Vocal Expressions

This is the first book I have read by Nick Haskins. The title drew me in and I couldn’t wait to dive into this story full of drama and manipulation. So, let’s meet the characters: Katie, the blonde, self-absorbed wife of Dr. Eric Reynolds; Courtney, the ambitious and ever-loving wife to Dr. Erik Reynolds; and Dr. Eric/Erik/Erick Reynolds, the loving and at time cruel master manipulator who would eventually ruin everyone’s lives.  While I enjoyed the twists and surprising turns in the novel, I couldn’t believe how gullible the wives were. No one bothered to vet the validity of Dr. Reynolds by visiting him at his office, meeting any of his family or friends or even Googling him. They simply took him at face value that he was a doctor, and they were married to a doctor and that’s all that mattered.   Overall, it was a quick read. I loved Haskins’ storytelling voice and his descriptions of the characters and places. However, I didn’t find the characters likeable or endearing. Katie was

Author’s Bio: Born in Washington, DC, Betsy Ashton claims she was raised in Southern California where she ran wild with coyotes in the hills above Malibu, even though her mother challenged her memory. She was a political activist with the nickname “Buckshot Betsy.” You’ll have to ask her how she got it. She writes in multiple genres: mysteries, including the Mad Max Mystery series, Unintended Consequences, Uncharted Territory, and Unsafe Haven (all republished in 2021) : serial killer psychological suspense, Eyes Without a Face, 2017; and literary or women’s fiction, Out of the Desert, 2019. Her latest is a suspense novel, Betrayal, 2021 . Her short stories and poetry have appeared in several anthologies including Murder by the Glass, 50 Shades of Cabernet, and Candles of Hope. She is the past president of the commonwealth-wide Virginia Writers Club and remains active in the literary communities in Roanoke and at Smith Mountain Lake. Reach her at www.betsy-ashton.com .  Deliah L

Author’s Bio: ODESSA ROSE received her B.A. in English from Coppin State University and her M.A. in Literature from the University of Maryland at College Park. Her first novel, Water In A Broken Glass , captured the #6 spot on the On-Demand Best Seller list, received the Just About Books Annual Book Award, is ranked #17 on Accredited Online Colleges’ 20 Essential Novels For African-American Women list, was recorded for the Maryland School for the Blind, and is included in The Greenwood Encyclopedia of Multiethnic American Literature , Ethnic American Literature: An Encyclopedia for Students , and Black Like Us: A Century of Lesbian, Gay, and Bisexual African American Fiction .  Water In A Broken Glass was also adapted into an award-winning feature film of the same title.  Rose’s second novel, In the Mirror received the African American Expo Award for Fiction.   Rose is a member of the Black Writers’ Guild of Maryland. She and her husband are the creators of the television magazin