Reed Lavender has an unusual advantage for a detective: the dead can tell him their last words. The trouble is that one final sentence rarely provides a tidy answer. Ashley Capes builds the Reed Lavender series around that complication, giving Reed one life as an investigator and another as a reaper while steadily tangling the two together. 

 

Beginning with a dead teenager whose case the police consider closed, the series moves through missing family members, captured reapers, troublesome gods, and questions surrounding Reed's own parents. Melbourne provides the urban backdrop, but Reed's ability to listen to the dead gives these mysteries their distinctive pulse—and sometimes leaves him with more questions than he had before.

Graves Robbed, Heirlooms Returned

Reed Lavender Book 1

by Ashley Capes

Genre: Urban Fantasy, Paranormal Mystery

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He can speak to the dead. But will giving them justice get him killed?

 

Reed Lavender lives two lives—one as a detective and another as a reaper. Hearing the last words of the dead is a handy skill in his line of work, but magic can’t solve all his problems. While investigating the case of a teen runaway, he learns his cousin is missing. Racing against the clock, Reed soon finds himself trapped in a vast conspiracy.

 

A cult is capturing reapers to siphon their powers and his current case is somehow connected. But the deeper he digs, the more dangerous and convoluted the trail becomes. As his two lives get tangled, Reed realizes if he can’t solve the case and save his cousin, the man who listens to the dead will end up joining them.

 

Graves Robbed, Heirlooms Returned is the first thrilling urban fantasy novel in the Reed Lavender series. If you love snarky heroes, twisty mysteries and plenty of magic, delve into Graves Robbed, Heirlooms Returned!

 

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Reed's supernatural ability does not replace detective work; it complicates it. The dead can offer him their final words, but those words may be cryptic, mundane, or nearly useless without the investigation needed to understand them. That limitation gives the paranormal element a particularly good fit with the mystery structure: magic can provide a clue, but Reed still has to determine what the clue means.

 

The opening case also gives the larger supernatural conflict a human center. Reed begins with Elise, a teenager whose death might otherwise be dismissed, and his determination to find answers for her pulls him toward a conspiracy involving captured reapers. Add the disappearance of his cousin and unresolved questions about his parents, and Reed's professional investigations become increasingly difficult to separate from his own history.

The Reed Lavender series is suited to urban fantasy readers who want the mystery to matter as much as the magic. Reed's ability to retrieve a dead person's final words gives crime-solving a supernatural edge without handing him an easy solution, while reapers, cults, Spirit-Worms, gods, and divine artifacts steadily expand the world around the investigations.

 

Readers who appreciate a snarky protagonist carrying a stubborn sense of responsibility should also find plenty to work with here. Reed keeps pursuing answers for people who can no longer demand them for themselves, even as those investigations lead directly into dangers involving his family and the supernatural forces operating throughout his city.

Graves Robbed, Heirlooms Returned (Reed Lavender: 1)

 

Chapter 1

 

In the bright moonlight, Reed Lavender inserted his best crowbar into the pine box where the top met the sides and wrenched the steel down. Wood squeaked and he shuddered. Worse than fingernails on a blackboard. He lifted the lid free, resting it against the freshly turned earth – which, unlike the sound of an opening coffin – was an almost pleasant thing. A pungent scent, but real. Honest. Worms and bugs, minerals and secrets lived in the earth; when you got right down to it, grave dirt wasn’t really any different to regular dirt.

 

And he was certainly down to it now, about to be elbow-deep in a coffin.

 

Again.

 

But for what they’d given Elise, the word ‘coffin’ was a stretch. A pine box wasn’t much of a final resting place – dignity hardly came cheap in Rikerton’s funeral home and unclaimed bodies were lucky to avoid the incinerator. Or maybe that would have been better. Dust to dust and all that.

 

“But then you’d be out of work,” he told himself.

 

Elise the runaway – that’s what the police thought she was – lay in her dirty jeans and the same faded Pink Floyd t-shirt she wore when she walked into the cafe two days back. Her arms lay at her sides, cuts on her palms mostly hidden. Her face had been covered... by a used napkin. “Jesus, Jennings, that the best you could do?” Reed growled. At least the napkin was in one piece; the undertaker had been known to be far more slipshod at times.

