Friday, August 8, 2025

Book Tour ~ Whispers - Sequel to Tears Are Only Water by J. Herman Kleiger

 

Whispers by J. Herman Kleiger Banner

WHISPERS

by J. Herman Kleiger

July 14 - August 8, 2025 Virtual Book Tour

Synopsis:

Whispers by J. Herman Kleiger

A Tale of Madness, Betrayal, and Revenge

 

What if one phone call could change your entire life?

With the page-turning suspense of Ava Strong’s FBI thriller Not Like He Seemed and gritty realism of Douglas and Olshaker’s New York Times Bestseller MindHunter, Whispers promises readers a nail-biting journey into the search for a serial killer and a window into the troubled mind of the agent who pursues him.

"They’re killing all the shrinks!" cries Nicola Kitts, now a special agent with the FBI’s storied Behavioral Assessment Unit. But why are prominent psychiatrists being targeted, and what secrets did they share?

In this sequel to Tears Are Only Water, Special Agent Kitts leads the hunt for a serial killer who leaves obscure mathematical formulas and twisted poems of retribution by the bodies. The FBI thinks they’ve figured it out, pointing to Raevyn Nevenmoore, a former gymnastic champion with a history of mania and delusions. But Raevyn hints that her twin brother Finch is involved in the killings. The only problem is, Finch died years earlier. Is Raevyn clinically insane or a clever psychopath? Haunted by her own traumas and hidden scars, Kitts struggles to piece together the clues and separate Raevyn’s madness from an even more troubling reality. Can she silence her own demons long enough to find the killer … and save herself?

Are you ready to uncover the truth? Dive into the chilling world of Whispers and experience a psychological thriller that intertwines madness, betrayal, and relentless suspense.

Grab your copy of Whispers today and join Special Agent Kitts in a race against time to piece together a puzzle that bridges the gap between madness and reality.

Praise for Whispers:

"J. Herman Kleiger’s new novel is equally gripping, moving along at a fast pace, as Kleiger’s sophisticated understanding of human psychology is on full display."
~ Richard M. Waugaman, M.D., Let’s Re-Vere the Works of Shakespeare

"An expert on the diagnosis and treatment of bipolar disorder as well as on the Rorschach test, J. Herman Kleiger is also a fiction writer, author of the acclaimed novels The 11th Inkblot and Tears Are Only Water. His riveting new novel, Whispers, is a psychological whodunit that will maintain the reader’s interest from beginning to end. Readers will learn much about bipolar disorder, post-traumatic stress disorder, conversion therapy, malignant parenting, and the lifelong impact of shame while trying to figure out the serial killer or killers responsible for the deaths of four psychiatrists. Just when readers believe that the diabolical murders have been solved, they are forced to think again. As with his other novels, Whispers instructs as it entertains, reminding readers that 'Hope is important for all of us who have walked in the shadows."
~ Jeffrey Berman, Distinguished Teaching Professor, University at Albany, and author of Clinical Fictions: Psychoanalytic Novels and Short Stories

"With Whispers, J. Herman Kleiger makes it a trifecta of his fine, psychologically astute novels. Picking up on several very interesting characters from his second book "Tears Are Only Water," as well as introducing a host of fascinating new ones, Kleiger takes us behind the scenes of the FBI Behavioral Science Unit delving into a series of confounding murders. The writing is taught and there are no easy answers in unravelling the mystery."
~ F. Barton Evans author of Harry Stack Sullivan (Marker of Modern Psychiatry)

"Kleiger’s third novel, Whispers, re-introduces us to Nicola Kitts, who we know well from his outstanding previous book, Tears Are Only Water. In this excellent new novel Kitts joins an elite FBI profiling team trying to solve a series of brutal murders of well known psychiatrists. Not a sequel, Whispers is a stand alone, gripping psychological drama that builds intensity and urgency as it flows inexorably towards its dramatic conclusion. With Kleiger’s deep knowledge of psychological theory, and interpersonal relationships, the book comes alive as the team of experts collaborate and compete to refine a workable theory about who the murderer might be, what might motivate him or her, and what hidden meaning the cryptic notes left at each crime scene might hold. We come to admire Kitt’s personal struggles and her ability to challenge her own demons even as she struggles to help solve these mysterious serial killings.."
~ Stephen Lerner, Filmmaker, Strangers in Town

Book Details:

Genre: Psychological Thriller, Mystery and Suspense, Serial Killer Crime Drama
Published by: Indie
Publication Date: May 5, 2025
Number of Pages: 270
ISBN: 978-1960299697 (pbk)
Book Links: Amazon | Kindle Unlimited | Goodreads

Read an excerpt:

PART ONE

Comes the Whisperer

In the quiet of the night,
Silence prickles the skin and murmuring voices speak,
Telling stories in hushed tones of private lives and
Secrets buried so deeply that no one can hear,
Comes the Whisperer.
Tell me your secrets,
Speak to me of sin and shame,
And trust me with your soul.

—Anonymous

Chapter 1

They’re Killing All the Shrinks

The sirens were deafening, drowning out the heart-wrenching screams of frightened women and children. Around her lay the dead bodies of men from her platoon. Suddenly she was holding the limp body of her little brother Blue. The blaring sirens became the sound of her own scream. She awoke in a panic to the shrieking of her work phone.

Quickly orienting herself, she answered, “This is Kitts.”

“Wakey, wakey Kitts. Rise and shine. Hope you’re up. Doesn’t matter because we’ve got another dead shrink. It’s time to bring you in on this.”

Special Agent Nicola Kitts immediately recognized the brassy voice of her boss, Executive Assistant Director Giancarlo Bozzio Baldazzar. Boz headed the FBI’s Criminal, Cyber, Response, and Service Branch. Among his countless other jobs, he liked mentoring new agents. As a former Marine Captain, Boz had taken a shine to ex-gunnery sergeant Kitts. At 5’3,” he chewed out anyone who looked down when talking to him. Although he downplayed their Marine Corps connection, Kitts felt the strength of their invisible Semper Fi bond.

