All posts by Kelly S

#Review #Haunting – Maroon by William Joseph


Don’t Play With Dead Things.
When young Charlotte Hempstead goes to visit her Aunt Victoria who she has not seen in many years, she realizes that her Aunt has not aged one bit. She soon discovers her Aunt’s mansion has many other dark secrets, and that her Aunt may not ultimately be all or who she thinks she is.

Goodreads

Review by Twinsie Kelly

Sooooo creepy! Charlotte goes to visit Aunt Victoria who lives alone in a large, but old, mansion. Charlotte is welcomed with open arms and really takes a liking to Aunt Victoria. However, it doesn’t take long to realize there are secrets here…many dark secrets. The more Charlotte starts to question and investigate, the more she realizes the danger she is in. The worldbuilding and character building does take some time in this one but hold on for a wild ride because once the crazy cranks up you won’t be able to put it down. The terrifying twists throughout the story will keep you engaged until the very end!

Author Logo

William Joseph is an exciting Horror, Paranormal, and Psychological Thriller writer from New Jersey, USA. He loves to draw the reader into believable worlds, creating everyday characters the readers can relate and connect with, and then forcing them to face their deepest and darkest fears. William Joseph’s writing has been detailed as twisted, dark, terrifying, raw, and emotional.

#Review – Four Aces: 1880 Deadwood Diaries – An American Western Historical Romance by April Holthaus


A historic American Western story about second chances in life and love.

U.S. Marshal Jameson “Jake” Reid has been searching for the notorious outlaw, Harmon Elwood for nearly a year after he robbed the Midtown Lincoln Stage. From horse raids to train rides, every clue to finding Elwood has led Jake to the small mining town of Deadwood. Upon his arrival, he is immediately met with resistance and suspicion and no further at catching the elusive Elwood.

Newly widowed Emily Taylor is doing everything she can to save her farm. Deep in debt, and unable to tend the farm on her own, she is forced to hire a farmhand. Little does she know that the man who answered her ad is really an undercover marshal. When he begins to stir up trouble and the truth comes out, her way of life is threatened as well as her heart. Emily struggles to choose between living the life she had fought for or losing everything she has.

As Jake and Emily become close, Jake finds himself surrounded by conspiracy, blackmail, and a town full of secrets. Can he solve the mystery looming over this town and finally bring Harmon Elwood to justice or will his heart and senses get tangled in a web of lies?

Award-Winning Author A.K. Holthaus is stretching her wings in the publishing world with her first ever American Western Romance featuring her newest hero, U.S. Marshal Jameson “Jake” Reid in her new series, The 1880 Deadwood Diaries.

Goodreads

Review by Twinsie Kelly

Hope and tumbleweeds in the wild west!

“The PAST is like a slow death. It’s something no one can change or hide from.”

Sometimes embracing your past and moving beyond is the roughest thing someone can do.

When Jake and Emily’s paths cross they have no clue how intertwined their lives actually are. Both have a past with many secrets. Jake tries to keep a low profile so that he can catch the elusive Harmon Elwood, but is unable stay to himself once he uncovers the truths that are happening in Deadwood. There is an intensity between Jake and Emily that you know is going to explode but the author does a fabulous job of keeping it tamped down so as not to take away from the plot and story.

In full disclosure, I am not a fan of historical romance, but I am a fan of the Wild West. This story does not disappoint! I look forward to continuing the series.

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Writing historical romances across the ages…

April Holthaus is a certified genealogist, a visual communications account manager, an all-season sports mom, and a self-published, award-winning author of Historical Romances. From the Scottish Highlands to the dirt roads of the Old West, April’s stories are noted to be well written, rich in historical details, and full of tension, suspense, and slow-burning romance.

When she’s not absorbed in researching her next story, she loves spending time outdoors with her family. Born and raised in Minnesota, you will always find her outside pitching baseballs, tossing the football around or skating on the ice playing hockey with her boys. She is currently plotting several more romance stories in the coming months.

