Literarily Speaking

Book Blast: Deadly Wilderness Showdown by Lisa Weaver

thewriterslife July 09, 2026 0 Comments

Hunted through the wilderness…can they survive animals and criminals?

He saved her once. He’ll risk everything to save her again.

After surviving a brutal encounter with a sadistic serial killer, Abbie Renforth finds peace in the Maine wilderness. But peace turns to peril when a vengeful crime family brings their war to her doorstep, turning her sanctuary into a battlefield.

Ethan Knight, the former detective who once saved her life, is reluctantly pulled back into the fray. Together they must outwit ruthless enemies and unravel a dangerous tangle of lies. Can they outmaneuver a merciless crime family and unearth the truth before their time runs out?

Deadly Wilderness Showdown is available at Amazon.

╰┈➤Book Details

Genre: Inspirational Romantic Suspense

Sub-genre: Christian Mystery/Suspense

Language:English

Pages: 20

Paperback ISBN: 978-1335957863

Excerpt:

Abbie Renforth had witnessed more than her share of psyche-scarring moments in her former career as a photojournalist for an international news agency. She’d captured far too many heart-wrenching images in the aftermath of earthquakes, floods, wildfires and senseless crimes than she cared to remember. Some things, once seen, could never be unseen.

She’d experienced the worst the world had to offer—and not only in her professional life. Now, amid the wild and rugged beauty of Maine, where she’d retreated after losing her job and very nearly her life, she was experiencing the best.

Recalling how close she’d come to missing out on the chance to spend three months in this idyllic expanse of backcountry courtesy of a visiting artist program, she was grateful she’d overcome her hesitation. Fear had nearly kept her from saying yes when she’d first been offered the opportunity to take part in this once-in-a-lifetime experience. Since she’d been attacked, her formerly borderless comfort zone had shrunk to an anxiety-restricted microcosm. Nearly dying at the hands of a demented serial killer had a way of doing that to a person.

– Excerpted from Deadly Wilderness Showdown by Lisa Weaver, Harlequin Love Inspired Suspense, 2026. Reprinted with permission.

About the Author

Lisa Weaver lives in Maine with her husband and one very spoiled Maine coon cat. When she’s not spinning pulse-pounding tails, she enjoys hiking, biking, getting her hands dirty in her flower gardens, spending time in nature and baking decadent treats inspired by her fascination with baking competition shows (and chocolate).

Lisa’s latest book is Deadly Wilderness Showdown.

Visit her website at www.LisaWeaverRomance.com.

Connect with her on social media at:

╰┈➤X: www.x.com/dreamweavings7

╰┈➤Facebook: www.facebook.com/weaverromance

╰┈➤Instagram: www.instagram.com/lisaweaverauthor

╰┈➤BookBub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/lisa-weaver

5 Things You Should Know About The Wars Between by Lee Mavin #5Things

thewriterslife July 07, 2026 0 Comments

We are so excited to have as our guest today, Lee Mavin, author of 'The Wars Between'. He is here to tell us five things you should know about his book!

5 Things You Should Know About The Wars Between

By Lee Mavin

1. The Wars Between is not your typical fantasy novel.

2. There are two countries in the book that have been at war for thousands of years.

3. The main character: Outis Everrett, a mere poet changes the world without lifting a sword.

4. There is a love twist in the book.

5. The book was inspired by the invasion of Ukraine and the current situation in the middle east.

~ Book Description ~

For centuries there had been an ongoing war between Asalandia, the proud monarchy of the east and Kastanair the progressive democracy of the west. However, the years of war would end with the most unlikely turn of events.

Outis Everrett, the disappointment of his family, a measly poet, is suddenly thrusted into an epic adventure across the sea, with the King’s blessing. His poem, the poem that somehow won the first annual Asalandian poetry competition, was meant to be taken across the seas, to the enemy island of Kastanair, there, it would be read by the President of Kastanair, the newly elected and very progressive, Penelope Chinwa and she was supposed stop the war after reading those so special words.