 

Reed lifted the napkin... and ground his teeth.

 

She’d been beaten blue. Deep bruises swam across her cheeks, one eye swollen shut and the other just as blackened, torn skin at her temple. Jennings had cleaned her face up well enough but there were still leaf fragments and dried blood in her hair. The pallor of death had washed out Elise’s freckles, mere suggestions crossing her bent nose. God, what is she, fifteen? She looks so small.

 

Reed tossed the napkin aside and unwound his scarf, folded it and placed it over her face, standing still a moment, shaking as he blinked. The night air ran chill fingers across his now-exposed throat and the back of his neck. Finally, he took a breath and leant over the coffin, where he lifted her arm. “Sorry, sweetheart,” he said softly, twisting her silver bracelet up to the moon. Only the letters ‘Elise’ engraved there. Really, there was little he could learn from a perfunctory glance at her clothing and jewellery that the police wouldn’t have already catalogued. He’d check that later, of course – but Elise deserved more.

 

No, he’d have to wake her up – sort of.

 

Her last words would maybe be enough of a clue. Most folks didn’t have much to say, right before the end. Sometimes it was a scream or a grunt if he was unlucky. Other times, they addressed their killer. Or a loved one, perhaps, if the death was peaceful. Not that I’ve heard a lot of those in my time.

 

There’d been a man out west, he couldn’t recall where - so many cities and towns blended together - whose last words had been an apology for burnt toast. After that, the poor guy hadn’t said a thing before being t-boned at an intersection by a bus an hour later, two blocks from his office.

 

But sometimes, a person’s last sentence held a clue.

 

“Come on, Elise, tell me something I can use.”

 

If she didn’t, he had no other supernatural tricks up his sleeve either, since he couldn’t simply call upon her spirit. It would have made things much easier and allowed him to stop violating peoples’ graves but sadly, he wasn’t that lucky.

 

Reed removed the scarf a moment, took her cold hands and closed his eyes, sending his awareness down through her mute fingertips, pushing his way along quiet veins until he reached her chest, still echoing with the memory of a million heartbeats, then at last up the throat to the tongue; the tongue which remembered everything.

 

But it would move only once more.

 

“In the name of Mors, speak any that you might,” he whispered. “I’ll help you if you can.”

 

Her body resisted.

 

Not unusual. It meant reliving the pain and shock – why wouldn’t her body want to fight that? It was at rest now, if not at peace. But he had to know. Reed pushed harder, pouring both his hope and anger into the request. “Please, Elise.”

 

A flicker, a tiny sound as her jaw shifted.

 

He opened his eyes and leant close. Would it be a scream? A clue? Nonsense? Her voice was little more than a rasping whisper, such as might easily be mistaken for a breeze, but he caught the words.

 

“Wow, what a beautiful view. This is some place; you can see half the city from here.”

 

Then silence.

 

“Shit.” Poor girl, she probably never saw it coming.

 

Reed lowered Elise’s hands. Half the city. That hardly narrowed things down – there were only hundreds of such high points available. But it probably put the owner in a certain tax bracket at least. He shook his head. No assumptions. It was his first rule. And that went for murder too – maybe it was an accident. Still, something happened to bring Elise’s life to an unjust end.

 

He had to find out; no-one else was looking and Elise’s grandmother deserved answers. Even unpleasant ones, he supposed.

 

Reed placed the scarf back over the girl’s face and reached for his shovel.

 

 

Graves Robbed, Heirlooms Returned

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The Radiant King

Reed Lavender Book 2

 

Things aren’t exactly getting easier for Reed Lavender.

 

Old obligations and new cases are piling up but in the aftermath of Feronia’s defeat, answers are still too thin on the ground. But one clue – his father’s knucklebone – might just lead to something big.

 

To learn the truth about his parents’ disappearance, Reed will have to take the fight to whoever is behind the growing turmoil in his city. And if the rising number of Spirit-Worms, needy Gods, vindictive lawmen and only somewhat-helpful cousins don’t stop Reed, then his sense of duty might do what the others cannot.