Facebook: www.facebook.com/author.april.holthaus

Twitter: @aprilholthaus

Instagram: authoraprilholthaus

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7303088.April_Holthaus

Bookbub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/april-holthaus

#Review – The Practitioner of Boca Muerte: A Carole Walsh Novel by Campbell Brouse


“She stared at the bead in the palm of her hand. Just a plain wooden bead, light brown with flecks of darker brown showing. Just a simple bead. A simple, cruel, manipulative, brutal, coercive, unjust bead. She had twenty minutes to cast the spell and become a slaver, perhaps a lobotomist. Or not cast the spell and guarantee the execution of them both. But it was a spell, so, Hell, she’d cast it on Quincy and it would rain cookies and punch. Then, while they were cleaning up, the Society would sweep in and kill them.”

Carole Walsh lives quietly as a community college history professor in a sleepy Texas town. She also lives a double life as the magic practicing sentinel keeping watch on a thin spot between worlds for the shadowy Society, a cartel of magic users. But that life is pretty quiet, too; right up until it isn’t. A magically possessed man attacks Carole, and her enigmatic neighbor, James Quincy, jumps in to help her. That’s when things go crazy. Now, the attacks keep coming, Carole has been abandoned and betrayed, and Quincy is getting ever more involved in her magical world. Can Carole find her way back to her old life? Can she break free of the Society? Can she even survive? It ain’t easy being the practitioner of Boca Muerte.

Note: These are adults who do swear throughout the book.

Goodreads

Review by Twinsie Kelly

I read the blurb and was hooked! I had a feeling that the story was going to be unique and something different from what I have been reading. It did not disappoint! In full disclosure, I started to read the prologue and started to question why I even wanted to read the book. There are soooo many adjectives, then I started to feel sort of stupid like I wasn’t cut out to read this book, which is crazy because I read all the time! I picked it back up a couple days later, finished the prologue, and THEN got into the story. Whew! I am so happy I did because once I started chapter 1, I very much got invested in this story. It was getting to the point that I couldn’t stop turning the pages because I NEEDED to know what was going to happen next. I thoroughly enjoyed how the relationship between Carole and Quincy started and how it grows throughout the entire story. Hold on tight because once the crazy starts cranking, it does not stop! I am so grateful that I picked this back up because I really enjoyed this story. I look forward to the shenanigans that Carole and Quincy will get into. A must read!

#Review – A Ship of Bones and Teeth by Karina Halle


A standalone adult dark fantasy pirate romance re-telling of The Little Mermaid from the New York Times Bestselling Author of River of Shadows and Blood Orange.

Princess Maren is a woman with a secret.

Ten years ago she sold her soul to the sea witch Edonia, giving up a life underwater in exchange for the love of Prince Aerik on land. But after a decade of abuse and misery inflicted by the cruel prince, Maren wants nothing more than to leave him and her royal role behind and find Edonia to reverse the spell.

An opportunity for escape presents itself when the prince and princess are traveling overseas and are taken hostage by a band of notorious pirates, led by the fearsome Captain Ramsay “Bones” Battista. Maren has heard the sordid stories about the infamous pirate–not only is his ship supposedly haunted and crewed by the damned, but that no prisoners ever survive.

Fortunately for Maren, she learns that the captain also has a score to settle with the sea witch. With any luck, Maren may be able to get her old life back, even if it’s being held in the captain’s wicked hands.

But Ramsay gets more than he bargained for when he learns who–and what–Maren is, and that her appetite for revenge, freedom, and bloodlust rivals his.

Meanwhile Maren finds herself falling for the pirate’s dark nature, even as she discovers that Ramsay has a secret more deadly than her own.

When it comes to the high seas, not all monsters lurk beneath the surface.

Content Warning: Though this is a fantasy, it is also a dark romance with potential triggers. A full list can be found inside the book or on the pinned cover reveal post on IG (authorhalle)

Goodreads

Review by Twinsie Kelly

Wickedly devilish! Being caught between the devil you know and the devil you don’t, can be a terrifying place. Especially when you exist in a space between worlds with nowhere to belong to.

I needed this story! It is a standalone adult dark fantasy pirate romance re-telling of The Little Mermaid, but I have to say that A Ship of Bones and Teeth is SO. MUCH. BETTER! I mean, Syrens and Pirates? Sign me up!

Be prepared when you open this book because it will consume you. For days, all I could think about were Maren and Bones. What was going to happen next? How would they overcome? Will they really turn on each other? Who else will die? And let’s not forget… OMG, how hawt was that?

