The Friar's Last Curse by Kathleen Bailey Interview

 

  The Friar's Last Curse: A Wren Meadows Mystery by Kathleen Bailey

About The Friar's Last Curse

 

  The Friar's Last Curse: A Wren Meadows Mystery 

  Cozy Mystery 

  1st in Series 

  Setting - Virginia 

  Publisher : Rhino Publishing LLC 

  Publication date : November 10, 2026 

  Print length : 382 pages 

  Hardcover ISBN-10 : 195627023X

ISBN-13 : 978-1956270235 

  Paperback ISBN-10 : 1956270221 

  ISBN-13 : 978-1956270228

Digital ISBN-13 : 978-1956270211 

  ASIN : B0HJHK3D3K

A buried treasure. A murder rooted in local legend. Small towns hide the best secrets. Wren Meadows is an animal communicator and ghostwriter living in the beautiful Blue Ridge Mountain town of Covington Crossroads, Virginia. Between helping lost pets reunite with their families and meeting deadlines for her latest client, life in her charming small town is just the way she likes it—until a frightened woman appears at her door with a desperate plea for help. When Wren receives a cryptic message that triggers a memory from eleven years ago, she gets pulled into a murder investigation that quickly lands her on the police radar. Clues link the crime to a local legend of a buried treasure rumored to be cursed. Everyone connected to the victim seems to be hiding something, including the one person Wren needs to trust most. As old secrets surface, Wren must form an unlikely alliance with a suspicious filmmaker to protect those she cares about. When a treasure hunt leads to a shocking discovery, the proof Wren needs fits into the palm of her hand. To bring the killer to justice, she must rely on her instincts, her German shepherd Scout, and her ability to see what others don’t before another life is lost. Someone in Covington Crossroads knows the truth. And they'll do anything to keep it buried. The Friar’s Last Curse is perfect for readers who love atmospheric cozy mysteries, found family, small-town charm, hidden secrets, loyal animal companions, and page-turning suspense. The Wren Meadows Mystery Series blends folklore, Southern atmosphere, heart, and humor in emotionally immersive cozy mysteries featuring a strong female amateur sleuth you'll want as a friend. Come for the mystery. Stay for the characters.

About Kathleen Bailey

Kathleen Bailey is the award-winning author of The Olivia Penn Mystery Series and The Wren Meadows Mystery Series. She writes atmospheric mysteries with heart and humor that keep to the traditional and cozy sides of crime. For over twenty years, she worked as a pediatric physical therapist with children who have special needs, drawing on degrees in English, psychology, and physical therapy. She now writes in Virginia with her feline assistant, who insists on supervising every draft. When she’s not writing, Kathleen can usually be found covered in cat hair, surrounded by far too many sticky notes, and plotting new twists to keep readers guessing. She is a member of Sisters in Crime. Visit her online at kathleenbaileyauthor.com. Follow on Instagram @cozycrimewriter.

Interview:

1. When did you first realize you wanted to be a writer?

I’ve wanted to be a writer since I was in first grade. Life took many twists and turns along the way, but that little voice inside me was always there. After working over twenty years as a pediatric physical therapist, I finally had the opportunity to fulfill that dream.

2. How long does it take you to write a book?

Writing a book can take anywhere from six to eight months. For me, the process includes all the research, outlining, drafting, writing, and revising. Then, the editing and proofreading process can add another two to three months.

3. What is your work schedule like when you're writing?

I usually write in the mornings for several hours. Then, depending on where I am in the process, I may write more in the afternoons. If I’m not writing in the afternoons, I turn my attention to the marketing and business side of the author life.

4. What would you say is your interesting writing quirk?

My cat dictates my schedule. Once she falls asleep, I run to my desk and get to work because when she’s awake, she gets all the attention she wants from me.

5. How do books get published?

Publication is a complicated and detailed process, whether you’re an independent or traditional author. As an independent author, there’s a steep learning curve because you’re responsible for everything. Production, marketing, promotion, and working with teams of professionals, such as editors and cover designers, are just some of the tasks you have to learn and master.

6. Where do you get your information or ideas for your books?

There is a lot of research that goes into my books. Most of it gets done even before I start drafting, but I’m always researching along the way to ensure accuracy. Ideas come from everywhere. There’s never any direct correspondence of people or events, but rather characters and plots are combinations of all I’ve experienced.

7. When did you write your first book and how old were you?

I published my first book in 2021.

8. What do you like to do when you're not writing?

Besides spending time with my cat, I enjoy being outside. I like to garden and take care of the various bird feeders and birdbaths I have around my yard.

9. What does your family think of your writing?

My cat is very supportive. She mostly sleeps while I write.

10. What was one of the most surprising things you learned in creating your books?

Starting a new book is always a daunting task. Knowing that over four hundred blank pages need to be filled is a challenge. But the more books you write, the more you understand the process. Though it’s always hard, you learn that small steps accumulate, and inevitably, if you walk far enough, you end up with a completed book.

