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Profile on Kayla Murphy

When I started writing Some Thing Calls from the Dark, I envisioned a girl that was nice to others but also a little self-conscious, a little fed up with her brother, and a little stubborn when it comes to holding onto a grudge.

Kayla Murphy is a seventh grader living near Flatwoods, West Virginia. Her house in the country is two stories, her bedroom on the second floor. From her bedroom window, she can see the big backyard and the bushes that separates the yard from the woods beyond.

She likes teasing her little brother, hanging with her best friend Gina, video games, and ooey gooey macaroni and cheese.

She loves her new cell phone.

It took Kayla months to get her parents talked into letting her have one. Vibrate mode is for suckers. She set all the calls, notifications, and alarms to her favorite ringtone and turned it up as loud as it would go!

Bing. Bong. Bing bing!

My favorite Kayla quote is a tie between…

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or…

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Most of her life, Kayla has been oblivious to the stories about the green monster that visits the woods. Now, she’s lived her own story.

Read more about Kayla Murphy and her hunt for the Flatwoods Monster in Some Thing Calls from the Dark (Spooky Rumors series). Now available for preorder at major online bookstores. Release date: September 20, 2023.

I heard a rumor…

It is SO good to be back to my book tribe. As some of you already know, I took a little over a year off to be fully present during my youngest son’s senior year. I am pleased to report that he graduated and is off to college at Kent State University. While my oldest is finishing up his last year at The Ohio State University.

That means, I now have an empty nest, and I intend to take advantage of it!

First up, was the July release of my short story, Hidden on the Belt, included in Brave New Girls: Tales of Girls Who Engineer and Explore anthology. I love participating in this project because a portion of each sale goes to scholarships from the Society of Women Engineers for young women learning about careers STEM fields.

This is the second short I’ve written about Stella Purser, the youngest intern ever at the future First Intergalactic Bank and Trust, Lake Erie Branch. The clients are often not human, sometimes not even solid. And yes, Stella’s bank branch is actually under Lake Erie. May I suggest entering through the wet lobby. It’s quite the experience.

Stella has a gift for figuring advanced probabilities in seconds. That’s why novice security guard, Fox Aimsworth, nicknamed her “Chance.” Together, they get into the craziest situations.

In Hidden on the Belt, Stella and Fox tag along for a routine mining equipment check on Vesta in the asteroid belt. When the team stumbles on a major criminal cover up, the mission leader trusts the wrong person. Stella must use her unique talent to elude the bad guys and get the team off the rock spiraling through space.

And if you like, Hidden, be sure to check out the prior Chance & Fox short, Let the Numbers Show Truth, part of Brave New Girls: Adventures of Gals and Gizmos. It’s explosive.

Next up is the debut of my new middle grade horror series, Spooky Rumors. The first book, Some Thing Calls from the Dark, releases September 20, 2023, and as of this post is available for preorder.

The premise of Spooky Rumors is that Agatha Binx, preteen witch and self-proclaimed expert of all things that go bump in the night, collects rumors from her monstrous and ghostly friends to share with my readers.

These books are so much fun, creepy stories with corny humor thrown in, very much in the style of R.L. Stine’s Goosebumps. Short chapters, easy readability, and high action make them perfect for reluctant middle grade readers.

Each book/rumor is a standalone and will feature a different set of characters and monster or ghost story based in small town folklore. The first book, Some Thing Calls from the Dark, centers on the Flatwoods Monster of West Virginia. A profile at the end of the book gives readers extra info on the documented sightings.

In Some Thing Calls… Kayla Murphy wakes to an odd call for help coming from the creepy woods beyond her backyard. The next thing she remembers is waking up on her bedroom floor under an open window. Kayla is forced into the woods in search of answers. Each dangerous step leads her closer to the monster of local folklore.

I’m pretty psyched about the team for this one. I was so lucky to connect with the amazing Diane Landolf, editor of Mary Pope Osborne’s Magic Tree House Fact Trackers and numerous other major publisher middle grade titles. She polished the manuscript as editor. The book also includes original artwork from the Doug LaRocca.

And there is more on the horizon. Works in progress include A Cloak of Crimson, a Little Red Riding Hood retelling with werewolves set in Alaska. It will be part of a fairy tale box set currently slated for late 2024. I’m also working on the third book in the Mothman Mysteries series, Wrong Side of the Song. And I will be releasing new Spooky Rumors as quickly as possible.

In addition to ramping up the writing, you will again see me at events. I’m just starting to get those scheduled. Check my Home page for the current list.

Lastly, I just wanted to say thank you for your patience while I took this family time. I’m excited about these new stories and hope you are too!

Christmas in July Spotlight: Sandy Goldsworthy

sandy goldsworthy

Sandy Goldsworthy was raised in Sheboygan, Wisconsin, blocks from the rocky shores of Lake Michigan. As a child, she fantasized about becoming an author. She jotted story lines in spiral notebooks and drew images of characters that never came to life. Her passion for putting pen to paper began when her high school English teacher inspired her to be more descriptive in her work. Ever since, Sandy dabbled in creative writing, searching for that perfect shade of red and that character you want to get to know.

