Journey through the past and the present with The Silver Lyre: A Modern Adaptation of a Medieval Legend and Historical Adventure in Spain.

Follow Ari, an adventurous American student, as she explores the enchanting Alhambra in Spain. This beautifully illustrated historical fiction invites readers to uncover the rich history of medieval life and the timeless stories that echo through the grand walls of the Alhambra Palace. This compels us to ask, who were the people who lived in these beautiful palaces?

As Ari wanders through the stunning architecture of the Alhambra, the ancient tales come to life. In a serendipitous moment alone, Ari is transported into the past, meeting characters who each have a story to share.

From noble knights to wise sages, the characters she meets will lead her on a grand historical adventure. These encounters captivate her imagination, turning into beautiful memories that will stay with her forever. And so, she shares this beautiful cultural experience with you all in this book, inviting you to form your own personal connections with these characters and their stories.

Set against Spain's rich history, The Silver Lyre is a perfect blend of medieval romances and historical adventure. Through Ari's eyes, readers experience the beauty of world history, learning about the traditions and legacies that shape our understanding of the past. This young adult historical fiction novel is both a thrilling tale and an educational exploration of a pivotal era.

The Silver Lyre promises to resonate with anyone who loves to explore cultural heritage novels and the adventures that lie within.

Will you let the enchanting spell of world history cast its magic on you?

Be sure to visit Jeannine's website to hear the music that is part of this magical story. And... this story is also available in Spanish. Find out more on her website.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Jeannine Jordan is a retired English Language Arts teacher who loves literature and World History. She enjoys traveling, sewing, gardening, choir, Bible study, and most of all spending time with her children and grandchildren. Mrs. Jordan lives in the Greenville area of South Carolina with her husband, Hal. The Silver Lyre is her first book. She hopes to publish more historical fiction novels that highlight little-known cultures. Be sure to check out The Silver Lyre audios, study aids, and other related materials on Mrs. Jordan's website (jjs-cornerdotcom). If you make a creative project about one of her stories, please share an email message and photo! She loves to hear from readers.

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Excitement mounts as the moment arrives for brilliant young violinist Julia Kogan's debut in the orchestra of the world-renowned Metropolitan Opera. But the high-stakes milieu of this musical mecca is rocked to its core when, during an onstage murder scene, Julia's mentor, a famous conductor, is assassinated on the podium. Thrust into the investigation when her closest colleague in the orchestra is named chief suspect, Julia teams up with opera-loving NYPD detective Larry Somers to solve the murder. In the process, they are shocked to discover the venerable opera house is rife with a web of secrets, intrigue, and lethal rivalries. But all bets are off when Julia suddenly finds herself the real killer's prime target.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:After a successful career as a violinist with New York’s Metropolitan Opera, award-winning writer, lecturer, arts journalist, and screenwriter Erica Miner transitioned into writing full time. In her Julia Kogan Opera Mystery series, she draws on her experience with her two great loves, music and writing, to create fanciful plot fabrications that guide readers through a dramatized version of the opera world by revealing the dark side of that fascinating milieu.

In 2022, Level Best Books published the first in Erica's Opera Mystery series, Aria for Murder (finalist in the 2023 Eric Hoffer Book Awards and Chanticleer Independent Book Awards), in which talented neophyte violinist Julia Kogan witnesses the murder of her mentor, a famous conductor, during a performance at the Met, soon finds herself entangled in the murder investigation, and becomes the killer's next victim. The equally thrilling sequel, Prelude to Murder, (‘A skillfully written whodunit of operatic proportions’—Kirkus Reviews; a Distinguished Favorite in the 2024 NYC Big Book Awards), which takes place at Santa Fe Opera, released in 2023. Book 3, Overture to Murder, set at San Francisco Opera, releases in Oct. 2024.

Erica frequently contributes reviews and interviews of real-world musical artists for the well-known arts websites BroadwayWorld, Bachtrack, and LA Opus. Her writings also have appeared in PNWA Magazine, Vision Magazine, WORD San Diego, Our City Istanbul, and numerous E-zines. She has lectured about writing and opera for groups from coast-to-coast and internationally, and has been interviewed numerous times on radio and online podcasts.

Erica has presented writing workshops for Sisters in Crime; Los Angles Creative Writing Conference; EPIC Group Writers; Write on the Sound; Fields End Writer’s Community; Savvy Authors; numerous libraries on the west coast; and a solo Author Spotlight at the 2023 Bouchercon Conference in San Diego.

Musically speaking, Erica has been featured in pre-concert lectures for the Seattle Symphony at Benaroya Hall and seminars at: Osher Lifelong Learning Institute at the University of California San Diego and the University of Washington; the Creative Retirement Institute at Edmonds College in the greater Seattle area; and Wagner Societies in Boston, New York, the Bay Area, Los Angeles, San Diego, North Carolina, and New South Wales (Sydney, Australia).

