Spotlight: Skip Carter: Henchman for Hire by J. Von Swan

Publication date: October 13th 2026

Genres: Action, Adult, Humor

From the award-winning author of the Wolf of Vanaheim series comes a story about the guy nobody roots for — until now.

Skip Carter isn’t a hero. He’s a former soldier, ex-con, and lifelong screw-up whose only real talent is taking punches and showing up anyway. So when a shady agency offers to rent him out as muscle for supervillains, he figures it’s just another paycheck.

But between ridiculous costumes, insane bosses, and jobs that always end in broken bones, Skip starts to realize the real losers are the guys stuck cleaning up after the chaos. And when a world-ending threat finally hits Skytropolis, he gets one shot to stop being the disposable henchman and start being the man his daughter believes he can be.

Darkly funny, surprisingly heartfelt, and packed with action, Skip Carter, Henchman for Hire is for anyone who’s ever felt like the sidekick in their own story.

Excerpt

Mrs. Fuller glanced down her list. “Okay! Next we have… Mr. Carter.”

Peggy turned around in her chair and locked eyes with me. Her smile wasn’t just excitement. It was encouragement. A silent You can do this.

My chest tightened as I stood, smoothing the front of my suit jacket with sweaty hands. The room stared at me with pure, unfiltered child curiosity. No judgment yet. Just curious attention like they were hoping I might be someone I’m not.

I walked to the front of the classroom, facing a row of small faces that believed adults were all responsible, stable people with their shit together. And I realized, with sudden clarity, that I had no idea what to say.

I opened my mouth but nothing came out.

Awkward, uncomfortable silence stretched. The kind that crawls across your skin and whispers everyone is watching you screw this up.

I cleared my throat and glanced at Dr. Ramirez. He studied me like he was trying to place how he knew me from his emergency room.

“Uh. Hi, kids.”

A few of them waved like I was a minor celebrity. Someone whispered something and giggled.

“My name is Skip Carter. I’m Peggy’s dad.”

Peggy sat up straighter at that. Pride radiated off her like a heat lamp.

“I, uh… I used to be in the military.” That part was safe and true. Technically documented despite the dishonorable discharge. “And now I work in… private security.”

That sounded boring enough to pass. Mrs. Fuller nodded approvingly.

Jayden, the dog lover, raised his hand immediately. “Do you protect people?”

Every instinct screamed at me to lie. To say yes. To let that be the end of it. Protecting people was clean. Simple. Noble.

Instead, honesty slipped out like a bad habit.

“Not really,” I said.

Jayden frowned with confusion. “So then what do you do?”

I choked a little. “I… help make sure certain situations go the way they’re supposed to.”

That felt vague enough to dodge the truth while still being technically accurate. I had spent years perfecting that skill.

A girl with neat, black braids and a pink sweater raised her hand. “Do you stop bad guys?”

“No,” I said, and immediately regretted it. “I mean, sometimes other people stop them.”

She also frowned like I’d just told her Santa wasn’t real.

Another hand shot up. “Do you stop burglars from stealing stuff?”

I shook my head. “No.”

The kids started exchanging confused looks. The magic was leaking out of the room.

From the back, a voice cut through the air. “My mom says he’s a henchman.”

Some of the kids immediately giggled.

I looked toward the sound. It was Billy from next door. He was wearing a Captain Justice T-shirt and a smug expression. The kind of kid who repeated adult conversations without understanding why they hurt.

Peggy whipped around in her seat. “Shut up, Billy!”

Mrs. Fuller stepped forward. “Billy, that’s not appropriate–”

Billy wasn’t done. “She says henchmen work for supervillains and help them hurt people.”

Every pair of eyes swung back to me.

I felt heat crawl up my neck, into my face. The suit suddenly felt too tight.

Peggy stood up in her seat. “My dad knows all the superheroes!”

That part was technically true. Unfortunately.

Billy smirked. “Then does he know Captain Justice?”

I exhaled slowly. “Yeah,” I said. “I know Captain Justice.”

Billy’s eyes lit up. “Is he awesome in real life?”

I thought about Captain Justice and all the times he had knocked out my friends. About him swooping in to stop us even when the jobs were small. About the time he punched a henchman who was injured and trying to surrender.

“He’s kind of a blowhard,” I said.

Buy on Amazon | Bookshop.org

About the Author

J. Von Swan is the award-winning author of the Wolf of Vanaheim series. He retired from law enforcement as a Sergeant in 2024 after the birth of his first daughter. During his career, he served on both the SWAT team and the mental health unit, experiences that now influence his writing and dark sense of humor. He now writes full-time and instructs law enforcement part-time at the community college.

