Reviewed: May 11th, 2025 Released: March 20th, 2025 Genre: Epic Fantasy (LGBTQ)
He’s not the hero they deserve, but he’s the hero they’ve got.
No, seriously. Talon wants to know what he did to deserve this. What would make a sentient rock decide that he of all people should be the one to save the world from zombies? That’s right. Zombies. Because apparently a higher power decided that teaching magic to teenagers wasn’t enough of a challenge.
With a ridiculously attractive healer (who may or may not hate him), his sister (who he miiiight have a forbidden telepathic link with), a sentient god-like rock (that can only communicate via yes/no vibes), a disdainful dragon, and a rude matchmaking horse by his side, he just might be able to save the world.
Or die trying.
Meet Talon Silverbright. He’ll save the world, but only because a rock said he has to. Read My Thoughts…
Reviewed: April 19th, 2025 Released: January 2nd, 2025 Genre: Fantasy Murder Mystery
For a thousand years, Concordia has maintained peace between its provinces. To mark this incredible feat, the Emperor’s ship embarks upon a twelve-day voyage to the sacred Goddess’s Mountain.
Aboard are the heirs of the twelve provinces of Concordia, each graced with a unique and secret magical ability known as a Blessing. Except one: Ganymedes Piscero – class clown, slacker, and all-round disappointment.
But when a beloved heir is murdered, every one of these powerful people becomes a suspect.
Now Ganymedes – alone and vulnerable without a Blessing – must become the hero he was never born to be.
With the body-count rising, can he unmask the killer before they reach the shore? Read My Thoughts…
I am very pleased to welcome Jeff Kerr to my blog this week, and we’re chatting about his crime fiction novel, Murder Creek, the third book in his Adam Cash series.
Helen: Welcome Jeff. Welcome to my blog. It’s not often we get crime fiction authors on my blog, so I’m excited to chat about your books. Tell us about the latest book you’ve released.
Jeff: My latest book Murder Creek, is book 3 in the Adam Cash mystery series. The plot concerns a modern Texas sheriff’s deputy, Adam Cash, investigating the theft of a secret stash of cash from a local ranch. The investigation takes a dark turn when Cash finds the body of one of the thieves in the woods. As he uncovers clues, other bodies turn up, and Cash knows he is on the trail of a ruthless killer. An attempt on his life makes it clear that his survival depends on solving the crimes.
Helen: I am very happy to say that I’ve read Murder Creek, and you can find my review here. I thoroughly enjoyed your novel and the twists and turns you take the reader through. As with any book, the cover needs to reflect the genre. How did you choose this design?
Jeff: The cover is intended to convey both genre and place. My designer, Cheynne Edmonston, worked hard to create an image that instantly lets readers know the plot involves danger in the Texas Hill Country. I hired Cheynne beginning with book 2 in the series and asked him to look for inspiration to the covers of C.J. Box, Jeff Carson, and Craig Johnson. Down the road, I’ll ask him to design a new cover for book 1 as well.
Helen: It absolutely works. What made you choose to write crime fiction?
Jeff: I write crime fiction because it’s one of my favorite genres to read. Plots allow for character development, intrigue, and sharp twists. My goal is to keep the reader guessing while presenting enough clues for everything to make sense in the end. Twists must be satisfying and, of course, Cash must get the baddie.
I set the series in the Texas Hill Country because of my close ties to the region’s culture, geography, and people. Although I live in Austin, I spend much time at a weekend retreat near a small town, Blanco, that inspired Cash’s hometown of Pinyon.
Helen: Tell us about your protagonist, Adam Cash.
Jeff: Good crime fiction protagonists must be smart, brave, and persistent. They must also have a chink in their armor. Deputy Adam Cash confronts danger without flinching, yet shrivels in the face of emotional turmoil. That tendency drives Edie, the love of his life, crazy.
Helen: I think your portrayal of Adam works really well, and I sympathise with Edie, because he doesn’t have a clue, even though he knows he’s messing up. Where do you get your plot ideas from? It must be difficult coming up with new murder scenaries and enough twist and turns to throw the reader of the scent.
Jeff: Everyone wants to know where authors get their ideas! In my case, there is no easy answer. Usually, I find myself asking, what if? For Blunt Force Trauma, I asked myself what would happen if a man who wanted to be a deputy was framed for the sheriff’s murder. Second Death came from mulling over what would happen if an unusual item was found on an accident victim. For Murder Creek, I wondered what would happen if someone kept a large sum of cash in their home. And for the next book, Roadkill, yet to be written, I want to create a story about modern cattle rustling.
