Saturday, April 28, 2018

*Stacking the Shelves* 28 April 2018


(Titles link to Amazon via Amazon Affiliate links)

Stacking The Shelves is a feature/weekly meme created by Tynga’s Reviews in which you share the books you are adding to your shelves, both physical and virtual. This means you can include books you buy in physical stores or online, books you borrow from friends or the library, review books, gifts and of course ebooks!

Now, I already have a monthly post I do featuring the books I get in the mail (and it's a lot because I have a serious Goodreads First Reads giveaway addiction), and I'm posting my monthly Read-A-Thon posts again too, which covers the books I receive through Netgalley. And since I am currently technically a displaced person (all my things are packed up on a boat and I don't have a home to call my own at the moment), I'm not currently buying any physical books. So my STS post will feature all the books I've been one-clicking on Amazon. 

On that note, here are the books I picked up this week. All Goodreads First Reads ebook wins unless otherwise specified. 

A Wary Welcome: The History of US Attitudes Toward Immigration by Joanna Michal Hoyt
A Woman Scorned by Jack Jordan
Bandwith by Eliot Peper - I finally chose my Kindle First Reads book for the month and this was it. One of these days I'll decide on the first of the month rather than toward the end. 
Prince Charming by CD Reiss - I snagged this as a freebie (no longer free). I'm not sure exactly where I saw it on Facebook, but I know I saw it somewhere on Facebook. 
The Mitchell Family Series: Volumes 1-5 by Jennifer Foor - I got this beauty as a freebie (no longer free, but currently only 99 cents). I think it may have been a sponsored post by the author on Facebook, but maybe not. 
Let's Start a Revolution: How Movements Grow by L.J. Gomez
Hunting Dinosaurs: Tales of Fatherhood and Being a Son by Noah Blough
The Power of Vulnerability: How to Create a Team of Leaders by Shifting Inward by Barry Kaplan and Jeffrey Manchester
Teetering on Disaster by Michaela Renee
A Duke Like No Other by Valerie Bowman
Juliet Takes a Breath by Gabby Rivera - I snagged this audiobook for just $2.95 as an Audible Daily Deal. 
Beaver Coats and Guns: The Adventures of Radisson and Des Groseilliers by Richard Lapointe
No Less Days by Amanda G. Stevens
The Ericksen Connection by Barry Becker
Saabrina: Tanglewood by Seth Cohen
Disneyland For Lonely Hearts by Enne Hess - I snagged this as a freebie (no longer free) after it was shared by another member of the Sharks of Awesome (Penny Reid's Facebook Reader group). 
Hiding by Jenny Morton Potts
The Rising of Glory Land by Janie DeVos
Trials of the Mighty by Kenyon T. Henry
A Man of No Country by Gretta Curran Browne
Forever Entangled by Kathleen Brooks - I snagged this as a freebie (still free) after seeing it shared somewhere on Facebook. 
The Jaxon Jennings Series: Books 1-3 by Richard C. Hale - I snagged this as a freebie (no longer free, but only 99 cents). I'm not sure where I saw this book shared, but it was most likely Facebook. 
Bittersweet by Grace Augustine - I snagged this as a freebie (no longer free) after seeing it shared by the author on Facebook. 
Mystic Capers by Grace Augustine - I snagged this as a freebie (no longer free) after seeing it shared on Facebook. 
Sultry Sensations by Grace Augustine - I snagged this as a freebie (no longer free). 
Holiday Hide and Seek by Grace Augustine - I snagged this as a freebie (no longer free).
Richard's Relics by Grace Augustine - I snagged this as a freebie (no longer free). 
Holiday Promises by Grace Augustine - I snagged this as a freebie (no longer free).
Special Occasions by Grace Augustine - I snagged this as a freebie (no longer free). 
Chariot 3: Conception by R.C. Albertini
Common Sense 2.0: Fixing Congress in the Internet Age with Directed eDemocracy by Thomas Preusser 
A Toolcase for Language Learning by Nagi An
Guardian Angel by Anne Rouen
Spell Bound by Kenneth Niles
Plunge Into Darkness by Kristin N. Spencer
Running the Good Race: A Story of Faith, Ford and Fishing by Dennis Blue
Great Expectations by Charles Dickens - I got the Audible version of this during a 2 for 1 credit sale. 
Don Quixote by Miguel de Cervantes - I got the Audible version of this during a 2 for 1 credit sale.
The Hunchback of Notre Dame by Victor Hugo - I got the Audible version of this during a 2 for 1 credit sale. 
The Three Musketeers by Alexander Dumas - I got the Audible version of this during a 2 for 1 credit sale. 
The Brothers Karamazov by Fyodor Dostoyevsky - I got the Audible version of this during a 2 for 1 credit sale. 
The Once and Future King by T.H. White - I got the Audible version of this during a 2 for 1 credit sale. 
A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court by Mark Twain - I got the Audible version of this (narrated by Nick Offerman) during a 2 for 1 credit sale.
Roots: The Saga of an American Family by Alex Haley - I got the Audible version of this during a 2 for 1 credit sale. 
The Feminine Mystique by Betty Frieden - I got the Audible version of this during a 2 for 1 credit sale. 
Vanity Fair by William Makepeace Thackeray - I got the Audible version of this during a 2 for 1 credit sale. 
Freehold by Michael Z. Williamson - I got this book free (still free) after seeing a post from Jim Wright sharing an angry email he'd received from Williamson. I'd never even heard of this guy, but the post intimated that he was something of a big deal in Sci-fi (again, I'd never even heard of the guy and I like sci-fi). Since this book was free, I figured I might give it a shot at some point though. 

So that's all the books I snagged this week. Saving up my monthly Audible credits really paid off for me allowing me to get three-fifths of the ten classics I want to read by the time I'm 40 in audio and for a bargain price (although I may still want to actually read the books, but I'll figure that out later). 

What new books have you added to your shelves this past week? - Katie 

*If you're stopping by from the linkup, please be sure to leave a link to your post below so I can stop by and check out all your new pretties.*

Friday, April 27, 2018

*Book Blogger Hop* 27 April 2018



We are on to a new week for the Book Blogger Hop hosted by the lovely folks over at Ramblings of a Coffee Addicted Writer. This weeks questions is:
Have you ever thought of writing a respectful, but angry letter to an author to ask them WHY they killed off one of your favorite characters in a novel? (submitted by Maria @ A Night's Dream of Books)
So I answered this question back in January when it was originally scheduled because I'd pre-built posts to get me through moving and didn't notice the question had been changed until it was too late. But that was a few months ago, so I'm going to go ahead and answer it again.

Quite simply, no. For one thing, most of the time when an author kills off a character, even if it's one of my favorites, I can understand why they did it. I may not be happy about it, but I can understand why it happened. I don't need to ask the author, they made it clear through the course of the story. But beyond that, I think it's kind of presumptuous to send an angry letter to an author about the choices they made for their stories.

Granted, I don't send letters to authors when I'm super happy with what they did in their books either. I kind of figure that they have more important things to do, like write books, than read my emails.

So what about you? Have you ever thought of writing a letter to an author asking why they killed a favorite character? - Katie

*If you're stopping by from the linkup, please be sure to leave a link to your post below so I can stop by and see your answer too.*

Thursday, April 26, 2018

*Deja Revu* 23 April 2018

Picture
Déjà Revu is a weekly review round-up that is open to all book review blogs.
Picture
Meme
 
Picture
Contemporary
Paranormal
Romance
 
Picture
Romance
 
Picture
Contemporary
General Fiction
Historical
Non-Fiction
 
Picture
Suspense/Thriller
 

Monday, April 23, 2018

*Top Ten Tuesday* Common Images for Holocaust Books


Top Ten Tuesday is a meme hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl. Joood - Hooligan of Platypire reviews bossed me into doing this, so I guess this is a thing I do now. 

This weeks theme is frequently used words in "pick a genre" titles, but I'm tweaking it a little bit. You see, while I was trying to decide what genre to feature this week, I couldn't come up with anything I felt was very original. But I started thinking about common cover themes and had a lightbulb moment. So I'm going to focus on common cover themes for books about the Holocaust.

Barbed Wire

Barbed wire on a book cover is usually a pretty good sign that it's a book I'm going to want, even if the title doesn't make it clear that I'm looking at a Holocaust related book. 



Five Chimneys by Olga Lengyel // Four Perfect Pebbles by Lila Perl and Marion Blumenthal Lazan 
The Hiding Place by Corrie Ten Boom


The Sugar Men by Ray Kingfisher // Born Survivors by Wendy Holden // Eveline by Mac Chaz

Black & White or Sepia Photos

When I see a cover featuring a black and white or sepia image, it's a cue for me to at least check the blurb. This one isn't a guarantee, but it's a good sign to at least check the blurb for me. 


My Hidden Childhood by Catherine Bruce Ott // I Carried Them With Me by Sara Lumer
Among the Reeds by Tammy Bottner

Star of David

This one should probably be a given, all things considered, but it still fits my theme. 


We Are Witnesses by Jacob Boas // Suzy's Holocaust Story by Frederick D. Lipman
It Happened in Italy by Elizabeth Bettina

Swastikas

This one is a clear giveaway that you're dealing with WWII at the very least, which is usually enough to get me to one-click anyway. 


Claiming My Place by Planaria Price and Helen Reichmann West // We Spoke Out by Rafael Medoff and Craig Yoe
In My Hands by Irene Gut Opdyke

While those are the major themes I notice on covers of books relating to the Holocaust, some other often used images include train tracks, diary pages, and watchtowers. And if you pay attention, you'll notice that some of the covers display more than one major symbol. 

Is there a common theme you've noticed for covers of a certain type of book? - Katie 

*If you're stopping by from the linkup, please be sure to drop a link to your post so I can see how you handled this weeks theme.*

Sunday, April 22, 2018

*Review* Damned by Alexandrea Weis and Lucas Astor


Genre: Romantic Suspense
Published: October 3, 2017
Pages: 352


Over a hundred years after the death of Magnus Blackwell, Altmover Manor sits abandoned. Determined to rescue the neglected Mount Desert Island landmark, a well-known architect purchases the once grand home.

Will Bennet and his fiancée—the quirky and stubborn Lexie Arden—want to make Altmover Manor their showplace. But Magnus has other plans. 

A spirit bound to his former residence, Magnus finds himself inexplicably drawn to the young woman. She has a supernatural gift; a gift Magnus wants to exploit to end his purgatory.

As Lexie and Will settle in, secrets from Magnus’s past begin to surface. Compelled to learn all she can about the former owner, Lexie finds herself drawn into a world of voodoo, curses, and the whereabouts of a mysterious dragon cane.

It soon becomes clear Magnus’s sins won’t be so easily forgotten. What Lexie unearths about his road to redemption is going to change the future … for both of them.


I was hired to proofread this book. The only aspects of the story that I influenced were the spelling and grammar. If you feel that my connection to the book makes my review untrustworthy, so be it, but this is my honest review.

