Everything Else

Welcome to Tales of Fascination

Please join my street team for my novels. 2 postings on social media is all I ask! Join my Street Team

My name is Jim Doran and I’m a writer of genre fiction. My blog is composed of short stories, reflections on writing, and shameless plugs for my novels.

Rowan Prose Publishing will be publishing my YA horror novel, Forlorn Harbor, in 2026. I’ve also written several fairytale novels and short stories. I’ve also been included in several anthologies of all genres.

I’m honored to announce I’ve signed a contract with Rowan Prose Press for Forlorn Harbor (above is the teaser cover). I’m busy preparing for the launch date in 2026. Please read the Forlorn Harbor page in the meantime.

The easiest way to find all my novels is to go to my author site on Amazon: Jim Doran on Amazon. There you will find:

Below is my gallery for my novels and anthologies. Scroll to see the covers

  • Cover Forlorn Harbor
  • Cover Daniel Johnson
  • Cover by Daniel Johnson
  • Cover Daniel Johnson
  • Cover Daniel Johnson
  • Cover for Kiingdom's Advent
    Cover – Daniel Johnson
  • A Wolfman. Anthology
  • Published in Who’s the Monster?
  • Invisible Man, Anthology
  • Short Fiction, Anthology
  • Short Fiction, Anthology
  • R Riding Hood, Anthology

Contact me at: jim.doran.author@gmail.com, @jdoran711 (twitter), @jimdoranauthor (Instagram).

I’ve published over fifteen short stories in various online publications, including Havok and Every Day Fiction.

Learn more about Kingdom, read more stories, and enjoy art inspired by the world by visiting Kingdom Fantasy.

Read more about Kingdom Come here: What type of novel is Kingdom Come?

Special pages for my published novels:

Forlorn Harbor – A YA Horror Novel (coming in 2026)

Kingdom Come – First Kingdom Fantasy Novel

On Earth As It Is – Second Kingdom Fantasy Novel

Deliver Us – Third Kingdom Fantasy Novel

Will Be Done – Fourth Kingdom Fantasy Novel

Kingdom’s Advent – First book of short stories set in Kingdom

Kingdom’s Ascension – Second book of short stories set in Kingdom

I have a section of free short stories in case you want to “read before you buy.” I also break down the stories I’ve published elsewhere. Select Sample Story Overview for free stories, or Published Stories to read about my tales that superstar publishers have published in anthologies or online.

I include passwords to bonus stories in my novels. If you’re looking for the short story Heaven, note that it’s password-protected for people who have bought On Earth, As It Is. The same is true for The Green-Haired Abductor. It is password protected for those who bought Will Be Done.

If you’re looking for the short stories It’s a Beautiful Thing or The Magnficent Seven, note that they are password protected as well. The story, Bonhomie Rhapsody, a short story set during Deliver Us, is free.

Or scroll down to enjoy the latest blog posts.

Everything Else

Review Down We Go

Down We Go & Other Strange Tales (hereafter abbreviated as “Down We Go”) was a recommendation from my Kindle for reading flash fiction (1200 words or less) and horror anthologies. The Kindle algorithm must have put two and two together and recommended this. Once I read the blurb, I bought it immediately.

Usually when something is branded “weird” in fiction, it indicates other-dimensional landscapes or tentacled monstrosities. But weird, as the introduction reminds us, may also encompass the unexpected or ambiguous. This anthology fits squarely into the broader definition, and I was glad it did.

I rated each story with two rankings: weirdness and payoff. A high weirdness rating means the story successfully adheres to an off-kilter story with a “What?” type ending. Though, the ending must be satisfying. Too many weird tales just end and leave the reader frustrated. The payoff rating signifies the ending may be ambiguous, but it terminates the tale on a strong note the reader will appreciate.

Note: To me, a low weirdness and high payoff is similar to a Twilight Zone episode. Those are still good stories, but a little too pat for what the anthology advertises itself as.

I’m pleased to say many stories rated high in one or the other category. Weirdness standouts include “The Ink Wells,” “Chef’s Special,” and “Watch the Teeth.” Those with a high payoff include “Telano,” “Fair Game,” “Stowaway,” and “Solstice.”

Three rated high in both. Prasuethsut’s title story, “Down We Go,” has the highest weirdness factor and a good payoff. It captivates with the best tool of suspense—the reader’s own imagination. Just what is below that door in the forest anyway? On the flip side, the same author’s “She Watches She Waits” isn’t so weird as masterfully ending right where it should. It leaves an impact. Lastly, “Long Live the Queen” by Ashley Reed has a high factor of weirdness and payoff. It worked fabulously. The formatting itself was inspired and “weird.” A knockout of a tale of this sort.

