Writer and Visual Artist
Today is the day! My new thriller Crooked, is now available as an ebook, digital audiobook, paperback, or even a hardback! If you’re interested in purchasing it, click here!
Thanks to World Castle Publishing for publishing my book, and thanks to all of you for considering giving it a read!
-Tiffany Renee Harmon
It’s official! My new book Crooked – published by World Castle Publishing – is available for pre-order and will be released ONE WEEK from today on November 6th!
You can pre-order the kindle version here or the google play audiobook version here!
Interested in knowing more? Here’s the official description of this thriller: After hacker Vivienne Steele is caught by the FBI, she is given an ultimatum – go undercover to infiltrate a corrupt corporation or spend 15 years in jail. With nothing to lose, Vivienne accepts and is thrown into a world of lies and deception where the line between good and evil is constantly blurred. When a series of mysterious text messages threaten to expose her, she sets out to discover the truth for herself and finds that the life she ran away from years ago may not be as far away as she’d hoped.
Thanks so much for your support and consideration! I’m excited about this one – it’s a bit of a departure from my first book, but it was a lot of fun to write!
-Tiffany
Ephemeral Elegies is still going strong! Here are last month’s amazing poems:
September 2022
Submissions are always open! If you’re a poet and you’d like to be featured, check out the Submissions Page and send something our way!
Thanks for reading,
Tiffany
I have been reading a lot of stand-alone thrillers and suspense books lately, and I am excited to share some of the best ones with you! While these certainly have mystery elements to them, the main focus of these books is the tension created by the plots, and these are sure to grip you from start to finish!
First up is The Good Sister by Sally Hepworth. I really loved this one! It’s an intricately plotted domestic thriller about two sisters named Rose and Fern. Both sisters are narrators of this book, and it was fun to figure out which, if either, was the more reliable narrator. As the present plot unfolded, the book also sheds light on the past. And as present-drama and past-secrets collide, I was on the edge of my seat. I am a big fan of Hepworth and can’t wait to read more of her books.
Next is The Last Flight by Julie Clark. If I had to describe this book in one word, it would be “stressful” (but in a good way!) This was an incredibly gripping book! Again, there are two viewpoints we follow in this book – Claire and Eva. Both women, who only meet briefly, are desperate to escape their circumstances. But when they attempt to swap lives, both of their dark secrets continue to cause problems. There were lots of fun twists and turns in this one!
Finally, there’s For Your Own Good by Samantha Downing. This book features a true anti-hero: Teddy Crutcher, a teacher at a prestigious school who enacts his own form of justice as he tries to teach those around him a lesson by very dubious means. The characters in this book were absolutely fascinating, and while the plot was more straightforward than mysterious, I really enjoyed the tension and slow build. I would definitely recommend this one to people who like character-driven suspense.
Have you read any of these or do you have a thriller you want to share? Be sure to let me know in the comment section!
Thanks for reading!
-Tiffany
Winter always makes me want lots of cozy mysteries on my Kindle! There’s something so wonderful about the fun small towns and amateur sleuths. Recently, I’ve been binge reading the Country Store Mysteries by Maddie Day and I highly recommend them!
The first book in the series is Flipped for Murder. It stars Robbie Jordan who recently moved back to a small town in Indiana to open her own restaurant/country store Pans ‘N Pancakes. Robbie is a great protagonist with an interesting backstory and a lot of great personality. Day does a wonderful job at creating this character as well as many memorable side characters. With each book, I look forward to diving back in to this little town and spending more time with these characters. The mystery plots are pretty standard for the cozy genre, and I appreciate that they move quickly and remain engaging throughout the series. Overall, I highly recommend this one – just prepare yourself to be hungry after reading Day’s descriptions of all the food that Robbie cooks in her restaurant!
Have you read this series or are you loving a different cozy series this weekend? Be sure to let me know in the comment section!
Thanks for reading,
Tiffany
It’s been a while since I reviewed a book or series, but there’s one series in particular that I definitely wanted to share! I have been loving the Maggie Hope Mysteries by Susan Elia MacNeal. These are historical mysteries set during World War II that feature a young woman, Maggie Hope, a British-born American who becomes a codebreaker and spy. The first book in the series is Mr. Churchill’s Secretary.
This is a pretty long-running series. It has 10 books that have already been published and surely more are on the way. I am halfway through the series, and I think they just keep getting better and better. Maggie is a fantastic heroine who really grows and evolves throughout the series (which means, you definitely should read them in order to get the full impact of her character development!) She is smart and engaging and I adore following her on her many WWII adventures.