So Outis set sail aboard the Golden ship, guided and protected by the Knights of Sunrise and their adventures began. The Knights are led by Bartholemew Aries, the most famous soldier in Asalandia, though when their ship drifts off course to the mysterious island of Aquos Atalantious, the Princess of the island soon lures him to stay. So, the Knights of Sunrise become distracted by the beauties of this foreign island. After failing to find the prince, who had been taken by a monstrous octopus, the Golden ship sails onto Kastanair, without its leader, who had fallen in love with the Princess. They then sail to Syanthia, where the worlds’ meat was produced. There they meet, the young Kastanairian, Gwenia Xiachung, an enthusiastic vegan on a mission to stop everyone eating meat. Outis is thrown into a pig saving mission with Gwenia and is intrigued by the young girl. After saving the pigs and convincing the head of meat production to change his ways with a beautiful poem about animal empathy, Gwenia falls in love with Outis. She joins him and the Knights of Sunrise on the voyage to back to her country, Kastanair. Once they finally reach the shores of Kastanair, they are attacked on the shores by a small army, led by Caslian Jesper, the tough captain who worked his soldiers to exhaustion. The Knights, Outis and Gwenia are rescued by Nastab and his band of terrorists who take them on horseback through Kastanair to Mount Xian. Nastab and his men come from a rebel group who had been dwelling on the plateau of Mount Xian, plotting to overthrow the government of Kastanair. However, their leader, who had driven their group to crimes and violence, was hoarding their food and treasure.

Caslian Jesper follows the terrorists to Mount Xian, in pursuit of two of his enemies at once, the terrorists and the Asalandians. Outis and Gwenia are suddenly taken off their horses by huge hawks, who fly them up Mount Xian, to a cave opening. There Gwenia and Outis meet The Tall Man, a strange man with huge black eyes who has no name. He takes them into the cave, and they fall more tall people. There they learn that the tall people had been in the caves for hundreds of years and they care not for treasures of war. The tall man collects water from an underground stream and fruits from the cave roofs and they take Outis and Gwenia up to the top of the mountain. There they find Caslian’s army had managed to climb to the top of the mountain in attempt to attack but they were too drained to fight so the tall man shared his fruit with them. Both sides rested as Outis read a poem to the leader of the terrorists.

Outis and Gwenia are then taken to the capital, by an eclectic group including Nastab, The Tall Man and the Knights of Sunrise, they journey through the planes of Kastanair where they are attacked by wolves. The Knights and Nastab fight the wolves off valiantly and they continue. When they finally reach the capital Outis reads his poem to the President, but it is not the words of his poem alone that convince her to stop the war, it is the group he brings with him, a group of once enemies, who had come together with the same goal.

The Wars Between is available at Amazon.

~ Author Bio ~

Lee J Mavin is the author of 11 books. He is also a teacher and father. He has a Masters in Creative Writing and am solely focused on writing fiction (fantasy and horror) and poetry. He is now in collaboration the illustrator Karolina Piotrowski, a Polish artist who has brought many stories to life. He has worked and studied in China and Japan and studied with Dr Xiaohuan Zhao (a master of Chinese poetry) to complete his book Li Bai’s Shadow, at the University of Sydney. He has two children who are both avid readers, so he is always in the loop with trends in children’s fiction. He is married and lives in Sydney, where he teaches English.

His latest book is the YA fantasy, The Wars Between.

Visit his website at leejmavin.com.

Connect with him on social media at:

╰┈➤ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/lee.mavin.925/

╰┈➤ Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/mavin798

╰┈➤ Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5103759.Lee_J_Mavin

╰┈➤ TikTok ➜ https://www.tiktok.com/@leemavin4

# 5 Things # 5 Things You Should Know

Author Interview with Lindy S. Hudis, Author of 'CITY OF TOYS' #authorinterview

thewriterslife July 06, 2026 0 Comments

Today we are interviewing Lindy S. Hudis, author of the thriller, City of Toys (Lachesis Publishing).

Lindy Sternberger Hudis is an award-winning filmmaker, author and actress. Lindy is a graduate of New York University, where she studied drama at Tisch School of the Arts. She also performed in a number of Off-Off Broadway theater productions while living in New York City.

She is the author of several titles, including her romance suspense novel, Weekends, her “Hollywood” story City of Toys, and her crime novel, Crashers. Her latest release, “Hollywood Underworld – A Hollywood Series” is the first installment of a crime mystery series.

She is also the author of several erotic short stories, including “The S&M Club”, “The Backstage Pass”, “Guitar God”, “The Guitarist”, and “The Mile High Club”.

Her short film “The Lesson”, which she wrote, produced and directed, has won numerous awards, including ‘Best Short Film’ at the Paris International Film Festival, The Beverly Hills Arthouse Film Festival and the San Francisco International Film Festival.

She is also a former actress, having appeared in the television daytime drama “Sunset Beach”, also “Married with Children”, “Beverly Hills 90210” and the feature film, “Indecent Proposal”. She and her husband, Hollywood stuntman Stephen Hudis, have formed their own production company called Impact Motion Pictures and have several projects and screenplays in development. She lives in California with her husband and two children.

Visit her website at https://lindyinparadise.wordpress.com.

Connect with her on social media at:

X: https://x.com/Lindyscribe

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/LindyScribe/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lindys.hudis/

BookBub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/lindy-s-hudis

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6470478.Lindy_S_Hudis

Can you share a story about what brought you to this particular career path (becoming an author)?