A collection of stories by a set of authors instead of a different author for each entry often works to the advantage if you have high-caliber ideas and writing. Fortunately, Down We Go has this in spades. I’ll be following these authors for more interesting flash fiction.

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07D3T353L

Everything Else

Review Common Ground – The Weston Ranch Series

Common Ground is a ranch romance set in Michigan between the unlikely pair of city girl Melody Weston and senior ranch worker Jason Cole. The ranch hands think the great-niece of the owner is coming to take over and sell the ranch from the old man. Jason thinks he should inherit the ranch, as promised by the owner, Jim. Melody presents a problem.

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Melody knows nothing about ranching, and is only seeking peace at the ranch. Too bad her uncle is going into town for five days and asks Jason to watch over her. Jason doesn’t take kindly to the assignment, and Melody and Jason get into an argument every night. But as proximity dictates, vulnerabilities are shown and back stories are exposed. Soon, Jason believes Melody isn’t there to take his job away.

Romances follow various tropes, and one of the better ones is enemies-to-lovers. This novel starts with this trope, but takes a surprising turn when it heads into friends-to-lovers waters. Getting to the friends stage came quicker than this reviewer expected. And once Melody and Jason understand each other better, the attraction heats up.

Again, I was a little surprised how long it took to get to the romance in this novel. From a narrative point of view, it made sense, but I expected it sooner. When it comes, romance readers won’t be disappointed. The scenes are both tastefully and sensually done.

Another surprise was the earlier part of the novel. Quite frankly, I didn’t understand how this material would engage me. For every three horror novels I read, I will pick up one romance. Usually, it takes a typical romance hook (time travel, a holiday) to pull me in. Common Ground doesn’t have such a hook. But I fell for the characters and the plot. I found out I wanted to read more about them and their mysterious pasts. I looked forward to my reading time with them. So, kudos to author Jenifer Lynn for building a solid contemporary novel that doubles as a romance.

As you probably guessed by this part of the review, I was surprised by many of the elements of Common Ground. As a reviewer who prefers fantasy to romance, this novel won me over anyway. This book was a fun time on the ranch.

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CCMSLW1P

Everything Else

Review The Devil and the Dark Water

When an author creates a fantastic debut novel, it’s unfair to compare the sophomore effort to the first. Not making comparisons is hard when they are both mysteries, both historical, both unusual, and the first novel is The Seven and a Half Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle.

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After reading Hardcastle, I instantly bought The Devil and the Dark Water, Stuart Turton’s second novel. Given its premise, I couldn’t wait for it to arrive. I’m an impossible crime aficionado, and this one promised not one but three impossible crimes. I am drawn to stories that look like a supernatural force is at work, often the case with impossibles.

Quick plot synopsis. Arent Hayes is a Dr. Watson type to Samuel (Sammy) Pipps’ great detective. Arent, unlike Watson, is a mountain of a man and more of a fighter than a criminologist. He boards with a noble family, Jan Haan and Sarah Wessel, who are traveling first class. A death occurs on boarding, and things go from strange to creepy. Dead men are seen on board and outside portholes, and strange symbols appear on sails. The confinement of a ship, the dangerous journey, and the historical setting all combine to make this a thriller mystery.

The novel moves along quickly, and the writing draws in the reader. I absorbed the lengthy Devil in days, not weeks. All was going well until the end. The climax and denouement of the novel doesn’t live up to its premise.

Perhaps the publisher found it hard to market this book. I found the back blurb particularly misleading. I kept wondering when I’d come to the descriptions on the back cover and then suddenly realized I had already read them. When the story finally outpaces what I knew would happen from the blurb, it veers off in an odd direction. At this point, near the final solution, I should’ve been glued to the narrative. Instead, the new direction of the book took the tense atmosphere away, and I found myself reading to get to the end. When the climax arrives, I couldn’t help feeling a bit disappointed. And worse was the final wrap-up. The last few pages felt disingenuous to the characters I had grown to love.

On later reflection, I view this book as less a mystery and more as a superhero origin story (I kid you not). In that light, Devil’s ending is slightly better, but not so much that I could recommend the novel. This one was a miss for multiple reasons. Unfortunately, I can’t detail them without giving too much away.

If you like seafaring tales like Master and Commander, you may like this book. If you enjoy plain thrillers but don’t care about solving mysteries, you may also like Devil. But fans of impossible crimes, straightforward historical fiction that don’t involve bodily fluids, or comeuppance endings should likely pass.