I did not enjoy this book as much as I enjoyed Blackwell, however that is due almost entirely to the fact that this is contemporary and Blackwell is historical. Historical fiction will win out with me pretty much any day of the week. I was actually a little sad when I started reading this manuscript and realized that it wouldn't be another historical fiction. In spite of that, I still enjoyed the ride, and what a ride it was. 

What started out as a story about a creepy, haunted, rundown mansion turned into a quest for a missing cane with a lot of power. The mystery involved in finding the missing cane kept me flipping pages just to see how things would turn out. I got a few more glimpses into the past, which pleased me. Overall, this was a fun journey with a bit of spice thrown in for good measure. 

I'd give Damned 4.87654321 stars. - Katie 




Alexandrea Weis is an advanced practice registered nurse who was born and raised in New Orleans. Having been brought up in the motion picture industry, she learned to tell stories from a different perspective and began writing at the age of eight. Infusing the rich tapestry of her hometown into her award-winning novels, she believes that creating vivid characters makes a story memorable. A permitted/certified wildlife rehabber with the Louisiana Wildlife and Fisheries, Weis rescues orphaned and injured wildlife. She lives with her husband and pets in New Orleans. 
Newsletter sign up: http://eepurl.com/czfZYD
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Alexandrea-Weis/289566081083949
Twitter: https://twitter.com/alexandreaweis
Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/1211671.Alexandrea_Weis
Website: http://www.alexandreaweis.com/

*Review* A Very Mer-Merry Holiday by Ginna Moran


Genre: YA/Holiday
Published: December 5, 2017
Pages: 


All Ava Adair wants for Christmas is an uneventful holiday season with her merman mate, Carter Stevens. But when her family plans a tropical Christmas vacation to the Whitsunday Islands in Australia, Ava must break mermaid tradition and relocate all the merpeople in the sea down under to celebrate Summer Solstice instead of the much anticipated Winter Solstice.

Luckily for the new mermaid queen, merpeople can adapt. Instead of snow angels and hot chocolate by the fire, Ava gets a deserted island full of brazenly transformed merpeople who refuse to stay submerged in the ocean, forcing her to call upon the sea for protection. After Ava’s ocean magic causes a boat to sink offshore, she must figure out how to save an unsuspecting human family from a fatal fate while hosting the best solstice she can. It doesn’t help that her human family wants her to remain on land. Uniting the traditions of land and sea proves harder than Ava anticipates, and she must step up as the mermaid the ocean chose her to be—or be deemed the destroyer of all holiday cheer.


I was hired to proofread this book. In addition to that, I helped Ms. Moran with some plot brainstorming in the early stages, so my review may be a bit biased (because I LOVE what she did with my ideas). 

This is a story that, with a slightly different focus I could see being made into a Hallmark Christmas movie. I say this because Hallmark movies really require a budding romance, and Ava and Carter are pretty solidly coupled for the whole story. That's absolutely authentic for the series and I would have been quite upset if there was trouble in that paradise, but it wouldn't make for a good Hallmark movie. Otherwise, it has pretty much all of the things I expect from a Hallmark movie, so if you're looking for something a little bit cheesy and heartwarming, this definitely suits.

I have been with Carter and Ava since the beginning of their relationship, so I was already emotionally invested in this story. This made it really easy for me to get into the story and kept me flipping the pages. I was excited to see how Ava would handle the combined holiday celebrations, and I was not disappointed.

While you don't have to read the other books in this series to enjoy this story, I think you'd probably find it infinitely more enjoyable if you do. Overall I give A Very Mer-Merry Holiday 5.000000012 stars. - Katie 



Ginna Moran is the author of an array of both paranormal and contemporary young adult novels including the Demon Within, Falling into Fame, and Spark of Life series. 

She started writing poetry as a teenager in a spiral notebook that she still has tucked away on her desk today. Her love of writing grew after she graduated high school and she completed her first unpublished manuscript at age eighteen.

When she realized her love of writing was her life’s passion, she studied literature at Mira Costa College in Northern San Diego. Besides writing young adult novels, she was senior editor, content manager, and image coordinator for Crescent House Publishing Inc. for four years.

Aside from Ginna’s professional life, she enjoys binge watching television shows, playing pretend with her daughter, and cuddling with her dogs. Some of her favorite things include chocolate, anything that glitters, cheesy jokes, and organizing her bookshelf.

Ginna is currently hard at work on her next novel.
SaveSave

Saturday, April 21, 2018

*Mail Call* Non-P.O. Box Deliveries 2014-2017

Although it didn't happen often, there were occasionally books that I won that could not be delivered to a PO Box...and since my only US mailing address while living in Germany was just that, I had to use an alternate address for those books. Luckily for me, my parents are awesome and allowed me the use of their physical address and even kept the books somewhat gathered until I returned to the states.  And I realize that I should probably feel guilty about the books that were delivered to my parents house (especially the ones from the early days), but I have won so many books through Goodreads giveaways as it is that I still haven't read that were delivered to me in Germany, that the odds of me having read any of the ones delivered to my parents house were pretty slim to begin with. But let's check out those books now, shall we? (I have broken up the group photos so that the book covers will be easier to see.)


Temptation Bay by Anna Sullivan

Photo Credit: Goodreads
Synopsis

Anna Sullivan brings us the first book in her witty new contemporary romance series set off the coast of Maine. 

Temptation Never Tasted So Sweet...

Maggie Solomon has always been one of Windfall Island's favorite daughters. A beautiful, passionate charter pilot who loves this remote Maine island, Maggie has never cared much for outsiders—until her latest passenger arouses the curiosity of the town . . . and something hot and irresistible in Maggie. With his long, lean looks and razor-sharp wit, the man is temptation itself.

Cop-turned-PI Dexter Keegan is on a covert mission to solve the case that will make his career: uncovering the identity of the Stanhope heir, kidnapped nearly a century ago. No one on this fiercely protective island can know what he's doing, not even the spirited, blue-eyed beauty who infuriates—and excites—Dex. As the desire between them ignites, Maggie becomes the key to the case . . . and the target of an unknown enemy. Now Dex will do anything to protect the woman he's come to love—even risk his own life.


Horses of the Dawn: The Escape by Kathryn Lasky

Photo Credit: Goodreads

Synopsis

Get ready for a wild run in bestselling author Kathryn Lasky's brand-new middle grade animal fantasy series.

The horses are in danger. They were rounded up by the two-legs and forced onto a boat to cross the wide ocean. The journey went badly and the boat was deemed too heavy, so the two-legs forced the horses into the sea and sailed away, leaving the herd to die in the deep.

By a miracle, the horses survived and made it to land. All but one -- the ghost horse, the leader of the pack. Now it's up to her daughter, only a filly, to take charge of the terrified herd. Stranded in a new land, surrounded by two-legs, will the horses find a way to live safe and free?





Beware of Boys by Kelli London

Photo Credit: Goodreads
Synopsis

Reality TV stardom gets way too personal for Charly St. James when three of the world's hottest heartthrobs want her to be their dream come true...

Now that Charly's a star, she wants to give back any way she can. So she's made The Extreme Dream Team's newest mission to help three sizzling celebs' charitable foundation build a super swanky retreat for teen girls who've battled an illness. But keeping things running smoothly is next to impossible when too many ideas--and egos--collide. . .

Handsome singer Mēkel is dazzling Charly with a chance to join the glitterati. Boxer Lex has powerful hood moves and charm she can't resist. And hanging around movie heartthrob Faizon has Charlie feeling movie magic. The harder Charly struggles to keep things on track, the more they're coming apart--especially when her kinda boyfriend and co-star, Liam, starts competing for her attention. Now, Charly needs to figure out fast what--and who--she really wants most. . .



The Dreams of a Dying God by Aaron Pogue

Photo Credit: Goodreads
Synopsis

Book One of The Goldanders War trilogy. Previously published as Oberon’s Dreams.

Even for a charismatic pirate, three years is a long time to chase after an unimaginable treasure hidden in the ruins of an ancient city. But when the fabled riches turn out to be virtually worthless, the outraged crew mutinies and leaves their former captain for dead.

He is rescued by a mysterious king and transported back to a time of dwarves, druids, and fairies. Enchanting as it is, though, his only wish is to return home and find justice—but only the king has the power to return him . . . for a price.

Aided by a new and motley group of mystical creatures and misfits, he sets out on his quest, ultimately getting caught up in a war he wants nothing to do with—and in the process changing the course of history itself.

The Dreams of a Dying God is an action-packed, richly imagined adventure fantasy from the author of The Dragonprince trilogy.


Cash-Cow Casa by Kathryn Alesandrini

Photo Credit: Goodreads

Synopsis

A quick read for distressed homeowners looking to find a few ways to make their house earn its keep among the 51 examples set by other homeowners. Cash cow casa owners are making: *$33,000/yr from vacation rentals, *$13,000/yr renting a spare room as a virtual B&B, *$2,000/day to host a music video, *$600/mo from car sharing. The big MOOlah Makers rake in over $100,000 a year while remaining in their homes! Cash Cow Casa owners share: • Detailed income figures they’ve received • Insider info about pitfalls to avoid • Websites that connect you to opportunities • Top Do’s & Don’ts based on experience • Dozens of ways to cash in on your crib. Virtually every homeowner can find at least a couple of ideas in these pages that they can use to generate cash.







Temporary Bliss by BJ Harvey

Photo Credit: Goodreads
Synopsis

Makenna Lewis cringes at any mention of the word commitment. She doesn’t want or need a relationship, but she does like sex (who doesn't). 

That explains Noah, Sean, and Zander, her three 'friends with benefits'. 

They know the score, they know they're not the only one, and each of them provide her with a different physical need that she craves and enjoys. 

Until a late night encounter with the delicious Daniel Winters turns her preconceived notion of no-commitment completely on its head. 

Soon she finds herself feeling things she vowed never to feel again, and when Daniel pushes for more than she’s willing to give, she falters. 

What do you do when something that you’ve known to be so wrong in the past feels so damn right?

If you’re Mac, you run and hide. 

But is Daniel the type of man who takes no for an answer?

*Disclaimer - There is absolutely no cheating in this book. However, this book does contain descriptive and super hot sex scenes that will make you blush and leave you hot and bothered. Make sure you have your husband, partner, boyfriend or significant other nearby when reading, or else batteries. Lots and lots of batteries*


Masked Innocence by Alessandra Torre

Photo Credit: Goodreads
Synopsis

The man was sinful. It wasn't just the looks that made him dangerous, it was the cocky confidence that dominated every move, every touch. And the frustrating yet ecstatic fact about the whole package was that he could back it all up... 

Julia Campbell never knows what to expect with win-at-all-costs Brad De Luca. And she's starting to like it that way. She gave up safe, conventional relationships when she let the elite divorce attorney seduce her into his world. Now that he's determined to strip her naked of every inhibition, she's in danger of falling too deep and too fast. 

But their affair begins to feel even more dangerous when a murder leaves a trail of suspicion that points straight to the mob...and Brad. Trusting a man with a bad reputation and a past full of secrets seems like a mistake. But when she's forced to make a choice, the consequences will take her further than she could ever have imagined.



Seeing the Voice of God by Laura Harris Smith

Photo Credit: Goodreads
Synopsis

God is always speaking . . . even when He doesn't use words.
We live in a post-verbal society that communicates through images--television, smartphones, the Internet--and our Creator longs to communicate with us visually if we'll live with our eyes wide open.

With absorbing insight, Seeing the Voice of God demystifies nighttime dreams and daytime visions, revealing the science behind the supernatural and giving you a biblical foundation for making sense of what you see. You'll also:

- learn to discern if what you see is from God

- study the ten most common types of dreams

- discover spirit, mind, and medical tips for better dream recall

- interpret dream symbols and imagery

- review the best iPhone and Android sleep cycle apps

Includes a comprehensive Dream Symbols Dictionary with over 1,000 biblical definitions.


Andrew's Brain by E.L. Doctorow

Photo Credit: Goodreads
Synopsis

This brilliant new novel by an American master, the author ofRagtime, The Book of Daniel, Billy Bathgate, and The March, takes us on a radical trip into the mind of a man who, more than once in his life, has been an inadvertent agent of disaster.

Speaking from an unknown place and to an unknown interlocutor, Andrew is thinking, Andrew is talking, Andrew is telling the story of his life, his loves, and the tragedies that have led him to this place and point in time. And as he confesses, peeling back the layers of his strange story, we are led to question what we know about truth and memory, brain and mind, personality and fate, about one another and ourselves.







The Shire by Glen Swartwout

Photo Credit: Goodreads
Synopsis

Dr. Glen Swartwout brings Glendalf's healing wizardry to life assisting visitors and newcomers to The Shire, and other inhabitants of Middle-earth, whether they are planning a trip to his community, The Shire, in Pahoa, Hawaii, in body or just in spirit. This book serves as a guide to the remarkable energies of a land that is literally at the heart chakra of the planet, located near 19.47 degrees latitude on the slopes of Earth's largest and most active volcano. Based on decades of practice as a healing artist, and couched quaintly in terms of the Elven understanding of the world, this book is actually a manual for accelerated self healing, spiritual growth, and reconstruction of a culture of life. Extensive sections introduce the Five Elements of Traditional Chinese Medicine (China also knows its-elf as the middle country) as they play out in the landscape of Hawaii's East Rift Zone. Allies are introduced from the plant and mineral kingdoms, but from a fresh perspective that will broaden the horizons of every reader. This book really is a journey to Middle-earth... and back again! But now I really must put my pen aside, or risk missing elevensies!



I'll Take you There by Greg Kot

Photo Credit: Goodreads
Synopsis

This is the untold story of living legend Mavis Staples—lead singer of the Staple Singers and a major figure in the music that shaped the civil rights era. One of the most enduring artists of popular music, Mavis and her talented family fused gospel, soul, folk, and rock to transcend racism and oppression through song. Honing her prodigious talent on the Southern gospel circuit of the 1950s, Mavis and the Staple Singers went on to sell more than 30 million records, with message-oriented soul music that became a soundtrack to the civil rights movement—inspiring Martin Luther King, Jr. himself.

Critically acclaimed biographer and Chicago Tribune music critic Greg Kot cuts to the heart of Mavis Staples’s music, revealing the intimate stories of her sixty-year career. From her love affair with Bob Dylan, to her creative collaborations with Prince, to her recent revival alongside Wilco’s Jeff Tweedy, this definitive account shows Mavis as you’ve never seen her before. I’ll Take You There was written with the complete cooperation of Mavis and her family. Readers will also hear from Prince, Bonnie Raitt, David Byrne, and many others whose lives have been influenced by Mavis’s talent.


Try Not to Die at Grandma's House by Mark Tullius and Anthony Sapak

Photo Credit: Goodreads


Synopsis

It’s Grandma’s House – quiet, cozy, nestled on a little mountain in West Virginia. What could possibly go wrong? A lot, actually. 
So watch your back. Choose wisely. One misstep will get you and your little sister killed. 

To survive, you’ll battle creatures, beasts, and even your grandparents as you unravel the mystery of your older brother’s death in this interactive, graphic novel.








Today is the Day by Bil Cornelius

Photo Credit: Goodreads


Synopsis

We all have dreams God has placed in our hearts, but many things keep us from fulfilling them. Fear of failure, insecurity about our financial situation, self-doubt, and more erode those ambitions until they are little more than pipe dreams. But Bil Cornelius is here to tell readers that today is the day they are going to start reaching their full potential and fulfilling their dreams. 

With upbeat encouragement, Cornelius motivates readers to make their dreams reality by helping them set goals, focus their time and energies, develop their unique gifts, steep everything in prayer, and take action that God will bless. Readers will be challenged and inspired to achieve all that God has set in their hearts--starting now!





Finding Trust by Natalie Gayle

Photo Credit: Goodreads
Synopsis

Brayden and Rihanna

He’s hot, sexy, and leads a double life. Sometimes in the limelight, mostly in the shadows. Brayden James holds fast to a secret that’s more than his to share. 

She’s a singularly focused veterinarian out for a rare night of fun with friends, at a New Year’s Eve rock concert. Going home with the lead guitarist was furthest thing from Rihanna Mason’s mind when the night began.

When Rihanna inadvertently becomes the target of a deadly terrorist plot using the Hendra virus as a biological weapon, Brayden is forced to reveal his other life. His job is to keep her safe and together they must stop the terrorists before it’s too late. But what happens when she becomes more to him than just the assignment?

Will the secret he cannot disclose ultimately prove too much for Rihanna’s fragile trust in relationships? Or will he finally break through the double brick walls around her heart, where every other man has failed?


Finding Olivia by Micalea Smeltzer

Photo Credit: Goodreads
Synopsis

How far would you go to find yourself?

That’s the question that’s been haunting Olivia Owens for years.

All Olivia has ever wanted to do is live and make mistakes, but her preacher father has made that impossible. She believes that her years at college will be her ticket into the real world and her chance to be wild and spontaneous.

But she’s never been able to do it on her own.

At the start of her sophomore year, she only has four things crossed off her Live List, but that’s all about to change thanks to a chance encounter with Trace Wentworth. She’s about to learn that there’s more to this reformed bad boy than just his looks and panty dropping smile.

Trace can’t explain what it is that draws him to Olivia.

All he knows is that he wants to get to know the girl with the sad smile but sparkle in her eyes.

When she tells him about her list, he knows that this is his chance to get to know Olivia Owens. Trace is determined to show Olivia that she can do all the things she’s ever wanted to do. So, he begins to help her cross things off her list, even the more outlandish requests.

What happens along the way is more than what Olivia or Trace ever expected.

Love, laughs, and a list.

That’s the name of the game when you’re Finding Olivia.


Jack by Tova Dian Dean

Photo Credit: Goodreads
Synopsis

Life is pretty simple in the town of Foison Surrounded, a tiny bygone desert mining town in California whose total population needle comes to rest at just a couple dozen or so. Its current claim to fame is an unusual rock formation known as the Numinous Vortex, a questionable source of healing and renewal that calls to the occasional tourist. It is a place where expectations for Jack are low and he meets them—but just barely—so that he remains under the radar of his small town’s inhabitants. The only true contemporary and friend he has is Evonal, the orphaned daughter of rich, eccentric artists, who calls Foison Surrounded home and has since she was a child. They grew up together, and that relationship will come in awfully handy when Jack discovers an enormous cache of gold. When Jack inadvertently plants noxious seeds, a strange plant grows overnight. Its fruit proves irresistible and some of the residents immediately distill it into wine. Soon enough word about the delectable offering spreads and in combination with the Numinous Vortex’s already nominal luring power, Foison Surrounded quickly becomes a hotbed for tourist activity. The sudden influx of economic opportunities, however, threatens to overrun the residents, many of whom live there for the isolation and peace. As the situation deteriorates and neighbor is pitted against neighbor while gold fever consumes Jack and his life, he finds himself in an unlikely predicament: reclaim the quiet life he once had and in so doing reclaim his self, or hoard his golden nuggets…alone.


Moore to Lose by Julie A. Richman

Photo Credit: Goodreads
Synopsis

Continuing the fight for their happily ever after that began in Searching for Moore, Schooner Moore and Mia Silver struggle to overcome the ghosts and baggage they accumulated during their time apart.

Exploring the missing 24 years when they were separated, Moore to Lose follows Mia's journey from heartbroken teen to kickass businesswoman to her emotional reunion with Schooner and the exploration of the love that was ripped from them.

But is their love really strong enough to overcome the damage of those missing 24 years or will they continue to be ripped apart by pasts that can't be changed?

This is Book 2 in the Needing Moore Series trilogy. This is not a stand alone book. It is meant to be read after Searching for Moore. Book 3 - Moore than Forever releases February 21, 2014.



Searching for Moore by Julie A. Richman

Photo Credit: Goodreads
Synopsis

I lost the love of my life when she disappeared without even a goodbye. 
It was the 80’s – there was no internet, no Google, no cell phones. 
If you wanted to disappear, you could. 
And she did. 
She crushed my soul. 
A friend just told me he saw her on Facebook. 
And now I’m a keystroke away from asking her the question that’s haunted me for two decades. 
“Why did you leave me?” 

Two decades after she broke his heart, sexy entrepreneur Schooner Moore uncovers the truth and betrayal his life has been built on when he Facebook friend requests college love, Mia Silver. Determined to win Mia’s love once again, Schooner embarks on a life-altering journey that could cost him everything. 




A Beautiful Mess by T.K. Leigh

Photo Credit: Goodreads
Synopsis

A USA Today Bestselling Series... She can't remember her past. He has the key to unlock her memories. Can he protect her from the shadows threatening to destroy everything?

Olivia Adler is a woman with a troubled past. After losing her parents early in life, she refuses to grow attached to anyone. For the past decade, she has been able to remain unattached to any man... Until Alexander Burnham walks into her life one night and changes everything. But he has demons of his own...demons that could turn her world upside-down.

Will Olivia allow Alexander close enough to protect her from a force threatening her very existence? Or will she push him away and guard her heart instead?






Striving for Normal by B.L. Mooney

Photo Credit: Goodreads
Synopsis

Normal. It was a relative term, or so I thought.

After a relationship from hell that almost killed me, I didn’t want another man in my life. A job, a home, and great friends were all I needed.

Simple.

Uncomplicated.

Until two men interrupted the calm I was pretending to be.

One could take me to the future—a future I never dared to dream I could have. A man who gave me a chance to smile and fix the mistakes I’d made. But, I shouldn’t get a second chance at a happily ever after. 

The other would take me back to the past—a past I didn’t want but was all I knew. After losing the most important thing in my life, I didn’t deserve more than that.

Faced with choices I didn’t see coming, I knew I had to make a decision. Be thrust forward into a new life, or be held prisoner of bad choices from my old one. I was terrified of both.