11. How many books have you written? Which is your favorite?

I’ve written six books, and I always feel that the latest one that I’ve written is my favorite. One of my goals with writing is to make each book better than the last, so I always have a special fondness for whatever my newest release is.

12. Do you have any suggestions to help me become a better writer? If so, what are they?

Be patient with yourself and with the process. Stories evolve, deepen, and come together through drafting, revising, and editing. As the writer, you need the patience to sit with that story, knowing the first draft probably won’t match the vision in your mind. Stick with it, trust the process, and give the story time to take shape in your hands.

13. Do you hear from your readers much? What kinds of things do they say?

I occasionally hear from readers, mostly in response to something I’ve written in a newsletter. I always love to hear from readers. It’s one of the best parts of being an author.

14. Do you like to create books for adults?

Yes, I like to create books for adults. I write clean cozies, so I aim to keep the material friendly for any reader, from thirteen to a hundred and thirteen.

15. What do you think makes a good story?

Compelling characters that you’ll want to follow to see what they do in extraordinary circumstances.

16. As a child, what did you want to do when you grew up?

I always wanted to be a writer.

17. What Would you like my readers to know?

You can find out more about my books on my website, https://kathleenbaileyauthor.com/. All my books are available in libraries. If it’s not in your local catalog, you can request that your library acquire the title through the Notify Me tags in the Libby app or directly through a form on your library’s website.

Author Links 

Website: https://kathleenbaileyauthor.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/cozycrimewriter/ 

BookBub: https://www.bookbub.com/profile/kathleen-bailey

GoodReads: https://www.goodreads.com/kathleenbailey

Purchase Links: 

Amazon 

Direct from Kathleen

Barnes & Noble 

All Retailers 

  TOUR PARTICIPANTS 

November 10 – Ascroft, eh? – CHARACTER GUEST POST

November 10 – Storybook Lady – REVIEW

November 11 – deal sharing aunt – AUTHOR INTERVIEW

November 12 – Caboodle of Cozies – AUTHOR GUEST POST

November 12 –November 12 –Boys' Mom Reads! - SPOTLIGHT

November 13 – View from the Birdhouse – REVIEW

November 13 – Jody's Bookish Haven – SPOTLIGHT

November 14 – Baroness Book Trove – CHARACTER INTERVIEW

November 15 – Sarandipity's – CHARACTER GUEST POST

November 16 – FUONLYKNEW – SPOTLIGHT

November 16 – Sarcastically Yours, Jen – SPOTLIGHT 

November 17 – Sarah Can't Stop Reading Books – SPOTLIGHT

November 17 – Salty Inspirations – CHARACTER GUEST POST 

November 18 – Books1987 – SPOTLIGHT

November 19 – Books, Ramblings, and Tea – SPOTLIGHT

November 19 – Escape With Dollycas Into A Good Book – AUTHOR INTERVIEW

November 20 – Christy's Cozy Corners- REVIEW, AUTHOR GUEST POST

November 20 – Sapphyria's Book Reviews – SPOTLIGHT 

November 21 – Reading Is My SuperPower – REVIEW 

November 22 – Romance Novel Giveaways – AUTHOR GUEST POST

November 23 – Ruff Drafts – SPOTLIGHT

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RESURRECTION KILL by Laura Joh Rowland

RESURRECTION KILL

by Laura Joh Rowland

October 19 - November 13, 2026 Virtual Book Tour

Synopsis:

 

An amnesic psychiatrist returns to the hospital where she was institutionalized as a teen to find answers, perfect for fans of The Silent Patient and Shutter Island.

Forgetting can be dangerous. Remembering can be fatal.

New York State, 1953. Dr. Claire Kendall is a psychiatrist-in-training at Resurrection Kill Hospital, a luxurious private and isolated mental institution for the wealthy. But under her mask of professionalism, Claire has a secret: She was a patient at the hospital when she was fourteen.

With gaps in her memory, Claire is determined to discover what really happened the summer she was institutionalized… even if it means uncovering the dangerous secrets hiding at Resurrection Kill. Before long, Claire takes a special interest in a teenage patient, Rory Kirkpatrick, a free-spirited girl who is also determined to uncover Resurrection Kill Hospital’s dark past. Claire indulges Rory’s rebellious nature, hoping to glean clues that might help in her own search for the truth.

But the hunt for answers triggers flashbacks of Claire’s painful childhood, her father’s cruelty, her mother’s alcoholism, her beloved older brother’s death. The deeper she probes her own past, the more she remembers about the summer that changed everything. And as she delves deeper into her own mind, she’ll come to find that her sanity grows more fragile by the day and that some secrets are meant to stay buried. She’ll discover that remembering may come at the cost of her life.

