Rathuun: King of the Prairie places a buffalo—not a cowboy, scout, or settler—at the center of a western shaped by violent change. Rathuun survives the grizzly attack that kills his twin, only to grow into the animal every hunter wants to claim as wagons, telegraph lines, railroads, and rifles transform the plains around him. By giving its most dangerous frontier to the creature being pursued, David Fitz-Gerald approaches familiar western history from a strikingly different direction.

Rathuun: King of the Prairie
Author: David Fitz-Gerald

Frontier & Pioneer Western Fiction; US Historical Fiction; Action/Adventure

Date Published: March 20, 2026

 

With all the swagger of a classic western, a legendary buffalo claims his rightful place among the genre's most iconic heroes. 

 

Meet Rathuun. Born in an idyllic canyon, tragedy strikes on his first day. A grizzly bear scatters the herd, devours his twin, and leaves him to shiver and die. But the buffalo calf with a white spot on his chin survives. 

 

The plains are changing fast. Wagons roll west in endless streams. Telegraph wires stretch across the horizon. Locomotives scream down polished rails, slicing through the earth. Extinction seems imminent when everyone wants to kill the biggest buffalo on the prairie. 

 

Native people shoot arrows and drive herds over cliffs. Hide hunters slaughter millions. An obsessed buffalo assassin is determined to wipe them all out and change the world forever. There's an army of barking rifles, and they're all pointed at Rathuun. 

 

Will the hunters take Rathuun's head and leave his carcass to rot on the prairie? 

 

This sweeping epic thunders across the American West, taking listeners to unforgettable western landmarks. If you like classic westerns, thrilling action, and high-stakes historical adventures, grab your copy by the horns.

 

Welcome to the prairie!

Rathuun’s perspective changes the scale of the traditional western. Telegraph wires, locomotives, wagon traffic, and rifles are not merely signs of expansion here; they are forces closing in on a living creature whose survival has become inseparable from the fate of the prairie itself. The combination of an animal protagonist, a relentless pursuit, and a landscape undergoing permanent transformation gives the novel a distinctive tension. Its classic-western swagger remains intact, but the largest presence on the plains is also the one with the most to lose.

 

This novel is suited to western readers interested in the land and its wildlife as much as its human conflicts. The buffalo-centered viewpoint should also appeal to those who value survival stories, pursuit narratives, and historical fiction that examines westward expansion through its consequences. Readers drawn to large-scale action, changing frontier landscapes, and protagonists forced to endure overwhelming odds will find Rathuun’s struggle especially compelling.

David Fitz-Gerald writes frontier and pioneer western fiction from the wilds of western Vermont—about as far west as you can get without slipping into New York. 

 

Though he’s never wrangled beeves to market, Dave was a top hand on his grandfather’s dude ranch in the Adirondack Mountains… before he turned ten. He’s lived most of his life on dirt roads. Whenever he gets the chance, he travels west to recharge his spirit on the windswept prairies. 

 

He’s an Adirondack 46’er which means that he’s hiked to the top of every mountain in the park. In 2018, Dave completed the 1960s fitness craze by hiking 50 miles in one day. That’s one heck of a long walk, but not nearly as grueling as the iconic trails that he chases in his fiction. 

 

Even after all these years, Dave still has his head in the clouds like Ken from MY FRIEND FLICKA, and a quiet, self-reliant spirit like Sam from THE TRUMPET OF THE SWAN. That blend of wonder, heart, and spirit runs through the characters he portrays. His editor states he is “exceptionally good at creating real moments between characters”—and readers seem to agree. 

 

Dave’s breakthrough series, Ghosts Along the Oregon Trail won Chanticleer’s Grand Prize for Book Series. He’s now the author of nearly twenty novels and counting, and as long as there’s coffee in the kitchen, Dave will be plotting one adventurous story after another.

Website

Facebook

Goodreads

BookBub

Linktree

Amazon

Bookshop.org 

 

Rathuun’s strongest hook is also its boldest choice: the legendary figure at the heart of this western is the buffalo being hunted. His fight to survive turns the advance of rails, wires, wagons, and rifles into an immediate threat rather than distant historical scenery. That shift in viewpoint gives the adventure both its momentum and its weight, inviting readers to see the changing prairie through the eyes of the creature who stands to lose it.

 

Be the first to see cover reveals, upcoming releases, exclusive excerpts, author features, and more. Join our growing community of readers and book lovers.

➡️ Join our Newsletter

 

Heaven’s Hope offers Maylin Cole exactly what she needs: distance from an abusive relationship, shelter for herself and her four-year-old daughter, and the possibility of beginning again. The refuge becomes more difficult to understand as its charismatic leader assigns angelic identities, controls access to the children, and recasts obedience as spiritual preparation. In Only Angels Have Blue Eyes, J. Todd Kingrea builds suspense around the moment when sanctuary begins to resemble captivity—and a mother realizes that questioning the rules may be the only way to save her child.

Only Angels Have Blue Eyes

Author: J. Todd Kingrea

Genre: Horror / Suspense

Date Published: 08-03-2026

Things are looking up for Maylin Cole and her 4-year-old daughter, Margo. Fleeing an abusive relationship, the private clinic Heaven’s Hope offers shelter and the promise of a new life. Led by the charismatic and beguiling Seraph Nakir, they learn a surprising truth: they’re actually angels who have lost their way.

