Category Archives: Review

2nd Chance, Contemp. Romance, Friends to Lovers, Part of a Series, Review, Romantic Comedy

#Review – Silver Bush (Awkward Series Book 3) by JB Heller

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Review by Twinsie Kelly

Super funny and sweet! How do you handle things when the love of your life becomes your step sibling? Yep, you freak the F out! However, when what you two have is true love, will you let the step sibling stuff get in the way? Well, Tilly and Lee split up because their parents screwed things up royally for these two. Three kids and six years later they are going to see if they can make it work. Tilly is a divorcee with three kids and her stepbrother, Lee, wants to be her baby-daddy too! The chemistry between these two is palpable and you know they truly love each other. The extra craziness the kids bring to the party is soooo pure and sweet. The banter and wit with the entire crew is sure to keep you turning the pages with a smile on your face.

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Join Heller’s Bookwhorders reader group on Facebook- https://www.facebook.com/groups/hellersbookwhorders

*****

USA Today Bestselling Author JB Heller is an average Aussie housewife and Mumma in her 30’s with a wicked sexy imagination. As well as the owner of a randy Eclectus parrot with boundary issues.

These days she writes mostly contemporary romance and romantic comedies, drawing inspiration from her everyday life.

Monday to Friday you can find JB glued to her laptop weaving words or trolling Pinterest for her next potential muse. Come the weekend, it’s family time. (And of course lots of reading and Netflix binges.)

Want to know more?

Monthly Newsletter Sign Up: https://bit.ly/3FtVhyd

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@jbtheindie

Facebook Reader Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/hellersbookwhorders

brother's best friend, Contemp. Romance, forced proximity, Holiday Book/Novella, Review, Romantic Comedy

#Review – His Christmas Bunny: A best friend’s brother romance with comedy (sweet & spicy) by Billie Jade Kermack

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A sweet & spicy Dual POV festive novella, filled to the brim with lusty encounters and laugh out loud moments.

There’s only 3 miracles on Mia’s wishlist…

1- That karma will dole out justice on her cheating ex.

2- That she could survive solely off a diet of sweet treats.

3- And lastly, but by no means least – that Logan Sinclair, her best friend’s big brother, will rewrite the past and express his undying love for her….

But she’s more likely to see reindeer fly than the latter since he hasn’t said two words to her in the last three years.
Agreeing to spend the holidays at the cabin with her best-friend and her family, the promise of drowning her sorrows in buckets of mulled wine is too good an offer to pass up. But fate has a funny way of derailing their plans of a calm and cosy getaway.
Lieutenant Logan Sinclair is meant to be deployed overseas for the holidays, not standing in Mia’s bedroom with a slick grin on his handsome face with news that they are officially snowed in together.
Even the weather is against her.

But what if this 6ft4 tattooed Adonis with the sweet caresses & dirty promises is here to mark a miracle off of Mia’s Wishlist?Or will history repeat itself and leave Mia destined to be unlucky in love forever?

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Review by Twinsie Kelly

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

This is what happens when Santa brings you a bunny for Christmas!

This novella packs quite the punch! It has a little bit of everything. Mia is Logan’s little sister’s best friend and Mia is like family. Mia is quirky and super adorable. Logan is a natural born soldier with looks to boot! These two have had a lot of tension over the years…pining for each other but never acting on it.

Mia joins her friend for Christmas so that she is not alone and after three years, these two are thrown into each other’s space…quite literally! Emotions and sexual tension rears its head again and these two finally come around to lay things out on the table. It is a great explosion that turns into a lot of spicy encounters.

Like I said earlier, this story has quite a bit of everything. It is cute, funny, witty and sexy! The side characters give it a great flair as well. My only complaint is that I hoped for a bit more at the end. I needed and epilogue…since I don’t have that, I am hoping this continues and we can see what types of shenanigans these two can get into. Definitely a page turner!!

Billie Jade Kermack profile image

Billie Jade Kermack was born and raised in London, England. She lives with her partner, three kids and her dippy dog Gus. As well as being an author Billie Jade works as a Makeup and SFX artist and a doll maker.

Her love of horror, murder mystery and magic inspired her to create her first paranormal romance trilogy AWOKEN, ASCEND & HALLOWED.