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/1728234298

Everything Else

Review of A Gentleman in Moscow

I had heard of Amor Towles’ novel, A Gentleman in Moscow, years ago and wondered why I would read about a Russian gentleman trapped in a hotel after the Bolshevik revolution. On the surface, the novel doesn’t sound interesting and seems out of touch with today’s popular romances and speculative fiction best sellers. Turns out, A Gentleman in Moscow was a New York Times’ best seller.

Book cover
Cover A Gentleman in Moscow

In 1922, Count Alexander Ilyich Rostov (or simply, the Count) is sentenced to remain in a hotel for the rest of his life. He may never set foot outside the doors again. In the course of the ensuing years, the Count meets many fascinating personalities, gets involved in matters of intrigue large and small, and becomes a better man. Not to say the Count is a terrible man at the start. He’s actually an affable, engaging character at the beginning of the book. His charming personality and dynamic reactions to his situation draws in the reader in the first chapters. It’s amazing how much changes over the course of the book. In fact, the stakes that set up the climax aren’t introduced until much further in the novel.

As I read Gentleman, I had the sense that this was not only a novel of our time, but a novel destined to be a classic. The novel has all the markings of great literature: a hero with stakes, a fascinating premise, enduring themes, and writing that elevates everything else.

I love elements of a story that enhance the prose itself. I was amazed to see a map and a poem (attributed to a character) at the start of this novel. Author Stuart Turton’s also included additional material in his first two novels, I’m pleased to see this front matter start to appear in modern novels again. Their absence has been sorely missed.

The novel isn’t what most would expect. Given the premise, it’s quite humorous. For an aristocratic character and harsh setting, it’s warm-hearted. And given the ennui and despair of our modern times, it’s quite hopeful. This endearing tone sets the novel apart. And—as an aside—what’s missing from the Paramount miniseries. The series is good in its own right, but falls short of the novel’s greatness (e.g. Where is the count’s low ceiling? Where are the prior examples of Sofia’s sudden appearances? Where is the game of Zut?). Another contrast to the miniseries that books shine on is arrangement. Every chapter in Gentleman starts with an “A.” A little game between writer and reader that I thoroughly enjoyed.

A Gentleman in Moscow comes with my highest recommendation. Don’t follow my example and wait years to read it. Pick up this modern classic and see for yourself.

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/0143110438

Everything Else

Review of Re-Live

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G. Mikki Hayden’s novel Re-Live is the second in the Rebirth series centered around a group of people who are live in New York City and attend the same dojo. Each entry in the series has a different protagonist. In Re-Live, it’s Steven, a psychotherapist who uses unconventional methods to help his patients.

Formerly an engineer, Steven is building a practice in a new methodology called Re-Live. The Re-Live methodology, invented by his boss Viveca, revolves around healthy foods, unconventional advice, and (in Steven’s case at least) spending time with his clients in his world and theirs. For the younger people he treats, he acts like a surrogate father. In general, he attends events with some of his clients and invites them to the dojo and home parties. On the personal front, Steven wants to succeed in his new profession and have a family.

Re-Live is not a traditional novel with a central conflict between a traditional main character and an opposing force. The book is more of a chronicle of how one man achieves enlightenment through a variety of people he meets. Oftentimes, his interactions with strangers result in a positive encounter. In this reviewer’s opinion, this is more realistic than most novels that set up conflict just to make their narratives sensational. In Re-Live, though, Steven is often uncomfortable in his position as psychotherapist. Most readers should be able to identify with his inadequate feeling of achievement. 

The strength of Hayden’s novel is its unforgettable characters. It introduces us to mysterious grandmasters, insecure patients, and artistic parents. Steven’s life evolves and changes through the thirty-four chapters. Steven himself is quirky enough to keep the reader guessing what he’ll try next. The dojo provides a fascinating backdrop to improving oneself physically and emotionally.

While Steven feels he’s not doing enough at times, there’s a general uplift with everything he tries. I would’ve liked to see Steven struggle a bit more through the story, and perhaps tie an event to the climax. But the overall theme of “treat others with tenderness and abundant kindness will be returned to you” is one we need to hear more in these times.

Re-Live is the second in a series, but it’s not necessary to read the first entry. This is a self-contained novel that continues exploring what it means to be a physical and metaphysical person in this grand universe.

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CJR8XPD5

Everything Else

Review Come Home to Death

Cover of Come Home to Death

Marilyn Levinson’s Come Home to Death is a domestic adult thriller about a woman named Erica Parker who is living a normal life until she’s threatened. This book would be right at home on Alfred Hitchcock Presents.

