower. He tumbled backwards into the dust. She would

forever remember the look of stunned shock on his face as he fell. And when she rolled over to peer after him, she heard the porters laugh. The Insolent One, as she now dubbed him, had landed in some rotting leaves. His fine dark clothing was smeared with grime. She couldn’t see his face, though, as the porters carried her on by.

Then, with a sigh, she deftly removed two strings of ivory beads from her headdress. She would have to bribe the porters into silence. That was a great deal of money to lose before she even reached the gates, but there was no hope for it. She couldn’t risk them speaking, even about an insolent eunuch. All in all, her father’s grand gesture—like all his great gifts—had cost too much money to be worthwhile.

Thankfully, she was about to change all that. When she became an imperial bride, money would flow like water through her family’s door. And on that happy thought, she reclined alone on silk cushions and waited for the first test.

Don’t miss these titles:

2 Essential Lessons in Life

Guest column by Emil Rem

Guest Column

2 Essential Lessons in Life

By Emil Rem

The 2 essential lessons I’ve learned in life (and please don’t tell my wife) are:

1. You cannot be an accountant if you can’t add.

2. The difficulty of getting fired.

On a cold, rainy January morning I entered the portal of Hale and Company, Chartered Accountants of Maidenhead, England, with a demeanour of a prisoner resigned to serve his full sentence of five years. That sentence had been delivered by my mother. The previous summer I had failed high school and spent the last six months backpacking through southern Europe and the Middle East. While away, mum had wangled me a traineeship to become an accountant, through Sam, a family friend. Hale and Co. spelt Doomsville for me. The firm operated out of an old Victorian house. Typical of that bygone era, I was escorted to the attic, where servants were once quartered. A dormer window provided the only light, as colourless as my fellow inmates—a stark contrast from the blazing sunlight of my recent travels. I stared at my damp paper bag of sandwiches, longing for my erstwhile daily meal of Manaish—a pizza of unleavened dough brushed with olive oil and sprinkled with sesame seeds and sumac, a lemony-tasting herb—the local poor man’s diet. Overnight I had been shoved into a strait jacket of regimented, sedentary time. Overburdened with a tedious, repetitive workload, I arrived at 9am; lunch at one; the office closed at five.

A year passed. I learned nothing but basic bookkeeping. Meanwhile, I had twice failed my first set of exams.

To hell with it. Why not quit and find something I really liked?

“Once you’re qualified, you have an open ticket to travel and work anywhere in the world,” Sam reminded me. That was the carrot.

I didn’t want to leave the firm as a failure. All my past misery suffered would been in vain. I would have to redo high school and start from scratch again. Why not spend a few years more and qualify? I thought about it constantly, always concluding that a larger, modern firm was the only answer. It was back to Sam. “They won’t allow you to transfer. It would be a major embarrassment, considering you’re indentured for five years. If you hand in your notice, no other accountants will hire you for fear of offending our firm. They won’t fire you as it acknowledges failure on their part in training you.”

Fine advice, but prolonging my stay here would spell disaster, the same if I quit. The only answer was a transfer. How could Hale & Co. be convinced?

The obvious strategy was to make constant errors in my work.

“He’s lost his marbles,” became the common cry. But instead of agreeing to a transfer, they changed my workload. Joan, our receptionist was due for maternity leave. I was given her job for the time being.

One of my new tasks was to make bank deposits every afternoon. I lost one of three bank books. They gave me a briefcase to keep all the deposit books together. I lost the briefcase. The firm refused to fire me. I was now relegated to answering phone calls and reception work.

The following week, I heard the gerontic Mr. Hale coughing and spluttering like an old steam engine as he pounded down the stairs, appearing to miss a step by the sound of it. The whole town of Maidenhead must have heard him curse. What was the old codger trying to do? Practise a complex ballet movement? The founding partner almost broke the

reception door down. In his haste, he had forgotten to turn the handle.

“You…you…” he kept repeating. “What are those workmen doing in our parking lot?”

“They’re delivering stuff. Building materials, I think. Why? Something wrong?” I asked innocently.

As part of its service, the firm acted as the registered office of its clients. All invoices carried the registered office address, as well as its business address. The workmen had arrived brandishing a delivery note displaying both addresses.

Mr. Hale swallowed what air he could press into his collapsing lungs. “They aren’t for us you imbecile. They’re for a client. They’ve got the wrong address.” With that, the chief charged headlong out of the room and hurtled down the steps leading to the parking lot. I followed suit, not wanting to miss one bit of the action.

The once lovely long garden of Hale House had long since been asphalted over to accommodate the partners’ and clients’ cars.

As Mr. Hale entered the fray, the workers were finishing their unloading. Stacks upon stacks of corrugated iron sheets now formed an impregnable wall several feet high, blocking the exit way.

“Take them back immediately,” the chief bellowed. They stared at him in disbelief. Their foreman spoke up.” Sorry mate, do you know how long it took us to unload that lot. Now you want us to cart it back. Besides, your lad confirmed the address and told us where to put it,” pointing at me.

The next day, I found a sealed envelope on my desk. It contained a letter of transfer.

I still have that letter today. It hangs framed in gilt on the wall beside four certificates of international accounting accreditations, a world away.

Aneccentric accountant becomes a writer of eccentric characters, in exotic locales, with each chapter taking us on a trip into the fascinating twisted world of Emil Rem. Born to a close knit middle class Muslim East Indian family in Dar-es-Salam in the 50’s, he is then moved to Maidenhead England at the age of five. The next twenty years are spent shuttling between England and East Africa, wearing a St. Christopher’s cross one minute and attending church, to wearing a green arm band and attending Muslim religious classes in Africa next minute. Moving to Canada, marrying a woman from the Philippines and having two boys only adds further texture to his stories.

©Copyright 2024 Emil Rem

authors

feature

historical western fantasy | medieval romance |

J.L. Delavega

Jennifer Ivy Walker

J.L. Delavega

Her bones belong to the desert and mountains, but her soul belongs to cats. When not writing she makes other stuff and believes Victorian era fashion should absolutely make a comeback, as long as sweatpants still exist.

Her work has been recognized for its unique blend of southwestern gothic meets dark fantasy and received the Reader’s Favorite silver medal for western fiction (2024). She could say she makes all her own clothes but that would be a lie.

Uncaged welcomes J.L. Delavega

Welcome to Uncaged! You have 2 books in The Revere Trilogy released, Smoke and Other Storms and Ash Like Vengeance. Can you tell us more about this series? When will the third book release?

The Revere Trilogy started with one small question: what motivates the antagonist in treasure hunt books and movies other than greed?

And one simple idea: a family who lives on a train.

I also longed for a book with a positive representation of introversion where it’s treated as a character trait, not an obstacle to be overcome.

The series follows the Reveres, a multi-generational family of women outlaws on a quest to save their sister’s eyesight and subvert the patriarchy that keeps them from having a home.

Adelaide is host to a shadow entity known as the Stranger that allows her to remember everything, her

grandmother Moira has clairvoyant dreams. Moira’s daughter, Tesla, is the mastermind of the family and train engineer.

These ladies are swindling, bloodthirsty con-artists who will do anything to protect each other. Everyone else is fair game. The Rim is feral and sabotage is a lifestyle.

The third book, Solace By Fire, will release May 13, 2025. So mark your calendars, it’s going to be a bloody last ride.

What inspired you to write stories in the western/ gothic/fantasy world? This is not a genre you come across very often.

I love the Wild West. It’s my favorite historical era, favorite vibe, favorite fashion, but I’ve always been dissatisfied by the lack of women represented in the genre. It’s always focused on men. Women are usually just the love interest, the sex worker in the saloon, the damsel or the shriveling violet wife. If a woman is given some agency in a western, she’s always getting revenge for her dead husband or father (one again, male focus) and ALWAYS teams up with the sharp shooting man to get her vengeance. I decided to change that.

And of course, I needed to make things a little weird, just for fun, so I added the fantasy elements.

How do you use social media as an author?

Instagram is my main platform (@ninjenaiyauthor). I use it to share what I’m reading, give book updates and show off my cats. They’re very cute. I’ve tried the others but IG is the one I like best so I’ve decided to focus on that and not feel pressure to be everywhere.

What behind-the-scenes tidbit in your life would probably surprise your readers the most?

I left my hometown a year ago and moved four states away where I didn’t know a single soul and had no job. It was the single most terrifying thing I’ve ever done, but so worth the risk. I met a new version of myself, and I like her a lot.

If you could spend time with any author, living or not, who would it be and why?

Jane Austen. She was a pioneer in the notion that women are not to settle for a man. I also love that she chose to publish as herself in an age where many female authors had to take male pseudonyms in order to have their work seen. Her books are timeless and still relevant today because of her wit

and wisdom. I’d love to have tea with her and gossip about all the neighbors.

What are some things you like to do to relax when you aren’t writing or working?

I love hiking and hunting for bones in the desert. It’s my dream to find buried treasure of some kind. I also refill my creative well by sewing clothes and tending my plants. It’s my other dream to have a beautiful Victorian conservatory someday. In another life I would have been a naturalist.

A lot of authors like music or background noise when they write. Do you like to have music/white noise or do you prefer it to be quiet?

It depends on the day. Usually I need some kind of background ambiance but lyrics can be distracting. The Revere Trilogy has been written to the sounds of the Westworld, Red Dead Redemption 2 and Uncharted 3 & 4 scores.

I have a fun inspo playlist though!

How would you describe yourself in one sentence or less?

A free spirited realist.

What would you like to say to readers, and where can they follow you?

As I mentioned, The Revere Trilogy has a book playlist on Spotify and Apple Music titled “Welcome to the Rim” ! It’s a lot of fun, with a lot of Lord Huron.

You can follow me on Instagram and Threads @ninjenaiyauthor

And be sure to check out my website www.JLDelavega. com. I have fun stickers and merch for sale there. You should also sign up for my newsletter while there. I don’t send them very often, I promise not to spam you, but if you like my work, you’ll get cover reveals and ARC opportunities!

Stay Connected

JLDelavega.com

Enjoy an excerpt from Smoke and Other Storms

Smoke and Other Storms

J.L. Delavega

Historical Fantasy

Welcome to the Rim. Come seek your fortune in a paradise of endless sun. Land is cheap and the possibilities endless, where the edge of the map meets the end.

The mining campaigns always forget a few details. Moon Season makes storms volatile. You’re more likely to be killed by your neighbor than strike a crystal vein, and there’s only one name you should bother knowing around here: Revere.

Moira and her granddaughter Adelaide are professionals. Smugglers, thieves, and arms dealers, the Revere women have lifted their family business from the dust, and with their train they’ve become the most notorious gang in the territory.

After an accident damages her sister’s eyes, Adelaide finds an opportunity that will not only pay for a sight-saving operation but pull the

family from the shadows of the back market for good. Accompanied by her sisters, Adelaide guides a survey crew into the uncharted West Rim –a poisonous desert concealing untapped riches– with the full intent to claim the fortune for themselves.

But when Moira learns a bounty has been placed on the family, she discovers a deeper plan already in motion that will change the Rim forever.