 

Everyone has an angel name and is being prepared to ‘ascend’ when the time is right. Their angelic identities will play a significant role in aiding humanity when the world ends.

 

As the weeks pass, Maylin becomes accustomed to the peculiar confrontational therapy. The black curtains and bars on the windows no longer trouble her. The lack of privacy, mystifying theology, and strange rules become commonplace. She sees Margo less frequently since the children are kept in the basement.

 

The death of another patient awakens Maylin to dark secrets within the walls, and soon the horrifying truth about Nakir and Heaven’s Hope is revealed. Maylin must confront her insecurities, rediscover her individuality, and use her wits and resources if she hopes to save Margo and the other children.

 

Inspired by a true crime case, this slow-burn thriller roars to a pulse-pounding climax, reminding the reader to think independently, ask questions, and be careful who you trust.

 

The danger in Kingrea’s premise develops through coercion rather than immediate violence. Heaven’s Hope first appears to offer Maylin protection, but its closed environment gradually replaces safety with surveillance, dependence, and control. The clinic’s angelic language gives that manipulation a spiritual vocabulary, allowing troubling restrictions to be presented as preparation for a higher purpose.

 

Maylin’s relationship with Margo gives the suspense its emotional center. Every new rule becomes more threatening as access to her daughter decreases, and the separation of the children raises the stakes beyond Maylin’s own escape. Her challenge is not simply to uncover what Seraph Nakir is hiding, but to recover enough confidence in her own judgment to act against a system designed to make doubt feel like failure.

 

The true-crime inspiration adds another unsettling dimension. Rather than treating cult influence as an inexplicable form of evil, the story examines how charisma, isolation, invented theology, and repeated confrontation can make increasingly alarming conditions seem ordinary. That slow normalization is what gives the novel’s horror its psychological force.

Maylin stared at Nakir in disbelief. “I…I can’t do this.”

 

“Administer Uriel’s punishment. Now,” he replied.

 

Maylin looked at the man’s back as he knelt before the fireplace like a monk at an ancient altar. Then she looked back at Seraph Nakir. “No. N-no way…”

 

Nakir tilted his head, his dreadlocks falling to one side. He scowled at her. “The injury was against you,” he said. “So, it is only right that you be the one to dispense his punishment.”

 

She shook her head, eyes still wide, and thrust the poker toward Nakir.

 

He refused it. “You must, my daughter. An eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth. His bruises for your bruises. Go ahead. Begin.”

 

“No, no—this isn’t right. It’s not—”

 

“Carry out the punishment!” Seraph Nakir bellowed, stepping forward to tower over her.

This novel is suited to readers drawn to psychological horror built around coercive control, cult dynamics, and closed communities. Its tension will appeal to those who prefer a gradual accumulation of disturbing details over immediate shocks, especially when ordinary routines begin to reveal how thoroughly a character’s freedom has been reduced.

 

Readers of domestic suspense may also connect with Maylin’s determination to protect Margo while rebuilding the independence an abusive relationship has already damaged. The book should be especially compelling for anyone interested in true-crime-inspired fiction, charismatic leaders, manufactured belief systems, and stories in which survival depends on recognizing manipulation before it becomes impossible to resist.

J. Todd Kingrea is the author of "With A Blighted Touch" and The Deiparian Saga ("The Witchfinder," "The Crimson Fathers," and "Bane of the Witch"). He has also authored two non-fiction books, two short stories, and role-playing game scenarios. When not writing, he enjoys collecting and watching movies, reading, and prowling through dusty old bookstores. He and his wife live in Galax, Virginia. 

Website

Facebook

Twitter

Goodreads

Instagram

Preorder Today

Only Angels Have Blue Eyes locates its most disturbing threat in the misuse of trust. Maylin arrives at Heaven’s Hope after one controlling relationship and slowly discovers that the refuge has created another, this time reinforced by communal rules, spiritual authority, and fear of losing access to her daughter.

 

That pattern gives the novel more than a sinister setting. It turns Maylin’s struggle to reclaim her judgment into the core of the story. Her escape depends on questioning the language she has been taught, recognizing what has been normalized around her, and choosing her own understanding of reality over the certainty offered by Seraph Nakir. For readers interested in the mechanics of manipulation as much as the danger it produces, this premise offers a particularly unsettling form of suspense.

Be the first to see cover reveals, upcoming releases, exclusive excerpts, author features, and more. Join our growing community of readers and book lovers.

➡️ Join our Newsletter

 

John Bliss begins with an uncomfortable proposition: much of what passes for personal conviction may be inherited habit, social imitation, or an assumption that has never been examined closely. The False Paradigms of Today and the Timeless Truth of Tomorrow develops that challenge through thirteen essays spanning progress, rationality, identity, science, morality, religion, history, mysticism, psychology, and philosophy. The result is a deliberately skeptical inquiry into how people construct their understanding of reality—and what might change when its foundations are reconsidered.

The False Paradigms of Today and the Timeless Truth of Tomorrow

Essays on Meaning

Author: John Bliss

Genre: Philosophy/Spirituality

Date Published: 10-01-2025

Publisher: Sketpika Press

 

Something’s missing in the world today, and maybe it’s been gone for centuries. The problem: most of us don’t have authentic beliefs or a clear path in life.

 

What do we believe? Whatever they told us to believe.

 

What do we do? Whatever other people are doing.

