Book Reviews, Find Your Next Read

The Haunting of Paynes Hollow by Kelley Armstrong: When family secrets won’t stay buried

When Kelley Armstrong writes horror, you know you’re in for a story that goes beyond simple scares—and The Haunting of Paynes Hollow (releasing October 14, 2025) is no exception. This chilling, supernatural thriller digs into the shadows of family history, twisted memory, and the things we inherit whether we want to or not. The book is available now for pre-order on Amazon.

Get your copy of The Haunting of Payne’s Hollow from my independent online bookstore today!

Samantha Payne never expected to inherit anything from her grandfather, not after years of distance and the painful memory of her father’s alleged crime. Fourteen years earlier, Sam witnessed her father burying the body of a child—an image that convinced her he was guilty, despite his own father’s unshakable belief in his innocence. But at the reading of the will, Sam is shocked to discover she’s been left the family’s valuable lakefront property at Paynes Hollow, with one strange condition: she must stay in the cottage for a month and “face the fact she was wrong.”

That’s when the real terror begins.

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Book Reviews, Find Your Next Read

I’ll Be Waiting is so creepy, I had to stop reading it at night!

Kelley Armstrong’s latest horror novel isn’t just chilling—it’s emotionally haunting in a way that lingers long after the lights are out. Most of my reading happens right before I go to bed, but I’ll Be Waiting by Kelley Armstrong made that nearly impossible. Every chapter brims with tension so expertly crafted that I found myself burrowing into my comforter at night to hide every part of myself from whatever might lurk in the shadows. But beyond the scares—and there are plenty—it’s also a story about grief, illness, and the unexpected twists in a life already marked by limited time.

Get your copy of I’ll Be Waiting from my independent online bookstore today!

We meet Nicola Laughton in her thirties, a woman who was never supposed to live that long. Diagnosed with Cystic Fibrosis (CF) as a child, she beat the odds thanks to medical advances. She even allowed herself to fall in love. Anton was her future—the person who taught her to hope for more than just survival. The two were married for only a couple of years before a car crash left Nicola widowed. Anton’s final words to his wife—“I’ll be waiting for you”—became both a deeply personal haunting and a viral social media curiosity.

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Author Interview

Author interview with fantasy writer Monica Shantel

From escaping into fantasy as a young girl to building entire worlds that explore redemption, survival, and love, Monica Shantel has always turned to storytelling as her lifeline. With her debut Beauty of a Crimson Soul, she invites readers into shadowy realms where broken characters discover their strength—and maybe even a happy ending. In this interview, Monica shares the inspirations behind her work, her creative rituals, and the challenges she’s overcome to carve out her space in indie publishing. Whether you’re here for the romance, the monsters, or the magic, you’ll find plenty to love in her fierce and heartfelt journey.

In Beauty of a Crimson Soul, Angel is a newly appointed guardian angel tasked with saving Ayden Dyer, a reckless and self-destructive 23-year-old whose soul teeters on the edge of damnation. As Angel fights to guide him toward redemption, unexpected feelings complicate her mission—and when fallen angels drag them both to Hell, the stakes become eternal. With Ayden’s soul slipping away, Angel must defy fate to save him before it’s too late.

Q: What/who were your early literary influences, and how do you think their writing has shaped you as a storyteller today?
A: The authors who i really loved to read when I was just starting to were Holly Black and Dan Greenburg. I was hugely into fantasy even at 7 years old. They shaped a ton of my love for fantasy in general, and it was later on that authors like Kelley Armstrong and Lauren Kate hooked me on the romance and darker side. But Neal Shusterman got me into the creepier and more horror side.

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