Excerpt

–Arrival–

My name is Adelaide. I am twenty-one years old, eyes like bastard gray quartz. Where I come from doesn’t matter, but to anyone that asks, they call me the Stranger, and there’s only one name you should bother knowing around here. Ours. Revere. Welcome to the Rim.

Adelaide

I was born with two shadows. One is thrown by the sun. The other is the Stranger.

The dried brush hugs the abandoned walls as I leave the rough grass and walk toward the fort, a thing of dust and focus. It looks dead, but there is a difference between things that are dead and those that only appear that way.

Twenty-nine—the number of steps I take before the fort shadow hits me. The Stranger counts them for me. Few people can see her. But she’s always with me. Watching my back, counting my steps. It’s not enough to notice details if you can’t remember them later. The Stranger remembers everything. She is a second pulse, sensing danger, sharp edges that frighten others. The one thing my mother managed to give me.

My shoulder to the bleached wall, I listen deeper.

Around me, the Rim hisses behind a slow-moving wind. Behind the fort’s chipped stone is silence. I drag my scarf off my face and whistle to my sister Leagan waiting downslope with the wagon.

We are alone, the Stranger confirms.

Rock cracks as the horses get moving.

I slip my hand through the gap to lift the plank from the inside slot, walking the gate open as the wagon rolls inside.

Leagan hops from the high seat, landing with a fresh cloud of dust. Her face is muffled with a blue scarf and goggles. The right eye is a red sniper’s lens with distance dials, the left all-purpose amber to dull the sun. I drop the plank back into its slot and shake the gate. There will be no surprises from behind.

The smuggler’s cache is in the jail room.

“Eighty-six crates of Exodus brand ammunition…” Leagan tugs at one of her buns and stabs another pin through it. “And we get to carry all of them. Thanks a fart-load to our favorite arms dealer, Raleigh.”

Leagan’s hair is fire red, twisted on top of her head like two cinnamon buns, lipstick always black. The colors of her two moods. “You’re my favorite arms dealer,” I say.

She blushes.

The familiar tic rises in my chest with each step. It doubles when my gaze makes a pass over the other five doors facing the courtyard. The Stranger again. I’ve picked through all those rooms before, but the Stranger won’t let me leave here without doing it again. It’s always been this way.

After we get the ammo dug up and loaded.

Seventeen steps.

I sweep open the door ahead of Leagan. Bottles and

piss still lurk in the corners. Another gang was here not too long ago. I drag away the flabby mattress covering the recently disturbed dirt in the first cell.

“Catch.” Leagan tosses the shovel.

The wooden lid peels back, and the tang of metal hits me. Loose dirt continues to trickle in around the ammo boxes. Rows of fresh, brass-capped lead. Heavy. Not something an unprepared bone picker just walks away with. But I look into the entire top layer of boxes, to be sure no one got to this before us.

Leagan breathes in the gunpowder, humming as she closes her hazel eyes. “Fresh.”

An earthy whistle scours across the wind. I go still.

“Did you hear that?” Leagan eases a hand toward the rifle on her back.

It sounded like a train. But the Stranger and I know better than to turn our backs to a stray sound. “Stay with the stash.”

Thirteen.

The midday sun is beginning to burn through my back despite my clothes. Pieces of my white hair stick to my neck as I reach the top of the wall.

Smoke.

A train glides southwest along the red bank of the river Sol, a copper snake. Against the clear sky, both smoke and steam spread dark blue, but straight out of the stack, at its most concentrated point, it looks like boiling midnight. Black means it’s burning Hannah’s pyrite quartz, better known as black gold.

East blood—prospectors, settlers, and fools.

The cars spool around the rock bend, out of sight. Heat ghosts twist the hillsides out of place, false pools of water appearing under them, but the sage-bristled landscape near us doesn’t move.

The sun is strongest during Moon Season. Even under the wide shadow of my hat, my neck has a hot pulse. I’m definitely burning.

“Well?” Leagan says.

“Train. Headed for Vantage.”

“Alkaline.” Her smile slants. “Enjoy the Rim, you fools.” She holds out a bottle of Sun Fire whiskey. “I think this is supposed to be our smuggler’s bribe.”

“Lucky for Aunt Tess.” She’s the only one who drinks that sludge and likes it.

“Aunt Tess isn’t here hauling this. Next time they should send us something we can all enjoy. Silver pinchers.”

“Such as?”

“Oh, I don’t know…” Leagan grabs another crate. “Some books…or a puppy.”

“Tell Raleigh. I’m sure he can find one for you.”

“I’ll tell him to stop working with such a cheapass supplier. It just makes him look bad. I think by now he owes me a dog and you a horse because we always get stuck doing the wretched heavy-lifting jobs.”

“A horse doesn’t fit on the train.”

“A dog would. We can share it. And name it… Barley.”

The bed of the wagon gets lower as we fill it.

“You know why we’re here?” I ask.

“Why?”

“Because no one else can actually lift these besides us.” I squeeze Leagan’s flexed arm. “They just won’t admit it.”

“Still,” she says. “It’s the bribe that counts. And I’m not feeling very persuaded.”

As soon as we finish loading Raleigh’s ammo, I return to the jail, rake the dirt back over the smuggler’s cache, and then cover the disturbance with the soiled mattress. The Stranger’s pulse is clicking again, deep in my chest and in my head. Once again, I feel the rooms I haven’t looked in. They pick at me like nails in my spine.

Thirty-two.

The first door breaks apart a spider’s web. Relief from the sun. Army-issue cots still clutter the floor, a scorpion shell and nothing but rat droppings in the gun cabinets. We haven’t done a pickup here in eight moon cycles. But I still have to look. With each opened cupboard, the Stranger’s clockwork pressure winds down until it’s no longer a weight I have to breathe past.

Leagan sits up in the wagon, reading.

“Ready.”

My horse looks me in the eye as I untether him from the wagon and run my hand down the wide white stripe marking his face. I’ve only known him since this morning, but he’s proud to be strong, taking people where they need to go. I can see it. And I want him. But we don’t stay in one place long enough for a creature like him to be satisfied. Horses are like us. They need the wild air. They need to run.

Someday I’ll have a horse I don’t have to give back at the end of the day. But for now, the rails are my freedom.

Don’t miss this title:

J.L. & Smooth Aonghus and Salty Oein

I have two little babies with sharp teeth, the brothers Smooth Aonghus and Salty Oein. I adopted them from a cat sanctuary two years ago. They always meet me at the door when I come home and sometimes Aonghus contributes letters when I’m writing. They love chasing ribbon, birdwatching, sleeping in their hammock, and biting things that crunch. Or each other.

Jennifer & Ziggy

I have a beautiful golden retriever named Ziggy. He’s been my baby for eleven years. He used to walk on the beach with me, but he can’t manage the stairs anymore. Ziggy still loves to swim in the pool every day.

AUTHORS AND THEIR PETS

Pets and companions come in many shapes and sizes. From furry to feathered to hairy and scaley - there is a place for all of them. Authors have a special relationship with their pets - whether they remind them to get up and take a break or they inspire their writing. Meet the critters that share their love and devotion to Uncaged Feature Authors.

Jade & Cinnamon

Cinnamon is a love bug. I adore her, but…in case you wonder if I keep my cat on a strict, healthy diet. Well…my kids call her Cinna-bun. Check her out!

Jennifer Ivy walker

Enthralled with legends of medieval knights and ladies, dark fairy tales, and fantasies about Druids, wizards and magic, Jennifer Ivy Walker always dreamed of becoming a writer. She fell in love with French in junior high school, continuing her study of the language throughout college, eventually becoming a high school teacher and college professor of French.

Many trips to France—including summers spent abroad as an undergraduate and graduate student, followed by language and cultural programs designed for French teachers—provided the inspiration for her award-winning novels. For example, Dragon of Denmark, the first novel in the Valiant Vikings series set in tenth century Normandy, was inspired by the summer she spent in that northwestern region of France.

Walker’s upcoming release, “A Celtic Yuletide Carol”, is a steamy medieval romance between a broken, battered royal knight and a solitary, mute healer and huntress who prefers the company of her wolf and falcon to humans. Both protagonists are shattered souls who slowly find solace in each other.

Readers who enjoyed Winter Solstice in the Crystal Castle and The Wild Rose and the Sea Raven trilogy—a fated mates paranormal fantasy adaptation of the medieval legend of Tristan et Yseult, interwoven with Arthurian myth, Avalon, Elves, Druids, forest fairies, and dark magic—will recognize several of the main characters in this new novel as well.

Explore Walker’s realm of Medieval French Fantasy. She hopes her novels will enchant you.

Uncaged welcomes Jennifer Ivy Walker

Welcome back to Uncaged! The latest book you’ve released is The Witch of Breton Woods. Can you tell readers more about this book? What was the inspiration for this book?

The Witch of the Breton Woods is the story of a reclusive young healer, traumatized by the horrors of the Nazi invasion of France, who becomes a member of

the French Resistance in Brittany. When she finds a critically injured American paratrooper, she heals him in her secluded cottage, hiding him from the Gestapo and la Milice—the paramilitary organization that collaborates with the Nazis. The inspiration for the book was the study of the French Resistance in Brittany during World War II. I wanted to write a story about a courageous heroine who risks everything to save the ones she loves.

You are also releasing Dragon of Denmark in October. Is this book going to be part of a series, or is it a standalone? Can you tell us more about this book?

Dragon of Denmark is the first novel in the Valiant Vikings trilogy set in 10th century Normandy. It’s a blend of historical fiction--including the real-life characters of Richard the Fearless, the Viking Duke of Normandy, and Harald Bluetooth, the Viking King of Denmark and Norway—blended with Norse mythology, paranormal fantasy, and steamy Viking romance! Book 2, Wolf of the Nordic Seas, and book 3 (the conclusion of the trilogy), Falcon of the Faroe Islands, will be published soon.

How do you use social media as an author?

I have accounts on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Goodreads, TikTok, YouTube, and Pinterest. I post information about new releases, book trailers, and reviews on social media. I also post images of my sewing creations, my family, and my golden retriever, Ziggy.

What behind-the-scenes tidbit in your life would probably surprise your readers the most?

I design Renaissance Denim Couture, the name I chose for my creations because I upcycle vintage denim and give it new life with French bohémienne flair. I have an Etsy shop where I sell my unique couture: https://www. etsy.com/shop/bohemienneivy

I also used to be a high school French teacher, and I used puppets, music, dance, films, and Theater in the Classroom to immerse my students in the language and culture of France. In fact, a play I wrote for my students to perform at State was the inspiration for my awardwinning trilogy, The Wild Rose and the Sea Raven.

If you could spend time with any author, living or not, who would it be and why?

Sarah J. Maas, author of the A Court of Thorns and Roses series and the Throne of Glass series. After reading her two series, I was inspired to adapt a play I had written (Yseult la Belle et Tristan la Bête) for my high school students to perform at the Florida State French Competition and transform it into a paranormal romance trilogy. I am very proud to say that The Wild Rose and the Sea Raven trilogy has won numerous awards, including the 2023 Readers’ Favorite Gold Medal for Mythology and the Para-

normal Romance Guild Reviewers’ Choice Awards in 2023 and 2024 for Fantasy/Myth! Sarah J. Maas was the inspiration for me to realize my lifelong dream of becoming a novelist. What are some things you like to do to relax when you aren’t writing or working?