She glanced at her clock: 4:30 a.m. With a rush of adrenalin, she sat up straight and said, “Yes, Sir. Copy that.”

“Kitts, enough with the military, cop-speak bullshit. I’ve told you, we don’t talk like that around here. But listen . . . we’ve got another one. This makes three––Tamerlane, Fortunato, and now this guy in his Georgetown office. Same MO and signature as the others. Also left another calling card––the same wacky quote and a bunch of those crazy equations, like before. Looks like we have a serial killer who loves math as much as he does butchering shrinks. Anyway, this will be your first rodeo, kid. BAU-4 is staffing this in two days, so you have time to get up to speed. They’re a bunch of eggheaded profilers with egos to match, except for Sidd. He’s good people. So, Kitts, you’ll be there primarily to listen and learn. Their job is to profile. Yours is to keep a low profile.”

“You said this is just like the other two? Same MO?”

“Yeah, Kitts, that’s what I said. This last one was in DC. No suspects yet, but the local PD is working on this as a single homicide. They apparently don’t know about the others. The vic’s name is Linus Prokop. Maybe you’ve heard of him?”

“Yes, Sir. Isn’t he the guy on the cable news? I remember that name. Didn’t he do some kind of study on male adolescents?”

“That’s right. He’s a doozy. Been on the talk show circuit hawking his book about teenage boys and their hard-ons.”

Kitts smiled at his raw and uncensored expressions. Suddenly, she felt as if she were back in bootcamp with Boz as her drill sergeant.

“DC Metro is still working the crime scene. Probably won’t be too happy when we show up, but nothing new with that. So, get your rear in gear pronto and look at the files so you won’t seem like Doby the village idiot when you meet with BAU Number 4. Got it?”

“Copy––I mean yes, Boz Sir. I’ll be there by 7:00.”

“Make it 6:30. Oh, and Kitts, leave your damn bird at home this time. Now fuck off.”

She blushed as she remembered bringing Langston, her hyacinth macaw, to her office. He was not a hit since he wandered around, marked his territory, and chewed phone cords. Langston had been her sidekick for more than 15 years. If it hadn’t been for Langston, her old boss, Sheriff Oliver Burwinkle, would have killed her too after he shot an agent point blank in her living room.

Nicola microwaved a cup of day-old coffee while scarfing down a banana. She pulled Langston’s breakfast bowl out of the fridge, mixed in fresh fruit and vegetables, and topped it with large-shelled nuts.

The bird began to chatter and squawk to get her attention.

“Damn, cool it. Not in the mood this morning.” She noticed he was picking at the feathers on his chest again. “Stop picking at yourself. I ain’t got time for this shit now.” She reached for the spray the vet had given her and gave him a couple of squirts.

Kitts rummaged through a pile of clothes on her chair and grabbed a wrinkled jacket from the floor. Life had been this way since moving to DC two years ago.

“Alexa, play some . . . Tracie Chapman music. No, cancel that. Play––”

Alexa cut her off and said, “Here is some music by Tracie Chapman on Amazon Music.”

“Dammit, girl. Alexa, cancel that. Play music by Libba Cotton and turn up the volume by two.” She felt there was something enchanting about Cotton, an obscure left-handed folk and blues musician who taught herself to play upside down on a right-handed guitar. That Cotton didn’t begin recording until her 60s and won a Grammy at age 90 gave Kitts hope that people could successfully reinvent themselves in midlife.

She turned on the shower as Libba sang Ain’t Got No Honey Baby Now. The water was cold, but she didn’t have time for it to warm up. The chill jolted her senses. She threw on her clothes and hurried past Langston––still picking his chest feathers. “Langs! Stop that shit! I gotta cruise now. Won’t be back until dark ’cause this is a big one. You got plenty to eat, so be cool and STOP doing that to yourself.”

The thought of another dead therapist put her on full alert, especially with this last one being so close to home. On the way out the door, she stopped and reached out to Langston. “Damn boy, it looks like they’re killing all the shrinks…. Betcha, you’re glad I left shrink school, huh?”

***

It was still dark when she exited onto South Washington St. She opened the window, welcoming the chill of cool air on her face. She tried to focus on the killing of yet another psychiatrist, but the hangover from her nightmare was still taunting her. Her VA counselor told her that dreams about the war would never disappear entirely. He said she could learn to reprocess them to make them less frequent, vivid, and painful, but they would never disappear. Fucking nightmares.

In the darkness, surrounded by the hum of the tires, Kitts thought about the regular cast of characters who haunted her sleep. Her dreams were typically set in Afghanistan where her brother Blue, Burwinkle, or Pei would suddenly appear, always trying to speak to her in muffled voices. Desperate, she couldn’t move. Her counselors told her she’d be dealing with the long reach of PTSD for the rest of her life. She should expect early and subsequent losses to merge with nightmares of her final bloody firefight in the Musa Qala District.

At times, she dreamed only of Blue and his death when they were kids. No matter how much Nicola tried to come to terms with what happened, the guilt never wore off. Paradoxically, there was something oddly comforting about her nighttime visits from Blue, as if he were trying to tell her something.

She hated how the traitorous bastard Oliver Burwinkle forced himself into her dreams. Her former boss and mentor back in Colorado continued to stalk her in her sleep after his final deceit. Now, Professor Omar Pei had become the latest cast member to appear uninvited in her dreams, whispering lustfully to her about their forbidden affair at Smith College.

Kitts checked her speed as a highway patrolman passed her on the right. Cops. The cruiser reminded her of the Ford Interceptor she used to drive when she was the only deputy of color in the sheriff’s department in Colorado. She left law enforcement in 2014 after Burwinkle tried to kill her. Nicola’s stomach churned when she thought of the impostor. Burwinkle turned out to be a serious bad guy. Fortunately, thanks to Langston’s attacking him, Burwinkle dropped dead of a heart attack before pulling the trigger of the gun he had aimed at her head. Fucking Burwinkle.

