*New Release* My Dearest Monster

    

Title: My Dearest Monster

Author: Sean Fletcher

Genre: YA Fantasy

Cover Designer: BookFly Designs

Publisher: Aethon

Publication Date: Oct. 28^th, 2025

Hosted by: Lady Amber’s PR

Blurb:

Unwillingly bonded to a Demon. Together, they can save humanity.

This news shatters Kiara’s life: her boyfriend, James—childhood love and the one she was certain she’d spend forever with—is dead. Now, he wants to talk to her.

Damian, the demon now possessing James’ body, and one of the many monsters prowling amongst mostly ignorant humans, couldn’t care less about Kiara. Until she tries to kill him and he’s forced to make a contract with her to stay alive.

Her first love is now her monstrous enemy.

With Kiara and Damian begrudgingly bonded to one another, both become part of a tenuous alliance with a secret organization of monster hunters; Damian to search for who—or what—is trying to bring a cataclysmic number of monsters to their world; Kiara to fulfill her end of the contract and free herself from him.

Damian’s demonic personality might be as sharp as his teeth, but beneath his monstrous façade he’s keeping secrets. And the closer he and Kiara grow, the more Kiara learns she might be able to get James back after all. If Damian hasn’t destroyed him for good.

And if they don’t become prey to the very things they’re hunting.

Legendborn meets The Luminaries in My Dearest Monster, a monstrous contemporary fantasy filled with sinister magic, surprising twists, and a slow-burn enemies-to-lovers romance.

NOW LIVE!

Sean Fletcher is an award-winning, bestselling author of a number of fantasy series, in addition to forthcoming books whose characters will not give him a moment's peace until they get their turn in the spotlight. When not making up highly-enjoyable lies and putting them down on paper, he's often doing something most people find masochistic, like cycling long distances, hiking high mountains, and indulging in more sweets than is medically advisable. 

Stalk him on social media or his author newsletter to learn more about his upcoming releases.

Author Links: 

Amazon | Goodreads | Instagram | Reader Group

Website | Facebook | Bookbub | Newsletter

NOW LIVE!

*Book Tour & Giveaway* Afghani-GUEST POST

 

Two souls, 

one hundred years apart, 

bound by lands that both embrace and betray.

Afghani

by Brendon Patrick

Genre: Historical Fiction

War is a Racket, and Culture is Blind: The True Cost of Conflict

Journey through a century of strife in this gripping dual-timeline novel with:

George Sher Gul: A Muslim cameleer fleeing early 20th Century Afghanistan, seeking hope in Australia's unforgiving outback. He navigates harsh landscapes and the prejudices of White Australia, with his dream of belonging hanging by a thread.

Patterson: An Australian soldier in post-9/11 Afghanistan, questioning the war's true motives amidst corruption and personal demons.

Their intertwined stories challenge our beliefs on war, peace, and humanity.

Experience heart-wrenching choices, cultural clashes across generations, and a quest for belonging spanning continents.

This thought-provoking historical fiction exposes deep-rooted xenophobia, drawing parallels between early 20th century Australia and today's complex geopolitical landscape.

Together, it offers a witty yet unflinching critique of global politics—questioning the cyclical nature of conflict.

From sun-baked Australian deserts to war-torn Afghan streets, immerse yourself in a powerful journey through time and culture.

Will George Sher Gul find his future in a land that views him as an outsider?

Can Patterson discover peace amidst chaos and national expectations?

Uncover these answers in a compelling tale of resilience, hope, and the enduring human spirit.

Click Buy Now to embark on an unforgettable adventure that will challenge your perspectives and touch your heart!

 

What readers are saying:

Between breathtaking descriptions of Afghanistan's demonic and razor-sharp craggy edges and the sun-scorched Australian outback, Brendon Patrick weaves a tale that will leave you questioning everything you thought you knew about both nations' shared history.

~ Fionna

 

Amazon * Apple * B&N * Kobo * Bookbub * Goodreads

Brendon Patrick is an emerging voice in historical fiction, drawing upon his experiences as a veteran of the Australian Army and his heritage as a descendant of Afghan Cameleers. His debut novel: Afghani explores the untold stories of Australia’s multicultural past.

Based in Brisbane, Brendon is a self-taught writer who founded Bulldog Self Publishing to bring authentic Australian stories to readers. When not writing, he can be found spending time with his beloved bulldogs and advocating for diverse voices in literature.

