WWW Wednesday—February 18th, 2026

WWW Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Sam at Taking on a World of Words.

The Three Ws are:

What are you currently reading?

What did you recently finish reading?

What do you think you’ll read next?

Here is what I am reading, what I recently finished, and what I plan to read from Thursday to Wednesday.

Let me know if you have read or plan to read any of these books!!

Happy Reading!

What I am currently reading:

Summoned by the ancient diviner Danetria Savannon, allies from across Dhanen’Mar gather at the Spindle to confer on the rising peril. With threat of the Catalyst Stones growing more dire, and the deeper motivations of the enemy remaining unknown, those determined to protect the realm begin forming their strategies for defense.

In the royal city of Aralexia, Devlin Alvik continues gathering confederates while attempting to penetrate the enemy’s inner circles. Uncovering numerous threats brewing against the crown, he fears he’s nearly out of time to implement his own schemes, those designed to protect and shield all Dhanen’Mar.

What I recently finished reading:

Sent by Dhanen’Mar’s royal jester, assassin Callan Ashe and thief Tishan Ravare arrive in Veron and find themselves drawn into a storm of political mayhem.

As each dawn brings Veron’s king closer to death, four men vie for the hand of his eldest daughter in hopes of gaining the throne. Upon discovering their own target’s agenda in the affair, Callan and Tishan soon come to realize that the plots they came north to uncover run far deeper than they’d ever imagined.

* Author’s Note This is not a stand-alone story, and is meant to be read between Volumes 2 & 3 of the series.

What I plan on reading Thursday through Sunday:

Arriving in Veron, Rydin Kale aligns himself with the forces besieged within the royal castle. With all of Guitzi now held by the treasonous Cobian Tassoni, King Arvello is relieved to receive word that the Jennites are standing ready to name themselves his allies.
Together with the knight Dego Salvi, Rydin begins his search for Callan and Tishan, who’ve now been missing several weeks. What he discovers is a plot more sinister than imagined, and one that threatens to bring the entire royal city to its doom.

*Author’s Note: This is not a stand-alone story, and is meant to be read between Volumes 3&4 of the series.

Sent north to uncover further plots of the enemy, Knoxx and Synna arrive in O’Kada’s royal city to begin their hunt for information on the powerful mage Leija Idrees.
Aided by a strange band of allies, they soon discover how dire the situation in this foreign realm has become, and the many reasons behind it. Forced to behold the full scope of Idrees’s terrifying designs, Knoxx and Synna decide that before they can depart for home, they must do all in their power to stop her.

*Author’s Note
This is not a stand-alone story, and is intended to be read between volumes 3 & 4 of the series.

As the winter season draws to a close, the royal jester hastens to refine his strategies and prepare the royal city for the fight ahead. Now teeming with both allies and enemies, Aralexia itself sits posed to become a battleground as a truth buried more than twenty-five years is at last ready to be revealed.
To the north, Callan and Tishan return from Veron and find their loyalties tested as the situation between Jennen and Dhanen’Mar takes a menacing turn. Determined to prevent the two realms from seeing open confrontation, the assassin undertakes a dark mission in order to head off a war.

Before the events of Auguries of Dawn, diviner Sweyn Savannon refines her strategies for the upcoming tumult. Granted foresight of the legendary Catalyst Stones, she awaits their reappearance in the world while gathering a host of powerful allies.

At last given sight of the location of the Sapphire Stone, Sweyn now knows that the time to put all her plots and schemes into motion has finally come. Determined to see all of Dhanen’Mar become a sanctuary for Destiny, she stands ready to unleash whatever destruction is necessary to see out her dark objectives.

*Author’s Note. This is a prequel to the main series and not a standalone story, and is best read after the 4th volume, Path of Stars.

It’s Monday! What Are You Reading?—February 16th, 2026

It’s Monday! What Are You Reading? a place to meet and share what you have been and are about to be reading over the week. It’s a great post to organize yourself. It’s an opportunity to visit, comment, and add to your groaning TBR pile! So welcome in everyone. This meme started on J Kaye’s blog and then was hosted by Sheila from Book Journey. Sheila then passed it on to Kathryn at The Book Date.