Though she had long thought about leaving police work, the catastrophic events of 2014 and her subsequent treatment at the VA convinced her it was time to make a clean break and try something new, like becoming a social worker. Her decision to leave law enforcement always made her think of her quirky friend Carmine or “Books” as she called him. Nicola still felt embarrassed by his generous financial gift, which made it possible for her to go to Smith College of Social Work. She recalled their awkward conversation five years ago when she received a check from an anonymous donor that covered her tuition at Smith.

“I know it was you, Books. You’re always up to something sneaky like this. I will pay you back. Got that? Been saving up my money.”

But she hadn’t paid him back.

She had been a rising star at Smith, earning her MSW in just under two years. Nicola had begun working on a PhD when she suddenly became the headliner in the campus rumor mill. She mistakenly thought her involvement with one of her professors was a private affair.

Thoughts about Pei always reminded Kitts of her misplaced trust in Burwinkle whose words she couldn’t forget.

“Goddammit, Cole. You were like a daughter to me, girl.”

Then he tried to kill her.

The relationship with Professor Omar Pei began innocently enough. He was struck by her intelligence, fascinating resume, dogged curiosity, and innate insight, and mentioned in passing her striking good looks.

Looking her up and down, he’d intoned, “You’re special Nicola Kitts. I’ve had my eye on you. You have the intellectual gifts and instincts that most students can only dream of. I’ve taken a special interest in your academic development. Dine with me tonight so we can discuss your thesis.”

And she did.

Kitts’s internal signals told her she was straying into dangerous territory, but she ignored the warning lights. It felt good to be special.

Man, gotta figure out this shit with mentors, girl.

Their affair lasted less than three months but unleashed the hungry tabloid hounds within the small college community. Ultimately, the professor was dismissed, and his student branded with a scarlet letter. It didn’t matter that no one formally blamed Nicola for her mammoth lapse in judgment. She heard the whispers and saw the looks wherever she went. It became too much to bear. One morning, she decided she’d had enough. She packed everything that would fit into her car and left with Langston.

Nicola knew that even before the Pei affair, she’d been questioning whether social work was her true calling. Maybe her embarrassment at Smith was just an excuse to leave social work. Part of her wanted to be done with policing but it wasn’t done with her. Law enforcement was in her DNA. Her father and gramps had been Marines and then cops in the Wichita PD. Having no desire to return to the sheriff’s department in Colorado, Kitts applied and was accepted to the FBI Academy.

The traffic was light. Can’t keep Boz waiting. The final stretch of Richmond Highway reminded her of how she felt the first time she drove to Quantico. She had been filled with hopes about combining law enforcement with her curiosity about the workings of the mind. Even then, she aspired to someday become a profiler.

After completing the FBI Academy, Kitts worked as a junior agent before snagging an appointment to the BAU (Behavioral Assessment Unit). Only a year into her role as a special agent, Kitts felt she’d found a home where she could pursue criminals and discover the deep-seated pathologies that had turned them into killers and predators. She knew about the storied BAU-4 and its predecessor, the FBI’s Elite Serial Crime Unit, popularized in one of her favorite books, Mindhunter. That someone at Boz’s level would select her to shadow this celebrated team of profilers and analysts was a pulse-quickening honor. She thought of his words several months back.

“Kitts, I’ve been watching you. I think you got what it takes to work with the BAU. When the time is right, I’m going to bring you in. I got faith in you. Just don’t try to act too much like a cop.”

Kitts checked her watch as she flashed her ID to the Marine at the gate. Six twenty-seven––three minutes to spare. She sprinted to the building; Boz would be watching the clock. Kitts wanted to impress him but knew he would quickly pick up her efforts to curry favor. Boz had apparently seen something in her that she was not aware of. But hadn’t Burwinkle and Pei? She was grateful that Boz was giving her a chance but determined not to make the same mistakes as before. All she needed to do was trust his judgment and not lose sight of hers. Just be yourself, whoever that is, and steer clear of whatever’s going on with mentors. She speed-walked into his office and reminded herself not to speak like a cop and never look down at the top of his head.

***

Excerpt from Whispers by J. Herman Kleiger. Copyright 2025 by J. Herman Kleiger. Reproduced with permission from J. Herman Kleiger. All rights reserved.

 

 

Author Bio:

J. Herman Kleiger

J. Herman Kleiger (Dr. James H. Kleiger) is a board certified clinical psychologist and trained psychoanalyst living in Maryland. Born and raised in Colorado, he received a BA from Harvard University and a doctorate in clinical psychology from the University of Denver. He served as a staff psychologist in the Navy and received postdoctoral training at the Menninger Clinic in Topeka, KS, where he became Training Director of the Postdoctoral Fellowship Program. He completed his psychoanalytic training at the Topeka Institute for Psychoanalysis and later relocated to Maryland. Dr. Kleiger opened a private practice and served as President of the Washington-Baltimore Society for Psychoanalysis in 2010. He lives with his wife and is blessed with wonderful children and grandchildren.

Writing about people and their struggles has been integral to his professional life. Dr. Kleiger has authored six professional books – Disordered Thinking and The Rorschach, 1999, followed by Assessing Psychosis, 2015, 2024 (coauthored with Ali Khadivi), Rorschach Assessment of Psychotic Phenomena, 2017, Psychological Assessment of Disordered Thinking & Perception, 2021, and Psychological Assessment of Bipolar Spectrum Disorders, 2023 (coedited with Irving Weiner).

Unable to resist the play of imagination, J. Herman Kleiger published his debut novel, The 11th Inkblot in 2020, followed by Tears Are Only Water in 2023, and Whispers in 2025.

People and their stories amaze and inspire. As a psychologist and psychoanalyst, his passion for listening to people tell their stories ripens with time.

