Today, I have a dark drama in our book spotlight! Check out Love Before Covid, learn about author Greg Scorzo & be sure to enter for a chance to win a prize in the book tour giveaway at the end of this post.

Dark / Drama / Thriller

Date Published: July 28, 2023

Publisher: Troubadour Books

 

Many of our posts contain affiliate links.

 

“Love before Covid - A raw, philosophical dive into love’s messy reality—unflinching, dark, and unapologetically human. Unlike typical romance novels, LOVE BEFORE COVID is a dialogue-driven exploration of human flaws and ideologies, blending fiction with metaphysical inquiry. It’s not about comfort; it’s about confrontation and insight.”

 

Laced with dark humour, it is best described as traumatic (sur)realism. Love Before Covid takes the reader on a journey through the mind of Joe Pastorius - jazz fan, poet, and victim of horrendous sexual and emotional abuse at the hands of his mother.

 

The real-time dialogues between the characters that emerge from Joe’s unconscious come via arguably corrupted memories and dystopian dreams. They tell us more about Joe than he could ever know, and perhaps more about our world than you could ever imagine.

 

Dialogues entail an exploration of clashing perspectives and opinions, that cause reflection. Today though, our world has been infiltrated by online dialogues that tend to feel like wild unfiltered streams of human thought, raw, chaotic and often polarising and devoid of much reflection. Arguably that attitude, and lack of reflection is mirrored by the characters you will encounter. The reflection comes from the reader as the situations unfold. Your moral boundaries will without doubt be pushed to the limit.

 

You will meet an altruist who can’t stand up for himself, a charming but violent public intellectual, a beautiful dancer who hates fat people, a flirty and gregarious bartender who will do anything to get pregnant, a traumatised art historian who never wants to be a mother, a successful intellectual Mexican writer who is secretly disapproving of her childhood friend’s career as a pornstar, the teenage genius son of that pornstar who has sexual fantasises about his mother, a woman who is pressured into cutting off her penis and a successful therapist who has a habit of ruining people’s lives.

 

And yes, before you ask, some of the characters in this book eventually catch Covid 19. However, there is always hope. For Joe Pastorious, that comes in the form of the psychopath named Janet Waverley.

 

About the Author

During the pandemic Dr Greg Scorzo completed his first novel ‘LOVE BEFORE COVID’ as well as producing an innovative radio play based on 6 chapters from that book, also called – LOVE BEFORE COVID. available on our YouTube Channel.  and via Audioboom with links to all major podcast platforms.

 

Greg says, “I was interested in the challenge of writing a novel that was formally experimental, while still being easy for a mass audience to read and understand. I love the idea of a piece of philosophy that is simultaneously a work of fiction, and a philosophical thought experiment which can function like a great, twisty roller coaster of a story that asks the reader many questions. Unlike traditional philosophy and many fashionable works of literature, this book purposefully asks questions without giving answers, encouraging readers to think (and emote) for themselves.”

 

Since gaining his PhD in Philosophy in 2011, Greg Scorzo has aimed to find creative and original ways to take philosophical thinking outside of academia. By using modern accessible philosophical dialogue inpublic talks, podcasts and his novel Love Before Covid, Greg explores clashing perspectives and opinions that cause reflection. Based in Leicester, he was a founding member of Culture on the Offensive and runs the podcast The ‘Art of Thinking’.

 

Dialogues entail an exploration of clashing perspectives and opinions that cause reflection. Statements and declarations can close minds.

 

The ‘Art of Thinking’ with Greg Scorzo podcast is available on YouTube where he does friendly philosophical interrogation of ideas  with many interesting thinkers. Also available via Audioboom linking to all major podcast platforms.

 

His extended essays on Arts and Culture as well as Cultural Issues are available on this platform www.gregscorzo.com

 

He has a passion and extensive knowledge of film and music.

 

From 2017 – 2020 Greg Scorzo was active in running over 60 engaging voluntary community sessions, centred around ‘The Art of Thinking’  The focussed on  universal philosophical themes, arts and culture and cultural issues. The ethos behind these events was to encourage the use of EMPATHY, CLARITY and COURAGE in ensuing dialogues with the audience. These were organised by COTO.

 

He also took up invitations to partner and run sessions at other events, including the Battle of Ideas Festival at the Barbican London, the Philosophy Now conference, Leicester Comedy Festival and  DeMontfort University’s Cultural Exchanges festival. He is always interested to partner up with other like minded people.