A graduate from the University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh, Sandy is the YA author of the paranormal romance series, The Afterworld Saga. She spends her days managing corporate client programs, and her nights and weekends drafting new plot lines in spiral notebooks. Sandy and her husband have two children and reside in southeastern Wisconsin with their energetic English Mastiff. Learn more at www.sandygoldsworthy.com

Aftermath (Afterworld Saga, Book 1)

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When high school student Emma meets immortal secret agent Ben, their hunt for a deadly criminal may thwart their undying romance… An “exciting” paranormal story…” School Library Journal.

After losing her father, Emma Bennett moves to her aunt’s small town of Westport to finish out her senior year. While trying to forget the pain and loss of the past few weeks, Emma finds comfort in the company of Ben Parker—a local boy who she has an uncanny connection. Emma wants nothing more than to explore her otherworldly attraction for Ben, but he seems to mysteriously disappear at times when she needs him the most. When the town’s bad boy and hottest flirt—Lucas Crandon—begins vying for Emma’s affection, she finds herself torn between Lucas who’s always around and Ben who’s not. It doesn’t take long for Emma to realize that a love triangle is the least of her problems. There’s something much more sinister at play in Westport and Emma seems to be smack-dab in the middle of it.

When lives are at stake and immortals are on the loose, can two soul mates find their happy ever after?

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Christmas in July Spotlight: Kasi Blake

Kasi Blake, ya author

Kasi Blake learned that writing was her superpower when she was in the third grade. The teacher asked the students to write a short (one-page) story about a pet monster for Halloween. She heard the other kids all saying they were doing vampires and werewolves, so she chose to write about a pet mummy. Her story made the entire classroom erupt with laughter. That’s when she realized words had power. Then when she was in high school she had to write a short story for a class and put it off until the last minute. While talking to friends that morning, she scribbled it out and handed it in. The teacher thought she’d plagiarized it. That’s how good he thought it was, but her friends backed her up. Later in college, her writing ability saved her from a bad grade in history. It was a writing-intensive course.

What’s your superpower?


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Vampires Rule

A simple boy-meets-girl story.
Only the boy is a vampire, and the girl is a badass werewolf hunter.

“Kasi Blake has written a winner with this series.” I Heart YA Books

Unhappy as a vampire, Jack dreams of a second chance at mortality. But when he gets it, his real problems begin. His teacher is a werewolf, the girl he’s crushing on is THE hunter, and his brother can’t decide whether to welcome him home or stake him just to be on the safe side.

Then his powers return along with the powers of a werewolf. He has no idea what’s happening to him, but he’d better figure it out fast. According to an ancient diary, he is destined to defeat the alpha werewolf… or die trying.

Bait: Van Helsing Academy

Some are born to be hunters.
Others can only be bait.

At sixteen, Bay-Lee finally gets to join her father’s school. Thinking she might get special treatment, the other students resent her, but they have nothing to worry about. She is given the rank of Bait–only good for drawing out monsters so real hunters can kill them–like the other newbies.

When her roommate dies under strange circumstances, Bay-Lee vows to solve the mystery. Someone or some ‘thing’ is killing hunters on their birthdays. She enlists the help of a few new friends and a hostile hunter with amazing green eyes, the one that hates her without cause.

They must stop the killer soon or they will all die. Bay-Lee’s birthday is coming up fast. Will her first year at Van Helsing Academy be her last?

Christmas in July Spotlight: Brandy Nacole

brandy nacole

Brandy Nacole is a writer of paranormal suspense and mystery. She’s penned the bestselling novel DEEP IN THE HOLLOW, THE SHADOW WORLD TRILOGY and MURDER IS A DEBATE.

She loves keeping readers on the edge of their seats as that’s where she likes to stay. Her favorite pastimes are reading, writing, exploring the world, and spending as much time with her husband, kids, and fur babies as possible. If Brandy can’t be found, it’s okay, she’s not lost. She’s frolicking in the woods somewhere and will return for tacos eventually.

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Deep in the Hollow (A Chindi Novel, Book 1)

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Let me share some wisdom with you. There is evil in this world we cannot see. Not because it is hidden from us, but because our minds refuse to accept its existence. Once we are able to get past what everyone says should not be, it becomes our responsibility to stop the evil we now see.

This insight wasn’t given to me until a year after I lost the most important person in my life: Bryce Rowan. Now, after another death at the same spot where he died—the overlook, where the mysterious lights dance amongst the trees—I begin to wonder if they were accidents after all. Lucky for me, I’m not the only curious one in town. Cooper, a ghost hunter (aka chaser), and his sister Jada have moved to town and are starting to ask questions.

The more we uncover about my town, it’s history, and some of its current residents – people I have known my whole life – the more I begin to think there are those who would rather keep the evil lurking around town a secret. Even if it means more will die.

Christmas in July Spotlight: Quinn Loftis

a grew wolves howliday book cover

The Romania Grey Wolves have been through hell and back. A month remains of the mourning period decreed by the Great Luna, and Jen has decided it’s time for the pack to celebrate the many blessings they’ve missed over the years because of all the battles they’ve faced. As usual, there’s a little crazy, a lot of funny, and most of all the loyal love of the pack as they deal with all the chaos that comes with the holidays. It’s A Grey Wolves Howliday!

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