Guardian by Sara Mack

Photo Credit: Goodreads
Synopsis

True love never dies.
Emma Donohue begs to differ.

When a late night accident claims the love of her life, Emma secludes herself in memories of James. In his sandy brown hair and clear blue eyes. In their innocent first kiss and declarations of love. In their plans for a life together after college. But happy dreams can’t rid her of the guilt she carries. She can’t erase her actions the night he died. She can’t erase her reaction at his funeral. And she can’t erase the hollow void that fills her chest and consumes her heart.

The first time Emma hears James’ voice, she’s astounded. It sounds as if he’s standing right beside her, and she fears her shattered heart is trying to drive her mad. But, as she continues to hear the voice, she finds comfort in it. With the help of her best friend Shel and handsome newcomer Dane, she tries to move forward and start living again.

Until the voice in her head turns out to be more. So much more.

You know what they say.
True love never dies.


Coming Home by B.L. Mooney

Photo Credit: Goodreads
Synopsis

Rebecca Shultz has always known she was adopted. She couldn’t have chosen better parents than the ones that chose her. They’ve always made her feel loved and she’s never wanted for anything—except knowing why she was given up in the first place. Until she finds those answers, Rebecca feels as though she’s stuck in her past.

In the hopes of finding those answers, she accepts a job hundreds of miles away from the only home she’s ever known. However, not everyone is happy about her arrival. Someone wants her to give up the search and go back to her small town.

What Rebecca didn’t expect to find was Ryan Thomas. No one understands the attractive ad executive the way Rebecca does. He would rather spend his free time playing baseball with the kids in the same group home where he once lived than spend it with anyone that wants to take him away from there. Rebecca understands that these kids deserve a chance. Will Ryan be able to convince her to take one with him?

With Ryan distracting Rebecca with feelings she’s never felt before, roadblocks popping up that keep her from the answers to her past, and someone desperately trying to get her to leave, will she give up before her questions are answered? Will she stay and fight to find the truth? Or will she find that she already has everything she ever needed and that home can be anywhere you want it to be?


Misadventures by Talmadge Walker

Photo Credit: Goodreads
Synopsis

Nineteen short stories by Talmadge Walker, some sci-fi, some historical, some humorous, some sad. 

In “Independent Study” an English Lit student travels in time to meet Geoffrey Chaucer. A dinner menu creates havoc for interstellar diplomats in “Dinnertime.” Two people manage to beat the system in a futuristic corporate police state in “On Ice.” And in “In the Air” a hermit tries to cope when the earth is invaded by bumbling bureaucrats from out space. 

A poorly-named ladies’ man can’t seem to stay out of trouble in “The Timely Disappearance of Van Dorn Sickles Smith.” In “Kunu-Ri” two buddies from Turkey try to stay alive in Korea. Bob Marley’s ghost helps a reggae star avoid temptation in “A Christmas Carol in Kingston.” In “Gilead” a young woman seeks to find meaning after a tragic auto accident. An age-old struggle is re-enacted in a boxing ring in “The Title.” In “Desert Vision” Antoine de Saint-Exupery finds inspiration in desert hallucinations. In “Incident along the Somme” a British soldier struggles to survive between the trenches. And some deacons are confronted with an unspeakable confession in “Confession.” 

In “William Wiley Prickett” Confederate prisoner-of-war tries to find a way home. A father-to-be covers up a sad secret in “Love and Little White Lies.” In “Grandmother” an aging woman in Alabama rejects racism. And a grandmother in Virginia seeks a way to reach out to her husband suffering from dementia in “Calling Ruby.”


Minutes of Brilliance, Moments of Madness by Aaron Boxley

Photo Credit: Goodreads




Synopsis

Poetry that captures your imagination and paints murals of tormented souls, haunting pasts, and enlightened spirits. Whether it be the fascinating tales of the Evil Easter Bunny or the dark, twisted, and sorrowful mournings of beings, you will be transported vividly into a world where the pictures are as perverse as the words.









The Book of Death by Army Tadros

Photo Credit: Goodreads
Synopsis

The Occidental Union rules the world. A stifling ideology combining scientism with collectivism is embraced as the answer to society's troubles. In the pursuit of progress, perfection, and equality, the State controls every aspect of life.

But reality differs from the State-forged statistics, and the State-planned society is not perfect. The people inhabit a world where one Administration, one company, and one trade union drain the life out of everyone. It is a society where State-suckled mobs prowl the streets and terrify their victims into submission. Darkness shrouds the lands. Death haunts the living. Despair taints everything. And after decades of decay, the State is now perishing.

In a final act of desperation, a man visits the last State-free bastion and stumbles across a horrifying secret. He then embarks on a journey that will test his mind, body, and soul. Yet will he find salvation or damnation at the end of his struggle?



Into the Free by Julie Cantrell

Photo Credit: Goodreads
Synopsis

Just a girl. The only one strong enough to break the cycle.
In Depression-era Mississippi, Millie Reynolds longs to escape the madness that marks her world. With an abusive father and a “nothing mama,” she struggles to find a place where she really belongs.

For answers, Millie turns to the Gypsies who caravan through town each spring. The travelers lead Millie to a key which unlocks generations of shocking family secrets. When tragedy strikes, the mysterious contents of the box give Millie the tools she needs to break her family’s longstanding cycle of madness and abuse.
Through it all, Millie experiences the thrill of first love while fighting to trust the God she believes has abandoned her. With the power of forgiveness, can Millie finally make her way into the free?  






When Mountains Move by Julie Cantrell

Photo Credit: Goodreads

Synopsis

It is the spring of 1943. With a wedding and a cross-country move, Millie’s world is about to change forever.  If only her past could change with it. Soon after the break of day, Bump will become Millie’s husband. And then, if all goes as planned, they will leave the rain-soaked fields of Mississippi and head for the wilds of the Colorado Rockies. As Millie tries to forget a dark secret, she hasn’t yet realized how drastically those past experiences will impact the coming days.For most of Millie’s life, being free felt about as unlikely as the mountains moving. But she’s about to discover that sometimes in life, we are given second chances, and that the only thing bigger than her past … is her future.







Inside a Pearl by Edmund White

Photo Credit: Goodreads
Synopsis

When Edmund White moved to Paris in 1983, leaving New York City in the midst of the AIDS crisis, he was forty-three years old, couldn't speak French, and only knew two people in the entire city. But in middle age, he discovered the new anxieties and pleasures of mastering a new culture. When he left fifteen years later to take a teaching position in the U.S., he was fluent enough to broadcast on French radio and TV, and in his work as a journalist, he'd made the acquaintance of everyone from Yves Saint Laurent to Catherine Deneuve to Michel Foucault. He'd also developed a close friendship with an older woman, Marie-Claude, through which he'd come to understand French life and culture in a deeper way.

The book's title evokes the Parisian landscape in the eternal mists and the half-light, the serenity of the city compared to the New York White had known (and vividly recalled in City Boy). White fell headily in love with the city and its culture: both intoxicated and intellectually stimulated. He became the definitive biographer of Jean Genet; he wrote lives of Marcel Proust and Arthur Rimbaud; and he became a recipient of the French Order of Arts and Letters. Inside a Pearl recalls those fertile years for White. It's a memoir which gossips and ruminates, and offers a brilliant examination of a city and a culture eternally imbued with an aura of enchantment.


Caught by Lisa Moore

Photo Credit: Goodreads
Synopsis

Caught begins with a prison break. Twenty-five-year-old David Slaney, locked up on charges of marijuana possession, has escaped his cell and sprinted to the highway. There, he is picked up by a friend of his sister’s and transported to a strip bar where he survives his first night on the run. But evading the cops isn’t his only objective; Slaney intends to track down his old partner, Hearn, and get back into the drug business. Along the way, Slaney’s fugitive journey across Canada rushes vibrantly to life as he visits an old flame and adopts numerous guises to outpace authorities: hitchhiker, houseguest, student, lover. When finally he reunites with Hearn just steps ahead of a detective hell-bent on making a high-profile arrest, their scheme sends Slaney to Mexico, Colombia, and back again on an epic quest fueled by luck, charm, and unbending conviction. 

Moore's most plot-driven novel to date, Caught is a thrillingly charged escapade that thrums with energy and suspense and deftly captures a moment in the late 1970s before the almost folkloric glamour surrounding pot smuggling turned violent. Ripe with bravado, love, ambition, and folly, Caught is about trust and deceit, about the risks we take for the lives we want and the mistakes we can’t outrun.


Flyover Lives by Diane Johnson

Photo Credit: Goodreads
Synopsis

From the New York Times bestselling author of Le Divorce, a dazzling meditation on the mysteries of the "wispy but material” family ghosts who shape us

Growing up in the small river town of Moline, Illinois, Diane Johnson always dreamed of floating down the Mississippi and off to see the world. Years later, at home in France, a French friend teases her: Indifference to history—that’s why you Americans seem so naïve and don’t really know where you’re from.”

The j’accuse stayed with Johnson. Were Americans indifferent to history? Her own family seemed always to have been in the Midwest. Surely they had got there from somewhere? In digging around, she discovers letters and memoirs written by generations of stalwart pioneer ancestors that testify to more complex times than the derisive nickname "The Flyover" gives the region credit for.

With the acuity and sympathy that her novels are known for, she captures the magnetic pull of home against our lust for escape and self-invention. This spellbinding memoir will appeal to fans of Bill Bryson, Patricia Hampl, and Annie Dillard.


I'll Sleep When You're Dead by E.A. Aymar

Photo Credit: Goodreads



Synopsis

Tom Starks has spent the three years since his wife's murder struggling to single-handedly raise their daughter, Julie, while haunted by memories of his dead spouse. When he learns that the man accused of her murder, Chris Taylor, has been released from prison, Tom hires a pair of hit men to get his revenge. But when the hit men botch the assassination, Tom is inadvertently pulled into their violent world. And now those hit men are after him and his daughter.








Dr. Eunholder's Device by Cynthia Sens

Photo Credit: Goodreads
Synopsis

Mel Taylor has to deal with some strange challenges—like the inconvenience of setting off sparks when he comes within five feet of modern electronics, the result of being a time-traveling veteran of World War II. He’s doing his best to settle into a new life in a new time, but he can’t escape his complicated past, no matter how much he wants to, especially after surviving an explosive confrontation among the Iowa cornfields the previous summer.

He’s got home construction problems, missing cemeteries, angry neighbors, evangelical preachers, malfunctioning locks, an attacking young woman, car crashes and new acquaintances to deal with. He also has to find the strength to say his final farewells to lost friends.

For too long Mel’s life has been complicated by secrets. And like all secrets, his have a way of bubbling to the surface—especially when he has the sapphire staff, an instrument of God’s will, hidden in his basement. He’s been asked to uncover the location of a weeping angel statue, and what he discovers will yield an unexpected connection to his past—and the woman he once loved. He might even reveal how he ended up in the future and what role Dr. Eunholder’s device played in his life.