Learn More at https://www.dkpwriter.com/indiereadsaloudseasonfour

Young, prodigious Metropolitan Opera violinist Julia Kogan, having survived her entanglement in an investigation of her mentor's murder and a subsequent violent, life-threatening attack of a ruthless killer, is called upon for a key musical leadership position at the Santa Fe Opera. But at the spectacular outdoor theatre in the shadows of the mysterious New Mexican Sangre de Cristo Mountains, she witnesses yet other operatic murders, both onstage and off. Dark and painful secrets emerge as, ignoring warnings from her colleagues and from Larry, her significant other, Julia plunges into her own investigation of the killing. Ghostly apparitions combine with some of the most bloody and violent operas in the repertoire to make Julia question her own motives for searching for the killer. But this time, the threat to her life originates from a source she never would have imagined.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:After a successful career as a violinist with New York’s Metropolitan Opera, award-winning writer, lecturer, arts journalist, and screenwriter Erica Miner transitioned into writing full time. In her Julia Kogan Opera Mystery series, she draws on her experience with her two great loves, music and writing, to create fanciful plot fabrications that guide readers through a dramatized version of the opera world by revealing the dark side of that fascinating milieu.

In 2022, Level Best Books published the first in Erica's Opera Mystery series, Aria for Murder (finalist in the 2023 Eric Hoffer Book Awards and Chanticleer Independent Book Awards), in which talented neophyte violinist Julia Kogan witnesses the murder of her mentor, a famous conductor, during a performance at the Met, soon finds herself entangled in the murder investigation, and becomes the killer's next victim. The equally thrilling sequel, Prelude to Murder, (‘A skillfully written whodunit of operatic proportions’—Kirkus Reviews; a Distinguished Favorite in the 2024 NYC Big Book Awards), which takes place at Santa Fe Opera, released in 2023. Book 3, Overture to Murder, set at San Francisco Opera, releases in Oct. 2024.

Erica frequently contributes reviews and interviews of real-world musical artists for the well-known arts websites BroadwayWorld, Bachtrack, and LA Opus. Her writings also have appeared in PNWA Magazine, Vision Magazine, WORD San Diego, Our City Istanbul, and numerous E-zines. She has lectured about writing and opera for groups from coast-to-coast and internationally, and has been interviewed numerous times on radio and online podcasts.

Erica has presented writing workshops for Sisters in Crime; Los Angles Creative Writing Conference; EPIC Group Writers; Write on the Sound; Fields End Writer’s Community; Savvy Authors; numerous libraries on the west coast; and a solo Author Spotlight at the 2023 Bouchercon Conference in San Diego.

Musically speaking, Erica has been featured in pre-concert lectures for the Seattle Symphony at Benaroya Hall and seminars at: Osher Lifelong Learning Institute at the University of California San Diego and the University of Washington; the Creative Retirement Institute at Edmonds College in the greater Seattle area; and Wagner Societies in Boston, New York, the Bay Area, Los Angeles, San Diego, North Carolina, and New South Wales (Sydney, Australia).

Learn More at https://www.dkpwriter.com/indiereadsaloudseasonfour

LISTENER ADVISORY: MATURE LANGUAGE

THE LAST PATIENT is a sweeping historical novel that captures one family’s struggle for love, survival, and identity under the grip of Communism in Romania. Spanning fifty years of political upheaval, this saga explores how ordinary lives are shaped—and sometimes shattered—by extraordinary times.

Kostea and Clara meet and fall in love shortly before World War II. As they get married, build careers, and raise a son, the world around them changes rapidly—and often violently. From the two-bedroom apartment they are “patriotically” forced to share with another family, to Bucharest’s rampant food shortages, Romania’s Cold War history plays out in their day-to-day lives.

Kostea, a charming yet domineering surgeon, craves control in a place where party loyalists hold the reins of power. His pursuit of respect and authority threatens his promising medical career and his relationships at home, risking Clara’s love. While the temptation to break through the Iron Curtain is omnipresent, defection to the West comes with its own uncertainties. Ultimately, The Last Patient is a poignant exploration of the eternal tension between personal aspirations and love.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Alex Duvan, who publishes under the pen name Tudor Alexander, was born in Bucharest, Romania in 1950 and moved to the United States in 1977. He holds a Master’s degree from the Polytechnic Institute of Bucharest and an MBA from the University of Connecticut. Alex lives in Maryland with his wife, Viorica, and has a son, a daughter, and three grandchildren.

Alex started writing in high school, and enjoyed an early success, publishing many short stories in established literary magazines. Although writing was his passion, he studied engineering and management to support his family. After the 1989 Romanian revolution, he published several novels and short story collections in Romania, including The Runners, Smoke, Planet New York, One Morning and One Afternoon, and The Visitor.

