Nonfiction Feature: Women Thereapists on Healing by Susan Pease Banitt, LCSW #giveaway #bookreview #nonfiction #psychology #rabtbooktours @suepeasebanitt @RABTBookTours

 

11 Personal Essays about Overcoming Trauma

Psychology Nonfiction

Date Published: February 3rd, 2026

Publisher: Acorn Publishing

Women Therapists on Healing is a powerful anthology of personal essays from women therapists who know trauma from the inside out. This three-part collection braids lived experience with clinical wisdom, offering a compassionate lens on healing that crosses cultural, generational, and systemic boundaries.

Far beyond a typical guide to PTSD, this book challenges outdated narratives and sheds light on the effects of marginalized topics, such as chronic invisible illness, intergenerational trauma, racism, ritual abuse, and human trafficking.

This book will especially resonate with

●    women recovering from trauma

●    healers and advocates seeking growth and guidance

●    health professionals committed to trauma-informed and anti-racist practices

●    friends and family who love and support survivors

The diverse voices in these essays honor the arduous path of healing as a reckoning, a reclamation, and a sacred reminder that we do not walk alone.

Review

Women Therapists on Healing is a collection of personal essays written by women therapists who share their own experiences with trauma and healing. What makes this book stand out is that the writers aren’t just professionals talking about their clients, they’re also speaking from their own lived experiences.

Each chapter has a slightly different voice and story, which keeps it interesting. Some essays focus more on personal healing journeys, while others blend in professional insight about therapy and recovery. The themes of trauma, resilience, identity, and growth run throughout the book.

This isn’t a step-by-step self-help guide. Instead, it feels more like sitting down and listening to thoughtful, heartfelt stories from women who truly understand trauma from both sides of the therapy room.

A thoughtful and heartfelt collection that reminds readers that healing looks different for everyone.

About the Author

Award-winning author Susan Pease Banitt is a Harvard-trained psychotherapist and licensed clinical social worker with over thirty years of experience in the field. In her work, she integrates western therapy with holistic practices like yoga, Reiki, and Celtic shamanism.

Her acclaimed books, The Trauma Tool Kit and Wisdom, Attachment, and Love in Trauma Therapy, are essential reading for anyone seeking a compassionate path to healing complex trauma.

Based in Portland, Oregon, she continues her coaching and consulting work through Lotus Heart Counseling, and she shares bite-size wisdom on TikTok as “The Lightworker Whisperer.” In her downtime, she enjoys RVing, gardening, performing improvisational comedy, and spending time with family and friends.

 

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Thriller / Horror Feature: Campus of Shadows by Jo Loveday #thriller #psychological #horror #rabtbooktours @JoLoveday @RABTBookTours

A Psychic Battle for the Soul

 

Psychological Horror Thriller

Date Published: September 23, 2025

 

College is rough, but being possessed by a vengeful spirit who wants you to murder your old boss? That’s next-level.

Freshman year was supposed to be a fresh start. But between his party-animal roommate, mounting anxiety, and a creepy black vulture that keeps showing up at the worst possible times, he’s barely keeping it together.

Then the nightmares begin. The voices. The blackouts. And soon, he’s not sure if the darkness closing in is stress… or something else entirely. Something old. Something angry. Something that wants revenge and has chosen him to deliver it.

With his mind slipping, his only hope is a friend who refuses to give up on him… even when the person she’s fighting to save might already be gone.

 

About the Author 

Jo Loveday is the award-winning author of gripping psychological thrillers and chilling horror novels that will keep you up way past your bedtime with just enough romance to make your heart race for more than one reason. Her stories delve into the shadowy edges of the human psyche, exploring morality, madness, and the eerie unknown that lurks beneath the surface of everyday life.

With a background as a registered nurse, Jo brings both compassion and clinical insight to her work, offering an authentic and unsettling look into the human condition. Whether it's a slow descent into madness, a supernatural presence worming its way in, or a moral dilemma that haunts the characters long after the story ends, Jo’s writing grips you by the soul and stays with you long after you’ve turned the last page.

Born in the frosty tundra of Winnipeg, Canada, Jo eventually escaped the cold when a job offer in Florida lured her south. Now a dual citizen of Canada and the U.S., she divides her time between Florida, Georgia, and frequent pilgrimages to Winnipeg. You can find her lurking online at JoLoveday.com.