Her latest release is the well-received VERONICA, a mature friends to lovers with a non-traditional happily ever after filled with humour. This is the first standalone book in the planned TWISTED FATE series. Creating swoon-worthy book boyfriends is an obsession at this point.

Fantasy, Paranormal, Part of a Series, Review, Shifters, Suspense, Thriller, Vampire, Witches, Writers on the River Attending Author

#WOTR24 #Review – Shadow Unveiled: Reapers Book One by Tara Vasser

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After a particularly nasty car wreck, I met Death, and he let me live. My doctors claim it was a hallucination brought on by the trauma, but it felt pretty damn real to me. Especially the part where Death said he’d call on me soon. Months after, he still hadn’t shown his face, but my life had fallen apart while I waited. Every waking hour was filled with the incessant chatter of voices in my head, and whenever I closed my eyes, I was plagued by night terrors. It was too much for my fiancé to handle, so he left. I couldn’t get out of bed anymore, so I got fired from my job. Even my own family began distancing themselves. I had no one and nothing left, except the voices and nightmares in my head. I couldn’t wait for Death anymore, so I decided to go to him the old-fashioned way–by dying.

Things don’t go as planned when Death sends his most loyal Reaper, Gunnar, to thwart my foray into The Realm of the Dead. That night I learned there is an entire hidden supernatural world, and the icing on the cake is that I’m a part of it. A BIG part. Magical abilities I didn’t know I had start to manifest and grow, gaining me all kinds of attention. Death offers me a place among his Reapers, and a power-hungry Necromancer tries to convince me to join his plot to overthrow Death.

Both sides make compelling arguments–but which one is right?

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Review by Twinsie Kelly

This is truly a unique and captivating story. The world that this author has created is absolutely spellbinding. Tara Vasser is a ‘new to me’ author but has officially pulled me in as I fell into this story headfirst and couldn’t stop until the very end. Chloe feels like she has officially been abandoned. However, when she tries to end her life, Death comes barreling back into her life and does not let her disrupt the delicate balance between life and death. Chloe feels like she is going, very literally, insane. However, her saving grace is a vampire named Gunnar. She soon finds that she is a very powerful…well, no one knows what she is yet, but they are working on trying to figure it out. The one thing everyone can agree on is that she is powerful. While figuring out her powers, she has slipped into Shadow and has come face to face with a necromancer who has it out for her. She has so many obstacles to overcome but does it like any one of us would, she is scared and questions everything.

One of the things that I love about this book is that the story world is completely different from anything that I have read. The characters are great, and our strong female main character is like a normal human being. I have read so many stories where the lead just goes along with the magic stuff like they have lived it their entire lives. But Chloe, she is truly scared, she questions everything, she doubts herself, she doesn’t know if she is doing right or wrong, she truly was at the end of her rope. She is very real, and I think that is the cherry on top and what makes this book great.

I am loving this series and can’t wait to dive into book two!

By the way, don’t forget to pick up the prequel because it might give you some insight into what Chloe is going through. 😊

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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

Fantasy, Paranormal, Part of a Series, Review, Shifters, Suspense, Thriller, Vampire, Witches, Wolves, Writers on the River Attending Author

#WOTR24 #Review – No More Black Magic (Here Witchy Witchy Book 1) by A.L. Kessler

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A hex. Ancient runes steeped in black magic. A decades-old crime. Abigail Collins has her hands full as a Paranormal Investigation Bureau Agent. Accompanied by a stubborn werewolf, challenged by an overprotective coven, and introduced to a Cult linked to her parent’s death, Abby must solve her case before the murderer comes for her. When an ancient langue connects her past with the murderer’s Abigail might just be in over her head.

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Review by Twinsie Kelly

I really love when the blurb to a book instantly pulls you. It is even better when the story consumes you! I am a sucker for paranormal books! Abby is a powerful witch and works for the Paranormal Investigation Bureau, but also works “on the side” for the vampire that raised her. She is brought in to investigate a murder case where the only information they have on the deceased is an intact arm with a murder scene that brings her into a world that involves her deceased parents. As Abby works on the investigation, she uncovers more questions. The further she dives into this, the more her own life is in danger. This is definitely in the suspense category because everywhere Abby turns, there is a new obstacle that makes you question everything you know. It is harrowing and heart wrenching. You never know who is truly on your side. Even then, how close do you let the ones you love in? I did not see the twists at the end. This story is full of magic, criminals, hexes, multiple types of paranormal creatures, and a crazy cult. What more could you really want from a book? I look forward to continuing this series.