Jen Vincent, Teach Mentor Texts, and Kellee of Unleashing Readers decided to give It’s Monday! a kid-lit focus. If you read and review books in children’s literature – picture books, chapter books, middle-grade novels, young adult novels, or anything in those genres – join them.

What I am Reading Now

In this prequel to Auguries of Dawn, thief Aris Sylvain arrives upon the mages’ Isle of Venaris Sheea, determined to locate and steal the legendary Catalyst Stone hidden there. Knowing his daughter’s life hinges completely on his success or failure, he has vowed to do whatever necessary to escape with the Sapphire Stone.
But Aris’s actions do not go unnoticed. Young waterdancer Synna Dacyn, along with fellow mage Villian Anand, are quick to take up his trail, tracking him from the island and into the streets of Tyrell, just days before the city is set to begin its annual Ardin’s Pride festival.

What I am reading Monday and Tuesday:

Sent by Dhanen’Mar’s royal jester, assassin Callan Ashe and thief Tishan Ravare arrive in Veron and find themselves drawn into a storm of political mayhem.

As each dawn brings Veron’s king closer to death, four men vie for the hand of his eldest daughter in hopes of gaining the throne. Upon discovering their own target’s agenda in the affair, Callan and Tishan soon come to realize that the plots they came north to uncover run far deeper than they’d ever imagined.

Summoned by the ancient diviner Danetria Savannon, allies from across Dhanen’Mar gather at the Spindle to confer on the rising peril. With threat of the Catalyst Stones growing more dire, and the deeper motivations of the enemy remaining unknown, those determined to protect the realm begin forming their strategies for defense.

In the royal city of Aralexia, Devlin Alvik continues gathering confederates while attempting to penetrate the enemy’s inner circles. Uncovering numerous threats brewing against the crown, he fears he’s nearly out of time to implement his own schemes, those designed to protect and shield all Dhanen’Mar.

Goodreads Monday: Siege of Talonrend (The Goblin Wars: Book 1)by Stuart Thaman

This is a weekly meme in which anyone can choose and highlight a random book from their Goodreads TBR. It was formerly featured on LaurensPageTurners and was taken over by Budget Tales Book Blog.

Goodreads Synopsis

A river, a handful of farming villages, and a few miles of open plains are all that separate the frontier city of Talonrend from the wilderness that lies in the shadow of Kanebullar Mountain, the home of the goblins. King Lucius Firesbane has disappeared without an heir and goblins have been seen on the horizon.

In the face of chaos, a disgruntled paladin sets out to find his king.

WWW Wednesday:February 11th 2026

WWW Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Sam at Taking on a World of Words.

The Three Ws are:

What are you currently reading?

What did you recently finish reading?

What do you think you’ll read next?

Here is what I am reading, what I recently finished, and what I plan to read from Thursday to Wednesday.

Let me know if you have read or plan to read any of these books!!

Happy Reading!

What I am currently reading:

As the resurfacing of the legendary Catalyst Stones becomes known throughout Dhanen’Mar, the race to locate them begins. While those intent on protecting the realm aim to see them all destroyed, others desire using the power of the Stones to bring only devastation.
Across the sea, Madilaine, Rydin and Sabian reach the country of Gaitlin and begin their hunt for the Ruby Stone. Back in Aralexia, matters grow even more precarious as the royal jester struggles to keep secret the identity of the man he’s determined to protect.

What I recently finished reading:

In a realm where superstition is held sacred, dark portents are arising.

Summer has arrived, and with it the annual celebration of the Arts. Together with their performance troupe, musician Oliveah Oslund and diviner Madilaine Savannon arrive for the festivities anticipating nothing more than a week of revelry. Instead, an encounter with a mysterious man incites a bizarre chain of events that will haunt them for the remainder of the summer.

As the season comes to a close, Oliveah and Madilaine find themselves drawn to the royal city of Aralexia to attend the yearly tournament hosted by the king. Confronting a host of allies and enemies including thieves, mages, assassins and warlords, it is there they attempt to find the answer hidden within the deceptions, half-truths, omens and auguries concealing Dhanen’Mar’s darkest secret.

