John Gilstrap, the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of the Jonathan Grave novels, continues his acclaimed Victoria Emerson thriller series with Blue Fire. In the wake of a global conflict that has devastated America, one woman must lead—and protect—a community of survivors determined to rebuild all they have lost . . .
They call it Hell Day—a world war that lasted less than twenty-four hours. Nations unleashed weapons that destroyed more than a century’s worth of technology. Electrical grids cannot generate power. Communications and computers cannot run. And the remnants of the U. S. government cannot be depended upon. Those who survived must live as their ancestors did, off a land ruled by the whims of nature.
One-time congressional representative Victoria Emerson has become the new leader of the small town of Ortho, West Virginia. She has been struggling to provide food and shelter for the town’s inhabitants, while coping with desperate refugees. An autumn morning’s calm is shattered when her teenage son sounds the alarm with the cry “Blue Fire”—the code phrase for imminent danger.
A band of National Guardsmen intends to take Ortho and its resources for themselves. They have enough soldiers and firepower to eliminate anyone who dares to stop them. But Victoria swore an oath to defend and protect her people, and she isn’t about to surrender. It’s time to tap into the traditional American values of courage, ingenuity, and determination – and fight fire with fire.
Brad Taylor meets The Stand in a riveting novel of suspense kicking off a brand new series perfect for fans of the page-turning novels of A.G. Riddle, Mark Greaney, and Matthew Mather. “One of the most singular and compelling heroines to come along in years.” —Jeffery Deaver, New York Times bestselling author “Snaps with action from the very first page.” —Marc Cameron, New York Times bestselling author of Stone Cross and of Tom Clancy’s Code of Honor
From John Gilstrap, the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of the Jonathan Grave novels, comes Crimson Phoenix—first in the new Victoria Emerson Thriller series. With America brought to the brink of destruction, one woman becomes the last hope of a nation and its people . . .
Victoria Emerson is a congressional member of the U. S. House of Representatives for the state of West Virginia. Her aspirations have always been to help her community and to avoid the ambitious power plays of her peers in Washington D. C. Then Major Joseph McCrea appears on her doorstep and uses the code phrase Crimson Phoenix, meaning this is not a drill. The United States is on the verge of nuclear war. Victoria must accompany McCrea to a secure bunker. She cannot bring her family.
A single mother, Victoria refuses to abandon her three teenage sons. Denied entry to the bunker, they nonetheless survive the nuclear onslaught that devastates the country. The land is nearly uninhabitable. Electronics have been rendered useless. Food is scarce. Millions of scared and ailing people await aid from a government that is unable to regroup, much less organize a rescue from the chaos.
Victoria devotes herself to reestablishing order—only to encounter the harsh realities required of a leader dealing with desperate people . . .
“Just the thing for readers who feel oppressed by the pandemic lockdown.” —KirkusReviews
“A gripping page-turner.” —Taylor Stevens, New York Times bestselling author “An explosive story that keeps your mind churning and pulse racing . . . Don't miss this powerful new series from a master thriller writer.” —Jamie Freveletti, international bestselling and award-winning author
John Gilstrap is the New York Times bestselling author of award-winning action novels including the Jonathan Grave Thrillers and the Victoria Emerson Thrillers. A master of action-driven suspense, his books have been translated into more than 20 languages. He is the recipient of an International Thriller Writers’ Award for Against All Enemies, the ALA Alex Award for Nathan’s Run, and a two-time ITW Award finalist. A nationally recognized weaponry and explosives safety expert as well as a National Shooting Sports Foundation member, John Gilstrap frequently speaks at conferences, events, clubs, youth programs, and military bases. He is a former firefighter and EMT with a master’s degree in safety from the University of Southern California and a bachelor’s degree in history from the College of William and Mary in Virginia. John lives in Fairfax, Virginia.
Can you find yourself in the midst of losing everything?
Levi
I could never be what my father expected of me. Content to run the family business wasn’t the life I saw for myself. I longed to serve my country, and it cost me more than my relationship with my dad. Now, as I recover from losing a limb, I smile through the pain. I pretend being alone doesn’t bother me. Make jokes to mask the anguish. But Mandy sees the truth and calls me out for self-sabotaging. That is one of the many reasons I find myself falling for her, despite her being my ex's best friend...