 

How many lies have we welcomed into our lives without having seriously analyzed them?

 

It’s the reason many of us feel empty inside—there’s nothing there but convenient mistruths, and at some level, we all know it. We then orient our lives based on these false beliefs, wasting our precious limited time among the living striving for goals that leave us ultimately unsatisfied.

 

The False Paradigms of Today and The Timeless Truth of Tomorrow by John Bliss takes a steak knife to these common delusions with 13 irreverent essays that rip and tear at the foundations of our collective worldview. Little is held sacred to Bliss.

 

The essays in Part 1: Your Understanding of Reality is More Fabricated Than You Think dispel our delusions one at a time, including:

• our mistaken belief in progress,
• our misplaced confidence in our own rational prowess,
• our loss of personal identity from group identification,
• our misplaced faith in science as a true representation of the world, and
• our morality: what it is and where exactly it comes from. 

 

After carving away these restrictive untruths, Part 2: An Exploration of Truth Across Historical, Mystical, and Philosophical Dimensions introduces a deeper understanding of humanity based on history, mysticism, psychology and philosophy. Some of the topics in Part 2 include:

• how our religions became second-rate pathways to God,
• our reliance on logic and how it warps our decision-making,
• how idealism can lead to mass murder and tyranny,
• the overriding importance of history, where we’ve been, where we are going and why,
• our immaterial connection to all people living and dead—Jung’s collective unconscious, Emerson’s Over-Soul, and Varro’s Soul of the World, and finally
• the bedrock assumption that we all got wrong. Switch this out, and everything changes.

 

The essays are filled with stories from history, including meetings of the apostles Paul and Peter with the Emperor Nero and Simon Magus the magician, the mystical transformation of Emmanuel Swedenborg, the nineteenth century German intellectual revolution, the establishment of three French religions worshipping not God but Reason and Humanity, the abdication of the World Teacher, and the genocide of the Tibetan culture.

 

The book is ideal for seekers of deeper meaning, arm-chair philosophers and historians, and those disillusioned with the emptiness of contemporary thought. Discover why your view of reality may be distorted—and how by changing the one assumption on which your entire world-view is based, everything shifts.

 

Bliss is not offering a conventional introduction to philosophy or a single argument developed from first page to last. His thirteen-essay structure allows him to question several pillars of contemporary thought separately, beginning with ideas about progress, reason, group identity, science, and morality before moving into history, religion, mysticism, and the nature of human connection.

 

The book’s distinguishing feature is the range of traditions placed in conversation with one another. Jung’s collective unconscious appears alongside Emerson’s Over-Soul and Varro’s Soul of the World, while historical episodes involving religious movements, intellectual revolutions, and political idealism become evidence in a broader examination of belief. That combination may be especially valuable to readers who prefer philosophical inquiry grounded in historical examples rather than abstract argument alone.

 

Its skeptical stance also matters. Bliss directs his scrutiny toward accepted authorities, collective assumptions, and even the reliability of individual understanding. Readers willing to encounter arguments that may challenge their own intellectual loyalties will find substantial material here for reflection, disagreement, and further investigation. 

This collection is suited to independent thinkers who enjoy testing inherited assumptions rather than accepting them at face value. Its subjects will speak particularly strongly to armchair philosophers, intellectually curious history readers, spiritual seekers dissatisfied with institutional answers, and readers interested in the points where psychology, mysticism, religion, and metaphysics overlap.

 

Those who appreciate assertive essayists may also respond to Bliss’s irreverent approach. The book is designed for readers comfortable with intellectual friction—people who regard disagreement as part of the reading experience and who are prepared to examine not only society’s prevailing ideas, but the beliefs organizing their own lives. 

 

John Bliss is a writer and thinker fixated on unraveling the mystery of our lives. He is at heart a skeptic, as very few authorities have provided answers that are believable. He distrusts groups of all kinds, as they are no smarter than individuals, who don't know half as much as they think they do. He even distrusts himself, as no human can understand reality.

 

Some of his major accomplishments include being kicked out of the National Honor Society and the CEO Round Table. He graduated with a bachelor's in History, and a masters degree in mechanical engineering. He founded and grew an engineering company and sold it after 25 years. And of course, he completed his book, The False Paradigms of Today and the Timeless Truth of Tomorrow, after 13 years of research, writing, and rewriting.

 

To this day, he continues to ask the big questions: Who are we? What’s truly important? How should we live our lives? On most days he thinks he has them figured out.

 

When he is not writing, he cuts wood and digs ditches. Bliss remains at large somewhere in the mountains of California. 

Website

Goodreads

Amazon

Barnes & Noble

Bookshop.org 

The False Paradigms of Today and the Timeless Truth of Tomorrow asks its audience to become active participants rather than passive recipients. Bliss’s subjects are expansive, but the central concern is personal: which beliefs have been deliberately chosen, which have been absorbed without examination, and what consequences follow from building a life around them?

 

The collection’s historical range and unapologetically skeptical voice make it a fitting choice for readers who value books as instruments of inquiry. Agreement is not required for the essays to do their work. Their deeper invitation is to identify the assumptions beneath a worldview and decide whether those assumptions can withstand sustained attention.

Be the first to see cover reveals, upcoming releases, exclusive excerpts, author features, and more. Join our growing community of readers and book lovers.

