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Live Oak Key
Live Oak Key is a Southern-flavored mystery built around Colt Callacy, a private investigator whose latest case starts with a missing show horse and quickly turns into something much bigger. Colt is hired to recover Tempest, a valuable French mare expected to compete at an elite equestrian park in Ocala. At first, the job sounds unusual but straightforward. A stolen horse, a wealthy client, a tight deadline. Then Colt finds Tempest, and the case opens into a dangerous mix of drug trafficking, deception, kidnapping, and local law enforcement scrambling to keep up.
Author Kevin Matthew Hayes gives the book a strong sense of place. Williston, Ocala, Cedar Key, rural roads, old storefronts, gravel drives, summer storms, and horse country all feel like part of the story’s machinery. Colt’s voice is plainspoken and observant, with a dry sense of humor that keeps the book grounded even when the plot gets intense. He notices the kind of details that tell you who he is: the sound of his diesel truck, the way a small town moves after dark, the behavior of horses, and the habits of his dog, Duke. That down-to-earth point of view gives the story its personality.
The plot works because it keeps widening without losing Colt’s personal stake in it. What begins as a recovery job becomes a race to understand why Tempest was stolen and who’s using the horse as cover. Once Carina is pulled into danger, the investigation stops being just a case and becomes a test of loyalty, nerve, and instinct. Colt’s line, “It’s more like a game of poker,” fits the book well. He’s constantly holding something back, reading people, and trying to figure out which move will buy him just enough time.
The supporting characters add a lot of warmth and texture. Carina is more than the worried girlfriend. She’s capable, sharp, and central to uncovering what’s really going on with Tempest. Will and Sheriff Harding bring a practical law enforcement counterweight to Colt’s risk-taking, while Keke gives the book one of its more unexpected human touches. Duke, meanwhile, steals scenes simply by being Duke. When Colt thinks, “That damn dog,” after Duke turns a quiet getaway into a barking spectacle, it captures the book’s easy humor perfectly.
Live Oak Key is a lively rural mystery with cowboy grit, small-town humor, and a plot that moves from horse barns to hidden drug routes without losing its conversational charm. Colt is the kind of investigator who makes mistakes, pushes his luck, and still keeps going because the people and animals in his care matter to him. The book’s best moments come from that mix of danger and heart. It’s a story about a case that gets out of hand, but it’s also about home, trust, and the promise Colt refuses to break.
Pages: 156 | ASIN : B0H4BVLSDF
A Struggle Between Two Worlds
Kevin Matthew Hayes’s A Struggle Between Two Worlds is a bold and heartfelt space war epic that follows Lieutenant Jaxon, a pilot caught between duty and despair in a solar system torn apart by conflict. The story begins with heart-thumping battles above the moons of Mars, shifts into tense debriefings aboard a massive carrier, and spirals into a deeply human story about faith, loyalty, and survival. It’s part space opera, part war journal, and part meditation on what it means to keep going when everything you care about seems to be slipping away.
The writing doesn’t waste time. It throws you straight into the action with vivid detail and the silence of space pressing in from every side. The dialogue feels natural, even when it’s clipped and military, and that helps ground the futuristic setting in real emotion. There’s something lonely about it all, a kind of quiet heartbreak that runs under the explosions and heroics. I could feel Jaxon’s exhaustion, his doubt, and his fear. I also admired the author’s balance between world-building and humanity. The space battles are cinematic, but what lingered with me were the small moments like Jaxon’s conversations with Quincey, the call home to his wife and daughter, and the silence after loss. Those pieces hit hard.
Sometimes the technical talk about ships and missiles drags on a bit, and there are places where the dialogue leans heavy on old war clichés. But even then, it fits the characters. These are soldiers trying to stay sane, clinging to ritual and bravado to mask their fear. The pacing slows in the middle, but the emotional punch makes up for it. I also liked how Hayes doesn’t glamorize war. The battles are terrifying, not triumphant. Every victory feels costly. By the end, when Jaxon faces Markov one last time, it’s not about pride or revenge, it’s about finishing what can’t be escaped. That ending stayed with me. It felt raw and real.
This book would be perfect for readers who love classic military sci-fi or flight stories that dig into the human heart behind the machinery. Fans of Top Gun, Battlestar Galactica, or The Expanse will find a lot to love here. I’d also recommend it to anyone who wants an action story that still remembers what it feels like to be afraid, hopeful, and deeply, painfully human. A Struggle Between Two Worlds isn’t just about space, it’s about the fight we all face between faith and despair, and the small, stubborn will to keep flying anyway.
Pages: 35 | ASIN: B0FRW5JRRQ
It Was a Wild Time
Ethan Tucker’s Job follows an ex-soldier turned reluctant lawman who is tasked with tracking down a dangerous outlaw and his mission is complicated by old friends, new enemies, and his own inner demons. What was the inspiration for the setup of your story?
I grew up in central and south Florida and I often heard stories from long ago about lawless towns like Pine Level or wild cattle towns. When I decided to write a western style story, I thought 1850s Florida would be a great setting. It may not be as romanticized as the Old West, but I liked it and it helped serve the main theme of the story. It was a wild time and I couldn’t think of a better place for Ethan to get into trouble while fighting his past.
What are some things that you find interesting about the human condition that you think make for great fiction?