Mandy
I beat the odds and built a life I love. I know it can be done. Therefore, I refuse to allow my patients to think otherwise. When I see Levi masking his pain, I know it will prevent him from accepting his new truth and overcoming it. By working with him, I guide him on the road to recovery... until his estranged father shows up. Will everything we have worked for so far be shattered in a single moment or will Levi finally stand up for what he wants. And what if what he wants, isn't me?
Kaci runs on coffee, chocolate, and Oreos. She loves her book boyfriends with tattoos, muscles, beards, and a little dirty.
Kaci loves romance books and has been jotting down ideas since she was in high school and is now putting the ideas down on paper. She believes in satisfying, happily ever afters with a lot of steam on the way.
She was born and raised in Southwest Florida but is wholeheartedly a mountain girl. She has been reading as many books as she could get her hands on since grade school and loves to travel when she gets the chance.
From the incomparable Emmy, Grammy, and Tony Award winner, a powerful and revealing autobiography about race, sexuality, art, and healing.
It’s easy to be yourself when who and what you are is in vogue. But growing up Black and gay in America has never been easy. Before Billy Porter was slaying red carpets and giving an iconic Emmy-winning performance in the celebrated TV show Pose; before he was the groundbreaking Tony and Grammy Award-winning star of Broadway’s Kinky Boots; and before he was an acclaimed recording artist, actor, playwright, director, and all-around legend, Porter was a young boy in Pittsburgh who was seen as different, who didn’t fit in. At five years old, Porter was sent to therapy to “fix” his effeminacy. He was endlessly bullied at school, sexually abused by his stepfather, and criticized at his church. Porter came of age in a world where simply being himself was a constant struggle.
Billy Porter’s Unprotected is the life story of a singular artist and survivor in his own words. It is the story of a boy whose talent and courage opened doors for him, but only a crack. It is the story of a teenager discovering himself, learning his voice and his craft amidst deep trauma. And it is the story of a young man whose unbreakable determination led him through countless hard times to where he is now; a proud icon who refuses to back down or hide. Porter is a multitalented, multifaceted treasure at the top of his game, and Unprotected is a resonant, inspirational story of trauma and healing, shot through with his singular voice.
The Sexy Nerd's Review. . .
I finished off my Black History Month of February by reading a book I’ve been so excited to delve into, the memoir of Billy Porter. We both hail from the same City of Pittsburgh and he stomped on the same grounds in which I had and still do from time to time. To say he’s made quite a name for himself is truly an understatement. He lives unapologetically Billy Porter, but it took many years of life’s hard lessons and traumatic experiences to get him there. Billy’s struggles as an artist mirror so many other entertainers you’ve come across and read about throughout time. He’s not different in that sense, but he’s one of those people that you can’t sum up his life in a few words or place his experiences in some type of box you’d check off. No, Billy was the first in many rights and respects and with that comes a huge amount of responsibility that he later learns in the latter years of his life.
I always give any author the respect they’re due for having written their book. When it comes to memoirs, I’m extremely careful not to judge an individual’s personal experiences because what right does anyone have to tell you that what you felt isn’t what you felt, however, having said that, I have to say I had a few issues with this memoir. I’ve read hundreds of them throughout my lifetime. I can usually spot bullshit a mile away and I can also spot the sincerity of an author’s words. Having said that, fellow Nerds also know that I’m very technical when it comes to reading. I will fact check as much as possible what a person is saying which brings me to why I’m stating this in my review. Although I enjoyed Billy Porter’s memoir, there were some sections that gave me pause. Let me see if I can better explain in my review.
When he started mentioning the Hill District, of which I’m from, and its alleged history of the popular 80’s police drama, Hill Street Blues, loosely based, I smiled to myself. I, too, use that fact for my writing material, so I get why he mentioned it. However, while learning about a younger Billy Porter growing up in Lawrenceville, right over the hill from the Hill District, some of his landmarks and humble beginnings caused me to rack my brain because I’m not quite sure what he was referring? For instance, when he talks about the first time he was beat up for being what he referred to as a “sissy,” he details walking to a school off of Wylie Avenue and seeing the metal bars of a fence as that castle in the sky. I was a bit perplexed by the comment. I stopped reading and immediately began going over every elementary school in the Hill District and for the life of me, I could not find this school he referred to. The only elementary school near or around Wylie Avenue is Vann Elementary and there’s nothing about the school that would remind you of a ‘big castle in the sky.’