J. Von Swan lives in Colorado with his family, where he spends his time enjoying the outdoors and imagining dragons that still need slaying.

Connect:

https://www.jvonswan.com/

https://www.instagram.com/jvonswan/

https://www.facebook.com/JVonSwan/

https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/57371880.J_Von_Swan

Skip Carter: Henchman for Hire Blitz

Spotlight: Nomad by Cynthia Johnstone

For readers of Barbara Kingsolver and Mary Lawson, a literary novel, set in the desert wilderness of modern-day Arizona, that offers quiet beauty, emotional depth, and an exploration of loss, healing, and the wild places that change us.

After the sudden death of her brother, Corey retreats to a remote ranch in Sedona, Arizona, hoping the silence of the desert can drown out the noise of her grief. But the quiet only deepens her isolation—until a mysterious stray dog appears, pulling her back into the world and forcing her to face what she’s been running from.

Set against the stunning red rock canyons, Nomad is a lyrical, emotionally charged debut about trauma, resilience, and the wild grit it takes to heal. As Corey grapples with loss and the ghosts of her past, she’s drawn into unexpected relationships that challenge her guarded heart and crack open the possibility of love.

For readers of Prodigal Summer and A Town Called Solace, this is the story of one woman’s return to herself through the rhythms of nature, the ache of memory, and the quiet, untamed beauty of connection. It’s a tender, tough meditation on the raw path to healing—and the fierce, fragile hope that blooms in its wake.

Buy on Amazon

About the Author

CYNTHIA JOHNSTONE is a former pediatric therapist and longtime writer whose work explores the intersection of human resilience and the natural world. With a background in psychology and communication, she writes fiction rooted in emotionally complex characters and landscapes that test, shape, and heal the human spirit. Her debut novel, “Nomad,” reflects her enduring fascination with grief, memory, survival, and the restorative power of place. She holds degrees from Loyola University Chicago and Boston College. Cynthia lives with her family in Arizona, where the dramatic terrain of the Southwest continues to inspire her. Learn more about Cynthia and her work at: www.cynthia-johnstone.com and on Instagram: @cynthia_johnstone

Spotlight: Mother May I by Harry Hunsicker

She lost everything. Except the will to fight. 

When former CIA operative Meg Dalton finds a shocking clue that suggests her long-missing daughter might still be alive, she's forced into a desperate, high-stakes search for the truth. Fifteen years after little Ivy vanished without a trace at a Texas fair, Meg has built a career as a covert "operator" a soldier-for-hire who takes on dangerous black ops missions for the government.

But during a botched assignment in Los Angeles, Meg encounters a woman wearing her daughter's distinctive butterfly necklace, and everything she believes unravels. As Meg defies her handlers and goes rogue to chase the lead, she's thrust into a deadly conspiracy linking global espionage, human trafficking, and her own past sins.

Hunted by both her employers and foreign agents, Meg must decide how far she's willing to go and what lines she'll cross to uncover the truth and reclaim her child. Mother May I is a gripping, emotionally charged thriller about loss, obsession, and the unbreakable bond between a mother and her daughter.

Excerpt

Fifteen Years Ago 

You’d think a mother’s intuition would count for something—a hunch, if nothing else. A vague feeling that the events unfolding that day were amiss.

But no. There was none of that. 

There was only a beautiful fall afternoon and the two of us together—my daughter, Ivy, and me. Happy in the moment. 

Same as it ever was. Us against the world. 

To say I loved her—to say only that—was a failure of words. 

All the writers who ever lived couldn’t properly express how I felt about my child. Not the ones I studied in Mrs. Novotny’s AP English class, nor those I’d never even heard of. 

Ivy clutched my hand. She had just turned three, and this was her first time at the fair. 

”It’s so loud, Mommy.” She looked up at me and smiled, squeezing my fingers.

I grinned back at her, remembering my first time at the fair. I was about her age, walking beside my father. The Dashing lights, the noise, the smells—so much happening all at once. 

I held tightly to her hand as we wove through the throngs of people. Fe passed the petting Roo, the ring toss, the shooting gallery—carnies calling out to us as we walked by their booths. 

I was eighteen, and I’d been coming to this fair my whole life. It was the biggest thing to happen in our little town—an event that drew people from all over the county and beyond, even from as far as Austin and San Antonio. 

The crowd thickened as we neared the tent where the polka band played. People jostled us, so I hoisted Ivy onto my hip. 

She looped an arm around my neck. Her skin smelled like shampoo and fresh milk. The necklace she always wore—a tiny silver butterfly with ruby red eyes—glinted in the sun. 

