Whispers in Yellow: Spring Stories by N S Ford

Step into Springtime with this collection of quirky stories!

A bout of Spring-cleaning turns into a crazy journey to parallel universes. On an egg hunt, a harassed father questions his sanity when only he can see the Easter bunny. A woman named April Showers is embarrassed about her name, but a date with a clown gives her a new perspective. When a magnolia tree is under threat, the forces of nature must work together to save the garden. Among the daffodils, invisible beings whisper of a planet where it is always Spring.

Five unique stories with N S Ford’s trademark mix of weird and wonder, darkness and light.

My Devil Wears Denim (London Magic Book 1) by Angela Pearse

When the devil shows up in tight Levi’s, how can you resist?
Jade Jameson would quite happily sell her soul for a better life. To her surprise, the universe takes her seriously and sends a handsome devil with an offer. But there’s a catch: sealing the deal requires more than a handshake.

Ever the opportunist, Jade negotiates a workaround, picturing cocktails and a resort with patchy Wi-Fi. Instead, she lands in the 1980s – no internet, no smartphone, and an alarming amount of neon. Not to mention having to juggle new flatmates and a job she never applied for.

Sebastian Burns has a bad habit of letting people off the hook, and Jade is his latest fiasco. Demoted and desperate to earn back Lucifer’s favour, he knows he should be focused on scoring souls – not getting attached to a sassy brunette who pushes his buttons.

When he shows up looking sinfully good in stonewash and armed with survival tips for the ‘80s, Jade’s walls start to crumble. This sexy devil might just be the reason her life takes a turn for the better – but how do you plan a happily ever after with a man from Hell?

If you like funny paranormal romcoms with banter, temptation, and wickedly charming immortals, then you’ll love My Devil Wears Denim. Dive into romantic mayhem and time-travel trouble today!

The Ghostwriter: A Tiny Terrible Tale by Sarah Jules

For as long as she could remember, Clio Pike devoured stories. It was only natural that she’d become a ghostwriter.

Percy Hern wasn’t her usual client.

He was ninety-eight: a shut in, a technophobe, and he said he had a story worth telling. In Clio’s experience, there was a direct positive correlation between the client’s age and the dullness of the stories they wanted immortalised.

Hern was offering £50,000, more money than Clio would typically make in a whole year. How could she possibly say no?

All she had to do was travel to the Isle of Kresnick, a tiny island just off the north coast of Scotland, listen to an old man’s stories, and then weave them into something worth reading…

But something is wrong with the Isle of Kresnick, and its sole occupant. Something… monstrous. And Clio has no way to escape its grasp.

Hideaway Valley Fire: The Complete Series by Eliza Rockwood

Welcome to Hideaway Valley – where the alpha heroes of the local Fire District fall hard and fast for feisty, independent women.

His Hidden Star: She’s a movie star on the run, and he’s the small-town fire chief who’s also her best friend. When a fire drives her into his protective arms, will his love be enough to keep her safe?

His Hidden Desire: He was her dad’s best friend and the only man she’s ever loved. Bound by honor, he’s kept his distance. But when he learns she’s planning to date a rookie firefighter, will jealousy finally push him to claim the heart that’s always been his?

Her Hidden Protector: She thought he was gone forever, but he’s been watching her from the shadows for years. When he finally steps out of the darkness, can she forgive him for letting her believe he was dead?

Her Hidden Hero: She’s the hometown girl he never stopped loving, and he’s the man who shattered her teenage heart. Now, fate has brought them both back to Hideaway Mountain – will they risk it all for a second chance at love?

His Hidden Fire: She’s a guarded tattoo artist with a dark past, and he’s the younger firefighter determined to ignite something unforgettable. He may be inexperienced, but he’s eager to learn – the only problem is, can she risk her heart to teach him?

A Taste of Smoke: He’s been searching for his forever, and she’s desperately trying not to be found. But when a wildfire forces her into his waiting arms, will she let him keep her safe from more than just the flames?

