THE PRICE OF TRUTH by Michele Clarizio Giveaway, Trailer & Interview

 

Book Details:

Book Title:  THE PRICE OF TRUTH by Michele Clarizio
Category: YA Adult Fiction (18 +), 397 pages
Genre: Mystery, Thriller, Romance
Publisher:  Michele Clarizio
Release date:  June 18, 2025
Content Rating: PG-13 + M: Language, implied rape scene, kidnapping, violence and a character's dad committed suicide, but it's only reference since it happened in the past.

Book Description:

Seventeen-year-old Karis Russo is no stranger to pain. Still reeling from her father’s death, she’s weighted down by grief she can’t seem to outrun. But nothing prepares her for the night that upends her life once again.

After attending the grand opening of The Aragon Luxury Resort and Spa, Karis wakes up bloody and bruised with no memory of what happened. Determined to find the truth, she embarks on a relentless quest for answers.

Her investigation takes a surprising turn when she learns Mason Whitman, practically Duncan High “royalty”, has harbored a crush on her for years. His charm and their undeniable chemistry throw her into a tailspin. Caught between piecing together the night she lost and embracing the possibility of love she never saw coming, Karis convinces herself she can juggle both worlds. 

But the deeper she digs into the mystery of that fateful night, the darker the truth becomes. As shocking betrayals surface and long-buried secrets claw their way to the light, Karis realizes the price of truth may cost more than she’s willing to pay. 

Buy the Book:
Amazon
add to Goodreads

Meet the Author:

The Price of Truth is Michele Clarizio’s first book in the Chasing Peace series. Michele is a near-native of Denver, Colorado, where she’s fortunate to have her adult children, Mackenzie and Matthew, nearby. 

For more information and to stay informed about the next Chasing Peace novel, please visit MicheleClarizio.com and be sure to join her email list.

Interview:

Do you write every day?

At the beginning of each day, writing is always on my to-do list, but it sometimes gets pushed aside due to other life obligations. The danger for me is that missing one day makes it much easier to let the next one slide. Before I know it, a whole week has gone by. Coming back to writing then feels like returning from a vacation—I'm less motivated and more disconnected.

Through experience, I've learned that I need to write at least once a day, even if it's just for an hour. Maintaining that daily habit keeps the process flowing more naturally, helps me stay in rhythm, and fuels my creativity

 

Where do you write?

I love writing in coffee shops. I'm great at tuning out white noise, and there's something about the energy of people around me that helps me focus. The steady hum of conversation, clinking cups, and the occasional hiss of the espresso machine—it all becomes part of the background rhythm that keeps me grounded in the work. One of my favorite rituals is Saturday brunch with my laptop. It’s a weekly reset that blends comfort, routine, and creativity.

 

Have you even written parts of your books on paper?

I don’t usually write full sections by hand, but I’ve definitely scribbled down parts of my books on paper—though not always on an actual sheet of paper. When I have a lightbulb moment—an idea for a scene, a line of dialogue, or just the right way to phrase something—I’ll grab whatever’s nearby. Scraps of paper, napkins, receipts… anything I can find. It’s all about capturing the moment before it slips away.

 

Do you outline your chapters before you begin?

As I’m answering this, I’m chuckling—absolutely not. The closest I get is doing a quick mind dump onto a handful of sticky notes, maybe ten or so, just to sketch out a few ideas. But honestly, my writing almost never follows a straight line. More often than not, what I end up typing veers way off from what I originally thought I was going to write. I’ve learned to trust the detours—they usually lead to something better.

 

Did you have beta readers?

Honestly, no. Like most authors, I edited the manuscript so many times that by the end, I felt like if I had given it to beta readers, I would’ve spoiled the whole book for them. I’m also an extreme perfectionist, so I wanted their first encounter with the story to be the most polished version possible.

 

connect with the author:  website  ~  facebook ~ instagram 

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Enter the Giveaway:

THE PRICE OF TRUTH Book Tour Giveaway

THE THINGS THEY DIDN'T SEE by Angela Shaeffer Giveaway & Interview

 

Book Details:

Book Title:  THE THINGS THEY DIDN'T SEE by Angela Shaeffer
Category: Adult Fiction (18 +), 358 pages 
Genre: Women's Fiction, Family Saga
Publisher:  Wander Lane Press
Release date:   June 2025
Content Rating:  PG + M: Mild profanity with some mature themes (self harm, suicide attempt)   

A Table Rock Mystery by Tom Wood Giveaway & Interview

 

Book Details:

Book Title: A Table Rock Mystery by  
Category: Adult Fiction (18 +), 284 pages 
Genre: thriller , psychological thriller
Publisher:  BQB Publishing
Release date:   March 2024
Content Rating:  PG. My book is rated PG for the times some of the mob characters utter mild curse words     

Book Description:

A young couple decides to trade city lights for the twinkling stars of Branson, Missouri to fulfill their lifelong dream of owning a small-town tavern. But their idyllic country life filled with music and laughter takes a dark turn when a simple evening walk along the Ozark shoreline spirals into a whirlwind of chaos.