Praise for Resurrection Kill:

"Resurrection Kill by Laura Joh Rowland is everything I love in a thriller: intriguing and chilling, vivid and memorable, a compelling and deeply personal story about one woman's search for answers in an era when women were committed to mental hospitals for virtually anything that was outside the cultural norm. That Resurrection Kill Hospital is an upscale facility for the super rich only makes the procedures the women are subjected to all the more barbaric. Claire's courage and fearlessness under increasingly dangerous circumstances made me want to stand up and cheer. I loved this book!"
~ Karen Dionne, author of #1 international bestseller The Marsh King's Daughter and The Wicked Sister

Book Details:

Genre: Historical Fiction; Thriller/Suspense
Published by: Crooked Lane Books
Publication Date: October 27, 2026
Number of Pages: 336 HC
ISBN: 9798892427111
Book Links: Amazon | Kindle | Barnes & Noble | BookShop.org | Goodreads | BookBub | Penguin Random House

Read an excerpt:

New York State, July 1953

A siren blares through the loudspeaker in the conference room where I sit with the four other new psychiatrists. A staticky voice repeats, “Code 1, East Drive.” Startled, we look to the man at the head of the table.

Tall, dignified, and silver-haired, Superintendent Adrian Van Pelt raises his voice over the siren. “Welcome to your first day as residents at Resurrection Kill Hospital.” His manner is calm, faintly amused, his black suit impeccably tailored. “You might as well see what you’re getting into.”

Beckoning, he strides out the door. We hurry after him along the wide hall, down the grand staircase. In the foyer, one resident catches up with Superintendent Van Pelt and opens the door. With his blond crewcut and conventional handsomeness, he looks like a movie star. The only other woman besides myself trots at his heels. She’s bespectacled, her reddish-brown hair coiled in a bun, and her skirt stretches across wide hips. I lag behind the other men. One is slender and older than the rest of us, his hairline receding; shadows underscore his deep-set eyes. The other looks Japanese, with straight black hair and an upright posture that adds to his less than average height. My colleagues are eager beavers, but I hesitate. I should join the front of the charge because first impressions are lasting, and my career depends on the success of my residency; I mustn’t look timid. But I need to avoid close attention.

This is my colleagues’ first day here. But not mine.

Twelve years ago, when I was fourteen, I was a patient at Resurrection Kill Hospital.

The people with me don’t know. Nobody must ever know.

The heavy carved door set with stained glass starts to swing shut in my face. The others are already outside, and the Japanese-looking man holds it open for me. He’s the only person who noticed that I’ve lagged behind. I take a deep breath, walk through the door, nod my thanks at him, and emerge into bright sunshine. The warm summer air smells of roses and freshly cut grass. I pause on the steps of the mansion that serves as the administration building. Around me as far as I can see spreads the hospital’s campus, located five miles from Resurrection—the town from which it took its name—and about fifty miles upstate from New York City. Kill is the Dutch word for a stream, and the campus nestles in a curve of Resurrection Kill, a tributary of the Hudson River. Founded in 1885, the hospital was built by an architect inspired by Frederick Law Olmstead, designer of Central Park and other landmark sites. Buildings constructed mostly in the nineteenth century, in various styles, cluster together at the middle of a hundred and thirty acres of gently rolling hills landscaped with gardens and surrounded by woods. I don’t recognize anything, which disappoints but doesn’t surprise me.

The five months I spent here in 1941 are a black void in my memory, lit only by occasional, disturbing flashbacks. I returned to complete my training but also to reconstruct my past. I became a psychiatrist because I want to help the mentally ill, but I also need to find out what happened to me here and why I forgot it all.

I catch up with Superintendent Van Pelt and the other residents on the main road that winds through the campus. Red-brick buildings from the Victorian era, separated by lawns and gardens, line the road. People who look to be patients or visitors stroll in the gardens. Yesterday, I had planned to arrive in time to move into my quarters, take a walk before dark, and search for scenes that evoke memories, but the drive from the city took longer than I expected due to heavy traffic, and my car had a flat tire. After getting the car towed and the tire fixed at a garage, I reached the hospital too late to explore the campus. Now I lift my gaze to the treetops, to the slate roofs of other buildings, to the smokestacks that rise from a power plant to the cloudless blue sky. It’s as if I’ve never been here before. I focus on Superintendent Van Pelt, at the head of our little parade. He moves with a rapid, athletic gait, as if the passage of his sixty years has diminished neither his strength nor his energy. I think I remember him, but perhaps my mind is filling the void with false memories.

