explore | Grilled Cheese

@shannaswendson.bsky.social Oct 14, 2026, 8:03 PM

It's #BookQW and this week we're finding our "voice." Sometimes, like when you're confronting a killer, as in this bit from my cozy paranormal mystery Interview with a Dead Editor, that's difficult. shannaswendson.com/writing/inte...

Interview with a Dead Editor book cover
Quote: “So, you’re the one who killed him,” I managed to say, my voice squeaking with fright. Did I have anything at hand I could use to defend myself? The lamp looked pretty sturdy, but I wasn’t sure I could get to it in time.

@wtpress.bsky.social Oct 14, 2026, 8:03 PM

It is Book Quote Wednesday and the word is 'voice'. In The Executioner's Blade by Andrew Knighton, Lena finds out that she will have to execute a popular high priestess. #BookQW
wizardstowerpress.co...

Lena snuffed out the wicks on three of the four lamps, then hung the last from the side of the cart. It would be enough to light their way out of the caves.
“Her congregation won’t like it,” she said.
“Fuck ‘em. Bunch of heretics and rabble rousers, with their talk of new saints and holy storms.”
“That’s half the city you’re talking about.”
“And if they came back to the old faith then we’d all be living in peace.”
Lena wasn’t going down this path. War had made her many things—proud, powerful, a killer—and she regretted them just as much as she missed them. When Baumer talked with such casual certainty about the blood-stained business of faith, he reminded her too much of her old self.
“Hanging?” she asked.
“Maier’s granted Blessed Saimon a beheading.”
“How merciful.” Lena’s voice was barbed with disdain. Renate Maier, Unteholz’s richest merchant and head councillor, only gave to others when it let her show her power, and when it lost her nothing in return.

@veronicascott.bsky.social Oct 14, 2026, 7:09 PM

#Bookqw 'voice' from my new release BRADEN: Soldiers of the Ardannan Book Five (Intergalactic Dating Agency), a fake wedding date scifi romance style! #booksky www.amazon.com/BRADEN-Inter...

@patricksamphire.bsky.social Oct 14, 2026, 5:53 PM

It's Book Quote Wednesday again. This time the word is "voice". Lots of choice, but let's go with my Mennik Thorn prequel novella, The Dead Man.

#bookQW

books2read.com/thedeadman

Promotional image for The Dead Man by Patrick Samphire. Shows the cover of the book along with the quoted text:

Something cold and sharp touched the side of my neck.

I froze. I could feel the magic inside me, just waiting to be shaped and released. But could I do that before the knife plunged in? I didn’t like my chances.

“Hello, Uncle Nik,” a voice said just behind my ear.

Denna’s mercy! I would have slumped if I hadn’t been worried that I would slice open my neck doing so. Very slowly, I turned.

“Sereh.”

@tanyahuff.bsky.social Oct 14, 2026, 4:12 PM

Today's word is VOICE. Today's #BookQW from SAVED BY THE SPELL, out Nov 3rd from @dawbooks.bsky.social. A starred review from the Library Journal notes "magical antics" and "wry, realistic humour" but entirely misses that the Timbits in the staff room are stale! Will no one think of the teachers!?

Cover of SAVED BY THE SPELL in the lower left corner -- classroom, eye on blackboard, lots of swirls. Expanded cover behind the quote lets you see that some of the desks are warped.

The double doors of the student residence flew open and the first group of students strutted out. Grade nine. So young, so proud, so aware they were among the elite, the forty among the thousands who'd survived the testing and made it into the High School for the Magical Arts, Canadian campus. Sorry, not survived. Yesterday's email from the Board had made it clear that the staff were not to use the words "survived the testing" when referring to our grade nines and they were very tired of having to remind us.
Every voice that added another shrill layer to the swell of noise rang out with the kind of confidence that came from being smart and powerful and fourteen -- or thirteen, depending on where birthdays fell. Thirteen or fourteen, this group didn't do self doubt. That would come later.

@lindagriffinauthor.bsky.social Oct 14, 2026, 3:55 PM

"Gentle, wholesome romance of independence and enduring love." ~ BookLife Reviews
lindagriffinauthor.com/cherry_creek...
#BookQW #HistoricalRomance #GoldRush

Fire roaring in a fireplace. " He saw me, a dark shape curled up near the fireplace, and stopped, staring. “Molly?” he said, and when I didn’t answer, unsure of my #voice, he lit a lamp and carried it over to me. “Why, Molly, darlin’, whatever are you doing here in this cold kitchen in the middle of the night?”