Alex writes in both Romanian and English. He tells the story of immigrants struggling to adapt to a new country and a different culture, and finding the courage to overcome the fear of the unknown. They are people who, like the author, took a leap of faith to find political and intellectual freedom, despite the heartbreak of leaving friends and family behind.

Learn More at https://www.dkpwriter.com/indiereadsaloudseasonfour

Hero life is not all fistfights and mad scientists. Even superheroes need good press, especially when the world hasn't decided whether superpowers are a blessing or...something else.

Flygirl and Fuerte's next stop on the Unusual Cases Unit's Good Will Tour is Springfield Women's Hospital, a place close to Flygirl's heart and a place redefined for Fuerte by his change. Autographs and gladhanding ought to be a cakewalk. But when Evelyn Mueller arrives, the PR tour gets quite a shake up. Pushed to the limit by her wife’s cancer diagnosis and denial of experimental treatment, Evelyn shoves back.

Will Evelyn find the hero she needs, even if it's not the one she expected? This between-the novels episode takes place between Change of Life and Face the Change.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR: If you’re looking for Samantha Bryant, check the woods first. She likes to get lost there in order to find herself and she’s probably near the water, with the dogs.

Samantha writes about what scares her, and the result is usually either comedy or horror or some combination. She is best known for her Menopausal Superhero Series of novels, which combine superhero action with kindhearted humor and explorations of friendship among women, but her short fiction runs dark.

Learn More at https://www.dkpwriter.com/indiereadsaloudseasonfour

Patricia O’Neill never asked to be a hero. But when her best friend’s experiments transformed her into the Lizard Woman of Springfield, she answered the call alongside the other victims. Going Through the Change was only the beginning. The menopausal superheroes wanted answers, but getting them didn’t solve their problems and now their secrets are out.

Dr. Cindy Liu never considered if she should do something--only if she could. Now that the consequences of her work have her on the run, she’s forced into an uneasy alliance with a ghost from her past, if only to save herself. The chase is on in this between-the-novels story. When your worst enemy used to be your best friend, the battle rages inside and out.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR: If you’re looking for Samantha Bryant, check the woods first. She likes to get lost there in order to find herself and she’s probably near the water, with the dogs.

Samantha writes about what scares her, and the result is usually either comedy or horror or some combination. She is best known for her Menopausal Superhero Series of novels, which combine superhero action with kindhearted humor and explorations of friendship among women, but her short fiction runs dark.

Learn More at https://www.dkpwriter.com/indiereadsaloudseasonfour

Hidden in the space between chapters lurk other stories—what came before and after, and meanwhile—and the other sides of the stories, including the part our heroines didn’t know. This collection peeks around those corners of the Menopausal Superhero series.

Through Thick and Thin will get you up close and personal with your favorites. Fuerte wasn't always Fuerte—or male. It’s confession time in "Coming Out as Leonel." Join Patricia, the Lizard Woman, as she unravels the puzzle of Dr. Cindy Liu's disappearance in "The Right Thing," and then see her softer side (and her "better half," Suzie) in "Underestimated." Get ready for a wedding, and a heroic rescue, in "Flygirl's Second Chance."

These aren’t your father’s superheroes. Whether you’re already a fan or are just meeting these characters for the first time, the menopausal superhero series explores what it means to be a hero at any age or stage of life.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR: If you’re looking for Samantha Bryant, check the woods first. She likes to get lost there in order to find herself and she’s probably near the water, with the dogs.

Samantha writes about what scares her, and the result is usually either comedy or horror or some combination. She is best known for her Menopausal Superhero Series of novels, which combine superhero action with kindhearted humor and explorations of friendship among women, but her short fiction runs dark.

Learn More at https://www.dkpwriter.com/indiereadsaloudseasonfour

In the unique and dangerous world of Moniah, Princess Adana trains as a skilled Watcher warrior. But when her mother's shocking deathbed decree throws her into the midst of political turmoil and betrayal, Adana must face her greatest challenge yet. The traitor Maligon has returned, and with him, the threat of another devastating war.

As Adana is sent to the allied kingdom of Elwar to wait for her ascension to the throne, she must navigate the treacherous waters of court politics and leave behind her warrior training and telepathically-bonded giraffe. But amidst the luxurious gowns and strict protocol, she discovers unlikely allies and uncovers secrets about her past and her enemies.

Meanwhile, Maligon continues to gather supporters and plot his revenge against Adana, determined to claim the kingdom of Moniah for himself. With the fate of her kingdom and her loved ones hanging in the balance, Adana must find the strength and courage to defeat her mother's enemy and protect her people.

