Category Archives: Sci Fi

#WOTR25 #Review – Reign of Blood (The Vampires of Vegas Book 1) by Alexia Purdy

“Never tease anything that wants to eat you. My name is April Tate and my blood is the new gold. Vampires and hybrids have overrun my world, once vibrant with life, but now a graveyard of death shrouded in shadows. I fight to survive; I fight for my mother and brother. The journey is full of turns that I am quite unprepared for. And I’m just hoping to make it to the next Vegas sunrise…”In a post-apocalyptic world, a viral epidemic has wiped out most of the earth’s population, leaving behind few humans but untold numbers of mutated vampires. April is a seventeen-year-old girl who lives in the remains of Las Vegas one year after the outbreak. She has become a ferocious vampire killer and after her family is abducted, she goes searching for them. What she finds is a new breed of vampire, unlike any she has seen before. Unsure of whom she can trust, she discovers that her view of the world is not as black and white as she once thought, and she’s willing to bend the rules to rescue her family. But in trying to save them, she may only succeed in bringing her fragile world crashing down around her.

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Review by Twinsie Kelly

Ok, so, I am a sucker for post-apocalyptic, dystopian, end of the world, zombies, vampires, etc. Now this series, it mixes post-apocalyptic and vamps….I just had to read it!

When the world around you has become a graveyard and everything has been taken away from you, what do you have to live for? April is trying to live. She is a 17-year-old who has to grow up really fast and lives for her mother and brother. When they are abducted, she just has to find them.

It has been a year since a virus outbreak that didn’t cause zombies but there was an outbreak of feral vampires. I have to be honest and eyerolled a bit here because I was hoping for something a bit more original instead of a virus. However, I continued. While April is out searching for her family and during one of her rage killings of feral vampires, she is introduced to a hybrid vampire. Ultimately, an entire hive of hybrid vampires. Turns out that that she has something that this hive needs, but she also needs this hive to help her find her family. A little tit for tat. Nothing wrong with that, right? While this part of the story is unfolding, we end up getting some cliché’ vampire vibes (forever mating, being able to walk in sunlight, etc.) and I had to hide another slight eyeroll. I had a bit of problem that a year has gone by and April and her family never ran into the hybrids in Las Vegas while foraging.

While some of these things bothered me during the story, the writing was done very well. Even though some of it wasn’t as original as I had hoped, there is a lot of great writing and story telling that keeps you turning the pages. The characters are well developed and April is extremely easy to identify with. Her internal struggle is very real. If placed in a similar position, I don’t know if many people could mentally handle the situation. There is quite the plot twist that is keeping me hanging on and I do need to continue to find out what happens. I am also invested in her love interest *wags eyebrows*!

Alexia Purdy profile image

Alexia is a USA Today Bestselling author who currently lives in Las Vegas and loves spending every free moment writing or hanging out with her four rambunctious kids. Writing is the ultimate getaway for her since she’s always lost in her head. She is best known for her award-winning Reign of Blood series, and A Dark Faerie Tale Series.

Sign up for email updates and exclusive giveaways: http://smarturl.it/AlexiaPurdyNews

Follow links: https://linktr.ee/alexiapurdy

#WOTR25 #Review – Resonant (The Vampires of Vegas Prequel) by Alexis Purdy

Surviving is worse than death…

As the first days of the end of humanity tumble across the city of Las Vegas in the form of an overwhelming viral infection, turning almost everyone into vampire-like creatures, April Tate will find out what it really means to survive. What does it take to make it out alive in a place where everything is but a withered echo of its former self, and death does not come willingly?

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Review by Twinsie Kelly

I love Prequels! Especially after you get invested with the main character and just NEED to see what the heck they went through at the beginning. However, in this instance, I started with the prequel. Sometimes, this is a big no no because you are just not committed to the story yet. Well, Alexia Purdy is a new to me author and I am now invested in this story. I need to know what craziness April and her family are about to get into. APOCALYPTIC VAMPIRES! I read this in less than an hour and was so bummed that the story was over. But the best part is, I get to dive right into Reign of Blood like, RIGHT NOW! See ya on the flip side!

