Reluctant Retiree

The Bookshop of Secrets: A heartwarming cozy mystery with a touch of magic!

Posted on November 23, 2025November 14, 2025 by Reluctant Retiree

What happens when a simple bookshop project to help people face their fears goes viral, and reveals that someone in your small town is achingly, desperately invisible?

Charlie Whitmore thought she’d finally figured out life in Leafwood Falls. Two years after trading her Manhattan law career for the Oak & Ink Bookshop, she’s settled into a rhythm of cozy fall mornings, community book clubs, and only occasional sabotage by Hemingway, the imperious orange bookshop cat who expresses his literary opinions through destruction and hairballs.

Then her assistant Mia has the perfect idea for Halloween.

The Fear Jar starts simply: drop in your anonymous fear, take a personalized book recommendation. A small Halloween project for the bookshop. But this is Mia, purple-haired, endlessly enthusiastic, physically incapable of doing anything halfway, and within days the jar goes viral. Confessions flood in. Social media explodes. The whole town is suddenly writing down their deepest terrors and trusting Charlie to answer with the perfect story.

Until Charlie notices something heartbreaking. Someone in Leafwood Falls is drowning in invisibility, writing their loneliness over and over, hoping someone will notice.

Charlie wants to respect anonymity. Mia wants to solve the mystery, in a dramatic reveal at the Halloween masquerade party. And Hemingway has his own, feline opinions. And as October winds toward its witching hour, the cozy bookshop mystery becomes something more complicated, because in a small town where everyone knows everyone, discovering who’s been writing those fears means unraveling secrets people have spent years keeping hidden.

Curl up with a pumpkin spice latte and let this Halloween bookshop mystery work its magic. You’ll laugh at Mia’s chaotic sleuthing, fall in love with fall in Leafwood Falls, and find yourself believing that bookshop cats know more than they’re letting on. Perfect for readers who love their mysteries cozy, their small towns quirky, and their October evenings full of twinkle lights and possibility.

Return to the beloved town of Leafwood Falls, where a viral Fear Jar, one all-knowing bookshop cat, and a purple-haired investigator with boundary issues prove that October’s best magic happens when someone finally sees you.

#BookTours

The Christmas Wish in Twinkle Falls

Posted on November 22, 2025November 21, 2025 by Reluctant Retiree

The Christmas Wish: in Twinkle Falls
Freda Ann
(A Twinkle Falls Novel, #6)
Publication date: November 21st 2025
Genres: Adult, Contemporary, Holiday, Romance

After my husband died overseas in an ambush, our kids became my world. He was my one and only—I could never meet anyone who makes me feel the way he did.

(Rochelle)

Needing a fresh start last year, I took my kids to Twinkle Falls for Christmas, but meeting Jesse was never part of my plan. When my best friend introduced us, this retired police officer’s charm and infectious smile started breaking down my walls.

Me and the kids agreed to make Twinkle Falls our forever home at the end of our three month break—but something went horribly wrong after returning home to pack up our things.

(Jesse)

After losing touch with Rochelle once she stopped all communication with me, I knew I’d been ghosted. Roe was the one person I could imagine a future with when my ex left me once I became an amputee.

With my buddies trying to fix me up, I decide it’s time to move on from the past.

(Rochelle)

Nine months after our planned move, me and the kids arrive in Twinkle Falls with everything we own after purchasing a home. Feeling horrible the way I left things with Jesse, our friends agree to let me be the one to tell him we’re here once me and the kids get settled.

Now ready to share the news, I texted Jesse asking if we can talk, but days go by with no response.

While having lunch with my friends I glance around the restaurant and my jaw drops. I see why Jesse didn’t respond to my message—he’s found another woman—the one whose hands are all over him.

Can a Christmas wish intervene and seal this couple’s fate?

This is a feel good, clean, faith-based Christmas romance featuring the charm of small town life, insta-love, and a Christmas miracle with a happily ever after.

It’s book 6 of an ongoing holiday themed sweet romance series, Hallmark style.