I first came out to Los Angeles, because wanted to be an actress. I studied drama at NYU and came out to Hollywood to try my luck. CITY OF TOYS was inspired from my life as an actress in the 90’s Hollywood. Then I went into film distribution for a little while, then had my babies, then got back into film production again. Writing has always been a fantasy of mine, so one day I just did it! I have written a few books that were inspired by my Hollywood days. The 90’s was a fun time to be in Los Angeles. I find excitement in sharing that experience with the reader.

Your latest book, City of Toys, explores the dangers of Hollywood as four young women try to make it big in Tinseltown. How did you come up with this very unique idea?

City of Toys is a work of fiction but inspired by actual events. It was a different time that the action took place, as Hollywood is different now. There was no social media or Internet when I was living there, so for that reason, the characters are in much more of a precarious situation. The story is is set in Hollywood and tells the story of four young women as they try to make it as actresses. Living in a less than desirable apartment complex in Los Angeles, the four soon become friends and support each other through many lows with few highs.

Can you tell us about the main character in the book?

Each of the four girls, Rhonda, Marlo, Kim and Guyla, are completely different and each brings examples of the many different paths an aspiring Hollywood actress can take. Their current story is intertwined with flashbacks of their past. I would like to think that this information really helps the reader to understand why each of the girls is as they are today. Each of the girls has their own demons and desires. Rhonda is the small town beauty queen, Marlo is the former child actress from New York, Guyla is the Yale School of Drama graduate who has to work as a stripper to pay the bills and Kim is the sweet, girl-next-door type who falls in with the wrong crowd. They are all in Hollywood for the same reason, and that is what bonds them together.

Can you tell us about the other characters in the book?

The character of Marina, the office manager in the apartment building. She is a bit older and wiser and takes a protective attitude towards all the young women living in the building. The character of James, the sleazy producer, Brad, the sleazy manager, Vinny, the sleazy photographer, Kat, the sleazy drug dealer, and Ralph, the sleazy agent. Lots of sleaze, lol. It’s about Hollywood and I’m going for realism.

What is the very first line of your book?

It was well after midnight in the glorious City of Angels.

What is the main reason people should read your book?

If they have a friend or loved one who is thinking about coming out to Hollywood to be an actor, have this been a cautionary tale, Lol. All jokes aside, it is a gritty reality story about the seedy and dark underbelly of one of the most glamorous businesses.

You are a person of enormous influence. If you could start a movement that would bring the most amount of good to the most amount of people, what would that be?

I would love to see people treat each other with kindness. There is way too much cruelty and negativity in the world right now. I would like to create a “be nice to each other" movement. I think that would help heal humanity right now.

Four beautiful women seek fame and fortune in Hollywood, the City of Toys, where actresses are like dolls, playing pretend on the big screen.

Marlo: a former child actress from New York City.

Rhonda: a small-town beauty queen.

Kim: a “nice Jewish girl” with a painful childhood.

Guyla: a “serious actress” with a debilitating, stress-induced illness.

Marlo, Rhonda, Kim, and Guyla, become friends living in the same apartment complex, in the city where dreams and disasters go together. They come to rely on each other as they deal with sexual come-ons, crazed stalkers, jealous starlets and the constant pressure of trying to make it in showbiz. But when the pressure gets too much, will their friendship save them, or will the City of Toys break them?

City of Toys is available at Amazon.

╰┈➤Book Details

- Genre: Thriller
- Sub-genre: Suspense
- Language:English
- Pages: 333
- Paperback ISBN: 978-1897562703

╰┈➤Here’s What Readers Have To Say!

“Through the magic of fiction, this novel gives a well written, in-depth look at what Hollywood can really be like for the unsuspecting would be actor or actress shooting for stardom. In fact, I think this book would be a REALLY great warning (and required reading) for ANYONE who thinks that making it in Hollywood is easy-which City of Toys shows is most certainly NOT. Not looking to be the next big star? Read it anyway for a MOST entertaining, page-turner of a story! City of Toys is a great read with a gripping storyline and realistic characters, that doesn’t gloss over the often unseen gritty underside of the Hollywood ShowBiz Machine. I enjoyed this book!” – Meredith, Amazon

“This book was graphic and, in many ways, disturbing – yet beautifully written. The raw honesty of the situations the characters found themselves in painted an ugly picture but one that is all too real for many who go out to Hollywood with big dreams only to find themselves sucked into its seedy underbelly. I do highly recommend this as a warning to any who think that big dreams won’t come with big prices to pay at the end. And it comes from someone who has the scars and the lived experiences to back it up.” – Brandy M. Miller, Amazon