 

Website * Facebook * X * Instagram * Substack * Bookbub * Amazon * Goodreads

The Craft Behind the Creation

Many people ask me about my process.

How do you find time to write is the most common, and the answer is straightforward: I keep a well-thought-out and planned weekly schedule. 

Writing AFGHANI took me 3 plus dedicated years to craft, and its significant investment of time that I don’t foresee translating into any financial reward. But that’s also not why I write.

Writing a book is perhaps one of the hardest things a person can achieve, and it’s a labour of love where the rewards lay in people engaging with my work. 

That being said—and knowing that most writers don’t make money from the years of work they put into a finished product—I think that’s something readers should seek to honour more, because we are doing this for the love of all things books!

Do I believe in writer’s block? Not at all. 

Writer’s block, to me is just ego standing in a writer's way.

But most literary ambition also begins from a place of ego, so it can’t be ignored, but I’ll tell anyone who is struggling with a blank page this: let go, completely. 

Do not try to sound like somebody else, and especially not your heroes. Go in search of your own unique voice by writing with complete abandon… almost like it’s a journal that no one will ever read. 

That’s the path to (self)discovery, and that’s the voice readers want to hear.

Nothing has been more liberating, in my own journey than understanding that! 

 

Follow the tour HERE for special content and a $40 giveaway!

Enter the Afghani Giveaway

*Book Tour & Giveaway* The Sacred Band-GUEST POST

 

Where gods walk the earth and warriors defy fate. 

The Sacred Band

Sacred Band Series Book 8

by Janet & Chris Morris

Genre: Epic Fantasy Adventure

The Sacred Band of Thebes lives on, a world away, in this mythic epic of love in war in ancient times.

In 338 BCE, during the Battle of Chaeronea that results in the massacre of the Sacred Band of Thebes, Tempus and his Stepson cavalry rescue twenty three pairs of Theban Sacred Banders, paired brothers and lovers, to fight on other days. These forty-six Thebans, whose bones will never lie in the mass grave that holds their two hundred and fifty-four brothers, join with the immortalized Tempus and his Sacred Band of Stepsons, consummate ancient cavalry fighters, to make new lives in a faraway land and fight the battle of their dreams where gods walk the earth, ghosts take the field, and the angry Fates demand their due.

 

Amazon * B&N * Audible * iTunes * Bookbub * Goodreads

Don’t miss the rest of the Sacred Band Series!

The Sacred Band of Stepsons series is Homeric and heroic fiction following the exploits of an ancient cavalry unit modeled on the Sacred Band of Thebes. Deftly mixing history, myth, and fantasy, Morris’ Sacred Band of Stepsons live and die in a world where gods are real and magic works — sometimes.

Morris’ accursed cavalry commander, Tempus, first appeared Sacred Band first appeared in the million-selling Thieves’ world shared-universe in 1981. Subsequently, Janet Morris, first alone and subsequently with her husband Chris Morris, take the Sacred Band into their own series of novels, set in the fourth century BCE. Passionate, gritty, lyrical prose and unforgettable characters make this series. Perseid Press Sacred Band novels includes the “Author’s Cut” of the Beyond Sanctuary Trilogy and Tempus, as well as the epic novel The Sacred Band, and The Fish the Fighters and the Song-girl.

 

Find them at Perseid Press

Best selling author Janet Morris began writing in 1976 and published more than 30 novels, many co-authored with her husband Chris Morris or others. Most of her fiction work was in the fantasy and science fiction genres, although she also wrote historical and other novels. Morris either wrote, contributed to, or edited several book-length works of non-fiction, as well as papers and articles on nonlethal weapons, developmental military technology and other defense and national security topics.

 

Christopher Crosby Morris (born 1946) is an American author of fiction and non-fiction, as well as a lyricist, musical composer, and singer-songwriter. He is married to author Janet Morris. He is a defense policy and strategy analyst and a principal in M2 Technologies, Inc. He writes primarily as Chris Morris, but occasionally uses pseudonyms.

 

Website * Facebook * Twitter * Instagram * Bookbub * Bookbub

 Amazon * Amazon *  Goodreads * Goodreads

GUEST POST

What is something unique/quirky about you?

We breed Morgan horses. We consult with Morgan breeders to help them choose breeding combinations to achieve a desired result.

We are also song writers; Janet plays bass guitar and Chris sings and plays guitar. We have an album on MCA records. Look for Christopher Crosby Morris on Soundcloud or N1M.com 

Can you, for those who don't know you already, tell something about yourself and how you became an author?

