Why am I passionate about this?

I grew up with a single mother, lots of siblings, and little money. Books were my escape from reality. My love for reading began at an early age, back in the Babysitting Club days. I started writing as a girl but never thought it was something I would show other people. I kept my nose stuck in any book I could get my hands on, my favorites have become psychological thrillers. After spending decades in the medical field, I decided that it was time for me to write again. Once I completed my first novel and sent it out to agents, I quickly learned that I was right where I needed to be. 


I wrote

Capability

By Leigh M. Hall,

Book cover of Capability

What is my book about?

One, a single act of brutal violence almost ends Melany's life. She now suffers through a grueling recovery. Lost and…

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The books I picked & why

Book cover of All the Ugly and Wonderful Things

Leigh M. Hall Why did I love this book?

Bryn has given us a beautiful story hidden behind a dark cloud. The contents of this book may be hard to swallow for some, but for others the outcome is worth the ride. A path full of harmful neglect and misguided trust will open your eyes to visions never before seen. 

I read this book years ago, and the story still sticks with me. I love a book that can bring out multiple emotions within me, and All The Ugly And Wonderful Things did just that.

By Bryn Greenwood,

Why should I read it?

4 authors picked All the Ugly and Wonderful Things as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

A beautiful and provocative love story between two unlikely people and the hard-won relationship that elevates them above the Midwestern meth lab backdrop of their lives.

As the daughter of a drug dealer, Wavy knows not to trust people, not even her own parents. It's safer to keep her mouth shut and stay out of sight. Struggling to raise her little brother, Donal, eight-year-old Wavy is the only responsible adult around. Obsessed with the constellations, she finds peace in the starry night sky above the fields behind her house, until one night her star gazing causes an accident. After witnessing…


Book cover of The Girl in the Mirror

Leigh M. Hall Why did I love this book?

I started writing books because I couldn't find the type of books that I wanted to read. Well, I found what I was looking for with this one. I like them dark and dirty; this book brings it all. A deceptive story full of mischievous, spiteful women will have a decent lady clutching her pearls. I could not put this one down, and once I was done, I wished I could rewind time and experience it all over again. My eyes were wide at that ending, and it had me salivating for more. You might think you know but trust me; you do not. 

By Rose Carlyle,

Why should I read it?

2 authors picked The Girl in the Mirror as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

* * THE INTERNATIONAL BESTSELLER * *
________________________________

'Fresh, flavorful, and utterly intoxicating' A. J. Finn, author of The Woman in the Window

'It's impossible to do justice to the twists and turns ... riveting' New York Times
________________________________

She already has your looks. Now she wants your life...

Beautiful twin sisters Iris and Summer are startlingly alike, but beneath the surface lies a darkness that sets them apart. Cynical and insecure, Iris has long been envious of open-hearted Summer's seemingly never-ending good fortune, including her perfect husband Adam.

Called to Thailand to help sail the beloved family yacht to…


Book cover of Marrow

Leigh M. Hall Why did I love this book?

I am a long-time Fisher fan, and I love all of her books, but this one really spoke to me. So much pain and brutality trapped inside one girl makes you think of many different scenarios, none of which are what happens. Fisher creates amazing stories with fascinating twists and turns, but this one tops the cake. Gripping and graphic to the point that you forget you are reading fiction. I love unhappy and open endings that make you think and question what you just read; this one just might be my favorite. 

By Tarryn Fisher,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Marrow as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

In the Bone there is a house. In the house there is a girl. In the girl there is a darkness. Margo is not like other girls. She lives in a derelict neighborhood called the Bone, in a cursed house, with her cursed mother, who hasn’t spoken to her in over two years. She lives her days feeling invisible. It’s not until she develops a friendship with her wheelchair-bound neighbor, Judah Grant, that things begin to change. When neighborhood girl, seven-year-old Neveah Anthony, goes missing, Judah sets out to help Margo uncover what happened to her. What Margo finds changes…


Book cover of The Push

Leigh M. Hall Why did I love this book?

I can't say much about this book without giving it away. I will say that this book is highly emotional to the point that most people might not make it to the end. I have a pretty happy and peaceful life now. However, I have gone through my share of heartbreak and then some. I enjoy reading gut-wrenching stories that make you want to close your eyes and scream because they dig their way into your head and plant a seed that grows into an understanding. This book does just that. The contents seem harsh but truly believable. As you can tell from my previous recommendations, I lean more towards female writers and female protagonists because I want to see them win in the end. That is not always the case, but the journey is still very much enjoyable. I would recommend that you dive into this tale with an open mind and an understanding heart. If I could sum up The Push in one word, it would be, wow!

By Ashley Audrain,

Why should I read it?