Catch Up With J. Herman Kleiger:

JHermanKleiger.com
Amazon Author Profile
Goodreads
Substack
Instagram - @jhermankleiger
Threads - @jhermankleiger
LinkedIn - @JamesKleiger
Facebook - @JHermanKleigerAuthor

 

 

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Book Tour ~ Canadian Smoke by P. D. Hillman

 



Thriller Romance

Date Published: 06-05-2025

Publisher: Talk+Tell


Jack Glasser has a gift… and a curse. After a childhood lightning strike and years of self-experimentation, he’s turned his brain into a living processor capable of absorbing massive data in minutes. But each Neural Acceleration session chips away at his body—and his grip on reality.

When a top-secret cannabis company in Canada draws his attention, Jack uncovers something that puts him on the radar of a ruthless criminal syndicate known as the Organization. As his mind unravels, assassins close in, and his unpredictable brother Luke pushes for a much-needed escape, Jack is pulled into a deadly game he never agreed to play.

Perfect for fans of Scorpion, Utopia, and The Terminal List, Canadian Smoke is a smart, darkly funny, high-octane techno-thriller that explores what happens when genius meets corruption—and the cost of knowing too much.

A buried secret. A criminal empire. A genius on the edge.

Whatever Jack saw… someone will do anything to keep it hidden.

 


Chapter 1

Neural Accelerator

 

Las Vegas J

ack Glasser finished entering his search parameters, leaned back in his repurposed dentist chair and attached a blood pressure cuff, cardiac strap, and blood oxygen sensor to his finger, quickly checking his vitals before going under. He pulled his custom headset from its cradle, where an iconic dental light once hung, and slipped it over his ears, shoving his long mass of curly hair out of the way. The headset, complete with multi-spectrum goggles sat atop his head as he pushed the Start button on the console.

A ten-minute timer flashed on the monitors, beginning his countdown, and a slight hissing sound emanated from a split tube attached to the chair. He grabbed the tube and gently placed it under his nose and began breathing nitrous oxide and isoflurane, strong anesthesia used in surgeries, then pulled the headset over his eyes. He felt the familiar lightheadedness that accompanied each “Neural Acceleration” outing and began to drift off.

He fell into a light dream state before unconsciousness set in and began to recall, in vivid detail, the event that set his current life in motion. The childhood recollection played inside his head, in spectacular detail, every session.

He recalled running in a circle lifting his feet high to dodge the tall, twisted roots of the Banyan tree in the front yard of his South Florida home. He’d run in a clockwise circle for about five minutes, trying to stay ahead of his younger brother Luke who was furious. Jack’s lungs burned and his legs were heavy as they both paused, the tree still between them, each catching their breath.

Luke used his shirtsleeve to wipe the sweat off his forehead and blew out a deep and focused breath. “You might as well get it over with. I’m kicking your ass!” he said, a psychotic lilt in his voice caused by a lump in his throat, on the verge of tears.

“It was an accident, you idiot!” Jack remembered shouting.

The blow-up was small by their standards, but it preceded the singular event that changed their lives forever. In retrospect, the justice Luke wanted to extract from Jack, crushing his remote-controlled car with a soccer ball, was laughable, yet sweet in its innocence.

Sitting in an induced coma-like state in a beat up, old dentist chair, his anxiety was still intact and his left hand began to twitch. Like every session before, he drifted into semi-sleep and watched the singularly most important event of his life unfold and replay in his head with extreme clarity. He saw their dog Bosco, who had escaped from the back yard, join in the chase . . . a big, brown, slobbery mess of a dog, taking turns nipping at their heels, infuriating Luke even more.

Two years apart and competitive in a way only brothers are, Jack was fifteen and Luke thirteen at the time. Even those that weren’t aware they were brothers would have suspected it, though not for obvious reasons. Their eyes, nose, and lips had a very similar shape - an undeniable family resemblance - however, they couldn't have been more different. Quiet and shy, Jack was lanky with darker thick, long, curly hair. Luke was practically blonde, built like a linebacker, and had a personality that screamed for attention.

Jack recalled Bosco barking feverishly as the chase continued.

Unfortunately neither he nor Luke noticed the sky had turned dark and ugly. Neither felt the air pressure drop, the wind abruptly stop, nor the eerie calm before the storm. No rain fell, however, from his vantage point years later, he now saw the bruise-colored clouds once in the distance, now on top of them as they continued circling the large tree.

In an instant, an unnatural cool enveloped the yard and traces of lightning hopped from cloud to cloud without a hint of thunder. Immersed in the moment, it became inevitable. The rest was history. The last thing he and Luke remembered was a searing white light accompanied by a superheated cannon blast, then slipping into the grip of a warm, black numbness.

As always, the recurring sedative-induced memory stopped in tandem with the ten-minute timer on his chair. His Acceleration session started, blasting multiple compressed and intermingled video streams at his retinas, with what sounded like streams of binary code ripping through his headset.

Through the strong concoction of anesthesia, multiple streams of audio and visual data pummeled him, hurling information into every crevice of his brain with extraordinary velocity. He fought back reflexively as he’d done every time but soon gave in to extreme mental and emotional exhaustion, surrendering to the pressure-wash of information, unconsciously writhing in the chair.

Thirty minutes later the barrage of information stopped and soothing music began to play inside his headset. He sat still for a moment reorienting himself, the twilight concoction of anesthesia perfectly timed so he’d only stay “under” for a short period of time.

He removed his headset and rubbed his two-day beard. He felt his left hand tremble a bit and reflexively pulled it into his body, massaging it with his right hand. He lifted his head slightly and sat up in his chair. The vinyl was peeling off the arms, but it served its purpose, keeping his body still while he assaulted his mind with information.

He stared at his office, a hidden twenty-by-twenty room, complete with a built-in wall unit desk, with several flatscreen monitors hanging above it. A small desk lamp struggled to light up the space. In the center of the room was his chair . . . the bane of his existence, and a connection to his dark past and the reason for his success of late. He pushed aside the silver tray that now held his keyboard and anesthesia controls, got up and staggered to his desk.