Goodreads / Amazon / Barnes & Noble / iBooks / Kobo

—

EXCERPT:

When I open the back door to the parking lot, I practically walk into someone. “Sorry about—”

With my mouth still hanging open, my dog whines as I search the beautiful woman’s eyes before me saying, “Rochelle, hey! Did uh, did you get my text last night?”

“Excuse me, can we get by?” An elderly man asks.

“Yes, of course. Sorry about that.” I state while Beau and I step to the side, holding the door for him and a woman close to his age before moving so we don’t block anyone else.

“Hello, Jesse.” Rochelle locks eyes with me, appearing a bit nervous. “Uh, sorry, but I didn’t notice your message until I dropped the kids off at school.” She glances at my dog.

“It’s okay. This here is Beau. Can uh, can you sit with me for a few minutes?” I ask raising a brow.

Rustling my dog’s ears, she looks around and says, “I guess so.”

As we go back inside, Bridgette cuts her eyes at us from behind the coffee bar. Smiling at Roe, she says, “I think there’s a table open by the fireplace, if that works?”

My eyes lock with Rochelle’s as she concedes, “Sure, that’ll work.”

Bridgette smirks at her and leads the way to our table. “Here we go. Would you like some coffee?” She asks while I point to the floor near the wall for Beau to lay down out of the way.

“Yes, please.” We answer at the same time grinning.

Following a few minutes of silence as we stare out the front window facing the park, I turn and say, “Thanks for agreeing to sit with me. I um, wanted to apologize for not responding to your message. It took me by surprise since I hadn’t heard from you for so long and—”

“No, you don’t need to do that. If anyone apologizes, it should be me. There’s something I have to tell you so please bear with me.”

She starts blinking as if she has something in her eye, but I see a tear making its way over her perfect cheekbone. Why is she crying?

“Hey, what’s wrong? Are the kids okay?” I lay my hand on top of hers gently squeezing it.

Nodding, she explains. “It’s my Mom. She was diagnosed with stage three breast cancer. She had to have a double mastectomy and go through chemo.”

Scooting my chair next to hers I tuck Rochelle under my arm holding her for what seemed like hours. When I feel her relaxing against me, I kiss the top of her head.

“I can’t begin to express how sorry I am for your mom and for what your family has been through. If only I had known, I would have been there for you.”

It was then when she lost all composure and slowly melted into me. At that moment two became one and the crowd around us disappeared and nothing else mattered.

Author Bio:

Freda Ann is fondly known for her sweet/clean, HEA RomComs. Her loyal fans and reviewers have compared several of her books to Hallmark movies. Many have hit #1 in multiple categories after release.

She writes relatable, faith and family based love stories which include kids and adorable dogs. Her writing style appeals to people of all ages. Her books will take you on an emotional journey with likable characters, and dreamy settings you’ll wish you could visit.

After retiring from a career in the law enforcement field, Freda feels blessed to be able to write and self-publish her stories for everyone to read. She adores her large family, 5 children and 9 grandchildren, and hosts monthly family gatherings.

To hear about new releases, please follow her on Amazon and also on Goodreads.

Website / Goodreads / Facebook / Instagram

GIVEAWAY!

The Christmas Wish in Twinkle Falls Blitz

—

Cozy Mysteries

The Inn at Holiday Bay: Turkey in the Trap-Room

Posted on November 22, 2025November 19, 2025 by Reluctant Retiree

A heartwarming cozy mystery series about losing everything, taking a chance, and starting again.

After suffering a personal tragedy Abby Sullivan buys a huge old seaside mansion she has never even seen, packs up her life in San Francisco, and moves to Holiday Bay Maine, where she is adopted, quite against her will, by a huge Maine Coon Cat named Rufus, a drifter with her own tragic past named Georgia, and a giant dog with an inferiority complex named Ramos. What Abby thought she needed was alone time to heal. What she ended up with was, an inn she never knew she wanted, a cat she couldn’t seem to convince to leave, and a new family she’d never be able to live without.

In book 12 in the series, Lacy takes over as director for the local Thanksgiving Pageant after the director they had appointed is bitten by a snake. The pageant seems to have met with bad luck from the beginning but when the star is found dead in the trap-room Abby becomes convinced the entire production is cursed.

