Tag: books

Posted in Book Tours

First Light

Posted on by Reluctant Retiree

A promise filled with hope in a world not meant for dreamers


First Light

Tales of the Vanguard: Rune Saga Book 1

by Verity Rose

Genre: Epic Fantasy



In a world struggling with political and religious differences, eighteen-year-old Arkrune—”Rune” to his friends—dreams of something greater than the quiet life in his small village of Locke. Trained by his stern but loving father, a renowned blacksmith and former warrior, Rune sets his sights on joining the famous monster fighting guild known as the Vanguard.

When Rune embarks on his journey to the city of Hilden to pursue his destiny, he carries with him more than just a finely crafted sword—but also a mystery tied to his bloodline and the dormant power within him. Along the way, Rune forms bonds with battle-hardened warriors, fends off deadly attacks by monsters and men alike, and begins to uncover the hidden strengths he didn’t know he possessed.

 

**New Release – Oct 25!**

Amazon * B&N * Kobo * Bookbub * Goodreads




Verity Rose grew up in a blink and you’ll miss it Indiana town where the school library doubled as an escape hatch. She wrote her first fantasy scenes at thirteen, lost the thread for a while, wrestling with undiagnosed ADHD and mental health potholes. She rediscovered her voice after becoming a mom and stumbling into a gaggle of online book nerds who egged her on. Armed with a social work degree from Ball State and a lifelong conviction that characters are as real as the hands on the keyboard, she now pours that people first empathy into stories that refuse to stay quiet.

When she isn’t tormenting her characters, Verity is probably reverse engineering a Korean street food recipe, sourcing single origin coffee beans from ethical roasters, or hoarding trash in Dragon Age or Skyrim. Her literary inspiration is equal parts Rick Riordan’s mythic swagger, Suzanne Collins’ high stakes heart, and John Flanagan’s cozy camaraderie.

Verity was raising her family (and her caffeine tolerance) amid Indiana cornfields and now adventures in the Pacific Northwest with them. She’s always down to swap book recs, coffee tips, or preferred RPG builds.

 

Website * Facebook * Instagram * Bluesky * Amazon

 


Follow the tour HERE for special content and a giveaway!


First Light


https://widget.gleamjs.io/e.js
Posted in Cover Reveals

The Goblin Crown #CoverReveal

Posted on by Reluctant Retiree

The Goblin Crown
Brenna Raney
Publication date: April 7th 2026
Genres: Adult, Fantasy

Who are you when you can wear any face?

Aren is a shapeshifter, able to run with a centaur herd, fly on a hawk’s wings, and scurry through the kitchens to the screams of the innkeeper’s wife.

At age six, she was a human foundling left at the edge of the woods to be raised by the local hedgewitch. When knights arrived from the capital to investigate a strange upheaval in the northern country, they sought out the witch’s help, hoping to stave off a foretold disaster that they were helpless to stop in the end.

Now, at nineteen, he’s living in disguise as an elf in the Queen’s Court, flirting with nobles to find out what killed his mother and cursed their village. With eyes in the court looking out for an infiltrator after a palace guard caught Aren shapeshifting, and a royal human delegation visiting that are all too familiar with him, he must walk a careful line to avoid being found as he pieces together the truth of what happened all those years ago—and how it may be tied to a similar disaster that happened three hundred years prior in the elfland.

Add to Goodreads / Pre-order


Author Bio:

Brenna began her writing career with Amelia Bedelia fanfiction on hand-stapled printer paper. Her early original work was entrusted to gel pens and floppy disks, then ballpoint and flash drives, and briefly, receipt paper from her first job. In her Academic Period, she produced dry and esoteric works for which she was awarded a master’s degree. She has also dabbled in visual media, and her minimalist comic, Ice Cream Money from Grandma, hangs proudly on her grandmother’s refrigerator. She resides in Texas, where she teaches for a living and bakes for fun.

Website / Instagram / Newsletter


—

Posted in Cover Reveals

Handle with Care #CoverReveal

Posted on by Reluctant Retiree

Handle with Care
Hayden Stone
Publication date: October 14th 2025
Genres: Adult, Comedy, Contemporary, LGBTQ+, Romance

Two rival interns. One art museum. And a missing art museum exhibit.

Dylan Alexander doesn’t need a boyfriend. Having one will only slow him down.

Freshly graduated from university, Dylan’s arrived in London, England from Vancouver, Canada for a summer internship at the London Art & Design Museum. He’s also looking for strings-free fun and a fresh dating scene. This is Dylan’s dream chance to start his career and land a permanent job in London—or else he must return to Vancouver where museum jobs are rare, and the dating pool is old news. Everything’s going great in his new life—except for one thing. Dylan must put up with rival museum intern William Martin-Greene.

Will is everything Dylan can’t stand: flashy, arrogant, and entitled. Forget that he’s too handsome for his own good and knows it. It’s bad luck that they both started on the same internship program. At least they work safely apart in different departments—until one day, they’re forced to work together when Will unexpectedly joins Dylan’s Curatorial team. So much for the avoidance strategy that had worked so far. Will’s arrival on his team is also not helping his unmistakable attraction. When Dylan and Will end up stranded together while collecting exhibits, with only one bed to share, they can’t deny their chemistry.

With only one permanent job on offer at the end of the summer, the competition is on to be the best intern. They both share the blame when an important design exhibit goes missing and risks the unexpected summer romance between them. Then, everything is on the line—including hearts, careers, and a chance at love.

A rivals-to-lovers, opposites attract, only one bed, and boy-next-door romance!

Add to Goodreads / Pre-order


Author Bio:

More animal than mineral, Hayden Stone is a writer of fun queer fiction, especially with kissing. He currently lives in Victoria, Canada, and has previously lived in Vancouver, Canada and London, UK. He likes strong coffee and is owned by two cats. You can find out his latest news on Twitter or Instagram, or at his website: haydenstonebooks.com

Website / Goodreads / Instagram / TikTok / X


—

Posted in My Likes and Dislikes

Tracking Your Books

Posted on by Reluctant Retiree

I do a lot of reading, I mean A LOT of reading! But sometimes I just can’t remember how many books I’ve read in a given month. My husband asked me that not too long ago. Imagine my surprise when I realized I had absolutely no idea!

This realization sent me on a search for a workable way to track my reading. There are several ways you can do this. I plan to try 2 ways, Spreadsheet and Journal.

Spreadsheet

Here’s a link to the spreadsheet that I want to use. It seems simple enough and will even give you statistics on what you read.

2024 Reading and Books Spreadsheet for Tracking

Journal

This is the Journal that I am using. One of the things about it that I really like is the ability to include a picture of the cover. It links from the basic page shown in the photo below to a book review page where you can record your thoughts. It also gives you the ability to list all the books in a series. I really like that!

Etsy

What about you?