He placed the small TV remote control that opened the hidden door to his office in his pocket and stared at his Acceleration feed on the monitors and the information he’d just hammered into his head.

The feed looked like mathematical gibberish, along with a multitude of keywords including Greenleaf Pharmaceutical, medical cannabis, records of Greenleaf’s landholdings, investors, board members, suppliers, production output, cannabis strains, and their affiliates.

The monitors displayed forty-eight different subcategories that included companies, business executives, industry press, including and research papers. This evening he’d loaded the entire forty-eight streams. Normally his 'acceleration' sessions would be abbreviated, but he had a personal interest this time instead of his usual investment targets.

Upon entering his acceleration feed, his web-scraping tool scoured the internet and dark web searching millions of pages, following every hidden link to give him a highly detailed picture of whatever he was researching. Greenleaf Pharmaceutical, a medical cannabis company, was the subject this evening.

Truth be told, his setup was nothing more than a fire hose of information and Jack could not only retain it, he could subconsciously make sense of it. He didn’t need a next-generation big data platform . . . he was one, capable of ingesting massive amounts of information and processing it faster than a supercomputer. But he was different in that he had no moving parts, no need to validate data, and no software other than what was contained in his head. His Neural Acceleration Platform was nothing more than an information delivery system - a tortuous one - but a system that worked . . . at least for him.

He was capable of understanding deep relational connections faster than any man-made device, but his abilities couldn’t be attributed to superior genetics or even his chair. Instead, he owed his mental processing power to a massive jolt of Mother Nature’s purest energy source.

His left hand trembled again slightly as he turned out the light to leave his office. He performed a moment of mental gymnastics, telling himself that the tremor was temporary, but he knew his acceleration sessions were taking a toll on him. How exactly? He had no clue and didn’t want to. Denial was his friend at the moment. He pushed the thought out of his mind and stumbled upstairs to sleep.

 

About the Author

P.D. Hillman writes darkly funny thrillers about genius minds, broken systems, and the occasional psychic meltdown. With a background in economics, cannabis tech, and startup absurdity, he’s witnessed more backroom deals, biometric scams, and VC ring-kissing than he can legally confirm. He once tried to sell machine-learning sensors to weed farmers—who stored them in paint buckets. When he’s not writing, he’s mentoring his grown sons, recording blues in his garage, or sitting on a beach with a sand-filled truck and a strong opinion about data, death, and denim.


Contact Links

Website


Purchase Link

Amazon


RABT Book Tours & PR

Book Blitz ~ The Cardinal Code by Avery Sterling

 

The Cardinal Code
Avery Sterling
Publication date: August 4th 2025
Genres: New Adult, Paranormal, Romance

Vampires are real. Powerful, organized, and nearly untouchable, they move through society under the governance of the Cardinalis Order—an ancient system built to protect their kind and punish those who defy its laws.

Michael Chamberlain is one of them. A successful entrepreneur with a carefully buried past, he returns to The Hamptons to take over his father’s elite nightclub—and to secure a contracted blood source. Cold, controlled, and emotionally detached, Michael has long accepted the rules of his world. That is, until he meets Paislee Sullivan.

A determined college student working to fund her future, Paislee doesn’t know the truth about the Order—or that her presence at the nightclub is more dangerous than she realizes. When her path collides with Michael’s, she’s pulled into the shadows of a world built on power, secrecy, and blood.

As their attraction deepens, Paislee must navigate a society where consent is contractual, love is forbidden, and ignorance offers the only safety. But some connections can’t be denied—and breaking the rules could mean losing everything.

The Cardinal Code is a seductive and high-stakes romance set in a world where the elite don’t just run society—they feed on it.

Goodreads / Amazon / Barnes & Noble / Kobo

EXCERPT:

As they pulled into her uncle’s driveway, the house was shrouded in darkness.

Michael killed the engine and was out of the car in an instant. She fumbled for her keys and was surprised when he opened her door.

“Thanks,” she murmured, taking his outstretched hand as she stepped onto the driveway.

“How’s your ankle?”

She tested it. “Actually, it’s not that bad. Thanks for the ride.”

“Let me walk you in,” he offered.

Her heart thudded in her chest. “That’s…really not necessary.”

His lips quirked. “You have to let me finish redeeming myself, Paislee.”

With a dramatic sigh, she dangled her keys in front of him. “Very well, Sir Knightly. Here.”

Michael unlocked the front door, and they stepped into the house. His gaze swept over the modest furnishings as she turned on the lights.

“How long have you been working at Allusion?” he asked, pausing in the living room.

“A couple of weeks.” She slid her bag off her shoulder and set it on a nearby chair. “I came here for school. Allusion helps pay the bills.”

He stepped further into the room.

She busied herself with slipping off her sneakers, but the silence stretched long enough that she turned around.

He was inches away, his eyes dark and unreadable.

Her cheeks flushed, and she quickly changed the subject. “So, am I safe? No danger lurking in the shadows of my house?”

Michael reached for the strap on her skirt, and his fingers traced it slowly before he hooked it and tugged her forward.

“Why do you look so frightened?” he murmured, his brow furrowing.

“I’m not frightened,” she shot back, though her trembling hands betrayed her.

He arched a brow. “You’re shaking.”

Her cheeks burned. “Because I know you’re going to kiss me,” she admitted.

His lips curved into a slow, wicked smile. “Last night, you didn’t seem so afraid of me.”

Her resolve ebbed as his face inched closer. “That was impulsive,” she whispered. “Now I’m just…questioning what I’ve gotten myself into.”

He laughed softly, and the sound was rich and unguarded. “You have no idea what you’ve gotten yourself into, ducizza,” he breathed.

