Sheila's Guests and Reviews

I love the light - anyone who knows me will know that. But I love to read about "the dark", so when I invited celebrated author Stephen Zimmer to my blog, there was one burning question I had to ask: Why do we Read and Write about the Dark. Here's his answer, and welcome to the blog tour for his new Hellscapes novel, Days of Darkness. (Watch this space for my review, coming soon!) Why Write and Read About the Dark? By Stephen Zimmer   The question of whether or not to write and read about the Dark boils down to a few stark realities, in my view. Life isn’t fair, far from it, and there is a harsh, merciless side to it that everyone, sooner or later, experiences.  Death looms at the end of life’s road, intractable, and genuine evil not only exists, but, I would argue, is pervasive. What encompasses the Dark is an unavoidable part of every living being’s life experience, in terms of this mortal, and often difficult, world.  It is not something that goes away if we refuse to ...

Today I'm delighted to welcome author Steven L. Shrewsbury back to my blog with his new, action-packed heroic fantasy novel, Killer of Giants! I've been a reader and fan of myths and legends, swords and sorcery, and dark fantasy since childhood, so I know I will love exploring this first story of the Keltos warrior Rogan! But... is there light in the darkness? Over to you Steven Novels for a Brighter World By Steven L. Shrewsbury I have in my bio that I seek after brightness in this world wherever it may hide. I know what I meant when I said it, but was asked recently what about this new book of mine, KILLER OF GIANTS adds to the world’s brightness. It’s a book, a story, a yarn that will take you away from the mundane stuff of everyday life. One doesn’t need to look at social media, wonder which spoiled Hollywood celeb is sleeping with who or slapped who…or how many people are killing each other in Asia. All the arguments over silly political nonsense that distracts people...

 Today I get to welcome author Paoline Milana to my blog, with her book Committed. After reading a little about the book and author, I realize why this could be such a readable and important book, so look below for places where you can buy it, and please enjoy this note from the author. Thank you for visiting my blog, Paolina. SHIFTING THE SCRIPT OF INSANITY By Paolina Milana My mom and my younger sister were both diagnosed with paranoid schizophrenia. From the age of about ten, my life and that of my family revolved around mental illness. In my early twenties, when my father died, I took on the role of primary caregiver. I kept secret from the outside world the fact that insanity had taken root in my family tree, and I was tasked with tending its garden. As strong as I was and as much as I appeared a success from the outside looking in, I struggled to stay sane while surrounded with madness. The story I was living, the beliefs I held, the shame I felt nearly did me in. I had to sh...

  Today I'm delighted to welcome author Melodie Romeo to my blog, featuring her book release, Tribute in Blood, which promises thrills and romance immersed in a historical setting, as Vlad the Impaler returns! A thrilling read for the coming holiday season, I'm told, so I'm looking forward to reading it! Meanwhile, she's here to share some information about the famous Dracula.   So, over to you Melodie, and thank you for visiting here: Thoughts on Vlad Tepes by Melodie Romeo All characters, even villains, are multifaceted individuals with strengths and weaknesses, successes and failures, virtues and vices. I found the same to be true of Vlad Tepes, history’s Dracula. Prince Vlad of Walachia (1431-1476) was a capable strategist and military leader who defeated one of the greatest conquerors of his day, a pro-autonomist who desired to raise his principality to full nation status, a shrewd politician who knew how to play one adversary off another… but he was also a sadi...

Apeksha Rao is visiting my blog today with some fascinating information about authorly spidey senses... Welcome Apeksha! About the Book: Are your Spidey senses tingling? At 17, Samira Joshi has only one dream in life. She wants to be a spy. And why not? Spying runs in the Joshi genes. Her great-grandmother was famous for sticking her nose in everyone’s business. Her grandmother had a flourishing side-business of tracking down errant husbands and missing servants. Her parents are elite intelligence agents for RAW. Yet, they want their only daughter to become a doctor. When she sees a college friend being trapped by a pimp, Samira does some spying of her own, and discovers the existence of a secret sisterhood of teen spies — The Spyders. And, she wants in! The question is, do they want her? To find out, read this fast-paced, gripping YA novel by brand new author, Apeksha Rao. Apeksha has brought along a surprise guest ... one angry chick! So read on to learn more: Tina Rane is one angry...

  Today I'm delighted to welcome author Apeksha Rao to my blog. She introducing her book, Along came a Spyder - an enticing title indeed - and here's what it's about. About the Book: At 17, Samira Joshi has only one dream in life. She wants to be a spy. And why not? Spying runs in the Joshi genes. Her great-grandmother was famous for sticking her nose in everyone’s business. Her grandmother had a flourishing side-business of tracking down errant husbands and missing servants. Her parents are elite intelligence agents for RAW. Yet, they want their only daughter to become a doctor. When she sees a college friend being trapped by a pimp, Samira does some spying of her own, and discovers the existence of a secret sisterhood of teen spies — The Spyders. And, she wants in! The question is, do they want her? Book Links: Goodreads * Amazon Read an Excerpt from Along Came a Spyder I was being followed. I just didn’t know it. You couldn’t blame me, really. I was only sixteen at t...

Today I'm delighted to welcome author Gen LaGreca to my blog, as she celebrates the release of her novel, Just the Truth. Since I love both reading and writing, I was delighted to read her answer to why we love fiction and how it touches our lives. At this particular time, her answer seems all the more relevant. Why We Love Fiction, and How it Touches our Lives By Gen LaGreca   Are there great novels, short stories, plays, and feature films that thrilled you, shocked you, gave you moments of nail-biting, edge-of-your-seat suspense, or steamy, passionate love scenes? Are there works of fiction that got you thinking about important issues? Did you ever wonder about the power of fiction to inform and inspire us?   News stories, text books, essays, articles, white papers, and nonfiction books give us a straight-forward account of factual issues, whereas works of fiction tell us a story. Fiction comes from the imagination filled with adventure, excitement, romance, intrigue, ...