 

Connect with the Author

 

Website

Facebook

Twitter

Blog

Goodreads

Instagram

 

Buy the Book

 

https://mybook.to/LoveBeforeCovid

Amazon

Barnes and Noble

Kobo

Publisher

Enter the Giveaway

a Rafflecopter giveaway

This morning, I have a self-help book to share! Check out Crossing Fifty-One, learn about author Debbie Russell and enter for a chance to win a prize in the book tour giveaway at the end of this post. 

Death & Grief, Parenting, Self-Help

Date Published: 06-20-2023

Publisher: Koehler Books

 

Many of our posts contain affiliate links.

 

A week before Christmas 1951, Dr. Ralph Russell risked everything to voluntarily enter a locked federal drug-treatment facility known as a "narcotic farm."

 

Sixty-five years later, Dr. Russell's granddaughter Debbie suffers a debilitating crisis of identity when her father (Dr. Russell's oldest son), always her biggest fan, is accepted into hospice.

 

Debbie's investigation into her paternal lineage reveals family secrets and ignites her mother's volatile outbursts, propelling her into therapy.

 

When therapy fails her, the grandfather Debbie never knew saves her, and she collaborates with her dying father one last time to make her biggest dream come true.

 

Crossing Fifty-One pulls back the curtain on the internal struggles of midlife and provides a blueprint for redefining one's self beyond the constraints of addiction and dysfunctional family dynamics.

About the Author

Debbie Russell is a lawyer-turned writer. She spent twenty-five years as an Assistant County Attorney in Minneapolis, prosecuting numerous high-profile cases—specializing in those involving domestic and child abuse. At age fifty-five, Debbie took early retirement, giving up a full pension for the freedom of time. She now spends that precious time writing, restoring her property to native prairie and wetlands, and training her rambunctious retrievers.

 

Debbie’s first published article appeared in the Minneapolis Star Tribune in 2001. After that small triumph, her writing focused primarily on legal briefs and memoranda, which were consigned to district court files. Debbie resumed creative writing in 2014 when she began her storytelling blog by sharing personal stories and professional experiences that touched her life in a significant way. Her top-ranked December 2021 article for Elephant Journal, an online journal that celebrates the mindful life is entitled “Getting the Most out of Therapy: Easier Said than Done,” and is partially based on events in her book.

 

Debbie's award-winning book, Crossing Fifty-One: Not Quite a Memoir, was released in June of 2023. In 2024, she became a regular contributor to the Minnesota Star Tribune, writing about criminal justice and adjacent issues.

Connect with the Author

Website

Facebook

Twitter

Blog

Goodreads

Instagram

 

Buy the Book

https://mybook.to/CrossingFiftyOneBook

Amazon

Barnes and Noble

iBooks

 

Enter the  Giveaway

a Rafflecopter giveaway 

Today, I have a recently released young adult dystopian novel in our book spotlight spot! Check out Shadowed Skies, learn about author Haley Cavanagh, and be sure to enter for a chance to win a prize in the book tour giveaway at the end of this post. 

 

YA Dystopian Fantasy Romance

Date Published: 03-25-2025

Publisher: John Hunt Publishing

 

Many of our posts contain affiliate links.

 

In the shadowed aftermath of global destruction, humanity’s hope takes flight on the wings of the Evol-humans. River Shaw, secluded in his high-altitude sanctuary, seeks solace after a life scarred by loss. His quiet existence is disrupted when Delene Fairborne, fleeing captivity and a dark past, crashes into his world. Together, they find strength in their unique abilities, resisting the sinister forces that hunt them for a cure only their blood can provide. 

 As love blossoms amidst the chaos, they face a ruthless scientist hell-bent on harnessing their power. Shadowed Skies is a tale of survival, sacrifice, and soaring hope, where two souls, bound by destiny, fight for a world on the brink. Dive into a world where love flies against insurmountable odds.

About the Author

Haley Cavanagh is a military veteran, wife, and mother. She is a multiple award-winning and best-selling author and the two-time recipient of the League of Utah Writers Silver Quill Award in 2020 and 2024. Haley is an alumna of Columbia College, a musical theater nut, and she loves to dive into any book that crosses her path. Haley resides with her family in the United States and enjoys spending time with her husband and children when she’s not writing. She loves to hear from her readers and encourages you to contact her via her website and social media.