Billy goes into great detail about the physical abuse he received at the hands of his stepfather, which sort of brings me to another issue I had. I do not in any way support anyone to abuse a child in any shape, form or fashion, but I became confused as to if Billy was suggesting that because of the abuse he suffered at the hands of his stepfather was due, in part, to why he’s gay? Or did he mean that because he was being taken advantage he didn’t realize that what they were doing were wrong? What child is supposed to understand sex at seven years old anyways? I bring up this fact because if the children of the elementary school he went to in the Hill District tortured him and caused him harm because they knew he was “different,” according to Billy’s own words, then he always knew he was gay and his stepfather didn’t aid in his homosexuality. I got the expressed feeling that Billy was somehow faulting his stepfather for why he is the way he is? As far as the trauma he experienced, his stepfather 100% is at fault for that, but I don’t believe he caused Billy to become gay. Do you understand my confusion? For me, I found some of the continuity of his own story to not jell with his own thoughts. It was as if the timeline of his stories didn’t add up to me. I experienced this a great deal in the very beginning of his book.
I enjoyed his telling of going to Carnegie Mellon University and speaking about CAPA and taking the Port Authority buses to get around the City of Pittsburgh. For him to come from a small town and blow up into such a huge megastar is an understatement. I’m truly proud of his accomplishments and how far he has come. When I first learned of his Tony win for Kinky Boots and the news reporters here in Pittsburgh kept saying, “Pittsburgh’s own, Billy Porter.” I didn’t even know of this man until that happened and to discover he was from my city was just an added plus. I can tell from his experiences he is extremely flamboyant and eccentric, which I happen to delight in. I love the fact that he’s different and brings a little extra to the art world. I also realize that Billy is often criticized for this fact too. Most of all, Billy loves herself some Billy Porter! A diva let you know this through every page, and rightly so, she’s proud of her own accomplishments as well.
Overall, Nerds, this was a decent memoir. There were times I felt he went on and on about things that I didn’t find of interest and he name dropped quite a bit. I think he did that because he wasn’t able to properly thank all those who have helped him through his career when receiving his awards throughout the years. What better way to thank anyone than to have their name in print? He definitely did that in his memoir.
The Sexy Nerd gives, Unprotected, four protected stars. If you enjoy Billy Porter’s work and watching him on the Red Carpet slay the bitches, as he’d say, then you will undoubtedly enjoy his memoir. This wasn’t a bad read at all and had some very humorous moments, especially when Billy speaks in “her” language. WERK! (wink, wink!) Until next time, Nerds, you know what to do! Those who slay stay oooookay! (snap!)
Almost ten years ago, I did my duty and married a female even though I was desperately in love with an older man. When she died giving birth to a child who could never take the throne, I ran. I left home, shirking my responsibilities, knowing eventually they’d catch up to me. Well, they have. My father now insists I marry a female half my age so I can father a proper heir and secure our rule over the First House for several more generations.
Being chosen to serve the king is a dream come true.
Even though I grew up poor, I worked hard to support my mother. When my mentor chose me to travel to America with the king, I was unbelievably honored to meet his son, the future ruler of all werewolves. I didn’t know how to react when I first laid eyes on Prince Caster, but he cast a spell over me with a single glance, and my life changed forever. I was not only looking at my future king, but the man made just for me. The moment his lips met mine, I knew this story would end horribly…in either heartache or death.
Denying destiny is a terrible idea.
As desperately as I want to ignore my attraction to the common brown wolf, I cannot. The moment I saw the warm glow of his amber eyes, the need to take him into my arms and drag him off to my bed was overwhelming. Alas, I have a duty to perform, and it doesn’t involve the man Mother Nature made only for me.
This story won’t end well…I just know it.
Night of the Blood Red Moon is a gay romance with an HEA ending.
Excerpt
I’d never seen a more beautiful creature in my life.
The diamonds around her neck, around her wrists, and on her fingers were no match for the sparkle in her bright blue eyes. They were framed with black lashes, a much darker shade than the light blonde of her hair which was twined in a ribboned braid and piled on top of her head. When she smiled at her father who bent to kiss her rosy cheeks, the whole world seemed to light up. Much worse than all of this were the thoughts that I heard in her head.