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Psychological Suspense Feature: Family Ties by Michele Packard #psychological #dark #suspense #rabtbooktours @aesopstories @RABTBookTours

Psychological Dark Suspense

Date Published: September 9, 2025

 

 When an unidentified patient is admitted to a psychiatric ward, her erratic behavior and cryptic journal entries leave the staff scrambling for answers. Fragmented tales of abandonment, conspiracy, and violence spill from her lips, blurring the line between reality and delusion.

Dr. Teresa Brock is determined to uncover the truth. But every clue she uncovers deepens the mystery, pulling her into a labyrinth of chilling revelations. Is the patient a victim of mental illness? A master manipulator? Or something far more dangerous?

 

About the Author

 

 Michele Packard writes like she talks—with just enough sarcasm to make you smirk and squirm at the same time. An award-winning, multi-genre author, Packard is best known for her snarky, high-stakes thrillers that blend conspiracy, chaos, and current events. But she’s not afraid to slow down the pace and get personal, especially when sharing stories that open conversations around mental health, addiction, and grief.

Her background? Military kid turned cable TV exec turned full-time mom—and now, full-throttle storyteller. Her family dubbed her "AESOP" for her tendency to exaggerate (okay, lie creatively), and she's proudly living up to the name. Whether she's writing fiction that reads like Bourne meets The Americans, or raw nonfiction that hits where it hurts, Packard keeps readers hooked with her wit, grit, and brutal honesty.

Her books have been recognized by the American Book Festival, BestThrillers.com, Pencraft Awards, and Writer’s Digest, among others. But her favorite accolades come from readers who say, “I stayed up all night reading,” or, “You put into words what I’ve felt for years.”

Follow her misadventures and latest releases at http://www.michelepackard.com or on Bookbub: Michele Packard.

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Horror Feature: Kill Beth by Jon Cohn #horror #psychological #bookreview #rabtbooktours @JonCohnAuthor @RABTBooktours

 

Horror/Psychological

Date Published: June 12, 2025

Publisher: Deadbolt Books

After a horrific incident fifteen years ago, theater director Mike O’Brien never planned to return to Seattle. But when his estranged best friend sends him a script he can’t ignore, Mike finds himself back in the city with a spotlight on his troubled past.

As rehearsals begin, so do the nightmares. Strange figures keep him up at night, the production is plagued by one horrific accident after another, and everywhere he goes he can’t help but see the same message: Kill Beth. The strange thing is, Mike doesn’t know anyone named Beth, or how he could ever be capable of killing anyone.

When his world descends into chaos, Mike has to ask if he’s being haunted by his past, or if there is some sinister force working behind the curtain to derail his life.

Review

It's eerie and mysterious. Has a great storyline that keeps the reader looking around corners and trying to figure out what comes next.

Throughout this read, I felt terror, suspense and wanting to go in there to help or warn the protagonists to be aware to not do what they are planning on doing to solve very horrifying situations.

Jon Cohn writes about darkness of the spirit, examining fallibility, frailty and weakness.

About the Author

Jon Cohn is a horror novelist and professional board game designer. His works include 2024 Indie Book Brawl Quarter-Finalist Slashtag, and the much less popular, but award winning novel The Island Mother. He gets his best ideas from a tarot reader who lives in Hawaii.

As a designer, Jon is very excited to finally be able to merge horror books and board games together by bringing Ghostland to life as a board game, coming to Kickstarter. He’s also designed games like Thanksgiving, co-designed with Eli Roth, Basket Case and Taboo Horror.

Order autographed books, and get updates for new games and upcoming novels at www.joncohnauthor.com. Sign up for Jon’s newsletter for free short stories and games, and follow at @joncohnauthor on Facebook, Instagram and TikTok .

Jon lives in San Diego with his supernaturally patient wifeDelaney, and their adorable dog, Miss Cordelia Chase.

He would also love to give you free stuff like stories, audiobooks, and games by signing up for his mailing list at www.joncohnauthor.com.