The Darkness Series Box Set by Jessica Huntley

Everyone has a little darkness inside them … But just how dark is yours, and what are you willing to do to keep it hidden?
“Cherry Hollow is a place where if you leave to live elsewhere, you never return, and if an outsider moves in, they never leave.”

It may seem like your average rural town in the Lake District, but Cherry Hollow hides more secrets than most. And it all started with the disappearance of Kieran Jones in 1998. Didn’t it?

Four friends deal with their grief over what happened in different ways, each suffering from their own version of The Creature, an entity that may or may not be real and feeds on their inner darkness.

New people move to the town. More secrets are revealed. And more lives are lost. But at what price?

How did The Darkness start? Why is it tormenting the town and its grieving residents, and who will be the one to finally reveal the darkest secret of all?

A dark psychological thriller series that focuses on mental health and explores just how dark our minds can go, the aftermath of trauma and how it can have repercussions for the rest of our lives … and beyond.

Dame Ophis: a sapphic fantasy tale by Merlina Garance

She has many names.

Lady of the Oak.

Dame Ophis.

Few are those to know her real one.

Sinha.

When wounded knight Cerris crosses through the forest on her way back to the castle, she doesn’t expect a surprising young woman to offer her shelter, nor to heal her.

Things take a complicated turn when Cerris realises who she is dealing with.

She is supposed to kill Dame Ophis.

The only problem is, she might have fallen in love with Sinha.

When the Devil Calls: a Collection of Horror Stories by Bethany Russo

Aliens cause havoc at a service station in Lancaster, and continue to terrorise the cleaners at two hotels in Plymouth. A woman recounts the horrors that lurked in the woods at her favourite childhood campsite in Dorset. Two women fight their way from Ambleside to Grasmere on the first day of the zombie apocalypse. A man takes part in the Chippenham scarecrow trail. With a human-looking scarecrow on his front garden, he’s surprised one night when it’s missing and is then interrupted by a knock at the door. Two new friends pay a visit to Sally in the Woods in their hometown of Bath, only to discover the woods hold more than just a creepy ghost story.

The Man on the Roof at Midnight by Eric Woods

A trilogy of three novellas, this paranormal thriller asks the question: what would you do if you were awakened at the same time every night by the sound of footsteps on your roof?
Dr. Owen Drake recently suffered a tragedy so painful that he picked up his entire life and ran away from the memories. Now, Owen is in a new city with a new job as a psychology professor at a reputable university. He also has a new home that sits on a lake, but the area is eerily quiet. The lake is calm. The neighbors are mysterious.

But then there are the nights… and the thundering noises above … that wake him every night at the same time…

Get the entire trilogy but be sure to fall asleep before you hear the footsteps!

If you would like to submit a title to be considered for my next indie books feature, please use this form.

Previous issues: Summer 25, Autumn 25, Winter 25.

John & Paul: A Love Story in Songs by Ian Leslie

The Catcher in the Rye by J D Salinger

Atmosphere by Taylor Jenkins Reid

The Wild Robot by Peter Brown

Reflections of Lilje Damselfly by Natalie Kelda

The Cabaret of Plants by Richard Mabey

The Nomads by Brianna North

What Have I Done? by Ben Elton

Cursed Daughters by Oyinkan Braithwaite

Weird Sisters edited by Mike Ashley

Check out my favourite reads from previous years: 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024.

The Cloud Enchanters: Fantasy Stories by N S Ford

Seven fantastic fantasy tales to enthrall and entertain you. Dragons, witches, prophecies, sorcerers and more… At a café in the sky, a fugitive angel finds new friends. A reclusive man has to care for newly hatched dragons. A witch builds a tempting gingerbread house, but where are the children? An archive assistant goes on the run when he reads a prophecy about himself. Can a group of middle-aged warriors addicted to quests be persuaded to settle down? An apprentice authoress uses magic to speed up her writing, with life-changing consequences. A girl with her head in the clouds is recruited by an elite group of people who can charm the weather.