Helen: Do you find you need to plan your books to get the flow right? Or do you prefer to let the writing take you where it will.
Jeff: I’m a bit of both, which I believe is true for most authors. Before writing the first page, I create a rough outline of plot and characters. Once I start writing, I’m apt to deviate substantially from that. And once my editor has a say, look out!
Helen: Have you read any books recently that you would recommend to other readers?
Jeff: My wife and I recently listened to the audio versions of Adrian McKinty’s Sean Duffy series. In my view, these books are as close to perfection as a crime fiction author can get. I’d stack them up against anything else in the genre.
Helen: Thank you so much for joining me today. Just to close us out, what’s the best piece writing advice you’ve recieved?
Jeff: Jeff Carson, an author I admire, has been kind enough to offer advice and encouragement when I’ve bugged him with questions. He told me to remember I’m playing the long game. In other words, success comes only with time and hard work. I must be patient.
I also keep in mind a quote I’ve seen attributed to Jodi Picoult: “You can always edit a bad page. You can’t edit a blank page.”
About the Author
Jeff Kerr
Jeff Kerr wasn’t born in Texas but says “y’all” like a native. He wrote a poem in the third grade that earned him a school prize, a book about the American flag. You’d think that would have inspired him to become a writer but that came later.
Jeff wrote and published his first book twenty years ago. He hadn’t planned on doing so until one night at the supper table his son interrupted a discourse about local history by saying, “Enough, Dad! Write a book.” Choosing to interpret a teenager’s flip remark as sage advice, he did. Six books later, he calls himself an author. So there.
When Jeff isn’t writing you can find him floating a Texas river or battling cedar on his small slice of Hill Country land. When he is writing, he stays busy by creating pulse-pounding crime thrillers that, according to one reader, “move along like a runaway locomotive.” Thank you for spurring me to action, son.
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If you enjoy epic fantasy then check out my award winning Sentinal series, which is now complete. If you like fantasy books with a touch of romance then you will love my SoulMist series, start with SoulBreather. Prefer Dystopian Science Fantasy? Then try Harmony. Start the adventure and stay for the journey.
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Reviewed: November 13th, 2024 Released: October 23rd, 2024 Genre: Murder Mystery
Texas stalwart author, Jeff Kerr, delivers the hardest-hitting Adam Cash story yet, a barn burner of a crime thriller that fans of Craig Johnson and C.J. Box won’t want to miss.
When a man from Dieter Bergheim’s past shows up at an assisted living facility, demanding retribution for a decades-old betrayal, Dieter refuses to make amends. Days later, a break-in at his brother Emil’s ranch leaves one man dead and a hidden stash of cash exposed. Noble County sheriff’s deputy Adam Cash, a veteran of two tours in Afghanistan and a former high school football hero, is pulled headfirst into the investigation, grappling with smalltown loyalties and his own haunting memories of war as he uncovers a dark and tangled web of secrets as big and bold as the Lone Star state itself.
Cash discovers $1.4 million missing, a mysterious hole in a workshop floor, a murder weapon, and a list of suspects as long as a Texas highway. As the bodies pile up and the clues grow more perplexing, Cash must untangle a trail that leads him to confront his most dangerous foes yet and face his darkest fears. But when the killer sets their sights on Cash and breaks into his home to kill him, Cash has to wonder if he’s the hunter or the hunted. Read more…
Reviewed: January 25th, 2024 Released: October 10th, 2014 Genre: Paranormal Murder Mystery
Psychic psychologist Marnie Reilly battles inner demons every day. But when the “demon” is flesh and blood, will the final analysis be murder?
Marnie Reilly is a hot-headed counselor with a difficult past; a dead mother, father, brother and an abusive ex-boyfriend. She has publicly taken on “The Collective,” a group of psychics and charlatans who sell hope at top dollar to troubled people looking for answers. They have threatened her, but she hasn’t taken their “hoodoo voodoo” nonsense seriously – until now.