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Horror Feature: Kill Beth by Jon Cohn #horror #psychological #newrelease #newbooks #rabtbooktours @RABTBookTours @JonCohnAuthor

Horror/Psychological

Date Published: June 12, 2025

Publisher: Deadbolt Books

After a horrific incident fifteen years ago, theater director Mike O’Brien never planned to return to Seattle. But when his estranged best friend sends him a script he can’t ignore, Mike finds himself back in the city with a spotlight on his troubled past.

As rehearsals begin, so do the nightmares. Strange figures keep him up at night, the production is plagued by one horrific accident after another, and everywhere he goes he can’t help but see the same message: Kill Beth. The strange thing is, Mike doesn’t know anyone named Beth, or how he could ever be capable of killing anyone.

When his world descends into chaos, Mike has to ask if he’s being haunted by his past, or if there is some sinister force working behind the curtain to derail his life.

About the Author

Jon Cohn is a horror novelist and professional board game designer. His works include 2024 Indie Book Brawl Quarter-Finalist Slashtag, and the much less popular, but award winning novel The Island Mother. He gets his best ideas from a tarot reader who lives in Hawaii.

As a designer, Jon is very excited to finally be able to merge horror books and board games together by bringing Ghostland to life as a board game, coming to Kickstarter. He’s also designed games like Thanksgiving, co-designed with Eli Roth, Basket Case and Taboo Horror.

Order autographed books, and get updates for new games and upcoming novels at www.joncohnauthor.com. Sign up for Jon’s newsletter for free short stories and games, and follow at @joncohnauthor on Facebook, Instagram and TikTok .

Jon lives in San Diego with his supernaturally patient wifeDelaney, and their adorable dog, Miss Cordelia Chase.

He would also love to give you free stuff like stories, audiobooks, and games by signing up for his mailing list at www.joncohnauthor.com.

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Thriller Feature: A Voice in the Mind by Bruce M. Perrin #psychological #thriller #releaseday #newbooks #rabtbooktours @RABTBookTours

 

The Mind Sleuth Series

Psychological Thriller

Date Published: April 29, 2025

 

 

Randy Hutton had fallen on hard times. He had lost his management job in customer service, “a victim of technology” as his manager had put it during his exit interview. Randy, however, described it as being ousted by little more than a glorified answering machine.

His wife, Isabella Perez-Hutton, on the other hand, was the up-and-coming star at Breakthrough Systems, leading a project that would help artificially intelligent computer systems work with their human counterparts. All the smart machines needed, she reasoned, was a better understanding of the strengths—creativity, intuition—and limitations of their human coworkers.

The irony of the couple’s situation—she building better, faster, smarter technology—and him displaced by a simple form of it wasn’t lost on either of them. That irony, however, wasn’t the reason for the violence that surrounded Isabella at work—a suicide, a demolished lab, a murdered programmer. Rather, the justification for those acts came from a voice deep within Randy’s head, a voice that tormented him endlessly, making sleep impossible and retaliation against those who would destroy him his only sanctuary.

And although Isabella’s new friend, Nicole Veles, came to suspect Randy, would it make any difference? Because by the time she came to this position, husband and wife were deep in the Colorado wilderness and Randy had killing on his mind.

 

A Voice in the Mind is part of The Mind Sleuth Series

Find out more about all of the books in the series at

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0753HDYWF

About the Author

If you’re interested in what I’m like in something more detailed than what will fit in this space, I’d say, buy any of my books. That overly analytic guy (read geek) is me. OK, I’ve never saved the day like the heroes in my books, but we think alike. I’m interested in technology and psychology (my formal background) and enjoy writing about where they meet, now and in the future. In addition to pounding the keyboard, I like to tinker with home automation and I’m an avid hiker. When I’m not on the trails, you’ll find me at home with my wife and our dog in Aurora, CO.

 

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Horror Feature: Infernal Delights: A Dragon Soul Press Anthology #psychological #horror #excerpt #rabtbooktours @ReadersRoost @RABTBookTours

Psychological Horror

Date Published: January 16, 2025

Publisher: Dragon Soul Press

 

Zombies, reapers, and more monsters.

In a world where so many dark things go bump in the night, terror awaits around every corner as these authors take horror stories to the next level. Discover ghosts, demons, and your worst nightmares. Read at your own risk.