I walk miles on the beach every evening. I love to read, sew, and make bohemian jewelry with gems like turquoise, emeralds, and pink tourmaline.

A lot of authors like music or background noise when they write. Do you like to have music/white noise or do you prefer it to be quiet?

I need to have quiet. If I have music playing, my body starts moving with the rhythm, and I end up dancing instead of writing!

How would you describe yourself in one sentence or less?

A creative, passionate romantic who loves French, steamy medieval romance, the beach, and Vikings!

What would you like to say to readers, and where can they follow you?

I pour my soul into every book I write. I hope my readers love my characters, immersive settings, and intricate plots as much as I love creating them.

Stay Connected

Enjoy

an excerpt

from A Celtic Yuletide Carol

A Celtic Yuletide

Carol

Jennifer Ivy Walker

Medieval Romance

Releases Nov. 6

Once a royal Breton knight, Sir Cardin is now infamously known as Basati, the Basque Wolf. Savage and sullen, he drowns his guilt in raucous taverns, accruing enormous debt and acquiring vengeful enemies.

Ulla, widowed daughter of a Viking chieftain, is a skilled archer who lives as a recluse in a secluded woodland cottage. Rendered mute by trauma, she avoids humans, preferring the company of her wild wolf and falcon as she hunts in the Forest of Brocéliande.

When his mother’s dying wish calls Basati home, he finally meets the son he abandoned at birth and Ulla, the enigmatic priestess who is teaching the boy to hunt. As the holidays approach, Basati finds himself smitten with the beguiling beauty as he bonds with his once forsaken child. But past enemies plot against him, and Basati is ensnared in darkness. Can music lure the savage wolf into the light of love?

Excerpt

Chapter 1

Le Château de Montmarin

The clamorous din from inside the bawdy tavern shredded the calm of the salty night air as Gaultier went into the Drunken Crow to drag his brother home. As usual, Cardin was passed out on a table

in the back of the inn, a mug of ale next to his bloodied fist.

Amongst the strands of long brown hair stuck to the side of Cardin’s unconscious head, Gaultier noted the swollen eye, bruises, and dried blood smeared across the bearded face. With a broken table, chair, and shattered glass all over the nearby floor, it appeared that, once again, Cardin had been in a boisterous brawl. Which meant that Gaultier would have to pay for the damages.

And pick up the pieces of his battered, broken brother. As he stood at the entrance of the tavern quickly assessing the situation, female servers with platters of savory seafood and pitchers of ale scurried about, weaving through tables where sailors, knights, and fishermen celebrated in raucous revelry. Floating notes of flutes, lutes, and lyres accompanied a troubadour’s melodic voice near a crackling fire in the enormous stone hearth along a wooden side wall. The innkeeper—a stout, balding man with a soiled white apron and a scowl upon his florid face—indicated with an impatient jut of his chin the destruction that Cardin had caused.

For which the disgruntled owner expected prompt, generous compensation.

Gaultier strode over to the mahogany bar, handed the portly man a bag of silver, and headed toward the rear of the tavern to rouse his inebriated sibling.

He shook Cardin’s shoulder and grabbed hold of his arm, peeling his plastered torso from the wooden tabletop. “C’mon, let’s go home. Get you in bed to sleep it off.”

Grumbling incoherently, Cardin staggered to unsteady feet, wavy locks adhered by drool, blood, and vomit to the side of his bristled, crumpled cheek. Supported by Gaultier’s steadfast grip, he leaned against his older, taller brother’s sturdy shoulder, stumbled across the floor, and practically fell out the exit door. “I’m sick of dragging you out of every tavern in town.

I’d rather be at the Sultry Siren, bedding a beautiful wench. Like Dolssa, who’s probably waiting for me right now. By the Goddess, Cardin, you have to stop this insanity. Or your gambling, drinking, and bloody temper will get you killed!”

Moonlight reflected off the turbulent ocean as Gaultier half dragged, half carried his younger brother along the narrow cobblestone street from the center of the town of Biarritz, up the steep incline to the stone fortress of le Château de Montmarin, perched atop the peninsular promontory overlooking the savage sea.

He missed la Bretagne—Brittany—and the northern coast of France. The Celtic traditions of his Breton heritage. The craggy cliffs and delicious crêpes. The family and friends he’d left behind.

For the past six years, he and Cardin—along with a regiment of four dozen royal knights from le Château de Beaufort in the northern Breton kingdom of Finistère— had defended the Atlantic coast of Aquitaine for King Philippe le Bel of France.

Sent by their own King Guillemin, a vassal of the French King Philippe, the Breton knights simultaneously squelched uprisings by English rebels anxious to claim the coveted duchy, while maintaining political alliances with the Spanish regions of Navarra and Aragón.

Far from their beloved Celtic home.

And for Cardin, far from horrific memories much too painful to confront.

The guards at the watchtower gate of le Château de Montmarin recognized the two brothers as fellow knights and allowed them entry through the outer curtain wall of the white limestone castle. Gaultier hauled Cardin across the inner bailey, through the enormous wooden entrance doors, and up the winding stone staircase to the third floor of the oceanfront fortress.

Along the length of the smooth stone walls, fragrant beeswax candles in metal sconces illuminated the dim-

ly lit corridor. At the end of the long hall, Gaultier opened the heavy oak door which led into the modest quarters that the Breton brothers shared. Inside their bedroom, two windows on the western wall opposite the entrance door offered a moonlit view of the tumultuous sea. On the left, embers banked in the stone fireplace emitted a gentle warmth against the damp evening chill. And along the right wall stood two beds, separated by a small table with an unlit candle and a pair of walnut chairs.

Gaultier seated a semi-conscious Cardin on the edge of the bed to remove his brother’s bloodsoaked clothing and ale-drenched leather boots. The repulsive, familiar stench of vomit and urine assailed his seasoned nostrils.

Mumbling incoherently in protest at being stripped of his filthy attire, a naked Cardin fell asleep almost instantly as soon as his injured head hit the straw-filled pillow.

Gaultier, eyeing the bruises, dried blood, and gruesome gash which a healer would need to treat tomorrow, tucked the woolen blankets over his brother’s sleeping shoulder with an exasperated sigh of resignation. The gambling and drunken brawls were becoming increasingly frequent, extremely expensive, and exceedingly dangerous. Cardin was not only drowning his sorrow to escape his heart-wrenching past, but he was also acquiring far too many enemies, anxious for revenge.

This year, Gaultier vowed as he removed his own apparel and prepared for bed, he would bring Cardin home.

Even if he had to drag him—drunken, grumbling and unwilling—the entire length of France.

Story Mechanics, a Primer

Guest column by Matthew Hughes

Guest Column

Story Mechanics, a Primer

by Matthew Hughes

Most genre novels, and most Hollywood movies, for that matter, are built along the same lines. You start with a character who has a normal situation. The situation may not be normal to us, but it is to the character. Then something happens that propels the character into a new situation. The something-thathappens is variously called Plot Point One or the Initiating Incident or just The Thing That Happens. It’s when Dumbo wakes up in a tree and can’t account for how he got there, or Luke Skywalker prods a droid and sees a hologram of a princess who needs rescuing, or when Dorothy’s house gets swept up in a twister and lands on a witch in Munchkinland.

From then on, the character’s situation changes. The new situation is full of conflict. There is an external threat/goal/need to be dealt with. The character acts to deal with the external conflict, which only intensifies, so that the character meets continual resistance until the story arrives at a moment of crisis. The character then makes a critical choice that resolves the external conflict and the story comes to its climax, then a denouement.

But there’s been another conflict going on all the way along the yellow brick road that leads to the moment of truth: an internal conflict that is tied in with the external struggle. Dumbo doesn’t believe he can fly; he credits his ability to a magic feather; Luke doesn’t believe in all this Jedi-and-the-Force business; Dorothy ran away from the home where she was loved because she thought he would be happier over the rainbow.

The moment of truth resolves both conflicts at once, because those conflicts are inextricably bound together in the person of the character and his/her situation. Dumbo, stuck at the top of the circus tent, without his talismanic feather, has to take a leap of faith in his own specialness—his “hero-ness”—and saves his mother; Luke has to turn off his computer and trusts the Force to make the crucial shot that will blow up the death star; Dorothy has to realize that there’s no place like home, because only that realization will get her back to where she truly belongs.

The trick to doing these stories is the creating of the two linked conflicts then bringing them together at the moment of choice. Paying off both conflicts at once gives the readers the satisfying experience that they’re paying for.

The other crucial elements are that the hero has to solve the problem for him/herself, and that the conflict that began with the initiating incident has allowed the hero to develop to the point where he/she has become capable of making the choice. Dumbo could fly when he woke up in the tree, but he didn’t have faith in himself; Luke had the Force all the time, but he had to come to accept his destiny; Dorothy thought happiness lay over the rainbow, and had to learn the truth before she could go home and know it was where she belonged. This process of developing the character is crucial to creating characterdriven fiction.

The hero can be guided toward the crucial decision, can have a Sancho Panza helper who plays a vital role, but it must come down to the hero’s own choice to do the right thing. If some external force solves the problem, then you’ve got the deus ex machina failure.

©Copyright 2024 Matthew Hughes for Uncaged Book Reviews www.uncagedbooks.com Published with Permission

Iwrite space-opera science fiction and fantasy mostly set in my extrapolation of Jack Vance’s Dying Earth. I make no bones about being heavily influenced by Vance, whose work I first encountered as a thirteen-year-old in the early 1960s.

Since segueing into fiction-writing, I’ve sold twentyfour novels to publishers large and small in the UK, US, and Canada (not counting reprints, book club deals, and foreign translations), as well as nearly 100 works of short fiction to professional markets.

In 2007, I took up a secondary occupation -- that of an unpaid housesitter -- so that I can afford to keep on writing fiction yet still eat every day. I’ve lived in twelve countries and visited half a dozen more. I believe being exposed to foreign cultures and having to learn new languages contributes to my ability to write fiction.

feature authors

ya scifi/dystopian | historical saga

Tong Ge

Jenna Greene

Jenna greene

Jenna Greene is a teacher, writer, clumsy dancer, dragonboat coach and paddler, and semi-professional napper. She loves every part of her life and starts each day with a cup of tea.

Welcome to Uncaged! Your newest book, Silencers, just released in September. Can you tell readers more about this dystopian story? Is this book the beginning of a series?

As it is now, the book is a stand-alone, but if my history has shown anything, it won’t stay that way for long. I’m a series writer! Besides, there’s a lot more to discover with these characters still. Scona has more problems to face and an impact to make in her world.

You also have a series called, The Reborn Marks books. Is this series complete or are you still writing for it?

The Reborn Marks series is complete, which is both happy and sad. The character of Lexil (and others like Finn) evolved so much throughout the series. She learned and changed so much. It’s hard to leave Lexil behind, but her story wrapped up in the way authors can only dream of. I feel the loose ends were tied together, and her journey was complete.

How do you use social media as an author?