A forged loan application ignites a chain reaction of events leading to a shocking kidnapping and a string of murders that has the local sheriff's office scrambling to uncover the truth.

What started out as a dream quickly transforms into a nightmare as innocent people find themselves caught in a web of crime, betrayal, and one multi-million-dollar secret. With each twist more unexpected then the last, the real question is: who will make it out alive?

Buy the Book:
Amazon
add to Goodreads

Meet the Author:

Tom Wood became a reporter and byline journalist at four newspapers in suburban Chicago after retiring from the U.S. Postal Service. After Alone Along Writers' Roads, published in 2024, A Table Rock Mystery is his second published novel. 

Author interview 

• What literary pilgrimages have you gone on?     For A Table Rock Mystery I went to the various Ozark locations that became the setting for my novel. 
• What is the first book that made you cry?   Not so much any that I have read, but I have actually wept after writing about the deaths or murders of various characters that I wrote about. Two short stories that I wrote that concluded with the end of life of a main character comes to mind: Remembrance of a Recessional, about an aging baseball game radio announcer who was left behind when his team was moved to a new city was sad to write and read again. Love Smells, about a young woman who suffered a loss of smells but was blessed by a rare ability to understand emotions until challenged by questions from her true love was both sad but inspiring to write. 
• Does writing energize of exhaust you?    Energize!  I am always interested in the lives of the people I create for my stories and eager to follow (lead?) them into and then through their troubles. 
• What is your writing Kryptonite?  The editing process. 
• Did you ever consider writing under a pseudonym?   I gave that some thought only after learning there are many authors with my same name. I have not regretted my decision to use my own name and feel a sense of pride seeing it on the cover of my novels. 
• What other authors are you friends with, and how do they help you become a better writer?    Charlene Baumbich is a close friend. She is the author of the Dearest Dorothy novels that were traditionally published (Penguin) a few years ago. An example of her help came when she reviewed my first novel, Alone Along Writers’ Roads. She praised it and said it was worthy of all her expectations of my writing ability, but that it was only a novella at that point. I went back to the story and could see how I had failed to show the emotional involvement that was in my mind when I wrote about my characters. When I completed that effort it doubled the word count and brought it into being a full novel. 
• What did you edit out of this book?   I had to rewrite the section where the police set a trap to catch the murderer. That happened at Hillbilly Bowl which, when I revisited Kimberling City Missouri, I learned it was demolished and no existed at that time. 
• Did you hide any secrets in your book that only a few people will find?   Yes. Most of my characters have various habits that I’ve observed present in friends of mine. One such was Sheriff Bull Lambert who I patterned after my First Sargent in the Illinois National Guard. At least one member of our platoon guessed right on that one. 
• What is your favorite under-appreciated novel?    Tom Jones by Henry Fielding. It is a long novel and was required reading for a literature class I had in high school.  

 

connect with the author:  goodreads 

Enter the Giveaway:

A TABLE ROCK MYSTERY Book Tour Giveaway

Theirs Until Always by Mae K. Knight Excerpt & Giveaway

This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. Mae K. Knight will be awarding a $10 Amazon/BN gift card to a randomly drawn winner. Click on the tour banner to see the other stops on the tour.

Adam:

Men like me don’t get happy endings.
When my demons talk to me, I talk back.
I heeded their call when they demanded my parents’ death.
I even listened when they ordered my own.
And they nearly won.
Until her.
One night changed my life. Then I lost it all. I lost her.
Now, I’ll do anything to get my sunshine back.
But can a sinner like me be willing to share after learning I’m not the only one craving her light?

Jordyn:

When a man shows you his red flags, run.
But running from Adam is easier said than done.
When he re-enters my life, my world implodes with the secrets he’s keeping.
Can I forgive him and learn to live in his shadows? To be the light he thinks I am?
Or will his darkness consume me?