 

Featured stories by C.L. Hart, Mae Thorn, S.E. Reed, Kristen Argyres, Barend Nieuwstraten III, Demi Michelle Schwartz, Adele Liles, C.L. Storm, Benjamin Kurt Unsworth, Desirae Gracyn, Rob Nisbet, Anwen Redlake, Kat Craig, Gabriella Balcolm, Lianne Robinson, David O'Mahony, Andrew J. Lucas, Binod Dawadi, Daniel DiQuinzio, Arwyn Sherman, Stephen Johnson, Kelly Barker, and J.E. Feldman.

 

The Darkness Within

When does the time come to give up the fight?

 

When her husband leaves their hardscrabble homestead in the remote Arizona territory to pick up their daughter and granddaughter from the train station in Tucson,  Kine Šimonis is left alone to deal with the ghosts of her past. She knows from experience that humans are the worst of monsters, capable of committing actions with lifelong repercussions for the victim.

This story is based on a real incident in the author’s family.

 

Excerpt

 

“I’ll be back this afternoon, mijn liefje. Back home with our daughter and granddaughter. You and Hema will comfort one another, and spirited Miss Emina and I will enjoy adventures together. Things will be good now, you will see.”

Kine Šimonis regarded her husband standing near the door with an expectant look in his forest green eyes. Though time had weathered his face and turned his once-thick rusty brown hair silver, he still stood tall and powerful. Tygo Šimonis had an adventurous spirit and tended to look on the bright side of things. This rugged land was an ideal match for him. Although she was a sturdy woman with the physical stamina of someone half her age, Kine was not as well suited to her environment and circumstances.

A smile turned up the corners of Kine’s mouth but didn’t reach her eyes. She embraced her husband. She still loved him deeply. She didn’t blame him for the darkness inside her.

About the Author

C.L. Hart had a stormy start to her life. She was born at 6 A.M. the morning after Valentine’s Day in 1965 during a raging blizzard.

She has been a fan of horror and weird fiction for as long as she can remember. She used to read horror comics under the covers with a flashlight as a child.

She started reading Edgar Allan Poe when she was six years old. In her early teens, she discovered H.P. Lovecraft. She pretended to lose the copy of At the Mountains of Madness that she borrowed from the school library and paid the fine so she could keep the book.

Ms. Hart blames the team at Chaosium Role-Playing Games for renewing and strengthening her obsession with Lovecraft’s writing. She lives in a small town on the northeastern plains of Colorado in an appropriately old and storied house with her son and cats. She enjoys watching the normal people pass by as she records the happenings in the weird worlds of her imagination.

C.L. Hart writes poetry and nonfiction as Cara Hartley, and erotica as Lil DeVille.

http://naughtynetherworldpress.start.page

 

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Historical Thriller Feature: Memories of MK-Ultra by Bill Yarborough #comingofage #historical #thriller #rabtbooktours @BillYarborough3 @RABTBookTours

Coming of Age / Psychological /Historical Thriller / Metaphysical

 

 

Memories of MK-ULTRA traces the development of three siblings from their early childhood—marred by harrowing mind control experiences in the CIA’s MK-ULTRA program—through their coming of age during the turbulent 60s and into their early adulthood in the 1980s. As the story develops, an incredible chain of events uncover the dark forces shaping their lives . . . until an unexpected source of light appears.

 

About the Author

Bill Yarborough has enjoyed writing for many years. Manhattan Book Group will publish his debut novel, Memories of MK-ULTRA, in September 2024. The story is inspired by repressed memories from his young childhood where he, his brother, and his sister recall undergoing experiments of the CIA’s MK-ULTRA mind control program. Bill is also working on a sequel to his first novel, and his short story “Night Mother” was published by Prolific Press in an anthology of short stories, Jitter Issue # 8. Bill also co-authored emotional health articles in The Diablo Gazette Magazine, and he and his wife, Inge, are working on a book entitled EFT on Steroids.

 

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Thriller Feature: The Contraption by Barton Allen Stewart #bookreview #giveaway #psychological #thriller #rabtbooktours @BartStewart1 @RABTBookTours

 

 

Psychological Thriller

Date Published: 03/25/2024

Publisher:  Great Whale Books

 

 

The wedding was weeks away for two young lovers, who had counted themselves lucky to have found one another. Then, it was over, as one of them abruptly disappeared. Audrey was not abducted. Not exactly. She was not taken against her will. Rather, her will itself had been taken. Coerced and controlled. Deceived and derailed. Matthias cannot walk away from the catastrophe, though he has nothing to go on, and is in the dark beyond all personal darkness he has ever known . . .