Meanwhile new guests check into the inn including three half sisters, all the same age, who never even knew of the existence of their half siblings prior to the reading of their grandmother’s will. Their grandmother left each granddaughter a third of her extensive fortune but in order to collect the inheritance the sisters must work together to find answers and make decisions in the ten days allotted them to do so.

#BookTours

Hustled

Posted on November 22, 2025November 19, 2025 by Reluctant Retiree

Hustled
Roya Carmen
Publication date: November 20th 2025
Genres: Adult, Contemporary, Romance, Sports

Fun and Games.
An indecent proposal.
And a whole lot of heartbreak.

Pro billiards player Caine Hall is hot as hell. When he walks into the pool hall I co-own with my husband Reeves, I nearly fall all over myself. Over a few playful games, we get to know each other. He’s smooth and sly, and Reeves instantly hates his guts. He’d kick him out if Mr. Hall didn’t just happen to be our landlord.

He says he wants to help us, and we’re all ears. But when he makes us an outrageous proposal, we can’t believe the gall of the man. Caine wants to spend time with me. It’s innocent enough, albeit very weird. We’re desperate because we’re behind on our rent, so eventually, after much pondering, we reluctantly accept.

Caine treats me like a princess and shows me a whole new world. He takes things slow, just like he does at the pool table. Yet… he scares me — he’s intense and obsessive. And as he abuses his power, his demands and proposals intensify.

Reeves and I are falling apart. We keep telling ourselves we’ll say no next time, but Caine has got us both under his spell, efficiently manipulating us both in very different ways.

I’m anxious about my marriage and my unpredictable, hot-tempered husband. Yet I can’t stop thinking about Caine. He’s in my head. He’s under my skin. Reeves and I have agreed that this is simply a financial arrangement, something we’re doing for our livelihood.

So why have I let Caine hustle his way into my heart?

—

Hustled is a STANDALONE story. It will be part of a series of 3 standalone books – related but separate stories.

Goodreads / Amazon / Barnes & Noble / iBooks / Kobo

—

EXCERPT:

“I officially rescind any future proposals. There will be no money. You’re absolutely right. You’re not a whore, and I’ve been completely out of line. You may go now.”

My jaw drops to the floor. Who does this guy think he is? “I may go now?”

“Yes, please go. ” He pulls away, and I ache for him. The sudden absence of his warmth leaves me hollow inside, like someone has scooped out my insides with a cold spoon.

My body betrays me completely—my skin prickles with goosebumps, my breath catches in my throat, and there’s this terrible, painful emptiness that only he can fill. I lean forward slightly, instinctively chasing his touch before I catch myself.

The space between us feels charged with electricity, crackling with unspoken need. A hint of his cologne—that tangy, distinct scent—still lingers in my nostrils, teasing me, reminding me of how close he was just seconds ago. My fingers twitch at my sides, wanting to reach out, to pull him back against me.

I hate the power he has over me. I hate how my body responds to his without my permission, like it belongs to him instead of me. But I can’t deny the physical ache that spreads through me, radiating from my core outward, making me feel both weak and desperately alive at the same time.

I shove him hard.

He recovers quickly. “Do I need to call security? ”

I watch him as he walks away from me. I’ve really done it this time. What must the man think of me? He reaches into his desk. For a chequebook? For a security button?

I huff. I hate him so much, I can’t stand it. “And another thing, Mister. You’re not as perfect as you think. One of your ears sticks out more than the other… it makes you look goofy.”

His gaze reaches mine, and that maddening smile curves his lips again. “Is that so? I never realized. Thank you so much for bringing that to my attention, Jenna.”

Just as he’s about to take a seat at his desk, he changes his mind and stands. “Let me show you out,” he says cooly, and every syllable grates me — how dare he be so calm and collected, when I just want to rip his head off.

But when we get to the door, he presses me against it, his body claiming mine—and I lose complete control.

I’m his. All his.