Also, while this is definitely not a cozy series, I appreciate that there are some lighthearted moments in each of the books, which balances out the serious war subject matter. I don’t know about you but WWII books can really get me depressed but these balance out the facts with some fun fictional scenarios that are probably a touch beyond what is realistic. Still, I love that each book features at least one very important real historical figure.
If you are a fan of mysteries and history, I absolutely recommend this series. They’re truly some of the best I’ve read. They’re fun and adventurous but are firmly grounded in actual historical events. The characters are refreshing and lively, and they also grow in believable and meaningful ways throughout the series.
Have you read this series or do you love a different historical mystery series? Be sure to let me know in the comment section!
Thanks for reading,
Tiffany
Yesterday was my 30th birthday, and to celebrate, I wanted to share my top 5 favorite books of all time with you!
First up is The Elegence of the Hedgehog by Muriel Barbery. I love this part of the description on Goodreads: “A moving, funny, triumphant novel that exalts the quiet victories of the inconspicuous among us.” That definitely sums it up. I loved the explorations of art and philosophy in this book as well as the unlikely friendships and beautiful descriptions.
Next is Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte. This is absolutely my favorite classic. Jane is my favorite literary heroine. Even though I read this one differently than I did when I was younger (Mr. Rochester no longer feels like a romantic hero to me), I still love Jane and her fearlessness and recklessness as she forges her own path in the world and overcomes the odds stacked against her.
Third is A Discovery of Witches by Deborah Harkness, described by some as the adult version of Twilight. When I first read this book, I had some issues with it (Matthew’s possessiveness), but it became clear that I couldn’t stop talking about it. Since then, I’ve probably read it five more times and have fallen in love with this story of witches and vampires. I love the science and history described in the series – it really sets this apart from the rest of the romantic fantasy out there.
Next is Big Little Lies by Liane Moriarty. When I first read this one, I couldn’t put it down. I was obsessed with the exploration of motherhood and the way the mystery unfolded. To this day, it’s one of the books I recommend most when I’m working at the library. It’s fast-paced and easy to discuss, which makes it perfect for book clubs. I’ve read all of Moriarty’s books and this is hands down my favorite.
And lastly, there is Where the Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens. The descriptions of nature in this book are truly unparalleled, but I was also instantly drawn into the story about Kya. I loved the way the story unfolded, and I constantly recommend this one at the library as well. This was the rare book where I felt sad when it was over because I’d never be able to read it for the first time again. Still, I’ve enjoyed many subsequent readings.
What are some books that have stayed with you over the years? I would love to know! Feel free to send me recommendations in the comments section!
Thanks for reading!
-Tiffany
I’m absolutely a series binger when it comes to books. When I stumble upon a series that I love, I typically will read them one after the other until I either finish or tire of them. Recently, I fell in love with the Ruth Galloway Mysteries by Elly Griffiths. These books feature Ruth Galloway, a forensic archaeologist, who frequently helps the Norfolk police solve murders (both past and present!)
The series starts with The Crossing Places, where Ruth is tasked with helping the police in a decade-old case when a new girl goes missing in an eerily similar way. These are pretty standard detective stories. Ruth is an expert in her field, and she teams up with Detective Harry Nelson to show how the past can continue informing the present.
The plots themselves are very fresh and interesting. A lot of the details rely on forensic science, historical references, and obscure literary references. There’s a lot of danger, and while these are not overly gory or scary, they’re also definitely not cozy.
I think what I like most, though, is the personal drama. A lot of the characters make bad or dramatic decisions, and while their personal lives are not necessarily believable, they are super interesting. This aspect probably won’t appeal to everyone, but if you like balancing a tense mystery with a dash of soap opera, you might want to give this series a try!
Currently, there are 13 books in this series with another one slated to come out next year. I’ve read 12 (still waiting for my library copy of the latest one to arrive!) and I’m still excited about this series. Not all of the mysteries are winners, but the vast majority are. They don’t feel formulaic, and they’re pretty quick reads too.
Have you read this series? Be sure to let me know your thoughts in the comment series!
Thanks for reading!
-Tiffany
Winter is finally over! 2021 has been a weird year so far – too much snow, an ongoing pandemic, and a lot of time to pause and reflect on what is important and what is not. I haven’t been blogging/writing/publishing as much during the winter season, which seems apt. It’s an icy time of hibernation for a lot of creatures. But now spring is here and with it comes renewal and the light of hope for better times to come.
So, while I don’t have a lot to share regarding new projects, I thought I’d share some books I’ve read this winter that were the most enjoyable. They’re all mysteries since that’s definitely what I’ve been gravitating towards. All of the descriptions have been taken from Goodreads:
What have you been reading this winter? Has it been a time of slow growth and reflection for you too? Feel free to let me know in the comment section.
