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Stalker Stalked

9/22/2021

About Stalker Stalked

• Publisher: All Due Respect (September 17, 2021)

• E-book: 286 pages

Lexi Mazur is a depressed, alcoholic, pill-popper whose only joy has become her reality TV shows, often fantasizing that the people on TV are a part of her world. After her boyfriend Steve leaves her, she fixates on the show Socialites and its star Magnolia Artois, following every facet of the girl’s life on social media in the hopes of befriending and becoming more like her.

But stalking isn’t new to Lexi. She ultimately won over her ex Steve by following and manipulating every minute detail about him so he’d fall for her. In fact, she landed her other ex-boyfriend Jeremy in the same way. Being a pharma rep, she’s used to manipulation to get doctors to buy her drugs, along with the perk of saving pills for herself.

But what happens when the stalker gets stalked?

Recently, Lexi has felt someone watching her: in her apartment in Queens, at her job. At first, she thinks her mind’s playing tricks, but the watcher is behaving just like she would. And soon they begin leaving threatening clues like she starts to do to Magnolia once her obsession grows more dangerous. Is it one of her exes out for revenge? Her only real friend from childhood who she’s always had an unhealthy rivalry? A detective who may have figured her out? The reality star Magnolia trying to turn the tables? Or even someone she might not know?

Lexi learns the only way to beat her stalker is to use her own stalking prowess to outsmart them at their own game. But has she finally met her match?

Social Media

#StalkerStalked @tlcbooktours and @leematthewgoldberg.

Purchase Links

Amazon | Barnes & Noble

Review

Lexi Mazur has spent her adult life following around people that she hoped she could be with. She stalks potential boyfriends and glamorous people she hopes to be friends with. Lexi works as a sales rep for big pharma and has been sampling the pills that put her in a haze and lift her mood. She is obsessed with reality TV and has found that her new favorite show, Socialites, films near her in New York City. After a breakup with her boyfriend, Lexi zeroes in on Socialites star, Magnolia. After sufficient stalking, Lexi meets Magnolia but is rejected. This only makes Lexi buff up her stalking efforts; however, as Lexi focuses on Magnolia, she begins to receive threatening phone calls and mysterious packages. Could it be that she is being stalked or is it a side effect of the pills? Is this exactly what Lexi wanted all along?

Stalker Stalked is a psychological thriller that focuses on very contemporary problems. Lexi's obsession with reality tv and overuse of social media are things that many of us can connect with. The writing pulled me into Lexi's life and her personality. Lexi is a wonderful and deep character. She is like watching a car crash or a dumpster fire, you know you should look away, but there is something intriguing in the chaos. Even though Lexi seems like an absolute garbage person, we see how her childhood has led her to this place of resentment and depression. Through her stalking episodes, I could also see her desperation to be liked and be part of a group. One of the other interesting characters was Lexi's one friend, Pria. I was amazed at Pria's ability to deal with Lexi at her worst and stick the friendship out. Lexi's drug habit made her an unreliable narrator and the suspense increased in the second half of the book as Lexi believes that she is being stalked as well. With a very unexpected ending and many twists and turns, Stalker Stalked is a unique and captivating psychological thriller.

This book was received for free in return for an honest review.

About Lee Matthew Goldberg

Lee Matthew Goldberg is the author of THE ANCESTOR, THE DESIRE CARD, SLOW DOWN and THE MENTOR from St. Martin’s Press. He has been published in multiple languages and nominated for the 2018 Prix du Polar. ORANGE CITY, his first sci-fi novel, is forthcoming in 2021 along with his YA series RUNAWAY TRAIN. His pilots and screenplays have been finalists in Script Pipeline, Book Pipeline, Stage 32, We Screenplay, the New York Screenplay, Screencraft, and the Hollywood Screenplay contests. After graduating with an MFA from the New School, his writing has also appeared in the anthology DIRTY BOULEVARD, The Millions, Vol 1. Brooklyn, LitReactor, Necessary Fiction, Fiction Writer’s Review, The Montreal Review, The Adirondack Review, Essays & Fictions, The New Plains Review, and others. He is the co-curator of The Guerrilla Lit Reading Series (guerrillalit.wordpress.com). He lives in New York City.

