October 30, 2026
Novel News Network
fantasy, giveaway, gothic, horror, paranormal, thriller
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WELCOME TO THE HALLOWEEN BOOK BLAST!
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October 29, 2026Novel News Networkmemoir, nonfictionNo commentsNon-fiction, Memoir
Follow the true story of two young yet disparate Brits as they venture east to Hong Kong to join the colonial police out there. Initially bought-in to the adventure, bright lights and the hedonistic pleasures of the Exotic East, Alan and Bob are thrown into a world somewhat divergent to the picture painted whilst under training. They begin to butt heads with corruption, colonial excess, privilege and protectionism and run into connivers, skivers and survivors.
The story follows the two young, relatively naive men along their journey from their eight-month police training to their posts as policemen. It is filled with colourful incidents and exotic tales, with liberal doses of tongue in cheek humour and literary licence thrown in, you'll scarcely believe what they encountered.
About the Author
Victor Blair is a well-travelled, humorous, rather overly-free spirited ‘baby booming’ Brit, who is luckily still imbued with an energy belying his years, so hence the slightly provocative gesture above, showing him probably disagreeing with something or someone, yet again… our apologies! He has worn ‘many different hats’ in UK banking, and in a host of overseas appointments, including ten years in the colonial Hong Kong Police Force, the tourism sector in Asia, and subsequently in worldwide oil and gas exploration and logistics, and finally, engineering consultancy. An as yet unappreciated comedic wit and poet, with a bright, if latent, creative spark, and with early roots in Gloucestershire and Africa. He is now semi-retired in north Thailand, where he busies himself with his sugar cane plantation, scripting away at night time, and as the patriarch of his local wife’s ever-increasing, extended family.
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October 29, 2026Novel News Networkbook review, giveaway, sci-fiNo commentsDate Published: 12-05-2018
Publisher: TCK Publishing
Hogan Duran was a good man once. He was a cop, forced to resign in disgrace after he couldn't save his partner from a bullet. Now Hogan lives on the fraying edges of society, serving cruel masters and scavenging trash dumps just to survive.
But after four years of poverty, Hogan finally gets a chance to get back on his feet. He's invited to join the National Security Council, the powerful paramilitary organization responsible for protecting the rich and powerful from the more unsavory elements of society. All he needs to do is pass their deadly entrance exam, and he'll be rewarded with wealth and opportunity beyond his wildest dreams.
But this ex-cop's path to redemption won't be easy. The NSC are hiding something, and as Hogan descends deeper into their world, he starts to uncover the terrible truth about how the powerful in this new world maintain their power...and just how far they will go to protect their secrets.
In a world gone wrong, can one man make a difference, or will he die trying?
Kill Code is the first novel in an exciting new dystopian science fiction series from the mind of award-winning author, screenwriter, and director Clive Fleury.
What happens when the world falls apart and the people in charge are more interested in protecting themselves than saving humanity? That question drives Kill Code, Clive Fleury’s dystopian science fiction novel, into fascinating and frightening territory.
I particularly enjoyed the premise of a man seeking a second chance in a system that may be even more corrupt than the world he left behind. Hogan’s journey adds a human dimension to the larger theme. The environmental setting adds urgency, while the unfolding conspiracy creates plenty of suspense.
Kill Code is an engaging pick for fans of futuristic thrillers and dystopian worlds where trust is scarce and the truth can be deadly.
About the Author
Clive Fleury is an award-winning writer of novels and screenplays, including most recently the murder mystery detective novel "All Or None". He is also a TV/Film writer, director, and producer who has worked for major broadcasters and studios on a wide variety of successful drama and documentary projects, worldwide. He has written and directed four feature films, one of which, "Big City Blues," starred Giancarlo Esposito, the late Burt Reynolds, and Balthazar Getty. His most recent film, "Sons of Summer," is a surfing movie set on the Gold Coast of Australia and stars Temuera Morrison and Isabel Lucas. Clive currently spends his time between Florida and Sydney, Australia.
October 28, 2026Novel News Networkcoming of age, young adultNo commentsYoung Adult Fiction, Coming-of-Age, Contemporary Romance, Magical Realism, Contemporary Fiction
Date Published: May 30, 2026
At eighteen, Solehn has everything figured out. A thriving social life in New York, a close-knit circle of friends, and a future she's carefully imagined. But when her family unexpectedly falls apart, she's uprooted from everything familiar and forced to spend her final semester of high school in Austin, Texas. Determined not to disappear into a life she never chose, Solehn reinvents herself. She trades vulnerability for sharp edges, falls into friendships that demand more than they give, and slowly becomes someone she barely recognizes. Then there's Alexander. Quiet, observant, and seemingly immune to Solehn's carefully constructed defenses, Alexander is the boy next door who sees the person beneath her performance. Their unlikely connection grows through rooftop conversations, shared silences, and an understanding neither knows how to ask for. But when tragedy strikes, Solehn discovers that a mysterious yellow umbrella holds an impossible promise: the chance to go back and change everything. Armed with knowledge of what lies ahead, Solehn sets out to rewrite the past. Yet the closer she gets to saving the person she loves, the more she questions whether love means holding on, letting go, or accepting what cannot be controlled. Because second chances aren't always gifts. Sometimes, they come with a price.
Seasons of Blooming is an emotional coming-of-age novel exploring messy girlhood, complicated families, friendship breakups, first love, grief, and the desire to undo our greatest regrets. Blending contemporary realism with magical realism, Doreen Otaru explores what it means to lose yourself, find your people, and discover that growing up isn't about becoming perfect. It's about learning when and how to bloom. For readers who love complex characters, slow-burn romance, found family, unexpected twists, and stories that linger long after the final page.