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A.L. Kessler is a paranormal romance author residing in beautiful Colorado Springs, Co. Since she was a teenager she has loved spinning tales. She can easily be won over with gifts of coffee or chocolate.

Fairy Tales, Fantasy, Fantasy Romance, Paranormal, Review, Romantic Comedy, Shifters, Writers on the River Attending Author

#WOTR24 #Review – Hoist the Flag: Triangles and Tribulations Book 1 by Cassandra Featherstone

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***This was previously published in the Jingle My Balls Anthology. This version has bonus content!***

Click to send… and I’m outta here.

Being the infamous fairy tale ‘Jack’ isn’t as glamorous as it sounds. My entire life has been a series of memes—before they were even invented!

My current ‘Jack’ title is companion to the Ice Queen—who spent the first couple of years singing that song—but my sentence here is almost over. I’m going to make a run for it to retire with my shaker of salt on an island in the Caribbean while I drink piña coladas.

Before I leave, I realize my heart wasn’t as frozen as I thought and I have to save Queenie from her evil sister. We make a plan to escape together after the Yule celebration, but even that falls victim to my legendary bad luck.

Enter two bumbling pirates who were playing Robin Hood, a monkey, and a sea voyage to our permanent hiding place…only to trip over a bottle on the beach that contains a mysterious map to a legendary graveyard filled with famous treasure the moment we arrive.

My spill draws the attention of our pirate friends and two other local hotties who can’t resist damsels in distress.

Insert eyeroll here.

My girl and I didn’t ask to be conscripted on an adventure with two shifter pirates, a masseuse, a demi-god, and a merman who think we’re on the menu, but here we are.

Maybe I should have taken the Ice Queen’s musical advice when I first arrived ?

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Review by Twinsie Kelly

First, this cover is amazing! I mean we have a gorgeous female pirate and I immediately think of a female version of Jack Sparrow. I was scrolling and immediately stopped to check it out. Second, the blurb grabbed me by throat, pulled my hair, and made me one click, like RIGHT NOW! Needless to say, I have incredibly high hopes that this story is going to consume me. I am ready to ride high and laugh my money maker off. However, I had a difficult time at the beginning. This could be because this is a ‘new to me’ author and I am not familiar with her writing style, but I was expecting a YO HO HO glorious grand time and got stuck in the snow. The beginning was quite foreboding with detail (that is needed) to give you each of the female character’s backgrounds so that you understand why they are planning to escape. There are funny and extremely hot scenes throughout the first half, but it didn’t really pick up until about the 60% mark for me. Now, this is where things get really good. We get a lot more action with the escape, add the shifter pirates and crew, plus a special request comes into play. Now, I am hooked! I need to continue this journey and see what the next leg has in store for this crazy crew!

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Cassandra Featherstone has been writing since she could hold a pencil.

Her passion for literacy is unmatched, but when she picked up her laptop to write her first published novel in March 2020, she focused on subjects that not only spoke to her soul, but affected many of the women she’d met throughout her twisty life path.

Cass’s vision of a more inclusive whychoose genre lead her to include various types of polycules and diverse characters with three-dimensional personalities, hopes, and dreams that readers adore. Due to her relationships with friends and family, bullying, PTSD, body dysmorphia, mental illness, reinvention, and claiming your space are frequent themes in her books. She frequently champions other authors who also strive for accurate, respectful representation of LGBTQIA+ characters in their whychoose romance.

Her works include urban fantasy, paranormal, contemporary, and academy whychoose/polyam with characters over eighteen. Her books never include non-consensual elements, but feature accurate, safe depictions of BDSM and kink lifestyles.

She’s also affectionately known as the Muppet for her outrageous, extroverted personality and her wacky brand of theater kid social media posts and videos.

Cassandra lives in the Midwest with her computer geek husband, artsy college goblin, an author dog named Tilly, and five cats that Loki himself spawned.