What I plan on reading Thursday through Sunday:

In this prequel to Auguries of Dawn, thief Aris Sylvain arrives upon the mages’ Isle of Venaris Sheea, determined to locate and steal the legendary Catalyst Stone hidden there. Knowing his daughter’s life hinges completely on his success or failure, he has vowed to do whatever necessary to escape with the Sapphire Stone.
But Aris’s actions do not go unnoticed. Young waterdancer Synna Dacyn, along with fellow mage Villian Anand, are quick to take up his trail, tracking him from the island and into the streets of Tyrell, just days before the city is set to begin its annual Ardin’s Pride festival.

Author’s Note: Although a prequel to Auguries of Dawn, this story is best read between volumes 2 & 3 of the series.

Sent by Dhanen’Mar’s royal jester, assassin Callan Ashe and thief Tishan Ravare arrive in Veron and find themselves drawn into a storm of political mayhem.

As each dawn brings Veron’s king closer to death, four men vie for the hand of his eldest daughter in hopes of gaining the throne. Upon discovering their own target’s agenda in the affair, Callan and Tishan soon come to realize that the plots they came north to uncover run far deeper than they’d ever imagined.

* Author’s Note This is not a stand-alone story, and is meant to be read between Volumes 2 & 3 of the series.

Summoned by the ancient diviner Danetria Savannon, allies from across Dhanen’Mar gather at the Spindle to confer on the rising peril. With threat of the Catalyst Stones growing more dire, and the deeper motivations of the enemy remaining unknown, those determined to protect the realm begin forming their strategies for defense.

In the royal city of Aralexia, Devlin Alvik continues gathering confederates while attempting to penetrate the enemy’s inner circles. Uncovering numerous threats brewing against the crown, he fears he’s nearly out of time to implement his own schemes, those designed to protect and shield all Dhanen’Mar.

Arriving in Veron, Rydin Kale aligns himself with the forces besieged within the royal castle. With all of Guitzi now held by the treasonous Cobian Tassoni, King Arvello is relieved to receive word that the Jennites are standing ready to name themselves his allies.
Together with the knight Dego Salvi, Rydin begins his search for Callan and Tishan, who’ve now been missing several weeks. What he discovers is a plot more sinister than imagined, and one that threatens to bring the entire royal city to its doom.

*Author’s Note: This is not a stand-alone story, and is meant to be read between Volumes 3&4 of the series.

It’s Monday! What Are You Reading?—February 9th, 2026

It’s Monday! What Are You Reading? a place to meet and share what you have been and are about to be reading over the week. It’s a great post to organize yourself. It’s an opportunity to visit, comment, and add to your groaning TBR pile! So welcome in everyone. This meme started on J Kaye’s blog and then was hosted by Sheila from Book Journey. Sheila then passed it on to Kathryn at The Book Date.

Jen Vincent, Teach Mentor Texts, and Kellee of Unleashing Readers decided to give It’s Monday! a kid-lit focus. If you read and review books in children’s literature – picture books, chapter books, middle-grade novels, young adult novels, or anything in those genres – join them.

What I am Reading Now

The Legends of Dhanen’Mar – Volume 1

In a realm where superstition is held sacred, dark portents are arising.

Summer has arrived, and with it the annual celebration of the Arts. Together with their performance troupe, musician Oliveah Oslund and diviner Madilaine Savannon arrive for the festivities anticipating nothing more than a week of revelry. Instead, an encounter with a mysterious man incites a bizarre chain of events that will haunt them for the remainder of the summer.

As the season comes to a close, Oliveah and Madilaine find themselves drawn to the royal city of Aralexia to attend the yearly tournament hosted by the king. Confronting a host of allies and enemies including thieves, mages, assassins and warlords, it is there they attempt to find the answer hidden within the deceptions, half-truths, omens and auguries concealing Dhanen’Mar’s darkest secret.