“In person, he’s so much more handsome than the portrait he sent. Oh…look at him. My mate is the most regal and kind man on earth. How could I be so lucky to have been blessed by such a wonderful soul. I hope he loves me. I already love him.”
Her unspoken words made the tatters of my heart sink. She wasn’t horrible at all. She was a lovestruck girl, and I’d never felt so lost in my entire life.
“Emory, get control of your thoughts. If I can hear them, others will. You’re slipping,” Claudio whispered beside me. We stood on the semi-circular driveway in front of the inn with most of the other servants who were ordered to stop whatever they were doing to come and witness the arrival of the future queen of werewolves. I glanced over at him, noting how handsome my best friend looked, standing up straight and tall with everyone else.
All in all, there had to be fifty servants standing at attention on either side of the crescent driveway. We looked good, well-groomed, and dressed in our best uniforms of black pants, long-sleeved white shirts, and black vests. Some of the senior staff wore suit coats. Claudio and I didn’t. It wasn’t required. The females wore their hair pulled up and the males’ shoes were all buffed to a high polish.
“You’re right. Sorry.” I nodded to my best friend, and then turned back, knowing by the frown on Claudio’s face, how miserable my expression had to be as we watched this farce playing out on the driveway. Only hours before, I’d woken in my lover’s arms, and he was now leaning down to take Lady Penelope’s delicate hands in his and buss both of her cheeks. I felt a sob rising in my throat and choked it back, relieved when Claudio’s hand slipped into mine and squeezed my fingers.
Tears burned behind my eyes as I watched Caster straighten and smile at Penelope before offering her his elbow. She blushed prettily and took the offered elbow with both small hands. As he waited for her to turn, he lifted his head and stared right past her much shorter form. When his ice blue gaze met mine, I felt a pang of longing run through me. As our gazes met, I thought I recognized a similar look in his eyes but just as quickly as it had appeared, it was gone, replaced with the dark glare he now wore. I trembled in Claudio’s hold, and he crushed my fingers in his hand just as Caster dragged his gaze from mine and turned away, leading his bride into the house.
“Breathe, Emory. It’s over,” Claudio whispered.
I gasped, suddenly feeling so lightheaded, I thought for sure I’d faint. I looked over at him and recognized the pitying expression he wore on his face. I nodded.
“I’m fine. I’m…good.” My lower lip trembled, and my eyes filled with tears, belying my words.
About the Author. . .
International bestselling author Patricia Logan, resides in Los Angeles, California. The author of several #1 bestselling romances in English, Italian, French, and Spanish lives in a small house with a large family. When she’s not writing her next thriller romance, she’s watching her grandchildren grow up way too soon, and raising kids who make her proud every day. One of her favorite tasks is coaxing nose kisses from cats who insist on flopping on her keyboard while she types. Married to a wonderful man for 35 years, she counts herself lucky to be surrounded by people who love her and give her stories to tell every day.
Pick up your favorite Patricia Logan Book from Amazon
I witness a crime I have no business seeing. Now I’m in the clutches of a powerful and deadly mafia boss.
From the moment he comes into the Dollhouse, he won’t take his eyes off me.
He might be just what I need. A big spender to help me with my money issues.
But there’s one problem.
This is no average man. This is Giovanni Sorrentino, the new King of Vegas.
And when I stumble on something I shouldn’t, I realize I’m in big trouble.
Now it’s more than just money on the line.
I’m a goner unless I accept his deal—vow to be his, and I get to live.
But how long will it be before this ruthless King tires of his new toy?
King of Vegas is book 1 of 3 in the City of Sinner's dark mafia romance series. It is not suitable for readers under 18 due to graphic violent and sexual content.
A sometimes hilarious, sometimes sad, always brutally honest account of 20 online dates with 20 different men
Memoir, Pop Culture, Relationships, Humor, Dating
Date Published:January 2022
"...I was sixteen years old when I became familiar with heartbreak, when I developed a disdain for whoever made up the whole sticks and stones bullshit..."