@willablair.bsky.social Oct 14, 2026, 3:03 PM

Today's #BookQW word: VOICE

WAITING FOR THE LAIRD
bit.ly/4o7TK7J

#SpookySeason #FriendlyGhost #HalloweenRomance #BookSky

@bandersonmysteries.bsky.social Oct 14, 2026, 2:50 PM

Today is Book Quote Wednesday, and today’s word is “voice.” For more information or to order, visit www.brianandersonmysteries.com www.amazon.com/stores/autho... mybook.to/e2jmq #BookQW #mystery #MysterySeries
#BookSky

@hywela-lyn.bsky.social Oct 14, 2026, 2:29 PM

#BOOKQW
Today's word is #VOICE and the snippet is again from The #Matchmaker'sMare. Megan pays a visit to her horse trainer neighbour.
Amazon UK: www.amazon.co.uk/Matchmakers-...
Amazon US: www.amazon.com/Matchmakers....

@janarichards.bsky.social Oct 14, 2026, 2:02 PM

#BookQW “She was killed by General Dietrich,” Monsieur Gagnon said in a flat VOICE. “The general made her his mistress, in much the same way he is trying to do with Madeleine." FLAWLESS https://books2read.com/Flawless-by-Jana-Richards #WW2romance #romanticsuspense #FrenchResistanceRomance

@joanneguidoccio.bsky.social Oct 14, 2026, 1:06 PM

It's Book Quote Wednesday! Today's word: VOICE. #Excerpt is from HIPPIE MERMAID, a coming-of-age #fantasy. #bookqw

@stephanieburgis.bsky.social Oct 14, 2026, 1:01 PM

It's Book Quote Wednesday! This week's word is 'voice,' and here's a snippet from A Waltz of Sinister Import, which is out today.

Snap it up in ebook or paperback now!

books2read.com/waltzSinister

#romancelandia #bookqw

The cover of A Waltz of Sinister Import, by Stephanie Burgis, shows a pair of late nineteenth-century dancing slippers hanging over the title and a bat with outstretched wings underneath the author's name. Framing the cover's text are branches with golden leaves. Above, beside, and below that cover image is this snippet of text: Margaret buried her hot face in her hands. “Good Lord, I am hopeless! How am I meant to investigate all these upcoming royal balls when I can’t even act the part of a proper lady for half an hour in a coffee house?”
“Oh, my love.” Lord Riven’s voice was warm and rueful as he rose and circled the table to lean over her, one big hand stroking gently across her hair. “Don’t distress yourself, I beg you. If it helps, I am certain you’ve been behaving in a far more proper manner than that waiter has witnessed in months.”
“What do you mean?” Margaret lifted her head just enough to peer up at him but not dislodge his warm fingers.
“We-ell...” He tilted his head towards the closed curtains behind him, his mouth quirking. “What do you suppose is usually happening when an Imperial archduke escorts an elegant lady to this table and pulls those curtains shut for privacy?”

@thomaswrightson.bsky.social Oct 14, 2026, 1:00 PM

Book Quote Wednesday's word is 'voice'. #BookQW #BookSky💙📚
Sedna encounters a strange Human who has secrets behind her watching eyes, and a role to play in things to come. (1/2)
#scifi #spaceopera #mystery #sample

The woman, Vorn, was altogether different. Tall and almost frighteningly slender, her traveling clothes woven more for practicality than show. No one could miss the generous size of her breasts, and the cut that showed them and the cleavage off to their best advantage. Nor could her skin tone be ignored, unusually pale compared to the darker tones of Humans. Sedna also noted the languid eye the woman cast around everyone, as if sizing up and judging them in the same moment. It was unsettling to be seen in such a way for anyone, but for Sedna, seeing such complete calm in a Human face was unnatural.
“I’ve heard of Ekri Murderers.” Vorn bowed her head upon Sedna’s introduction. “Such a unique cultural feature. I wondered at first if they were a myth.”
Her voice held a tired, drawling quality. But Sedna wasn’t deceived. There was a sharp intelligence behind the dull eyes and flaccid pose. Quite the opposite of her employer, the bold and bombastic politician. Maybe she was looking at the reason Jaques had made it this close to the Synod.
Sedna spoke with her most detached manner. “Murderer is the only equivalent term in your language. Our role is far more complex than simple killing.”
“I guessed as much. So, what kind of term would you use for someone who simply killed?”
“A killer.”
“I see. And just out of curiosity, what is the native name for your profession?”
She listened as Sedna told her. “Fascinating. That inflection. Are you a native of the Ekri home world?”
“Spot on. How did you know?”
“In my position, I need to guess things about someone from everything but what they say. How they say something, for instance.”