 

Connect with the Author

Website

Facebook

Twitter

Blog

Goodreads

Pinterest

Instagram

YouTube

 

Buy the Book

Amazon

Barnes and Noble

Kobo

iBooks

Publisher

 

Enter the Giveaway 

 

This morning, I have a fantasy romance novel in our book spotlight! Check out The Secret Girl, Book One in The Lonely Raven Trilogy, and learn about author Erika Fair!

 

The Lonely Raven Trilogy, Book One

Fantasy / Romance

Date Published: February 11, 2025

Publisher: Clay Bridges Press

 

Many of our posts contain affiliate links.

 

Fallon has received premonitions since she was a child—visions that have driven her to steer countless strangers and acquaintances from looming dangers. But these powers have come at a great cost. After enduring heart-wrenching losses during her teenage years, Fallon has lived a solitary life for over a decade, her only anchor being her childhood best friend.

 

That is, until a series of intense premonitions draws a group of new people into her life, people who start to feel like family. But something deeper is stirring. The raven tattoo on her wrist has begun to tingle, and a raven has started appearing in her visions. Worse still, Fallon is haunted by the memory of someone from her past, someone she loved, and she believes abandoned her—a person to whom the raven seems inexplicably tied.

 

As the visions grow more urgent, Fallon must decipher their meaning to protect those she cares about. But the question lingers: Is the raven a guide or a harbinger of doom?

In this gripping first installment of “The Lonely Raven Trilogy,” Fallon must face the shadows of her past to safeguard the future of those she loves—and discover whether the raven is an ally or a threat.

About the Author

Erika Fair was born and raised in Texas, where she lives with her husband and son. She graduated from The University of Texas at Austin and stayed in Austin as long as she could. When she is not forcing her favorite music upon her family or writing, she can usually be found hiking or planning future travels. “The Secret Girl” is her first novel.

 

Connect with the Author

Website

Facebook

Blog

Instagram

Goodreads

 

Buy the Book

Amazon

Barnes and Noble

This morning, we have a motorcycle club romance novel in our Teaser Tuesday spotlight spot! Learn about Outcast and author Jamie Targaet and pre-order the book!

Motorcycle Club Romance, Suspense

Date Published: May 9, 2025

 

 

Many of our posts contain affiliate links.

 

Anya’s his captive, but she’s always been mine. I’ll burn their empire to the ground to bring her home.

Anya -- I never forgot Jackson -- not when the foster system chewed us up and spit us out, and not when I was dragged into the nightmare world of Sebastian Six. Jackson was the one bright spot in my past, the only person who ever tried to save me. Now, trapped as Six’s captive, I’ve lost hope… until I see him again. Jackson isn’t just a memory anymore; he’s a badass biker called Outcast. He fights the brutal champion in Six’s underground ring, just to win a night with me. He’s risking everything to get me out. This time, I’m not letting him go.

 

Outcast -- She was everything to me once. The only thing that ever mattered. I tried to save her when we were young and failed. But when her photo turned up on a soldier tied to a fake gun deal, I knew I’d been given another chance. I tracked her to Louisville, to the syndicate, to the monster who owns her. If she had been safe and happy, I would’ve walked away. But she wasn’t. So I fought their champion in a cage match just to get close. Now I’m running with her again -- only this time, I’m ready to kill anyone who gets in my way for her. No one is taking Anya from me. Not now. Not ever again.

Trigger Warning: Outcast (Hounds of Hell MC 7) contains scenes of human trafficking, violence, physical abuse, rape, and vigilante justice that may be triggers for some readers. There’s also a strong alpha hero willing to risk everything to save his woman.

About the Author

Jamie Targaet is the author of the Hounds of Hell MC. She's anxious to introduce you to this club of gorgeous, dominant men and the lucky women who surrender to them. The ride is going to get wild at times, not going to lie. But there's thrilling action, scorching hot sex scenes, and all the feels. 

 

Jamie writes erotic romance for Changeling Press, a little fanfiction on the side, and she's an aspiring horror writer in another life. She enjoys time with her family (including the fur babies). She likes good horror movies and shows, emo metal and classic rock, and time spent in other worlds writing and reading. She loves hearing from readers and is looking forward to hearing from you.