What I am reading Monday and Tuesday:

As the resurfacing of the legendary Catalyst Stones becomes known throughout Dhanen’Mar, the race to locate them begins. While those intent on protecting the realm aim to see them all destroyed, others desire using the power of the Stones to bring only devastation.
Across the sea, Madilaine, Rydin and Sabian reach the country of Gaitlin and begin their hunt for the Ruby Stone. Back in Aralexia, matters grow even more precarious as the royal jester struggles to keep secret the identity of the man he’s determined to protect.

In this prequel to Auguries of Dawn, thief Aris Sylvain arrives upon the mages’ Isle of Venaris Sheea, determined to locate and steal the legendary Catalyst Stone hidden there. Knowing his daughter’s life hinges completely on his success or failure, he has vowed to do whatever necessary to escape with the Sapphire Stone.
But Aris’s actions do not go unnoticed. Young waterdancer Synna Dacyn, along with fellow mage Villian Anand, are quick to take up his trail, tracking him from the island and into the streets of Tyrell, just days before the city is set to begin its annual Ardin’s Pride festival.

Author’s Note: Although a prequel to Auguries of Dawn, this story is best read between volumes 2 & 3 of the series.

Goodreads Monday: Deception (The Transformed: Book 1) by Stacy Claflin

This is a weekly meme in which anyone can choose and highlight a random book from their Goodreads TBR. It was formerly featured on LaurensPageTurners and was taken over by Budget Tales Book Blog.

Goodreads Synopsis

What if your whole life was a lie?

Alexis Ferguson thinks she has everything figured out, but has no idea how wrong she is. Set up on a blind date, she meets a gorgeous stranger and feels that she’s known him her entire life, but she has never seen him before.

He awakens in her long-forgotten dark memories, and now she must face the one who ordered her death years ago. Will she learn to use her strange new powers in time to save herself? Will she let him help her? Should she trust him?

WWW Wednesday: February 4th, 2026

WWW Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Sam at Taking on a World of Words.

The Three Ws are:

What are you currently reading?

What did you recently finish reading?

What do you think you’ll read next?

Here is what I am reading, what I recently finished, and what I plan to read from Thursday to Wednesday.

Let me know if you have read or plan to read any of these books!!

Happy Reading!

What I am currently reading:

Tawas, Michigan, is all abuzz about the Civil War exhibit that’s about to open at the Iosco County Historical Museum. If only Agnes and Eleanor weren’t at odds with one another. That is, until Agnes, armed with her ghostly partner Caroline, hatch a plan. The only problem is that a body is found at the museum and two Civil War soldiers appear from their paintings and race off on their ghostly steeds. The good news is the sleuths are back at it, but will they be able to solve the murder while chasing down the ghostly soldiers?

What I recently finished reading:

It’s December in the neighboring cities of Tawas City and East Tawas, and they have one thing in common—Christmas is drawing nearer. The only problem is that homes are being broken into in alarming numbers, with guns stolen. Even local militia members Curt and Curtis Hill are victims. That is, until Agnes Barton and Eleanor Mason are on the case, launching an investigation even after the ATF (Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives) comes to town, taking an interest in the recent thefts. Agnes’s own son, Stuart, who works for the FBI, tells her to back off, but Agnes isn’t about to stand down. It’s not something she does, even after a threat of arrest. Life for Agnes and Eleanor is good, they’re planning their weddings to their respective fiancés, Andrew and Mr. Wilson, who still refuses to tell anyone his first name. With their hearts set on having their wedding at the lighthouse at the point, Agnes yet again is up to her elbows with ghost sightings, but that’s something that she’s grown accustomed to since her paranormal gift appeared. As Agnes tries to figure out who the female ghost at the lighthouse is, she finally acquaints herself with the ghosts that live in the attic of the Butler Mansion. The deeper she gets, the more she learns about not only who they are, but the dark history of the Tawas area. It gets down to the wire. Will Agnes be able to figure out who is stealing guns in the area, stop the ghosts from causing havoc at the mansion, and actually make their wedding plans before they land in jail or worse?

