by Philip Eliot | Jan 10, 2026 | Contemporary Romance |
One playboy. One perfectionist. So many secrets. I’m considered the biggest playboy in Burlington, Vermont. The party boy. The guy who lives in the moment and makes decisions with no thought for the future. But people don’t know my past. They don’t know why I make the choices I do. Even my best friend doesn’t know the truth about me. Actually, there are a lot of things he doesn’t know…like the fact that I had a one night stand with his brother last year. Did I mean to hook up with Aaron? Um, no. Mistakes were made, okay? But unlike most of my mistakes, this one has lasting consequences. Aaron works at the law firm where circumstances are forcing me to be their errand boy. Now we see each other every day. Aaron’s such a nervous wreck he keeps tripping over the copy machine. I’m surprised he hasn’t ended up in traction yet. He and I are opposites in almost every way. He’s got a GPA higher than Mount Mansfield, and I’m barely going to graduate college. He grocery shops with a spreadsheet, and I’ve got YOLO tattooed on my body. But Aaron sees things in me that no one else does, and I see things in him he doesn’t see in himself. Before I know it, we’re sharing late-night office picnics, evenings out at the bar, and long, hot afternoons on my boat. I’m having the best summer of my life, but there’s no way this can end well. My bff will kill me if he ever finds out how thoroughly I’ve corrupted his brother… Counterpoint is an opposites-attract forbidden romance featuring an incense-filled law firm, meddling friends, and angst and humor in (mostly) equal parts. It stars Jeremy Everett and Aaron Morin, who first appeared in the Vino and Veritas story Booklover, but Counterpoint is a standalone novel.
by Philip Eliot | Jan 10, 2026 | Horror & Paranormal |
Fans of The Conjuring and The Amityville Horror will love this chilling novel unraveling the tale of a family haunted by the ghosts of their malevolent ancestors’ disturbing past. The decrepit well has been a fountain of terror for generations, an abyss of dread that emits tragedy and death like fog. Its darkness touched Jacob’s soul some twenty years ago, and since moving back to his ancestral home, the chilling feeling of being in front of the old well hasn’t left his troubled mind. But this time, the shadows that creep from the well have taken on a malevolent sentience, whirling a storm of terror as it wreaks havoc on the house. His innocent niece Melissa is ensnared in its vortex, leaving Jacob with no choice but to delve into it once again. He is thrust into a nightmare he thought he had escaped. Can he muster the strength to confront the maddening horrors that lurk beyond his shattered memories? Or will the ancient evil lurking in the depths of the well swallow him whole? Fans of bone-chilling horror, spine-tingling tales, and hair-raising scares will love this novel from acclaimed indie horror author Samuel Small as he drags you through the twisted woods and into the terrifying darkness in the well. Praise for Samuel Small: “Do not read this in a dark room.” ????? “Would highly recommend it to any horror lover.” ????? “Highly recommend if you’re into Twilight Zone horror, and anything of this vein!” ????? “My nerves got a serious workout reading this.” ????? “Will scare the pants off you.” ????? “It will definitely keep you up at night” ????? “Like a modern day Poe retelling.” ????? “I read the book in two days I couldn’t put it down!” ????? “Checked off everything on my wishlist for a scary story.” ????? “Will keep you turning the pages right to the very end.” ????? “Definitely scary! Recommend it highly.” ????? “Blood chilling story.” ????? “It’s hard to put down.” ????? “Good creepy read.” ????? “Very descriptive storytelling!” ????? “In a few pages, Small manages to describe a situation which would take others whole chapters to convey. Absolutely wonderful!” ????? “Gave me chills” ????? “This is a super scary story.” ????? “It is now on my list of favorite demonic/possession books.” ????? “The book has everything I want from a horror novel! Highly recommended!” ????? “I absolutely loved this book.” ????? “Well worth the read!” ????? “Once I started it I did not want to stop..highly recommended!” ????? “You may never look at another art museum the same again.” ????? “I realized towards the end of the book that I had been slowly curling into myself.” ????? “So creepy and disturbing.” ????? “Delivers on everything you want in a scary read.” ????? “Guaranteed to keep you awake at night and all the way through the next day!” ????? “Had me at the edge of my seat constantly.” ????? “You want scary and creepy, read this!” ?????