Abel:

Witnessing your twin nearly die, hardens something in you.
I’ll do whatever it takes to keep Adam breathing.
As kids, he’d protected me, even though that was my job as the older brother.
Now, it’s my turn to protect him.
You can run little sunshine, but you won’t get far.
If Jordyn’s what my brother needs to keep his demons at bay, then I’ll claim her for us.
She’ll be ours, always.

Read an Excerpt

This place really does serve a mean cup of Joe.

I lift the delicate-looking porcelain cup to my lips, letting my lashes flutter against my cheeks as I take another hearty sip of my mocha latte. Licking my lips, I glance around the bustling coffee shop, sunlight bathing my fellow caffeine fiends, kissing the glass enclosure showcasing treats and the checkered tile flooring. Behind the green counter, four uniformed bodies move in sync to crank out orders as people filter in and out of the building.

I wait, settling back into the booth I’d snagged early, only moments after the shop opened. I know Jordyn will be strutting her bubbly self through the frosted glass doors at any moment and there’s not a damn thing Adam can do about me intercepting her, unwilling as he is to blow our cover.

But I am fixing this, dammit.

I’ve wiled the hours away on my phone, gathering intel on the next assignment I plan to take as soon as things are cleared up here.

A vacation with your twin and girlfriend wouldn’t be a bad idea.

I freeze, sucking back air as the woman in question strolls in, oblivious to my position at the back of the shop and at the turn of my own thoughts.

My girlfriend?

No. Jordyn is Adam’s. He’s said so, and I’ve respected that, chalking up my moments with her to brotherly duties. My twin needed me and… God, look at the way that dress rises and falls from the delicious jiggle of her ass. I swipe at my mouth in the event drool slipped past my lips.

About the Author Mae K. Knight is a self-published author based in Louisiana, who enjoys writing “trauma boys” as her readers coined them, BIPOC FMCs that look like her and fast, smutty stories that leave you craving for more. When not writing, she’s reading monster romances penned by her fellow indie authors, studying for her nursing degree, or lifting heavy weights in the gym to feel like a bad bitch on a competition platform.

If you want to read more of her work, check out her website: https://maeknight.carrd.co, buy signed paperbacks directly from her: https://mackandmae.shop or go directly to her Amazon page for her KU titles: https://www.amazon.com/stores/Mae-K.-Knight/author/B0D3674KWR. Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61560507610143
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/49729390.Mae_K_Knight
Threads: https://www.threads.com/@maek.knight
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@maek_knight

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Demons and Ramen by A.M. Loweecey Review

 

Exorcism is easy. Living with loss is f*cking impossible.

Father Denis Kaine has spent his life-fighting demons, but nothing could prepare him for losing his twin brother, Xavier. When the Vatican declares Xavier's death a suicide, Denis knows better. Something made his brother pull the trigger. And he's gonna hunt it down.

Fueled by rage, whiskey, and a reckless disregard for his own survival, Denis scours the dark underbelly of Rome, exorcising every creature that slithers up from Hell to get in his way. But his search takes a dangerous turn when he stumbles upon a Vatican-sealed crypt and accidentally releases something far older, far more powerful than any demon he's ever faced.

She's not a ghost. She's not a demon. But she’s hungry, and she’s not leaving without raiding his fridge.

Now, exiled from the Church and stuck with a thousand year old roommate named Emma, Denis is forced into an uneasy alliance. If he wants to know the truth about Xavier's death, he'll need Emma’s help. Armed with a messenger bag full of holy water and their habit of making bad decisions, they dive into the darkest corners of faith, power, and the Vatican's buried secrets.

And something is watching. Hell isn't the only thing hunting him.

A darkly humorous journey through loss and the search for redemption.

Preorder Now!

Amazon: https://amzn.to/4i21INm

B&N, Apple, Kobo, Google Play, etc.: https://books2read.com/u/mgnvN0

My Review:

This book was interesting. I liked the idea of family and how determined Denis was to find out what happened to his brother. He was willing to fight demons, and eventually, an entity caught up with him. He released Emma, and she was no ordinary spirit. I was confused about how a Catholic priest was attracted to Emma; however, I am not that familiar with many priests performing exorcisms. I was also not happy with all the Latin in the book. I took Latin for years and knew what was being said, but I assume that other readers do not. It was also more of a chore to translate, rather than the author telling me the translation, and knowing I was right. This is definitely a fun read, one to not take too seriously. I am giving this book a 3/5. I was given a copy; however, all opinions are my own.