@cmdebell.bsky.social Oct 14, 2026, 10:28 AM

It's Book Quote Wednesday and the word is 'voice'

A reunion between family doesn't go so well in The Many Shades of Midnight.

#bookqw #writingcommunity #indiefantasy 💙🪐📚

Front cover and excerpt from The Many Shades of Midnight for Book Quote Wednesday prompt VOICE

He backed off a step, his face frozen. “You make it sound so reasonable, Mari. Like he did nothing more than lose his temper. As if he didn’t take everything I had—”
“Alyas…”
“As if he didn’t take my name and make a ruin of it. As if he didn’t lie and steal and murder four hundred of his own men to cover it up. As if I brought it on myself.”
Silence hung between them. The kind of silence there had never been, even after their worst arguments. “I didn't mean that,” she said in a small voice. “You know I didn’t.”
“Do I?” he asked, and it was like he was talking to a stranger. Then something in his face changed, and he just looked tired. “Am I being unfair, Mari? He’s your husband and this is your life. What should I expect? Can I tell Esar you will come? We are at Camling.”
He was leaving. She didn’t try to stop him. It would have been awkward and painful, and it wouldn’t have worked. Instead, she plastered a smile on her face and pretended that inside she wasn’t weeping.

@vjknipe.bsky.social Oct 14, 2026, 10:18 AM

Book Quote Wednesday #BookQW. Today's word is VOICE.
Caroline stopped to rescue a motorcyclist knocked off his bike during a massive storm. Soaked to the skin, she shelters him from the storm. But the storm calls uncanny things.
UK www.amazon.co.uk/Her-Borrowed...
US www.amazon.com/Her-Borrowed...

A Flyer for the book Her Borrowed Grave. The cover shows a silhouetted figure walking over rain-washed cobbles. Behind them is a winged serpent set into an intaglio such as you might find in a signet ring.
Text Reads: Her Borrowed Grave. Ancient Magic collides with Modern Crime.
A massive boom carried metal clanging on metal, like a swordfight, accompanied by voices shouting insults in a language she didn’t quite catch. The noise grew louder, racing with the rushing water to where she sat. Dizziness swamped her as if she was moving rather than the sounds.
Water curled around them, like a sea serpent, pressing them together. The current so strong, she thought the surface under her would wash away and expose the old Roman road beneath the asphalt. Over the thunder, someone screamed.

@julietemckenna.bsky.social Oct 14, 2026, 10:11 AM

Book Quote Wednesday's word is 'voice' #BookQW #BookSky
When bad news travels at the speed of the fastest horse, getting further, accurate information is going to be a challenge.
Available in ebook, paperback and audiobook
from Angry Robot Books 27th October 2026
www.amazon.co.uk/Riven-Kingdo...

The Riven Kingdom cover art by Alice Claire Coleman is in the style of a stained glass window. Blue-green leaves and vines dotted with golden flowers coil around silver swords in panels on either side. These are topped with a golden sun on the left and a yellow crescent moon on the right. In the centre, rival hands stretch upwards trying to get hold of a crown that's just out of reach...

A crowd had already gathered in the square in front of the Horned God’s shrine. Some people were dressed for the bitter cold. Others had snatched up clothes closest to hand and would soon regret their haste. Lanterns and candles kindled in windows overlooking the square glowed golden with an illusion of warmth.
Beneath the great hammered silver crescent, the gate swung open. Shrine Father Memlin in his long black robes walked forward with a parchment in his hands. Jadewin noted the profusion of lead seals dangling from braided ribbons threaded through the document’s lower edge. Speculation scurried around the square.
‘That has to be news from Velasta.’ She instantly regretted speaking to Alory as anxious faces turned towards her. To her relief, Father Memlin raised his voice.
‘Good people of Hurat! A crown envoy has brought grievous tidings.’ The veteran priest shook his grey head, unable to deny this news. ‘I must tell you, with the most profound sorrow, that our beloved King Venais is dead. He died on the twenty-second day of the last Ice Moon.’