Connect with the Author & Publisher

Author on Facebook

Author on Amazon

Author’s Website

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

 

Buy the Book

 

Pre-Order Today

B. Truly has wanted to be an author since she was fifteen years old. She is grateful to have accomplished this dream. B. Truly has very vivid dreams and a wild imagination. She likes to read, watch tons of TV shows, and movies. She’s addicted to romance and gets a thrill out of suspense and sci-fi. She writes young adult, new adult, and adult romance, sci-fi, dystopian, paranormal, and urban genres.

 

B. Truly likes to explore conflicted plots of romance with thrilling twists. She also loves creating impossible situations for her characters to grow from and try to overcome.

 

B. Truly has three wonderful children, and a husband who defines the person that she is today. She works full-time as an Ultrasound technologist in Houston, Texas.

Connect with the Author

Facebook

Twitter

Goodreads

Instagram

TikTok

 

Buy the Book

Amazon

Barnes and Noble

Kobo

Smashwords

Enter the Giveaway

This morning, I have a Civil War historical fiction novel in our book teaser spotlight. Learn about Too Much The Lion and author Preston Lewis. 

 

US Historical Fiction/Civil War

Date Published: 05-13-2025

Publisher: Bariso Press

 

Many of our posts contain affiliate links.

 

The soldiers did the fighting; the generals, the Infighting

 

In the waning months of the American Civil War, a delusional Confederate commander makes a desperate attempt to change the course of the South’s dwindling hopes by invading middle Tennessee. The tragic result of Lt. Gen. John Bell Hood’s misplaced hubris devastates his Army of Tennessee and alters the lives of the citizens of Franklin, Tennessee.

 

In a historical novel reminiscent of The Killer Angels, Too Much the Lion follows a handful of Confederate generals, infantrymen and local residents through the five days leading up to the horrific Battle of Franklin on November 30, 1864. The lives of soldiers ranging from Major General Patrick Cleburne to Brigadier General Hiram Granbury and from Sergeant Major Sumner Cunningham to Corporal Sam Watkins will be forever changed by Hood’s decisions and mistakes.

 

Franklin civilians like apprehensive and loving mother Mary Alice McPhail and teen Hardin Figuers, desperate to serve the Confederacy but too young to enlist, are ensnared in the events that will bring death and devastation to their very doorsteps. Devout Confederate Chaplain Charles T. Quintard must reconcile his religious beliefs with his support of slavery. Slaves like the elder Wiley Howard and the inquisitive young Henry B. Free are trapped on the fault line between what has been and what could be.

 

Too Much the Lion offers an unvarnished account of the dying days of the Confederacy in a powerful and moving narrative of honor and betrayal, bravery and cowardice, death and survival. Told with poignancy and honesty by an accomplished novelist, Too Much the Lion achieves for the Battle of Franklin what The Killer Angels did for the Battle of Gettysburg, providing a classic fictional account of one of the Civil War’s pivotal encounters.

 

Read the Forward

Too Much the Lion is the story of the Battle of Franklin and the five days leading up to the disastrous conflict as lived by select generals, infantrymen, and civilians in the waning weeks of the Confederacy. In a war filled with tragic encounters, this was one of the most heartrending, yet least remembered battles of the Civil War, largely because it occurred in the Western Theater, far removed from the aura of Robert E. Lee and the Army of Northern Virginia.

 

The Confederate Army of Tennessee produced no Robert E. Lee, but instead fought under a succession of mediocre commanders whose battlefield triumphs were limited to a single decisive but bloody victory at Chickamauga. The army’s commanders had little else to show for the sacrifice of Rebel men and boys. Though the overall leadership lacked the tactical flair of a Lee or a Stonewall Jackson, the Army of Tennessee possessed some superb generals such as cavalryman Nathan Bedford Forrest and division commander Patrick Ronayne Cleburne, who both appear in this account, though the focus is on the lesser-known Cleburne and his division.

 

With more than 8,500 combined casualties, the Battle of Franklin does not make the top twenty list of Civil War battles with the most losses. Even so, Union and Confederate forces endured five of the most ferocious hours of combat during the War Between the States. Besides the hubris of Army of Tennessee commander John Bell Hood, the events of the preceding night at Spring Hill contributed to the next day’s ill-fated attack—dubbed “the Pickett’s Charge of the West”—at Franklin.