Blessing the Hands that Feed Us by Vicki Robin

Photo Credit: Goodreads
Synopsis

The bestselling coauthor of Your Money or Your Life chronicles her quest to eat food produced within 10 miles of her home

Taking the locavore movement to heart, bestselling author and social innovator Vicki Robin pledged for one month to eat only food sourced within a 10-mile radius of her home on Whidbey Island in Puget Sound, Washington. Her sustainable diet not only brings to light society’s unhealthy dependency on mass-produced, prepackaged foods but also helps her reconnect with her body and her environment.

Like Barbara Kingsolver’s Animal, Vegetable, Miracle and the bestselling books of Michael Pollan, Blessing the Hands That Feed Us is part personal narrative and part global manifesto. By challenging herself to eat and buy local, Robin exposes the cause and effect of the food business, from the processed goods laden with sugar, fat, and preservatives to the trucks burning through fuel to bring them to a shelf near you.

Robin’s journey is also one of community as she befriends all the neighboring farmers who epitomize the sustainable lifestyle. Among them are Tricia, the prolific market gardener who issued Robin’s 10-mile challenge; Britt and Eric, two
young, enthusiastic farmers living their dream of self-sufficiency; and Vicky, a former corporate executive turned milk producer.

Featuring recipes throughout, along with practical tips on adopting your own locally sourced diet, Blessing the Hands That Feed Us is an inspirational guide and testimonial to the locavore movement and a healthy food future.


For the Benefit of Those Who See by Rosemary Mahoney

Photo Credit: Goodreads
Synopsis

"In this intelligent and humane book, Rosemary Mahoney writes of people who are blind....She reports on their courage and gives voice, time and again, to their miraculous dignity."--Andrew Solomon, author of Far From the Tree 

In the tradition of Oliver Sacks's The Island of the Colorblind, Rosemary Mahoney tells the story of Braille Without Borders, the first school for the blind in Tibet, and of Sabriye Tenberken, the remarkable blind woman who founded the school. Fascinated and impressed by what she learned from the blind children of Tibet, Mahoney was moved to investigate further the cultural history of blindness. As part of her research, she spent three months teaching at Tenberken's international training center for blind adults in Kerala, India, an experience that reveals both the shocking oppression endured by the world's blind, as well as their great resilience, integrity, ingenuity, and strength. By living among the blind, Rosemary Mahoney enables us to see them in fascinating close up, revealing their particular "quality of ease that seems to broadcast a fundamental connection to the world." Having read FOR THE BENEFIT OF THOSE WHO SEE, you will never see the world in quite the same way again.


How He Really Feels by Lisa Suzanne

Photo Credit: Goodreads


Synopsis

Julianne Becker is desperately in love with her boss, Nick Matthews. She has daydreamed about him since the day she first met him a year earlier, but she is firmly stuck in the friend-zone until New Year’s Eve, when the game completely changes and she finds out how Nick really feels about her. They embark on a sexy affair that’s everything Julianne ever dreamed of... except she can’t tell anyone about it. What will happen if anyone finds out about their secret relationship? And how will her lifelong best friend, Travis Miller, react when Julianne begins a relationship with someone who isn’t him? 

How He Really Feels is a novel that explores relationships and love between coworkers and friends. It contains some adult situations and is intended for mature readers.




The Biology of Luck by Jacob M. Appel

Photo Credit: Goodreads
Synopsis

Odd-job queen Starshine Hart is about to go on somebody else’s perfect date. At 29, the usually carefree Starshine has realized that it is easier to start sleeping with a man than to stop. Her lovers include one of the last underground members of the Weathermen and the dilettante heir to a lawn chair magnate. Both men have staked their romantic future on her. Her only respite is her impending dinner with the nonthreatening but unattractive tour guide Larry Bloom. But Larry, too, has a stake in her future. He has written a book about their impending dinner in which he fantasizes about Starshine’s life on the day he wins her heart. Juxtaposing moments from Larry’s guided tour of New York City on the June day of his “dream date” with excerpts from the novel in which he imagines Starshine’s concurrent escapades, this inventive structure weaves a highly imaginative love story across all five boroughs. Provocative, funny, and keenly observed, an imagined pilgrimage through the underbelly of Gotham becomes a bold new voice in contemporary American fiction.




Honeymoon in Paris by Juliette Sobanet

Photo Credit: Goodreads
Synopsis

The sassy heroine of Sleeping with Paris is back! And this time, chocolate-covered French wedding bells are in the air . . .

It’s only been a month since Charlotte Summers reunited with her sexy French boyfriend, Luc Olivier, and he has already made her the proposal of a lifetime: a mad dash to the altar in the fairytale town of Annecy. Without hesitation, Charlotte says au revoir to single life and oui to a lifetime of chocolate in bed with Luc. She’s madly in love, and Luc is clearly the one, so what could possibly go wrong?

As it turns out, quite a lot . . .

On the heels of their drama-filled nuptials in the French Alps, Luc whisks Charlotte away to Paris for a luxurious honeymoon. But just as they are settling into a sheet-ripping, chocolate-induced haze, a surprise appearance by Luc’s drop-dead gorgeous ex-wife brings the festivities to a dead halt. Luc never told Charlotte that his ex was a famous French actress, or that she was still in love with him. Add to that Charlotte’s new role as step-mom to Luc’s tantrum-throwing daughter, a humiliating debacle in the French tabloids, and the threat of losing her coveted position at the language school—and Charlotte fears she may have tied the French knot a little too quickly.

Determined to keep her independence and her sanity, Charlotte seeks out a position at Bella magazine’s new France office while working on a sassy guidebook to French marriage. But when Luc’s secret past threatens Charlotte’s career and their future together, Charlotte must take matters into her own hands. Armed with chocolate, French wine, and a few fabulous girlfriends by her side, Charlotte navigates the tricky waters of marriage, secrets, ex-wives, and a demanding career all in a foreign country where she quickly realizes, she never truly learned the rules.


Our Kingdom of Dust by Leonard Kinsey

Photo Credit: Goodreads
Synopsis

Our Kingdom of Dust: is the new novel from Leonard Kinsey, bestselling author of "The Dark Side of Disney." Man-child Blaine McKinnon is brilliant, wealthy, and completely alone. After an emotional breakdown, Blaine starts a new life at the only place he was ever truly happy: Walt Disney World. But he soon finds that just below the surface of his childhood paradise lies a kingdom corrupted by drugs, violence, and deceit. "'Our Kingdom Of Dust' is a fantastic and wonderfully written debut novel from Leonard Kinsey. A powerful narrative with some of the weirdest characters you'll ever meet... like a Palahniuk novel high on Pixie Dust" -Jeff Heimbuch, Miceage.com "Kinsey breaks new ground with a tale about addiction - mental, emotional and physical - in his look at one Disney fan's journey back to the memories of his youth." -George Taylor, Imaginerding.com "Leonard Kinsey is at it again, this time exposing the dark side of guests and Cast Members who'll do anything for a taste of 'Happily Ever After'. "Our Kingdom of Dust" is one scary ride!" -Ron Schneider, author of "From Dreamer to Dreamfinder



Alone by Kendra Elliot

Photo Credit: Goodreads

Synopsis

One rainy night in the woods outside of Portland, Dr. Victoria Peres is called to the site of a haunting crime scene. Six beautiful young girls—all in white dresses and arranged in a perfect circle—have been left for dead. Only one girl, fighting for her life at a nearby hospital, has survived the carnage. Things get stranger still when Victoria and the police discover that the disturbing arrangement of the bodies—as meticulous as it is mysterious—is straight from the pages of a decades-old cold case. Victoria is called on to do what she does best, read the bones of the dead for clues…while dealing with the surprise return of her first love, medical examiner Seth Rutledge. Only this time she must figure out how the two cases, fifty years apart, are connected.






Nine Inch Bride: Conundrum by Anonym

Photo Credit: Goodreads




Synopsis

Out of print

Set in the near future, a young Wall Street analyst falls into joblessness and financial ruin in a major market crash. He is rescued in his descent by a uniquely talented young woman with a revolutionary agenda. Together they form an extraordinary partnership and set out to change the world. The present and future, real and unreal fuel a serious and lighthearted bonfire of American political culture.







A Lifetime to Wait by Jackie Mae

Photo Credit: Goodreads




Synopsis

He was a hardened killer; a killer of the Ones--those that walk amongst us and hide in plain sight. It was just another assignment for him and he wanted to be rid of her as soon as possible. She owned an antique store and lived her life organized; with a nice, quiet, normal routine but there were things from her past that wouldn't go away. They wanted to acquire her. He was determined to make sure that didn't happen. The Ones are mounting plans to take over civilization as we know it. Can Brooke and Dragone forge a partnership to help align the rebellion? Will Jonathon win the day or will Xen seal all their fates?






Sweet Holy Mother Fucking Everloving Delusional Bastard by Jerome Segundo 

Photo Credit: Goodreads



Synopsis

Adrift, inexperienced, loveless, and unemployed, recent college grad Jerome Segundo remedies all these deficiencies simultaneously upon landing a job and striking up a romance with a coworker. His consort, slightly older chronologically but infinitely more sophisticated and experienced, exposes him to the delights of cuisine, culture, and coitus (occasionally in tandem). Their relationship blossoms and his world opens up—until a sexual assault charge brings it crashing down.








Dead Man's Fancy by Keith McCafferty

Photo Credit: Goodreads
Synopsis

The third novel starring Montana's fly fisherman-cum-detective Sean Stranahan, for fans of C. J. Box and Craig Johnson

Wolves howl as a riderless horse returns at sunset to the Culpepper Dude Ranch in the Madison Valley. The missing woman, Nanika Martinelli, is better known as the Fly Fishing Venus, a red-haired river guide who lures clients the way dry flies draw trout.

As Sheriff Martha Ettinger follows hoof tracks in the snow, she finds one of the men who has fallen under the temptress’s spell impaled on the antler tine of a giant bull elk, a kill that’s been claimed by a wolf pack. An accident? If not, is the killer human or animal? With painter, fly fisherman, and sometimes private detective Sean Stranahan’s help, Ettinger will follow clues that point to an animal rights group called the Clan of the Three-Clawed Wolf and to their svengali master, whose eyes blaze with pagan fire.

In their most dangerous adventure yet, Stranahan and Ettinger find themselves in the crossfire of wolf lovers, wolf haters, and a sister bent on revenge, and on the trail of an alpha male gone terribly wrong.


Z2 by Sherrie Cronin

Photo Credit: Goodreads
Synopsis

Alex once walked away from a rare ability to warp time, thinking it was only a young man's trick to play basketball better. Now, as a father and teacher, he needs to relearn the skill quickly before the past begins to destroy his own future. To protect his daughter and his most promising student, he must stop the school at which he teaches from turning the clock backwards to an era of white supremacy. 

An old high school friend is in desperate need of Alex’s unique gifts to help solve an ancient Maya mystery. As the puzzling artifact offers a rare chance to bridge the past and the future, its story begins to intertwine with the growing tensions at Alex’s school. As both situations take dangerous turns, Alex knows that he must learn to control his temporal talents before he runs out of time.