Author Bio:

Avery Sterling's love for the romance genre began in her teen years when she picked up her first novel. She was captivated by the sweeping scale of emotions brought about by the words. The experience catapulted her towards learning the art of wielding a breathtaking adventure, with a love that felt authentic. Wanting to inspire people with her own thoughts and words, she finished her first novel at sixteen. It was a step towards understanding the essence of what she wished to create.

Most of her youth was spent traveling, searching out the romance and beauty in her everchanging world. From the waves that crashed against the rocky shores of Downeast, Maine, to the warm breezes of the Caribbean, she discovered that love was universal, apparent in its grandest and simplest of forms. Her goal is to write novels an audience can relate to, one that conveys the truth and nature of love… with all that steamy romance.

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Book Blitz ~ Tiny Wild Things by Danielle M. Wong

 

Tiny Wild Things
Danielle M. Wong
Publication date: August 4th 2025
Genres: Adult, Psychological Thriller

I have always been drawn to tiny, wild things…

Journalist Fran Hendrix thinks she’s about to get the scoop of her career. A reclusive artist has chosen her to take his first interview since the tragic death of his wife years before. Not long after arriving at his secluded country estate, Fran receives a shocking anonymous message. He is lying to you. Get out while you can.

But Fran is a journalist. She’s not going anywhere without her story, even when her host refuses to answer her questions while seeming to know things about her life she hasn’t told anyone. When he suggests they go hunting together, Fran sees it as a chance to finally break through his defenses. But alone with him in the wilderness, she starts to question whether the note was right all along – and she should have gotten out while she still had the chance…

An utterly gripping psychological thriller from an award-winning author that will delight fans of The Hunting Party, The Silent Patient and Sharp Objects.

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PROLOGUE:

So this is how it ends—with me standing over a corpse. Dirt wedged beneath my nails, blood caked onto my palms. Body fraught with tension. Heart thudding uncontrollably. Hands trembling, limbs stiff like the lifeless ones beneath me.

The sky shifts above as I bristle from the cold. From the shock, the truth, the knowing. I freeze for a moment—paralyzed by each drop of fear multiplying inside my gut. Succumbing to paranoia. What happens now?

Hypotheticals run through my psyche’s labyrinth, possibilities lost in the fray. My head clouds before instinct finally takes over. Movement beats inertia. I have to go. I need to get the hell out of this place.

Adrenaline courses through me as I snap into action. Bury the evidence, burn the remains. Get rid of the body. The body.

I screw my gaze shut, recalling everything that happened just moments before. I still see the light fading from both eyes…the life bleeding out in slow motion. I remember it like a film, the footage rolling across a screen at the forefront of my brain. I can’t stop it.

I feel a tightness in my chest. Is it sadness, regret, or something else altogether? Perhaps it’s just the disbelief catching up to me. The swell of emotions continues circulating in my veins. Sensations mount, threatening to burst right through my flesh.

My breath is ragged as I unfurl my fingers—still balled into a fist—and cast my stare downwards. Only one of us will make it out alive. I realize that now. Only one of us can survive.

Just then, there is a foreign sound behind me. I whip around to identify the source. Nothing. My vision blurs slightly, making me doubt everything I see. But it was more than a crunch of leaves. I am sure of it. Bile rises to the back of my throat as I take another look. I have the strange sense that something—or someone—is watching me.

Night will arrive soon, cloaking these surroundings in a blanket of blackness. The air has a tangible charge that tells me it is about to storm. Birds loom overhead—lurking like giant gray omens. In this moment, I am both predator and prey. The wind snaps violently against my body as I step further into the woods. It is time to leave.

I work quickly, erasing any and all signs of my presence. What will the police think? Will they believe me? As I go, my mind begins to spin a tale. A convincing story that explains everything, with no detail left unaccounted for.

When I am finished, there are no more traces in sight. Not a single inkling or clue left behind. It’s almost like I have disappeared entirely—from place, from memory. Like I was never even here at all.

Author Bio:

Danielle M. Wong is a travel-obsessed author of psychological thrillers. She pens the type of stories that keep her up at night, featuring gripping scenes, complex characters, and twist-filled plots. She has been published to critical acclaim, earning Independent Press, Reader’s Favorite, and International Book Awards, among others. Danielle’s writing has been featured in Harper’s Bazaar, HuffPost, PopSugar, and Writer’s Digest. She is currently working on her next novel.

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Excerpt Reveal ~ Ignite - Iron City Nights MC by ML Mystrom

 


Title: Ignite
Author:  ML Nystrom
Series: Iron City Nights MC
Genre: Dark MC Romance
Release Date: July 17, 2025
Cover Designer: Booksmith Design

Available now!

She’s a hacker with a cause. He’s an outlaw with a past. When their worlds collide, the fallout could burn them both. 

By day, Jazz serves coffee and sweet smiles. By night, she’s a cyber vigilante, tearing apart scam networks that prey on the innocent. Her secret war is supposed to be waged from behind a screen—until she takes down the wrong target and finds herself marked for death.

Wolf is the enforcer for the Iron City Knights MC, a club teetering on the edge of collapse. With rival bikers encroaching and the leadership in shambles, he’s got enough to handle without the distraction of the shy, blue-haired barista. But when Jazz saves a friend of his from getting conned, Wolf takes a closer look—and likes what he sees.

When bodies start piling up and Jazz becomes a target, Wolf’s protective instincts roar to life. He’ll kill to keep her safe. But Jazz has her own weapons, and she won’t sit back while her enemies close in.
As war brews in the streets and a deadly assassin hunts from the shadows, Jazz and Wolf must fight together—or risk losing everything.

Explosive passion. Heart-stopping danger. One ride-or-die love.

Perfect for fans of dark MC romance, Ignite is a steamy, high-stakes thrill ride with a strong heroine, a ruthless biker, and a love that burns hotter than the war around them.

Available now!