Janet wrote her first book in 1975 and Chris was the first one to read and comment on it. Their marriage survived. A routine emerged where Chris would read aloud all the new drafts and we would make edits on the spot. After a few books Chris’ ideas became frequent enough that we agreed he should have credit for writing, whereas before we had kept separate Janet’s storytelling and Chris’ songwriting. The rest, as they say is history.

Who is your hero and why?

Heraclitus of Ephesus, a pre-socratic philosopher, whose Cosmic Fragments foreshadow our knowledge of reality and how to perceive it. Among his precepts is the statement that change alone is unchanging. We’ve worked Heraclitus’ fragments in here and there throughout our books.

Which of your novels can you imagine being made into a movie?

All of them. We write cinematically, our books are vivid adventures undertaken without knowing the destination.  I, the Sun, The Sacred Band, Outpassage and M.E.D.U.S.A. are particularly suited to film. The Threshold Series is a feast of opportunities for today’s special effects creators.

What inspired you, to write The Sacred Band?

We love horses, history and philosophy, so why not an ancient cavalry unit made up of paired fighters led by a centuries-old warrior sage with a god in his head? Tempus and his Sacred Band of Stepsons are made from their moment which stretches across all of recorded history.

Who designed your book covers?

Most of our covers, including The Sacred Band are realized by Roy Mauritsen, a gifted graphic artist.

Advice to writers?

As for advice to writers, here is all we know: write the story you want to read. Start at the beginning, go to the end, and stop. Seriously. From start to finish you must inhabit the construct in a manner that makes the reader choose to continue; if you, as the writer, can’t feel what it’s like being there, your readers can’t either. So close your eyes, look at your feet where they are standing on the story’s ground; tell me what you see. Tell me what you hear. Ask at the end of each paragraph ‘what happens next?’. If you lose touch with it, wait until you’re back inside it. Tell the story that comes to you, and from you, to me.

 

Follow the tour HERE for special content and a giveaway!

Enter the The Sacred Band Giveaway

*Book Tour & Giveaway* First Light-GUEST POST

 

A promise filled with hope in a world not meant for dreamers

First Light

Tales of the Vanguard: Rune Saga Book 1

by Verity Rose

Genre: Epic Fantasy

In a world struggling with political and religious differences, eighteen-year-old Arkrune—"Rune" to his friends—dreams of something greater than the quiet life in his small village of Locke. Trained by his stern but loving father, a renowned blacksmith and former warrior, Rune sets his sights on joining the famous monster fighting guild known as the Vanguard.

When Rune embarks on his journey to the city of Hilden to pursue his destiny, he carries with him more than just a finely crafted sword—but also a mystery tied to his bloodline and the dormant power within him. Along the way, Rune forms bonds with battle-hardened warriors, fends off deadly attacks by monsters and men alike, and begins to uncover the hidden strengths he didn’t know he possessed.

 

**New Release - Oct 25!**

Amazon * B&N * Kobo * Bookbub * Goodreads

Verity Rose grew up in a blink and you’ll miss it Indiana town where the school library doubled as an escape hatch. She wrote her first fantasy scenes at thirteen, lost the thread for a while, wrestling with undiagnosed ADHD and mental health potholes. She rediscovered her voice after becoming a mom and stumbling into a gaggle of online book nerds who egged her on. Armed with a social work degree from Ball State and a lifelong conviction that characters are as real as the hands on the keyboard, she now pours that people first empathy into stories that refuse to stay quiet.

When she isn’t tormenting her characters, Verity is probably reverse engineering a Korean street food recipe, sourcing single origin coffee beans from ethical roasters, or hoarding trash in Dragon Age or Skyrim. Her literary inspiration is equal parts Rick Riordan’s mythic swagger, Suzanne Collins’ high stakes heart, and John Flanagan’s cozy camaraderie.

Verity was raising her family (and her caffeine tolerance) amid Indiana cornfields and now adventures in the Pacific Northwest with them. She’s always down to swap book recs, coffee tips, or preferred RPG builds.

 

Website * Facebook * Instagram * Bluesky * Amazon

GUEST POST

How long have you been writing?

• I have been writing on and off for about fifteen years really! There were some gaps in there, many larger than others, but I started at twelve or thirteen and am still doing it now at twenty-eight!

Do the characters all come to you at the same time or do some of them come to you as you write? 