Maren and Bones are completely different people, but once together, they are intensely drawn together. It’s one of those intense feelings that actually scares you. However, these two really helped each other throughout the story without really realizing it. This has a bit of everything from friendships, sex, kinks, feuds, betrayal, beauty, death, abuse…you name it, it has it! It will even make you smile and laugh!

There are a tremendous number of twists and turns in this retelling, unlike any other I have read. There is nothing that I can say that will prepare you for the consuming obsessive monster you will become until you reach the end of the story. An absolute must read!

Remember: “There are no mistakes. Just choices that took us on a different path.”

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Karina Halle is a screenwriter, a former music & travel journalist, and the New York Times, Wall Street Journal, & USA Today bestselling author of River of Shadows, The Royals Next Door, and Black Sunshine, as well as 70 other wild and romantic reads, ranging from light & sexy rom coms to horror/paranormal romance and dark fantasy. Needless to say, whatever genre you’re into, she’s probably written a romance for it. When she’s not traveling, she and her husband split their time between a possibly haunted 120 year-old house in Victoria, BC, and their condo in Los Angeles. She seems a bit boring in her bio but I assure you she’s a big ol’ goof in real life. For more information, visit www.authorkarinahalle.com.

#WOTR23 #Review – To Teleport, or Not to Teleport?: Magic and Mayhem Universe by A.J. Renee

The drama that follows the colorful, supernatural citizens of my town is enough to glue anyone to the couch for a binge sesh.

I used to pride myself in the fact that the most exciting thing affecting my small-town life was my students’ shenanigans. But then my childhood crush returns, setting off a barrage of complex emotions in my witchy heart.

My quirky power of sniffing out secrets starts making my visions go crazy. Being preventable isn’t exactly one of their features, and they’re all targeting him. As if that isn’t stressful enough, my dormant teleporting powers decide it’s time to activate.

My cousin can’t bake her chocolate croissants and sweets fast enough to help me cope with the pitfalls waiting to hit my inner circle. Or how the boy who’d left me has become hotter than the fires of hell.

Goodreads

Review by Twinsie Kelly

Oh my stars! Goofy cute but purrrrfectly hawt! These types of stories are the kind that everyone needs, especially if you are trying to get out of a reading slump! This is definitely a dramedy that has everything! There are parts that are the corny type of funny that make you laugh out loud, then you move on to the hawtness that our panther shifter brings to the table, and all wrapped up with some murder mystery. Aileen is our female MC witch with a lot of quirks whose senses start to go even more haywire once her childhood friend, Grayson, returns just as abruptly has he left. Visions start coming and going, she is teleporting to places she doesn’t understand, but one thing that this has in common is Grayson returning to town. Mix in some mischief and murder to round everything off and you won’t be able to put it down. There were literal times that I laughed out loud and then had to turn around and fan myself, LOL! This story was absolutely fun and crazy, but most of all, it kept me entertained! Bravo, AJ!

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AJ Renee is a military wife and mother of three. She graduated from the University of Central Florida with her Master of Science in Criminal Justice and a Bachelor of Science in Psychology.

She loves to read and write steamy romance with a happily ever after. When not working, you can find her playing World of Warcraft, board games, or outdoors for a run or hike.

#Review – Mountain Haven (Mountain Mayhem Book 1) by Dawn Love

Mountain Haven (Mountain Mayhem Book 1) by [Dawn Love]

They say when life hands you lemons, make lemonade.

But for Lexi Lane, life didn’t hand her those lemons. Instead, they were hurled from a grenade launcher. It’s been almost five years since her world detonated around her, and she’s moved on from that sour time in her life – or so she thinks. Hiding out in the mountains of West Virginia has given her the solitude she’s needed to survive, but surviving is all she’s done. When a stranger crashes into her life, will she finally be able to open herself to feel again? To love again?

Michael “Blaze” Blaisure has devoted his life to righting some of the wrongs in the world. Part of a covert military unit, he has traveled from country to country and seen the pits of hell first-hand. After witnessing more death and despair than his heart and soul could take, he makes the decision to change directions and choose a new path. But will that path lead to acceptance and forgiveness for his part in tragedy and death?

