Dream

Nov12

Book Link

From Amazon:

The dark things wait for you to close your eyes…

Emma Beckham is bothered by a repetitive nightmare until, at the recommendation of a friend, she starts seeing dream healer Maya Grecco. Maya’s innovative approach to taking charge and changing dream structure greatly benefits most people and Emma is no exception. But what happens when disturbing dreams aren’t allowed to play out as intended? Maya finds herself exploring this question with Emma when a growing number of her past clients suddenly begin to experience increasingly worse nightmares, including herself. Can the two desperate women work together to discover how to undo the damage that has been unintentionally created…or are each of them doomed to the deadly fate being dreamt by the other?

My Review:

Oftentimes, we might have frightening and scary dreams that leave us screaming. Sometimes, we wonder about dreams with paranormal content. Can one actually die while in a dream? If they do, can they potentially die in real life? If you wonder about any of the things I wrote, read this short story.

Fallen Gavel

Nov10

Book Link

From Amazon:

The suspects are called to order in this Fiona Quinn Mystery!
Fiona is summoned to jury duty selection; however, when Judge Clarence Kiss discovers she is married to homicide detective Nathan Landry, he dismisses her immediately. That very night Judge Kiss is murdered in his chambers. It doesn’t take long for the tapestry of a clandestine and twisted life to be exposed. As the layers of deceit peel away, the clues lead Fiona and Nathan back to the murder of a ballerina; the very first case they solved together. While the investigation moves forward there seems to be an endless list of suspects, but are they truly related to the long-deceased ballerina or is something more sinister at play?

My Review:

I loved this book and was happy to see it show up in my TBR list. Fiona just can’t stay away from murders. Fiona show up for jury duty and the judge, Judge Kiss, dismissed her due to her being married to a police detective, Nathan Landry. Fiona’s parents and their five Yorkies show up unexpectedly, and mayhem ensues with Fiona’s little Maltese adding to the mix. Judge Kiss is murdered and the mayhem begins.

This entry was posted on November 10, 2025. 2 Comments

The Thanksgiving Child

Nov5

Book Link

From Amazon:

When Sadie Carter wakes up on a cold Thanksgiving morning in 1880, she’s now an orphan. Her brother will go with Uncle Lambert because Frank can earn his keep, and her prettier sister will be taken by a woman in town. But no one seems to want Sadie. When Mary Mohler invites her home, Sadie is grateful to have somewhere to go. The Mohlers are nice, but she hopes Uncle Lambert will keep his half-promise that he might come back to get her. In the meantime, she has to adjust to a strange family and their different ways of dressing and doing things. But as the months go by, she’s torn between longing for the family she’s lost and the one she’s beginning to love. The Thanksgiving Child is a story that can be enjoyed by both adults and children. It’s inspired and partially derived from the life of the real Sadie Carter who was born in 1872. Sadie was close in age to Laura Ingalls Wilder, who wrote the Little House books based on her childhood. Laura’s life was shaped by a restless movement westward while Sadie lived until adulthood in Missouri. The Civil War appears to have had little impact upon Laura’s story and the opposite is true of Sadie. As the daughter of a Union soldier, she lived in Missouri, where supporters of both sides kept mixed feelings. Attitudes were also mixed toward the Dunkards, a group that included the Mohlers. They were similar to the Amish with plain clothes and strict ways. While this novel is written as fiction, it includes the facts and stories from Sadie Carter’s life.

My Review:

Life is hard for many people and the main character in this story lived a hard life that became a good life. Things were tough in the 1880s and post civil war pitted neighbor against neighbor due to the side one’s family fought for. Sadie is representative of many children during that time, of the ones who had their mother pass away and their dad sick with tuberculosis. A hateful stepmother didn’t help. Yet Sadie thrived, for real, as evidenced by the fact she grew in size for shoes and clothing. Living in one extreme of very little to eat to being in another where food was plentiful, especially when raised by a family who worked hard to preserve foods grown for the coming winter. Sadie realizes that being with a family unlike any she’d known, was the best thing for her.

The Coffin Maker

Nov4

Book Link

From Amazon:

A cemetery. A coffin. A dead woman clutching a blood-red rose.

When private investigator Angelus Walker stumbles upon Alice Downhardt’s body in an open grave, he thinks he’s found a one-off killer with a twisted signature. But Alice isn’t the first—and she won’t be the last. Someone is collecting victims, arranging them like art pieces, each one posed with clay-stained skin and a crimson rose.

As the body count rises and the police remain baffled, the Coffin Maker’s dark creations begin to consume Angelus. Then his girlfriend Kelly disappears.

Now Angelus has twenty-four hours to crack the mystery—before Kelly becomes the Coffin Maker’s next masterpiece.