Alexia Purdy profile image

Alexia is a USA Today Bestselling author who currently lives in Las Vegas and loves spending every free moment writing or hanging out with her four rambunctious kids. Writing is the ultimate getaway for her since she’s always lost in her head. She is best known for her award-winning Reign of Blood series, and A Dark Faerie Tale Series.

Sign up for email updates and exclusive giveaways: http://smarturl.it/AlexiaPurdyNews

Follow links: https://linktr.ee/alexiapurdy

#Review #GhostShip – Hull and Fire (The Wards of Minera Book 1) by James W. Cutter


Levy Tren-Ulitese—Lor of the Land and gentleman of high society—is awoken in the early hours of the morning for an emergency: his father’s ship, missing for nine years now, has reappeared near the mouth of its home harbour entirely bereft of its crew. The expedition to the New World, a place they call ‘Minera’, apparently ended in tragedy. But how did the ship sail itself home? What happened to the crew? And what is the strange, dark artifact found aboard her?

Pushed by internal divisions and outside political forces, Levy and his sister are forced to refit the ship and flee the only city they’ve ever called home. Declared fugitives by their father’s old allies, they assemble a strange crew of the desperate and depraved; a turncoat imperial marine, a man that can manipulate the spirit-lines of the world, a war-hero famed for his supernatural accuracy with the musket, and a mute stow-away with mysterious powers. Together, they will follow in the wake of Levy’s father.

Together they will find a new home on the shores of Minera!

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Review by Twinsie Kelly

I enjoy finding stories that are truly different. When I read the blurb, I wasn’t exactly sure what I was getting myself into, but I am happy to say that I was completely engrossed by the story from start to finish. As a matter of fact, I finished the book and didn’t realize I finished the book, and that was the point I realized I needed to read more. (Boy that was a mouthful, lol)

There is a LOT going on in Hull and Fire with many complex characters and with pretty elaborate world building going on. One of my only real issues with the story itself is that there are many POVs that this story is told from. It was a little tough trying to keep everyone straight at first. But once I got into a groove, I couldn’t put the book down.

There are mysterious forces at work. A lot of lies and a lot of omissions happening at the same time. When everyone starts to turn on Levy and his kind, he takes things into his own hands. Instead of trying to change the people’s minds and face what can certainly be an awful outcome for his family, he defies the odds and moves on to a new world. It’s a compelling story that had me absolutely captivated. I look forward to finding out what happens next!

Pssst, the ghost ship is only going to be the beginning. It has to be. It was an incredible twist at the end to tie in one of the current characters with Levy’s father, the captain of the ghost ship! Kudos to the author!

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

James W. Cutter profile image

James W. Cutter began writing at a young age, with a craft that was forged in the snows of Northern Ontario, quenched in the swells of the Pacific, and tempered by the misty rainforests of British Columbia.

James interrupts his writing habit with a day job. He writes from an undisclosed, cougar-free location on Vancouver Island, Canada.

#Review – The Outlaw Gillis Kerg … Physics, Lust and Greed Series by Mike Murphey


In the mid-21st Century, a top-secret consortium of corporations and governments have made time travel possible, only to realize that intruding on the past has been a terrible mistake. At the program’s outset, a thousand scientists, engineers and support staff were confined to a subterranean complex where a corporate contributor specializing in artificial intelligence equipped their apartments with Happy Home Companion software.

Time traveler Marta Hamilton has little tolerance for other people intruding into her life, much less a software “Dear Abby,” so Marta bullies her Happy Home Companion into silence. Finally convinced of the grave dangers of time travel, government overseers suspend operations, and only the Happy Home Companion remains.

Marta and fellow traveler Marshall Grissom hope they can finally leave the past behind, but when a federal judge is murdered, they understand their vulnerability to horrible manipulations by future counterparts. Marta and Marshall return to the Arizona desert where they confront a Happy Home Companion cult of vengeance, the outlaw Gillis Kerg, and an evangelical zealot waging a war on science.

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Review by Twinsie Kelly

Unique Multiverse Murder Inc Fringe Tale

This is book 4 in the series. I have not read the first 3 and feel that it can be read as a standalone. However, I am rather intrigued to see how everyone got to this point so I will be going back to the beginning.

