BWL Publishing New Releases July 2025

BWL Publishing | Discover Quality Fiction Today

Hamish McKenzie stood welded to the spot as fifty million volts coursed through his body.  He was dead before he hit the ground. Dealanch was never wrong.  Lightning stalks the first-born of three generations of the McKenzie clan from Scotland to Ottawa to Saskatchewan as each successive son looks over their shoulder knowing it was not a question of if, but when the paranormal would strike.

Running from the inevitable – the McKenzie clan leaves Scotland for Canada, but can they outrun lightning?  Astraphobia stalks three generations trying to escape the first-born curse.

 

https://www.bookswelove.com

Texas PI Kelly McWinter’s three-person agency often works with the Fort Worth Sheriff’s Department and handles investigations as diverse as chicken killing ghosts, Mexican migrant cocaine smugglers, suspicious baby adoptions and the worst-case Kelly’s ever handled, the kidnapping of nine-year-old Suzanna Hedley. Join Kelly, Cade and Stella as they match wits with a very sneaky ghost, help out a suspicious nurse and try to negotiate a peaceful understanding with the enforcement arm of a local Cartel.  

 

Editorial Review 

Jay Lang – journalist and BWL bestselling novelist.  

 

Unputdownable & beautifully written, Jude Pittman’s skillful storytelling in Deadly Ghosts—the fifth installment of the Kelly McWinter P.I. series—seamlessly blends sharp suspense with deeply human emotion. As a seasoned Canadian author, Pittman brings a unique depth to her crime fiction, enriched by her multi-genre background and dedication to the craft. 

Pittman’s prose is razor-sharp, with dialogue and atmosphere that pull readers into an intricate investigation without resorting to clichés. Every twist feels earned; every character resonates with authenticity. Her ability to balance tension with emotional resonance makes Deadly Ghosts not just a standout in the series but also a powerful example of suspense writing done right. 

Whether you’re a long-time fan or discovering Kelly McWinter for the first time, Deadly Ghosts captivates from the very first page and keeps you hooked until the satisfying conclusion. 

https://www.bookswelove.com

 

The quaint New England coastal town of Mystic Port is steeped in history and has more than its fair share of restless sprits. Prudence Trivit, the town’s librarian and historian, is on a mission to exonerate her great Aunt Alexandra, who in 1897 was accused and arrested for the murder of her husband, the mayor. Prudy is certain of her great aunt’s innocence.  

 

A handsome young journalist, Dylan Monroe, is sent to Mystic Port to interview Prudy for the town’s 250th anniversary celebration. 

Dylan notices Prudy’s uncanny resemblance to her great aunt in the large portrait of Alexandra that hangs in the museum. He is stunned by her beauty and quite intrigued by the story of Alexandra.  

 

Prudy and Dylan become quite the investigative team. There are mishaps and mayhem as the spirit of Alexandra tries to point them in the right direction and an opposing spirit tries to dissuade them.  

 

If you're a fan of Jessica L. Randall's The Obituary Society Series, then you'll be charmed by Betty Ann Harris’ Portrait of a Ghost. 

 

Editorial Review by Nancy M. Bell 

5 Stars 

Betty Ann Harris takes her readers on a fun and fascinating journey centered around a portrait of Prudence's great aunt. It just happens that the lady in the portrait bears a striking resemblance to the heroine Prudence. Amid plans for a grand gala and a reenactment of an event that should have taken place, but never did due to an untimely death, Prudence and Dylan arrive late to the party only to discover a ghostly apparition may have stolen the limelight.  A delightful read. 

https://www.bookswelove.com

Late one night, while tending to his trap-line, a native Inuit stumbles across a clandestine rendezvous not far from one of the DEW line radar sites and is subsequently shot and killed. This incident brings RCMP intelligence officer, Inspector Jesse Thompson to the north. He gradually uncovers a Soviet network involving an agent and a paid mole in the Shingle Point site.  

 

EDITORIAL REVIEW 

 

S. Peters-Davis Book Review for: The 69th Parallel Incident by H. Paul Doucette 

 

This is the first Jesse Thompson Cold War suspense novel that I’ve read, and I wasn’t disappointed. Many characters were introduced and became involved in Jesse’s pursuit of the culprit. Action-packed and interesting facts about the Canadian people and areas involved, this historical suspense mystery moved right along and was a fascinating story. I look forward to reading the next Jesse Thompson mystery by H. Paul Doucette. 

 

The Sphinx

Currently titled: Black Magic,

is a tale of shapeshifting.

Disappointed in love, weary of war, Goran von Hagen retreats to his idyllic alpine estate. He does not know the dark and ancient secret of the looming mountain--or that it will change his life forever.

Amazon

Smashwords

Kobo

Barnes & Noble

 

She/He is 241 Feet long, 20 feet wide and 66 feet high and carved out of bedrock on the Giza plateau. Some years ago, an excavation beneath her paws discovered several rectangular chambers buried there. This, of course, set off a flurry of speculation, for the seer Edgar Cayce years ago prophesied that an ancient "hall of records" was buried beneath the Sphinx, and that here we would finally discover all the lost knowledge of ancient, vanished antediluvian civilizations. Sadly, no such luck. The original monster is perhaps an image of the one of Khufu's sons, either Khafre or Djeddefre. He does resemble the surviving bust of Khafre, that we know.