When the police find Marnie’s ex-boyfriend’s dead body in her shed, she finds herself in the middle of a murder inquiry. Serious questions arise about her involvement in the murder and Marnie is certain The Collective has framed her. Marnie, her Border Collie, a childhood friend and a cranky detective battle thunder, rain, ice and blizzards to end a rash of murders in the sleepy city of Creekwood. Will the ghosts of her past help too? Read My Thoughts…
Reviewed: January 21st, 2024 Released: August 18th, 2022 Genre: Mystery Suspense
A girl and a boy, haunted by their past, must battle their personal demons to fight the evil hiding in plain sight.
Eighteen-year-old Dee Bailey works hard on her personal brand. She’s intelligent and passionate about her community. To her peers, she’s a great friend and everyone’s favorite social butterfly.
But when alone, she’s terrorized by a secret that leaves her cowering to the floor. Until one night, a mysterious girl in white appears on the manicured lawn of her family’s vacation home. She follows the robed figure into the woods with no clue that she’s about to change the course of her future.
Meanwhile, Brandon Cuenca is drowning in the weight of his self-sabotage. Mourning the death of his girlfriend, he throws himself deep into a world of drug binges and questionable life choices—until the news of another disappearance of a Wakefield teenager forces him to set his problems aside. The victim was the third girl abducted in their social circle.
But when a chance encounter lands him in her path, he learns that bringing her home is more complicated than finding her. What happens when the missing doesn’t want to be found?
Followers of the Owl explores greed, avarice and the human need to find light in the darkness.
Trigger Warnings: Use of profanity, drug use/alcohol use, no sex but brief sexual interactions, dysfunctional relationships, brief discussions of triggering topics: sexual/physical abuse.
I’m very excited to chat to Indie Author Shari T. Mitchell who has just released the third book in her Marnie Reilly series, Fatal Vow, and she has made time to talk to us about her new release. Join me as we celebrate her new release and chat about her books.
Helen: Welcome Shari. Congratulations on releasing your latest book this week, and thank you so much for taking time to chat with me today. Tell us a little about your new release.
Shari: Fatal Vow, Marnie Reilly Mysteries Book 3, is a mystery thriller with a paranormal twist. Marnie Reilly’s last year has been an absolute shitstorm. She fought off her fair share of psychopaths and dealt with a rash of murders over the Thanksgiving and Christmas seasons. She desperately wants to protect the people she loves, so she removes the danger catalyst from the equation—herself. Fatal Vow opens on the first day of summer. She’s returned home to Creekwood after 4 months holed up with a friend in Northern New York to find trouble has followed her.
When a long-held truth hides a sick, twisted lie, will the psychic psychologist’s greatest enemy save her from a fate worse than death?
The last year has been an absolute shitstorm for psychic psychologist Marnie Reilly. Desperate to protect her loved ones from the evil stalking her, she fled her hometown of Creekwood, New York.
It’s the first day of Summer and she’s back in town to make amends and take control of the chaos of her past. But her greatest enemy is hot on her heels with an axe to grind. Or is that just an illusion created by a madman?
Helen: It sounds like Marnie finds trouble wherever she goes. What can you tell us about your thoughts behind the cover?
Shari: My MC Marnie Reilly has purchased a new home! There was nothing wrong with her previous house, unless you consider her abusive ex’s body being dumped in her shed and two police officers being murdered on her doorstep worrisome. Marnie is settling into an old homestead on a 550-acre ranch where troughs and crops receive their watery nourishment from a windmill that has stood for over 100 years. It is hit by lightning often, dispelling the old wives’ tale that lightning doesn’t strike the same spot twice. It’s a theme in Marnie’s life as bad things happen – A LOT.
Helen: The lightening strike is effective! How about the title? How did you choose the title?
Shari: Cross my heart and hope to die may be a harmless childhood promise, but could it be a deadly, self-fulfilling prophecy?
Helen: Oh, clever. I like the tie into something that seems harmless. Fatal Vow is the third book in the series, what drove you to write this story?
Shari:Fatal Vow is the third book in the Marnie Reilly Mysteries series. As a fiction writer, my characters are very real to me. They natter at me when I am not writing. Anyway, I have a character (an antagonist) who needed me to tell their truth, so I obliged.
Helen: Tell us more about your protagonist, Marnie.
Shari: Marnie Reilly is the psychic psychologist with a tragic past, a quick temper, and a huge heart. Because I use writing to heal from trauma, I created Marnie following a difficult situation I was processing. I was feeling beaten (literally) so I developed a character who was strong yet vulnerable and who had the fortitude to withstand controversial and emotionally difficult experiences. It’s cathartic to kill off an ex in a story. [smirking]
Helen: I’m glad you were able to find a release through writing. I find writing very cathartic as well. If I were to ask Marnie why we should read her books, what would she say?
Shari: Ha-ha! Marnie is an animal lover, so she would tell you to read the series to meet her Border Collies Tater and Dickens.
Helen: A very good reason! Who is your favourite character to write?
Shari: Easy! Detective Tom Keller! He’s funny, kind, handsome, a scaredy cat, but he’s also brave when he needs to be. He’s not comfortable with the paranormal and squirms at the thought of ghosts being in his proximity. Tom is a prankster and my comic relief. When things get too serious, he does or says something to cut the mood. Like me, he doesn’t have a filter.
Helen: He sounds like a terrific character. When did you realise you had a passion for writing?
Shari: From a young age. I’m a storyteller and was one long before I even knew the alphabet. My sisters went to school before I did, so I entertained myself with make believe and would share my stories with my mother while we had lunch. And I come from a long line of bullsh*tters, so that helps.
Helen: Was there anyone in particular who inspired you to write?
Shari: Gosh! Heaps of people, starting with my mother and two lovely English teachers who encouraged me. But a life event made me dive into writing. My father died when I was seventeen. Notebooks and pens became my best friends, and writing was the perfect escape for teen angst and grief.
Helen: How do you come up with ideas for your books?
Shari: I wish I could say there is an elaborate process, but I can’t. Stories simply pop into my head.
Helen: Most of my ideas arrive when I’m trying to go to sleep! Are you working on a book now?
Shari: I am currently writing Marnie Reilly Mysteries Book 4. I have a macabre Halloween short story on the go, too. It is outside of the series and allows me to stretch my writing chops.
Helen: That will please your fans. They are always looking for the next book as soon as you finish the last one. Let’s talk about your writing process. Which part of the writing process to you find most challenging?
Shari: Editing is the bane of my existence.
Helen: I actually quite like it, until I get to the twentieth time I’m reading my book, then maybe not so much! What is the most useful tool you use when writing?
Shari: Gosh. That’s tough. There are so many. Probably the internet. No matter what time of the day, you can always find something related to the area of query. And you can always back check findings via a trip to the library or a bookstore.
Helen: We are very fortunate to have such a comprehensive research tool at our fingertips 24/7. Having said that, do you do much research for your books?
Shari: Loads! I have a library of resource books, and I spend a lot of time on the internet or in the library ensuring that my “methods” are accurate.
Helen: When writing, do you plot the whole book or are you a pantser?
Shari: Well, I start with an outline and then forget about it by the end of the third chapter. Free form works for me. But I always write my last chapter first. The end of the story is always in sight and helps to set up the next book in the series.
Helen: When do you write? Are you a night owl or an early bird?
Shari: I write early in the morning (5:30 to 7:30). Weekends are usually jampacked with household errands and chores, but there are always a few hours when hubby is practicing his guitar or watching one of his shows where I slip up to my home office and write.
Helen: I am not an early morning person! What is the best piece of writing advice you’ve received and how do you deal with imposter syndrome?
Shari: Don’t give up. That advice has come from my mother, my friends, teachers, and writing friends. I do suffer from imposter syndrome often, but I’m stubborn and I don’t quit. It really is that simple.
Helen: Do you ever suffer from writer’s block, and if so how do you deal with it?
Shari: Gardening, a long walk or playing with my four dogs (the Pawsome Foursome) usually does the trick. If that doesn’t work, wine.
Helen: Lol! Wine sounds like the perfect remedy. Which genre do you typicaly write in?
Shari: Mystery thrillers. I have always been a huge fan of mysteries. I started out reading Trixie Belden, Nancy Drew and The Hardy Boys, then moved on to Agatha Christie, Ruth Rendell and Mary Higgins Clark. My mother was a voracious reader of mysteries. She got me hooked. I love the challenge of figuring it out before the middle of the book.
Helen: My mother got me into reading as well. We are very lucky. Which books have you read recently?