Ok, so most of us have seen Back to the Future and know the ramifications of messing with the past and/or future. Well, in this story, the government is part of this secret mess. Eventually, a decision is made to shut this crazy thing down. However, something is happening in the parallel universes and everyone’s worst nightmare is coming true. OH! And the universes are named after old TV shows (i.e. Gunsmoke, Jeopardy, etc.) which is AMAZING!

We encounter quite a crazy cast of characters throughout the book. This includes people with political positions (one with a slogan of “Make American Stupid Again”), time travelers, assassins, scientists, and regular ole people. There is even a horde of quickly learning, while extremely gullible and naïve, AI’s.

The baddies are determined to take over the program and destroy anyone who stands in their way to ultimately own the future by manipulating the past. As if power wasn’t cruel enough, it becomes villainous and ultimately the future travelers come back to manipulate the past for power. It’s insanity with internal mutiny from other universes! Bringing the team back together is only half the fun. And when they finally do collide, things get really exciting! The characters are witty and fun but when the AI’s get involved, things get even better!

The author did an incredible job of bringing a very surreal science fiction story to life but also adding in a lot of laughs and sarcastic eyerolls. It seriously had me turning pages like a mad woman. I highly recommend that you pick this up and meet the Lady Godiva, the Prophet Shehoo, Leviticus Deuteronomy Humphollar, and the many other characters within these pages.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

Visit Mike Murphey Store on Amazon

A native of eastern New Mexico, Mike Murphey spent nearly thirty years as an award-winning newspaper journalist in the Southwest and Pacific Northwest. Following his retirement from news journalism, he and his wife Nancy entered in a seventeen-year partnership with the late Dave Henderson, all-star centerfielder for the Oakland Athletics, Boston Red Sox and Seattle Mariners.

Our company, Dave Henderson Baseball, produced the Oakland A’s and Seattle Mariners Fantasy Camps for twenty years. The Murpheys have also partnered with the Roy Hobbs adult baseball organization in Fort Myers, Florida. Mike’s love of fiction, cats, baseball and sailing affords him to split his time between Spokane, Washington, and Phoenix, Arizona, where he enjoys life as a writer and old-man baseball player.

To receive a free Short Story – OLD MAN BASEBALL here …. https://www.mikemurpheybooks.com/freebies

or visit my website ….https://www.mikemurpheybooks.com/

#Review #Apocalyptic – Killshot: Icarus Series Book 1 by Aria Michaels


After the death of their parents, seventeen year old Liv Larson and her younger brother are separated by the foster care system. Her grades slip, her friends drift away, and she gives up on her plans for college. The only thing that matters is keeping the promise to get back to her brother. After months of solitude and anti-social behavior, Liv’s best friend Riley drags her to their high school’s rooftop solar flare party. Despite the beautiful lights dancing in the sky, Liv finds herself captivated by Zander, a mysterious boy with a crooked smile. For a few hours, she allows herself to feel normal again.

That is until what should have been a small flare erupts into a massive solar storm. Cut off from the rest of the world with no sign of rescue, fear and paranoia begin to take their toll on the group. Battle lines are drawn and their ranks are divided. Soon, those left behind must embark on a perilous journey to save one of their own…but, something sinister awaits them in the shadows and it’s undeniably connected to Liv.

Can she keep her promise to reunite with her brother? What are Liv and her friends willing to do to survive? Will their bravery and determination be enough to save them all from a rogue military unit, a terrifying virus, and the things that go bump in the night?

Or was Icarus really the KILLSHOT?

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Review by Twinsie Kelly

It is not often that I have a difficult time writing a review because it left me speechless. I have had this book living in my TBR pile on my kindle for longer than I like to admit. I decided to go waaaay back and find something that caught my attention and wow, am I glad that I did. This book, just wow. I cannot find the words. If you like post apoc, conspiracy theories, military, teenagers overcoming obstacles, Sci-Fi, just some overall unexplainable craziness, (I am sure I am missing things) then I recommend Killshot.

Icarus is supposed to be a solar flare event but turns into so much more. We experience life just before and for the three days after Icarus. That’s right folks, this book gives us just before the solar flare and for three days after. So much happens and we get to experience is through Liv’s eyes. It is tough, emotional, frightening, mysterious, and overall…just WOW!

