5 Fab Thriller Novels that Span the Globe
By: Hidden Gems | Posted on July 28, 2020
Every month, hundreds of new thriller novels get published – and some of the best of them are offered to Hidden Gems subscribers to read for FREE. We looked back over some of the recent action packed tales shared with our subscribers and cross-referenced their reviews, rankings, and popularity to pick five ‘hidden gems’ to highlight for you. The stories here span the globe, with thrills from the heat of Texas, to the rains of London. Never Look Back in Texas by Russ Hall Russ Hall has brought us six vibrant adventures featuring retired Texas lawman Al Quinn – rich with detail, and filled with taut, terrifying action. In Book Six, Al is on the hunt for a school friend’s missing son – but that path places him in the sights of the vicious Mara Salvatrucha gang; and what should have been a manhunt now turns into a battle for… Read More >
5 Steamy Summer Romances
By: Hidden Gems | Posted on July 21, 2020
Even if where you live hasn’t opened up post-COVID-19, the weather is certainly announcing the arrival of summer – and so now is the perfect time to stock up on steamy summer reads for the beach, poolside, or backyard if you’re still in quarantine. Fans of romance get a ton of value by subscribing to Hidden Gems books – the following five books were offered for FREE to subscribers, in addition to dozens more from 15 other genres. The SEAL’s Convenient Marriage by Katie Knight It was supposed to be a marriage of convenience – so tough-as-nails SEAL Nate could help Emily provide care and treatment for his cancer-stricken little brother. However, when Emily discovers their doctor is embroiled in a conspiracy worth killing for, Nate has to fall back on his lethal training; and protect Emily at all costs. “This is the first book that I have read from this… Read More >
Author Spotlight Interview: K. L. Bryce / Kayley Wood
By: Hidden Gems | Posted on July 14, 2020
Today’s Author Spotlight Interview is with K.L. Bryce, the author of Mean Crush, the first in the Unbroken series. Even though this is her first book under that penname, it made an immediate impact and has already left readers hungry for more – plus, you can find more of Kayley’s writing under her other penname, Kayley Wood. HG: Firstly, WHO ARE YOU? Or more accurately – how would you describe yourself to somebody who isn’t familiar with your writing yet? KLB: I’m a big goofball, really. I love to laugh and to make others laugh. I’m laid back and more of a peacemaker who avoids drama if I can help it, which is pretty funny since I write romance. I love my friends and the amazing woman in my life who have helped shaped who I’ve become. I was very lucky to have a close relationship with my grandmother…a beautiful,… Read More >
Fantasy Reads with STRONG Female Protagonists
By: Hidden Gems | Posted on July 7, 2020
Conan the Barbarian can stand aside – the fast-moving fantasy genre is dominated at the moment by feisty, female protagonists and it couldn’t come at a better time. We’ve scoured the rankings from the last month or so and identified the five highest-rated fantasy books shared with Hidden Gems subscribers in recent weeks; and a strong woman driving the action is one thing they all have in common. Take a look and you’ll be hooked! Fate Forged by B.P. Donigan All good fantasy stories begin with a tough, scrappy protagonist – and in Fate Forged, you’ll meet Maeve O’Neill – a once-homeless young woman who’d managed to pull herself up despite the odds stacked against her. All this progress is threatened, though, when nightmarish visions of torture and murder plague Maeve – and her attempts to get to the bottom of this mystery see her burdened with magical powers that immediately… Read More >
Author Spotlight Interview: Marie Tuhart
By: Hidden Gems | Posted on June 30, 2020
Today, we continue our series of author spotlight interviews by chatting to Marie Tuhart, author of a litany of steamy erotic romance novels including Tempt, which Hidden Gems subscribers picked as one of the top romance reads of April 2020. We asked Marie about her inspirations, motivations, and what keeps her adding to her impressive catalog of books. HG: Well, my first question is – WHO ARE YOU? Or more accurately – how would you describe yourself to somebody who isn’t familiar with your writing yet? MT: Who am I? Good question LOL! Let’s see. I live in the Pacific Northwest about 50 miles south of Seattle Washington. I was born and raised in San Francisco, and moved to Washington after I retired from the day job. I love writing. I write sexy contemporary and contemporary erotic romance. My men are always alpha males, and sometimes they skirt the… Read More >
5 Mind-Bending Mystery Books to Unravel