The sounds of automobile horns and racing engines interrupt my thoughts. A male voice shouts through a megaphone: “Stop!” We round a curve in the road. A dark green pickup truck speeds toward us, followed by a white sedan. A second white sedan comes from the opposite direction, on a collision course with the truck. I gasp, bracing myself for the crash. The other residents exclaim in alarm. Brakes screech as the second sedan slews around to block the road. The green truck veers to avoid hitting the sedan and comes straight at us. We scatter out of its way. The truck jumps the curb, rolls over grass, and crunches to a halt. Rakes, shovels, and buckets rattle in its bed. On the road, the first sedan stops near the second. Both have the hospital’s insignia—an oak tree spreading limbs over the letters RKH—and the word “Security” printed in green on the doors. The drivers, men clad in dark green uniforms, spring from the cars. They rush to the truck, whose front wheels have plowed over a ring of stones and low bushes that surround a flowerbed. The truck’s back wheels spin, churning up grass and dirt as its driver guns the engine. The flowerbed, bright with pink, mauve, and blue hydrangeas, is set in the lawn in the curve of a semicircular drive. The drive fronts a building, three stories of red brick and white-framed windows, the roof ornate with gables, dormers, and chimneys. A sign outside reads, “Serenity House.”

Could it be where I lived when I was a patient?

Nurses in white dresses and caps and orderlies in blue uniforms run out of the building and flock around the truck. The security guards are trying to open the truck’s doors, which are locked. One guard says, “It’s Rosemary Kirkpatrick. She sneaked out of Haven House and stole a groundskeeper’s truck.”

“Rosemary is a problem patient,” Superintendent Van Pelt informs our band of residents.

A guard strikes the truck’s passenger side window with his truncheon. The glass breaks. A shrill voice screams from inside the vehicle: “Go away, you bastards!”

The truck’s engine revs; the wheels spin faster, in vain. The guard reaches through the broken window, unlocks and opens the door. The engine dies as he turns the key in the ignition. He and his partner reach inside the truck and pull Rosemary Kirkpatrick out. She flails so wildly that all I can see of her is a tangle of thin limbs, pink garment, and long, dark hair. Shrieking curses that would put a sailor to shame, she kicks one guard in the groin. He howls and doubles over. She pulls free of the other guard, leaving the ripped sleeve of her dress in his hands, and runs . . . straight to me.

My heart clenches. Rosemary’s face is small, her features delicate, her complexion pale within the frame of unruly black hair. She’s just a girl, no more than sixteen or seventeen.

Everyone else is in motion—guards, nurses, and orderlies chasing Rosemary; the other residents backing away from her; Superintendent Van Pelt raising his hand, opening his mouth to issue commands. But Rosemary’s gaze snares mine, and I’m rooted to the spot. It’s as if she’s singled me out of the crowd, with some primal instinct that sensed—what? A sympathetic ally? A fellow mental case? She clutches my arms, her fingers hard against the gabardine of my suit jacket, digging into my flesh. Her eyes are wide, startlingly green, and fringed with long black lashes.

“Help me!” she cries.

I instinctively grasp her arms—whether to break her hold on me or to try to soothe her, I don’t know. Her arms are thin but strong. Her anguish strikes a deep chord in me.

“Get me out of here!” she begs. “Please!”

My lips move involuntarily, and my mind echoes with the sound of my own voice crying out the same words. An eerie shiver ripples through me. The scene around me blurs, and my heart drums hard and fast through a tide of vertigo. Locked together, Rosemary and I seem to spin a hundred and eighty degrees, switching places. The nurses and orderlies are after me, not her. I see us from a vantage point high above—her dark-haired and half-naked in the tatters of her pink dress; myself with a brown pageboy, trim gray suit, and black pumps. I forget which of us is the doctor, which is the fugitive inmate. A flash of memory like a lightning bolt illuminates the dark void.

I once accosted some stranger in my own desperate attempt to escape this hospital.

The orderlies yank Rosemary away from me, and our hands cling together for one last instant. Mouth wide with terror, she looks like she’s drowning and a riptide is pulling her away from her rescuer. I feel the same expression on my own face, as if we are mirror images. Please don’t let them take me back there! I don’t want to go!

“Calm down, Rosemary, that’s a good girl,” Superintendent Van Pelt says, his gentle, firm tone laced with condescending tolerance.

Rosemary screams as the orderlies wrestle her to the ground. A guard speaks into a walkie-talkie. The other residents look on with stoic expressions that mask whatever excitement or alarm they may be feeling. I rearrange my own face to match theirs as I take deep breaths to quell my panic.

The superintendent walks over to the fray, confident as a zookeeper accustomed to wild beasts. A nurse places a hypodermic syringe in his hand. While the orderlies hold Rosemary down, he stabs the needle into her thigh and pushes the plunger. Her screams dwindle to whimpers; the fight goes out of her. Her eyes roll up inside her head, and her body relaxes into drugged sleep. The orderlies step back, panting and wiping sweat off their brows. Superintendent Van Pelt gives the syringe back to the nurse and dusts off his hands. An ambulance arrives. The attendants bring a gurney, lift the unconscious Rosemary onto it, strap her down, and load her into the ambulance.

“I’ll see her back to the ward,” Superintendent Van Pelt tells our group of residents. “Wait for me in the conference room.”

He climbs into the passenger seat of the ambulance and rides away. We retrace our steps to the administration building, the handsome blond man first, the other woman a step behind him; then the thin older man; then the Japanese-looking man and me, walking together.