Live vicariously through Lindsay Taylor Dellinger's 20 online dates with 20 different men as she recounts the sweet to the downright absurd. From charming one-night stands to grown men genuinely spooked by skeletal art, come for the laughs and stay for the drama!
"...I teetered dangerously somewhere between a four-legged furry friend and a one-way flight to a Mediterranean country where the fine men were just as abundant as the fine wine..."
The thirty-three-year-old divorcée weaves her dating tales through a contrasting lens of therapy, wine, and an unforgiving past. Will she or won't she find her "Ride or Die" online?
*This publication is unsuitable for children under the age of 18*
About the Author. . .
Lindsay is a Los Angeles-based freelance writer and graphic artist and former fashion industry Art Director, currently traveling the United States in the “WOW WAGON,” a 30-year-old Bluebird International school bus. She resides in this converted tiny home with the two most important men in her life, her love and talented artist, JazEfx, and her thirteen-year-old feline, Sir Benson Brunello the First and Only (Benson, for short).
Lindsay completed her first memoir, which was on January 25, 2022. She also maintains her five-year-old blog, The Road Linds Travels, which covers everything from her travels, both near and far, the tragic losses of her life, wine, and everything in between.
The explosive, first-ever insider’s account of a case that continues to fascinate the public—the shocking wrongful conviction of Russell Faria for his wife’s murder—a gripping read told by New York Times bestselling true crime expert Charles Bosworth Jr. and Joel J. Schwartz, the defense attorney who battled for justice, and ultimately prevailed.
On December 27th, 2011, Russell Faria returned to his Troy, Missouri, home after his weekly game night with friends to an unthinkable, grisly scene: His wife, Betsy, lay dead, a knife still lodged in her neck. She’d been stabbed fifty-five times.
First responders concluded that Betsy was dead for hours when Russ discovered her. No blood was found implicating Russ, and surveillance video, receipts, and friends’ testimony all supported his alibi. Yet incredibly, police and the prosecuting attorney ignored the evidence. In their minds, Russ was guilty. But prominent defense attorney Joel J. Schwartz quickly recognized the real killer.
The motive was clear. Days before her murder, the terminally ill Betsy replaced her husband with her friend, Pamela Hupp, as her life insurance beneficiary. Still, despite the prosecution’s flimsy case and Hupp’s transparent lies, Russ was convicted—leaving Hupp free to kill again.
Bone Deep takes readers through the perfect storm of miscalculations and missteps that led to an innocent man’s conviction—and recounts Schwartz’s successful battle to have that conviction overturned. Written with Russ Faria’s cooperation, and filled with chilling new revelations and previously undisclosed evidence, this is the story of what can happen when police, prosecutor, judge, and jury all fail in their duty to protect the innocent—and let a killer get away with murder.
Charles Bosworth Jr. is a New York Times and Amazon bestselling author of six true-crime books, with millions of books in print, as ebooks, and audiobooks. He wrote about crime and the courts in twenty-seven years as a daily newspaper reporter, including twenty years with the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. He also has reported for the New York Times and the Chicago Tribune. He lives in Southwestern Illinois in the metro St. Louis area.
Joel J. Schwartz earned his law degree from the University of Texas School of Law and has spent thirty years as a criminal defense lawyer in the St. Louis region as a principal in Rosenblum, Schwartz & Fry.. He has been selected to the annual Super Lawyers list, is a member of the Top 100 Trial Lawyers for the American Trial Lawyers Association, and is a lifetime member of the National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers. He has appeared on Dateline NBC, 60 Minutes, CBS Morning News, CNN, Fox News and numerous local news affiliates.
Connor Jenkins is sick of rejection. Now, instead of getting close to anyone, he lives vicariously through other people's phones and webcams. Thanks to his skills, he always gets away with it.
Until he hacks his idol.
Brendan Shyth is haunted by loss. First, the death of his boy. Then the end of his music career thanks to a grief-induced drunken accident. Fringe science regrew his fingers, but he still can't bring himself to play again. Avoiding his fans, the media, and his manager, Brendan hides in his mansion, determined to be left alone.
Until he finds his webcam on and realizes someone is watching him. Someone other than the ghost of his dead lover, that is.
Brendan has Connor tracked down and kidnapped, meaning to teach him a lesson. But the teasing brat gets under his skin in a way that no one has in years.