➡️ Join our Newsletter

 

Ethan’s immortality begins not with power, but with the moment he realizes that returning home could destroy the woman he loves. That conflict between devotion and danger shapes Eileen Sheehan’s Night Times Trilogy, where a centuries-old loss resurfaces through Arabella, a woman whose memories may expose secrets capable of threatening the entire vampire world. Across three books, reunion gives way to pursuit, obsession, transformation, and revenge as Ethan and Arabella discover that surviving death does not erase its consequences.

The darkest hour is only the beginning in the world of shadows.

View the Night Times Trilogy on Goodreads

 

Many of our posts contain affiliate links.

 

 

For two hundred years, Ethan has haunted the shadows, carrying the heartbreak of losing Judith, the wife he loved before he was unwillingly turned into a vampire.

 

When he meets Arabella at a costume party, he's stunned by the similarities she shares with Judith. As their connection deepens, Ethan becomes convinced that Arabella is Judith reborn. But with her returning memories come dangerous secrets—knowledge from a centuries-old vampire-hunting society that could threaten the existence of every vampire alive.

 

Now, hunted by both a ruthless Vampire League and relentless vampire hunters, Ethan and Arabella find themselves caught in a deadly struggle between love, loyalty, and survival. As enemies close in and the past refuses to stay buried, Ethan must choose between losing Arabella forever or offering her the immortality that was forced upon him.

 

Night Times (Book One) begins a captivating vampire romance thriller trilogy that is filled with, forbidden love, deadly secrets, and a passion that defies time itself.

 

What readers are saying:

“For fans of supernatural thrillers involving vampires, Night Times has got everything they crave... Sheehan has created yet another immersive fantastical world full of vampires, witches, and monster hunters. The book is fast-paced, and since I was enjoying it so much, the pages just flew by….You're going to love this!”

 

“… Sheehan doesn’t just focus on romance. She digs into what love and trust really mean when everything’s on the line. There’s also a raw look at what it means for a vampire to lose their humanity—how turning immortal tears you away from who you used to be, and from people you once knew. Immortality in this story isn’t just sparkling and forever-young; it comes with a price: isolation, loss, and sometimes the fading of your own sense of self. Still, there’s a flip side—it can mean never-ending love and the fierce desire to protect…… If you’re in the mood for a supernatural drama that goes beyond the usual tropes—one that really leans into the pain, the memories, and the kind of love that won’t quit—this book is definitely worth your time.”

 

Amazon * Apple * BookBub * Bookshop.org

 

Arabella was supposed to be dead.

 

After faking her death to escape the vampires who want her gone, Arabella and Ethan disappear into Las Vegas, hoping to build a life free from fear, secrets, and bloodshed.

 

For six months, they succeed.

 

Then Olive discovers the truth.

 

Obsessed with Ethan and unwilling to accept his love for another woman, Olive sets out to destroy everything they've built. As jealousy turns to vengeance, Ethan and Arabella are thrust into a nightmare that will change them forever.

 

Filled with danger, betrayal, suspense, and immortal love, Night Times: Book Two is a gripping paranormal romance about how far people will go for love—and how deadly obsession can become.

 

Amazon * Apple * BookBub *Bookshop.org

 

Arabella survived death, but immortality comes with a price.

As she learns to embrace life as a vampire under Ethan's guidance, the memories of her torture and murder refuse to fade. While vampire society struggles to accept her return, Arabella secretly plots revenge against the vampires responsible for her suffering—including the woman who wanted her dead.

 

One by one, her enemies begin to disappear.

 

As fear spreads through the vampire community and suspicion grows, Arabella must balance her thirst for vengeance with the future she's building alongside Ethan. But some wounds can only heal in darkness, and some debts can only be paid in blood.

 

Night Times: Book Three is a dark paranormal romance filled with vengeance, passion, secrets, and a love strong enough to survive death.

 

Amazon * Apple * BookBub * Bookshop.org

 

The trilogy treats immortality as a continuing emotional cost rather than a romantic reward. Ethan’s first crisis is not whether he can survive becoming a vampire, but whether he can protect Judith from the hunger that now places her in danger. Arabella’s arrival two centuries later forces him to confront the possibility that the life he abandoned has returned carrying memories of its own.

 

That reincarnation mystery expands into a conflict involving a vampire-hunting society, the Vampire League, and enemies within the supernatural community. Each installment changes the pressure on Ethan and Arabella: the first centers on recognition and pursuit, the second turns jealousy into a targeted campaign of destruction, and the third places Arabella’s trauma and calculated revenge at the center of the story. The result is a connected narrative in which love survives, but never without difficult choices or lasting consequences.

 

This trilogy is suited to adult paranormal romance readers who prefer their central relationship surrounded by danger, political conflict, and moral complications. The reincarnation thread will particularly interest those drawn to stories in which memory links two lives, while the continuing conflict with hunters and the Vampire League gives the romance a broader supernatural threat.

 

It should also appeal to readers who enjoy following one couple through several distinct stages rather than ending at their first reunion. Ethan and Arabella must contend with a jealous rival, a concealed survival, forced transformation, resistance from vampire society, and a revenge campaign driven by trauma. Readers who appreciate vampires portrayed as isolated, hungry, and capable of losing their humanity will find that darker interpretation central to the series.