Follow him at leematthewgoldberg.com and on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

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The Whirlpools of Time

9/8/2021

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About the Book:
THE WHIRLPOOLS OF TIME
BY ANNA BELFRAGE
Publication Date: June 11, 2021
Timelight Press
Series: The Locket, Book One
Genre: Historical Romance/Scottish/Time Travel

He hoped for a wife. He found a companion through time and beyond.

It is 1715 and for Duncan Melville something fundamental is missing from his life. Despite a flourishing legal practice and several close friends, he is lonely, even more so after the recent death of his father. He needs a wife—a companion through life, someone to hold and be held by. What he wasn’t expecting was to be torn away from everything he knew and find said woman in 2016…

Erin Barnes has a lot of stuff going on in her life. She doesn’t need the additional twist of a stranger in weird outdated clothes, but when he risks his life to save hers, she feels obligated to return the favour. Besides, whoever Duncan may be, she can’t exactly deny the immediate attraction.

The complications in Erin’s life explode. Events are set in motion and to Erin’s horror she and Duncan are thrown back to 1715. Not only does Erin have to cope with a different and intimidating world, soon enough she and Duncan are embroiled in a dangerous quest for Duncan’s uncle, a quest that may very well cost them their lives as they travel through a Scotland poised on the brink of rebellion.

Will they find Duncan’s uncle in time? And is the door to the future permanently closed, or will Erin find a way back?

AMAZON

Review:
In 1715, Duncan Melville felt like he was missing something. As he is riding in a storm one night, Duncan approaches a crossroads where the forces align to bring him exactly where he needs to be. In 2016, Erin Barnes is running from a dangerous crime family that she is trying to expose. Erin believes that the Wilkes family is responsible for her grandmother's death after her grandmother refused to hand over a locket. As Duncan comes crashing into 2016, he saves Erin from the Wilkes' goons. Erin becomes attached to the mystery man who saved her with his sword as she cares for him. Duncan tells Erin his story and they fall fast for one another. Before long, the Wilkes family catches up to them. Erin and Duncan use the locket to fall back into 1715. In 1715, Duncan and Erin are in almost just as much trouble as they get on the wrong side of a man named Hamish Cruikshank, Duncan's uncle has gone missing and the Jacobites are rebelling to get James Stuart back on the throne.

A fast-paced, time-slip romance, The Whirlpools of Time falls right into the action with Duncan's disappointment in his family and falling through time to Erin. I haven't read the previous series, so I did feel like I had missed something important about Duncan and his family. However, once Duncan fell to 2016, I was much more on track. Duncan and Erin had an instant connection and it was clear that they were meant to be. I was amazed that Duncan seemed to integrate into 2016 so well; however, soon he would be back in his time. The mystery of Erin's locket definitely intrigued me, even more so when it took them back to 1715 and a man with an identical locket. I would love to know the origins of the locket and how someone like Cruikshank got their hands on it. 1715 also offered a lot more drama and constant danger; although, none of this stopped Duncan and Erin from near constant lovemaking. The scenes were hot and steamy; however, I felt like I didn't need that many in the story. A constant theme throughout the story that I didn't like was Erin constantly putting herself in dangerous and stupid situations, especially when she was out of her element in 1715. I wish she could have used her intelligence and strength in a different way. I was very interested in the historic Jacobite rebellion of 1715 and the role Erin and Duncan played in it. With a huge cliffhanger, I am interested to see where Erin and Duncan will be brought next.

This book was received for free in return for an honest review.

About the Author

Had Anna been allowed to choose, she’d have become a time-traveler. As this was impossible, she became a financial professional with two absorbing interests: history and writing. Anna has authored the acclaimed time travelling series The Graham Saga, set in 17th century Scotland and Maryland, as well as the equally acclaimed medieval series The King’s Greatest Enemy which is set in 14th century England.

More recently, Anna has published The Wanderer, a fast-paced contemporary romantic suspense trilogy with paranormal and time-slip ingredients. While she loved stepping out of her comfort zone (and will likely do so again ) she is delighted to be back in medieval times in her September 2020 release, His Castilian Hawk. Set against the complications of Edward I’s invasion of Wales, His Castilian Hawk is a story of loyalty, integrity—and love.

Find out more about Anna on her website or on her Amazon page. You can also follow her on Facebook or Twitter.

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