Erica, an accountant, is recently married to Terry. As with most starting couples, they are struggling to make ends meet. Erica is determined to succeed to overcome her traumatic life growing up with two overbearing aunts. But when Terry disappears and thugs come looking for him, Erica decides it’s time to flee. Where? Back home with the aunts.

Erica has to endure weird relatives, an erratic best friend, and a pretentious lawyer. The lawyer, however, brings good news. Erica is going to inherit a windfall from her dead parents’ trust account. But with that news comes two attempts on Erica’s life. Are these threats because of her husband who is possibly in deep trouble with the mob? Or is someone targeting Erica because she will be rich? And who is this stranger, Doug Ramser, who is suddenly giving her advice?

Come Home to Death brings out each character’s virtues and vices. The author does a solid job of showing some of the admirable qualities of her characters and then follows the scene with a darker side. The idea that everyone will congregate on you if you have a sudden inheritance is never more true than here. But who is desperate enough to want to kill Erica?

A few technical issues aside, Come Home to Death suffers most from Erica’s leniency with people who are, in my opinion, despicable. From a note from a “friend” that is just rude to an aunt that acts like a leech, I was hoping Erica would let these people have it. It was hard for me to have compassion after they showed their true colors. However, Erica proves to be resourceful before the end of the novel, and I appreciated the reconciliation that occurred in the finale.

Come Home to Death is a compact thriller with all of the fun elements of a suspense story.

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CRS3ZJQL

Everything Else

Review The Seven and a Half Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle

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The Seven and a Half Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle is a murder mystery by Stuart Turton. Or is it? Is it actually a science fiction story set in the past where a murder has occurred? Or is it a race against time to reveal all the deceit and lies underpinning both the mystery and the science fiction story? Whatever it is, it’s a phenomenal novel.

A man wakes up in a forest unaware of who he is and what he’s doing. He shouts a name, one word that is his only connection to his past. Upon finding a nearby house, the man discovers he’s Sebastian Bell, a doctor living in the early twentieth century. Sebastian was assaulted the prior night.

Before the day is over, he’s told he isn’t, in fact, really Sebastian Bell, but inhabiting his body. He is truly Adrian Bishop who will inhabit eight people in the next eight days for one purpose – to solve the murder of Evelyn Hardcastle. It’s Evelyn’s homecoming, and family and friends have gathered to welcome her back. Or have they? Everyone seems on edge, grumpy, and a bit ruthless. To make matters worse, not only is Adrian trying to solve Evelyn’s murder, a killer is after him as well.

This is the best book I’ve read from a major publisher all year. Normally, a book of this size would take me at least two weeks to read it. I read it in three days. What fascinated me was how each chapter was a game changer. The reveals kept coming, indicating the complexity of the plot. And yet, the novel is never so complex that it leaves the reader lost.

If you like murder mysteries set in an old English estate filled with a sordid cast of characters, you’re in luck. If you enjoyed the T.V. show Quantum Leap but wanted the main character to jump into a really twisted setup somewhere far in the past, you’re also in luck. Lastly, if you like the concept of Groundhog Day but want it done in something other than the romance or horror genre, guess what? You, too, are in luck.

Every novel’s premise is really about drawing you into a character’s life to explore larger themes. One question I had before I read this was who was Adrian Bishop and why was he trapped in this situation? I expected to find out at the beginning. Sorry, readers, you won’t find it there. What you will find is Adrian learns quickly to distrust nearly everyone. You also discover that when Adrian inhabits one of the characters and is decent to the people around him, they start to become better or share their brokenness with him. The powerful question of whether we’re the people we are by destiny or choice is threaded through most of the book.

One last note. I must debate some of the negative reviews on this novel about the premise not working. In my opinion, they didn’t read carefully enough. Not only do I think it works, I think the heart of the idea all wrapped up in “a day without consequences” is brilliant. This is a great theme for a mystery.

Mystery fans who like science fiction, this is a must-buy. Science fiction fans who dabble with a mystery from time to time should also buy it. Everyone else who wants a non-linear tour de force, give it a try. If nothing else, you’ll find out how Evelyn Hardcastle endured a half death.

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07CP8YXH3

Everything Else

Review of Oct Society Season Two

Cover October Society 2

Let’s all say it together. “The second in a trilogy is the hardest.” The second in a trilogy must contend with the success of the first, build upon it, twist it a new way, all without ticking off its readers. The Empire Strikes Back and The Godfather Part 2 are two seconds that pulled it off. But many do not.