I don’t know how my audience feels, but I think I am HILARIOUS on social media. I post a lot of memes

about reading and writing (and avoiding housework). Sometimes I post about my work, but only when I have a book release coming. The rest of the time it is memes, memes, and more memes!

What behind-the-scenes tidbit in your life would probably surprise your readers the most?

That every time I publish a book, I reward myself by buying a new tiara. Then, when I’m writing a new book, I wear the tiara to signal my family that I am writing not just fiddling on the computer.

If you could spend time with any author, living or not, who would it be and why?

Stephen King. I’d apologize for having never read a single one of his books, then ask where he gets his ideas from. I feel it would be a fun conversation.

What are some things you like to do to relax when you aren’t writing or working?

Um, there isn’t a lot of free time between writing and working. Teaching takes up a lot of my time. So does raising children, and raising my husband (He’s a lot of work). I like to read, but reading leads to writing, so…

Uncaged welcomes Jenna Greene

I do dance once a week. I have some fun ladies in my class. (And some fun boys, too). And I’m a dragonboat paddler and coach.

A lot of authors like music or background noise when they write. Do you like to have music/white noise or do you prefer it to be quiet?

Quiet, except for the sound of my husband feeding, clothing, and bathing the children, and then cleaning the house.

How would you describe yourself in one sentence or less? Clumsy, quirky, creative.

What would you like to say to readers, and where can they follow you?

I would tell readers that they’ve been so helpful over the years, reading my work, reviewing my work, and supporting my characters’ journeys. Writing can become isolating at times and any encouraging word is such a huge help, especially when an author is elbow-deep in edits that aren’t going well.

Stay Connected

Enjoy an excerpt from: Silencers

Silencers

Jenna Greene

YA SciFi/Dystopian

Scona must choose. Protect her father, or embrace the darkness she’s been trained to destroy...

Despite warnings from family and friends, Scona Tinay enrolls in Silencers Academy.

To escape a life of poverty and hardship and ensure a stable future, Scona sets her sights on the Silencers, where the students earn a wage. She soon learns her fellow students are cutthroat and the training regimen brutal.

As Scona heads deeper into her training, she begins to question the role of Silencers, as well as the “madness” she is being taught to destroy. But each question she asks brings her under suspicion, and she soon discovers the only person she can trust is herself.

Excerpt

“You don’t want to answer my questions?”

“Consider this: I don’t have to answer anything you ask, nor do I have to tell the truth. I didn’t even have to let you find me.”

“Then why did you?”

With a quick wiggle of her brow, Dia murmured, “Assessment.”

“Assessment?” “I need to know how dangerous you are.”

“Me?” Scona placed a hand on her chest. “I’m not dangerous at all.”

“If you plan to become a Silencer…yes, you are.”

“Only to those infected with the madness. I’m no danger to an ordinary citizen.” Realizing Dia was far from a typical citizen, she cringed at her words.

Dia stared at her, the gaze hard, unwavering. Under her perusal, Scona blinked and backed away.

“We’ll see.” Strolling away, Dia used light steps to make her way through the underbrush. She bent under branches instead of swiping them out of the way. Avoiding damp patches of soil or grass, she stepped instead on roots or firm ground.

Attempting to imitate the woman’s movements, aware they were hiding their tracks, Scona asked, “Where’s Jilly?”

If Scona thought Dia’s stare from a moment before had been harsh, she was corrected immediately when Dia dashed back to Scona’s side and grabbed her by the throat. Brown eyes attempting to pierce Scona’s soul, she hissed, “Nowhere you’ll ever find her.”

Rooted to the spot, she stared back with eyes and mouth agape. Heart hammering in her chest, threatening to pound through her ribcage, she trembled. Muttering a curse, Dia tossed Scona to the ground.

Dia moved on through the woods, not glancing back.

When Scona began to rise, veins trembling and limbs hesitant, Dia shouted back, “Don’t follow me, little girl.”

On her feet, prepared to flee if needed, she dared call out, “Why do people think you’re dead?”

Over her shoulder, Dia said, “Because that’s what I want them to believe.”

JENNA GREENE

Tong ge

Born and raised in China, Tong Ge came to Canada in the late 80s as an international student. She has obtained a Master of Science degree from University of Saskatchewan in 1992. Since 2012, she has written under both her real name and the pen name Tong Ge, publishing poems, prose, and short stories in both English and Chinese across North America, England, and Taiwan. Her works can be found in publications such as PRISM International, Canadian Stories, Ricepaper, Academy of the Heart and Mind, FLOW magazine, Vineyard Poetry Quarterly, Polyglot Magazine, Aloka Magazine, Magnets and Ladders. With four literary prizes already received, she is also a finalist for four others. Her debut novel, “The House Filler,” was published in Canada in 2023 and is among the five finalists worldwide for the 2023 Eyelands Book Awards historical fiction + memoir category and is the winner of the 2024 Independent Press Award for new fiction. It is also a finalist for the 2024 Canadian Book Club Award.

Uncaged welcomes Tong Ge

Welcome to Uncaged! Your book, The House Filler is the first in a planned trilogy. Can you tell us more about this story?

The House Filler is based on the story of my grandmother and her family. The protagonist, Golden Phoenix, is a widow with bound feet who endures wars, poverty and political turmoil in her pursuit of survival, freedom and happiness.

After the untimely death of her husband, Golden Phoenix is determined to keep her family together. However, poverty forces her to make the heart-wrenching decision to give her teenage twins to the Red Army. During the upheaval of the Japanese invasion of her hometown, she is separated from her two young girls, and her remaining son leaves to fight with the Nationalist army.

Golden Phoenix, along with her adopted son, remains to endure the horrors and the hardships of war. When the Civil War ends with the Communists in power in 1949, one of her twins, a member of the Communist Party, is wrongly accused of being a traitor and is sentenced to death. Golden Phoenix and her family must find a way to save her son’s life.

This is your first novel, what would you like readers to take away from this novel and what’s the hook to bring people in to read the next one?

What happened in early 20th-century China is still relevant today—wars, totalitarian regimes, poverty, and the ongoing issue of gender inequality in many parts of the world. As a species, we haven’t advanced as much as we might think. People need to be aware that freedom is never truly free; it can be taken away in an instant if we’re not vigilant.

I also want my readers to consider this question: Are humans inherently cruel, merely pretending to be civilized until circumstances like war strip away our veneer? Or are we fundamentally kind, with war turning us into beasts? I believe that without consequences, humans are capable of committing atrocities against one another. While some readers have cried while reading the book and even warned others to have tissues ready, I hope they do not merely feel sadness. Instead, I want them to be inspired by the resilience of the human spirit and to recognize that we are stronger than we realize. As long as we survive and are alive, there is hope.

The China China trilogy spans three generations of Chinese women, each book delving into the trials and triumphs of one generation. In the first book, Golden Phoenix, being illiterate and with bound feet, fights against overwhelming odds to survive. Her daughter, Orchid, is highly educated and has natural feet, is poised to grasp the independence and freedom her mother could only dream of. But will Orchid fulfill her dream—or be thwarted by obstacles she never saw coming?

How do you use social media as an author?

I try to post regularly on X, but only do so sporadically on Facebook and Instagram. I’m still learning.

What behind-the-scenes tidbit in your life would probably surprise your readers the most?

I’ve been single for most of my life, quietly admiring a few men but always keeping my feelings to myself. The only two times I expressed them in recent years ended disastrously, abruptly ending our friendships. I did so only because of my age—I didn’t want to take those secrets to my grave.

If you could spend time with any author, living or not, who would it be and why?

I would choose a Chinese author from the early 20th century named Lu Xun. He was an essayist and short story writer who never wrote a novel.

However, he had deep insight into the social, political and cultural issues of his time and never hesitated to criticize old traditions, the darker aspects of human nature, and the government. His writings are sharp, deep and biting, leaving a lasting influence on generations of Chinese writers and intellectuals after his passing. His short story, The True Story of Ah Q, is such a remarkable work that, in my opinion, it far surpasses Hemingway’s The Old Man and the Sea. The 2012 Nobel Prize winner, Chinese writer Mo Yan, once said he would rather trade all his works for a single story like The True Story of Ah Q.

I want to ask Mr. Lu Xun: had he lived to see Communist China, would he have risked his personal safety to continue writing as he did before?

What are some things you like to do to relax when you aren’t writing or working?

Reading, going to live theatre, watching movies and programs on YouTube, walking, exercising, traveling.

A lot of authors like music or background noise when they write. Do you like to have music/white noise or do you prefer it to be quiet?

I prefer my writing space absolutely quiet.

How would you describe yourself in one sentence or less?

I’m not done yet.

What would you like to say to readers, and where can they follow you?

If you’ve read my book, I would greatly appreciate it if you could write a review on Amazon or Goodreads. Your feedback helps me improve and refine future editions.

Stay Connected

Enjoy an excerpt from The House Filler

The House Filler

Tong Ge

Historical 20th Century

China Saga

A family saga set in China during the most tumultuous time of the twentieth century including the Japanese invasion, the civil war, and the Communist takeover.

The House Filler is told through the experiences of Golden Phoenix, a woman who faces war, poverty, and political oppression as she fights for survival, freedom and happiness. After the untimely death of her husband, Golden Phoenix is determined to keep her family together. However, poverty forces her to make the heart-wrenching decision to give her teenage twins to the Red Army. During the upheaval of the Japanese invasion of her hometown, she is separated from her two young girls, and her remaining son leaves to fight with the Nationalist army. Golden Phoenix, along with her adopted son, remains to endure the horror and hardship of war. When the civil war ends with the Communists in power in 1949, one of her twins, who had joined the Communist Party, is wrongly accused of being a traitor and is sentenced to death. Golden Phoenix and her family must find a way to save her

son’ s life. Excerpt

Chapter 1

I met the man I grew to love and the man I came to hate on the same day.

I had waited for that day for ten long years and lost hope of ever getting married. When most girls are married off at age sixteen, a twenty-six-yearold unmarried woman is considered an old maid.

A fresh lad was out of my reach. The villagers believed my best chance was to marry a widower and become a tianfang—a house filler.

Then, out of nowhere, Father received a marriage proposal through the shop owner in Kaifeng who acted as a middleman for my opera costume-making business. However, the widower was twenty years older than me.

“Too old for you. I turned him down.” Father told me that night.

Within days, Father received a second marriage proposal. This man, also a widower, was only ten years older than me. Father met him in the middleman’s shop in Kaifeng. When Father came home, he announced, “Jinfeng, it’s decided. At least he is mature, not bad-looking and has his own business. I can’t let this one pass.”

“Did he ask…?”

“No. He didn’t ask about your feet.” Father waved his tobacco pipe dismissively.

On the day before my wedding, Father sat in our courtyard after supper. Outside, the sun turned from bright white to golden, then to the colour of fire persimmon. The typical heat wave in summer had subsided to a comfortable warm breeze. While he was cooling off with the big plantain fan, I was in the kitchen, boiling water for a bath. Throwing dry corn stalks and twigs into the belly of the stove, I pushed and pulled the handle of the bellow by the cauldron. Sweat trickled down my

FEATURE AUTHOR

forehead to my cheeks and chin, then dropped onto the ground, evaporating within seconds, leaving no trace behind.