“Change is the only thing in this life that is ever guaranteed.”

There are things that people should never be exposed to but after a wicked event like Icarus, it has brought out the worst, but sometimes the best in people. Even if the best, hurts some of those people. It’s a strange combination but one that you won’t understand until you are put in those situations. Liv and her friends, well, experience it throughout this book.

I am now on my way to the next book. Not waiting around for this one!

 

Aria Michaels profile image

Aria Michaels is the author of The Icarus Series, a bestselling young adult dystopian saga as well as a contributor to ATZ’s Chronology of the Apocalypse. Aria is an avid reader, die-hard zombie fan, and enthusiastic lover of bonfires and red wine. When she is not glued to her computer pouring out the voices in her head, this busy single mom can be found playing in the dirt with her boys, painting, or binge-watching The Walking Dead. Aria is currently hard at work on the next installment of the Icarus Series and reveling in her role as instigator of literary mayhem and stealth assassin of fictional characters.

“You are never more than one chapter away from a different future.” –Aria Michaels

 



#Review #Horror #Novella – Don’t Look In The Trees by Jason Nickey

Don’t Look In The Trees; the main rule in Appalachia. Many question why, but Justin and Billy found out the hard way on their way home from a bonfire party after coming across a fallen tree and mysterious lights coming from the sky. Can they survive the night and the strange beings coming from the forest that surrounds their cabin?

From Jason Nickey, Author of ‘Road Hazards’ and ‘They Come From Within’ comes a new fast paced sci-fi/horror novella.

This was a short fun little read.

Justin and Billy are heading home after a party with their drunk friend Kevin. While they’re driving, they see a bright light from the sky and the rest of their night doesn’t go as planned.

I do wish this story was a little longer but that’s a me problem, not the author’s. When the alien type stuff started happening, it reminded me of many alien movies I have seen over the years. Creepy crawly things coming out of someone’s mouth? Yes please!

If you want a quick read about a couple who are just trying to survive the night while dealing with aliens and the unknown, be sure to check this story out!

Available in Kindle Unlimited – https://amzn.to/4cdipl8

#Review – The Bloodless Assassin: Quirky Steampunk Fantasy (The Viper and the Urchin Book 1) by Celine Jeanjean

Blackmail an assassin? Who would do such a thing?

Someone pretty desperate, that’s who. Which is exactly the position Rory finds herself in.

As a scrawny, dreadlocked pickpocket who grew up on the street, life hasn’t given her a ton of options. On top of which, her partner in crime has screwed her over for all her money, so she can no longer pay for the sword master who was supposed to train her—her ticket to a new life.

She’s not prepared to give up on her dream of becoming a great sword fighter, though. Which is why when she stumbles across an assassin’s secret, she immediately sniffs an opportunity. Blackmail can be a pretty effective strategy, after all. If he trains her, she’ll keep her mouth shut.

The risks in blackmailing an assassin are pretty high, but if she can pull it off, she might finally be able to realise her dream.
That is until she realises that the assassin’s she’s blackmailing is nothing like what she thought, and she’s landed herself into far more trouble than she bargained for.

Delve into The Bloodless Assassin, book 1 of a complete 9 book series that’s packed with adventure, banter, and quirky characters, all set in a richly imagined tropical world.

Other books in the series:

#1 The Bloodless Assassin
#2 The Black Orchid
#3 The Slave City
#4 The Doll Maker
#5 The White Hornet
#6 The Shadow Palace
#7 The Opium Smuggler
#8 The Veiled War
#9 The Rising Rooks

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Review by Twinsie Kelly

This was nothing like what I expected…at all. Rory is a street urchin who has lead a tough life, but lifting purses and pillaging for coins is how she gets by. Her partner in crime, ends up turning on her and she is left to her own devices. Longinus, aka The Viper, is an assassin that ultimately is afraid of blood. He doesn’t care to actually fight for a kill but would rather it be an elaborate thing using poison. Longinus is an alchemist and longs for notoriety. I understood Rory’s character completely. However, Longinus took me longer as we had to really get to know him. The chemistry between the characters is very dynamic and I truly enjoyed them, and their stories. The story had some curvy plot twists and nothing was predictable, which I very much appreciated! I don’t think that I would characterize the book as “steampunk” but definitely more along the lines of sci-fi. Even though it wasn’t what I expected, I enjoyed the story. This is a good book if you are looking for something different to read that can be read as a standalone OR with the series. It wrapped up quite nicely!