I became involved with this creature later, in her Greek guise, when I purchased a set of Susan Eleanor Boulet's Goddesses Knowledge cards umpteen years ago. Recently, I have been pulling a card a day, and, after reading the description, I go searching in various books I have on mythology and sacred symbols to refresh my memory. (This is better for my mental health than watching the news.) 

The Oedipus myth comes from the Greeks. To the Egyptians, the being was similar, but not identical; the Great Sphinx doesn't have wings and is masculine. I have a feeling that this goddess was downgraded by the patriarchy in Greece, because an Eternal is not the kind of lesser being who would become so despondent after hearing the correct answer to her famous riddle that she would hurl herself off the walls of Thebes and kill(!?) herself. Maybe she just left town, which is another, and IMO, better, version of the Oedipus story. Besides, this sort of entity always wins the game one way or another. The Sphinx certainly had the last laugh with Oedipus, who survives her riddle game only to kill his father, marry his mother and then blind himself in horror after he makes his belated discovery. The Sphinx is an emanation of Nature, and Nature, (as we are all soon to learn,) "bats last." 

"Part animal, part human" the card says, but, of course, those designations are essentially meaningless, a false separation.  Perhaps, the Sphinx is a being who represents both the rational and the instinctive natures of conscious beings, as her image--woman, lion, eagle--appears to represent. Sphinx in Greece were often found as mortuary decorations, a fierce guardian of a last resting place. "Sphinx" is from the Greek, and it means "strangler," because that is how lions kill their prey. Lions and eagles are typically royal, solar deities, and Michael Babcock, who wrote the text on the Boulet cards, believes that she is also an oracular being, "keeper of the great mystery."  

In Barbara Walker's "Woman's Encyclopedia of Myths and Secrets" she describes the Sphinx as a "two-faced Goddess of Birth and Death," because in many glyphs she looks in two directions, with two heads and two foreparts, xerefu and akeru, which translates to the "Lions of Yesterday and Today." You can see xerefu and akeru rendered, one in black, and the other in white, in many Tarot decks on the VII card of the Major Arcana, called The Chariot.  The material triumph of the conquering Charioteer may be completely overturned by neighboring cards, or, if it presents in reverse. 

~~Juliet Waldron

The Art of Creating Fictional Settings By Connie Vines #BWLPublishing, #Connie Vines, #Native American Stories, #RomCom

 Creating Fictional Settings for My Stories.

                                                                        

I often use "Real Places" as a setting for my stories. Which was a breeze for me to write. 

While I may 'rename' a town in a story, I'm blending towns I've visited/resided in to create a fictional town. 

Which isn't precisely a fictional setting.

This is also true in my historical novels and short stories. Although my characters may be fictional, the time and place are accurate, which keeps my readers immersed in my fictional reality.

My heroine may have a personal preference. However, the norms for that time and place will be structured. 

I wrote "Tanayia--Whisper upon the Water" while serving on the Parent Advisory Council (PAC) for Title IX and X Indian Education Programs. I participated in evening cultural programs, including Powwows, tribal history, food, culture, and storytelling.

My friend, Linda Baugley (Iroquois/Seneca/Cayuga), is an artist and oversaw the pottery and craft classes. (Connie's adept at bead work, making frybread, and seeing to the horses.) 

I was assigned to oversee the PreK group's pottery-making table. Linda selected a lopsided bowl as "the best" work of art. I gave one of the 4-year-olds a pat of encouragement, and she ran to have her photo taken. (To this day, no one knows I was awarded  the best example of pottery in the PreK group.) 😉

The photo above is at a classroom event with Jacques Condor (Abenaki-Mesquaki tribes). Each student participated by sharing his/her favorite legend.

This was the same year my novel was chosen for the curriculum of the "Gifted and Talented Program," and as a Book-of-the-Month Read for the North Eastern Library System.

While it is not always easy to immerse oneself deeply into a culture.

A writer can always create a fictional world.  

Other Worlds

World-building is a technique used by Science Fiction writers and may be used by Paranormal writers.

Charts and diagrams, rules, norms, kingdoms, alternate dimensions...

I have a tendency to "fixate" (like a four-year-old). 🤣  

Not to an unhealthy extent, but to a chronic degree that is noticeable.

My children would rearrange a shelf with my knick-knacks...and wait...or hide my favorite pen...

This is why writing in multiple genres suits me.

Here Today, Zombie Tomorrow

It was written as a RomCom because I have nightmares. Yes, I watch the black and white Classic Universal Monster Movies. However, I get upset if I watch Bambi and the Dancing mops in "Fantasia" and the talking trees in The Wizard of OZ have the same effect.

My Zombie, Meredith, was a vegan. Now she consumes dried beef jerky.

When I wrote the "Gumbo Ya Ya" anthology, I listened to New Orleans Jazz and Cajun music, prepared Cajun and Creole meals, and more. Since my husband's family lived in Louisiana, I was familiar with its history and geography.  

In other words, I managed to control myself. I did not arrange another family vacation. (Having been chased by an alligator during a prior visit to a swamp probably put a damper on my adventurous streak.) 

Instead, I created a lively cast of characters for your enjoyment. 

Let the good times roll!

Happy Reading 📕📗📘

Connie

Connie's Books:

https://www.bookbub.com/authors/connie-vines

https://www.amazon.com/Books-Connie-Vines/

https://www.goodreads.com/author/list/205731.Connie_Vines

https://books.apple.com/us/author/connie-vines/id624802082

Or at your favorite online book seller