All it takes is a mountain, a storm, and the hand of fate to open their eyes to new horizons. But when danger appears, will it separate them, or bring them closer than ever?

Content/Trigger Warnings: Mountain Haven is meant for adults and contains explicit and graphic sexual scenes and language; themes of grief, death, infant loss, loss of fertility; mental illness, PTSD, depression, agoraphobia; violence; stalking; attempted kidnapping; and disturbing imagery.

Goodreads

Review by Twinsie Kelly

Surviving! It doesn’t matter what each of us are going through, we all have our stories and each of us are just trying to survive. Lexi and Blaze come from two completely different backgrounds, both with their own struggles and their own ways of dealing with them. Both looking for a place to escape and somehow finding themselves by finding each other. A raging storm on a mountain brings these two together. Right from the beginning the chemistry is just there. I do believe in a sort of “love at first sight” because sometimes we see someone and just know that it works. These two, even though they are battling their own demons, end up finding each other and helping each other more than either of them knows.

This story is a slow burn. There is a lot that each of them have to dig through just to let loose with the other for even one night. However, there are some bad vibes going that ultimately present a crazy curve ball with the story. One, actually a couple, that I had no clue were coming. Just when I thought they loved and could move on, they lost. And then I thought things were cooling off, BAM! The crazy hits us! This was a slow burn, with the perfect amount of steaminess, and a very suspenseful plotline. Definitely a page turner. Sometimes one person can make you believe in love again and this story is a true testament to that!

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Dawn Love was born in Mayfield, Kentucky, and spent the first twenty-six years of her life there. Always a creative person and an avid reader, she began writing stories for her own entertainment as a teen, and her love of writing continued to grow into adulthood. Meeting the love of her life brought many changes, including moving 900 miles away from home and settling on the Delmarva Peninsula where she resides on her 50-acre farm. Now the mother of two teenagers, she spends her free time creating the characters and stories of her fantasies. She also writes an internationally read Blog where she gives her readers a glimpse into the craziness of her day-to-day life, her mind, and all that the world throws her way.

#WOTR23 #DoubleReview #NewRelease Always a Groomsman (Love on the Run) by Michel Prince

Always a Groomsman (Love on the Run Book 1) by [Michel Prince]

There’s no reason to let a little thing like death get in the way of a good vacation.

World travelers Serena and Conner Love have been married for years and are always up for a bit of adventure. The Loves have only two constants, their devotion to each other and their ability to be in the wrong place at the wrong time. Never having put detective on their resumes, they aren’t crime fighters, at least not professionally. When Serena’s cousin decides to have a destination wedding in the Dominican Republic the stage is set for beachside romance, a little bit of family drama, and a corpse before the couple can say I do.

When a groomsman is found on the beach two days before the wedding, Serena and Conner can’t help themselves from trying to solve the mystery. The Loves believe they’ve uncovered the guilty party using deductive reasoning, a pinch of hacking into security footage, and not missing a beat. When they present their evidence to the police, they discover there might be a block at the local level. Can they find the real killer before the locals sweep the tourist’s death under the radar and blame a local teen they’ve befriended?

Goodreads

Review by Twinsie Kelly

My goal in life is to be like Serena and Conner Love! These two have an incredible relationship that definitely keeps things interesting. Serena and Conner are so different in many ways but absolutely perfect for each other. Serena has a travel vlog and Conner has become her unofficial cameraman. Conner has his own gaming company but has the flexibility to travel with Serena, “with the direct result of retaining knowledge”, Serena’s words, not mine, LOL!

While out on one of their wild adventures, Serena is summoned to her cousin’s wedding at a beautiful resort in the DR. The Love’s make a detour for the wedding and begin to explore the city! However, while mingling with the wedding party they notice some real thick tension with one of the groomsmen. Things go from tense to super intense when the Loves find him murdered on the beach. The worst part is a local that is innocent is about to take the fall. The shenanigans that Conner and Serena get into are pretty funny but also get to some levels of scary. There is a lot of sarcasm, tons of wit, and true cunningness that helps them get through to solve the murder.

The author does a great job with character development. Especially with giving you just enough information on the suspects to keep you guessing who is the guilty one, right to the very end. The world building is amazing, you feel like you are right there! One thing that I really loved is that there are cultural backgrounds for the characters that I don’t normally see in books. I am especially excited that this is the first book in the series because I am ready to immerse myself in all the travels and cultures that the Loves can introduce us to.