(z2 is part of 46. Ascending, a collection of loosely interrelated novels about five very different family members who each discover that they can do the extraordinary when circumstances require it. These books are designed to be read as stand alone stories or in any order.)


In Your Arms by Merry Farmer

Photo Credit: Goodreads
Synopsis

She only ever wanted to belong… 

Lily Singer was stolen from her tribe as a child and raised in a white man’s world. Never truly accepted by either world, she found solace and fulfillment in teaching. When Christian Avery barges into her life, sparks fly--but sparks ignite blazes that can only be put out by giving in to passion. 

His carefully-ordered world was set afire by her… 

Christian Avery, Justice of the Peace, is used to having his way. When the flames of his passion for Lily spread, enveloping them in gossip and scandal, the only way he can protect her and maintain calm is by surrendering to a love that could bring them both down. 

The only place she has ever felt at home is in his arms… 

STEAM LEVEL: Very Hot


Marbles: Frontiers of Mor(t)ality by Bob Biederman

Photo Credit: Goodreads



Synopsis

The Boston Globe's Alex Beam says: "I read most of this book in one sitting, and loved it!"

Marbles, the singular memoir by Bob Biederman, sub- titled Frontiers of Mortality is a collection of 21 unforgettable and extravagantly diverse personal experiences. Biederman examines life at inception, at death, and the many moral choices in between. His bag of Marbles focus on family relationships, their evolution and devolution as well as a few comic moments that reflect some of the absurdity in our judgment. What results is an uncompromising look at life’s hardest moments, narrated with warmth and humility.





Aqueduct to Nowhere by R.S. Gompertz

Photo Credit: Goodreads
Synopsis

There's no time like the past to laugh at the present!
A.D. 123. on the ragged edge of the Roman Empire.

Saturnalia--the winter festival where slaves become masters and masters, slaves -- is in full, raucous swing. Gaius Severus, a young misfit searching for love, identity and breakfast is working a dull job as a security guard when the worst governor in the Roman Empire is overthrown and a ship full of female pirates takes over the town. 
While Severus stumbles through dark rites of passage and near-fatal coming of age adventures, his feisty girlfriend finds her true calling as a seer and his dissident brother transforms a quest for a holy relic into a comic attempt to overthrow the emperor. 

The gods forsaken Spanish capital of Tarraco is turned upside down by a cast of corrupt officials, disgruntled ex-gladiators, and rogue praetorians. 


History repeats, again as the decline and fall of damn near everything continues in this standalone sequel to "No Roads Lead to Rome."


99 Jobs by Joe Cottonwood

Photo Credit: Goodreads


Synopsis

Joe repairs homes. With each job,he enters somebody’s private world. Revealing a life. Or changing it. Here’s blue collar writing, finely crafted, about good hard work — and some bad work, too. Meet proud carpenters and working-class hippies. Meet clients who flirt, cheat, seduce, fight — and clients who will warm your heart. Learn the taste of sewage, the jolt of a live wire. Drive to the emergency clinic with a wooden stake through your hand. Feel the satisfaction of work that is honest, simple, strong — sometimes perfect. Ninety-nine stories that are gritty, funny, wise. And always deeply humane.







The Burn Rose by W.D. Currie

Photo Credit: Goodreads

Synopsis

Captain Flora Burn and her Burn Rose pirates refuse to attack British ships, an open invitation for annihilation by King George’s Royal Navy. But her protégé, Michael Wolfe, has studied every tactic of the British. He would sacrifice anything, even love, to avenge the murder of his parents by British soldiers. When Congress declares independence, the pirates become privateers and Wolfe unleashes a series of savage attacks against the enemy. Joined by an undercover Founding Father, the superstitious pirates search for the long-dead remains of powerful spirit shifters. Congress wants them retrieved from the afterlife to use as weapons against their adversaries. The Royal Navy responds with indestructible warships, serial killers, and German mercenaries. Pirates live to fight, but can they survive the onslaught when the most violent spirit shifter of all time defects to the British? Expect the unexpected when an Oneida Clan Mother intervenes between the warring factions.




What Color is Your Money by Tope Ganiyah Fajingbesi

Photo Credit: Goodreads



Synopsis

What Color Is Your Money offers readers essential keys to business success by identifying and explaining how individual money personalities - "Money Colors" can affect overall financial success. This book also helps aspiring and existing entrepreneurs navigate the important world of financial management by explaining key concepts such as budgeting, internal controls, inventory management, financial statements and business analysis in clear, concise and simple language, which entrepreneurs and business managers with little or no financial management experience can understand.






Tarizon: Conquest Earth by William Manchee

Photo Credit: Goodreads


Synopsis

The third and final volume of the Tarizon Trilogy. Previous volumes were Tarizon: The Liberator and Tarizon: Civil War. When a teenager discovers his father is working on a secret government project with aliens from the planet Tarizon, the project is compromised and Peter Turner must accept exile or be killed. Volume 1 chronicles Peter Turners abduction and discovery that he is perceived to be the long awaited "Liberator" who is destined to save the planet from the despot, Videl Lai. Volume 2 chronicles the long Civil War between the Purists and the Loyalists led by Peter Turner, now called Leek Lanzia.







Solo Training by Loren W. Christensen

Photo Credit: Goodreads
Synopsis

"You can't do the same thing day after day and expect different results. Do something different." With these words, author Loren Christensen puts his money where his mouth is and shows you over 300 ways you can add variety to your daily martial arts training routine. Whether you're a student looking for fun new solo drills to spice up your home training or an instructor in search of new ways to pump up your classes, you won't be disappointed. This incredible collection of drills, techniques and exercises will take your workouts to the next level. Learn to: 
* Organize your solo workouts to the get maximum results from even the shortest training session 
* Improve your speed and power with dozens of inside tips and tricks 
* Beat boredom and get excited about your solo training sessions 
* Become a well rounded fighter by adding essential skills that your instructor may not be teaching you 
* Safely experiment with new techniques to find your ideal personal style of training 
* Get an edge on your opponents with training methods that will make you unstoppable in the ring or on the street 
Not only will you learn enough new training strategies and methods to keep you busy for years, but Loren Cristensen's no-nonsense writing style will get you up and moving even on the days you rather skip your solo workout. Packed with solid advice and kick-butt motivation, this book will become your favorite training partner.


Walk by Faith by Janet R. Stafford

Photo Credit: Goodreads
Synopsis

No one thought that the Second Street boarding house would be destroyed by arsonists. No one wanted to believe that Nate Johnson would be beaten simply because of his race. But things have gotten ugly in Blaineton, New Jersey. It is in the middle of the Civil War and the abolitionist sympathies of the people in Maggie Blaine Smith's boarding house have made them a target for racist and Copperhead forces. When the violence threatens to get worse, the sheriff suggests that they move until things calm down. Maggie's husband Eli has a proposal for them: his two sisters need help aiding fugitive slaves evade the Confederate Army and find freedom in the north. However, first they must relocate to Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. Maggie and her family risk the move, hoping that they will find some badly-needed peace there. But can that happen when newspaperman Eli and reporter/photographer Chester Carson are off covering the war? Can they find peace when Maggie's son-in-law Edgar and her other daughter's beau, Patrick, are still in the army? How can Maggie and the remaining members of her family start anew in a strange place? And how will all of them hold on to their courage, strength, and faith as the war rages and Confederate and Union forces march into Pennsylvania?


Sangria Sunsets by Edward R. Hackemer

Photo Credit: Goodreads
Synopsis

Copyright 2017 
"Sangria Sunsets" is historical fiction interlaced with romance, personal tragedy, political upheaval, revenge and covert CIA activity. It chronicles the lives of colorful, well-developed characters searching for and finding lasting love in the aftermath of World War II. Within the pages, the reader will find mystery, suspense and crisis directly linked to political upheaval in Latin America, the Caribbean and Korea during the Cold War. 

The author spent six years recounting the history of the Throckmorton family and the events that influenced their lives.
He discovered that the actors on life’s stage enjoy unscripted roles and are free to rewrite the screenplay and send the story in unknown directions. At any given time, a character may even forget his or her lines and improvise.

Throughout the fabric of all families, there are threads that tie everyone together. Occasionally, these connecting fibers are worn threadbare by distance, or so badly blurred by time that they can be difficult to see or touch. Yet, every now and again, these fibers can unexpectedly reappear. Like the filaments running through a spider’s web, you are surprised each time you walk into one. They are invisible until reflecting sunlight, shimmering moonlight or the morning dew causes them to glisten.

With help from his wife, editor, his readers and every character in the Throckmorton novels, the author has endeavored to illuminate as many silky threads as possible.

This is book #6 in the Throckmorton Series, and like all the others it can be enjoyed on a stand-alone basis.


15 Tales for Christmastide by Alan Montgomery

Photo Credit: Goodreads



Synopsis

Christmastime brings out the best and the worst in everyone. These tales are written to lighten and enlighten the beautiful joys of Christmas. Some are semireligious while others are more fanciful. All are a joyful affirmation of the spirit felt at that time of the year.








Alice by Christina Henry

Photo Credit: Goodreads
Synopsis

A mind-bending new novel inspired by the twisted and wondrous works of Lewis Carroll...

In a warren of crumbling buildings and desperate people called the Old City, there stands a hospital with cinderblock walls which echo the screams of the poor souls inside.

In the hospital, there is a woman. Her hair, once blond, hangs in tangles down her back. She doesn’t remember why she’s in such a terrible place. Just a tea party long ago, and long ears, and blood…

Then, one night, a fire at the hospital gives the woman a chance to escape, tumbling out of the hole that imprisoned her, leaving her free to uncover the truth about what happened to her all those years ago.

Only something else has escaped with her. Something dark. Something powerful.

And to find the truth, she will have to track this beast to the very heart of the Old City, where the rabbit waits for his Alice.


Red Queen by Christina Henry

Photo Credit: Goodreads
Synopsis

The author of Alice takes readers back down the rabbit hole to a dark, twisted, and fascinating world based on the works of Lewis Carroll...

 The land outside of the Old City was supposed to be green, lush, hopeful. A place where Alice could finally rest, no longer the plaything of the Rabbit, the pawn of Cheshire, or the prey of the Jabberwocky. But the verdant fields are nothing but ash—and hope is nowhere to be found.

 Still, Alice and Hatcher are on a mission to find his daughter, a quest they will not forsake even as it takes them deep into the clutches of the mad White Queen and her goblin or into the realm of the twisted and cruel Black King.
The pieces are set and the game has already begun. Each move brings Alice closer to her destiny. But, to win, she will need to harness her newfound abilities and ally herself with someone even more powerful—the mysterious and vengeful Red Queen...


Lost Boy by Christina Henry

Photo Credit: Goodreads
Synopsis

There is one version of my story that everyone knows. And then there is the truth. This is how it happened. How I went from being Peter Pan’s first—and favorite—lost boy to his greatest enemy.