Celine Jeanjean profile image

Celine is a nomadic writer who roams the world laptop in hand, having adventures and then telling stories inspired by those adventures. Kind of like a digital storytelling wanderer.

Her stories feature complex but flawed characters, lots of quirkiness, snappy banter, and richly imagined worlds.

If you’re ready to escape to new worlds and make new book friends, go to http://celinejeanjean.com/freebook/ to grab yourself some exclusive, free novellas.

#WOTR24 #Review – The Risen: Reapers Book 2 by Tara Vasser

As a newly branded Reaper, my first mission was to Sanctuary Academy, a magical school for kids, to fight zombies. I mean Risen. Apparently the supernatural are quite sensitive when it comes to the categorization of the undead. And, okay, I wasn’t actually, technically, supposed to be there. But it turns out I have a knack for defeating the undead, so nobody complained too loudly about me tagging along.
My partner Gunnar and I figured it was a trap, courtesy of the Necromancer who has been dogging my steps from the moment I stumbled into this supernatural world. It was a trap, of course. But I wasn’t the intended prey as we suspected.
Stranded at the school, courtesy of a monster blizzard, I explore hidden passages and unlock new facets of my magical abilities in the process. I just hope I can unearth the secrets of Sanctuary Academy in time to rescue Gunnar from whatever grisly fate the Necromancer has planned.
As a newly branded Reaper, my first mission was to Sanctuary Academy, a magical school for kids, to fight zombies. I mean Risen. Apparently the supernatural are quite sensitive when it comes to the categorization of the undead. And, okay, I wasn’t actually, technically, supposed to be there. But it turns out I have a knack for defeating the undead, so nobody complained too loudly about me tagging along.
My partner Gunnar and I figured it was a trap, courtesy of the Necromancer who has been dogging my steps from the moment I stumbled into this supernatural world. It was a trap, of course. But I wasn’t the intended prey as we suspected.
Stranded at the school, courtesy of a monster blizzard, I explore hidden passages and unlock new facets of my magical abilities in the process. I just hope I can unearth the secrets of Sanctuary Academy in time to rescue Gunnar from whatever grisly fate the Necromancer has planned.

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Review by Twinsie Kelly

Being part of Death’s entourage and doing his bidding has not sat well with Chloe. She is a newly branded Reaper and still doesn’t understand fully what exactly she is. She is under Gunnar’s care and is supposed to be staying with Maude to continue her “education.” Since she wasn’t born into the supernatural world, she is very behind. Gunnar allows her to go with him to Sanctuary Academy to fight “the risen,” or in other words, zombies. Only these are unlike any zombies that the others have fought. It turns into a trap, Gunnar is kidnapped, and she is ordered by Death to stay at the school. Of course, Chloe can’t do what she is told as she is now just feeling like she can be useful. However, this turns into a mess too! As she is moonlighting as an Indiana Jones wannabe, she befriends one of the students, almost kills herself, learns new powers, and uncovers exactly what the kidnapping necromancer wants. Chloe just wants to do what’s right but can’t seem to get anyone to trust her to help. However, she did find some breadcrumbs that take her to Gunnar, but she now has even more questions as questions about her past and soul are triggered.

This story has a very intriguing and unique world. The characters can be very intense but are also witty and sincere. I am completely hooked and cannot wait to continue this series. I need to know what happens next!

Tara Vasser profile image

Tara is a writer who lives in the frozen north in Minnesota with her wonderful husband and two rambunctious little dudes. She is an engineer during the day, a crazy mom in the afternoon and a writer at night. She enjoys spending her time playing in the dirt when her gardens aren’t covered in snow and listening to a wide variety of music that inspires her writing – sometimes doing both at the same time.