Eileen Sheehan is an Internationally published, Best Selling and Award-Winning author of paranormal romance thrillers & horror for the mature adult. A professional and full-time spiritual advisor and holistic practitioner for over 30 years, the majority of her 76+ novels feature the paranormal, but some are novels about people in love, and a very few are self-help. Eileen incorporates experiences through the years along with her imagination to provide the best believable and entertaining read possible. As the years progressed, so has her writing style. Although she still includes romance and strives for a happily ever after ending, her stories tend to have more mystery, thrills, and a touch of horror in them.

 

A former busy working mother (who is now a laid-back grandmother), Eileen understands the value of time. She makes it a point to write novels that are able to be enjoyed in one or two evenings.

 

Website * Facebook * Facebook Group * Instagram * Bluesky * TikTok * BookBub * Goodreads

 

Get the Night Times Trilogy Box Set Here!

Amazon * Apple * BookBub * Goodreads

Follow the tour HERE for special content and a giveaway!

Enter the Night Times Trilogy Giveaway Here

 

The opening image of Ethan standing outside his own home establishes the trilogy’s defining tension: the person he most wants to approach is also the person he must leave to keep safe. Two centuries later, Arabella’s resemblance to Judith offers him another chance, but her returning memories bring hunters, vampire politics, and old secrets with her.

What begins as a reunion shaped by grief develops into a study of what prolonged survival can do to love, loyalty, and identity. Arabella is not left unchanged by what happens to her, and the final installment allows her anger to become as consequential as Ethan’s long-held sorrow. For readers who prefer a vampire romance that follows its central relationship beyond attraction and into obsession, trauma, vengeance, and the burden of immortality, the complete trilogy offers the full progression in one connected story.

 

Be the first to see cover reveals, upcoming releases, exclusive excerpts, author features, and more. Join our growing community of readers and book lovers.

➡️ Join Our Newsletter

August always seems to arrive faster than expected.

One day we're planning trips to the library and spending afternoons outside, and the next I'm buying notebooks, checking school supply lists, and realizing the first day of school isn't that far away. Even with the excitement of a new school year, I never want those last weeks of summer to disappear without a few more good books. 

The nice thing is you don't need a massive reading plan to revamp the kids' interest in books before school starts. A handful of great books, easy access to reading materials, and a few simple traditions can help make reading part of the transition from summer into fall.

 

Here's what's always worked in our house.

 

Choose Books They'll Want to Read

 

When reading starts to slow down, I don't add another reading challenge.

 

I look for another book.

 

A fresh story is often all it takes to get kids excited again. That might be a funny picture book, the next installment in a favorite series, an exciting mystery, or a graphic novel they've been wanting to read.

 

Finding those books can take longer than I'd like, so I started creating seasonal reading lists for our family. Eventually, I realized other parents might find them helpful, too.

 

For younger readers, I put together a Picture Books for the Last Weeks of Summer collection on Bookshop.org. Instead of focusing only on back-to-school stories, this list celebrates friendship, imagination, outdoor adventures, family time, and making the most of the final weeks of summer.

 

My Middle Grade Books For the Last Weeks of Summer collection is designed for independent readers who enjoy adventure, fantasy, mystery, historical fiction, realistic fiction, humor, and graphic novels. These are the books that make kids want to read one more chapter before calling it a night.

 

If you have a teen at home, I also created a Young Adult Books Parents and Teens Can Enjoy Together collection. Reading the same book gives you something to talk about beyond school schedules, and it's always interesting to hear how differently teens and adults experience the same story.

 

Whether you borrow books from the library or add a few new titles to your shelves, starting with books your child is genuinely excited about makes everything else easier.

 

Make Reading Easy to Pick Up

Forget the perfect reading nook. Kids couldn't care less about an Instagram-worthy reading space—they simply need books within easy reach and a few fun extras that make reading inviting.

Books are much more likely to be read when they're already within reach.

I keep our current book choices in a large basket that can be moved wherever we're spending the most time. Some weeks it's beside the couch. Other weeks it's on the porch or near the kitchen table. It isn't fancy, but everyone knows exactly where to find the next book.

A few favorite reading accessories stay with the basket, too:

• A clip-on book light
• Colorful bookmarks
• Reading journals
• A visual reading timer
• A lap desk for reading anywhere

 

Over the years, friends have often asked where we found our favorite reading supplies and family literacy games. I've gathered many of our tried-and-true favorites into curated collections in my Amazon Storefront, including reading accessories, family reading games and word play favorites, and book basket and storage ideas. If you're getting ready for the new school year or simply want to make reading more fun at home, I hope these collections give you a few ideas.  Click below to explore my Amazon collections for book lovers!

Celebrate the Books They Read

Long after summer ends, the stories we read often become some of our favorite memories.

That's what inspired me to create the free Books That Made My Summer printable.

Instead of simply keeping track of titles or reading minutes, this fun reading memory page encourages kids to reflect on the books that made an impact. They can write about their favorite book and character, the funniest story they read, a new author they discovered, a book they'd recommend to friends, and even draw the cover of their favorite read. It's a wonderful keepsake to look back on long after summer vacation is over. Click below to download the FREE printable!

 

Work Reading Into Everyday Life

 

Reading doesn't have to happen at the same time every day.

• Keep a chapter book in the car.
• Read outside after dinner.
• Bring a picture book to the pool.
• Visit the library several more times before school starts.
• Pack a book for sports practice or dance lessons--especially if siblings are tagging along!

Those small pockets of time are often where the best reading memories happen.