”Don’t let me go, Mommy.” 

”I won’t, baby.”  I kissed her forehead. ”You and me. Always-always.”

 She pressed her face into my neck. ”Always-always, Mommy.” 

The Ferris wheel loomed ahead, not far beyond the tent. That’s where we were headed—to meet Ivy’s father, Rusty. 

He and I weren’t together. Or not together anymore, but it’s not like we were ever a real couple. Sometimes I wished we had been. Other times, not so much. Me and Ivy—we did pretty well on our own.

 ”Daddy’s by the rides,” I said. ”We’re almost there.”

I was a senior in high school. Rusty had just turned nineteen, graduated last May. He’d been first-string for the football team all four years—running back. There had been talk of college scholarships, but he’d hurt his knee senior year and started hanging out with his uncle, a pot dealer. Now, he worked at the feed store, wrangling sacks of deer corn and fertilizer bags.

”Can we go on the ferris wheel, Mommy?” 

 ”We sure can,” I said. ”Just as soon as we find your dad.”

 That is, if he brought money, I thought. 

Ivy and I lived with my grandmother. Her Social Security had run out this month before I could pay the electric bill at the trailer, so cash was tight. 

Two men drinking beer brushed past on their way to the tent, nearly bumping into us. 

I hugged Ivy close. We should have come earlier. Too many drunks later in the day. 

Buy on Amazon | Bookshop.org

About the Author

Harry Hunsicker is the best-selling author of ten crime thrillers and numerous short stories, including The Life and Death of Rose Doucette, shortlisted for a 2025 ITW Thriller Award, and Still River, his debut, which was nominated for a Shamus Award. Hunsicker splits his time between Dallas, Texas and Santa Fe, New Mexico.

Spotlight: Day by Day: There is Always a Little Bit More by James Robertson

Early reviewers, family friends, and medical professionals have called James Robertson’s memoir, Day by Day: There is Always a Little Bit More everything from “gut-wrenching” to “beautiful and touching.” These comments encapsulate the more than forty years of caring for their special needs son, Graham, who is not just James and his wife, Kari’s, eldest child, but also a beloved brother, uncle, and friend, who has never been defined by his disability, a rare form of epilepsy called Lennox-Gastaut Syndrome. The story is mostly told from a father’s perspective but also includes chapters from immediate family members, and a life-long special friend who helped Graham tell his side of the story too. The raw, vulnerable, and often difficult to read intensity of this story is intentional but the author’s hope is to encourage other families struggling with the challenges of supporting a loved one with special needs—from navigating an under resourced medical system to finding much needed and often elusive programs and dwindling government funding— to reach out for support and also to know that they are not alone.  

Excerpt

April 29, 1985

Graham climbed up in the dentist chair. The light overhead was adjusted slightly to meet his pearly whites. “Open wide, please, Graham,” Dr. Frank instructed his almost four-year-old patient. Dr. Frank was a man of large stature; when in his presence, you knew you were in good hands. Dr. Frank’s big hand, having just adjusted the overhead light and now holding a dental instrument, approached as gently as a summer breeze . . . then stopped. “Graham, what is wrong?” His thick Hungarian accent filled the room. Sitting to Graham’s left, I observed Graham’s hand reaching skyward as though in search of comfort. But Dr. Frank’s tone told me this was not the case. He was leaning over the chair with his hands touching Graham’s shoulders and his eyes fixed on Graham’s face for what was a mere second or two, but it felt like time had stood still.

Rising from my stool and rounding the tilted chair, I found my son in the midst of a grand mal seizure. In the moment, I had no idea what was happening. His body was stiff, lifeless, and grey. I froze. Fortunately, Dr. Frank took charge. He scooped Graham up in his arms, held him against his six-foot-plus height, and asked his receptionist to call the hospital. Both of us, him still holding Graham, sprinted down the hall to the elevator.

I hardly noticed the pouring rain soaking me as my pound- ing chest propelled me one foot in front of the other, rushing to get my car and bring it to the front door. Dr. Frank climbed into the back seat, cradling Graham in his arms. “I think his colour is getting better,” I remember him saying. I glanced in the rear- view mirror. I saw no difference. My hand leaned on the horn, but no one acknowledged my panic by moving out of the way. We didn’t have far to go, and even though I was in a panic, I watched my speed. Back in those days the emergency department at the children’s hospital had parking available immediately beside the entry, a blessing. We entered the emergency department, where Graham was handed to a waiting nurse, who quickly administered oxygen while at the same time asking Dr. Frank if he needed the same. I was naive enough to not appreciate fully what had hap- pened. Dr. Frank, however, was alarmed by the fact that one of his patients was in such a state. I didn’t even notice Dr. Frank leaving, presumably returning to his office.