 

In one of the greatest blunders of the Civil War, the Union army slipped past the Army of Tennessee during the night at Spring Hill, Tennessee, and escaped the trap Lieutenant General Hood had set but failed to execute. Charges and countercharges about who was at fault echoed through the years, and historians remain conflicted about who forfeited one of the South’s last opportunities for a victory over Union forces. The interpretations of the events at Spring Hill in Too Much the Lion are entirely those of the author after considerable research and head-scratching.

 

In addition to the many generals mentioned in this historical novel, two Confederate infantrymen who left accounts for posterity provide perspective from the viewpoint of the foot soldier. While novels about war rightfully focus on soldiers, battle takes its toll on civilians as well, so two Franklin families—the Carters and the Figuers—provide perceptions beyond those of the troops. Two slaves serving Confederate officers as manservants—one elderly and one in his teens—also enter the narrative.

 

Except for two characters, all the names listed are those taken from historical accounts. The name of a Franklin doctor was fictionalized, and the last name of the slave named “Henry” was added since the historical account only listed his first name. Otherwise, the names are actual, including the lists of casualties and the causes of their deaths. The interpretation of each character is that of the author, based on his research.

 

Too Much the Lion is told entirely from the Confederate viewpoint, both soldier and civilian. It is important to remember that by late 1864, both Southern combatants and noncombatants had endured three years of death and deprivation. Both citizens and warriors alike were tired of war, its hardships, and the uncertainty it created for their futures.

 

For those unfamiliar with the organization of a Confederate army, the Army of Tennessee operated under Lieutenant General John Bell Hood in overall command of three infantry corps and a cavalry corps under the direction of Major General Nathan Bedford Forrest. This account focuses on the corps under the command of Major General Benjamin Franklin Cheatham of Tennessee. His three division commanders included Major General Patrick Ronayne Cleburne of Arkansas and Major General John C. Brown of Tennessee, who are pivotal in this account. Major General William B. Bate of Tennessee also served as a division commander under Cheatham, but he played a lesser role in the events as depicted in Too Much the Lion.

 

Three brigades under the commands of brigadier generals Hiram B. Granbury of Texas, Daniel C. Govan of Arkansas, and Mark P. Lowery of Mississippi reported to Cleburne, their division commander. Between seven and ten regiments designated by number and state served under these three brigadier generals.

 

Two of the four brigades in Brown’s division appear in this account. Commanders of those brigades were brigadier generals States Rights Gist of South Carolina and Otho F. Strahl of Ohio. While other generals and combatants show up in this account, their roles are nominal in this telling of the story of the Battle of Franklin.

 

In compiling this narrative, the author has attempted to stay within the historical framework of the events leading up to and culminating in the Battle of Franklin and its aftermath. Occasionally, time elements may have been compressed or slightly altered for the sake of the overlapping narratives from the different viewpoints.

 

If nothing else, perhaps Too Much the Lion will drive readers to the historical accounts of the Battle of Franklin to make their own assessments and draw their own conclusions of the tragic encounter in the waning months of the Civil War. If Too Much the Lion accomplishes anything, perhaps it will give Patrick Ronayne Cleburne his due as one of the noble generals of the Civil War, much like The Killer Angels elevated Joshua Lawrence Chamberlain into the public consciousness.

 

Too Much the Lion is a novel of war, and war is the failure of man to live up to the “better angels of our nature” as President Abraham Lincoln first used the term in his 1861 inaugural address before the start of the conflict that killed more Americans than any other in our nation’s history.

 

By its very nature, however, any novel of war is also an anti-war novel, for it shows the dire consequences on individuals of political and military deceit and hubris. Perhaps Too Much the Lion offers lessons for today if we are honest and humble enough to accept them.

About the Author

Preston Lewis is the award-winning author of more than 50 western, historical, juvenile, and nonfiction works.  In 2021 he was inducted into the Texas Institute of Letters for his literary achievements.

Western Writers of America (WWA) has honored Lewis with two Spur Awards, one for best article and the second for best western novel.  He has received ten Will Rogers Medallion Awards (six gold, two silver and two bronze) for written western humor, short stories, short nonfiction, and traditional Western novel.

Lewis is a past president of WWA and the West Texas Historical Association, which named him a fellow in 2016.  He holds a bachelor’s degree from Baylor University and a master’s degree from Ohio State University, both in journalism.  Additionally, he has a second master’s degree in history from Angelo State University.  He lives in San Angelo, Texas, with wife Harriet Kocher Lewis.

 

Connect with the Author

Website

Facebook

Blog

Goodreads

   

Buy the Book

Amazon