by Philip Eliot | Jan 10, 2026 | Horror & Paranormal |
The year is 2024. The night of Helen Lewison’s fiftieth birthday. One bad decision leads her down a side street in downtown Baltimore where she is assaulted, losing consciousness. She awakens again in a hospital bed in the ICU. Except the year is now 2003, and Helen is 29 years old…and thirsty for revenge. Scared and fearing she’s losing her mind, Helen flees the hospital. As she gradually begins to accept her new existence, her thoughts become fueled by hate and fury, and she starts to see this reset as an opportunity to avenge all those who mistreated her throughout her life, including her attacker in Baltimore. Meanwhile, on an island off the coast of Maine, a group of three men and two women known as The Latch have been alerted to this rewind by an ancient instrument called the Apparat. It is the first awakening of the Apparat in decades, and, per their oaths, The Latch must hunt the Quarry (Helen) using a mysterious portal designed specifically for that purpose. But only one can travel in the portal at any time, a duty which falls to a man named Lionel, who is now in his late-fifties and on his third mission for the Latch. Lionel’s goal is to find and kill the Quarry before she can alter the trajectory of the world, and though the hunt is physically and mentally taxing, and with every hour that passes, the Quarry becomes deadlier, The Latch believes any awakening of the Apparat means the world’s stability is at stake, so Lionel has no choice but to see his duty to the end. Will Lionel be able to stop Helen before she breaks the world? The Latch is a fast-paced thriller about justice and revenge, but also grace and fate and redemption, and, in the end, it shows how every decision has the potential to impact the world. If you liked 11/22/63 by Stephen King, you will love The Latch.
by Philip Eliot | Jan 10, 2026 | Fantasy |
2020 Erik Hoffer Award Winner for Science Fiction/Fantasy Category 2020 Imadjinn Award Winner for Best Urban Fantasy Novel 2020 First Horizon Award for Debut Authors I never wanted anything to do with magic . . . not since my father fought to eradicate it during the Faerie Wars and never came home. Life has a cruel sense of humor. With the world clinging to a fragile peace forced on the Fae by humanity after the Faerie Wars, metalsmith Alex Blackwood is plunged into the world of the half-fae who traffick in illegal magical artifacts. Her best friend’s murder and his cryptic last message place her in the crosshairs of a scheme to reignite the decade-old war between humans and fae. Worse, violent attacks against her and the arrival of a fae knight on a mission force Alex to face a devastating revelation of who and what she is. To catch a killer, retrieve a dangerous artifact, and stop a war, Alex will have to accept that she’s an unregistered fae “halfer” with a unique magical talent—a talent that would change everything she believes about her past, her art, and her future. Her world is crumbling around her, and Alex will have to decide who to trust if she and the world are going to survive. A Drop of Magic is a first-in-series tale woven with magic and secrets perfect for fans of Ilona Andrews, Patricia Briggs, BR Kingslover, or Kim Harrison. If you enjoy… • action-oriented urban fantasy • feisty female characters • slow-burn subplots • well-thought-out magic systems • social diversity • edge-of-your-seat adventures • found families • supernatural suspense • stories about fae and other magical beings … you’ll love the Magicsmith.
by Philip Eliot | Jan 9, 2026 | Christian Fiction |
By USA Today Bestselling Author Lyn Cote Fans of Laura Frantz and Tamera Alexander will love this heartfelt tale of a courageous woman, a wounded hero, and a marriage of convenience set on the early American frontier. Betrayed by her family and left penniless, Honor Penworthy faces a future as uncertain as the early Ohio frontier. Forced from her Maryland plantation, she leaves behind the enslaved people she longed to free and accepts a marriage of convenience arranged through her Quaker community—a union born of duty, not desire. Her new husband, Samuel Cathwell, a deaf glass artisan scarred by loss, lives a solitary life—rejected by society because of his deafness. Yet when Honor enters his world, her compassion and quiet strength awaken feelings he thought long dead. Together they journey to Cincinnati—a bustling river town and gateway to the western frontier—where survival demands courage, faith, and endurance. As Honor builds a new home amid hardship and hope, she becomes secretly involved in the abolition movement, risking everything—including her fragile bond with Samuel. When truth and conviction collide, can a marriage of convenience become a love strong enough to endure the storms ahead? A Life with Honor is a clean Christian historical romance of faith, redemption, and love forged on the nineteenth-century frontier—perfect for readers who believe in strong women, brave stories, and the healing power of grace.