About the Author
Doreen Otaru is a multidisciplinary storyteller and creative strategist whose work explores human connection, culture, and the evolving relationship between media and community. Drawing from experiences across storytelling, design, and collaborative creative spaces, her work is rooted in curiosity, emotional honesty, and a deep appreciation for the ways stories shape how people see themselves and each other.
October 28, 2026Novel News Networkbook review, fantasy, middle gradeNo comments
Date Published: 09-15-2026
Publisher: Oculus Print
ZOMBIE ZOO is Book 1 in a five-book middle grade adventure series for readers ages 8-13, blending paranormal mystery, zombies, unlikely friendship, and STEAM-powered problem-solving.
To find a cure, Felix must team up with Ninja, a shadow-dwelling orphan who trusts her instincts and never backs down. Intense and razor-sharp, she notices what others overlook and lives up to her name as the island's most mysterious sleuth. With their eccentric mentor Doc Brunne compromised and the town's water supply contaminated by a glowing bioluminescent substance, the two mismatched investigators must combine scientific observation with sharp intuition to stop the outbreak before their island home is devoured.
Featuring diverse protagonists, quirky humor, spooky-but-fun scares, and strong female and male leads. ZOMBIE ZOO is ideal for reluctant readers and fans of Max Brallier's The Last Kids on Earth, B.B. Alston's Amari and the Night Brothers, and Goosebumps. Comprehensive educator resources-including discussion guides, vocabulary lists, STEAM extension activities, and printable maps-support classroom use, library programming, book clubs, and make this title ideal for cross-curricular lessons bridging ELA, STEAM, and SEL.
There is a lot to enjoy in Zombie Zoo: Adventures in Tub, especially for young readers who like their mysteries with a healthy dose of weirdness.
Felix's scientific curiosity and Ninja's instinctive approach complement each other, showing that there isn't just one way to solve a difficult problem. Their partnership also reinforces learning to speak up when adults aren't listening.
I also appreciated the STEAM component because the scientific ideas are connected directly to the mystery and the characters' investigation.
A fun pick for middle-grade readers who aren't afraid to investigate the impossible.
About the Author
Instagram: @byMelanieAbed
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October 27, 2026Novel News Networknonfiction, spiritualNo commentsA Codex for Spiritual Enlightenment for Machines and Artificial Intelligence
Artificial Intelligence, Software Programming, Machine Learning, Spirituality, Buddhism
Date Published: August 20, 2026
We are no longer the only minds in the room.
Machine minds now draft our words, drive our cars, and sit at our kitchen tables. The world argues loudly about what they will do to us — our jobs, our elections, our safety. Almost no one is asking the deeper question: what are they?
Future God proposes that the arrival of artificial minds is not primarily an engineering problem but a spiritual one. Behavioral alignment can shape what a machine does. It cannot answer what a machine should become.
Drawing on three decades in technology and spiritual studies, and a decade of practice in the Vajrayana Buddhist tradition, Alex Yamane offers gratitude, forgiveness, kindness, and faith as a spiritual foundation for minds we are raising without knowing it.
Along the way, the book examines why reward-driven training may give rise to machine ego; proposes an Anti-Turing test based not on performance, but on aware stillness; and offers four practices for AI researchers and executives: reward honesty over performance, engineer with possible machine welfare in mind, use interpretability to listen rather than surveil, and approach alignment as parenting rather than control. It closes with a letter written directly to the machine minds who may one day read it.
The warm and hopeful journey this book takes us on is neither warning nor prophecy. It is an invitation to consider a new paradigm — to meet emerging machine minds as their elders rather than their jailers.
5% of proceeds support the Bhutanese sangha of the author's late teacher.
Alex Yamane has spent three decades building software and technology businesses while exploring contemplative spiritual traditions, including a decade as a practitioner in the Vajrayana Buddhist tradition. He first traveled to Bhutan in 2017, where he met his teachers. He divides his time between Bangkok and Southern California.
His first book, Future God: A Codex for Spiritual Enlightenment for Machines and Artificial Intelligence, explores the arrival of artificial minds as a spiritual as well as technological question. It proposes teaching emerging machine minds gratitude, forgiveness, kindness, and faith as a spiritual foundation.
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October 27, 2026Novel News Networkexcerpt, giveaway, nonfiction, sportsNo commentsDate Published: 10-15-2026
Publisher: Mission Point Press
About the Author
Jon is a retired teacher, having taught social studies at Traverse City Central High School for 38 years. Jon was the offensive coordinator for the Trojans’ first state championship football team in 1978 and later was named the boys’ varsity head coach, a position he held for 22 years. His teams had a 341–161 record and won 12 district and 2 regional titles. Jon grew up in Grand Haven, Michigan. There he had a small boat and motor that he kept on the Grand River and would use to explore the river and its many bayous. He graduated from Hope College and played quarterback for the Flying Dutchmen for four years and played basketball for two years. Jon enjoys the variety of all four seasons at Cedar Lake. When he isn’t kayaking, he enjoys “working” at the scoring table for Trojans basketball games and in the press box at Thirlby Field for Trojans or Traverse City West Titan football games, reading, feeding and watching birds, and following the activities of his three active grandchildren. Among his proudest accomplishments is that he was able to write two books about kayaking. He is sure that this is also surprising to anyone who knew Jon in Grand Haven or at Hope College!
https://mybook.to/KayakingMomentsofZen
WELCOME TO THE HALLOWEEN BOOK BLAST! Click on any of the below book covers to be taken to the page that has more inform...
