In this entry of All About Atmosphere, explore Oscar Wilde’s favorite tricks with a deep dive into decadence. Learn how to send a chill down your readers’ spines from the inside of an artistic and aesthetic setting or make a critique upper class social rules from behind a lacy fan. Write art for art’s sake.
Success in the Press: Precise Oaths by Paige E. Ewing
Literary Titan Silver ★ "A romp of a book." - Angela Knight, NYT bestselling paranormal romance author
★
Literary Titan Silver ★ "A romp of a book." - Angela Knight, NYT bestselling paranormal romance author ★
From the Author: Even though spider-kin Liliana sees the past, the future and into men's souls, she can still be surprised. After all, no one wakes up wondering if they'll be accused of murder by a werewolf. Wolf-kin Peter Teague of Fort Bragg's Criminal Investigation Division analyzes the venom in six dead soldiers. The victims were killed by a spider-kin, and Liliana is the only spider-kin in Fayetteville. Peter's handsome boss, the dangerous fae Colonel Bennet, watches Liliana with burning ember eyes, but refuses to call his investigator off. It's up to Liliana to keep Peter from executing her and convince the skeptical scientist she's not the murderer, all while keeping her new friend from getting eaten by the real killers. And if that's not enough, she might even have to socialize!
How will she survive the paranormal mystery that puts her as the prime suspect?
““Set in a richly imagined world populated by both endearing and intriguing characters””
Our Take: Precise Oaths is a smart, atmospheric mystery set in a world where military precision and magical politics collide. With a murder investigation that puts spider-kin Liliana at the center of suspicion, this story blends urban fantasy with suspense in a way that feels both grounded and imaginative. The pacing is tight, the dialogue sharp, and the world richly built—but what lingers is the sense of a heroine caught between power, perception, and survival. A great fit for readers who love character-driven fantasy with layered stakes.
From a Reader: “Brilliant, clever, and sympathetically written! Liliana is the cure to my arachnophobia.”
Bragging Rights:
Literary Titan Silver
Over 70 5-star reviews on Goodreads.
"Precise Oaths is tremendous fun. It's hard to write a thought-provoking book that's also fun to read, but Paige pulled it off in spades… A romp of a book." - Angela Knight, NYT Best Selling paranormal romance author
"Liliana is spider-kin—a neurodivergent loner who tells fortunes and longs for connection with others. I was rooting for her right from the start." - Patrice Sarath, fantasy and romance author
"Some unlikely alliances and Liliana's abilities give us a rollicking adventure and set the stage for more stories to come." - Nancy Jane Moore, author of The Weave
Success In the Press: The Journey Begins by Cynthia Elder
"Get it." -Kirkus Reviews
✹
"Get it." -Kirkus Reviews ✹
From the Author:
West Barnstable, 1830. Lighthouse keeper Joseph Nickerson and members of the Jenkins and Fish families are tied to the sea through their work. Their voices are those of men and women who braved years-long sailing voyages as the United States split apart at the seams.
Young James Jenkins follows the sailor’s life, rising over a decade to become a merchant ship captain who transports guano, tea and coal around the globe. He finds his match in Ruth Fish, the daughter of a ship’s captain who bristles with passion to see the world and escape the confines of her small town.
Separated for years from his family, James binds himself to them through letters that span the vastness of oceans and time. At home, the rumbles of conflict over slavery reverberate into every corner of life.
James and Ruth are united in their vision to sail the world together while their country strains under the tension between North and South.
An uncertain future awaits.
Based on the true story of a family from West Barnstable, Massachusetts, during the final chapter of the Great Age of Sail and the tumultuous years leading up to and through the Civil War.
““A well-developed novel that uses copious historical sources to vividly bring its characters and scenes to life.””
Our Take: Based on the true story of a family from Massachusetts during the final chapter of the Great Age of Sail and tumultuous years leading up to and through the Civil War, The Journey Begins offers a richly researched portrait of seafaring life during one of America’s most turbulent eras. Sweeping and quietly powerful, it promises lyrical prose and a strong sense of place. The novel follows two families as they navigate oceans and upheaval, distance and duty. It’s a story of love, letters, and longing—perfect for readers drawn to historical fiction rooted in truth, and to tales where the pull of the sea echoes the deeper pull of home.
From a Reader: “A well-developed novel that uses copious historical sources to vividly bring its characters and setting to life.”
All About Atmosphere: Gothic Literature
The best books are the ones that swallow you, making you forget where you are. By creating a Gothic atmosphere, you can transport your readers to a whole new world with vampires and haunted mansions. The tricky part is making your story feel Gothic, so let’s explore what elements make up the atmosphere.
Success In the Press: The Devil Pulls the Strings by JW Zarek
2025 Shelley Book Awards Hall of Fame for Paranormal Fiction ★ 2021 Chanticleer Best Book Grand Prize Winner ★ First Place Ozma Award ★ First Place Cygnus Award
★
2025 Shelley Book Awards Hall of Fame for Paranormal Fiction ★ 2021 Chanticleer Best Book Grand Prize Winner ★ First Place Ozma Award ★ First Place Cygnus Award ★
““A remarkable paranormal tale that delivers plenty of plot developments, curious characters, and otherworldly things.” ”
From the Author: Boone Daniels has problems—crippling panic attacks, a childhood haunted by a wendigo, and the guilt of nearly killing his best friend in a joust. When he fills in at a New York gig, a meeting turns deadly: a body drops from a balcony, bullets fly, and Boone barely escapes with his life. In the chaos, he uncovers a plot to summon the Devil through a cursed Paganini piece—one that could trap Baba Yaga and destroy modern-day NYC. Now, pursued by steampunk vampires and guided by a Romani immortal, Boone must race through time to stop the melody and earn his redemption. All he ever wanted was to keep a promise to a friend—the same friend he almost killed last Sunday. Can a small-town Missouri musician outplay the supernatural and save NYC's soul?
Bragging Rights:
2025 Shelley Book Awards Hall of Fame for Paranormal Fiction
2021 Chanticleer Best Book Grand Prize Winner
First Place Ozma Award
First Place Cygnus Award
Adapted script:
Best American Script at 2024 Berlin Film Festival
Best TV Pilot Episode Script at 2024 London Film Festival.
Our Take: Fast-paced and richly imagined, The Devil Pulls the Strings blends history, myth, and music into a high-stakes urban fantasy with real emotional weight. As Boone Daniels stumbles into a world of cursed compositions and supernatural power struggles, his personal demons run as deep as the forces he’s up against. This is a story about guilt, redemption, and the threads of folklore that still tug at the modern world—perfect for readers drawn to layered mythologies and unconventional heroes.
From a Reader: “The author created an excellent worldbuilding […] you have a bit of everything: there is mythology, folklore, magic, immortal creatures, action, adventure, secret societies, time travel and many mysteries . So I never got bored. For me, this whole combination of elements was very original and epic!”