Which brings us to The October Society Season Two.

The October Society Season One was spectacular. It had a solid selection of short stories with a fascinating framing story, all centered around Halloween. The book’s mysteries unfolded naturally, and the overall atmosphere captured the campfire (spooky) tone it needed. I looked forward to the second book and bought it immediately upon finishing the first.

The stories in Season Two, unfortunately, didn’t live up to their predecessor. The first three didn’t make much of an impression. The fourth, “The Unkindness of Ravens” was well-written with a twist I didn’t see coming. However, this offering felt it should have been in a different genre. The best of the tales appear at the end of the book, number five and six. They are “Those Quiet Bones” and “The Fear Factory.” Both were very different spooky tales and I appreciated their originality. “Bones,” in particular, felt like a campfire tale.

The strongest “story” in this collection, however, is the framing story. What is happening with the kids gathered to tell these creepy stories? A growing menace overshadows the proceedings. Charda, the most interesting character in the series, is rightly concerned. She serves as the reader’s avatar. Swapping Derek (in Season One) for Charda is one improvement from the first book. Besides a few love triangles that are obvious, the campfire scenes were gripping.

Unfortunately, the stories they tell make up the largest part of the book, and the first stories drag. The ending follows the traditional path of the second in a three series. The conclusion ends on a cliffhanger designed to make the reader insta-buy the next one. Tempting, but I can wait for next Halloween.

3.5 stars.

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0BCQTM63J

Everything Else

Leap Year Story

Havok published my flash fiction called Leap Year on Tuesday, December 3. I’m grateful to them for presenting this story to the public. Havok has high standards, so every time I publish there, it’s a big deal.

Leap Year is the fulfillment of a few dreams I’ve had for a while. The first is, though I enjoy science fiction, I often find myself drawn to horror or fantasy in the speculative fiction realm. I read sci-fi and find it inspiring. Yet, my head has a sharp division between science fiction and the other two. For myself, the story must be grounded in science and be plausible in the future. Fantasy generally is implausible in the past or (for urban fantasy) present, and horror may be implausible. But not science fiction. Science fantasy, to me, is fantasy.

This fulfills my dream of publishing a science fiction piece, and I’m very happy to join the ranks of such writers. Though I wish the story had more grounding in the science, I did what I could. It entertains, it’s improbable, but not completely unbelievable.

The publication also satisfies a secondary goal of mine. I’ve finally brought to life an idea I’ve had for a long time. Over eight years ago, I had the idea of people going back in time exactly one year. What changes would they make in that short of time? This story’s main character, Hudson, was the main protagonist in that idea. I had many other characters, but I first and foremost, I wanted to tell Hudson’s story.

And here it is.

I hope you reading Leap Year as much as I enjoyed writing it.

Everything Else

Review of The Stars Will Fall

Cover The Stars Will Fall

The Stars Will Fall is a collection of speculative fiction short stories by Brian Reindel. One eye-catching element of this book is the number of stories included, a whopping thirty-four. Not only do you have the staples of fantasy, science fiction, and horror, you also have sub-genres of fable, apocalyptic, cosmic horror, and others all contained in one book. For a speculative reader, you’d be hard-pressed to find a story that doesn’t cover your favorite genre.

Most of the stories are short, not quite flash fiction, but close. A variety of tones and themes are explored. In general, the tale’s tone matches the genre, so the fable is written in a matter-of-fact style. The author claims in the introduction there’s no hidden agenda, but clearly his aim is to entertain.

Each reviewer is biased, and I’m no different. In general, I preferred the science fiction entries. “The Backrooms,” “A Rocket Ride to Nowhere,” and “It’s Better Left Unsaid” all deserve mention. My favorite two were “One Billion Years in a Day” and “The Greatest Unknown.” The first is hard science-fiction that might very well happen one day. “The Greatest Unknown” is a wistful, excellent character study about our planet.

A few horror stories also topped my favorites list. In “Fair Weather Friend,” the plot and voice come together like elephant ears and carnival music to present one the scariest entries in the book. And “The Inheritance” is a study in how patterns repeat from generation to generation.

Both swords and sorcery and modern fantasy are represented. I prefer urban fantasy, which led me to rate “Address Unknown” as my favorite offering in the book. Solid endings are hard to write. The story pays off its clever idea in all the best ways possible. I’ll not forget this one for a while.

From sinking islands to people trying to avoid an alien incursion in northern Michigan to a place where overdue library books are a crime, The Stars Will Fall covers it all.

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Stars-Will-Fall-Collection-Fantasy-ebook/dp/B0BSCNJXHV