“Are you all right?” My companion sounds concerned; he noticed my distress.

My cheeks warm. The other residents seem oblivious, and I’m glad he spoke quietly and didn’t call their attention to me. “I’m fine.”

I’m shaken and trembling inside, but my voice is cool, calm, the product of training and discipline. I can’t afford to seem weak, lest the others shun me out of contempt. Triumph revives my strength. I’ve started to remember. Just as I’d hoped, coming back to Resurrection Kill Hospital has cracked open the void. After twelve years, light is shining through. I look from side to side and backward, eager to see what else might be revealed.

In the flowerbed that Rosemary Kirkpatrick drove the truck into is a statue of a woman. Her stone skin is green with moss, her face hidden by ivy. What would she see if the ivy were torn away? Would she rather remain blind and ignorant?

***

Excerpt from Resurrection Kill: A Novel by Laura Joh Rowland. Copyright 2026 by Laura Joh Rowland. Reproduced with permission from Laura Joh Rowland. All rights reserved.

 

 

Author Bio:

Laura Joh Rowland is the award-winning author of the Sarah Bain Victorian Mystery series, the samurai detective Sano Ichirō mystery series set in seventeenth-century Japan, and a historical suspense series starring Charlotte Brontë. Her work has been published in twenty-one countries; nominated for the Anthony Award, the Hammett Prize, and the Barnes & Noble Discover Great New Writers Award; won RT Magazine's Reader's Choice Award; and been included in the Wall Street Journal's list of the five best historical mystery novels. Laura holds a bachelor of science and a master of public health degree from the University of Michigan. She is a former aerospace scientist, a painter, and a cartoonist. She lives in New York City with her husband Marty.

Catch Up With Laura Joh Rowland:

LauraJohRowland.com
Amazon Author Profile
Goodreads
BookBub - @laurajohrowland
Instagram - @laurajohrowland
Facebook - @laurajohrowlandauthor

My Review: 

This was like reading through a maze of people's memories. As Claire remembers things from her past, I was surprised, mad and even shocked. To go back to such a time in her past shows what a strong character she is. I felt so bad that she lost her mom and brother. It helped me to understand why she was going through the painful memories that she was. She also had missing time. She wanted to know what happened to her. As she started to work at the hospital she started to see bad things happen to other patient. She risks everything to try to help one of them. She risks her life to help Rory. The ending was not what I thought and I did not expect it. I would like to say that the ending was a happy one. Although there were happy parts, I still really feel for Claire. This is a great thriller. I can not wait to read more from this author. I would love to see what Claire does in the future. I have a feeling that she will be helping a lot more patients.  I am giving this book a 5/5. I was given a copy to review, nevertheless all opinions are my own. 

 

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Murder InThe Winner's Circle by M.J. Evans Interview & Giveaway

 

Murder InThe Winner's Circle: A Harness Racing Mystery by M.J. Evans

About Murder InThe Winner's Circle

 

Murder InThe Winner's Circle: A Harness Racing Mystery 

Cozy Mystery 

2nd in Series

Setting - Pennsylvania 

Publisher ‏ : ‎ Dancing Horse Press

Print Length - 257 Pages 

Paperback ISBN 9798993879413

ASIN B0HLQCXS8H 

Digital ASIN ‏ : ‎ B0HFQNH72C

A Birthday Celebration. A Champion Horse. A Deadly Toast. Alfred Wellington has everything he wants on his sixtieth birthday. His prized colt just won at Liberty Racetrack, the champagne is flowing, and the crowd is cheering. Then Alfred collapses. At first, everyone assumes it was a heart attack—until the autopsy reveals the truth. ALFRED WELLINGTON WAS POISONED. Former insurance investigator Callie Oaks Coffman knows Liberty Racetrack inside and out. She knows its horses, its owners, its trainers—and she knows that secrets can get someone killed. As she and her new husband, reporter Paul Coffman, become drawn into the investigation, Callie discovers that Alfred left behind plenty of people with reasons to want him dead. A beautiful young wife. A secretive trainer. A bitter ex-wife. A business partner with something to hide. But which one of them is the killer? BECAUSE IN THE WINNER'S CIRCLE, EVERYONE HAS SOMETHING TO HIDE. Return to the world of Liberty Racetrack in the second Harness Racing Mystery, following Fire at the Track.

About M.J. Evans

M.J. Evans is the award-winning author of twenty-seven published works spanning middle-grade, young adult, and adult fiction, as well as a selection of picture books. Her writing often explores themes centered around horses and equine fantasy, reflecting a lifelong passion for these remarkable animals. A graduate of Oregon State University and a former educator with experience teaching both middle and high school students, Ms. Evans brings both educational insight and storytelling flair to her work. She resides in beautiful Colorado with her husband, Tom, where they enjoy the company of their horses and Standard Poodle. She is the proud mother of five and grandmother of thirteen.

M.J. Evans was the recipient of the 2024 Colorado Authors League Lifetime Achievement Award. Literary awards include: Chanticleer International Book Awards Readers’ Favorite International Awards Eric Hoffer Awards Nautilus Awards Literary Classics awards Literary Global Book Awards Literary Titan Book Award Feathered Quill Book Awards Purple Dragonfly Awards Royal Dragonfly Awards Page Turner Award Next Generation Award Global Book Awards CIPA Evvy Book Awards Pinnacle Book Achievement Awards Incipere Book Awards International Impact Book Awards Maincrest Media Book Awards Book Excellence Awards Mom’s Choice Awards 

Interview:

1. I have enjoyed creative writing since I was a child. But it took a long time to actually start thinking of myself as an author. I had a serious case of impostor syndrome! It wasn’t until I was awarded the “Lifetime Achievement Award for 2024” from the Colorado Authors’ League that I started to really embrace the title of author!

2. Most books take me close to a year to write—from concept to opening the first box of books from the printer.

3. I commit to nearly five hours of writing a day. In the summer I ride my horses in the morning, then write in the afternoon. During the winter, I reverse that. I write in the morning and ride in the afternoon. I am so blessed to live such a fun life!

4. My one writing quirk that has led to accomplishing the completion of so many books is that I don’t look back! I just keep moving forward and not worry about making everything perfect until I have the whole book down. That is my foundation. Then I can go back and improve, edit, embellish and revise all I want. Each draft builds upon the original foundation.

5. Initially, I went the traditional route of seeking a publisher by submitting query letters and manuscripts.  My first four books were done that way. I learned everything I could from them, which was a lot! Now I do it myself. I use a professional editor and cover designer. But I do all the rest myself.

6. The idea comes first. Several of my ideas have come from my readers who send me a note with: “You should write about this!” in the headline. I look into it by lightly researching the topic and, if it isn’t something that has been written about extensively before and I’m excited about the idea, my research gets more involved. I love to interview people who are experts on the subject—such as Silver Charm’s jockey, or a harness racing trainer for “Fire at the Track.” I also purchase books on the subject so that I can take notes and dog ear corners. 

7. I am not counting my childhood attempts! My first published book was a non-fiction trail guidebook called “Riding Colorado-Day Trips From Denver with Your Horse.” I wrote it over the course of two years. I was in my early fifties. I had moved to Colorado and wanted to know where to ride my horse. Not finding a trail guidebook for equestrians, I decided to write one myself. It was so fun! I learned the best way to make money as an author is to write a non-fiction book that fills a need! Thousands of other equestrians needed just such a book. 

8. When I am not writing, I’m either riding my horse at home or on the mountain trails or playing with my grandchildren. Life is good!

9. They are so proud of me and love getting a new book each year. My grandchildren especially love it when I read one of my books out loud to them. They also love it when I do an author visit at their school.

10. I learned that I really can write well and that I can leave something good in the world through my writing. 

11. “Murder in the Winner’s Circle” is my twenty-seventh book. I have had fun writing each book but I would have to say that my favorite book is the one I’m working on at any given time. That is the one that is occupying my thoughts and energyat the moment. So, right now it is the next book in the harness racing mystery series: “Blowing the Whistle.” 

12. To become a better writer, become a more critical reader. Don’t just read for pleasure. Start reading with an eye for things you like and feel have been done well. 

13. It is such a great joy to get letters from my readers. Often, it is pre-teens or teens who tell me my book is their favorite. From adults it is often suggestions for my next book as I mentioned above. The most fun letters have been from people who have a special connection to the topic of the book. I heard from one man whose relative was a Sand Pounder during WWII. Another man read “The Stallion and His Peculiar Boy” and told me his grandfather was one of the soldiers who helped save the horses. And one man contacted me who is a descendent of George Beck in “PINTO!” He was so excited to find out so much about his uncle—things he had never known before.

14. Yes. But it is also fun to write for teens and middle-grade readers. I don’t want to get in a rut and I’m always trying to push myself to try new things.

15. A good story is one that gives readers a character who wants something, them make them care whether that character gets it. Ernest Hemmingway said, “There is no friend as loyal as a book.”

16. That’s a funny question. I wanted to be a veterinarian until I watched a surgery on a horse. Then I wanted to be an Olympic rider until I found out how much those Olympic horses cost. Then I decided that the most important thing I could do in my life was create a wonderful family. So, that is what I have done.

17. I want your readers to know that becoming a successful writer is 10% talent and 90% perseverance. Talent can be innate or learned, but nothing takes the place of the old fashioned hard work. I hope they will enjoy reading some of my books.

  Author Links

Website:www.dancinghorsepress.com.

