#BookReview: Grave Empire (The Great Silence, #1) by @richardswanauthor

Synopsis:
From critically acclaimed author Richard Swan, Grave Empire begins the epic tale of an empire on the verge of industrial revolution, where sorcery and arcane practices are outlawed – and where an ancient prophecy threatens the coming end of days.

Blood once turned the wheels of empire. Now it is money.

A new age of exploration and innovation has dawned, and the Empire of the Wolf stands to take its place as the foremost power in the known world. Glory and riches await.

But dark days are coming. A mysterious plague has broken out in the pagan kingdoms to the north, while in the south, the Empire’s proxy war in the lands of the wolfmen is weeks away from total collapse. 

Worse still is the message brought to the Empress by two heretic monks, who claim to have lost contact with the spirits of the afterlife. The monks believe this is the start of an ancient prophecy heralding the end of days—the Great Silence. 

It falls to Renata Rainer, a low-ranking ambassador to an enigmatic and vicious race of mermen, to seek answers from those who still practice the arcane arts. But with the road south beset by war and the Empire on the brink of supernatural catastrophe, soon there may not be a world left to save... 

#Teaser: The PATRON SAINT of LOST GIRLS by @maureentaitken @RABTBookTours

 

Literary Fiction / Short Story Collection

Date Published: 09-16-2025

Publisher: Wayne State University Press

In 1970s and '80s Detroit, the city wrestles with an unending economic downturn, increasing violence, and white exodus to the suburbs. Amid all of this is twentysomething Mary who is just trying to grapple with her identity in a world filled with uncertainty.

In this collection of linked stories, we follow Mary as she seeks to cope with and withstand hardship and confront her fears of exploitation, abuse, and death. Along the way, she delves into the complex yet nurturing relationships with her family and friends who teach her to love better, live fuller, and question power. The Patron Saint of Lost Girls presents an unflinching tale of life in the late twentieth-century postindustrial Midwest.

#BookBlitz: The Doctor's Future by @drgarbelli @RABTBookTours

Non-Fiction - Medical Leadership

Date Published: June 29, 2025

In a world where artificial intelligence, robotics, and automation are rapidly transforming medicine, what is the future of the doctor? Dr. Pietro Emanuele Garbelli delivers a compelling, solutions-driven roadmap for physicians and healthcare leaders navigating this revolutionary shift. With over two decades of frontline medical and consulting experience, Dr Garbelli introduces the powerful Healthcare Convergence Framework™ - a strategic guide to help doctors not only survive but lead in an AI-driven healthcare system. If you're ready to embrace innovation while staying rooted in the art of healing, this book is your blueprint for purposeful progress.

#ReleaseBlitz for Pretty Desperate by @laceyblackwrites @GiveMeBooksPR

Title: Pretty Desperate

Series: Pine Village #6

Author: Lacey Black

Genre: Contemporary Romance

Tropes: Small Town/Friends to Lovers

Fake Relationship/Surprise Pregnancy

Release Date: September 2, 2025

BLURB

Jillian

They say when one door closes another one opens, right? When the door closed on my marriage, I was fortunate to follow a new dream. One that led me to opening my own bakery in downtown Pine Village. It hasn’t been easy, especially in the offseason, but I make it work. I’m content. Happy.

Then Kameron Markley showed up on my doorstep, begging me to be his fake girlfriend.

It seems like such a simple plan, especially when we’re both getting something out of it. Unfortunately, it doesn’t take long before lines are blurred and crossed, and suddenly, the relationship doesn’t feel so fake after all.

Kameron

For the last decade, I’ve poured my heart and soul into my restaurant, turning a small-town space into a top steak house. The building beside mine has been sitting for as long as I can remember, and the owner is finally ready to sell. The only problem is, she thinks it needs to go to a family man. Suddenly, I’m desperate.

That’s when I come up with the wild idea to find a fake girlfriend.