Peter brought me to his island because there were no rules and no grownups to make us mind. He brought boys from the Other Place to join in the fun, but Peter's idea of fun is sharper than a pirate’s sword. Because it’s never been all fun and games on the island. Our neighbors are pirates and monsters. Our toys are knife and stick and rock—the kinds of playthings that bite.

Peter promised we would all be young and happy forever.




The Cult of Mao by James Suriano

Photo Credit: Goodreads
Synopsis

The small golden lights emerged from my hands and mouth, lighting up the space around me. They swirled in the air, pulled by the currents of wind, before reforming and coming together. The lights returned to me like a million fireflies and swarmed in a tall column over each of my upturned palms.
“What am I?” I said out loud.

In 1968, Xiajao Ying, a young boy from a powerful Shanghai family, is sent to work in the rice paddies in a remote village as part of Mao Zedong’s Down to the Countryside movement. While there, he discovers a secret about himself that manifests unexpectedly in front of superstitious peasants, who then begin to regard him as divine.

On the other side of the world, Anatella Weegarden, an NYU student and researcher for the enigmatic Khelidiam Society, has been tasked with flying to the province of Zhejiang and studying Xiajao’s extraordinary gift. Anatella, however, has no idea of the atrocities Mao’s regime has been carrying out on the Chinese populace and the very real dangers ahead of her.

Xiajao’s fledgling abilities eventually garner the attention of the Chinese Red Army then Mao himself. When the Chairman confronts the boy with an impossible ultimatum, Xiajao sees no other recourse but to stow away on a container ship and cross the Pacific. The harsh, desolate seas are only bearable because of the promise of safety and freedom on the shores of California.

But soon, Xiajao discovers, even in the Land of the Free, there is always a price to be paid.


The Perfect Recipe for Love and Friendship by Shirley Jump

Photo Credit: Goodreads
Synopsis

"Beautifully written and unflinching in its portrayal of the complexities of marriage, sisterhood and long-held secrets."
Kristan Higgins, New York Times bestselling author, on The Secret Ingredient for a Happy Marriage

Bridget O'Bannon is ready for a do-over. After years of pretending she had a happy marriage and denying that she missed the friends and family she'd left behind, she's headed home to restart her life.

But working alongside her family every day at their bakery isn't as easy as whipping up her favorite chocolate peanut butter cake. Her mother won't give her a moment's peace, and her sister Abby is keeping secrets of her own. And there doesn't seem to be enough frosting in the world to smooth over the cracks forming between them. 

Bridget can see the recipe for a happy life- including the possibility of a new romance- written out before her, but first she and her family will need to lay bare their secrets and rediscover the most elusive ingredients of all: forgiveness, laughter, and love.



Tempt Me With Forever by Maria Luis

Photo Credit: Goodreads
Synopsis

Never trust a bad boy.

That’s what Beauty Influencer Lizzie Danvers tells her YouTube subscribers after getting dumped on Instagram. Lizzie may have the devil’s luck in choosing men, but she’s determined to prove that the age-old “once a playboy, always a playboy” theory is bulletproof. All she needs is thirty days and one sexy commitment phobe to do it... 

By day, Gage Harvey helps his twin at Inked on Bourbon, tattooing butterflies onto every female under the age of thirty. By night, he works for New Orleans’ Special Operations Division, fulfilling a family legacy to protect his city. Relationships aren’t on his radar--until the hot-as-hell woman on his tattoo table glances up at him, a butterfly half-inked on her ass, and propositions him. 

Gage should say no--nothing good ever comes from entertaining crazy women. But for the sake of playboys everywhere, he’ll take one for the team, and prove to Miss Lizzie Danvers that bad boys are the only men who will tempt you with forever.

TEMPT ME WITH FOREVER is the fourth book in the NOLA Heart series, but can be read as a standalone. It features laugh-out-loud characters, a bad boy who will sweep you off your feet, and a romance guaranteed to melt your kindles and make you smile. One hot cop and an HEA guaranteed!


Titans by Leila Meacham

Photo Credit: Goodreads
Synopsis

A sweeping new drama from the beloved, bestselling author of Roses. 

Texas in the early 1900s, its inhabitants still traveling by horseback and barely familiar with the telephone, was on the cusp of an oil boom that, unbeknownst to its residents, would spark a period of dramatic changes and economic growth. In the midst of this transformative time in Southern history, two unforgettable characters emerge and find their fates irrevocably intertwined: Samantha Gordon, the privileged heiress to the sprawling Las Tres Lomas cattle ranch near Fort Worth, and Nathan Holloway, a sweet-natured and charming farm boy from far north Texas. As changes sweep the rustic countryside, Samantha and Nathan's connection drives this narrative compulsively forward as they love, lose, and betray. In this grand yet intimate novel, Meacham once again delivers a heartfelt, big-canvas story full of surprising twists and deep emotional resonance.



Coach Wooden and Me by Kareem Abdul-Jabbar

Photo Credit: Goodreads
Synopsis

Instant New York Times and USA Today BestsellerPresident Barack Obama's Favorite Book of 2017Boston Globe and Huffington Post Best Book of 2017 Pick Kareem Abdul-Jabbar explores his 50-year friendship with Coach John Wooden, one of the most enduring and meaningful relationships in sports history.

When future NBA legend Kareem Abdul-Jabbar was still an 18-year-old high school basketball prospect from New York City named Lew Alcindor, he accepted a scholarship from UCLA largely on the strength of Coach John Wooden's reputation as a winner. It turned out to be the right choice, as Alcindor and his teammates won an unprecedented three NCAA championship titles. But it also marked the beginning of one of the most extraordinary and enduring friendships in the history of sports. In COACH WOODEN AND ME, Abdul-Jabbar reveals the inspirational story of how his bond with John Wooden evolved from a history-making coach-player mentorship into a deep and genuine friendship that transcended sports, shaped the course of both men's lives, and lasted for half a century.

COACH WOODEN AND ME is a stirring tribute to the subtle but profound influence that Wooden had on Kareem as a player, and then as a person, as they began to share their cultural, religious, and family values while facing some of life's biggest obstacles. From his first day of practice, when the players were taught the importance of putting on their athletic socks properly, to gradually absorbing the sublime wisdom of Coach Wooden's now famous "Pyramid of Success"; to learning to cope with the ugly racism that confronted black athletes during the turbulent Civil Rights era as well as losing loved ones, Abdul-Jabbar fondly recalls how Coach Wooden's fatherly guidance not only paved the way for his unmatched professional success but also made possible a lifetime of personal fulfillment.

Full of intimate, never-before-published details and delivered with the warmth and erudition of a grateful student who has learned his lessons well, COACH WOODEN AND ME is at once a celebration of the unique philosophical outlook of college basketball's most storied coach and a moving testament to the all-conquering power of friendship.


An Embarrassment of Pandas by Rachel Unklesbay

Photo Credit: Goodreads


Synopsis

An Embarrassment of Pandas is a poetry collection inspired by strange animal names. Sheep come in flocks, of course, but did you know that crows come in murders? That herons come in hedges? And who could pass up an opportunity to see a business of ferrets? These poems are designed to entertain readers of all ages.









Taste Test by L.B. Dunbar

Photo Credit: Goodreads
Synopsis

In a modern twist of fairy tales,
what if the beast is a woman instead of a man?

Ethan Scott
I was about to find out when a mysterious job led to the secluded home of a horror novelist. I’d lost everything: my scholarship, my education, and my way. In denial of my family inheritance, I took the unusual employment as a chance out of a hole, but I found myself buried in the unknown trauma of another situation much deeper. 

Ella Vincentia
I had changed my name and my address to keep myself hidden, but my scars were more than physical. Living as a recluse in the woods, I was used to being alone, so I wasn’t happy when a certain someone was always in my space. Our first encounter was less than pleasant and tension continued at every attempt to tame me. 

Secrets
I knew she was keeping secrets and I wanted to help, but she was cutting me down and cutting me off every time she opened her mouth. Our frustration with one another grew until a misunderstanding changed everything. How can I be the next guy after something so tragic? It was a challenge I wasn’t sure I was willing to take.


Vindication by H. Terrell Griffin

Photo Credit: Goodreads
Synopsis

Premier adult community with everything you could possibly want, need, or dream of doing in your retirement years is just a golf cart ride away—now the scene of a murder

In this John Grisham style mystery, Matt Royal, the retired lawyer-turned-beach-bum is called back into the courtroom to defend his girlfriend J. D. Duncan's Aunt Esther, who lives in the sprawling North Central Florida retirement community of The Villages. A best-selling author has been murdered after a book signing and Aunt Esther has been arrested. Matt has a history with the local sheriff—one which may not bode well for his client.

Matt reluctantly suits up for the courtroom and J.D. takes a leave from the police department to go undercover. A bizarre specter from the past haunts their investigation every step of the way. As they delve further into the case, the pieces of the puzzle refuse to fall into any kind of coherent pattern. Jock Algren arrives with his special skill set to expose the real murderer and free Aunt Esther, but to no avail. Not until the case goes to trial and the evidence is revealed does the truth emerge—and a strange kind of justice prevails.


Killer Choice by Tom Hunt

Photo Credit: Goodreads
Synopsis

The electrifying debut thriller that asks the question: To save the one you love, is there any price you wouldn’t pay?

His wife is sick.
He needs $200,000 to save her.
A mysterious man offers to give him the money with just one catch: He has to murder someone to get it.


Gary Foster’s life is finally heading in the right direction. After years of trying, his wife, Beth, is pregnant, and he recently opened a business with his brother. But one phone call changes everything.... 

After collapsing suddenly, Beth has been rushed to the hospital. Tests reveal a devastating diagnosis: an inoperable brain tumor. Their only hope is an expensive experimental treatment available abroad, with a cost that’s out of their reach. And Beth’s time is running out.... 

Then a strange man approaches Gary and offers the money he needs, on one condition: that he kill someone, no questions asked. End one life to save another.

In this nail-biting debut novel of domestic suspense, one man makes a choice that forces him to confront the darkest reaches of his soul and betray those closest to him. As he’s swept up in a nightmare of escalating violence, he must question his own morality—and determine just how far he’s willing to go to save the woman he loves.


Wolves of the Northern Rift by Jon Messenger

Photo Credit: Goodreads
Synopsis

Magic is an abomination. It spread from the Rift, a great chasm hundreds of miles long that nearly split the southern continent in two. The Rift was a portal, a gateway between their world of science and the mythological world of magic.

On the northern continent of Ocker, King Godwin declared that no magical monstrosity would be allowed within their borders. The Royal Inquisitors were formed to investigate reports of mystical occurrences and, should they be found, to destroy them.

Inquisitor Simon Whitlock knows his responsibilities all too well. Along with the apothecary, Luthor Strong, they’ve spent two years inquiring into such reports of magical abominations, though they’ve discovered far more charlatans than true magical creatures. When assigned to investigate Haversham and its reports of werewolves, Simon remains unconvinced that the rumors are true. What he discovers in the frozen little hamlet is that the werewolves are far more real than he believed; yet they’re hardly the most dangerous monster in the city.