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TIME-STOPPERS: INTERLUDES IN TIME by James Young Review & Interview

 

Book Details:

Book Title:  TIME-STOPPERS: INTERLUDES IN TIME by James Young
Category: Adult Fiction, 376 pages
Genre: Fantasy: Time Travel/Romance
Publisher: Mascot Books 
Publication Date: June, 2026
Content Rating: PG-13

Book Description:

The “perfect life” is an impossible dream—or is it?

Aided by an ability to stop time at will, David Preston intends to find out. David is obsessed with making his world perfect: career, love life—everything. Most people settle for less because they know perfection is impossible. But David has a problem: He believes perfection is not just possible but attainable. At least, for someone with his extraordinary gift.

David can stop time at will for everyone but himself. The world freezes around him, giving him “time” to complete tasks on impossible deadlines, compose brilliant answers to sudden questions, and dodge the otherwise unavoidable disasters we can see coming but are powerless to stop.

But life is messier than it appears, and reality is not easily dissuaded—especially when there may be someone else out there, stopping time...

Buy the Book:
Amazon.com 
Mascot Books ~ B&N
Add to Goodreads

Meet the Author:

This is James Young’s first foray into fiction. He has spent over three decades in and around D.C. politics, immersed in economic and policy legislation. Alongside degrees from the University of Chicago (B.A.) and Cornell University (M.A., Ph.D.), Young’s writing has appeared in the Wall Street Journal, Washington Times, Washington Examiner, The Hill, American Spectator, The Federalist, Washington Post, New York Post, Barron’s, Forbes, Chicago Tribune, Townhall, Blaze Media, San Francisco Chronicle, Cleveland Plain Dealer, USA Today, and elsewhere.

In his early days, James was Kipling’s “cat who walked by himself,” working in a steel mill, sailing on the Great Lakes’ iron ore boats, tending bar, riding motorcycles, scuba diving, traveling extensively worldwide, and “doing all manner of things that would have consumed fully eight of the Kipling cat’s nine lives.” He is spending his remaining life more sedately, though still traveling with his family to America’s national parks—with only the occasional exotic foray here and there.

Interview:

1.      What literary pilgrimages have you gone on?

A: I like to go to the places that I am writing about and get a true sense for the location.  The results of this are all through Time-Stopper.   The Thomas Jefferson Building of the Library of Congress is, to me, the most beautiful structure in Washington.  That Julia would know it and be transported by it was very natural to me.  I do the same thing in other parts of the book, Del Ray for instance. 

2.      What is the first book that made you cry?

A: Winnie the Pooh: It’s closing scene where Christopher Robin is trying to explain to Pooh (“a bear of very little brain”) that he is leaving.  Pooh, of course, cannot understand.  I found it so sad then and, as I grew to understand it even more fully, its poignancy grows as well.  It still gives me a lump in my throat. 

3.      Does writing energize or exhaust you?

A: Usually, it is energizing.  The exception is when I write very emotional sections.  There are several between David and Julia and, one especially, that I found it hard to not simply write, but even to edit.  I would have to steel myself to approach it and then get up and leave the keyboard for a prolonged period until the scene’s impact dissipated. 

4.      What is your writing Kryptonite?

A: Schedules in general and deadlines in particular.  Don’t get me wrong, I will meet them.  Nevertheless, I don’t find that writing works like that: There is not a switch that can be turned on and off.  It flows or it doesn’t and can’t be timed.  So, putting a time schedule on it—and especially a hard-and-fast one to produce something—often produces a product that I’m not happy with.

5.      Did you ever consider writing under a pseudonym?

A: No, not really.  I can see why authors do it; especially if they have reached such a level that their name immediately prejudices readers’ responses.  And I certainly toyed with it in some writing projects.  But the whole point of writing is to express yourself, so doing so as someone else defeats that purpose to me.  I realize that actors do it all the time, it’s what acting is all about, but that’s not writing. 

6.      What other authors are you friends with, and how do they help you become a better writer?

A: I know several writers (and I hope you will forgive me for not divulging names), and we talk regularly about what we love to do.  It’s very helpful because writing is very personal and its setbacks are equally so.  There are also all the nuts and bolts of it—timing, amount of output, topics, wording, and innumerable other details—which no one else would find interesting or be familiar with.  Sounding boards are important, the danger that I worry about is that, while you are sounding out, you don’t come to sound alike.

7.      Do you want each book to stand on its own, or are you trying to build a body of work with connections between each book?

A: Stand alone.  Each one is its own.  I haven’t found a story that I want to keep following and following.  I believe that each is sort of like a person: People may have one great episode in their lives that could become a book, but most of us then return to our normal lives—and normal lives are not that interesting, which is why we enjoy reading stories.  My fear with writing follow-ons is that you could slip into that uninteresting part of characters’ lives or over-correct make them sound contrived. 

8.      What authors did you dislike at first but grew into?

A: As a group: poets.  It seemed unnecessarily tedious when I was forced to read (and memorize) them in school.  As I grew up, I started to see the beauty and the unnerving demand that each word, each syllable, must count and is counted.  Now, I read poetry every day.

9.      What’s your favorite under-appreciated novel?

A:J.D. Salinger’s Raise High the Roof Beam, Carpenters and Seymour: An Introduction comes quickly to mind.  I remember traveling in China decades ago and finding it on a table of books for sale.  It was included like the “B-side” of a record to Catcher in the Rye.  Of course, I loved Catcher, but finding Raise High the Roof Beam felt like my own unique discovery and, therefore,all the moreexhilarating.  I also like Kipling’s stories that are now so out of fashion: The world’s loss, he knew how to write and excelled across a variety of genres.

10.  As a writer, what would you choose as your mascot/avatar/spirit animal?

A: Easy: a cat.  I love Kipling’s “cat who walks by himself and all places are alike to me.”  As I write this instant, ours is sitting next to me on a folding table, on my open notebook, and purring up a storm. 

11.  How many unpublished and half-finished books do you have?

A: Yes!  I have two manuscripts that I have shown to other readers and am working on another that is three-quarters through a first draft.  One is another magical realism, one is a contemporary literary fiction, and the other is almost a borderline between magical realism and contemporary literary fiction.  I’m always working on something.

12.  What did you edit out of this book?

A: A scene between David and the office assistant.  I really loved the scene (David explains to her that he can stop time and proves it), but it just didn’t fit.  It would have taken the story away from its true course.

13.  If you didn’t write, what would you do for work?

A: Well, I did that (working in Washington) for almost forty years.  I was still able to write on the side for much of it though.  My background is academics; this too entailed a lot of writing.  I can’t really imagine not being allowed to write.  Jefferson said: “I cannot live without books.”  I’m sure he would have said the same about writing.

14.  Do you hide any secrets in your books that only a few people will find?

A: All throughout, in a certain sense.  Many of the scenes really happened to me: David stopping on a motorcycle ride and hearing the cicadas is a true story.  I also tried to leave foreshadowing clues in the book; I think these are secrets of a sort, one that you are being told but don’t know it’s a secret at the time.

15.  What is your favorite childhood book?

A: The ones I read to my children.  Little Houseby Virginia Lee Burton was particularly popular with one of mine, and I have the fondest memories of my child bringing me the book.  I used to read them in special voices and add words (where I thought they were needed—until my children learned to read and called me on them!).  Having them clustered around and within the circle of my arms as I read; that was heaven. 

Connect with the author:  Website  ~ Instagram ~ Facebook ~ Goodreads

My Review:

This book has an interesting concept. What if you could pause time? What would you change? Would you try to improve your job? Research the questions you were asked? Try to impress someone you like? I think that I would read ( I have so many books on my tbr.), or maybe go back to school? What would the consequences be? Would the consequences outweigh the positives? After awhile I think that I would cause too much of a butterfly effect. That is what this book explores. What happens when you tempt fate and the backlash. There were times where the book was really serious and other times when there was some humor. There were also politics involved. What if you were not the only one that was manipulating time? This book reminded me of the television show Quantum Leap. You never really know what the future holds, even if you try to change it. Towards the end of the book the author talks about being radar versus being archive. Are we all just here to archive events for future generations? This book really made me think. I am giving this book a 4/5. I was given a copy to review, nevertheless all opinions are my own.

Winterveil by Ava Reid Review

 

In an alternate future where the Cold War still rages, four precocious teenage criminals with dark skills and darker secrets are offered a fresh start at a secret military academy. But instead of training to end the war, they find themselves on a mysterious mission that will test loyalties, forge romances, and maybe end the world as they know it.

WINTERVEIL is perfect for fans of dystopia, new and old, dark romance aficianados, fans of online gaming, or readers who delight in lush prose and mysterious, atmospheric settings. I’d love for you to keep WINTERVEIL on your radar for any review/roundup coverage you may be planning and considering Ava for interviews about her background in political science and international relations, becoming a star in new generation of authors, and creating morally gray protagonists.

About Ava:

Ava Reid is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of A Study in Drowning, A Theory of Dreaming, Lady Macbeth, Juniper & Thorn, and The Wolf and the Woodsman. Her books have been published in over fourteen territories. She lives in the New York area. Follow her on Instagram @avasreid and find her online at tumblr.com/avasreid.

 

My Review:

This is a great dystopian YA book. It has a world at war, a bit of history via Cold War, romance and an academy that trains spies. There was a lot to this book. The characters were very different and they each had their own set of issues. Between embezzlement, credit card fraud and politics, these characters bring it all to the table. Would you choose prison or a spy school? Can they be trusted to serve their country, and end the cold war? This books made me wonder what would have happened if we were still in a cold war. How different our lives would be. This is a duology so I was not happen with the cliffhanger ending and that cost the book a star in it's rating. I also took away a star because there is a lot going on and at times it is hard to follow. However this is a great fun read that kept my interest. I am giving this book a 3/5. I was given a copy, nevertheless all opinions are my own.