While it makes me sad to say it, I’ve made the decision to close down The Secret Library as a book blog. I stopped posting earlier this year because my schedule became so hectic that it became one of the things I had to drop in order to stay on track. Releasing The Rogue Valkyrie series on time was a challenge and I stopped reading a book a week – a habit I still have to recover in the new year. I have loved doing this blog from the very beginning, but it’s no longer feasible for me to carry on giving The Secret Library the attention it deserves. All my future updates regarding book reviews, b ..read more

Yesterday, Valkyrie Fallen hit the shelves, and with it, a large milestone. This time last year, I had just finished writing the first book in the series, Valkyrie Cursed, and I was preparing for my very first professional release. This first book would signal the start of a race to get as many books released within the next year as possible. Valkyrie Fallen is the final book I would publish within that twelve month period that followed the launch of Valkyrie Cursed and has set a new personal record. I once thought publishing five books per year was an impossible task, for me at least. Better ..read more

Weeks behind schedule and a little too close to release day for my liking, the advanced copies of Valkyrie Fallen have finally gone out to readers. As you could probably tell from the lack of book reviews and updates in the past week, I’ve been caught up in a whirlwind of business. Finalising edits, working on Patreon, and returning home after a long holiday visiting my in-laws has kept me thoroughly occupied. Despite being so busy, I have actually kept up with my reading, but in doing so have lacked the time to review the books! I would like to think that when Valkyrie Fallen is ready to go t ..read more

Self-publishing is growing in popularity as indie authors finally shake off the many circulating misconceptions. Concerns over lack of quality control still has some readers swearing off reading self-published books. Considering that the likes of The Martian were initially self-published, it’s difficult to understand how people still adopt this blanket mentality. Self-publishing will never be perfect, but when compared with traditional publishing, it’s beginning to come into its own. Quality control isn’t a cut-and-dry gold standard in traditional publishing, and it never has been, and the qua ..read more

Title: The Point of No Return Author: Devyn Sinclair Genre: Reverse Harem/Monster Romance Rating: 4 Stars “Men like this don’t exist. Gorgeous, dark, angry, seductive…stone doesn’t come to life and leave me wanting more. It’s impossible. Until it isn’t. My name is Christine Daniels, and I am going mad. It was supposed to be simple: one month, one opera, one chance to make my entire career. But now I’m going crazy. I was only here to sing, but nothing in Paris is what it seems, and the old opera house feels very much alive. Voices echo through walls, gargoyles come to life, and I’m dragged int ..read more

It doesn’t matter how much I schedule my life, something will derail it. Whether it’s as little as a migraine, or as big as taking your partner to the emergency room. Both at the same time was a fun coincidence for me the other day. Long story short, food poisoning got my husband bad, and the doctor recommended a trip to the emergency room. We waited around for ten hours in a crowded waiting room to get the medication he needed. All we have concluded from this is that we had best not have any other emergencies for the rest of our lives, because there is a good chance it’ll be the end of us. Su ..read more

Title: Secret Omega Author: Romy Lockhart Genre: Reverse Harem/Shifter Romance Rating: 4 Stars “Secret Leto is going stir-crazy in the small town she grew up in. Full of Betas, Silver Lake is the safest place for an Omega in hiding, but she can’t stand to spend another second trapped there. Passing for a Beta at Goldcrest College is so much harder than she expects. The big city is full of Alphas, and she’s starting to attract some attention that could ruin her shot at freedom. Meeting a rare male Omega and his Alphas, her perfume is triggered, and there’s no going back. She can run from herse ..read more

There are a lot of unexpected issues that pop up when trying to publish books, but I experienced a brand new one this week. I finished editing Valkyrie Fallen which was a huge weight off my shoulders, but after a few attempts to get it to my editor, I found my e-mails weren’t reaching her. Turns out a technical issue meant she didn’t even know I was trying to get hold of her, which meant a bit of a timing setback. These things happen, and she was – as ever – fantastic about all of it, and the publishing schedule is back on track. If this process of going full-time has taught me anything, it’s ..read more

Title: Tales of Splendania: A Golden Wish Author: T. O. Griffiths Genre: Fantasy Rating: 4 Stars “In this ancient and mystical land, the most marvellous and dangerous magical creatures roam the lands and skies. The beautiful and valiant Princess Vanadae must find a way to protect her beloved Golden Unicorn from the most dangerous creatures of them all — the people of Splendania themselves. All of whom are completely hellbent on capturing and killing magical creatures, the Golden Unicorn most of all. Vanadae must find and protect the majestic Golden Unicorn before Magnus the Mighty, her father ..read more

Last week I went completely AWOL, and it was actually Saturday before I even realised I hadn’t posted in over a week. Huge apologies for this. So, what happened? I had two upcoming deadlines, one for finishing Valkyrie Fallen and the other for my submission to the Stand For Ukraine charity anthology. In the same week. Days apart, in fact. The pressure had me a little scatter-brained, and things slipped through the cracks last week. One thing has been my reading. I haven’t read a book properly since my last day off, which is to say, about a month ago. As such, I haven’t had any books to review ..read more