Jazz glanced up at the clock. Almost seven. Her heart fluttered a bit. It was about time for—
The bell rang over the door, and her breath caught as a thrill buzzed through her stomach. 
Wolf came in every morning, and from what she’d figured out, he usually came directly from his job. He didn’t work at the steel mill, but his cut showed his membership in a local motorcycle club, the Iron City Knights. They had some sort of machine shop down the street right next to the strip club they owned. Jazz had never been inside either place. Reason one? The only bike she owned operated by two pedals and a chain. Reason two? She was not a stripper, and her body didn’t have the assets to be one.
The neighborhood was rough by some standards, but the coffee shop, the Comers’ house, and surrounding businesses had the protection of the biker gang. 
Correction: biker club.
Jazz set up the espresso machine for double shots as she heard the velvety tones of Wolf’s voice. “Morning, Madge. Bill up yet?”
“Nah. Too early. I gotta go get him in about an hour. It’s too slippy for him right now.”
The hiss of the steamer drowned out anything else Madge and Wolf said. Jazz took a breath as she made the latte in a paper go-cup. Wolf never stayed unless Bill was there. Then the two men would sit at one of the square tables, sometimes getting into a chess game and conversing. On Bill’s bad days, Wolf would simply sit in silent company with the old man.
He never paid any attention to Jazz other than a random “Thanks” when she handed him his morning cup of joe. In fact, he seldom noticed her at all. She bit her lip as she wiped off the stainless-steel nozzle. I bet he doesn’t even know my name.
She finished the latte and popped a lid on top before handing it to him. His fingers brushed hers as he accepted it, and the contact sent another jolting zap through her body, already mega-aware of his presence. 
Gah, Jazz, quit doing the schoolgirl thing. You’re a friggin’ grown-ass woman. Act like it! 
She managed to smile at his disembodied “Thanks” and moved back to the machine to start the next order.
“Hey.” 
It was a single word, but it came out as an attention-grabbing command. Her heart flipped over and started doing burpees in her chest. She swallowed the sudden rush of saliva in her mouth and turned with a bright smile. Don’t show him you’re nervous, don’t show him you’re nervous, don’t show him you’re… “Yes?” 
“Wrap up a couple Danishes for me, yeah? Raspberry.”
Her brain short-circuited. Sure thing. No problem. “No thing.” Holy frig! “I mean, sure problem.” 
She felt her face flame as she bent low behind the counter to hide while she wrapped two of the biggest pastries in waxed paper. 
“Bill’s callin’ me to get ’im now.” Madge slid her cell phone closed. “Can’t stand not to be in the middle of things. Mind helpin’ me?”
Wolf grabbed the paper bag Jazz set on the glass display case without looking in her direction. “I’ll walk over with you.”
Jazz breathed easier after they left. She made herself a latte in one of the big white china mugs and swirled an elaborate leaf pattern in the top. Wolf’s effect on her dissipated, and her self-castigation started.
Why do you have to be such a dummy dork around him? Stop this moony crap and be an adult. 
Ugh. Perhaps someday she’d get over her crush on the man and move on.






I've had stories in my head since I was a child.  All sorts of stories of fantasy, romance, mystery and anything else that captured my interest. I'm a voracious reader, and have spent many hours in my life devouring books, therefore it's only fitting I should write a few myself!  

I've spent most of my life as a performing musician and band instrument repair technician, but that doesn't mean I'm pigeon-holed into one mold. I've been a university professor, belly dancer, craftsperson, soap maker, singer, rock band artist, jewelry maker, lifeguard, swim coach, and whatever else I feel like exploring.  As one of my students said to me once, "Life's too short to ignore the opportunities." I have no intention of ever stopping so welcome to my story world.  I hope you enjoy it!



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Teaser ~ Trouble in Heaven - The Trouble Series by JC Worthington

 

 


Fantasy / Fiction / Spirituality

Date Published: 11-17-2024

Publisher: Made for Success



In the beginning The Alpha created the heavens and the earth. This story takes place before that.



Excerpt


Shamayim. A perfect place filled with perfect beings living in perfect peace. The Alpha was love, and love was The Alpha, a trait he took great pains to embed within all his created beings. It would have been, therefore, perfectly understandable for this perfect existence to continue unabated. And it would have, had The Alpha not chosen to endow his created beings with the power to choose. But he did, and with that choice came trouble. Trouble in Heaven.

 


About the Authors


J.C. Worthington

JC Worthington, author of the Trouble Series, is a ministry leader and teacher, driven by his love of God. His imaginative storytelling blends timeless biblical truths with untold stories, taking readers on a mind-bending journey to explore the mysteries woven into Scripture.


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R.G. Ryan

R.G. Ryan started writing seriously following a long and satisfying career in the music industry as a songwriter, recording artist, arranger, producer and director of A&R for a couple of record labels. As a songwriter he has over one hundred and fifty songs in publication worldwide and has produced over one hundred album projects. He is the author of the Jake Moriarity series of thrillers, The Voices In My Head (the biography of late Las Vegas entertainment icon, Danny Gans), and the popular Snapshots At St. Arbuck's series. He lives with his first wife on the coast of somewhere beautiful. Can sing a little.


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Purchase Link

https://mybook.to/TroubleinHeaven

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Book Blitz ~ Crossfire - An Axel Blaze Thriller by Bill Runner

 



Crime Thriller, Military Thriller, Action Adventure, Vigilante Justice

Published Date: July 31

Publisher: Runner House Books

 

 


 “It wasn’t like breaking into a prison was on my bucket list. But then again, neither was helping terrorists stage a jailbreak. And yet, here I was.”


A prison break. Betrayals. Battle for survival.


September 2014. Yemen’s going up in flames, and Americans are caught in the inferno. Delta Force Captain Axel Blaze is sent straight into the

fire to extract Khalid Al-Mansour, an Al-Qaeda moneyman turned informant. Khalid promises intel that could save American lives, but it

comes at a price— his sons must be rescued from a rebel-controlled prison deep in hostile territory.