Tales From Cemetery (The Cemetery Collection Book 2) by C J Daley

Author C J Daley welcomes you to Cemetery. Whether this is your first trip, or your return to town, get ready for ten blood-fueled nightmares. Read the stories Hudson Valley residents tell around campfires about Cemetery’s dark underbelly. While the police chase serial killers, the streets run rampant with occult, paranormal, and supernatural beings. And while on the surface these stories tell the lore of the town, don’t be surprised if you make some connections between them…

Be prepared to experience an unhinged killer clown, a blood thirty monster in the woods, sinister killer phone calls, vampires with hidden pasts, star-crossed ghost lovers, seances gone awry, a flesh hungry zombie, confinement in a basement, two best friends tackling a haunted mansion, and a shapeshifting woodland spirit.

The Tidal Helm (The Zemkoska Chronicles) by Helen Rygh-Pedersen

How to save a dynasty: find the missing people, find the lost crown, and right the wrongs of the past.

The Briar Crown will soon receive a new owner, but Deyzi Domonov is determined not to let it claim her as its next victim. In order to do that, she needs to find its counterpart, the Tidal Helm. But neither the helm nor the Waterborn population have been seen since the Fall of Eluha, when her great grandfather invaded the country, slaughtering the king and queen and ripping Domovnia apart. After finding her mother’s journal, Deyzi decides to fulfil the late Queen’s plans to excavate the only place they haven’t looked, the maze of canals and caves that lie beneath the length of the country.
With the help of a renowned explorer, Deyzi descends into a dangerous world in search of a lost civilization, certain that they possess the item she seeks. But digging up the past uncovers hard truths about her own family, her country and the true purpose of their mission. Meanwhile, their guide in the watery underworld is torn between helping the woman – with hair like the sun he has never seen – and handing her over to his people to break the curse that binds them.
As her search for the truth becomes a battle of survival, Deyzi must dig deep to save not only herself, but the people and country she loves. But can she do it without a Waterborn by her side, or will this be the end of the Domonov dynasty once and for all?

Enthralled By You (Fanged and Flirty Book 2) by Angela Pearse

Hell hath no fury like a bloodsucker in heels. Sadie Bouffant doesn’t do feelings, romance, or anything that might smudge her perfect winged eyeliner. Immortality is easier that way. But when a vengeful sire kidnaps Elliott – her loyal thrall with benefits – she’s ready to burn the Highlands down to get him back.

Elliott Blythe has spent forty years waiting for Sadie to see him as more than a blood bag errand boy. But he’s done with that. If he survives the psycho vampire’s experiments, he plans to tell Sadie exactly how he feels – preferably while not chained to a dungeon wall.

With her undead coven in tow and her temper on a short leash, Sadie sets out to rescue the one man who’s never asked for her heart – but might have stolen it anyway. Can she save her fated mate without breaking a stiletto? Or is this twisted love story about to go up in flames?

Of Serpents and Sorrow: A Medusa retelling by Katherine Shaw

Before the myth, there was a woman.

Medusa has been groomed her entire life to follow a single path: serve her term as the highly-respected Priestess of Athena, and then become the perfect, obedient wife to a wealthy nobleman she would never love.

Ismene has grown up despised by her tyrannical father, hidden away from polite society so she cannot bring shame to her family.

When the two meet, their lives are turned upside down by a whirlwind of forbidden feelings and secret dreams of a different kind of life. One where they might both be happier than they’d ever thought possible.

That is, until the gods get involved, and their world is transformed beyond recognition.

As Told Under the Moon: A Collection of Haunting Works from New and Emerging Voices edited by Ellis Hart

A haunting new anthology of short fiction from some of today’s most exciting indie voices.

Why this collection? Because the best stories aren’t always born in boardrooms or bestseller lists—they’re crafted late at night by indie authors who write with heart, grit, and imagination. These writers deserve to be seen and heard, and this anthology is a stage for their talent.

Inside, you’ll discover horror, gothic romance, suspense, anxiety-inducing technology, eyes watching from the treeline, and the supernatural in an unforgettable collection of modern dark fiction.