The Contraption is a novel that deals with the challenges faced by a woman who has been recruited into a dangerous, coercive religious cult. Her fiancé is left not knowing even where she is. Her name has been changed and she has been relocated to another state. The cult, Church of the Mountain of Radiance, is an all-controlling psychological prison.

Review

This book had my interest from the beginning and never once lost my interest. The characters came together and it got interesting from the start which had me engrossed.

Stewart plays the ultimate mind game with chilling results. The twists keep coming. The danger is haunting, and the emotions are riveting.

About the Author

The author, Barton A. Stewart, is a long time student of the cult phenomenon, and literary fiction. The Contraption marries together his two long time interests. Stewart has lived all over the United States, is presently single, and currently calls Metro Boston home. His book will be among the most realistic fictional depictions of the kinds of things that can happen in cases like this. Avoiding the sensationalism of so many novels on this subject, Stewart offers a look into another world, which unfortunately exists in the here and now.

 

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Thriller Feature: Can't See Around Corners by Josie Townsend #psychologicalthriller #thriller #rabtbooktours @RABTBookTours

 

 

Psychological Thriller

Date Published: January 27, 2024

 

 

Two fraternal twins, Sharon and Annie are the only children of Edna and Warren Karce.

They are the future of the highly famed socialite dynasty.

The girls have graduated with honors and look forward to their trip to Europe.

The sisters' love for one another is obvious but a sinister force of malicious feelings dwells beneath their facade of shared contentment.

Once abroad and with their hypervigilant parents absent, treachery, deceit, and wickedness develop intensely between the girls, and their relationship advances into the vilest possible nightmare, changing their lives forever.

The discovery of an ancient, mysterious pendant formerly owned by Vlad, the Impaler from Dracula's Castle begins an epic spiral of demonic incidents that traumatize not only the twin girls lives while in Romania but has the ability to penetrate their family's existence back home in Australia.

How will the highly renowned family survive the unforeseen satanic entity, integrated with the discreditable exploits from the once idolized and respected daughters of the Karce Empire?

About the Author

Josie Townsend was born in regional NSW Australia, the eldest daughter of five children. She started writing at the age of 55yrs old and has self-published two manuscripts and a third on the way. At the young age of 21, Josie had a car accident and lost sight in her left eye, so as a vision-impaired writer it was even more difficult for her to write but she endeavour's to follow her heart's desires and keep moving forward in life. Even through her struggles, she believes in never letting life's hardships hold you hostage like you're its victim.

 

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Horror Feature: Brake Check by Gitte Tamar #horror #psychologicalthriller #darkfanatasy #rabtbooktours @brigittetamar @RABTBookTours

 

Horror, psychological thriller, dark fantasy, occult, fiction

Date Published: February 18, 2024

 

When winning turns deadly…

It's 1972. On a scorching summer day in North Carolina, the sight of Rut, the father of her child, cheating with the next-door neighbor, sends pregnant Loretta into labor. Amidst the chaos, she promises that her baby boy, Rich Richardson, will not follow in his father's footsteps as a loser, but become something much greater - a professional race car driver. Loretta leaves the hospital's entrance, filled with anticipation of a fresh start and dreams of her baby's prosperous future. However, the fairytale life she had sold herself quickly takes a dark turn, when she is left with no choice but to go back home to the child's waiting father. Driven by a sense of entitlement to fame and fortune, her impulsive decisions forever change her and her son's fate.

Are you ready to face the horrors that await?

Get your copy today and uncover the rollercoaster of frightening evil that lurks beneath a young man’s life of fame.

 

About the Author

Brigitte, "Gitte," Tamar was born in a small rural Oregon town. Growing up, she was enthralled by scary tales featuring poetic tones and consistently gravitated towards writing darkened narratives. In the different storylines, Brigitte explores the harsh realities of social issues faced by today's generations. This includes the dark outcomes brought on by peer pressure, addiction, homelessness, mental illness, childhood trauma, and abuse. She feels it is essential to share narratives that refrain from sugarcoating the topics society tends to shy away from.

 

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