Review by: Twinsie Melinda

I received a copy of this book for an honest review.

I don’t usually read mystery books but this is by Michele Prince and I so love her books. Serena and Conner are so much fun. They have a one-of-a-kind love and since of adventure.  Well Serena has a crazy since of adventure and Conner follows, I think more to look after her.

While on one of their adventures she is called to be at her cousin’s wedding so they go.  True to Serena form they find themselves in the middle of a mystery.  They befriend a boy on the island who supposedly killed one of the wedding party. We get to see Serena and Conner with the help of some friends figure out what happened to the wedding party member.

We are led through their investigation and learn things as they do.  You think its one thing and then they realize it is something else. I did enjoy Conner and Serena’s chemistry and seeing them work through all the clues they uncovered. I liked that this book let me see the Dominican Republic through the characters eyes good and bad. I have to say the side characters were great to get to know.

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USA Today Bestselling author, Michel Prince, graduated with a bachelor degree in History and Political Science. Michel writes young adult, new adult and adult paranormal romance as well as contemporary romance.

“Ms Prince writing is like summer breeze caressing your body, slow and sultry.”-Amazon review of First and Ten.

“Michel Prince is a wonderful author with a real talent for writing.”-Amazon Review of Triple B Baking Co.

“Prince explores in her novels is interracial romance and friendships. Prince pokes fun at stereotypes, but never allows stereotypes to guide her plot. The focus is on creating two strong, independent characters who can stand on their own, but complement each other as a couple.”- Amazon Review of Silly Girl

“One Last Sunset is a well written story by the awesome Michel Prince that left me wanting to learn more about the rest of the Long family.”- Amazon Review for One Last Sunset.

“I could not put it down, and will definitely be looking for more from this Author.”-Amazon Review of Silly Girl.

With characters yelling “It’s my turn damn it!!!” She tries to explain to them that alas, she can only type a hundred and twenty words a minute and they will have wait their turn. She knows eventually they find their way out of her head and to her fingertips and she looks forward to sharing them with you.

When Michel can suppress the voices in her head she can be found at her son’s games in a variety of sports. She would like to thank her family for always being in her corner and especially her husband for supporting her every dream and never letting her give up.

Michel has been awarded Elite Status with Rebel Ink Press in 2013, the service award for her local RWA chapter Midwest Fiction Writers 2013, 2014, won 2015 Sweetest Romance from IREA for Chrysalis, a 2022 finalist for the Minnesota Book Awards for The Amalgam and was a PAN member of RWA. She lives in the Twin Cities with her husband, son, and new puppy.

#WOTR23 #Review Zombie Survival for Foster Kids (A Post-Apocalyptic Dystopian Adventure) by L.C. Mortimer

Zombie Survival for Foster Kids: A Post-Apocalyptic Dystopian Adventure by [L.C. Mortimer]

Surviving the zombie apocalypse is tough.
Surviving foster care is even tougher.

14-year-old Lamech Eris has been in foster care for the past three years and is about to be reunited with his dad when the zombie apocalypse happens.

Now he’s trapped in a house with his foster mom, Madison, and the only way to get to his dad is by going directly through the city.

Too bad it’s filled with the undead.

Goodreads

Review by Twinsie Kelly

I feel sort of weird saying this since it is a zombie book, but this is a great “feel good” story. I really enjoyed the fact that it is told from a different perspective, the caseworker/foster mother and the foster child. The real part of the story is being able to love and protect a child that is not yours. Even though the undead are walking the streets, the foster mother tries to move heaven and earth in an effort to reunite the father and son. Lamech is a great kid and even with the insanity going on, he and Madison lean on each other to make it to the end. It is an interesting and quick read. The ending is tied up nicely but could go on with a continued journey. Either way, I definitely recommend this one!

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L.C. Mortimer likes zombies, shifters, and things that go bump in the night. When she’s not busy dreaming up her next story, Mortimer can be found dancing, traveling, or curled up with a cozy mystery.