@scriblit.bsky.social Oct 14, 2026, 10:04 AM

Book Quote Wednesday & the word is VOICE. It's London, it's 1599, meet two of the most important voices on the theatre scene - Bill and Kit. Kit's been a zombie since 1593. It was a whole thing. From Cursed Under London #BookSky #BookQW Buying links: farragobooks.com/book-series/...

Quote from Cursed Under London. Quote reads: Bill raised a couple of ink-stained fingers in a half-wave of greeting. Before Fang could say anything to either of them, Kit reached across the table and grabbed Fang’s hand.
‘Bill writes and acts a bit for The Lord Chamberlain's Men.’ Lazare continued. ‘He’s the Romeo and Juliet guy, did you see Romeo and Juliet?’
Why was Lazare asking Fang if he went to the theatre as if that was something he’d have the time, energy and patience to bother with? He shook his head.
‘Ah! You should! It’s really sexy stuff.’
‘It’s a tragedy,’ interjected Bill in a plaintive voice.
‘A really sexy tragedy,’ continued Lazare, enthusiastically, ‘with a funny nursemaid. Now, Kit you must have heard of. He’s—-’
‘A genius,’ interjected Kit, before planting a firm kiss on the back of Fang’s hand.
‘I was going to say,’ added Lazare, ‘Faust. Tamburlaine. You know? Or you may have read some of his poems? Maybe his translations of Ovid?’
Kit flicked his remaining deep brown eye up to catch Fang’s gaze. ‘They’re deeply erotic,’ he told Fang before finally letting go of his hand. ‘Much sexier than Bloody Romeo.’
‘It’s not meant to be sexy, it’s meant to be sad,’ protested Bill, as Fang wiped Kit’s kiss-slobber off his hand.

@julietemckenna.bsky.social Oct 14, 2026, 9:59 AM

Book Quote Wednesday's word is 'voice' #BookQW #BookSky
Dan Mackmain usually thinks before he speaks, and even then he's a man of few words. Some people think he has nothing to say. That's a mistake.
For a wide range of UK and international purchase options - wizardstowerpress.com/books-2/book...

Cover art by Ben Baldwin for The Green Man's Debt by Juliet E McKenna. A grey wolf with pale eyes stands in the shadows of a derelict building with a black and white tiled floor. The wolf is looking straight at you. Its snarl reveals blood on its teeth and jaw.

Book extract reads: Somebody knocked twice on the side door, hard and loud. Conn frowned and took his phone out of his pocket. ‘Excuse me,’ he said after checking the screen.
I guessed he was looking at the security camera feed. Whoever was out there knocked again, much harder this time. Conn walked quickly back down the hallway. Fin and I followed him. Iris stood in the kitchen doorway, looking puzzled and holding the kettle.
Conn opened the door. ‘Yes?’
I couldn’t say exactly what I heard in his voice, but I knew I didn’t like it. I stepped behind him, so whoever was outside on the gravel could see that he had back-up. Maybe that wasn’t necessary. The unexpected visitors were two scruffy teenagers, each wearing a backpack.
The scowling boy had thick dark hair wrenched back with an elastic band. He shoved his hands deep into the front pockets of his ragged black hoodie. ‘Are you Conn O’Cleary?’ he demanded.

@benjeapes.bsky.social Oct 14, 2026, 8:48 AM

It's Book Quote Wednesday and the word is VOICE. Thousands of years ago the King was the god of this land. And here he is again in 21st century Salisbury. #bookqw #yafantasy #salisbury www.benjeapes.com/index.php/th...

Hear me read a longer extract at benjeapes.substack.com.

@shannaswendson.bsky.social Oct 7, 2026, 8:57 PM

It's #BookQW and this week we need a little "push." Like Katie might need when she sees a gargoyle on her way to a job interview in Enchanted, Inc. shannaswendson.com/writing/ench...

Enchanted, Inc. book cover showing a cartoon frog and fairy in business attire.
Quote: There was a gargoyle perched on the portico that sheltered the door, and I could have sworn I saw it wink at me as I gathered my nerves and stepped toward the door. I reached to push the door open, but before I touched it, it swung open on its own.