Since I was motherless, the Hu clan had sent a woman to our house and told me what would happen on my wedding night.

“You’ve seen how animals mate. It’s just like that,” she said.

Like animals? My face burned like a hot iron. I lowered my head.

“Take a bath today, for you may not have the time tomorrow. Make sure to wash your feet well, and remember, you must always obey your husband.” With those words, the woman left.

Why especially feet? Was she implying my feet were semlly? I was a bit offended. Even with the scarce water supply, I made sure to wash my feet every day. Besides, the foot bathwater was always used to water the flowers in the yard so nothing was wasted. Women’s bound feet were private in those days. The only people who had seen and touched mine were my father and the two witches who bound them. Since I was too young, he took on the daily routine of unwrapping, washing and rewrapping my feet. It was not a man’s job. With his big hands, he did it clumsily at first, then gradually got better. When I was seven, I learned to do it myself.

I closed my bedroom door, lit one single candle, and stepped into the small wooden bath basin. In the flickering shadows of the candlelight, my deformed feet looked like two pointed horse hooves. After walking for so many years on my four-cun silver waterlily feet—one cun too large to be a perfect bride—I no longer felt the initial sharp pain, only the ache after a long day. I scraped my skin slowly and methodically, including the deep grooves between my heels and insteps, and wondered how women’s distorted feet were considered attractive. Most Chinese men had a foot fetish for the three-cun “golden waterlilies.” Playing with such feet gave them the utmost pleasure. All this was because of a damn emperor in the Song dynasty nine centuries ago who liked tiny-footed women.

Uncaged Reviews

Wicked Heat J. Kenner

Contemporary Romance

From the moment he’d seen her at the home of his billionaire father, former race car driver and bad boy Ashton Stone craved Bree Bernstein, his half-siblings’ stunning nanny. He couldn’t have her though—not when his life was so entwined with secrets and scandal.

Uncaged Review: From the moment I opened this book, I couldn’t put it down. This story is heartbreaking, romantic, suspenseful and with two perfectly, imperfect characters. As Bree’s nightmares continue and become worse when she is blackmailed with tapes of a time she was held captive, drugged and the horrible acts done to her, and now finding out they were taped and a young child could be ruined if the tapes get out. Shutting herself off from relationships, Bree runs from her attraction to Ash, but Ash doesn’t give up easily. When she finally confides in Ash about her kidnapping and the blackmail, Ash steps in to help. With seemingly unsurmountable odds, Ash and Bree grow close, but will Bree run again?

A great story, well flushed out characters and a great suspenseful plot with a few twists I didn’t see coming. I had not read any of the books in this series before, and had no issues keeping up with this one but has definitely put this author on my radar.Reviewed by Cyrene

The Swordsman

Kathryn Le Veque Medieval Romance

This time, master of the sword Sinclair “Sin” de Reyne has his moment to shine.

They call him The Swordsman…

Uncaged Review: Elisiana “Lisi” de Verra loves her family and spending time with them until her father arranged a betrothal for her. When Lisi met her betrothed, Adolph, she was appalled at his lascivious behavior and decided she must run away. Lisi ends up in Exebridge at a questionable seedy tavern, The Black Cock. Sinclair “Sin” de Reyne, an elite warrior knight, originally from Blackchurch Guild, is back from his travels and, being a hired swordsman for a friend’s brother, meets Lisi there at the tavern. Sin is astounded by her beauty and intelligence even though another trainer also wants her. Just as Sin is getting to know Lisi and starts to feel affection for her, Lisi is taken by her brother and brought home. Sin will do anything to get Lisi back, even make a deadly deal with pirates, who just might kill him instead. All to not only win Lisi’s heart but make her his wife.

This is a magnificently told historical medieval romance which is just a wonderful tale to read! The story just pulls you in from the get-go from one adventure to another, never letting up until the very end! This is an exceptionally satisfying book, with sensational writing, stunning visuals and intriguing characters that you just can’t help but fall for them! Even if this is part of a series, you don’t have to read any of them in order, but just might want to just to understand all the characters. Sinclair is the complete package and just a wondrous hero! When describing a warrior, he’s handsome, brave, loyal, a perfect depiction of a knight and this is what we all want in a hero. While Elisiana is also a brave spitfire of a lady, truly a heroine after my own heart! This is why Ms. Le Veque is an impressive storyteller and is aptly named the Queen of Medieval Romance, which just completely fits her too! Reviewed by Roslynn Ernst

True Colors

Ozgur K. Sahin

Historical Sea Stories

After thwarting a Spanish invasion, privateer Captain Roy Toppings finds himself face to face with the object of his misguided vendetta. However, details revealed in the aftermath of the battle and subsequent raids on weakened Spanish colonies shed new light on the circumstances of the death of Roy’s beloved sister: someone is attacking French shipping as part of a conspiracy’s larger design, and Constance may have been a casualty of their secrecy.

Uncaged Review: Captain Roy Toppings makes a bold decision to temporarily split his loyal, devoted crew into two groups, a bold decision by far yet all for more treasure. Ajuban is appointed acting ship captain by Roy himself to direct La Mongosta while Roy takes hold and is master of “The Constance.” Roy also has another secret venture not told to anyone but a loyal few, to find the murderer of his beloved sister, Constance, who his ship is named after too. Roy almost becomes crazed and directs all his misguided attention to his most hated brother-inlaw and his sister’s late husband, Pablo Francisco. As Roy hunts down and finally finds the man, his vengeance holds no bounds, and he ends up killing him instead. Roy realizes that his shipmates are at odds and the split between his faithful sailors puts him even more on opposing sides, possibly putting everyone on both ships in danger of losing their very lives. This is truly a very intriguing historical sea-faring story that definitely grabs you from the get-go! The tale is wonderfully told and the attention to detail is quite masterful! As you get more in-depth into the book you can almost smell the sea, the graphic description of ships and even see the vivid depictions of not just places, but the characters, which are beautifully written! In truth, most of the time these nautical ventures bore me, but amazingly so, not this book! I might have read the first book a while ago, but I was still able to remember it. Unfortunately, to really understand the characters’ machinations and if you are demanding to read a series in order, then it might help to read the first book. Still, the book magically transports you to picturesque places that would be well worth the visit! Mr. Ozgur Sahin definitely pens a fantastically penned novel that is well researched and lovingly crafted, so that it would seem that he might have even spent some time on a vessel himself and if he hasn’t, then this is very well-done! Reviewed by Roslynn Ernst

A Heartless Laird Hildie McQueen Medieval Romance

Seeking to avenge his father’s death, new laird Malcolm Ross declares war. Nothing will deter him from finding and killing the man who murdered his father, especially not a beautiful healer who needs to learn her place.

Uncaged Review: Angry, hardened Laird Malcolm Ross has one desire, to take down everyone from Clad MacLeod because they killed his beloved father. On the battlefield, Malcolm is minimally injured, and he thinks he is losing his mind when he sees a beautiful woman, Elspeth Muir, who comes out to tend to the wounded. Malcolm goes up to Elspeth demanding that she leave, but she is relentless in caring for them. So, Malcolm goes back to his keep thinking of the strange beguiling Elspeth all the time. Just as Clan MacLeod attempts to broker peace by sending a messenger, who, instead, is killed. Malcolm thinks it is another call for combat. Just as the battle gets fully under way, Elspeth comes to minister to the injured and becomes stabbed herself. Malcolm has no choice but to take her back to his home. As Malcolm tends to Elspeth, his stance changes and the cold, heartless warrior finds himself falling for the healer, which could either throw them even more into war or be the thing that will finally calm the fighting between both clans.

I got interested in reading Ms. Hildie McQueen after reading one of her books and begged to read another book, which I don’t regret! There is some decent amount of fighting with some minor wounds suffered by both the hero and heroine, so if you’re turned off by that, then this isn’t a good book to read. Also, from the point of view both seem to recover amazingly uncommonly fast which did bother me a little, especially since I am in the healthcare profession, yet still I was able to enjoy the book if I was able to suspend some belief that they could just heal quickly. Malcolm is not a particularly likable guy either. He’s mean-spirited and just downright awful. He is a much better person when he falls in love, so there is that which spares him, so there is that. While Elspeth is just a fantastic heroine and really was the saving grace for me. It is hard to write any story filled with revenge and hate yet turn it into a romance that is even worth reading. Luckily, this isn’t one of those books and I can’t wait to read another! Reviewed by Roslynn Ernst

Uncaged Reviews

The Girl Who Belonged to the Sea

Katherine Quinn Fantasy

One woman chosen by the God of the Sea. A king hellbent on saving his mysterious island home. And a forbidden romance that could destroy them all.

Uncaged Review: This a great start to a fantasy series, and even though it was a tad slow in spots, the world building is top notch. Margrete has lived all her life under an abusive father, who only wants power and riches, so to make a new wealthy ally, he arranges a marriage for her to Count Caspian, who will become an ally to her father. But on the wedding day, they are attacked by sea pirates, and Margrete is taken hostage and taken to a land called Azantian, which is only believed to be in existence from fables. Bash, the King of Azantian, plans to use Margrete as a bargaining chip to gain back a relic that was taken from the island by Margrete’s father.

There are a lot of twists and turns, betrayal, and a enemies to lovers trope working here. Margrete is much more than we believe, and we will see her mature from a stubborn, intelligent girl to a strong woman in her own right as she finds out the truth about her father, the Count and Bash and the island of Azantian. This is a well written story that kept me invested throughout and the full trilogy is out now and I plan on moving forward. Reviewed by Cyrene

House of Fire and Magic Sherrilyn Kenyon Fantasy

TAKE BACK YOUR KINGDOM

Unicorns and Dragons never mix. For centuries, they’ve been bitter enemies and their kingdoms at war. But desperate times call for desperate measures. Tanis’s beloved older brother and heir to their throne has been slain by a human who continues to flaunt her brother’s death.

Uncaged Review: Sherrilyn Kenyon has built a new world in this start of a series that has me pretty excited. I’ve read a lot of the Dark-Hunters and some of the League and Nick series, but this one is completely different from what she’s done before. Tanis (a princess dragon) has vowed revenge on the ones that cut off her brother’s head, even though she’s going against the rest of the family. She sets a trap and catches a unicorn in a net, hoping he’ll transform her with his powers to a human, so she can track and get her brother’s head back for a proper burial. Unknown to her, she catches the High King, Dash, one of the most powerful unicorns in existence and known for his cruelty. Dash is on his own mission to find the killer of his sister – who also stole her horn – a rare horn that could actually kill him. Making a bargain with him is a price she’s willing to pay.

There are so many layers to this story, with intrigue, all types of magical beings, and plenty of action and romance. After the halfway point, I had a hard time putting this one down. Dash and Tanis will find a forbidden love, and will have to navigate that and get past both of their tortured pasts to find their way. The secondary characters are fantastic and I can’t wait to read more in this world.

Reviewed by Cyrene

Marked by Ash Cadence Connor Romantic Fantasy

A princess destined for a loveless marriage. A disgraced royal soldier. A dangerous journey they must risk together.