My Review:

This book was very dark and rather scary to me. More like frightening. Set on Long Island, the body of a woman in an open coffin in a cemetery, holding a perfect, unwilted red rose, is found by Angelus. Detective Angelus looks into this woman’s murder. During his search, he comes to the conclusion that this death was done by a serial killer who used the same type of rose, and meticulous to a fault. Perfect short murder mystery read.

Inherited

Nov2

Book Link

From Amazon:

Some family traits should never be passed down…When Elise McGregor was only ten years old, she inherited a “gift” from her ancestors; the ability to see lost souls in order to guide them to the afterlife. Not wanting to accept her fate, Elise was only able to proceed with the help of her older sister, Sarah. But while guiding a dark entity as a young adult, a tragedy sent Elise spiraling into a self-imposed seclusion. Years later, Elise finally finds herself enjoying a life she could only dream possible. No sooner does she settle in, though, before being confronted with an unsettling spirit in her own home. The situation escalates and can only be stopped by a stand-off that risks everything.

My Review:

This was the right book to start reading last night, on Halloween, and to finish up today. The spirit world can be dangerous, at best, for those who can’t understand them or what they are in need of. The readers gets to figure this out on their own.

Savannah at Midnight

Nov1

Book Link

From Amazon:

Forgetting her was his punishment. Never forgetting him was hers.

In the mood for something spirited, sultry, and supernatural?

Welcome to Savannah at Midnight where the air is humid, the scenery is breathtaking, and restless spirits abound. Take a walk along the river, book a trolley tour of the city, and be sure not to miss the historic district. You’ll find that the food is delicious and the locals are friendly, but never take their hospitality for granted. And if you happen upon an unusually beautiful young woman who’s named after the city during your adventure, you had best remember to mind your manners. Especially once the night falls and shadows come out to play. Get comfortable, but turn up the lights, as short fiction author Cathleen Maza introduces you to those humans foolish enough to trespass where angels fear to tread. Oh, and do your best not to panic when the clock strikes twelve.

My Review:

What a perfect book to read on Halloween! Maza has crafted entertaining tales that intertwine with each other in one way or another. The living and the spiritual worlds collide in 12 tales that are both eerie yet comforting.

Righteous Allegiance

Oct31

Book Link

From Amazon:

A Divided Nation A Deadly Plot A Man Caught Between Two Worlds

Will Manley is a rising star in the U.S. Government’s clandestine services–an undercover agent tasked with stopping a domestic terror group bent on reshaping America. But as he immerses himself in their radical ideology, he faces a battle more personal than he ever anticipated: a choice between his government career and the legacy of his Native American roots.

At the heart of the struggle is Elias McArdle, a brilliant and ruthless former U.S. Army commander. With a clear vision for a new world order–one where white supremacy reigns–McArdle manipulates powerful forces, orchestrating a series of calculated events to bring the U.S. Government to its knees.

But Will isn’t the only one with a stake in this fight.

Ron Shortridge, a highly respected FBI agent, works tirelessly to counter the threat, unraveling a complex web of hate, lies, and hidden agendas to brace for an impending act of terror that would change America forever.

Meanwhile, Rebecca Hurney, a wise Lenape elder, offers a path of healing through ancient wisdom, but time is running out.

A mysterious red fox, secretive and resourceful, who may be more than he appears to be.

Can Will find the strength to stop McArdle before it is too late? Or will darkness consume them all?

Filled with suspense, mystery, and political intrigue, RIGHTEOUS ALLEGIANCE is a gripping work of thriller fiction with complex characters and thought-provoking action that will appeal to young adult and mature audiences alike. Fans of Vince Flynn’s Mitch Rapp, Lee Child’s Jack Reacher, and Tom Clancy’s Jack Ryan will be hooked from the first page.

My Review:

This thriller/espionage book by George Yuhasz takes the reader into the deep world of spies and times of planning strategy withing and outside of one’s unit. Politics and survival draw the characters into a myriad of feelings and decisions. Great pace and the characters are written such that you feel what they feel.

Outback Odyssey

Oct30

Book Title: Outback Odyssey
Series: Standalone
Author Name: Paul Rushworth-Brown
Publication Date: 20th June, 2025
Publisher: Historium Press
Pages: 342
Genre: Historical Fiction / Australian Saga / Cultural Encounters

Any Triggers: Colonial violence, cultural displacement

Twitter Handles: @Brown9Paul @cathiedunn @marylschmidt
Instagram Handles: @paulrushworthbrown_author @thecoffeepotbookclub

Hashtags: #OutbackOdyssey #HistoricalFiction #AustralianHistory #IndigenousStories #BlogTour #TheCoffeePotBookClub

Tour Schedule Page: https://thecoffeepotbookclub.blogspot.com/2025/10/blog-tour-outback-odyssey-by-paul-rushworth-brown.html

Book Title and Author Name:

Outback Odyssey

by Paul Rushworth-Brown

Blurb:

1950s Australia. In the wake of war and dislocation, young Yorkshireman Jimmy journeys to the outback, chasing escape but finding something far more dangerous: the truth of himself and the land he now calls home.