Shari: Jennifer Brasington Crowley’s Raven Song was fantastic. It’s not my usual genre, but I loved it! The Bellerose Witchline series and the Door to Door series by T.L. Brown are wonderful. Helen Aitchison’s Dinner Club is also a favorite. Again, outside of the norm for me, but it is a breathtaking novel about found friendships and acceptance. And over the past six months I have indulged in Sue Grafton’s Alphabet Series. I am up to P is for Peril. My TBR stack is about ready to topple over. There are so many good books to read. Unfortunately, time doesn’t always permit a book a week. I try to read two a month.
Helen: Thank you so much for spending time with me today. Is there anything else you would like add?
Shari: Marnie Reilly is not me. Many people assume she is because we share similar qualities—a love of animals, hair color, eye color, build, clairvoyance… But she has more tact and patience than I do, and she is a lot younger, too. My characters all have bits and pieces of my quirks, but none of them are me. Detective Danny Gregg’s irrational fear of dolls is all me! Marnie has a fear of closed places—also me. And Tom’s smart mouth and unfiltered responses are somewhat me.
Helen: It’s interesting how bits of us do end up in our characters. Thankyou, Shari, for chatting with me today. I wish you all the best with your latest release.
About the Author
Shari T. Mitchell
Shari T. Mitchell is the author of the Marnie Reilly Mysteries thriller series, which includes Divine Guidance, Torn Veil, and Fatal Vow (coming July 2023).
Raised in Northern New York State, Shari’s hometown and surrounds are the inspiration for her series’ fictional town of Creekwood, New York—which is located somewhere in the Adirondack Mountains.
While Shari loves developing multidimensional characters with whom her readers can relate, her passion is plotting the twists and turns of a mystery. It feeds her analytical and creative mind.
She lives in North Carolina and shares her home with her partner in crime, Harper, and their crazy rescue dogs, Dougal, Callee, Midget, and Mags.
A thirty-plus year marketer, Shari loves spending time with her family, cooking, hiking, traveling, gardening, and reading. She is often heard chatting with her characters because they natter at her constantly!
Mystery is her favorite genre, having cut her teeth on Nancy Drew, The Hardy Boys and Trixie Belden. Her favorite authors include Robert Frost, Agatha Christie, Mary Higgins Clark, Ruth Rendell, Michael Connelly, Jonathan Kellerman, David Baldacci, Louise Penny, Kathy Reichs, Patricia Cornwell and Michael Koryta.
As an Amazon Associate I may benefit from purchases made using these links.
If you enjoy fantasy books with a touch of romance then you will love SoulBreather, or my epic fantasy Sentinal series. As a new threat against Remargaren is discovered, only one man can wake the ancient guards who can protect them, only he doesn’t know how. Start the adventure and stay for the journey. Sign up to my newsletter and download a free novella called Sentinals Stirring and get notified when my next books are published.
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Reviewed: April 10th 2023 Released: January 24th, 2022 Genre: Crime Thriller
A vicious sniper on the loose in Los Angeles. A grief-stricken empath. A ticking clock…
For Nathaniel Colt, Los Angeles is not the City of Angels. For the empath, LA is hell. A quick visit turns into a nightmare when the former special agent becomes embroiled in the hunt for a ruthless sniper terrorizing the city.
When the lurking evil puts the profiler and those closest to him in his crosshairs, a race against time begins and the consultant must rely on his psychic abilities before their time runs out.
Can Nathaniel save those close to him or will LA, once again, prove that it is hell on Earth for the empath?
Reviewed: April 7th 2023 Released: January 24th, 2022 Genre: Crime Thriller
It’s time to solve the murder of the century….
Forty years ago, Steven Smith found a copy of a famous children’s book by disgraced author Edith Twyford, its margins full of strange markings and annotations. Wanting to know more, he took it to his English teacher Miss Iles, not realising the chain of events that he was setting in motion. Miss Iles became convinced that the book was the key to solving a puzzle and that a message in secret code ran through all Twyford’s novels. Then Miss Iles disappeared on a class field trip, and Steven has no memory of what happened to her.
Now, out of prison after a long stretch, Steven decides to investigate the mystery that has haunted him for decades. Was Miss Iles murdered? Was she deluded? Or was she right about the code? And is it still in use today?
Desperate to recover his memories and find out what really happened to Miss Iles, Steven revisits the people and places of his childhood. But it soon becomes clear that Edith Twyford wasn’t just a writer of forgotten children’s stories. The Twyford Code has great power, and he isn’t the only one trying to solve it….
Helen Garraway 