All Cord wants is to complete this final punishment so his position in the royal army can be reinstated. An impossible task when the princess he’s escorting is determined to undermine his every move. His mission changes when magic wielders ambush them in the forest, dumping him and the princess in the middle of dangerous enemy territory.

Uncaged Review: In this story, we jump from reading about two different scenarios and 2 sets of characters. There are two different factions in this world that are at war, Velotians and Muratians. Isla is a Velotian princess being escorted to a marriage that will bring an strong alliance to her kingdom. A marriage she has no say in. A soldier is assigned to her to be her guard, a disgraced guard given trying to get his honor back. The second part of the story is about Mira in the Muratian mines, digging for firestone, a mineral that helps block the powers of the wielders.

It took me forever to get into this book. The book did do better at the halfway point, and really picked up at the end, but it was the mind-blowing ending that saved the whole thing. This was a twist I never saw coming, and even though I thought these two different scenarios would merge at some point, I never expected what happened. So many answers, but so many new questions. Unfortunately, the next book doesn’t come out for a year, so the minor cliffhanger will not get answered for a while. Reviewed by Cyrene

The Rest Falls Away

Colleen Gleason

Historical Paranormal

Beneath the glitter of dazzling 19th century London Society lurks a bloodthirsty evil…

Just as Lady Victoria Gardella is preparing for her debut into London Society, she learns the shocking and impossible truth about her family legacy: she is one of the very few who has the power--and responsibility--to hunt and slay the evil vampires that infest the city.

Uncaged Review: The author has deftly combined the historical London society with the paranormal world of vampires and the people that hunt them. In this book, the vampires are not romanticized, they are truly creatures that kill and are unknown to most of society. There are a few people that are either born into, or become Venators, the ones that are gifted with special abilities, such as strength, speed and being able to find the vampires. Victoria was born a Venator, as a legacy of her family. Even though she’s making her debut in Society, she is trained and learns to be a Venator from her aged aunt and another Venator, named Max – who although was not born into the legacy, earned his way to being a Venator. Along the way, Victoria is courted by a Marquess, and even though she’s warned about being in a marriage when the spouse cannot know about her activities is not a good idea, she falls in love with Phillip, and believes she can do both.

This has a lot of intrigue, and action along with a bit of heartbreak and angst – and Victoria will come to realize her worth and her strengths. Being part of the vampire slayer world and part of Society will have it’s advantages and disadvantages, and eventually, Victoria will need to choose. A very good start to a nice original historical. Reviewed by Cyrene

Uncaged Reviews

How to Love a Dangerous Rogue

Scarlett Scott Gilded Age Historical

Lady Tansy Francis has been a loyal lady-in-waiting for most of her life. In the eyes of the ton, she has come to London for the formal betrothal announcement of the princess who is like a sister to her. But secretly, Tansy has become caught up in the plans for a revolution in her homeland.

Uncaged Review: Princess Anastasia is betrothed to a King of Varros, a match her horrible uncle has made for an alliance with the country and is sent to London to meet up with her match, taking her lady-in-waiting, Tansy, with her. But the uncle is crude, and has exiled the true heir to the throne, the princess’s brother, who has not been found, so Princess Anastasia sneaks out through a window, and is working to find her brother to overthrow her uncle from the throne. During this time, King Maximilian tries to visit with the Princess, but only is able to see Tansy, who is covering for the princess. Feelings develop between the two in the times they spend together, even though Tansy knows he’s betrothed to the princess.

A lot of hot romance, intrique, action and danger, and forbidden passion is within the pages of this story. I was intrigued from the start and even though Max is a bit too alpha at times, I still loved all the characters, especially Nando, who is the subject of book 2 of this series and already on my kindle. Reviewed by Cyrene

Knight of Havoc Sherry Ewing Medieval Romance

One lone knight. One strongminded maiden. When duty wars with love at first sight, which will win?

Long ago, Reynard Norwood loved deeply, but the lady died, and he vowed never to love again.

Uncaged Review: This book is the third installment of the series. Sir Reynard Norwood’s main goal is to serve the Empress Matilda because his one true love, Lady Joanna, is dead. Still, on the days and nights when there is nothing to do, Reynard’s feelings of despair drive him to dwell on her. When Reynard comes upon Blackmore and the beauteous Lady Elysande Thorburn, she attempts to be the best host despite not having anything to eat herself. Reynard knows Elysande doesn’t have much, and his plan is to take her to the Empress because maybe she might be able to help her. Of course, convincing Elysande to accompany him isn’t going to be an easy feat either. Finally, Reynard is able to talk Elysande into going, but the journey is fraught with danger. Reynard has even fallen for Elysande, but the Empress decides to make it into a tournament. Reynard realizes that even though this is supposed to be a game, he is playing to win Elysande’s hand or die trying.

This historical romance book is definitely a roller coaster of action and adventure from beginning to end! It’s amazing that each successive story is filled with so much that it really is a complete page turner and very hard to put down. Sure, at times I was screaming in frustration because I thought the tale should have just ended after both the hero and heroine finally get together, but, no, there are more plot twists and turns that kept me on the edge of my seat in wide-eyed anticipation. Reynard almost seems to heal at an extremely fast rate too. While Elysande’s attachment to him is alarmingly quick. It does work and carries the book along wonderfully! I think for me those unexpected curves caused a tiny bit of dragging, yet it kept my attention throughout and the villain was just awful, but isn’t that the point? I think it was more my issue than anything else. I do look forward to Richard’s story next and hope the rest of the knights, including Constantine, get a novel too.

Reviewed by Roslynn Ernst

A Hardened Warrior

Hildie McQueen Scottish Historical

A temporary truce from clan war and a forced marriage change the course of many lives…

Tristan Ross had a long recovery from devastating injuries. Through it all, visions of a beautiful woman trailed him. When he finally sees her again, it’s under the worst of circumstances.

Uncaged Review: This second book is Tristan Ross’s story. Tristan wakes up severely injured and near death in a humble cottage. When Tristan hears a woman’s voice telling him to drink, he wonders who the mysterious lady is, who cares for him so tenderly. The person turns out to be Merida MacLeod, and she realizes that she must return Tristan to his clan. So, despite the danger, Merida risks everything to returning Tristan. When Tristan is called to, Mackenzie keep to negotiating peace with Clan McLeod. Laird Mackenzie suggested to further peace between Ross and McLeod that Tristan and Merida get married. Both Tristan and Merida are hesitant and attempt to avoid marriage. As Tristan and Merida get to know each other, a grudging respect and a deep affection for one another forms. When Tristan must protect Merida against not only his own family but his own clan, will their love save them anyway?

Ms. Hildie McQueen has done it again, writing another enticing historical Highlander enemy to a lover romance that is simply unputdownable! What makes it enjoyable is it isn’t necessary to read the first in the series either, since this book can stand alone, but you might want to read it to understand the family dynamics and everything that is going on. Plus, there are some confusing things that are explained in the other story and make much better sense in this book. Also, Ethan, the man that started the whole feud between the two clans, is alive in this story and causing more trouble when, at the end of the first book, something does happen to him, so of course, the timeline does seem a bit mixed up. There are many side plot romances going on, but this doesn’t disrupt the ongoing flow of the story or take away from the main characters. Tristan the hardened warrior is at first difficult to like, but you eventually warm up to him. While Merida, the feisty, beauteous healer, is just a joy to read. Do I look forward to the next book? Well, of course, I do!

Reviewed by Roslynn Ernst

Silver Hills Christmas Miracle Ava Gray Contemporary Romance

She’s the Mayor’s daughter. And I’m about to give her more than just protection!

Uncaged Review: Set in a small town, Kitty is the mayor’s daughter and is protesting against a huge highway expansion that will cut down the forests and ruin the business for the people in the town, but the mayor won’t listen and Kitty will go to some hard length’s to help the protesters. Rook, is an ex-military man who is hired by the mayor to be Kitty’s bodyguard. The attraction between Kitty and Rook is undeniable, and it doesn’t take that for them to realize it. This is a good hot romance with danger with a few good twists. The small town setting is full of characters that add a nice dimension.

Set near Christmas and a Christmas Yuletide party this is a good read, although I thought a bit of it dragged on a bit too long, but I would definitely read another by this author. Reviewed by Cyrene

Uncaged Reviews

Harrison Hyde and the Runaway Bride

Maggie Shayne

Contemporary Romance

Maria Michelle Brand Monroe

She’s a newly licensed vet, and will take over her mom’s clinic in their dusty, Southwest Texas town. She’s getting married, too. Her perfectly planned-out life is finally underway!

Uncaged Review: This book starts out fast, with our two main characters meeting by Maria plowing into Harrison and grabbing his keys, with a torn up wedding dress on. As Harrison rides with this runaway bride, he sees she’s not as broken up about as she should be. There were a lot of characters to keep up with and it was a fun time to watch two people from completely different backgrounds have so much more in common then they would think. Harrison is a scientist and on his way to a meeting in New Mexico for his latest invention, and Maria is from a large family, well known in the state, with the land, money and name.

It’s been a while since I read a Maggie Shayne novel, and this one had danger, many twists, some easy romance and a group of people that were easy to like. As a person that used to live in Texas, a couple of things stood out as a stretch, (bluebonnets don’t bloom in June – they are a spring wildflower), but even though the author took a few liberties, it was still a fun read. Reviewed by Cyrene

Tangled Up with the Highlander

Julie Johnstone

Scottish Historical

He thought he would never love again… Then he fell for the lass he must give up to save his clan.

Desperate to keep his children and clan from starving, Laird Alasdair MacLachlan joins the ranks of mercenaries searching for the missing lass of a powerful clan.

Uncaged Review: . This is the second book in this series, and I think I liked it better than the first. This time around we are introduced to Sorcha, (or really Margaret Stewart) who has had a very abused life with her adoptive father, especially after her mother dies. She decides to enter an archery contest, to win coin for her sister and her to get out from under the horrible living conditions. Laird Alasdair will enter the same contest to win coin for his clan, and when he finds Sorcha and believes her to be the sister that Laird Ross Stewart (whom we met in the first book) and worth a mighty reward. He decides to tell her the truth of who she is and take her with him back to his lands until they can take her to her brother. Supposedly, she’s been betrothed to a man since she was wee.

But the more time Alasdair spends with her, the less he wants to let her go. And Sorcha will begin to see that all men are not the dishonorable men she’s always believed.

This book has danger, romance and a second chance for love for Alasdair. As the two get to know each other and respect each other, will Sorcha really be torn away from his home and the two children from his first wife who died in childbirth? I enjoyed the two of these characters and the children were fun. It was also great to see Ross again, and even though his involvement came late in the book, it was worth the read to get there. There isn’t much better of a read than the Highlanders, and the author does them justice. Even though I guessed pretty quickly what was going to happen in this book from very early on, it was a very enjoyable read. I hope in the next book, that they find their brother Graeme. Reviewed by Cyrene

Ushers

Joe Hill Occult Short

Martin Lorensen is a twenty-threeyear-old counselor for disturbed teenagers. He’s bright, compassionate, attractive, and outgoing. He’s also—and this is the most interesting thing—not dead. Martin has improbably survived not one but two deadly disasters that claimed dozens of lives. The kid is riding one hell of a lucky streak. Two federal agents think there is something darker at play. Now that they’ve arranged to interview Martin, they want answers. Martin is ready to share everything he knows. One thing is for certain: when it comes to escaping death, luck doesn’t figure into it at all.