For fans of epic fantasy and political intrigue, "The Watchers of Moniah" is a must-read. With its strong and complex protagonist, immersive world-building, and heart-pounding action, this book will keep readers on the edge of their seats until the very end. Don't miss out on this captivating tale of love, betrayal, and the fight for power.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Barbara V. Evers hails from the mysterious Dark Corner of South Carolina where she crafts fantasy stories with strong women matriarchies and clever animals. She is the award-winning author of THE WATCHERS OF MONIAH epic fantasy trilogy (The Watchers of Moniah, The Watchers in Exile, The Watchers at War) as well as numerous published short stories and essays. A two-time winner of the Imadjinn Best Fantasy Novel, she’s won many writing awards over the years including a Pushcart Prize nomination. Her short stories and essays have appeared in multiple issues of The Petigru Review, multiple issues of moonShine review, Childof My Child, Stupefying Stories, A Magnificent Display of Marvelous Wonders, and her own short story collection, Pieces of Her: Being a Woman is Not for the Faint of Heart. She’s currently working on an urban mountain fantasy series, The Matriarch Enchanter, and several other projects.

Learn More at https://www.dkpwriter.com/indiereadsaloudseasonfour

Princess Eliana of Ymittos has long anticipated the day she gets to make the rules — and use her magic without fear of penalty. But until she ascends the throne, Eliana’s days are devoted to practicing diplomacy on inconsiderate guests and weighing the merits of her latest string of suitors.

Then, on her 18th birthday, Eliana’s parents reveal her true destiny: she alone must wake a sleeping prince from his hundred-year curse, deep in the monster-infested underworld of Malkh. Terrified, Eliana refuses. But the terms of the curse are clear: only the heir of Ymittos can break its spell. If she fails, the entire continent will be easy prey for the evil sorcerer Cetus.

Banished and stripped of his power a millennium ago, Cetus has lain dormant, rebuilding his strength and amassing his armies. Now, his carefully laid trap is about to spring destruction on the first realms in his path. Only Eliana stands in his way.

A Sleeping Beauty retelling with a deadly twist, The Girl Who Broke the Dark is the first volume of the Royal Mages series.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Evelyn Puerto reads just about anything and writes in multiple genres. When she married, she inherited three stepdaughters, a pair of step-grandsons, and a psychotic cat. Currently she writes from South Carolina. If you'd like to keep up with her publication news and get a free short story, sign up for her newsletter at www.evelynpuerto.com/newsletter.

Learn More at https://www.dkpwriter.com/indiereadsaloudseasonfour

For Rayshell and her best friend Trish, senior year of high school is going to hell in a handbasket. The feud between Celestine and Daeva is bleeding into their world. When a mysterious visitor infiltrates her dreams, Rayshell is thrust into a realm of profound, otherworldly secrets. Together, Rayshell and Trish uncover the unbelievable-they are the living vessels for two banished Celestine guardians.

Amidst mystical recollections and a wondrous magic system that shatters the veneer of their everyday lives, the two friends embark on a journey against time to connect with the Celestine guardians' allies in hopes of freeing them from their imprisonment. Simultaneously, the shadows cast by Daeva darken. The notorious outlaw, Merisek, has positioned himself to claim dominion over the Order of Existence-a trio of powerful artifacts capable of reshaping reality. Armed with two of these relics, Merisek races against the emergence of the Celestine guardians to claim the third. The stage is set for a showdown that will determine the fate of existence itself.

Rayshell and Trish are all that stand between Merisek and his unhinged desire to twist the fabric of reality into his making. As the threads of destiny unravel, the question looms: who will be the author of existence, and what profound truths will be unveiled in the final, decisive act?

ABOUT THE AUTHORS: Shannon was born and raised in California and currently lives in Illinois with her husband, Edward, and their cat rescues. She is an urban gardener and an avid seed collector. In the makeup community, Shannon goes by zoomzoommacaron where she collaborates with fellow MUAS across the world. She hosts a monthly zombie-themed makeup group called the #zombabescollab and adores SFX and other creative makeup. Shannon is also the owner of ShopCorpsicle which specializes in handmade props, fake food, miniatures, prosthetics and other accessories. She uses the alias Silence In Shadows for her traditional art. She also enjoys anime, cult-classic horror movies, cooking (and eating), sunbathing, photography, craft beer, and singing badly.

Music fuels Shannon's many passions, especially while writing and creating art. She credits music for having a hand in saving her life on multiple accounts in her teenage and young adult years.

Born and raised in the San Francisco Bay Area, Edward first discovered the joys of creative writing through his early high school studies, and has spent many years exploring and developing a deep appreciation for the arts. Since first collaborating with his wife, Shannon, he has sprouted a passion and true affinity for storytelling and crafting literature. In addition to refining his skill in creating written works, his other interests include playing bass guitar, listening to music, and dabbling in photography. Edward is currently based in the greater Chicago area with his wife amidst his ever-growing vinyl collection and clowder of rescue cats.

Learn More at: https://www.dkpwriter.com/indiereadsaloudseasonfour