Follow here everywhere: https://cassandrafeatherstone.com/followcasseverywhere/

Novella, Paranormal, Review, Sci Fi

#WOTR24 #Review – Shadow Initiate by Todd Skaggs

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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

Cliffhanger, Dark, Part of a Series, Reverse Harem, Review, stalker

#review #seriesstarter #rh #dark Friends With The Monsters (Friends with the Monster 1) by Albany Walker

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Gather round close, for I have a secret to tell.

Late at night, while everyone is sleeping, dreaming of white knights and fairytales. I’m making friends with the monsters.

They call to me, like finds like, right? My biggest secret, I’m the scariest monster I know.

I think I’m the bad guy.

MFMM Reverse Harem novel with adult themes not recommended for those under 18.

Goodreads https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/51919431-friends-with-the-monsters

Amazon https://amzn.to/46WlHq8

Review by Twinsie Dee

i was given this book by the author for an honest review

When needing to eat intel’s opening up all the windows in the middle of the night, for all kinds of monsters to come into the house. Thats what keeps Damiana alive she’s always knew she was different and no one that she knew was like her. she isn’t afraid of the monsters that lurk in the shadows, but when a human figure finds her home in the middle of nowhere, she has more to deal with then she thought. Lies, deceit and distrust feed her better than anything so you need to watch yourself or your soul could be next. the twist, turns and mystery are great, Albany never freaking disappoints and this is another amazing book by her.

Albany lives in Michigan where she’s happily married to her high school sweetheart. She spends most of her time juggling her four children’s extracurricular activities, with her nose stuck in a book. When not reading you can find her writing her very own book boyfriends. Albany’s passion is writing romance with real characters that are far from perfect, but always seem to find their own happily ever afters.

New Release, Part of a Series, Review, Small Town Romance, Standalone, Writers on the River Attending Author

#wotr #attendingauthor #partofaseries Sweet Southern Memories (Magnolia Grove 2) by C.A. Harms

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Zoey

Life doesn’t always go according to plan, a lesson I learned the hard way during my divorce. My first love returns home just in time to watch me pick up the pieces, and the moment I lay eyes on him every memory rushes back.

Jayson Lincoln, the man who still makes my heart beat fast, after all these years. But he’s Doctor Lincoln now and I’m a far cry from the carefree girl he left behind.

I’m learning to navigate life as a single mother of twin girls and he’s reluctantly home to take over the family practice. We may be back in the same small town, but we’re still worlds apart.

Jayson

It’s always been her. No one could ever measure up to Zoey Harding.

And I’ll always regret walking away from her and our hometown, for the big city to chase my dreams.

The longer I’m back, the more the echoes of our past whisper what could have been. But it’s not just about us, and her daughters steal my heart and mend what’s been broken for far too long.

Zoey’s afraid to trust me, but I’m determined to heal the fractures of her heart and prove that this time I’m not going anywhere.

Goodreads https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/200855296-sweet-southern-memories

Amazon https://amzn.to/3GInTqw

Review by Twinsie Dee

i was given this book by the author for an honest review.

Tragic hits Magnolia Grove when the town doctor passes away. bringing Jayson back home to bury not only his grandpa, but his mentor and his best friend. Now back home after the funeral Jayson found himself in now his office of his new practice, that his grandpa left him. but being back home gave him a chance to get the love of his life back. Zoey is dealing with her hopefully soon to be ex-husband who keeps dragging out their divorce, and also trying to keep her twins safe from it all. So having the boy that makes her heart flutter coming back to town is the last thing she needs right now. Jayson is going to try everything he can to break Zoey’s walls down and get back into her life. But will she allow him to not only into her heart again but into the heart of her twin girls? oh this book had my heart especially from Zoey’s point of view with having my divorce being drug out, and doing everything i could do to keep my son safe and happy.

C.A. Harms is an avid romance and mystery reader. She’s always had a love for books, getting lost in writing and storytelling even as a young girl. She enjoys happy endings and HEA love stories.

She lives in Illinois and enjoys spending time with her husband and two children. She holds an addiction for Starbucks White Chocolate Mocha’s and KitKat when she should really be focusing on water and maybe a fruit or two to make herself feel less guilty, but that feeling quickly passes…thankfully.