What begins as a story of survival becomes a profound allegory of belonging, silence, and identity. As Jimmy collides with love and betrayal, he also encounters the enduring wisdom of the First Peoples — knowledge that most outsiders are too frightened to face, let alone write about.

Outback Odyssey is sweeping and cinematic, a novel of resilience threaded with unexpected twists and allegorical depth. Already under consideration for a screenplay adaptation, it peels back the myths of Australia’s past to reveal what lies beneath: the unspoken histories, the inherited traumas, and the courage it takes to walk a path that others fear.

Excerpt 4 — Jimmy & Amanda

Amanda extended her hand, her grip firm and full of energy. “Welcome, Jimmy Brown. I’m glad to have you here.”

Her eyes lingered on him longer than she intended. He wasn’t like the stockmen she had grown up around — sunburnt, rough-edged, all bluster and calloused hands. Jimmy was different. His sharp, freckled features carried a boyishness touched by uncertainty, and his long, blond hair curled at the ends, damp with sweat. But it was his eyes that unsettled her. Blue — not just in colour, but in depth, as if carrying shadows and hopes in equal measure.

Jimmy shifted under her gaze. “Thank you, Mrs…?” he asked, trying to steady himself in this new world, the bush stretching out behind them.

“Amanda,” she said simply, holding his eyes a heartbeat longer.

In that moment, neither the red dust nor the weight of silence that had shaped Jimmy’s past mattered. Here, at the edge of the outback, something had shifted — a beginning neither of them yet understood, but both had already felt.

Buy Link:

Universal Buy Link:  https://books2read.com/u/bOvzQo

Author Bio:

Paul Rushworth-Brown was born in England and raised in Canada before emigrating to Australia at eighteen, where he became a citizen. By twenty, he had already travelled the world twice, hitchhiked across Australia, and worked as a navvy in outback Queensland — experiences that gave him an enduring respect for resilience, culture, and the landscapes that shape human character.

He later completed a Master’s degree at Charles Sturt University, honing the research skills that underpin his richly detailed novels. A high school teacher and former professional football coach, Paul draws on a lifetime of experience to bring authenticity and depth to his writing.

His novels are known for their cinematic sweep, allegorical undercurrents, and unexpected twists. Outback Odyssey, his fourth book, is a tale of survival and belonging set against the vast backdrop of 1950s Australia. Beneath its page-turning adventure lie questions of identity, silence, and reconciliation — themes that echo long after the final page.

Paul lives in Sydney, where he writes, teaches, and continues to explore the intersections of history and identity.

Author Links:

Website: https://www.paulrushworthbrown.com

Twitter / X: https://x.com/Brown9Paul

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/paul.brown.73157203/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/author.redwinterjourney

BookBub: https://www.bookbub.com/profile/paul-rushworth-brown

Amazon Author Page: https://bit.ly/4g5kFgZ

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/19012235.Paul_Rushworth_Brown

This entry was posted on October 30, 2025. 2 Comments

That’s Creepy Santa!

Oct28

Book Link

From Amazon:

Most families have traditions they pass down through the generations. And marriages create new traditions, but they also include the spouse’s family. So for some, the in-laws, especially the mother-in-law, cause anxiety—as was the case for Maya’s Christmas Eve dinner. Gifts from the mother-in-law can be glorious or downright insulting. But, for Maya, it was both terrifying and devastating.

Usually, Santa evokes joy and excitement during the Holiday season. Not this time. Christmas Eve dinner for Maya, her husband, and the dreaded mother-in-law starts a horrific family tradition of paranoia and evil tendencies.

Where one sister, Maya, finds herself serving two life sentences in prison, another, Grace, is spending the rest of her life trying to make up for the evil doings of the other. But then, there’s Jillian, Grace’s daughter. What tradition will she uphold? Will she choose evil or redemption? Only Santa knows the truth—after all, he is a magical being, full of goodness and light. At least that’s what we’ve all been told.

My Review:

Mary Schmidt

5.0 out of 5 stars Creepy

Reviewed in the United States on October 27, 2025

Format: KindleVerified Purchase

This is a short creepy story about killers and if that trait can be passed down to other generations. The flip side is a creepy Santa doll.

This entry was posted on October 28, 2025. 3 Comments