Thanks for reading and happy spring,
Tiffany
What a weird year this has been! I’m sure I’m not the only one who would prefer to never repeat a year such as this one. Thankfully, though, I did have a lot of time to read this year (both new books and some re-reads of favorites!) Here are the best books I read (or re-read) this year:
Interior Chinatown by Charles Yu
Goodreads Description: Willis Wu doesn’t perceive himself as a protagonist even in his own life: he’s merely Generic Asian Man. Every day, he leaves his tiny room in a Chinatown SRO and enters the Golden Palace restaurant, where Black and White, a procedural cop show, is in perpetual production. He’s a bit player here too. . . but he dreams of being Kung Fu Guy—the highest aspiration he can imagine for a Chinatown denizen. Or is it? After stumbling into the spotlight, Willis finds himself launched into a wider world than he’s ever known, discovering not only the secret history of Chinatown, but the buried legacy of his own family, and what that means for him, in today’s America.
My Thoughts: This book was the well-deserved winner of the National Book Award this year. It is one of the most unique books I’ve read. Partially in second person and partially written with script-esque dialogue, this is a strange but engrossing reading experience all about the harmful impact of internalizing and externalizing stereotypes.
When I Hit You by Meena Kandasamy
Goodreads Description: Seduced by politics and poetry, the unnamed narrator falls in love with a university professor and agrees to be his wife, but what for her is a contract of love is for him a contract of ownership. As he sets about reducing her to his idealised version of a kept woman, bullying her out of her life as an academic and writer in the process, she attempts to push back – a resistance he resolves to break with violence and rape. Smart, fierce and courageous When I Hit You is a dissection of what love meant, means and will come to mean when trust is undermined by violence; a brilliant, throat-tightening feminist discourse on battered faces and bruised male egos; and a scathing portrait of traditional wedlock in modern India
My Thoughts: This one was very difficult to read but I couldn’t put it down. The raw, vulnerable honesty was such a necessary addition to the wider societal conversations about domestic violence.
The Southern Book Club’s Guide to Slaying Vampires by Grady Hendrix
Goodreads Description: Fried Green Tomatoes and Steel Magnolias meet Dracula in this Southern-flavored supernatural thriller set in the ’90s about a women’s book club that must protect its suburban community from a mysterious and handsome stranger who turns out to be a blood-sucking fiend.
My Thoughts: This was a really fun book! It is an exciting mystery combined with a lot of interesting character development. I loved the exploration of the female friendships.
Postcolonial Love Poem by Natalie Diaz
Goodreads Description: Postcolonial Love Poem is an anthem of desire against erasure. Natalie Diaz’s brilliant second collection demands that every body carried in its pages—bodies of language, land, rivers, suffering brothers, enemies, and lovers—be touched and held as beloveds. Through these poems, the wounds inflicted by America onto an indigenous people are allowed to bloom pleasure and tenderness: “Let me call my anxiety, desire, then. / Let me call it, a garden.” In this new lyrical landscape, the bodies of indigenous, Latinx, black, and brown women are simultaneously the body politic and the body ecstatic. In claiming this autonomy of desire, language is pushed to its dark edges, the astonishing dune fields and forests where pleasure and love are both grief and joy, violence and sensuality.
My Thoughts: This was the best poetry collection I read this year. The poems were exquisite and showed a lot of range when it comes to both theme and emotion. I can’t wait to read more from this poet!
My Friend Anna by Rachel DeLoache Williams
Goodreads Description: Vanity Fair photo editor Rachel DeLoache Williams’s new friend Anna Delvey, a self-proclaimed German heiress, was worldly and ambitious. She was also generous. When Anna proposed an all-expenses-paid trip to Marrakech, Rachel jumped at the chance. But when Anna’s credit cards mysteriously stopped working, the dream vacation quickly took a dark turn. Anna asked Rachel to begin fronting costs—first for flights, then meals and shopping, and, finally, for their $7,500-per-night private villa. Before Rachel knew it, more than $62,000 had been charged to her credit cards. Anna swore she would reimburse Rachel the moment they returned to New York. Back in Manhattan, the repayment never materialized, and a shocking pattern of deception emerged. Rachel learned that Anna had left a trail of deceit—and unpaid bills—wherever she’d been. Mortified, Rachel contacted the district attorney, and in a stunning turn of events, found herself helping to bring down one of the city’s most notorious con artists.
My Thoughts: This was a fascinating memoir about a woman who was conned by someone who she thought was one of her best friends. I remembered hearing about Anna Delvey’s trial a while back, and I really enjoyed learning more about this case. I think two tv shows about this are currently in-development, and I’ll absolutely be watching those too!
Did you have more time to read in 2020? What are your top picks for this year? Be sure to let me know in the comment section!
-Tiffany
Tiffany Renee Harmon 