By: Hidden Gems | Posted on June 23, 2020
Mystery books never go out of season, and to prove that we scoured the shelves of Hidden Gems subscribers to identify five of the best-performing mystery novels shared to them for FREE this springtime. From ice cold and chilling to cozy and perplexing, you’ll be sure to find one that suits your tastes; and leaves you pondering “whodunnit.” Pawsitively Poisonous by Melissa Erin Jackson The little town of Edgehill, Oregon has its own unique mysteries – like an uncommon captivation with cats – but perhaps the most mysterious of all is Amber Blackwood, owner of the curious Quirky Whisker store. For the most part, nobody cares – Keep Oregon Weird, right? – until Amber’s best friend turns up dead, and a bottle of her headache tonic is found in the corpse’s hands. Now, attention turns to Amber, and her identity as a witch threatens to condemn her for a crime she… Read More >
Author Spotlight Interview: Ramona Flightner
By: Hidden Gems | Posted on June 16, 2020
This week, we continue our series of author spotlight interviews by talking to Montana-based romance writer Ramona Flightner, who pens beautiful tales of rugged men and fierce women finding love on the extremes of the American frontier. HG: Hi Ramona! Thanks so much for agreeing to be interviewed. Okay, first question – who are you? How would you describe yourself to readers who might not be familiar with you – yet! RF: I am a historical romance author who loves to write about her home state of Montana. All of my novels have to do with Montana in some way. Although I spent fourteen years working as a family nurse practitioner, I now work solely as a writer. Spending time with family and friends as we tell great stories, fly fishing, or escaping into the mountains are ways I love to spend my free time. HG: I set a portion of… Read More >
5 Horror Books That Bring the Fear
By: Hidden Gems | Posted on June 9, 2020
It many not be the best selling genre around, but f you look back over the decades, you can see that the best horror books stand the test of time (we’re still reading Dracula and Frankenstein, a century or more later). But what makes a good horror story? Most indie-published horror novels fail to make an impact because the genre is small and competitive, and the books on offer have a tough time differentiating themselves from others in the category. It doesn’t have to be this way, though! We checked the downloads, reviews, and rankings for the horror novels shared with Hidden Gems subscribers this quarter, and identified the five which resonated with our readers the most. If you’re looking to write horror well – or just want a scary read – you’d be well off starting with these. What Preys Within by Brett Gurda The first novel by author Brett… Read More >
Author Spotlight Interview: Olivia Atwater
By: Hidden Gems | Posted on June 2, 2020
Today, we continue our series of Author Spotlight Interviews by chatting to historical fantasy author Olivia Atwater, author of Half a Soul, the first in her planned Regency Faerie Tales Book series. We were extremely grateful for the opportunity to discuss her inspirations, motivations, and what drove her to weave her unique tales. Jane Austen would probably be astonished at the wide variety of ways in which her groundbreaking romances like Pride and Prejudice have been reinterpreted over the years (…and Zombies, anybody?) However, she’d be delighted to see how talented Canadian author Olivia Atwater has approached what’s now become ‘Regency Romance’ – with her beautiful historical fantasies that weave the truth and fantasy of the Regency era into a vivid backdrop for her stories. Subscribers to Hidden Gems picked her first novel, Half a Soul, as one of last month’s top romance reads, and I’m sure fans will love… Read More >
5 Children’s Books That Really Stood Out
By: Hidden Gems | Posted on May 26, 2020
Each and every week, subscribers to Hidden Gems are offered FREE books to download, read, and review – from any or all of over 15 different genres. Today, we’re going to look at some of our subscribers favorite Children’s Books that were recently sent out to them. Children’s Books are one of the more challenging genres to be successful at as a self-publisher, so hopefully it’ll be valuable to take a look at these “Hidden Gems” among their ranks. Merlin Raj and the Santa Algorithm by D. G. Priya Merlin Raj and the Santa Algorithm is one of two books in this charming series of children’s books by author D. G. Priya, who is a computer science major with a passion for helping introduce children to STEM subjects, and computational thinking. In an age in which computer science experience is considered one of the foundational skills for success in our… Read More >