 

Because Reed now finds himself caught between two goals – solving the murder of Elise or chasing down whoever stole the Goddess’ hand, an unfathomable thief who might hold answers about his parents…

 

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Summer in the City

Reed Lavender Book 3

 

Reed is about to snap - and this time, nothing is going to stand in his way when it comes to getting answers for Elise, not even a supposedly long-vanished Sumerian God.

 

Or so Reed thinks.

 

But summer in the city isn't going to be like the others. The city itself isn't quite the same either, and even if you're lucky (or cursed) enough to count the children of Gods among your friends, nothing is ever simple...

 

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Ashley is a poet, novelist and ex-teacher living in Australia.

 

He taught English, Media and Music Production, he ‘sang’ in a metal band, worked in an art gallery and for a few years, slaved away at music retail. (For a few years, he was also a legal secretary).

 

Aside from reading and writing, Ashley loves (indoor) volleyball, Studio Ghibli and Magnum PI.

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Reed Lavender's gift is compelling precisely because it has limits. A dead person's last words may point him toward the truth, but they cannot tell him how all the pieces fit together. That leaves room for the detective behind the supernatural ability—and for cases in which justice depends on Reed being willing to keep digging when everyone else has stopped.

 

Across the three books featured here, that search for answers widens from Elise's death into Reed's missing family, divine interference, and increasingly strange trouble throughout his city. For an investigator who makes a habit of listening when the dead speak, ignoring unfinished business was probably never going to be an option.

 

 

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Today, I have a paranormal urban fantasy novel in our book teaser spotlight! Learn about Taken by the Sorcerer and author Megan Slayer! 

 

Paranormal Women’s Fiction, Urban Fantasy

Date Published: October 3, 2025

Publisher: Changeling Press

Skylar Graves is a synth -- she can shift into anything. She’s also known all around the world as a billionaire playgirl fool. Parties? She’s had them. Money? Bucketloads. Brains… Well, there’s the rub. No one’s ever believed she had the brains to make the money. No one’s ever believed in her at all. 

 

Enter Brody and a reason to use those brains.

 

Brody isn’t the best sorcerer. He knows his spells and how to create them, but he’s still learning to control his magic. When he finds his perfect mate, he’ll be set. But is she out there? The trouble is, he’s been tasked with helping other paras find Eerie and he can’t do that alone. 

 

The mome he meets Skylar, he knows he’s found his match, but the problem lies in convincing her she’s more than she ever believed. 

 

Not impossible… right?

Megan Slayer, aka Wendi Zwaduk, is a multi-published, award-winning author of more than one-hundred short stories and novels. She’s been writing since 2008 and published since 2009. Her stories range from the contemporary and paranormal to LGBTQ and white hot themes. No matter what the length, her works are always hot, but with a lot of heart. She enjoys giving her characters a second chance at love, no matter what the form. She’s been nominated at the LRC for Best Author, Best Contemporary, Best Ménage, Best BDSM and Best Anthology. Her books have made it to the bestseller lists on various e-tailer sites. 

 

When she’s not writing, Megan spends time with her husband and son as well as three dogs and three cats. She enjoys art, music and racing, but football is her sport of choice. She’s an active member of the Friends of the Keystone-LaGrange Public library. 

 

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Daemones ex Machina Tour Base HTML Copy the code then paste into the html area of your blog, you can go back to the compose area to change colors of text if you want. Just highlight the text and select the color. FOR BOOK TOURS: Please note, you WILL have to add in manually any Excerpt, Interview, Guest Post, etc. you have signed up for once you receive that.

 

Cyberpunk/Urban Fantasy Fiction

Release Date: July 23rd, 2025

Publisher: Acorn Publishing

 

 

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If you make a deal with the Devil, don’t forget to read the fine print. 

Three operatives find themselves on the run after a corporate sabotage job goes awry. Now, their predatory employer, a heavyweight weapons-tech firm, wants its elite A-team dead at all costs.  Jon is a smooth-talking charmer. Friedrich is a hacker prodigy. And Guion is the ice-cold tactician who keeps them all in line.