Be sure to visit Tara’s web page and sign up for her newsletter for updates on works in progress and upcoming new releases! www.authortaravasser.com

#WOTR24 #Review – Shadow Initiate by Todd Skaggs

Magic is a barrier. It protects our world from many things. Some of these things are older than Time.
There are travelers who use the Earth as a way-point in their journeys between the magical realms.

Most of these travelers are harmless enough.

Some, however, are quite deadly.

Humans are one of the last species in the realms who can channel magic naturally. They are therefore highly prized and must be kept safe. Their protection is done by ancient orders. There are gates and locks.

And in the each millennia, born among humans are “keys.”

Some keys unlock gates glowing with light. Others unlock the gates shrouded in shadows, passages of darkness.

These keys are seldom aware of their gift, and the potential they hold.

Most don’t live that long.

Unless they are kept well hidden.

Magic itself is neither good nor evil. Magic either shines in luminous brilliance or peers back from deep in the blackest of shadows.

Those who hold the key to using this magic are highly sought after.

Some things should be left well alone.

Duane was always plagued by nightmares. Visitations from the shadows. These visits, though terrifying, were the one thing that made him feel unique. Also, quite crazy. No one believed him. The people who were supposed to love him unconditionally looked at him through the eyes of strangers.

The one person who could always make him feel safe was his best friend, Ellen. That’s what made her betrayal so painful.

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Review by Twinsie Kelly

I am not sure what I really thought this story was going to be about but was pleasantly surprised with the direction it went. The blurb is compelling but then you actually start reading and you are hooked. The balance of good and bad, light and dark is truly emphasized throughout the story. It is very compelling and intriguing but there were some areas where I felt a bit confused because I felt like I was missing some pieces. While things tied up nicely at the end, with quite a twist that I didn’t see coming, I wish there was more. I would love to see this world evolve because it seems there is so much more to be told. It was a great short read.

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Todd has happily wandered down the path of writing for one simple reason–he has quite a few stories in his head and they need to come out (it’s getting crowded up there)! He’s also fond of pointing out that writing is cheaper than therapy and is still the single best way to exorcise the demons.

Living in Ohio and enjoying all four seasons in a single week, Todd works as a security analyst and plays with words any chance he can. During his free time you can find him swimming the sea of song, playing with sci-fi, dancing slowly with some poetry, or mixing things up a bit with some free-form ramblings of a completely random nature. As long as its telling a story, Todd’s happy.

On his Blog: www.toddskaggswrites.com

Twitter:@atskaggs71

Instagram:@atskaggs71

#WOTR24 #Review Stolen Soul A Reapers Origin Story: A Reapers Prequel by Tara Vasser

Someone has done the impossible – broken into Death’s vault in The Realm of the Dead, and stolen an especially valuable and dangerous soul. The very soul which determines the balance between life and death.

As Death’s enforcers, Gunnar and his fellow Reapers are tasked with hunting down the thief and recovering the soul. Will they catch the culprit and recover the soul before things take a catastrophic turn?

Stolen Soul is a prequel novella to the Reapers series.

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Review by Twinsie Kelly

This is a new series and author for me and I understand that this is a prequel, however, I received this book for free for signing up for the author’s newsletter. As Tara Vasser is a new to me author, it was the perfect way to see if I would enjoy her words. Well guess what?! I absolutely do!

Stolen Soul is absolutely gripping!! Right from the jump I was captivated. I absorbed this story in what felt like minutes. It is intriguing and will leave you literally needing to continue this story. I was able to get a snippet of some characters that I feel like will be big players down the road. Amethyst is a witch, Gunnar is a vampire, Atticus is a werewolf, and then there is Death. There are many more characters that you are introduced to within this short story that I can’t wait to catch back up with them all in the series. Gunnar has a new mission and I can’t wait!

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Tara is a writer who lives in the frozen north in Minnesota with her wonderful husband and two rambunctious little dudes. She is an engineer during the day, a crazy mom in the afternoon and a writer at night. She enjoys spending her time playing in the dirt when her gardens aren’t covered in snow and listening to a wide variety of music that inspires her writing – sometimes doing both at the same time.

Be sure to visit Tara’s web page and sign up for her newsletter for updates on works in progress and upcoming new releases! www.authortaravasser.com