Contributors: Alessandra Benini, Shawn Brooks, Cailin Cecchini, Aurelie Duncanson, Alex Franklyn, Julia Jackson, A.D. Jones, Victoria M. Sorenson, Amy Tackett, David Washburn, SJ King, H.H. Mika, and Ellis Hart (editor and contributor).

If you love anthologies that feel fresh, human, and eerily unforgettable, this is for you.

This is more than just a book of stories. It’s a celebration of indie writers, a gift from creators to readers, and a reminder that the scariest, most beautiful tales are often told by those fighting hardest to share their voices.

Harrowfield by Stephanie Ellis

Harrowfield is a tiny village in the Marches, that wild strip of borderland between England and Wales. On the edge of this village lies another field, the Harrow Field, the one from which the settlement takes its name. At its entrance stands the Mother Stone, guarding her Children, the two smaller monoliths at the top of the field. This is the ancient site of the Harrowing.

When Derwenna Parry’s brother goes missing whilst surveying farmland, she and his daughters head to the village to track him down. Midsummer approaches and, even though they find him unharmed, they become caught up in strange events which lead them to the Harrowing. An ancient act of penance … or sacrificial revenge?

Aubade Rising (Trials of Trevesiga Book 1) by Hayley Pierce

Her magic is outlawed. Her ambition is limitless. After years of secret research, Sage is on the cusp a momentous discovery: the ability to stabilize her forbidden magic so she can finally wield it out in the open. Now, if only she can manage to live long enough to complete it.

When a group of rebels blows up her lab, Sage barely escapes with her life. And when she flees to sanctuary in the royal palace, she winds up accused of being a rebel herself by the cold and commanding captain of the guard, Eskar.

Desperate to find the missing link in her research and forge a peace between the magical factions, Sage sets out for the misty moorlands saddled with Eskar as her less-than-willing protector.

But the more she learns about the privileged King’s guard, the more Eskar’s tormented past and dark magic calls to Sage—until his presence on her quest begins to feel less like a burden, and more like an intriguing glimpse into the future she never thought she would have. Together, this outsider and insider might be the only ones able to prevent an all-out war…but only if they can bring themselves to trust in each other.

This is the first book in a gripping new enemies-to-lovers romantic fantasy series with a STEM-minded FMC, all the banter, and he falls first trope.

Verselva Blues (Inner Universe Book 7) by Natalie Kelda

Balfour’s year in Amule is up. Preparing to leave, he has yet to tell his family that he never planned to stay. He knows it’ll break their hearts to say goodbye forever, but staying would break his own. And Skye’s.

When his step-brother accidentally pokes himself on Thalia’s kin-tester, Balfour’s plans turn to ash. The pen glows blue, proving Cary to be Thalia’s lost son. Not only that, it draws the last living tarilla chief to Amule and she’s not done killing the people Balfour loves most. He can’t bear losing anyone else but an argument results in an unwanted trip to the last planet anyone wanted to go to; Verselva, the home of the blue fangs.

The locals hunt them. The wild boars stalk them. One thing is clear, not everyone will make it through the jungle alive.

Indie Author: An Introduction by Steve Griffin

Want to know more about indie publishing but don’t know where to go? Put off by all those lengthy guides on marketing and writing advice?

This guide condenses 10 years of experience into a short, handy read, giving you insights into:

Writing – how to keep it tight, focusing on character and suspense
Publishing – how to do it yourself, with a focus on Amazon
Marketing – sharing learning on Amazon and Facebook ads and how to sales stack

Drawing on his experience of writing 14 books, Steve Griffin helps you avoid the pitfalls of indie publishing and keep the joy in your writing.

If you would like to submit a title to be considered for my next indie books feature, please use this form.

Previous issue: Summer 25.

‘Tik-Tok made me buy it’ or any other reference to this platform that I have never used. I also find that books endorsed by Tik-Tok influencers don’t appeal to me anyway. Moreover, I don’t like the suggestion that someone is ‘made’ to buy a book, as if viral videos are controlling their life.