 

Let Kids Share Their Favorite Books

 

One of my favorite questions isn't, "Did you finish your reading?"

 

It's, "What did you think about that book?"

 

Kids love talking about stories they enjoyed. They tell you about funny characters, surprising endings, and books they think everyone else should read next.

 

Those conversations naturally lead to the next book without reading ever feeling like homework.

 

Follow Their Interests

 

The last few weeks of summer are also a great time to notice how your child's reading tastes are changing.

• A child who loved picture books last year may be ready for early chapter books.
• A middle grade reader might suddenly discover a favorite mystery series.
• A teen may find an author they'll continue reading throughout high school.

Following those interests instead of worrying about reading levels helps keep books exciting long after summer ends.

 

Keep the Habit Going This Fall

 

The first day of school will be here soon enough.

 

Backpacks will replace beach bags, homework will return, and family schedules will fill up again. Before that happens, there's still time for one more library visit, one more family read-aloud, or one more afternoon spent reading outside.

 

Those moments don't have to end when summer does. A child who begins the school year excited about books is much more likely to keep reading for pleasure throughout the fall. A few great books, easy access to them, and conversations about what everyone's reading are often all it takes to keep that momentum going.

 

So before your slower summer days drift away into back to school chaos, borrow a stack of books from the library, fill a reading basket with stories your family can't wait to read, and enjoy these final weeks one chapter at a time. I have a feeling those are the books you'll be talking about long after school is back in session.

 

Join our Newsletter

 

Don't forget to  subscribe to our weekly Book Corner News and Reviews newsletter where you will get loads of weekly book news, new independent books, giveaways, reading activities, seasonal reading lists, book products, and family-friendly as well as adult-friendly book recommendations.

 

Bex Gartan is standing at the threshold of adulthood when the boundaries of her world begin to tear apart. In The Lesitha Veil Tales, forbidden crossings, inherited power, and rival visions of order pull one impulsive young woman into a conflict spread across multiple realities. The first two books move from the mystery of a weakening Veil to captivity inside a mechanical world, asking what happens when the person expected to restore stability may also be capable of unleashing chaos.

 

Every choice echoes across worlds.

Freedom or Chaos; Stability or Control?

The Edge of Oblivion

The Lesitha Veil Tales, Book 1

Author: CM Dawson

Genre: Epic SciFi Fantasy Adventure

View The Edge of Oblivion on Goodreads

 

"We were younger than we realised and equally naïve."

 

Dive into The Edge of Oblivion — a coming-of-age fantasy of secret map-books, a dying storyteller’s last wish, and a crystal key that reveals tears in reality. Discover a richly imagined world, fast-paced adventure, and a hero who must choose between duty and destiny — buy now and step over the Veil.

 

The veil is weakening and shreds between the worlds are becoming more frequent. Darkness is spreading. A new Rysyn is sought to replace the Torsoma before it’s too late and the veil fails, releasing chaos across the facet worlds.

 

Bex Gartan has no desire to follow her father into the Grinders Guild – or die of stone lung like he did. A rebellious 17-year-old, just weeks before her Liberation Day, a brutal encounter shatters her world. In a shadowy alley, she faces a tragedy and finds her destiny.

 

Bex's determination to find the truth pulls her into a conflict that spans multiple worlds. She becomes the target of assassins, the pawn of questionable advisors, and now the unlikely successor to the leader of the Facet worlds. Bex must learn to temper her impulsive nature and trust her instincts if she’s to save her friends, and the Facet worlds.

 

Will she be the saviour they seek or the herald of chaos?

Dark Side of the Veil

The Lesitha Veil Tales, Book 2

View Dark Side of the Veil on Goodreads

 

When Bexlin Gartan is kidnapped into a world of metal and gears, the impulsive daughter of a storyteller must reclaim a stolen Lesitha Crystal and learn why her blood marks her as the next Rysyn—before a tyrant uses her power to shred the Veil and destroy everything.

 

Bex crossed the veil for adventure - now she may never return home, may never see her ma again or laugh with her friends. Stranded in a dark Facet, ruled by a tyrant set on seeking revenge and using her to fulfil his vengeance, she must decide whether she will become his pawn or fight to save all she loves.

 

Separated from her friends, she convinces the strange mechanically augmented half-lifes to help her find them and to return home, but not before she tries to stop the demented ruler, Urbo'Krk. Uncertain who to trust or what the rising energy building within her means, she must learn to control her impetuous ways and calm her mind. Only then can she face the truth of her destiny - saviour or destroyer.

 

Will she bring stability or usher in chaos?

 

**On Sale for Only .99cents on Amazon & Kobo!**

 

The central conflict is not simply a battle between one world and another. Bex is being shaped into a political and supernatural figure before she fully understands the institutions, advisers, and enemies attempting to define her. That tension gives the series a strong coming-of-age core: she must decide which parts of her rebellious nature are liabilities and which are necessary defenses against manipulation.

 

The Facet worlds also allow the story to change texture as Bex crosses the Veil. The first book builds its mystery around secret maps, inherited stories, fractured reality, and a dying storyteller’s final wish. The second places her inside a harsher world of machinery, augmentation, captivity, and authoritarian control. Each setting expands the mythology while forcing Bex to reconsider what freedom, stability, and responsibility mean.