My thoughts turned to Kari. I had to call her; she needed to be here. What should I tell her? How should I tell her? The phone rang and she answered. My words spilled out and the panic returned. It seemed as if only seconds later, Kari bounded through the swinging doors. We lived only a few blocks from the Isaak Walton Killam Hospital for Children, a blessing we appreciated for years to come. The IWK provides a high level of specialized care and is the only pediatric hospital in the Atlantic Provinces that provides neurology services for children. By this time Graham was coming around and responsive. The suggested diagnosis was a fainting spell; however, a neurologist was summoned and we waited for his diagnosis. 

Buy on Amazon | Bookshop.org

About the Author

James Robertson was born into an “old Halifax family”, his ancestors having built a local hardware business in the mid-1800s—Wm. Robertson & Son Ship Chandlery (now the Maritime Museum of the Atlantic)—on the waterfront in downtown historic Halifax. 

James grew up in the south end of the city and was educated in both private and public schools: Halifax Ladies College (for kindergarten), Gorsebrook School, Queen Elizabeth High School, and then Dalhousie University (BComm, 1977).

During his professional career he held roles in accounting, sales, and customer service. Throughout his life he has always been active in the community through his church (Fort Massey United, Bedford United), the Epilepsy Association of the Maritimes, Scouts Canada, Special Olympics, Club Inclusion, and the Alliance of Information and Referral Services (AIRS). 

James is the recipient of the Provincial Volunteer of the Year Award; the Canada 125 Medal; and the Queen Elizabeth II Golden Jubilee Medal. He and his wife, Kari, received the Cassidy Megan Award from the Epilepsy Association of the Maritimes in 2022, and in 2025, he received the William S. Fong Volunteer Award, presented by Fort Massey United Church. He has been married for forty-seven years to Kari, and they have three children and six grandchildren.

Spotlight: After the Fall by Wendy Roberts

Publication date: October 9th 2026

Genres: Adult, Thriller

Amber clings to the wreckage of a shattered life; a hermit drowning in the ghosts of what used to be.

When someone dumps a mutilated body on her wilderness property, a cryptic clue makes her the prime suspect. To clear her name, she must confront the dark secrets of her tragic past while a shadowy executioner is closing in.

Excerpt

When the blade of death whittled my family of three down to only me, I ran. Grief had scraped me empty, so fourteen months ago I fled to a shack in the northeastern Washington wilderness. I was seeking sanctuary and hoping the pines would mend my shattered soul. Maybe that was too much to expect of the trees. At least they didn’t judge the monument to my failure; a recycling bin overflowing with wine bottles.

The morning light struggled through my grimy windows and poked at my hangover. I took my coffee mug outside and stood on the splintered porch of the small cabin. The air was deceptively still and heavy, carrying the sharp scent of sunbaked pine needles and the silent, shimmering threat of an approaching scorcher of a day. My cabin sat at the dusty elbow of two dirt roads. Between my door and the ditch was half an acre of thigh-high, dewless grass that stood stiff and dry alongside leggy wildflowers and a single tree. 

The western hemlock tried for the heavens at nearly two hundred feet, and it was the area under the tree that drew my critical gaze. A woman sat in the tall grass, back against the tree. What was someone doing way the hell out here?

With an eye roll I left the house and stormed toward her. 

“Hey!” I shouted.

The strap of her checkered sundress had fallen from one shoulder and as I reached her, I lifted a hand to tap her arm. As my finger got close, a cloud of flies lifted and re-settled into gaping, torn flesh. The wind shifted direction and a thick miasma of putrid decay stung my nostrils. I stumbled backward as my stomach lurched.

Dead! 

I couldn’t stop the tremor in my jaw; my teeth clattered together as I whispered broken words, “I-I should check to be sure . . .”

But my voice trailed off because nothing that smelled like that could be anything but gone. 

Buy on Amazon | Bookshop.org

About the Author

Wendy Roberts is an armchair sleuth, fan of all things mysterious but a huge chicken at heart. Her mind is often in the secretive, cloak and dagger world of intrigue while her physical presence is usually at home or on the road in her camper van. Wendy resides in Vancouver, Canada where she happily writes about murder and is always at work on her next novel.