• I am a pantser by nature with writing. Almost all of the characters just popped in my head as I went. Their names and personalities just kind of come in and I flush them out in my notes after. 

What kind of research do you do before you begin writing a book? 

• Almost none. I let my ADHD control my life. Unfortunately that sometimes means doing research on medieval blacksmithing techniques for four hours when I only wanted to know if copper makes an alloy with steel and then deciding to make a new fantasy metal instead while using only the blacksmithing techniques I found in the first original ten minutes of research.

Do you see writing as a career?

• I hope to make it one someday, but I am content if I don’t. My number one thing is to write out the stories of the worlds I create and hope that someone other than just me enjoys them. As long as that happens, I am pretty content with my life! 

Do you read yourself and if so what is your favorite genre?

•  I love to read! I read mostly fantasy stories with romance plots in them. Every story I read has to have some form of romance in it, no matter if it's closed- or open-door. I also require my stories I read to have a happy ending, because the world is really sad and I don’t need to be made even more sad.

Do you write one book at a time or do you have several going at a time?

• I usually have several things going on at once and switch between them periodically. I think right now I have four active book projects with two being under a different pen name in the future with a wholly different audience.

Do you try more to be original or to deliver to readers what they want?

• I try to flirt the line with both. Being original is very important, but cliches exist for a reason. Not every cliche needs to be avoided or flipped on their head because they work for a reason. Also, many of them I enjoy. That’s also my other focus, I honestly write for myself and my wife mostly. If I write for others, I feel like it… cheapens the story. My goal is to tell the story of the characters I create and the world they live in, and do so in a way that I enjoy. I only hope that others enjoy it too. If they don't, they don't. If they do, then great! Either way is fine by me.

If you could tell your younger writing self anything, what would it be?

• Don’t stop like I did. I can’t imagine where I would be if I didn’t lose almost a decade of practice.

How long on average does it take you to write a book?

• Way too long, if I’m being honest. First Light took well over a year to write and I need to speed that process up!

Do you believe in writer’s block?

• YES! Writer’s block is real and the way to get through it is dependent on the person. Looking for advice to get over writer’s block is good and when you look for those tips you will find a billion different ways to get over it. That’s because there are a billion different people giving you suggestions. You may have to hunt for the ones that work for you and sometimes you have to save a few in case they might work later. The big thing I say about writer’s block is: don’t beat yourself up over it. If you stress yourself out over writer’s block, the block will only get worse. From my other author friends, this has been largely the case.

 

Follow the tour HERE for special content and a giveaway!

First Light

*Book Duet Tour & Giveaway* unfollow Me-GUEST POST

 

First comes the true story. 

Then comes her fictional revenge.

Unfollow Me

A Terrifying True Story of a Sadistic Stalker

by Kathryn Caraway

Genre: True Crime Memoir

#1 Amazon New Release!

 

What if the man stalking you worked in IT—at the police department?

"Think it couldn't happen to you? Think again. Read. This. Book.” —John DeDakis, Award-winning novelist, writing coach, and former editor on CNN's "The Situation Room with Wolf Blitzer"

This true crime case is told with brutal honesty, exposing the silent terror of stalking. Gripping details of kidnapping, intimate partner abuse, and surveillance using everyday tools engrained in society—and most households—uncovers systemic blindspots. From overlooked police reports to exhausting court battles, it’s a story of a woman’s resilience in the face of relentless fear. A must read for fans of true crime, survival stories, and psychological thrillers.

Stalkers don’t just hide in the shadows. Some log in.

Kathryn meets Todd, a charming IT expert for the police department. He coaxes her into a brief relationship and turns a normal breakup into a reign of terror. Todd isn’t just obsessed—he’s inside Kathryn’s home network.

He doesn’t have to be in her house to watch her. Or hear her.

He sees her text messages—on his screen.

He can follow her car without ever leaving his house.

And he even tells her why: “You are mine. And I don’t share.”

When Todd asks Kathryn if she wants to see death coming, she tells him no. Now she waits for it every day. Dismissed by officers, Kathryn builds a case police can no longer ignore. But the more she learns about Todd’s past, the more she suspects he might be tied to the unsolved murder of a woman she has only one thing in common with: Todd.

And if she’s right, she might be next . . .