Uncaged Review: Martin is 23 yrs old and being questioned by 2 detectives, Duvall and Hall about a train derailment that killed several people, and a school shooting in the past, thinking he might be part of the bigger picture. I can’t tell you much, because this book is very short, but the author hooked me within the first 2 pages, and in a short amount of time, I had a good sense of who Martin was, and one of the detectives. This is a short book, but it still packs quite a punch. Reviewed by Cyrene

Christmas Belles

Cerise Deland

Historical Regency

Box Set

The Countess of Marsden requests the pleasure of your company at her home on the North Steyne in Brighton, December 21 to December 28, 1815.

Uncaged Review: Six novellas, all in one and all about a Christmas party. Each story will focus on how six couples find their way to a HEA during this weeklong party. Aunt Gertrude has invited the eligible bachelors in hoping to marry off her three young nieces. But they aren’t the only ones finding love at this party.

This is a lot of fun, and I think the first one, The Earl’s Wagered Bride was still my favorite, but they all were a lot of fun to read. You can’t go wrong with this set and the epilogues were wonderful. There is steam in these stories, some more than others, but each of the story is a complete story and even though they don’t continue into each other, which I actually would have liked better, but it’s understandable when you need to fit 6 love stories into a week party. Great fun, and it’s a nice holiday Reviewed by Cyrene

Amy’s Bookshelf Reviews

The Bluest Eye

Toni Morrison

African American Fiction Banned Book

In Morrison’s acclaimed first novel, Pecola Breedlove—an 11-year-old Black girl in an America whose love for its blond, blue-eyed children can devastate all others— prays for her eyes to turn blue: so that she will be beautiful, so that people will look at her, so that her world will be different. This is the story of the nightmare at the heart of her yearning, and the tragedy of its fulfillment.

Amy’s Review: An amazing, dramatic and cultural story.

The reader is introduced to several children, where their lives are different, and in some ways, the same. The hardships of Blacks who were poor and also out they were perceived by others, and themselves. Insert Pecola, a 12-year-old black girl who dreams of not being ugly, but having the bluest eyes ever. Her life seems the hardest of all. Pecola and her siblings have to call their own mother, Mrs. Breedlove. Some of the story is told by young Claudia, who has an older sister, Frieda. Claudia is bold and tells things like they are, or what she thinks they are. One thing that I found interesting, and even a bit shocking was that many wore the mask of ugliness. This book has been challenged, and is on the top of the ALA’s challenged books of 2023. I would read this book, again and again. I now have the late Toni Morrison’s work on my radar for more books to read. The highlights of the book are when the reader is shown the backstory of the characters, almost explaining why they are the way they are, nasty, evil, ugly, beautiful and soulful, for example.

Murder of a Runaway

Brian O’Hare Mystery/Thriller

Three lives harbouring longcherished dreams. Three lives headed for tragedy.

Lin Hui and Cheung Mingzhu from Shenzhen, China win scholarships to study in Belfast. Alina Balauru departs a poor farm in Romania for well-paid work in Northern Ireland.

Amy’s Review: A chilling thriller!

What an intriguing and chilling story in The Murder of a Runaway by Brian O’Hare. I am a fan of this author! This author brings the story to life. The characters had a lot of depth and were very realistic. It’s a very powerful story that delves into the depths of human trafficking. This story revolves around Sheehan and his Serious Crimes Unit, and how they land in the middle of a brutal world, and heinous killer. Culture and the search for victims or survivors play a big part into this story. This is a detective story, but so much more, and the characters bring the plot to life, as its character driven. After reading the story, you may become reflective, as I was. Though this is a story, real life stories like this happen all over the world. O’Hare did a magnificent job of writing and showing this story to the readers and giving them the chance to pause. It’s definitely un-put-downable! It is always an honor to read this author’s books. Both thrilling and intriguing, all the way to the end. The characterizations are engrossing and dynamic. I just love, love, love this story. Masterfully written!

A Cat’s Cradle

Carly Rheilan British Crime/Psychological

Nobody is innocent, nobody tells the truth... Perhaps, in the darkness, Ralph thinks of the other child, the child whom he killed all those years ago. But he will not say so: he has served his time. After all, he was little more than a child himself when he went to prison for it. He is older now and the world has moved on.

Amy’s Review:Carly Rheilan writes an intense and dramatic tale with A Cat’s Cradle

In A Cat’s Cradle, the reader is introduced first, to Ralph, who seems to be in some mental health facility, and then the story focuses on Mary, and her two brothers. They seem like normal siblings, but Mary is one who has more compassion than her brothers. Carly Rheilan is magnificent writer, and I am always honored when asked to review her work. She author has a grand imagination, and talent for showing the story. From the beginning, after learning about Ralph, whenever the story introduces a new child, it makes you wonder, who is the child that Ralph killed. This story is a wondrous trail of words. This story is a definite attention grabber, so much I couldn’t put it down. Once the reader learns the name of the child, the story gets more interesting, as this child was considered bad. Both thrilling and intriguing, all the way to the end. Some of the pages, you end up reading slower than others, so not to miss anything. Ralph served his time, but did he really? In reading this story, you never know what’s going to happen next, and wonder if another child is in danger.

Scars of the Heart

Bob van Laerhoven

Anthology/Psychological

The ten stories in SCARS OF THE HEART highlight the dark side of love, which fuels our violence, inner loneliness, and greedy egos.

Amy’s Review: Bob van Laehoven writes a magnificent collection of short stories with Scars of the Heart

In Scars of the Heart, there are ten stories, that show how darkness can cast a shadow on love, and how it can interfere with life, and cause effects such as violence, loneliness and greed. I am a big fan of Bob van Laehoven and read whatever this author writes. This author has a grand imagination, and talent for showing the story. Each story in itself tells a remarkable tale, bringing intrigue and sharing the dark side of humanity, and what it can do to a person. These stories were definitely attention grabbers, so much I couldn’t put it down. Each one is intriguing, and very unpredictable. Each story had a gripping and incredible storyline, and whatever this author writes, I want to read, more than once.

Amy’s Bookshelf Reviews

Hell Holes: The Complete Trilogy

Donald Firesmith Sci-Fi/Horror

When the invasion begins, it will come from below. Dive into the riveting world of Donald Firesmith’s multi-award-winning Hell Holes trilogy, where the line between science fiction and supernatural horror blurs in the unforgiving Alaskan wilderness.

Amy’s Review: Donald Firesmith shares three of his stories in a new perspective and perfection In Hell Holes, the Trilogy, the reader is reintroduced to the first three Hell Holes books, and its characters. This book brings What Lurks below, Demons on the Dalton, and to Hell and Back and its characters, back to the reader. I am a big fan of Donald Firesmith and read whatever this author writes. This author has a grand imagination, and talent for showing the story. I enjoyed the changes that the author made to the story, and the updates that only someone who read the stories before, could see. It’s in its perfection now. The story is complementary blend of horror, science fiction, and supernatural. The alien invasions, erupting through the holes that appear, and the demons that come from below brings us to some magnificent stories, and of course, the characters first-hand witnesses, surviving members. Bringing back Dr. Jack Oswald, Dr. Angela Melendez, and Aileen O’Shannon, who is one of my favorite characters. After reading this book, and refamiliarizing myself with the stories, and also changing some of my earlier opinions of the story. As you read more and more, you get the feelings of the characters, writing styles of the authors, and even changing your mind about previously read books. The characters had a lot of depth, and were very realistic, even the extremely old sorceress, Aileen. It’s survival of the smartest and best, as the hounds of hell (and other magnificently evil creatures) emerge! This author is not just a writer but a great storyteller. If you love a good demonic fighting, evil against more than just the good, but the strength of humanity, this book should be next on your list.

The Path Beneath Her Feet Janis Robinson Daly Historical Drama

Steeped in rich historical detail, Dr. Eliza Edwards, the ingénue student in The Unlocked Path, becomes the mature mentor, steadfast in her calling to effect social change by addressing women’s health issues and guiding others to realize their dreams.

In The Path Beneath Her Feet, the reader is introduced to Dr. Eliza Edwards, who was the student in the book that came before this one, The Unlocked Path, and which I now have to read, and I can’t wait to do so. I haven’t read anything by this author before, and what a hidden gem. I enjoyed it so much, that I have now followed the author and look for more books to read. The Path Beneath Her Feet is part of the Path series, and this is volume two. I have just become a fan of this author. What I really enjoyed about this story was that you could tell the author did her research, especially in a time when the world was in turmoil. I am a big history buff, and I had relatives who lived through the era in the book, and where each person’s experiences and lives are different, Eliza fits within the era, and the setting itself is its own character. It’s not easy being a woman, especially an intelligent doctor, in a world that sets the stage for their male counterparts, until the men are called off to war in the forties. This book hits a lot of notes of the struggle for Eliza and her family, not just the depression, or the intensity of the WWII, but trying to reclaim and refine herself, and traveling to where she can put down her roots. Janis Robinson Daly not only tells the story but shows it with words as well. A reader can get lost in the story. The Path Beneath Her Feet is heartfelt & inspirational, and magnificently character-driven.

Amy’s Review: Janis Robinson Daly writes a touching tale with The Path Beneath Her Feet, A Novel

Journey to 2125

Gary F. Bengier Political SciFi

The story of a family facing our future

It’s 2125 when a long-separated grandson suddenly arrives on his doorstep looking for answers. Max MacGyver retells their family story and secrets, revealing a century of challenges that they’ve faced. Journey to 2125 is one family’s touching story, across generations, of adventure, rivalry, loss, survival, and resilience.

Amy’s Review: Gary F. Bengier writes an interesting tale with Journey to 2125: One Century, One Family, Rising to Challenges

In Journey to 2125: One Century, One Family, Rising to Challenges, the reader is introduced to the year 2125, it seems so far away now, but if you think about it, it may not be so distant in the future, and our generations may be living in that century. I haven’t read anything by this author before, and what a hidden gem. The reader meets Max, and then all of a sudden, his grandson shows up, very unexpectedly. This story is filled with stories that go through generations, telling tales of the MacGyver’s past, bringing up secrets, strength and the ability to keep moving forward. Gary F. Bengier has a great imagination, and I’m sure some inspiration helped bring this story together. What an incredible world built by Gary F. Bengier. This story is a timeless tale and a very unpredictable story, my favorite kind! This story is has a well-written plot.

A Terrible Guilt

Bob Rothman

Legal thriller

When the owner and the chef of a popular diner in a small north Georgia town are found shot to death shortly before opening early one morning, Joseph Owens, a hot-tempered busboy, quickly becomes the prime suspect.