 

Chapter 16 Excerpt:

 

Then there was the Great Xan Janal, who claimed to have gone over the Edge and slayed a mighty beast to save a village. He boasted that there were many worlds, all separated by the Veil. There were people of different races who spoke weird languages. Some were tall and fair with long, flowing, silver hair. Others were short, squat, covered in fur and grunted a lot. Those stories always made me laugh. My eyes blurred as tears welled up, thinking of him. Whether they were real or figments of his imagination, Xan had given his life to sharing his stories of adventure. And I wasn’t about to let him down.

 

As I crawled on, I wondered which world I would find on the other side of the Veil. Would it be a world of thick jungles, filled with loud, screaming creatures jumping from one towering tree to the next? Or would it be a crystalline world overflowing with unimaginable colours? I was hoping for the water world, for Muut’s sake, except for the whole swimming thing. That scared me.

 

I looked back again and then beyond Muut. I scanned the horizon and watched as the heat rippled off the scorched ground. The only things that stood as high as a man here were the boulders that dotted the landscape. There was no lush green foliage, and the rivers were more often dry more than filled with water. I dreamed of seeing the leaves of a plant that was as big as me. I fantasised about dipping my fingers into a cool running stream and carrying the refreshing water to my lips; skipping stones across its surface and seeing splashes instead of puffs of dust.

 

I didn’t know if Xan’s stories were real or made-up fantasies to impress the ladies. But what I knew was that I didn’t want to die without at least attempting to find out. I owed him that much. So I turned back and faced the Edge. I checked the straps that held my knives tucked against my wrists. I placed my right hand out in front of me and then my right knee, then my left hand, left knee. I slowly crawled to the Edge.

 

The fingers on my left hand reached it first. I stopped and looked at my hand. The tips of my fingers curved over an edge. My breath caught in my throat. I moved my right hand up to match my left and swallowed deeply as the tips of both hands were now bent joyously over the Edge of our world. I slowly lowered myself down to the rough ground and felt the sharp rocks poking me in my chest and belly.

 

Carefully, I pulled my body up to the Edge and peered over. The air coalesced into a swirling mist of obscurity, roiling and bulging, causing my vision to slide and refocus as I tried to peer through it.

 

I pulled myself up to the Edge, raising onto my elbows and stretching my neck as far as I could. The grey mist swirled around my head forming dewdrops on my cheeks. I blew into it, watching as it whirled madly away from me, quickly folding back in on itself. I extended my arm and felt a cool dampness cover me like a second skin. The further I extended it, the less I could see of it.

 

I pulled myself up and swivelled around to sit on the Edge with my legs now dangling freely. My feet disappeared into the swirling mist that roiled below me. Then I leaned out as far as I could and swished my arms back and forth, trying to clear a view through the grey wall.

 

I either leaned too far or whipped my arms too wildly, because I tumbled off the ledge into the mist. My heart leapt as I felt myself sliding down the edge of the world. Suddenly, I jerked to a stop when the rope tied to my ankle caught me tight. My breath gushed from my lungs and my heart pounded my ribs.

 

I heard Muut calling to me, his cries distant, muffled.

 

I hung for a moment, dangling upside down against the edge of the world. I released my fear as I pushed myself up away from the rough rock face. Curling my knees beneath me, I crouched for a moment, waiting to see if I would fall. Nothing happened. The cool mist swirled around me; my head swooned with the mesmerising movement.

 

I filled my lungs with the moist air and stood. Fully expecting to topple over, I stretched my arms wide to catch myself when I did. I stood there as rigid as a boulder with my arms spread, knees locked, breath held, eyes tightly closed.

 

Nothing.

 

I slowly opened my left eye, peeking, face scrunched tight, awaiting the imagined impact. Both eyes sprang open, and the air exploded out of my lungs. A breathtaking view assaulted my eyes.

 

 

Chapter 13 Excerpt:

 

“Come,” the ‘naut commanded.

 

I turned my attention back to the wall where a trickle of moisture ran down a groove, around a rivet, and disappeared behind the bench.

 

The white-hot tearing of my scalp ripped a scream from my chest as the ‘naut yanked me to my feet by my braid. He held me, dangling in the air for a moment before releasing me. My hands went to my head and returned covered in blood.

 

“Come or be dragged.”

 

The warmth of the blood running down my back held me for a moment. Then Tar was at my side, gripping my elbow to guide me.

 

“Walk,” he commanded.

 

My legs felt like they were full of sand, but I made them move as he guided me out of the cell and we followed the ‘naut through the maze of passages. “Where are you taking me now?” I whispered.

 

Tar ignored my question, but I felt a tightening on my elbow.

 

“Why are you helping someone like him?”

 

Again, no response, but this time there was a tug on my elbow. “Okay, at least tell me where you’re taking me?”

 

The massive head of the ‘naut glanced back at us. “No speak. Walk.”

 

We rode up out of the cells in an open lift. The fresh air felt good against my sweaty face. I studied the bleak world of Vrellum as we rose and wondered if my friends were somewhere lost in the labyrinthine maze of metal gantries and yellow haze.

 

The platform stopped and the ‘naut led us out into brighter, well-lit passages. We were back in the fortress of Urbo’Krk. We weren’t led to the main assembly chamber. This time the ‘naut led me past the big wooden doors with the familiar motifs etched on them. Instead, I was taken to a smaller chamber. As we entered, a light came on above a large metal chair that sat in the centre of the room. There were straps on the arms and the footrest. I stopped short, making Tar bump into me.