She is easy going, fun, and although she may seem like one of the quiet ones at first, you just wait until she gets to know you better…that quietness changes, fast

Audio Book, Cliffhanger, Contemp. Romance, Dark, Part of a Series, Reverse Harem, Review

#review #audiobook #rh Created in Chaos (Corrupt Credence 2) by Albany Walker Narrated by Corvin King and Brooke Daniels

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I thought I’d already lost everything, but life has a way of proving you wrong

The moment I set my scuffed sneaker on Cadieux Island for College, my fate was sealed, but there’s no way I could have prepared for what was coming.

I should have run when I attracted the Morningstar’s attention, ruthless twins that lord over the elite school and everyone in it. I thought I could handle them, or at least survive them, but now it seems I might not live without them.

They demand my allegiance, loyalty and devotion, but I’m afraid I’ll lose so much more to them.

Four founding families, entrenched in secrets and deep-rooted history, are locked in a never-ending cycle for power and domination, and I just became the pawn everyone wants to use, or get rid of.

Welcome to Cadieux Island where the weak get slaughtered and only the strong survive.

Created in Chaos is the second book in the Corrupt Credence series. A dark college MFM romance told on duel POV with mature content for adult listeners.

Goodreads https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/202563326-created-in-chaos

Amazon https://amzn.to/3QUwTO0

Review by Twinsie Dee

 i was given this audio book from the author for an honest review.
I have waited a long time to get this audio book just to listen to this man’s voice, and to be back into this world with these sexy devil’s twins ugh they are perfect. Anyways our story left off with Lucian and Nox seeing Nova being but, in an ambulance, heading to the hospital. But once things are calmed down and life is back to as normal as possible. Lucian and Nox refuse to let Nova out of their sights, they need to find out who did this to their girl and why they targeted her, also what or if her grandparents played a part in the attack and what their ultimate goal is. Will Nova pick her family side or stay with the Morningstar’s’ and who is really telling her the truth about her parents and new life. ugh these characters and this world omg I just can’t get enough of them Lucian and Nox are swoon and I need book 3 asap.
Im obsessed with this world and the Morningstar twins ugh sweet jesus.

Albany lives in Michigan where she’s happily married to her high school sweetheart. She spends most of her time juggling her four children’s extracurricular activities, with her nose stuck in a book. When not reading you can find her writing her very own book boyfriends. Albany’s passion is writing romance with real characters that are far from perfect, but always seem to find their own happily ever afters.

Mystery, Paranormal, Review, Thriller

#Review – Georgia’s Forsaken (The Romy Files Book 2) by Shelly Small

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Six months. Romy couldn’t believe it. She has been in Savannah for six months. Work has kept her busy and trying to build a relationship with her father. Time just slipped away from her. Everything is going well with no problems….
That is until Romy goes out with her new team for a welcome party, which lands her in the ER and being pulled into another nightmare.

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Review by Twinsie Kelly

Romy has an unfortunate accident but luckily her new team is right by her side. Romy’s only family is her father, Chase, who has recently been released from prison for a crime he didn’t commit. Romy is alone and hasn’t even found a place to live in Savannah yet. However, that has to wait. She hurts herself and has to rely on her team for assistance all while navigating new visions to uncover a nightmarish crime. I do like how the author doesn’t just give Romy all the information within the visions to allow Romy to just  show up and bust the bad guy. The visions only give snippets and there is investigative work that has to be done to solve these. One small thing that bothers me a bit, and it could be some ignorance on my part, but Romy is referred to as being an empath and that is why she gets these visions. I feel like empath is being used incorrectly here and perhaps she is more of a medium (or something similar), but it is not a deal breaker as the stories have been great. I look forward to continuing Romy’s stories.

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Growing up in a military family, Shelly Small mostly lived on the west coast. She was also in the military herself. Although she has only lived in 7 different states, Shelly has traveled across the country and has been to most of the 50 states. Most of that traveling is due to marrying a military man. He is now retired and they live in Wisconsin. Shelly also has two children.

Most of her life has been reading books and about 5 years ago started doing what her husband dubs “her hobby” began her own editing company. From doing that, she has met some fabulous authors and has since wanted to bring to others – Words and Worlds Unmasked.