THE WRITER’S MIRACLE METHOD by Debra Landwehr Engle
Nonfiction, Self-help, Writing, Coming October 13, 2026
5*****

Blurb: A 30-day program to unlock your creative potential and write with confidence from the Spirit within. Struggling with writer’s block or paralyzing self-doubt? The Writer’s Miracle Method offers a powerful spiritual approach to conquering the fears that hold writers back. Rooted in the teachings of A Course in Miracles, this 30-day program helps writers shift from self-criticism to creative flow, building habits that empower you to write with confidence, clarity, and joy. Designed for writers at any stage, Debra Engle’s method combines practical exercises, guided meditations, and mindset shifts to help you break through mental barriers and unleash your creative potential. With more than four decades of experience in publishing and spiritual mentorship, Engle has crafted a proven path to help you overcome fear, embrace your true voice, and thrive as a writer.

THOUGHTS: This is a spiritual how-to book. It takes you through exercises that take you from self-doubt to creativity. It teaches you how to turn off the “I’m not good enough” and turn on the “I can do this” brain. There are thirty-one exercises – one for each day – and take about twenty minutes (more if you really go deep). According to the book, “There’s o one way to write. No right way to write.” If you’re having trouble with the “I can’t’s” maybe this book is for you. But be prepared to believe in yourself by the end.

Recommended.

Disclosure of Material: I received a final and/or advanced reader copy of this book with the hope that I will leave my unbiased opinion. I was not required to leave a review, positive or otherwise, and my opinions are just that… My Opinions. I am posting this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising” Thanks to Netgalley and St. Martin’s Press for providing this ARC.

A PINCH OF ASSAULT by Misty Simon
Fiction, Cozy Mystery, “Sunny Side Up Diner” series
5*****

Blurb: With things at her Sunny Side Up Diner sailing along smoothly for once, Jax Tapman has turned her attention to her personal life. It’s time to meet the boyfriend’s mother in person. And while Jax isn’t totally certain she’s up to the challenge, she agrees to show Eliot’s mom around a local retirement home. It sounds innocent enough, and it shouldn’t be too difficult to sell the woman on the idea of moving to be closer to her son. But instead of making her case, when Jax enters the model apartment, she and her potential in-law find one dead body and a whole lot of secrets! Suddenly it’s up to Jax to discover who the retirement home killer is—a task that only gets harder when someone from Eliot’s past shows up and might know far more about the crime than she’s letting on. The Sunny Side Up Diner is jumping with gossip, Jax and her best friend Dani are running interference, and Eliot’s mom is calling all the shots. But sorting out chaos and minimizing damage is something Jax has grown accustomed to, if she can only get a clue.

THOUGHTS: Except for the occasional murder, I want to live here! I want to go to Jax and Dani’s diner. I want to have some of Eliot’s waffles. And I really want to meet the entire family! In this story, we get to meet Dot, Eliot’s mother. Yes, Jax gets to meet the future Mother-in-Law – and she’s a hoot! When they go to look at a retirement community model apartment and find a body, Dot goes into “investigator” mode to Jax’s surprise. After all, Dot spent years working for the police so she knows all about procedure. The group all comes together to figure out suspects and Dot gets them organized better than ever with a murder board that is amazing in its organization. I love that they’re still using the “spindle” for clues in the diner. Oh, and Jax is totally in love with Glenda, the Thing (Dot’s vehicle). I find it funny that Stella Luna (the cat) steals Eliot’s clothes and now Mauareen’s too in order to make a nest.

If you like your cozy mysteries with a touch of humor and shenanigans, you won’t be disappointed here. And though you don’t need to, I suggest you read the entire series so you get to know the participants even better.

Definitely recommended.

JOY TO THE BONES by Carolyn Haines
Fiction, Cozy Mystery, last in series
4****

BLURB: In this final installment of the series, sassy Southern private investigator Sarah Booth Delaney is up against her biggest–and most personal–mystery yet. Still reeling from the discovery that her parents’ deaths, decades ago, might not have been an accident, Private Investigator Sarah Booth Delaney doesn’t know who to believe anymore. Her best friend and business partner, Tinkie, purposefully kept her in the dark; her lover, Coleman, intentionally lied to her; and her meddlesome ghost-turned-spiritual-guide, Jitty, kept more secrets than she can count. Now, even the people Sarah Booth once trusted more than anything are suspect. Armed with new knowledge about her parents’ car crash, Sarah Booth sets out to solve her biggest case her parents’ murder. And she’s prepared to do it alone if she has to. But the Mississippi Delta doesn’t pause for anyone, not even Sarah Booth. While trying to untangle the truth about her parents’ fate, Sarah Booth gets roped into investigating the DeLonge Mansion, a magnificent old house with seemingly no one left alive to claim it. With the return of her nemesis, Gertrude Stromm, looming over her head–and the pieces of her failed relationships still scattered around her–Sarah Booth has her work cut out for her this holiday season.

THOUGHTS: This is the last of a 31-Book series but you don’t *have* to have read all the others to come up to speed with the characters and the story arc. Sarah Booth Delaney lives on her Mississippi Delta family farm with dogs, horses, a black cat, a crow who spouts “Nevermore” on occasion, and a sassy ghost named Jitty. She’s a PI who is partnered with her best friend Tinkie and has a heart throb in the local sheriff, Coleman.

In this book, Sarah Booth (and yes, she goes by both names), is trying to find out who killed her parents 20+ years ago. Her search leads to crooked judges, drug runners, and an obsessed woman who wants her dead. It is an interesting story with a lot going on. What’s nice is that everything is tied up nicely by the end giving you not only a satisfying ending to the story, but to the entire series.

Recommended.

Disclosure of Material: I received a final and/or advanced reader copy of this book with the hope that I will leave my unbiased opinion. I was not required to leave a review, positive or otherwise, and my opinions are just that… My Opinions. I am posting this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising”

NORMAN & THE STINKING SPACE GOO by Michael Wilhelm
Fiction, Kids, Science Fiction, Super Heroes
4****

BLURB: Norman Flinch is a pretty average kid, until he is splattered all over by an alien space orb. The unsettling gunk leaves him with a rancid aroma that keeps everyone around him gagging. He turns to Wendell Higgins, the school science geek for help. Together they unlock the awe-inspiring secret of the Stinking Space Goo.

THOUGHTS: Norman is a clumsy 14-year-old who is obsessed with comic books, much to his mother’s dismay. Forced to do his chores instead of diving into his latest purchase, Norman is mowing the grass when he runs into a glass ball left behind by alien visitors. The ball explodes and he (and the yard) is covered in slime – and the fun begins. Although he washes the goo off – multiple times, it stinks! A lot! And nothing can get rid of it. He goes to see a kid he knows – a genius scientist on his bus. The two of them figure out that he now has superpowers in that he can control the stink…and he heals almost instantly. He has become what he loves. But just because you wear a cape and a mask doesn’t mean you’re automatically coordinated.

This is a fun read, especially for kids who love “stinky” books. Norman is completely inept as a superhero – but he comes through for his sister and his family reluctantly accepts him. This is the first book in a series.

Recommended.

Disclosure of Material: I received a final and/or advanced reader copy of this book with the hope that I will leave my unbiased opinion. I was not required to leave a review, positive or otherwise, and my opinions are just that… My Opinions. I am posting this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising”