Safe in Sound
Ania Ray
(A Blue Spruce Hills Novella)
Publication date: October 29th 2026
Genres: Adult, Contemporary, Holiday, Romance

She’s “happy,” but someone might say she’s “settled.” What happens when the life that makes you feel safe is also the one keeping you small?

Thirty-four-year-old piano teacher Riley O’Connor believes her chance to become a world-class musician has sailed. She’s content-ish with her life in Blue Spruce Hills, a quaint mountain town that is safe, quiet, and predictable. Instead of performing on stages, she teaches the neighborhood kids, hangs out with her best friend Clara, reads books surrounded by her houseplants, and rehearses like she’s about to be called to join the London Philharmonic.

Though she’d be too scared to go. Grammy called her ’Fraidy Cat, after all.

When what Riley thinks is a break-in turns out to be a dog who won’t leave, she’s thrust into a series of events that challenge her to confront her anxiety. First, the social kind: the veterinarian is incredibly handsome. And kind. And grieving his wife. And looking for someone to give his son piano lessons.

She agrees.

Suddenly, Riley is on a winter hike with a man where bears, snakes, and fatal injury are possibilities. And when an opportunity arises to accompany renowned violist Albi Drechsler, the dream she’d long ago decided was out of reach is suddenly within it. To get what she wants, she must prove that fear doesn’t have the final word. But could she actually leave the safety of Blue Spruce Hills?

Safe in Sound is a story about overcoming fears, leaning into friendship, and trusting that even when the night feels darkest, love can hold you through. If you miss your loved ones a little extra during the holidays, you’ll love this redemptive story that proves those we miss most can still find a way to make us courageous.

Goodreads / Amazon

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EXCERPT:

I exhale, the breath in front of me a wisp reminiscent of the steamed milk Clara’s grandmother would mix into the hot chocolate we’d share after school. While I waited for Grammy and Pappy to come home from the Mom and Pop store they owned and ran together, Clara was my safe place.

I stuff my gloved hands in my pockets. This morning I am hanging an angel on a doorknob with someone who risked social status by befriending me. The school playground was too giant a target for a skinny eight-year-old with fiery hair. Grammy always said I’d grow into my hair one day, but I’m pretty sure the “big-tempered redhead” myth fell apart with me. Maybe because Clara has always been my fire. I’m more like old embers buried under kindling.

So way back when… gosh, has it really already been over two decades? Way back when Clara asked if I wanted to skip on the sidewalk with her—and my answer was a genuine yes—we began our friendship.

Basically, I’ll do whatever Clara asks. She knew I was the new kid and approached me anyway. Anyone who does that—when kids seem to feel most powerful when they’re being mean and exclusive—deserves to have their best friend wake up early.

And even though I’d love to still be sleeping right now, three blissful hours remaining in my regular schedule, I feel a thrilling anticipation at seeing my best friend. Sure, I see her in passing every weekday, and we catch each other up in text messages all the time, but to sit down and really connect usually only happens when she comes over once a month. And we’ve missed a lot of those lately because she’s doing big baker things.

And I do little piano teacher things.

It’s fine. I’m happy.

Author Bio:

Hi, I’m Ania Ray, an author of women’s fiction that dives into the raw, transformative journeys of complex female characters. My books force each protagonist to confront the worst of herself before she evolves into the hero of her own story.

The Cromwell Rules trilogy features interconnected standalones, so you can enjoy each book individually or follow Lily Cromwell's entire arc from start to finish. In The Cromwell Rules and Breaking the Rules, I explore how boundaries can feel stifling or nonexistent, and how we each must find our sweet spot of self-respect.

When I’m not writing, I lead Quill & Cup, a writing community that helps authors finish the stories that matter to them. Outside of writing, I’m a wife, a mom to a toddler who’d live outdoors if she could, and a tea lover (Cinnamon Apple Spice is my favorite).

If you love reading novels with relatable, complex characters and emotionally gripping stories, you’re in the right place.

Goodreads / Newsletter / Instagram

GIVEAWAY!
Safe in Sound Blitz

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COVER REVEAL: Locket's Chain (Queens of Anarchy MC: Maryland)

There's only so much a woman can take before she intervenes and extracts the root of the villainy to protect her found family.