What I plan on reading Thursday through Sunday:

Life for Agnes has been spooktacular ever since a ghost named Caroline became attached to her. Caroline was killed in the 1930s and now she assists Agnes and her partner Eleanor on cases. (Well, Caroline assists when she doesn’t fade away.) Okay, so Caroline’s not really attached bodily to Agnes, but the spirit usually helps out with things like opening doors for the sleuths. At least that’s the case until Caroline goes into a Victorian mansion and never returns. When Agnes and Eleanor finally go into the mansion themselves, they encounter a ghost—but this one isn’t Caroline. This ghost has a gun and he looks like a mobster! He’s holding Caroline hostage and refuses to release her—and he also restrains Agnes and Eleanor. Then he suddenly disappears, taking Caroline with him. As if that isn’t enough, Agnes and Eleanor find a corpse while checking out a house down the road. Why is there a mummified body in a dilapidated house? And why does the house get burned to the ground when they begin to ask questions? This might be a case for the record books as the ladies track down the truth, determined to discover not just the origins of the ghost, but also where the body came from—and who is to blame.

Ava is a typical seventeen-year-old dealing with everyday teenage problems. A job opportunity for her father takes her parents overseas. Not wanting to move, she accepts her grandmother’s offer to let her live with her, until her parents return.

On her first day at school in the new town, she meets Jared Walker-tall, dark and gorgeous, with an ego to match. Ava soon discovers that there is more to him than meets the eye. He is hiding a secret that will pull her into his world and put her life in danger.

Meet Ava Delaney. Analyze the way she looks, the way she acts and who she is. Memorize who she is, because she’ll never be the same again.

In a realm where superstition is held sacred, dark portents are arising.

Summer has arrived, and with it the annual celebration of the Arts. Together with their performance troupe, musician Oliveah Oslund and diviner Madilaine Savannon arrive for the festivities anticipating nothing more than a week of revelry. Instead, an encounter with a mysterious man incites a bizarre chain of events that will haunt them for the remainder of the summer.

As the season comes to a close, Oliveah and Madilaine find themselves drawn to the royal city of Aralexia to attend the yearly tournament hosted by the king. Confronting a host of allies and enemies including thieves, mages, assassins and warlords, it is there they attempt to find the answer hidden within the deceptions, half-truths, omens and auguries concealing Dhanen’Mar’s darkest secret.

As the resurfacing of the legendary Catalyst Stones becomes known throughout Dhanen’Mar, the race to locate them begins. While those intent on protecting the realm aim to see them all destroyed, others desire using the power of the Stones to bring only devastation.
Across the sea, Madilaine, Rydin and Sabian reach the country of Gaitlin and begin their hunt for the Ruby Stone. Back in Aralexia, matters grow even more precarious as the royal jester struggles to keep secret the identity of the man he’s determined to protect.

It’s Monday! What Are You Reading?—February 2nd, 2026

It’s Monday! What Are You Reading? a place to meet and share what you have been and are about to be reading over the week. It’s a great post to organize yourself. It’s an opportunity to visit, comment, and add to your groaning TBR pile! So welcome in everyone. This meme started on J Kaye’s blog and then was hosted by Sheila from Book Journey. Sheila then passed it on to Kathryn at The Book Date.

Jen Vincent, Teach Mentor Texts, and Kellee of Unleashing Readers decided to give It’s Monday! a kid-lit focus. If you read and review books in children’s literature – picture books, chapter books, middle-grade novels, young adult novels, or anything in those genres – join them.

What I am Reading Now

Driving up Highway 50 through Nevada, said to be the loneliest road in America, sure would make a body nervous. Unless, of course, you’re Agnes Barton, who welcomes the challenge and the chance to check out a real ghost town. But before she even arrives in Silver, Nevada, a mystery has unfolded in the form of a lost little girl, Rebecca, who has become separated from her family who are searching for the elusive Leister’s gold. The real kicker is that Agnes saw it all in a dream, but when they arrive at the Goldberg Hotel & Saloon, she realizes so many things about her dream are real, like the details of the inside of the hotel. It isn’t long before she learns that the hotel is haunted by various spirits from the past, further making for an interesting vacation. Agnes is determined to find the missing family, insisting that it simply wasn’t just a dream as she learns that a family with a young daughter had indeed disappeared in the middle of the night just before they had arrived. Will Agnes and Eleanor find the missing family before they perish from the elements, or will the knife-wielding spirit called “The Cutter,” shorten their chances?