His hands find the hem of my skirt, rough and demanding as he hikes it up. My back presses against the cold door, a stark contrast to the heat of his body pinning me there. I gasp as his fingers trail up my thighs, leaving fire in their wake.

“Tell me to stop,” he whispers, his breath hot against my neck. “Tell me you don’t want this.”

But I can’t. The words won’t come. All I can manage is a desperate whimper as his hands climb higher, stroking the sensitive skin of my inner thighs. My head falls back against the door with a soft thud.

“Caine,” I breathe, my voice barely recognizable to my own ears.

Author Bio:

Mom, writer, bookworm, comic artist, and hopeless romantic.

Author of The Ground Rules trilogy, the One Week series, the Riverstones series, the Orchard Heights series, and the You collection.

ALL my books are standalone reads with the exception of The Ground Rules Book 2 and 3. Although the books are standalone reads, when reading a complete series, it is best to do so in chronological order to avoid spoilers. And if you’re a comics fan, check out my comic book: A Romantic Life. 🙂

Website / Goodreads / Facebook / Instagram

GIVEAWAY!

Hustled Blitz

—

#BookTours

Dead Geniuses

Posted on November 21, 2025November 19, 2025 by Reluctant Retiree

How many times does a genius have to die anyway?

A rogue AI named Nessie makes answering that question problematical.

A Once-Dead Genius in the Kennel of Master Morticue Ambergrand

Dead Geniuses Book 1

by R. Gary Raham

Genre: Science Fiction

What happens when you die, but the universe isn’t done with you?

You might end up as the pet of a giant worm-a-pede alien and…if you survive your evolved descendants and rogue aliens of 1 million A.D…discover you have more in common with intelligent worms than you ever thought possible.

Yes, all this might happen if you are Rudy Albert Goldstein—the discoverer of the Biomic Network Algorithm—who thought his time had come. He had done his part to make the world a better place. Now he deserved—even looked forward to—a peaceful and mercifully succinct death. But the universe had other plans…

What reviewers are saying:

“The arch tone should remind readers of Kurt Vonnegut, although Raham is better grounded in exobiology and science and displays a more upbeat outlook for the human (and nonhu man) condition in this engaging tale.” Kirkus Reviews

“A Once-Dead Genius is filled with fascinating characters that we hu mans can learn a lot from (despite the fact that we are, as one of Gary’s characters puts it, ‘primates with delusions of grandeur’). The plot is solid, the action entertaining and philosophically challenging, and the science is great.” Michael Carroll, Astronomical artist, journalist, and author of Europa’s Lost Expedition

**On Sale! Get it for only $2.99 for a limited time!**

Amazon * Bookbub * Goodreads

A Singular Prophecy

Dead Geniuses Book 2

When young paleontologist, Ryan Thompson, finds a new species of mosasaur in Cretaceous seaway sediments, he is thrilled. Joy quickly turns to fear when he touches an artifact buried among the sea reptile’s ribs. Suddenly, he must fight a mental takeover by an alien intelligence committed to transforming the Earth into a refuge for her own species. As Ryan and his girlfriend, Skeets, attempt to thwart alien plans to colonize Earth begun in the deep past, even this crisis becomes trivial when the uneasy symbiosis of Ryan and the alien, Siu, generates a new entity with the power to transform the entire universe.

What reviewers are saying:

“Gary Raham, the author of this enthralling book, seems almost to have been there hundreds of millions of years ago when Siu’s dim star blinked out and the trees began to die on the planet known as Grove. This is the magic of good writing, and Raham is no less convincing as he describes the discovery by modern paleontologists on Earth of the jewel-like engram that has carried the genetic imprint of Siu through a galactic gate, out of the void of deep time, and into our lives.”

Kate Gilmore, author of The Exchange Student and Enter Three Witches

Amazon * Bookbub * Goodreads

A Twice-Dead Genius Comporting With Misunderstood Abominations

Dead Geniuses Book 3

Rudyard Albert Goldstein, inventor of the Biomic Network Algorithm, made peace with death in the 22nd century. But an idiot doctor hijacked his mind, placing it in the care of Nessie, an impish AI guardian. Then, he died again, nearly a million years later, merged with a worm-a-pede alien male sated after completing his conjugal obligations. They expired peacefully on a cliff top, pondering the nature of existence—and the promise of abominable liaisons.