Connect:

https://wendyroberts.com/

https://www.instagram.com/wendyroberts_author/

https://x.com/authorwendy

https://www.facebook.com/WendyRobertsAuthor

https://www.tiktok.com/@wendyroberts_author

https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/317079.Wendy_Roberts

After the Fall Blitz

Spotlight: Loving Her Enemy by Sharon C Cooper

Genre: Billionaire Fake Dating Romance 

A billionaire businessman. A heartbroken, unemployed chemist. A marriage agreement that can benefit them both.

Billionaire businessman Sloane Davidson needs a wife—fast. And although Halayna Tanaka is ten years younger than him, and an enticing temptation he managed to resist years ago, she's perfect for the role. But she thinks he's some gold-plated scumbag and wants nothing to do with him.

After a devastating string of bad luck, Halayna is struggling to stay afloat in a world that keeps knocking her down. So when Sloane, her best friend’s brother, offers a marriage of convenience as a solution to both their problems, she’s tempted. The thing is she can't stand him. He may be the sexiest man on the planet, but he’s also arrogant, infuriating, and overbearing. She shouldn’t want him. Shouldn’t even give him the time of day. Yet, her body ignites with desire whenever he’s around.

Is selling out to a billionaire worth it? Especially if he tempts her beyond her control. Or is this marriage of convenience the path to the love she always dreamed of?

Excerpt

Ohmigod. Ohmigod. Ohmigod.

Running as if her ass was on fire, Halayna took the steps two at a time and burst into her bedroom suite, slamming the door behind her. Struggling to get air into her lungs, she paced the length of the room a couple of times before collapsing face first onto the king size bed. 

What the heck had just happened?

One minute, she and Sloane were talking, laughing, and eating, and in the next minute, they were hugged up together kissing. 

“Oh my God!” Halayna groaned into the mattress as the full weight of what they’d done hit her. He was her best friend’s brother. A man who was so far out of her league, it was laughable. Yet, he had kissed her, and it hadn’t been just any kiss, but a kiss that had her questioning her sanity. 

Sloane kissed me… and I liked it… a lot. 

Oh man, she more than liked it. She wanted a repeat. A repeat of his full, demanding mouth taking what he wanted from her. A repeat of the way he held her close to his big, hard, muscular body, and she wanted a repeat of how good it felt being held in his strong, unyielding arms. 

For those few minutes, with their tongues tangling, all Halayna’s thoughts and worries had fallen away, and in their place had been a peace she hadn’t felt in months or maybe even years. Sloane had somehow made her feel more cherished than she’d ever felt by a man. Which was saying a lot since she’d been engaged to be married and supposedly crazy in love with Owen. 

She snorted at the thought. Talk about her picker being off when it came to choosing men. It was a good thing her relationship with Owen had imploded. Marrying him would’ve been a huge mistake because kissing and being with him had felt nothing like what she had just experienced.

Kissing Sloane had felt like a dream. Like something straight out of a sexy fairy tale, an X-rated fairy tale. But this wasn’t a fantasy. His kiss and the way he’d held her had been very real. She still felt his lips covering hers and the taste of him lingered on her tongue. 

How was that possible when it had been just one kiss? One soul-stirring, passionate kiss. 

It was clear she and Owen hadn’t had a strong connection. Not like what she had felt a short while ago with Sloane, and that realization had her shook. She almost married a man she was sure she’d been in love with. Yet, she never felt the intense desire and passion swirling inside of her. Never felt that I-can’t-live-without-you vibe. 

How was that even possible?

Halayna flipped onto her back, and as her heart rate slowly went back to normal, she stared at the ceiling, her mind reeling at these new realizations. The most shocking one was Sloane wanting her to agree to a marriage of convenience… with him. 

She shook her head. Sloane Davidson, the wealthiest man she’d ever known, had asked her to marry him. He wanted her to be his fake wife. No, not fake. Just convenient. Wait. Not convenient. He wanted a marriage of convenience. But what the hell did that even mean?

Buy on Amazon | Bookshop.org

About the Author

USA Today bestselling author Sharon C. Cooper loves anything involving romance with a happily-ever-after, whether in books, movies, or real life. She writes contemporary romance, romantic suspense, as well as romantic comedy. She enjoys rainy days, carpet picnics, and family game night. Her stories have won numerous awards, including The Rochelle Alers Best Series award for her Atlanta’s Finest Series (2022) and The Beverly Jenkins Author of the Year award (2021). When she isn’t writing, Sharon loves hanging out with her amazing husband, doing volunteer work, or reading a good book (a romance of course). To read more about Sharon and her novels, or to sign up to be notified of her latest releases, visit www.sharoncooper.net

Website * Newsletter * Facebook * Instagram * Bluesky * Bookbub * Amazon * Goodreads