 

The ‘naut pointed. “Sit.”

 

I threw my head back, catching Tar off guard and smashing his face, just missing his already flattened nose. My elbow connected with his ribs, and I heard a satisfying grunt. Turning to run, I wasn’t quick enough. The one-eyed Omaj blocked my exit, and the ‘naut grabbed my shoulder, pinching me, and I screamed at the crushing of my bones. He threw me into the chair, slamming my head against the upper backrest. I left a bloody imprint from his earlier threat of dragging me. I tried to get up but felt pressure on my chest. It forced me back into the chair.

 

“Enough.” Urbo’Krk stepped out of the shadows with Cog at his side. He’d removed his cape and the silver breastplate. He now wore a black vest that allowed him to display his mechanical arms. Beneath the close-fitting fabric, I could see that his neck and chest were flesh. There was a seam where the augmented arms attached to his shoulders. The join was smooth and had a natural appearance as if the black mesh were just another type of skin.

 

He leaned over me. His presence felt heavy. The pressure built on my chest, and I tried to take a deeper breath, but could only sip the air. I turned away and refused to acknowledge him.

 

“Ah yes, you feel my strength.” He stood and pointed at Tar. His energy pushed against me, pressing me into the metal seat. Tar remained standing against the wall and motioned for Omaj to strap my wrists and ankles to the chair.

 

“I wish to examine you.” He spoke calmly as he turned and walked to a table that ran the length of one wall. “It isn’t every day a Rysyn passes through my world.”

 

My teeth felt like they might pop out as I spoke through my clenched jaw. “I’ve never heard of a Rysyn and don’t know why you think I’m one. I was only looking for the truth.”

 

I glared at Tar as I spoke my defiant words. His stoic face drew tight as he stared at me and shook his head. Cog had stepped further into the room and now sat at my side. His quizzically tilted head indicating his attention.

 

Urbo’Krk’s broad back hunched over the table now straightened as he slowly turned back to look at me. “I will learn what makes you a Rysyn,” his eyes flicked to Cog, “or I’ll make the cog suffer for your defiance.”

 

Cog tilted his head as he gazed from me to his master. I couldn’t be certain if he understood the threat that Urbo’Krk had made, but I also wouldn’t be the reason that he suffered any further abuse under this monster.

 

My jaw remained clenched as I slumped defeated into the chair. Tears welled in my eyes as Urbo’Krk came toward me carrying a mesh of wires.

 

“That’s better. Now sit still; this will hardly hurt.”

 

 

The Lesitha Veil Tales will appeal to readers who like their fantasy built around dangerous thresholds, layered worlds, secret forms of power, and protagonists who must grow into roles they never requested. Bex’s combination of recklessness, loyalty, and distrust makes the series a natural fit for readers who prefer a heroine still learning how to distinguish instinct from impulse.

 

The blend of fantasy mythology, multiverse travel, mechanical augmentation, political manipulation, and fast-moving danger should also interest readers who enjoy stories positioned between epic fantasy and science fiction. Those drawn to coming-of-age adventures with substantial lore, shifting environments, and moral questions about control and freedom will find the series especially well matched to their tastes.

 

 

CM Dawson is an indie fantasy author and the founder of Crystal Path Publishing, writing multi-world adventure fiction from the rolling green hills of Wiltshire, England. Her debut series, The Lesitha Tales, follows Bex Gartan — a headstrong, impulsive 17-year-old who finds herself thrust into a power struggle that spans multiple worlds. Compared to Samantha Shannon, Brandon Sanderson, and Suzanne Collins, the series blends fast-paced action, vivid world-building, and a fierce coming-of-age heart. She crafts immersive multiverse fantasy filled with emotional stakes, dark magic, and lore rich worldbuilding. 

 

The first two books — The Edge of Oblivion and Dark Side of the Veil — are available now. A space opera trilogy, a short story collection, and a dystopian novel are all in development. When she is not writing, she can be found gardening, editing the local parish magazine, playing skittles, or being bossed around by her two English Bulldogs, Sage and Bubba.

Website

Facebook

Instagram

Bluesky

BookBub

Amazon

Goodreads

 

The Edge of Oblivion

Amazon

Bookshop.org 

Direct from Author

Barnes & Noble

Kobo

BookBub

 

Dark Side of the Veil

Amazon

Bookshop.org 

Direct from Author

Barnes & Noble

Kobo

BookBub

Follow the tour HERE for special content and a giveaway!

Enter The Lesitha Veil Tales Giveaway Here

 

The most compelling question running through these books concerns the difference between being chosen and being controlled. Bex’s emerging identity as a Rysyn gives other people a reason to advise, pursue, imprison, and threaten her, but it does not automatically give her the judgment needed to use that power. Her struggle is therefore as much about claiming the right to define herself as it is about protecting the Veil.

 

With its secret map-books, fractured realities, crystal power, mechanical half-lifes, and competing visions for the Facet worlds, The Lesitha Veil Tales offers a large-scale adventure anchored by a heroine whose mistakes carry consequences. Readers can begin with The Edge of Oblivion and continue directly into Dark Side of the Veil as Bex moves from chasing the truth to confronting what that truth demands of her.

 

 

Be the first to see cover reveals, upcoming releases, exclusive excerpts, author features, and more. Join our growing community of readers and book lovers.

 

➡️ Join our Newsletter