#Review #Dragons – What a Dragon Needs (Star of the North Dragons) by Ava Cuvay

What a Dragon Needs (Star of the North Dragons) by [Ava Cuvay]

Dragon Council Emissary Lucia Bengtsson visits Minnesota’s clan to discover how they thwarted a recent invasion by a long-prophesized World Destroyer. What she finds is a family that welcomes her with an unquestioning warmth she’s never experienced among her own clan members, who have always judged her by the diminutive size of her Light Dragon. Only the sexy yet antagonistic Ivar Drekison demands she prove herself while he keeps her at arms-length. Arms she desperately wants wrapped around her.

Third-born son of the Star of the North clan, Ivar Drekison’s attitude is as sharp and cold as his Metal Dragon’s claws. When Lucia Bengtsson, the gorgeous yet standoffish Dragon Council representative, arrives to interrogate his family on their battle strategies, he senses an underhanded betrayal brewing. While everyone else adores Lucia and her gentle manners, Ivar clashes with her in an attempt to force the truth behind her visit. In doing so, he must also battle his own overwhelming attraction to her.

This novella is the second in the Star of the North Dragon series, which can be read in any order or as standalone novellas.

Goodreads

Review by Twinsie Kelly

Dragons! Seriously, need I say more? Ivar will have a special place in my heart forever. He is my soul-dragon. He is brash, rough around the edges and loves to drop the f-bomb (I’m in love!). Lucia is the opposite of everything that Ivar is. She is small, naïve, and very proper. She grew up within the Dragon Council and her family is part of the Elders. She is tasked with going to Minnesota and bringing back a representative from the Drekison family, who saved the world from destruction. She experiences the biggest shot of culture shock when she arrives at the Drekison home. This world is nothing like her own. However, right from the very beginning, Ivar and Lucia are drawn together. Both try to fight it but we all know that just won’t happen. Watching their relationship grow and seeing how Ivar helps Lucia to come out of her shell will make your heart melt. Now, I don’t want this to seem like some mushy, gooey romance, even though it is, but the author inserts the perfect amount of debauchery and shenanigans to make it fun, and HAWT, too!

This book is a little softer than the first because the fight with the World Destroyer is over, but it just as swoon worthy. To anyone that reads this, KEEP YOUR HANDS OFF IVAR! HE’S MINE!

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Ava Cuvay writes out of this world romance featuring sassy heroines, often-alien-but-always-sexy heroes, and an alcoholic beverage or two… Set in a galaxy far, far away. She resides in central Indiana, USA with her own scruffy-looking nerfherder, kiddos who are growing up without her permission, and two kitties that make her laugh. She believes life is too short to bother with negative people, everything is better with Champagne, and Han Solo shot first. When not writing, Ava is thinking about writing. Or wine. And she’s always thinking about bacon.

#Review – Carnival of Terror by William Joseph

Carnival of Terror by [William Joseph]

Welcome to the most spectacular, heart racing, entertaining, and deadliest show you’ll ever see.Ever want to see what happens after you leave the circus and the show is over? Ever wonder what goes on behind the scenes? Have you ever wanted to see the darkest side of human nature? Then step right up, enter, and be prepared to have your breath taken away, literally.Victor, Jug, the Fortune Teller, Shilo, and Olivia. A horrifying, graphic, and pulse-pounding five-part novel from five different points of view in one interconnecting story surrounding one circus.Welcome to the Carnival of Terror.

Goodreads

Review by Twinsie Kelly

This is a truly twisted read! Who knew one circus would have so many levels of WTF… This is the stuff that nightmares are made of. Being able to experience the story from so many points of view was the right touch. The first experience is from a couple who visits the circus and ends up staying for dinner, to be dinner for the circus. Experiencing it from the ringmaster’s perspective, along with his heir, just reminds you how insane people can be. But also seeing it from the fortune teller and a relative of the circus really brings things full circle. I honestly can’t tell you how many times I cringed, winced, and uttered W…T…F…. No matter how much I wanted to look away, I just couldn’t. I HAD TO GET TO THE END!

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William Joseph is an exciting Horror, Paranormal, and Psychological Thriller writer from New Jersey, USA. He loves to draw the reader into believable worlds, creating everyday characters the readers can relate and connect with, and then forcing them to face their deepest and darkest fears. William Joseph’s writing has been detailed as twisted, dark, terrifying, raw, and emotional.