 

 

“A powerful, riveting account about a woman being victimized by a modern-day monster.” —Kirkus Reviews

“Urgency of feeling pulses throughout . . .” —BookLife

“An inspiring story of survival . . . the horrors of stalking and its devastating effects on the mental health of those targeted . . .” —Chanticleer Book Reviews & Media

“The specificity of emotion, the physiological response to trauma, and the intellectual clarity . . . give this book its power.” —Independent Book Review

“Unfollow Me kept me on the edge of my seat from beginning to end. Caraway’s will to get justice in her case and her composure through it all shows a resilience that not many possess.” —Memoir Magazine

* 2024 Grand Prize Winner in Narrative Nonfiction (Journey Award, Non-Fiction Overcoming Adversity)

* 2024 1^st Place Winner in Thriller/Suspense (Clue Award)

* 2024 1^st Place Winner in Non-Fiction Cover Design

  

Amazon * Bookbub * Goodreads

 

He Follows Me

by Kathryn Caraway

Genre: Thriller, Suspense

Kathryn Caraway thought a conviction would end the nightmare. She was wrong.

Todd Bennett is getting out of jail—and he hasn’t forgotten her. The government offers her a lifeline: new name, new life, new country. But freedom comes at a cost and safety is an illusion.

U.S. Marshal Wes Kade doesn’t care about feelings. He cares about results. Cold, disciplined, and relentless, he has built a career on keeping people alive. But something about this case doesn’t add up. He realizes this isn’t personal—it’s war.

With nowhere left to hide, Kathryn must face the terrifying truth that some nightmares never end.

A gripping psychological thriller where survival isn’t just about escape—it’s about fighting back.

 

Wow! I have absolutely DEVOURED this book, and Kathryn Caraway has become my new favorite author! He Follows Me is the fictional follow-up to Unfollow Me, and it does not disappoint. What starts as a semi-cozy read turns into a tense thriller with an absolutely explosive ending! Give this one a read, especially if you have read Unfollow Me!  – Goodreads reviewer

 

Amazon * Bookbub * Goodreads

Kathryn Caraway lived life as the target of a stalker for years. After her perpetrator’s conviction, Kathryn founded the Unfollow Me Project to raise education and awareness of the debilitating effects of stalking, as well as to offer support to those being stalked. For more information, go to https://unfollowme.com.

 

Website * Website * Facebook * X * Instagram * Bluesky * Tiktok * Amazon * Goodreads

GUEST POST

Sometimes red flags don’t wave. They whisper.

A slammed door.

A terse comment.

A flash of anger that feels like something more.

All followed by a charming apology. 

Many have experienced these things, yet few might recognize how these seemingly normal elements of unwanted behavior can escalate. Red flags can appear small and deceptively manageable by design. 

What I didn’t know at the time is how each apology accepted was a form of conditioning. 

After Todd, a man I’d briefly dated, contacted my colleague’s wife and told her we were having an affair, I had no intention of speaking to him again. But his insidious maneuvers were squeezing the life out of me. I was slowly suffocating in as the rumors spread through my small community.

Well-meaning friends told me: “Handle your business.” 

Todd would always badger me saying he only wanted to talk because he knew his charisma and charm would shine through and I would revert to what I was conditioned to do: accept his apology.

And I needed to find a way to make everything stop. 

The only way to breathe again was to control the situation. Even though I recognized this was not a person I wanted in my life, telling an obsessive person “I’m just not that into you” doesn’t end it. In my experience, it escalated it.

I believed civility would quell the unwanted behavior until he lost interest or simply moved on. I placated him, which would de-escalate the situation temporarily. In truth, it was pulling me deeper into the stalker’s web. As I wrote Unfollow Me, I could see that I was never the one “handling it” and that Todd was in control. 

“It is clear Caraway wanted full transparency in her story, with her displaying compromising moments that other writers might shy away from to show readers what patterns—especially their own—could lead them to becoming a possible victim of stalking.” —Memoir Magazine

In writing a memoir, I wanted to take responsibility for the role I played in my own story. I wanted to illustrate for readers how easy it is for us to believe we are in control when, in reality, we aren’t.

A reader once asked, “If you could go back, what would you have done differently?”

The “what ifs” have plagued many sleepless nights, bouts of depression, and deep internal conversations over the years since his conviction. But I always come back to the same answer: “Nothing.”

To do otherwise would be a betrayal of my own values and principles. I could torture myself endlessly rehashing each moment, each decision. But I know deep in my bones that kindness and the capacity for forgiveness are an integral part of who I am.

 

Follow the tour HERE for special content and a giveaway!

Unfollow Me