Amy’s Review: Bob Rothman writes an amazing crime thrilling tale with A Terrible Guilt In A Terrible Guilt, the reader is faced with the double murder of a diner owner and his chef. I haven’t read anything by this author before, and what a hidden gem. I’m not sure, but I think this is his debut novel, and if it is, I am impressed. If it’s not, I am still impressed. I just became a fan of Bob Rothman. This author has a grand imagination, and talent for showing the story. This is a wonderfully written thriller, and just when you think this case is going nowhere, something happens, and they name their person of interest, as a suspect with a subsequent arrest and trial. Insert two high powered lawyers observing the trial, and they don’t understand why a case like this is even this far into a trial. Sometimes first impressions of a person of interest, stop right there, and there is not even a look for another suspect. This story is a grand suspenseful story. This story is a wondrous trail of words, and both thrilling and intriguing, all the way to the end. The premise and the plots, and subplots were gripping and incredible. The characters had their own depths, and even looking into the background of the victims, provides that sense of the horrendous murders.

Amy’s Bookshelf Reviews

Off Edge

Addison Brae

YA Contemporary

Do you know what it’s like to win an Olympic gold, then have it stripped away? I do.

Gold is every figure skater’s life dream. At fifteen, I experience the thrill of wearing the medal for a few minutes until judges accused me of being too young to be eligible. That’s when I realized my father’s ultimate lie could cost more than my title.

Amy’s Review: A Simply awe-inspiring

story

Addison Brae writes a dramatic coming of age YA tale with Off Edge. I haven’t read anything by this author before, and what a hidden gem. I enjoyed it so much, that I have now followed the author and look for more books to read. The reader is introduced to Docia, a young woman who entered the Olympics for being a figure skater, but her father’s lies about her age, came out, and she lost her gold medal. Docia is young and tenacious, and she tries rebuild her life and reputation, but first, she needs to figure out herself. What and who is she? She has to be more than a figure skater, disgraced by her father’s actions. She knows her passion, but there is still the journey to figure out who she really is and what she really wants. The characters are so real, it’s like being with them within the story. This journey was very unpredictable for both Docia and this reader. I’m not complexly familiar with figure skating and the terms, so I looked up the word edge, which is used to describe when the curved part of skate makes contact with the ice. I recommend that readers of all ages read this book. Sometimes adults should sit back and remember what it was like to be a kid, and whatever their child may be going through.

Strange Alliances

Marie Judson Historical Fantasy

The magical series Braided Dimensions soars to new heights with Strange Alliances. At the start of the series, Kay, a Berkeley professor of ancient languages, falls under the spell of a charming bard who takes her to medieval time. Back home, she is determined to return to that ancient dimension where spirit-walking and mind-speak are practiced by healers and mages.

Amy’s Review: Marie Judson writes a magical and time-travelling tale with Strange Alliances

In Strange Alliances, the reader is reintroduced to Kay, where in the books before this one, she was sent to a medieval time, and now she wants to go back there. Kay is a Berkeley professor of ancient languages, but she falls for a very charismatic man. I haven’t read anything by this author before, and what a hidden gem. I enjoyed it so much, that I have now followed the author and look for more books to read. Strange Alliances is part of the Braided Dimension series, and this is volume three. I have yet, but definitely will, read the stories that came before this one. I think if you want to read this series, start with the first book. I learned about the character’s backstory in this book, but i will definitely read the two before, and then this one again. There is so much that Kay wants to learn, and when she finds her way back in time again, she learns more and more about the magic, and customs of a tribe long gone. This story is has a well-written plot. The author’s technique of raw, magnetic characters and great plotlines is a gift.

7 Nights of Life Stories

Heino Viik

Contemporary Romance

“7 Nights of Life Stories” is a captivating tale that explores the complex weave of human connections, set against the picturesque backdrop of Crete. The story follows the hero, a holistic therapist, and his unexpected encounter with the attractive heroine, which leads to a profound journey of self-discovery and love.

After Halastaesia

Janina Franck

YA/Fantasy

Everyone knows stories of the chosen hero summoned to save another world. This is what happens afterward.

Ben’s return from a realm of fantasy leaves him stranded in a world that no longer feels like home. As he grapples with the disbelief of those around him, he clings to the fading echoes of his heroic past.

Amy’s Review: Heino Viik writes a grand tale of life and love with 7 Nights of Life Stories: Echoes of Love on Enchanting Crete

In 7 Nights of Life Stories: Echoes of Love on Enchanting Crete, Heino Viik, gives the readers grand look into the lives that find themselves on the Island of Crete. I haven’t read anything by this author before, and what a hidden gem. The stories are about life, and human interaction and chemistry. Several characters are going through their own journey of their lives, and how they should live it, while others are learning about how their perception of life and others lives is different from the ones living their lives. I have never been to Crete, but have only seen its glorious pictures, and I can’t imagine a more beautiful place to live, when you’re trying to find the way to your destiny, and honing your way into other persons lives. Heino Viik not only tells the story but shows it with words as well. The backdrop is absolutely breath taking. This story is heartfelt & inspirational. It’s a romance that is more about loving oneself, than it is others, and that is one of the important things in life. You can’t love others if you don’t love yourself.

In After Halastaesia, the reader is introduced to Ben, once living in a realm of fantasy, he is now in another world, a world that used to be his home, but everything is different. I haven’t read anything by this author before, and what a hidden gem. Janina Franck creates a grand world, well, is more than one. Janina Franck brings the worlds to life, and has a talent for writing in this genre. I found that she now has a new fan in me. A very unpredictable story, my favorite kind! Ben is a realistic character, and brings an interesting depth to the story. Things aren’t what they seem from Ben’s perspective, and he isn’t sure what he was supposed to do, or if he can even save himself or what he thought was his reputation. This story is good read with strong characters. And, with all dark stories, there is also a light in there.

Amy’s Review: Janina Franck writes a dark fantastical tale with After Halastaesia

Amy’s Bookshelf Reviews

Red Canvas

Andrew Nance Mystery/Thriller

In the seaside city of San Marco, Florida, Lise Norwood spends her days serving papers and her nights spying on cheating spouses. But before she became a PI, she was an art major at San Marco University. So when the local police ask her to consult on a murder case in which the victim was posed to resemble a classic Greek sculpture, Lise dusts off her art history degree and joins the task force.

The Centaur Choice

Christie Valentine Powell Fantasy romance

Everyone knows that centaurs carry off young women, but when Bree meets a stallion in the wilderness, he’s kinder and more interesting than any of the estate’s highborn visitors

Amy’s Review: Whatever Christie Valentine Powell writes, I WANT to read!

Amy’s Review: Andrew Nance writes a thrilling and mysterious tale with Red Canvas In Red Canvas, the reader is introduced to Lise Norwood, a private investigator whose cases are mainly about cheating spouses or serving court papers to unsuspecting persons. I read the second book, Green Canvas first, and since I liked it, I knew I had to read this one as well. ed Canvas is part of the Lise Norwood Mystery series, and this is volume one. Once I read Green Canvas, I became a fan of Andrew Nance. This author has a grand imagination, and talent for showing the story. This one introduces readers to Lise Norwood, who is tenacious and anxious to get to more exciting cases. Then, all of a sudden, bodies start to drop, and because of her knowledge of Greek mythology and art, the police pull her in as a consultant, but that doesn’t last too long, as she is determined to dig deeper, and start her own investigation in the Michelangelo killings, which are getting more gruesome as they start piling up. Lise is determined and tenacious, and determined to get the job done no matter what. This story is a grand suspenseful story. Nothing except death could hold Lise back, making her realize how good she really is, and yet she could be putting herself into the killer’s sights.

In The Centaur Choice, the reader is introduced to Bree, a young woman who has a tendency to save beings and creatures that others would shy away from. I love this authors work, and her various series. Each one unique in itself, and its premise. The Centaur Choice is the first book in her next series, The Centaur Chase. If you’re not familiar with the centaur being, it’s part human and part horse. The Centaur is legend to carry off women, with no one knowing what happened to them. At least, that’s what everyone things or assumes. I am a big fan of Christie Valentine Powell and read whatever this author writes. This author has a grand imagination, and talent for showing the story. Christie Valentine Powell builds a great world of fantasy and mythology, and making it her own. Her characters are strong, and they are those you want to get to know. Christie Valentine Powell brings the reader on a journey, along with Bree, and of course, Dale. This story, yes, is about saving a young centaur, and Dale is searching for a mother to his son to do that, transform. But it is also about assumptions, and biases, like in the real world, people assume that just because someone looks a certain way, they are a certain way. More people should read this book. Beasts, beings, human, they all can lead to humanity, but not everything is as simple as not judging someone by their looks or culture. A reader can get lost in the story. This story is amazing! Who could ask for more when it’s filled with magical/fantastical creatures and other interesting beings?

Her Alien Insurgent

Sky Robert Sci-fi Alien Romance

I can’t get him out of my head. Literally, our communicators are fried and he’s the only chance I have off this planet. When the big, green grumpy alien falls for a trap and the line between our broken communicators goes silent, I may be his only hope of survival.

Amy’s Review: Sky Robert writes a magnificent paranormal and alien romance

In Her Alien Insurgent, and I may add a wonderful third volume in this series, Treasures of Trillume, it’s another intriguing alien romance, with the twist of paranormal. I am a big fan of Sky Robert and read whatever this author writes. This author has a grand imagination, and talent for showing the story. And what a world this author has built, especially with the settings for the planet, aliens, and of course, Trillume. This story is not for the faint of heart, and if you blush easily, it will make your face feel like it’s on fire, and that’s a good thing. It’s an intense, detailed love story in the most alienation way, so a romance between various species of alien, and all the powers they hold, is incredible. Absolutely Electrifying. Yes, it’s the end of our world as we know it. Just because an alien is green, doesn’t mean you should steer clear, or even fall in love. The saying that opposites attract, is proven in this story. It’s sensual, thrilling, and intriguing, as love is not the primary goal, survival is. Sometimes you have to put the book down, just to take a breath. It may be fate, or twin flames, but whatever it is, this story works.

Artima’s Travels (Part II)

E. A. Dustin SciFi Thriller

Seventeen-year-old Ella, who is older than her time, more like an old soul, has a newfound brother, Colton. Ella’s best friend Rusty stays by her side, and even covers for her as she is trying uncover her family’s skeletons in the closet.

Amy’s Review: Magnificently written!

What a magnificent story in Artima’s Travels (Part II) by E. A. Dustin. First, I’ve read the first book in Artima’s Travels. I love the character of Ella, who is older than her time, more like an old soul, and now, she has this newfound brother, Colton. Ella’s best friend Rusty stays by her side, and even covers for her. Ella finds out some disturbing secrets about her father’s side of the family, a father she never got to meet. The story has a lot of twists and turns, and brings the past to the present with stories, and experiences. The past is based on WWII, in Nazi Germany, and Himmler is looking for scientists to be able to control others, and they experiment on Jews. That’s just the beginning. I learned a lot by reading this story, and there were some things that I didn’t know about the ravages of the Germans and their hatred against others, and some who just had to obey or they would die. Ella wants to know all the family’s secrets, and she has to figure out what Uncle Joseph is up to, and how it involves her. It’s one of those embraceable stories. It’s definitely un-put-downable! It is always an honor to read this author’s books. A wonderfully told story. Brilliant writing! Entertaining and educational. I will definitely add more of this author’s books to my bookshelf.