Synopsis: We are live, we are live, we are live . . .

Helen Vectorovich holds the unique distinction of failing at first contact – and she did it in both virtual reality and outer space.

Only the most elite teams of operators and navigators get to pilot in remote space-mining operations. And no one was better than Helen and her navigator. Together they secured a multibillion contract for establishing an interstellar gate to a distant star. But during a routine mission, what should have been an easy success turned deadly.

Helen, grounded in a desk job, has overeager junior pilots jockeying to take her place, jealous corporate rivals, and nasty rumors blaming her for the botched mission. Meanwhile, Helen’s new discovery in space – the Scale – seems to be . . . evolving.

When someone – or something – wants to terminate her project, Helen must race to find out why before it is far too late.

Why I’m Excited: I love things that deal with space and the expansion of humans into the universe at large. Naturally, in fiction, these things go wrong. And I really love it when it goes wrong.

Synopsis: Get ready to have fun and be influenced!

Fate can show up as anything… As a freshly minted divorcee, witch Carmen Devereaux returns to her hometown in North Carolina. With this decision comes another change in her life: Fate has decided that she is to become an Influencer, someone who guides others onto the path that they were meant to take.

When she’s assigned to Abby Windsor, a young schoolteacher, as well as her own stepbrother, Finn Cleary, she soon encounters several obstacles, including getting stuck in her own past.

A quirky, fun, and lovable cast of characters, including Lenny the Snowman—a grumpy, old snowman who really loves trashy reality shows, especially ones about real housewives, Egbert the Lobbyist Pencil—a pompous pencil who lobbies on magic and loves tasty cuisine, and Muse Siobhan Waters, who is thoughtful and down to earth, help guide and inspire Carmen whenever she gets stuck working on her assignment. Along the way, Carmen learns to influence others…and herself.

Humorous and light-hearted, A Witchly Influence is the perfect feel-good book of the year. 

Why I’m Excited: As a practicing Pagan, I love books about witchcraft. Light-hearted, dark, or anywhere in between. I just love it. This one sounds like a fun, easy October read.