Jillian Kirby fits the bill to a T, and with a little negotiation, we’re able to work out a deal where we both come out ahead. What I wasn’t expecting was it being so easy to be around her. Suddenly, the lie we’re telling does feel like it’s so right. I want it to be real.

#ReleaseBlitz for Isolated by @authorakevans @GiveMeBooksPR

Title: Isolated

Series: Harper Security Ops #21

Author: A.K. Evans

Genre: Romantic Suspense

Tropes: Friends to Lovers/Opposites Attract

Slow Burn

Release Date: September 2, 2025

BLURB

Iris Gibson loves her life.

She adores her family, has great friends, and is devoted to her job. Though she hasn’t found the one yet, Iris is confident her guy is out there. She’s been fortunate in every other area of her life.

But that’s when things change.

Private investigator Landen Fox has seen his fair share of puzzling and heartbreaking cases. But he never expected the one bright spot he could always count on in his day would wind up in his office with a dark cloud hanging over her.

Landen can’t help but feel for the cheerful woman who seems to have lost it all in the blink of an eye. When the people most important to Iris turn on her, leaving her feeling more isolated than ever, Landen vows to figure out who’s out to sabotage her.

And in the process of uncovering Iris’s history, the pair form a connection neither of them saw coming.

#ReleaseBlitz for The House Guest by @penelopewardauthor #GiveMeBooksPR

Title: The House Guest

Author: Penelope Ward

Genre: Standalone Contemporary Romance

Tropes: Billionaire Hero/Roommates/Twist

Slow Burn/Angsty/Opposites Attract

Release Date: August 31, 2025

BLURB

From New York Times bestselling author Penelope Ward comes a new, STANDALONE contemporary romance…

The last thing Dorian Vanderbilt expected was to find me painting in my crop top when he returned to the mansion he hadn’t inhabited in years.

He was understandably surprised I’d turned his living room into an art space.

Life is certainly full of surprises, though, but not always in a good way.

I learned that lesson when my aunt and the billionaire she married died unexpectedly while traveling.

I’d been living with them, and just like that, my life was turned on its axis.

Unsure of what was next, I stayed alone at the barren estate figuring out my next move.

That was when Dorian—the late billionaire’s only son—showed up.

I’d never met Dorian Vanderbilt. He’d been living on the other side of the country.

But now, he was home, left to pick up the pieces of his father’s legacy.

Not only was Dorian devastatingly handsome and mysterious, but he was the sole heir to the Vanderbilt fortune.

He didn’t seem to like me—at first. We were total opposites. But I was grateful that at least he didn’t kick me out.

We stayed out of each other’s way for the most part, save for some late-night kitchen run-ins or unexpected bonding sessions in the home theater.

Over time, though, we grew closer. Turned out, our chemistry was pretty combustible.

I was falling in love with him.

Until everything I thought I knew turned upside down yet again.

And fate left me pining for the one man I’d ever loved.

#BookTour: The Perfect Ten by #JohnIredale @RABTBookTours

Fiction / Drama

Date Published: May 22, 2025

The Perfect Ten is a gripping tale of friendship, betrayal, and the lengths people will go to when pushed to the edge.

When three high school friends witness a disturbing event, they make a pact to never speak of it again. Twenty-five years later, their high school reunion reignites not only memories—but a dangerous new alliance. Two of the men are facing personal crises: one is drowning in debt, the other desperate to save his wife from a rare cancer. Their third friend, connected to a powerful mafia family, may hold the key to their salvation—but at what cost?

As the trio ventures into the high-stakes world of counterfeiting, an unexpected fourth member joins their scheme—a once-forgotten classmate whose transformation is as stunning as it is surprising.

Spanning the coal mines of Pennsylvania to the glittering heights of Manhattan’s finance and fashion districts, The Perfect Ten takes readers on an international journey filled with twists, secrets, and moral gray areas. With characters you’ll root for and a pace that never lets up, this smart, fast-moving thriller asks: How far would you go for the people you love?