A boy in need of security. A ghost in need of acceptance. A man in need of faith. With a career, sanity, and hearts on the line, can these men overcome their fears before it's too late?
Restored Ruins is the first book in the Gentleman Hackers series. It features a boy whose hair color never stays the same, a daddy who puts him in serious time-out, a ghost desperate to be seen, and an MMM HEA ending. No pianos were harmed in the writing of this romance (though they do make good horizontal surfaces).
Excerpt
First of all, rude.
He tried to blink the haze from his vision while he processed this strange, new reality.
Someone had actually managed to catch him.
Well, shit. Well done.
Connor started to sit up, then paused. Two things occurred to him at once. Three things, actually. One, it was somehow morning already. Two, he was in a bed. With some amazingly soft sheets, by the way. Damn. He was going to have to figure out what they were made of and get some for himself.
Not that he could probably afford them, but, hey, a boy could dream.
And, three…
He was naked.
Connor raised an eyebrow. Huh.
He stared up at the ceiling as he took stock of his body. The soft sheets cascaded over his naked skin, making him hyper-aware of every tiny movement he made. A slow inhale made the fabric brush teasingly over his nipples, and a slight shift of his leg had the sheets drifting over his groin. Connor squeezed his legs together. Holy fuck. Much more of that and he would be a horny mess, though it was already almost too late for that.
Connor paused, wondering if his kidnappers were watching him.
He bit back a moan at the idea, then muttered a curse and shook his head. He had to focus.
Connor drew his arms out from under the sheets. He wasn't restrained in any way. There was nothing stopping him from getting out of bed and exploring the room. And he didn't feel pain anywhere. Other than where the needle had gone in. That still stung.
Again. Rude.
Connor rubbed the spot and slowly sat up. At least his kidnapper had been kind enough to keep the ground from punching him in the face. That would not have been fun.
He paused, then probed all over his face with his fingertips, just to be sure.
Nothing hurt there. Connor: one. Ground: zero. Ha! Take that.
Chuckling to himself, he glanced around the room, trying to guess where he might be. It looked like a normal bedroom—bed, dresser, nightstands, lamps—but way more high-end than he was used to. Spacious. Elegant. Obviously expensive, but tastefully so. And it didn't have the rubber-stamp feel of a hotel room. Connor had seen plenty of those—from casual hookups with businessmen just passing through town—so he would know.
But this was different. This was custom. Unique. This was someone's home.
He looked to one side and saw a pair of glass doors leading out to a balcony, the view obscured by some gauzy curtains. Across from him was an open doorway into a washroom. Connor blinked. Holy shit. Even from that angle, the washroom looked enormous, and he was sure he wasn't even seeing half of it.
On the nightstand beside him was a small computer tablet. When Connor started to reach for it, the device detected his proximity and illuminated the screen, showing him a home control panel. There were options for room temperature, dimmed lighting, and blackout window shades, amongst other things.
Connor smirked. Don't worry, darling. I'll play with you later.
He grabbed the sheets, meaning to toss them aside and get out of bed so he could explore the room more thoroughly, then stopped when he heard the snap of a key in a lock.
Connor spotted the door—fancy double doors, in fact—and watched them slowly open.
He blinked stupidly and almost laughed as a butler appeared in the widening gap. An actual, real-life butler. White gloves and all.
Before Connor could voice his mirth, though, the butler stepped aside and bowed his head deferentially, revealing another man who'd been standing behind him.
The second man took a few steps into the room, glaring directly at Connor.
Connor's jaw dropped.
Holy shit.
Vesad Stromos. Right there. In the flesh.
He'd been kidnapped by Vesad Stromos. Forget just spying on the man through a hacked webcam. He was actually inside the famous musician's house.
Day. Fucking. Made!
About the Author . . .
G.R. Lyons stumbled into writing as a form of trauma recovery when traditional therapy wasn't working.
Then the story ideas just kept on coming.
Pulling from a vivid imagination as well as real-life experience as a trans man, a sexual assault survivor, and a person living with mental illness, Lyons has written multiple, interconnected series set within his fictional world of the Shifting Isles.
When not writing, Lyons can be found belly dancing around the house, studying anarcho-capitalist philosophy, buried in his never-ending TBR pile, or working out at the local CrossFit gym.