Preorder here:
books2read.com/locketschain

A new suspenseful, standalone biker romance from USA Today bestselling author Esther E. Schmidt is up for preorder! Cover Design: Gchelle Design. Release Day: April 15, 2027

More information about the Queens of Anarchy and all the authors in the Kings of Anarchy world: kingsofanarchymc.com

 

Young Adult Fiction, Coming-of-Age, Contemporary Romance, Magical Realism, Contemporary Fiction

Date Published: May 30, 2026

What if the second chance you wished for came at the cost of everything you loved?

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.

Contact Link

Instagram

Purchase Link

Amazon

 

Title: Whisper My Name

Series: The Last Best Place for Love Book #8
Author: Giulia Lagomarsino

Genre: Small Town Romance

Tropes: Opposites Attract; Alpha Hero; Emotional Scars; A Doozy of a Secret; Willing to Risk Everything for Her

Release Date: November 9, 2026

Cover Design: Artscandare

Photographer: Wander Aguiar

I’d risked a lot in my life because of my job.

Pedos? Eliminated.

Cheating spouses? They always seemed to have an accident.

People who couldn’t pay their dues? Well, they needed to be taught a lesson.

The list went on and on, and I’d never once cared about the sacrifice I was making.

Until her.

Feisty, funny as hell, cute as a button…

But that all changed the night of the fire.

The night I ran in and nearly died for her.

Hell, she nearly died.

It was sheer luck that she survived that night. By all accounts, she should have died.

And that should have been my wakeup call, my chance to turn it all around.

But my life was not my own, and if she ever found out, it would be the end of whatever this was between us.

I’m no good for her, but I never wanted to change my life as much as the night I heard her Whisper My Name.

 

I'm a stay at home mom that loves to read. Some of my favorite titles are Pride and Prejudice, Harry Potter, Lord of the Rings, and Horatio Hornblower. I started writing when I was trying to come up with suggestions on ways I could help bring in some extra money. I came up with the idea that I could donate plasma because you could earn an extra $500/month. My husband responded with, "No. Find something else. Write a blog. Write a book." I didn't think I had anything to share on blog that a thousand other mothers hadn't already thought of. I decided to take his challenge seriously and sat down to write my first book, Jack. I was surprised at how much I enjoyed writing. From there, the stories continued to flow and I haven't been able to stop. I hope my readers enjoy my books as much as I enjoy writing them. Between reading, writing, and taking care of three small kids, my days are quite full.

 

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SILENT BOND

Nicole Abrams

Release Date: October 29

AVAILABLE IN KINDLE UNLIMITED

Frankie Devereaux has spent years wanting the one man she can never have.
Leo is human. She’s a witch. And keeping him at arm’s length is the only way to keep them both safe.
Then Leo dies—and wakes as a vampire.
Suddenly, the attraction they’ve spent years denying becomes impossible to ignore. His hunger knows her blood. Her magic reaches for him without permission. And the closer they get, the more their connection begins resembling the very thing Frankie was raised to fear.
Except vampire bonds aren’t supposed to feel like this.
They take. They control. They destroy.
Frankie and Leo’s seems determined to make them stronger.
And in a world where witches are valuable, vampires are dangerous, and powerful people have spent centuries controlling both, that may make their bond the most dangerous thing of all.

Some bonds are cages. Theirs could start a war.

Grab Your Copy!

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0H52SPCQN

Meet C.B. Noy:

C.B.Noy was born and raised in Northern Maryland and decided it was a great place to raise a family. She and her husband live ten minutes from the house she grew up in with the two youngest of their five kids. Rounding out the family are their two dogs and two cats. For nine years, she was a nurse in the ICU and then transitioned to home health nursing five years ago. She is an avid reader of romance and had an idea for a book one weekend. With the help of some seriously awesome and amazing friends, and the support of her family, she turned a dream into a reality.

To find out about C.B. Noy’s upcoming releases and giveaways, sign up for her newsletter here

For more information on C.B. Noy and her books visit: https://www.authorcbnoy.com/

Connect with C.B. Noy:

https://www.authorcbnoy.com/contact

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