It depends. Ethan Tucker’s Job explores temptation and whether people can really change. I used the wild south Florida frontier as a test for Ethan. It was his opportunity to prove to himself and others that he could change, if he desired. It’s that inner struggle that the character deals with that makes for great fiction.
What were some themes that were important for you to explore in this book?
I think one of the biggest themes explored in this story is the fact that everyone can change if they are willing to do so. Take Ethan Tucker for example. He spent a good portion of his younger years in the wilds of south Florida. He enjoyed his lifestyle where he was fighting Indians, gambling and drinking in cattle towns where there was little to no law, and he often proved how tough he was through duels. Sometime after the Second Seminole War, Ethan returned to Tallahassee and tried to settle down, but his past continued to catch up with him in the years leading up to the Third Seminole War. When he again returns to south Florida to pursue Alaster Conley, Ethan has the opportunity to prove to himself, and others, that he has changed when he is tempted to revert to his old ways throughout the story.
What is the next book that you are working on, and when will it be available?
I venture far out of 1850s Florida in my next book, A Struggle Between Two Worlds. It takes place in the near future and it has been a lot of fun planning. I would like to have it out some time in July or August. I will keep everyone updated on my socials.
Author Links: GoodReads | X | Website
Ethan Tucker’s Job
Ethan Tucker’s Job is a gripping historical novel that plunges readers into the heart of 19th-century Florida. The book follows Ethan Tucker, a rugged ex-soldier turned reluctant lawman, as he is strong-armed into tracking down a dangerous outlaw, Alaster Conley. Against the backdrop of a rapidly changing America, Ethan’s journey is more than just a manhunt—it’s a deeply personal struggle between duty, morality, and the ghosts of his past. As he ventures deeper into the Florida frontier, his mission to bring Conley to justice is complicated by old friends, new enemies, and his own inner demons.
What really stood out to me about Ethan Tucker’s Job is the way Hayes writes action. The book opens with a cinematic, tension-filled scene at a saloon that immediately sets the tone. The shootouts are quick and brutal, the betrayals sting, and the quiet moments carry the weight of a life hard-lived. Hayes does a great job making the world feel real without bogging it down with unnecessary descriptions. The dialogue, especially between Ethan and his former militia buddy, Aiden Sage, crackles with life and keeps the pacing tight. It’s also refreshing to see historical fiction set in Florida’s wild frontier, a setting that isn’t as overdone as the classic Western landscapes of Texas or Arizona.
Some of the book’s emotional beats hit harder than others. Ethan’s struggle with his wife, Faith, is one of the more compelling aspects of the novel. The tension between them is palpable—her disappointment, his regret, and the deep frustration that they can’t seem to bridge the gap between them. The scene where Faith shoves his old pepperbox pistol back into his hands, basically telling him that he’s never going to change, hit me hard. It’s raw, and it’s one of the moments that make Ethan more than just a tough-guy soldier.
Ethan Tucker’s Job is a great read for fans of historical fiction, Westerns, and action-packed storytelling. If you love morally complex protagonists, intense gunfights, and a setting that feels alive with history, this book is definitely worth picking up. It’s gritty, well-paced, and carries just the right amount of heart to make it stick with you after you’ve turned the last page.
Page: 96 | ASIN : B0DYGDKP7Q
Turned Them Into Monsters
Reckonings follows a college student seeking a carefree night at a Halloween party who must confront a rising tide of the undead and the haunting shadows of her past. Were there any particular books or films that influenced the tone and style of Reckonings?
There were a few films that influenced “Reckonings.” The western references come from the film “Near Dark.” I think this film has a great story line and its well done. I had a little fun with the truck explosion scene. That was a quick reference to several 80’s films. I’ve had several readers take guesses at the films being referenced. They are having fun with it. So far, all of their guesses have been correct.
When I write the All Hallows’ Eve Tales, I try to base them loosely on legends I heard growing up. In “Reckonings,” I used the Casket Girls from New Orleans. In reality, these were women, often young girls, who were brought to New Orleans from France to be married off to men in the French colony. They often came in different groups. According to the legend, several vampires managed to penetrate the city in one of these groups.
How did you approach developing Jessica’s emotional arc alongside the supernatural horror elements?
We’re always tempted between doing the right and wrong things. It’s a conflict everyone faces every day even if it seems unfair. Each of the vampires had a grudge, or reckoning, which Antonia used against them and turned them into monsters. Each of these vampires obviously gave in and made the wrong choice. Jessica at one point could have easily given in and went to their side. But she didn’t, even with all the wrongs that had been done to her. She made the right choice therefore she is the bigger person.
How did you balance the fast-paced action with the deeper, introspective moments to keep readers both thrilled and emotionally engaged?
When I started the “All Hallows’ Eve Tales” series, I wanted to make a series of short stories. I knew I would need to cover a lot of ground in a limited amount of time. In “Reckonigs,” I try to give each character their moment so the reader can learn about their pasts and struggles. In between all of this, Jessica and her friends are facing their own struggle (fighting to survive) throughout the course of the story.
The theme of unresolved trauma is central to Jessica’s journey. What message were you hoping to convey through her confrontation with both inner and outer demons?
I think we all face demons every day. Some more than others. It’s a constant struggle, but you can’t give up. If you give in, it could make you a monster.
Author Links: GoodReads | X | Facebook | Website | Spring