Blaze’s team pulls off the high-risk breakout, but the fallout is deadly. A chain of betrayals is set off. One of Khalid’s sons turns

traitor, leading Al-Qaeda right to the US embassy. Trapped, outnumbered, and fighting on hostile ground, Blaze and his team face a ruthless enemy

and impossible odds.


But this isn’t just about survival—this is about sending a message.

Blaze won’t just hold the line—he’ll blow the enemy to hell.


_________________

Praise for the series:

“Blaze combines the force of Reacher, the unapologetic badassery of

Dirty Harry, the savagery of Frank Castle, and the calculated precision of Bourne.”

"Blaze is a no-nonsense guy. Shoot second...after head butting the guy first. My kind of hero!"

“Blaze is a badass in the real sense of the word. He doesn’t stop until every bad guy is broken or dead.”


_________________

Readers are saying:

★★★★★ “…non-stop action…”

★★★★★ “…fast and violent…”

★★★★★ “Blaze is the new badass in town!!”

★★★★★ “Must read! This series rocks!!”

 

 

About the Author

 


 Bill Runner is the author of eleven books in the bestselling Axel Blaze thriller series. After the resounding success of his debut novel, Blaze

Returns, each subsequent book entered Amazon’s Crime Action Fiction or Military Thriller charts in the Top 5, with his last five books debuting

at #1. By 2025, combined sales for the series had crossed a quarter of a million copies.


Before turning to writing, Bill was an investigative reporter—a background that brings authenticity, depth, and a keen eye for detail to

his stories. His love for classic Westerns and lone ranger heroes profoundly influenced the creation of Axel Blaze, a character who stands

up against injustice no matter the odds.


Bill is an experienced mountain climber and a lifelong martial arts student. His extensive physical training and years on the crime beat

help him craft action scenes that are realistic, vivid, and exhilarating. To learn more about Bill and his books, visit him on Facebook under the name Bill Runner Author.


Contact Links

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Thursday, August 7, 2025

Book Tour ~ The Ballad of Midnight and McRae by Jess Lederman

 




Literary Historical Fiction / LGBT Friendly

Date Published: 07-16-2025




For Caleb McRae--devout Baptist, Texas Ranger, hero of the Wild West--life's simple enough: lawmen bring bad guys to justice, and hellfire's a sinner's fate. At least it seems that way, until he falls in love with the notorious outlaw, Henry Midnight...

Thomas Anderson of Literary Titan calls The Ballad of Midnight and McRae "wildly entertaining" and recommends it "to lovers of literary fiction, fans of Cormac McCarthy or Marilynne Robinson, and anyone who believes that stories still have the power to save."

Poet Malcolm Guite writes, "In the story of Midnight and McRae we are enabled to hear the long conversation between Pagan and Christian, and within Christianity between protestant and catholic. and on a personal level between father and son, between lover and beloved, and deep within ourselves, the conversation between the person we are pretending to be and the person we really are. And all these vital conversations are enfolded in and arise from a compelling story set on the frontiers, the badlands, and the formative days of America itself, the place where so many of these conversations need to take place."


“Wildly entertaining… Jess Lederman writes with a fierce tenderness, blending lyrical prose with grit and grace.”

—Thomas Anderson, Editor-in-Chief of Literary Titan





About the Author


Jess Lederman lives with his wife and young son in Southern California, where he writes historical fiction. His debut novel, Hearts Set Free, was an award-winning Amazon best-seller. When he's not writing or playing with his son, he's usually at the piano playing Chopin and Brahms for his wife.


Contact Links

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Purchase Link

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Book Blitz ~ Enjoying the Ride by Jennifer Vaughan Lague

 



Non-fiction Short Stories 

Date Published: July 20, 2025

Publisher: ‎MindStir Media



Life isn’t always about big, dramatic moments. Sometimes, the most meaningful experiences are tucked into the folds of our everyday routines—quiet, funny, touching, and occasionally bittersweet. Enjoying the Ride and the Short Stories Along the Way is a heartwarming collection of true short stories drawn from the life of Jennifer Vaughan Lague, an entrepreneur, mother, and grandmother who believes that life is best lived with humor, love, and a touch of perspective.


From nostalgic reflections of childhood to the joys and chaos of raising a blended family, each story is delivered with authenticity, warmth, and a dose of wit. You’ll meet the characters that color her world—family, friends, neighbors—and perhaps even see glimpses of your own life in the process.


Perfect for busy readers or those who prefer bite-sized inspiration, this collection can be picked up and enjoyed one story at a time. Whether you're looking for laughter, a little life wisdom, or a moment of connection, these stories will remind you to slow down, reflect, and most of all—enjoy the ride.

Highlights include:

🌹 A mysterious rose in the yard that says more than words ever could

👩‍👧 A heartfelt tribute to motherhood and all its messy beauty

🔥 Cozy memories of childhood, tangled hair, and The Muppet Show

🎄 Hilarious moments of parenting during the holidays

👣 A candid reminder not to let fear hold you back from fully living


This book is a love letter to the simple moments that shape us—and a tribute to those we carry in our hearts forever.

 


About the Author

 

 ✍️ Author Bio

Jennifer Vaughan Lague is an entrepreneur and storyteller based in Southern New Hampshire. As the owner of New England Tie Dye, she combines creative expression with a strong sense of community, building a business that brings color and connection to people’s lives. A loving wife, with a blended family of five adult children and four grandchildren, Jennifer draws inspiration from the joyful, chaotic, and unforgettable moments that come with raising a blended family.

Though her journey as a writer began with a local newspaper column, her stories quickly won hearts for their relatability, humor, and emotional resonance. With Enjoying the Ride and the Short Stories Along the Way, she shares a collection of those columns—true stories that remind us that life’s ordinary moments are often the most extraordinary.


When she’s not writing or working, you’ll find her near the beach or at the dojo—her favorite places to find peace, inspiration, and perspective as both a martial artist and a lifelong learner.


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