Two deaths should be quite sufficient for any genius to endure.

Somehow, though, Nessie resurrected him from oblivion. His descendants needed him again. New hostile aliens roamed the Earth—along with a mysterious immortal hybrid with powers that rivaled those of Nessie. Was the healthy young body Nessie had prepared for him, along with the prospect of meeting a maker of universes, enough of a bribe to risk dying a third time?

Apparently so.

Readers of Raham’s A Singular Prophecy (Biostration, 2011), and A Once-Dead Genius in the Kennel of Master Morticue Ambergrand (Penstemon Publications, 2018) will reconnect with old friends (both human and alien). But even those new to the author’s quirky sense of humor will enjoy this third adventure that spans the breadth of time and space.

What reviewers are saying:

“After reading and reviewing the 2018 release of “A Once-Dead Genius in the Kennel of Master Morticue Ambergrand,” I could not imagine where Raham’s distant future could take us that would outdo that fine novel. But this author is clearly writing on a different plane because “A Twice-Dead Genius Comporting with Misunderstood Abominations” is even more intriguing and entertaining.” Pat Stoltey, Author of Wishing Caswell Dead

Naked apes, gigantic worm-a-pedes, alien life forms galore. Gary Raham’s latest does not disappoint. It’s yet another cosmic-scale adventure with fascinating characters and a riveting, amusing story.

Michael Carroll, Astronomical artist, journalist, and author of Europa’s Lost Expedition

**On Sale! Get it for only $2.99 for a limited time!**

Amazon * Bookbub * Goodreads

Not Quite Dead Geniuses at Large on an Angry Planet

Dead Geniuses Book 4

How many times does a genius have to die anyway? Rudyard Albert Goldstein, inventor of the Biomic Network algorithm, asked himself—and his AI guardian, Mnemosyne (aka Nessie)—that question many times in the course of their million-year relationship. Nessie didn’t play fair, making multiple copies of him from time to time in an effort to preserve his precocious species, H. sapiens from natural disasters, invading aliens, their own self-destructive proclivities, and even from the now angry planet that gave them birth.

Could Rudy & Nessie manage to convince multiple species, each with their own unique delusions of grandeur, to work together to avert their own extinctions? Could Rudy find a way to let Nessie finally set him free?

Only time—and the completion of an even vaster intellect—would tell.

What reviewers are saying:

“An increasingly madcap conclusion to an eco-themed SF saga of a weary Earth chafing under its alien tenants.” Kirkus Reviews

“One of the things I love about this series is the cast of imaginative characters, including human, alien, and the combinations of living creatures with the surviving intelligence of great minds long gone.” Pat Stoltey, author of Wishing Caswell Dead

Deep Time and Gary are close bud dies, as is evidenced by the panoramic time and physical settings taken in by his tales. Fans of the first Once-Dead Genius—and newcomers as well— will not be disappointed by the newest installment…” Michael Carroll, Astronomical artist, journalist, and author of Europa’s Lost Expedition

**On Sale! Get it for only $2.99 for a limited time!**

Amazon * Bookbub * Goodreads

R. Gary Raham illustrates nature with the critical eye of a biologist, but he also loves to tell stories that highlight nature’s complexities and undiscovered mysteries. Sometimes that leads him to speculative fictions that he hopes will inspire another generation of both scientists and story-tellers. Raham’s work has been known to make a reader laugh and think simultaneously with no known deleterious effects. Raham taught biology at the middle and high school level, has worked for decades as an accomplished graphic artist and science journalist, and won numerous awards for his writing and illustrations. He currently has over 20 published books of science fact and/or science fiction. Raham has written science titles for Chelsea House, Discovery Channel Books, Marshall-Cavendish, and Teacher Ideas Press. Many of his award-winning science articles for both children and adults are featured in Confessions of a Time Traveler (Penstemon, 2015), a finalist in the Colorado Authors’ League Awards.

Website * Facebook * Instagram * Amazon