What I am reading Monday and Tuesday:

It’s December in the neighboring cities of Tawas City and East Tawas, and they have one thing in common—Christmas is drawing nearer. The only problem is that homes are being broken into in alarming numbers, with guns stolen. Even local militia members Curt and Curtis Hill are victims. That is, until Agnes Barton and Eleanor Mason are on the case, launching an investigation even after the ATF (Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives) comes to town, taking an interest in the recent thefts. Agnes’s own son, Stuart, who works for the FBI, tells her to back off, but Agnes isn’t about to stand down. It’s not something she does, even after a threat of arrest. Life for Agnes and Eleanor is good, they’re planning their weddings to their respective fiancés, Andrew and Mr. Wilson, who still refuses to tell anyone his first name. With their hearts set on having their wedding at the lighthouse at the point, Agnes yet again is up to her elbows with ghost sightings, but that’s something that she’s grown accustomed to since her paranormal gift appeared. As Agnes tries to figure out who the female ghost at the lighthouse is, she finally acquaints herself with the ghosts that live in the attic of the Butler Mansion. The deeper she gets, the more she learns about not only who they are, but the dark history of the Tawas area. It gets down to the wire. Will Agnes be able to figure out who is stealing guns in the area, stop the ghosts from causing havoc at the mansion, and actually make their wedding plans before they land in jail or worse?

Tawas, Michigan, is all abuzz about the Civil War exhibit that’s about to open at the Iosco County Historical Museum. If only Agnes and Eleanor weren’t at odds with one another. That is, until Agnes, armed with her ghostly partner Caroline, hatch a plan. The only problem is that a body is found at the museum and two Civil War soldiers appear from their paintings and race off on their ghostly steeds. The good news is the sleuths are back at it, but will they be able to solve the murder while chasing down the ghostly soldiers?

Goodreads Monday: Altdorf (The Forest Knights: Book 1) by J.K. Swift

This is a weekly meme in which anyone can choose and highlight a random book from their Goodreads TBR. It was formerly featured on LaurensPageTurners and was taken over by Budget Tales Book Blog.

Goodreads Synopsis

A wild land too mountainous to be tamed by plows. A Duke of the Holy Roman Empire, his cunning overshadowed only by his ambition. A young Priestess of the Old Religion, together with a charismatic outlaw, sparking a rebellion from deep within the forests… and an ex-Hospitaller caught between them all.

At the end of the thirteenth century, five hundred orphans and second sons are rounded up from villages in the Alpine countryside and sold to the Hospitaller Knights of St John. Trained to serve as Soldiers of Christ, they fight in eastern lands they know nothing about, for a cause they do not understand.

Thomas Schwyzer, released from his vows by the Grandmaster of the Hospitallers, returns to the land of his birth a stranger. Once a leader of men, and captain of the Order’s most famous war galley, he now settles into the simple life of a ferryman. He believes this new role to be God’s reward for years of faithful service fighting the Infidel in Outremer.

Seraina, considered a witch by most, a healer by some, is a young woman with a purpose. A Priestess of the Old Religion, and the last Druid disciple of the Helvetii Celts, she has been gifted by the Great Weave to see what others cannot. Her people need her guidance and protection now more than ever. For Duke Leopold of Habsburg, in his efforts to control the St. Gotthard Pass, builds a great Austrian fortress in Altdorf. Once finished, the Habsburg occupation will be complete, but the atrocities visited upon her people will have just begun.

Buzzword Cover Challenge 2026—January

Prompts I finished in January

Cover featuring a Silhouette—A silhouette is the image of a person, animal, object or scene represented as a solid shape of a single colour, usually black, with its edges matching the outline of the subject. The interior of a silhouette is featureless, and the silhouette is usually presented on a light background, usually white, or none at all.