7 authors picked The Push as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

A Good Morning America Book Club Pick | A New York Times bestseller!

"Utterly addictive." -Paula Hawkins, author of The Girl on the Train

"Hooks you from the very first page and will have you racing to get to the end."-Good Morning America

A tense, page-turning psychological drama about the making and breaking of a family-and a woman whose experience of motherhood is nothing at all what she hoped for-and everything she feared

Blythe Connor is determined that she will be the warm, comforting mother to her new baby Violet that she herself never had.

But in the thick of…


Book cover of Where the Crawdads Sing

Leigh M. Hall Why did I love this book?

Taking us into the marsh of North Carolina, we are shipped to a time when life was simpler, yet depression lurked around every corner. A young girl with seemingly no hope powers through while sticking to her roots. Poverty does not discriminate, and anyone could be subject to its wrath. A line that stood out to me in this book is, "Within all the worlds of biology, she searched for an explanation as to why a mother would leave her offspring." As humans, we are not meant to be alone in this world, and with the abandonment of all around her, Kya's mind wanders with questions. This book starts off as a dramatic woman's fiction read but quickly turns into something more. Mystery and mayhem surround this quiet 'Marsh Girl', and it will have you at the edge of your seat. I was silently hoping for vindication, and I hope you will be as well. 

By Delia Owens,

Why should I read it?

53 authors picked Where the Crawdads Sing as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

OVER 12 MILLION COPIES SOLD WORLDWIDE
NOW A MAJOR MOTION PICTURE
A NUMBER ONE NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER

For years, rumours of the 'Marsh Girl' have haunted Barkley Cove, a quiet town on the North Carolina coast. So in late 1969, when handsome Chase Andrews is found dead, the locals immediately suspect Kya Clark, the so-called Marsh Girl. But Kya is not what they say. Sensitive and intelligent, she has survived for years alone in the marsh that she calls home, finding friends in the gulls and lessons in the sand. Then the time comes when she yearns to be…


Explore my book 😀

Capability

By Leigh M. Hall,

Book cover of Capability

What is my book about?

One, a single act of brutal violence almost ends Melany's life. She now suffers through a grueling recovery. Lost and spiraling out of control, she begins to withdraw from life. The disfigured face and body she now carries start to create a personality of its own. She wonders if she will ever be able to move on. The monster that did this to her remains a mystery; she fears he may come back to finish her off.

Melany may seem like a timid housewife to some. The monster changed something inside her. After so much has been taken from her, she decides it's time to take some of it back. With a taste for revenge, darkness takes over. It has her doing things she thought she'd never be capable of.

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An Heir of Realms

By Heather Ashle,

Book cover of An Heir of Realms

Heather Ashle Author Of An Heir of Realms

New book alert!

Why am I passionate about this?

My favorite fantasy novels tend to be rather complex. Winding plotlines, mysteriously interconnected characters, whimsical settings, and intricate, thoughtful worldbuilding combine to create immersive stories that stick in the mind like overworn folklore. Time travel or interworld travel lend additional layers of intrigue and mystery, forcing the inescapable contemplation of a more thrilling, alternate reality. And if it’s all packaged in artful, breathtaking prose that breeds full-color images, audible noises, indelible flavors, nose-crumpling odors, and tangible textures, I will happily lose myself in the pages, truly forgetting about the strictures of everyday life… at least until I get hungry and remember I need to consume more than books to survive.

Heather's book list on adult fantasy that won’t make you grow up too much

What is my book about?

An Heir of Realms tells the tale of two young heroines—a dragon rider and a portal jumper—who fight dragon-like parasites to save their realms from extinction. 

Rhoswen is training as a Realm Rider to work with dragons and burn away the Narxon swarming into her realm. Rhoswen’s dream is to Ride, but her destiny will pit her against her uncle and king, who have scorned her since before her birth. 

In the Exchange, the waystation between realms, Emmelyn fights the G’Ambit, a gambling ring with members more intent on lining their pockets than protecting the realms—or their own lives.

Both…

An Heir of Realms

By Heather Ashle,

What is this book about?

Realm-devouring parasites threaten all existence. The Exchange is desperate to destroy them. But could their radical plans endanger the realms, too?

Soul-sucking parasites are overwhelming the realms.

Rhoswen of Stanburh is of age to train as a Realm Rider—a defender of the realms. Riders and their dragons work together to burn away infiltrating Narxon as they swarm in through tears in a realm’s fabric. But it’s not an easy battle: the mere touch of the smoky, dragon-like adversaries can reduce the lively winged beasts—and their Riders—to ash.

Becoming a Realm Rider is Rhoswen’s dream, but she carries far more responsibility…


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