Anything with these words: ‘brutal’, ‘bravura’, ‘searing’, ‘bestseller’, ‘masterpiece’, ‘heartbreaking’, ‘romantasy’, ‘cosy crime’, ‘devastating’, ‘gory’ and probably a lot more that I could think of. I instantly know that this will not be my kind of read.

‘An instant classic’. As I have mentioned before in my post about ‘classics’, this doesn’t make sense. A book has to prove itself over time to become a classic.

References to book club picks, usually hosted by celebrities. I have read very few books with a book club designation. The kind of books they choose tend not to be the ones I’d choose! And if a celebrity endorses a book, I do not care at all.

Describing a book as Bridget Jones. This is getting old. I also find that they tend to mean the film version of Bridget, who is more of a pathetic, bumbling comedy figure than her book counterpart.

What phrases put you off reading a book? Or maybe everything I’ve mentioned is appealing for you?

All the Other Mothers Hate Me by Sarah Harman. I liked this book at first, as it had a wicked edge and an ex-girl group theme. It reminded me a bit of The Thunder Girls by Melanie Blake. However I found the main character, Florence – who grew up in Florida and now mingles with the posh mothers in London – very annoying. I don’t mind reading characters who are supposed to be unlikeable, but I found her uncompelling enough to abandon the book after several chapters.

Unseen Academicals by Terry Pratchett. I remember when this Discworld book was published and I wasn’t interested, as the theme is football. Recently I thought I’d give it a go, as it’s one of the few in the series I haven’t read. I quite enjoyed it at first, but the plot seemed very drawn-out and complicated, plus it was football, which even though it was played by wizards, still didn’t appeal to me.

Adventures in Stationery by James Ward. I thought this might turn out to be surprisingly fascinating. The cover had illustrations of brightly-coloured stationery. Maybe the fact that the author has a blog called ‘I Like Boring Things’ should have warned me. Anyway, I didn’t get far with this. I’m sure it’s a great book, when it reaches the right reader. I must admit I have never wondered how paperclips were invented and it’s very low down my list of things to know.

Faery Tale by Signe Pike. I thought the book was interesting at first but then I lost my enthusiasm for it. The book is about a young woman, an editor for a US publisher, searching for faeries, however its concept didn’t seem strong enough. I couldn’t work out if it was a self-discovery thing, or a travel memoir, but it was a bit too ‘new age’ for me and moreover I wasn’t keen on the writing style.

The Famous by Rachel Lynch. Described as a psychological thriller about the dark side of fame, this sounded like it might be a gripping read. I don’t often read this genre now as I find the books too similiar unless they have something unusual in their concept. Sadly I didn’t get far with this book, as I couldn’t get into the story and the characters seemed unrealistic.

Emotional: You buy books based upon how you are feeling at the time and what’s going on in your life, so you’re a ‘mood buyer’ as well as mood reader.

Organised: Your TBR list is your shopping list, you know exactly what you want to add to your shelves and you plan to get the next books in a series.

Thrifty: You love nothing more than bargain books from the charity shop and online stores; you also love free books wherever you can get them, from legal sources.

Visual: You’re a cover lover who buys books based on how attractive they are, with fantastic artwork, sprayed edges and brilliant graphic design.

Impulse: Books aren’t on the shopping list, but somehow they fall into your basket and you come home with a stack of new reads to cram into your shelves!

Status: Acquiring books for how they’ll look on your shelves and what their presence says about your personality, although you might not actually read them.

Ethical: You support independent writers, publishers and retailers; moreover it’s important to you that the ethics of your chosen vendors align with yours.

Obsessive: Buying books is your number one interest and your house and/or e-reader is filled with books you haven’t read yet, but you keep buying more.

Omnivorous: You’ll buy any kind of book, regardless of format, author or genre, because you like all sorts of random things and love the act of reading.

Desperate: The worry about running out of books to read, despite having plenty already, or access to a library, means that you panic-buy books to avoid this crisis.

Now discover which type of book reviewer you are…