You've Got Five Pages...To Tell Me It's Good

Welcome back, my fellow creatives! We've time to enjoy one more magical brew before we leave the cups of indie fiction behind. Last year I interviewed Paul Andruss on my site https://jeanleesworld.com/, so I'm really excited to try one of his stories today. Let's savor the flavors of the opening pages from Jack Hughes and Thomas the Rhymer. Cheers!

Welcome back, my fellow creatives! Let's take a magical turn with our indie brews today. I recently interviewed C.S. Boyack on my site jeanleesworld , so I'm really excited to try one of his stories today. Let's sip the first chapter of Voyage of the Lanternfish together, shall we? Cheers!

Welcome back, my fellow creatives! Let's continue sipping warm brews of indie wartime fiction. Michael Steeden is a wonder who's written lots of poetry and flash fiction on his blog , and I even interviewed him for Poetry Month a while back on jeanleesworld.com . Today, let's enjoy the first chapter of his wartime story The Snow White Tigres s. Cheers!

Happy November, my fellow creatives! I wanted to spend these final chilly weeks of fall showing gratitude to my fellow indie authors who have supported me through the years. Anne Clare is a beautiful soul who enjoys writing wartime fiction. You can see my interview with her at her first book's release at jeanleesworld.com. For now, let us take a sip from her second book, Where Shall I Flee? . Enjo...

One last frightful read to savor, my friends, before November arrives! This one's a perfect brew for All Hallow's Eve, when spectres and spooks run rampant with our children in the pursuit of tricks and treats. Let's take a sip from The Halloween Tree by Ray Bradbury.

We find ourselves in the middle of October, my fellow creatives, and lost amongst a variety of freaky reads! Let's steal away the witch's brew that is Begone the Raggedy Witches by Celine Kiernan . I'm so thankful I had a chance to interview Celine a few years ago , so if you enjoy this tale, please stop by jeanleesworld.com to read our chat. Let's sip and savor this spooky brew!

October has come, my fellow creatives, and with it a month of freaky reads! Let's start with Grady Hendrix's The Final Girl Support Group . This story was recommended by Tammy over at Books, Bones, and Buffy , and the premise of what happens to survivors of the slasher style of tale was just too good to pass up. Will you enjoy the taste of this spooky brew? Let's find out!

Welcome back, my fellow creatives! Let's take a sip from that very relatable experience of bratty children and cranky grandparent--only, this brew's got the surprising flavor of dragons in the mix. Enjoy Picky Readers by the amazing writer and book reviewer S.J. Higbee. Proceeds from this story support Mental Health Charities, so I do hope you check it out. Cheers!

Let's save the world and solve a mystery today! Take a sip with me from Oil and Water by P.J. Lazos to see how this first chapter's strategy can pay off for both readers and writers alike. If you'd like to learn more about Pam and ways to save the world where you are, do check out her beautiful blog Green Life Blue Water. Cheers!

Twenty episodes? Oh, my goodness! Thank you once again for stopping by, my fellow creatives. Today we continue sipping from beautiful indie fiction, this time a fantastical adventure for any age. Let's savor Following the Green Rabbit by Chris Hall. For more on this author and other amazing creative souls, please visit jeanleesworld.com . See you there!

Welcome back, my fellow creatives! I'm so excited to share a beloved indie author's first book with you: The Unraveling of Lady Fury by Shehanne Moore. Shey has gone on to write several more amazing historical romances, but I wanted to start at the very beginning here with the first chapter of her first book to show what makes Shey such a lovely read for writers and readers alike. For a delightful...

Welcome back, my fellow creatives! Today we continue sipping fiction with fantasy undertones, but this time with the quirky flavors of gnomes--coffee-loving Penny Gnomes, that is. I hope you enjoy this sip of In the Land of the Penny Gnomes by Wesley T. Allen . Cheers! 

Let us dive into the world of indie authors with this week's selection, Beyond the Elven Gate . I do hope you enjoy taking this sip with me, and stay tuned for my interview with the author Jason Savin in September on jeanleesworld ! 

Hello, one and all! Today we continue with reading recommendations from fellow creatives, this time being The Goblin Emperor by Katherine Addison . The book was recommended to me by indie author S.J. Higbee, who recently reviewed The Witness for the Dead , the sequel to The Goblin Emperor. Please check out her amazing books when you have the chance . Cheers!

Welcome back, my fellow creatives! I continue perusing reading recommendations you amazing souls have sent me. Today's selection is A Canticle for Leibowitz by Walter M. Miller, Jr. This story was recommended to me by fellow indie writer Paul Andruss--I do hope you'll check out his work here ! What shall we taste in the prose of this story? Let's find out!

Welcome, my fellow creatives, to a month of recommended reads! I'm excited to try some unique flavors you have sent my way. We'll begin with The Glass Room by Simon Mawer . If you'd like to recommend a read to me--or perhaps recommend your own writing!--please reach out to me at jeanleesworld.com . See you there!

It can't be the end of Private Eye July already! As I taste stories to accompany me on the road next month, I finally take up my husband's challenge and sip the first chapter of The Murder at the Vicarage by Agatha Christie . Can this story, almost 100 years old, engage the picky readers and working writers of today? Let's find out! If you're an Agatha Christie fan, I've got oodles of Christie pos...

Greetings, my fellow creatives! Let's shift away from the fantastical this week and focus purely on a mystery, and a Wisconsin-based one, at that. Take a sip from Death Stalks Door County with me and see if this Midwestern cozy is the right flavor for you. Interview with author Patricia Skalka coming soon on jeanleesworld.com ! Also, for another unique look at Wisconsin's setting, check out my pos...

Let's continue Private Eye July with another mystery steeped in fantasy: The Last Smile in Sunder City by Luke Arnold . My awesome friend and fellow indie author S.J. Higbee provided a complete review of the book, so please stop by her site for more if you'd like! If you'd like to explore some other ins and outs of writing, meet other brilliant authors, and listen to music to inspire your storytel...

Welcome to Private Eye July, my friends! I'm excited to share a mix of fantastical mystery and the recommendations you've started sending me for these first chapter reviews--many thanks! Let's start things off with a supernatural mystery that must be solved by none other than those Meddling Kids . For more meanderings through mystery and fantasy alike, be sure to visit jeanleesworld.com . Cheers!...

Let's wrap up Pride Month with an urban fantasy featuring twin boys. What flavors will we taste in Infinity Son by Adam Silvera ? Take a sip with me and find out! For author interviews, novel analyses, music inspiration, and more, please visit jeanleesworld.com . See you there! 

We return to fantasy with a firey novel of war and wings: Crown of Feathers by Nicki Pau Preto . For more on lessons learned in storytelling, inspiring music, and more, please visit jeanleesworld.com . Cheers! -JL

It is an honor to take a sip from this powerful story with you! Juneteenth holds a special place in my heart not just for what the day stands for in this country, but for the care I saw my father put into helping others understand why Juneteenth matters. I hope you all find a way to spread hope and heart this day and every day. Cheers -JL

Welcome back, my fellow creatives! We continue exploring fantasy lit this Pride Month with the YA novel Beyond the Black Door by A.M. Strickland .  If you have any recommendations for first chapters to read and review, please let me know at jeanleesworld.com . Cheers! -JL

Welcome back, my fellow creatives! June is here, and with it comes Pride Month and a delightful assortment of summer reads. Let's start with an urban heist with a current of magic: Spellhacker by M.K. England . Will the story match its enticing tagline? We'll find out! If you have any recommendations for first chapters to read and review, please let me know at jeanleesworld.com . Cheers! -JL