 

Backs against the wall, the men strike separate infernal pacts to stay alive. They vanish into the urban badlands of New York’s Five Hives, vowing to lie low and figure out why they’ve become targets. Meanwhile, Jon suspects there’s an insidious evil possessing his friends, and he wonders if they all got more than they bargained for. 

 

Amid an escalating war between local gangs and the firm’s private shock troops, the fugitives uncover a conspiracy that threatens to destroy everyone they know and love. But can they stop the destruction before their inner demons seize control?

About the Author

  

At the age of four, Russell Anders started telling stories, often interrupting his mother during bedtime reading to ask, “Then what happened?” She always answered, “You tell me,” and his imagination conjured fantastical tales of dragons and dinosaurs.

 

He gravitated toward a career as a technical writer and writing coach for software companies. He also briefly served as a columnist for Dragon Magazine. One of his favorite hobbies includes tabletop role playing, especially as the game master. And yes, he's as cruel to the characters in his games as he is to the characters in his books; his players love him for it. 

 

Russel lives with the constant canine companionship of whip-smart but goofy Sigurd, an English Mastiff (the best breed ever).    

 

Daemones ex Machina is his debut novel.

 

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Today, I have an urban fantasy novel in our Teaser Tuesday spotlight! Check out Taken by the Faerie and learn about author Megan Slayer!

 

Paranormal Women’s Fiction, Urban Fantasy

Date Published: January 10, 2025

 

Thaddeus Maguire is a vampire. He can’t remember the last time he felt young, vibrant and alive. He’s made choices he regrets, but when one of those mistakes comes back to haunt him, he’s forced to face his past. The only place a hungry, beaten vampire can heal and recharge is the best sanctuary for anyone paranormal. Eerie.

When he forces himself through a portal to his hometown, he lands at the feet of the most beautiful flame-red haired Faerie he’s ever seen. The moment he looks up at Tasia, he’s in love. But who could love a broken vampire?

Tasia isn’t afraid of the damaged vampire, and she’s determined to make him see he’s more than his mistakes.

Can they outrun his past and find a future before his biggest mistake destroys them? Love is possible when you’ve been taken by the Faerie.

 

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About the Author

Megan Slayer, aka Wendi Zwaduk, is a multi-published, award-winning author of more than one-hundred short stories and novels. She’s been writing since 2008 and published since 2009. Her stories range from the contemporary and paranormal to LGBTQ and white hot themes. No matter what the length, her works are always hot, but with a lot of heart. She enjoys giving her characters a second chance at love, no matter what the form. She’s been nominated at the LRC for Best Author, Best Contemporary, Best Ménage, Best BDSM and Best Anthology. Her books have made it to the bestseller lists on various e-tailer sites.

When she’s not writing, Megan spends time with her husband and son as well as three dogs and three cats. She enjoys art, music and racing, but football is her sport of choice. She’s an active member of the Friends of the Keystone-LaGrange Public library.

 

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  Publisher on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and TikTok: @changelingpress

  

Today, we are joining the cover reveal for urban fantasy romance novel In the Moment During!  Check out the book & its cover and learn about author C.G. Coppola!

 

The Coyote And The Companion Series, Book 2

  Urban Fantasy Romance

Date Published: 6-23-2023

 

 

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After an unexpected hookup, I end up dating Grayson Knight—my former mortal enemy. We still argue constantly, and I’m sure we’ll break up at some point, but after a family dinner goes well with Dad—the city’s Police Sergeant—I have hope.

Then I start noticing things. Like how Grayson gets called away at odd times, or how skilled he is with gymnastics. Then there was the fight at school—the one where he dominated his opponent. None of it seems important until we’re attacked by a monstrous creature—and Grayson springs into action. It’s almost like he knows what to do…like he’s done it before.

Knowing something is off, I confront him about his unusual behavior, but he dismisses it. Not satisfied, I decide to discover the truth for myself. Because Grayson has a secret—and I’m going to find out what.

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Today, I have an urban fantasy in our book spotlight!  Check out Forged, learn about authors Gail Z. Martin and Larry N. Martin & enter for a chance to win a prize in the book tour giveaway at the end of this post.

Forged