The Blood Thief of Whitten Hall by Jon Messenger

Photo Credit: Goodreads
Synopsis

In a world of science, magic is an abomination, but not the vile creation Royal Inquisitor Simon Whitlock once believed it to be. Accompanied by his apothecary companion, Luthor Strong, and Matilda Hawke, a werewolf, they return to the capital of Callifax, eager to convalesce after their last adventure.

Their peace is short-lived, however, as they are quickly sent on another mission. It seems the iron mines of Whitten Hall have ceased their production, no longer sending its ore to the crown. The Ministry of Trade has sent inquiries, but its representatives have all fled from the train ride to the distal outpost. It seems a vampire stalks the trains in and out of Whitten Hall, a vampire that will reveal the secret of the iron mine and the darkness that resides within.




The Golem of Solomon's Way by Jon Messenger

Photo Credit: Goodreads
Synopsis

Something is amiss in the capital.

Callifax has always been a bastion for Inquisitor Simon Whitlock—the walled city a barrier against the chaos of the magical world. After the physical and emotional pain of his last few mission, safety is all he desires.

But a monster is stalking the streets, an abomination far more violent than even the mystical denizens he’s thus far encountered. The monster has slain women in Solomon’s Way, the nightlife district of the modern capital. Solomon’s Way, a part of town Simon and Luthor have frequented all too often. Solomon’s Way, where the woman he loves lives and works.

Now Inquisitor Whitlock must face a new breed of monster, one that will force the Inquisitor to face his very shortcomings as a friend and a man. Simon has killed a demon, werewolves, and vampires, but some of the most dangerous demons live inside us all. Demons that can’t be killed by swords and guns.


How to Walk Away by Katherine Center

Photo Credit: Goodreads
Synopsis

From the author of Happiness for Beginners comes an unforgettable love story about finding joy even in the darkest of circumstances. 

Margaret Jacobsen has a bright future ahead of her: a fiancé she adores, her dream job, and the promise of a picture-perfect life just around the corner. Then, suddenly, on what should have been one of the happiest days of her life, everything she worked for is taken away in one tumultuous moment . 

In the hospital and forced to face the possibility that nothing will ever be the same again, Margaret must figure out how to move forward on her own terms while facing long-held family secrets, devastating heartbreak, and the idea that love might find her in the last place she would ever expect. 

How to Walk Away is Katherine Center at her very best: an utterly charming, hopeful, and romantic novel that will capture reader’s hearts with every page.


Tears of Salt by Pietro Bartolo and Lidia Tilotta

Photo Credit: Goodreads

Synopsis

For 25 years, Dr. Pietro Bartolo has run the lone medical clinic on the Italian island of Lampedusa. In that time he has rescued, welcomed, and cared for many of the hundreds of thousands of desperate migrants from the Middle East and Africa who have washed up on the island’s shores. In this inspiring account of his life and work, Bartolo shares his quiet dignity, unshakable moral center, and inspirational message—“We can’t and we won’t be governed by our fears.” The book is filled with Bartolo’s unforgettable tales of pain and hope, moving stories of those who didn’t make it and those who did. Tears of Salt is both a lasting work of literature and an intimate portrait and fresh perspective on a signal crisis of our time.





Undergrad Elementalist by T. Franklin Beck

Photo Credit: Goodreads
Synopsis

Emma Dawes is getting used to living on campus. She's getting to know her roommate, throwing parties, doing the things that most college freshmen do. She's also been invited into a secret club, where students learn to control and unleash their innate magical abilities. Learning about magic was great at first, but when people start dying, seemingly killed by magic users, Emma's peaceful college existence gets a whole lot more complicated... and deadly. 

In this coming of age urban fantasy tale, a young woman named Emma Dawes learns that she has magical powers, and is suddenly thrust into a world of excitement and danger as she is recruited into her new school's magic club. She is simultaneously discovering herself while she discovers the art of elementalism, and she quickly realizes that neither is less complex and difficult than the other.



Getting Rough by C.L. Parker

Photo Credit: Goodreads
Synopsis

The next sizzling novel of C. L. Parker’s Monkey Business Trio—perfect for fans of Bared to You and Beautiful Bastard 
Hotshot San Diego sports agent Shaw Matthews and his sexy professional adversary Cassidy Whalen have gone head-to-head in the boardroom—and the bedroom. Now Shaw has scored a big promotion—but only because Cassidy turned it down and ran off. There are many things he wants when it comes to Cassidy—just not her pity. So Shaw rushes to a small town in Maine to retrieve his dignity—and maybe the woman he’s hungry to claim once more.

Cassidy has pushed herself to the max to realize her career dreams—until a family crisis brings her home. But Shaw isn’t letting Cassidy go that easily. Neither is gorgeous heartthrob Casey Michaels, the childhood sweetheart she left behind—and who now wants to win her back. As the rivalry between the two alpha males intensifies, and Shaw’s seductive moves reach a whole new level of heat, Cassidy has to make a choice. And this time, it’s for the highest stakes of all.

Getting Rough is intended for mature audiences.


The Unravelled Heart by Kathy Parker

Photo Credit: Goodreads
Synopsis

Author Kathy Parker is a lover of beautiful words and wide-open spaces—a writer, poet, survivor, warrior, and word alchemist. In this new work, she presents a journey of breaking to mending, surviving to loving, and the courage to rise from our darkest places, undefeated. 

The Unravelled Heart, her first published collection of poems and prose, offers a profoundly honest reflection on trauma, abuse, love, loss, and healing. These verses confront our rawest humanity through powerful words and unveiled emotion. They move from anguish to a place of quiet resilience and tender hope. Delicate yet empowering, these poems seek to piece together the heart torn by sorrow. 

"And today you picked yourself up from the floor And made it through another day. Never let anyone tell you what your brave should look like. This is how you heal: One hard-fought day at a time. This is how you mend your broken."


I Hear You by Michael S. Sorensen

Photo Credit: Goodreads
Synopsis

The most *powerful* relationship skill you were never taught. From marriage to business to everyday life, this simple tweak makes all the difference.

In this 3-hour, conversational read, you’ll discover the whats, whys, and hows of one of the most valuable (yet surprisingly little-known) communication skills—validation. 

Whether you’re looking to improve your relationship with your spouse, navigate difficult conversations at work, or connect on a deeper level with friends and family, this book delivers simple, practical, proven techniques for improving any relationship in your life.

Mastery of this simple skill will enable you to:

• Calm (and sometimes even eliminate) the concerns, fears, and uncertainties of others
• Increase feelings of love, respect, and appreciation in your romantic relationships
• Quickly resolve, or even prevent, arguments
• Help others become open to your point of view
• Give advice and feedback that sticks
• Provide support and encouragement to others, even when you don’t know how to “fix” the problem
• And much more

In short: this skill is powerful. Give the principles and practices in this book a chance and you’ll be amazed at the difference they can make.


Daphne by Will Boast

Photo Credit: Goodreads
Synopsis

Elegantly written and profoundly moving, this spellbinding debut affirms Boast’s reputation as a “new young American voice for the ages” (Tom Franklin). 

Born with a rare (and real) condition in which she suffers degrees of paralysis when faced with intense emotion, Daphne has few close friends and even fewer lovers. Like her mythic namesake, even one touch can freeze her. But when Daphne meets shy, charming Ollie, her well-honed defenses falter, and she’s faced with an impossible choice: cling to her pristine, manicured isolation or risk the recklessness of real intimacy. 

Set against the vivid backdrop of a San Francisco flush with money and pulsing with protest, Daphne is a gripping and tender modern fable that explores both self-determination and the perpetual fight between love and safety.



One to See Me by Alicia Maxwell

Photo Credit: Goodreads



Synopsis

What is the cost of freedom? I never knew until I had a breath of it. 
My life is about to go crumbling down with every dark question bringing a darker answer. Whom do I trust and what if trust has more than one definition? For the first time in my life I let passion, chemistry, and physical need take over. For the first time in my life, with this mysterious stranger, I feel seen. But maybe it’s because someone’s watching…






Lethally Green by Amber Boffin

Photo Credit: Goodreads
Synopsis

A chain of transformative events, culminating with her parents' death, spurs Maggie Flanagan to change her lifestyle. Maggie leaves her high-pressure job in the UK and moves back to her childhood home by a lake in the peaceful cottage country of Ontario in Canada as a photographer who develops her amateur sleuth skills. 

A photo wedding assignment introduces her to the diverse inhabitants of Foxton, a fictive village near Algonquin Park. Maggie's warm reception by the villagers, in particular Adam, a charming conservation officer, and the relaxing country lifestyle are spiced up by the mysterious disappearance of a local man...





Life in His Hands by Jill Holler

Photo Credit: Goodreads
Synopsis

The hearts and souls of Christian believers long for a deep connection with God, one that goes beyond the surface and into God's heart. They long for a purpose that transcends the fading glory of this world and touches the eternal things of God. Life in His Hands is a call to all believers to seek the heart of God through the pages of His living word and discover the abundant life of faith that functions on the full power of a sovereign, loving God. 

Based upon the author's own struggles in finding purpose and experiencing genuine faith, the devotional readings in this book are a testament to the unstoppable power of God's word to change a person's heart, mind, and actions. They are an authentic voice of truth and love that offers strength to those struggling to gain victory over the challenges to their faith. Readers will discover the amazing, life-giving nature of Scripture, which elevates the voice of God above all other competing voices in this world and brings peace to the soul. 

Life in His Hands offers eternal substance to those seeking a deeper relationship with God and a life of purpose in a world that offers only the temporary. The longings in our hearts will never find peace and fulfillment until we trust in the unchanging words of God and the redeeming hope of Jesus Christ. Before our creation, God created a specific, purposeful plan for each of our lives, and it is not beyond our reach. Instead, is it waiting to be awakened through the power of a living, active God. 

...Let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us... Hebrews 12:1 NIV



Hiding Out by Tina Alexis Allen

Synopsis

Actress and playwright Tina Alexis Allen’s audacious memoir unravels her privileged suburban Catholic upbringing that was shaped by her formidable father—a man whose strict religious devotion and dedication to his large family hid his true nature and a life defined by deep secrets and dangerous lies.

The youngest of thirteen children in a devout Catholic family, Tina Alexis Allen grew up in 1980s suburban Maryland in a house ruled by her stern father, Sir John, an imposing, British-born authoritarian who had been knighted by the Pope. Sir John supported his large family running a successful travel agency that specialized in religious tours to the Holy Land and the Vatican for pious Catholics.

But his daughter, Tina, was no sweet and innocent Catholic girl. A smart-mouthed high school basketball prodigy, she harbored a painful secret: she liked girls. When Tina was eighteen her father accidently discovered the truth about her sexuality. Instead of dragging her to the family priest and lecturing her with tearful sermons about sin and damnation, her father shocked her with his honest response. He, too, was gay.

The secret they shared about their sexuality brought father and daughter closer, and the two became trusted confidants and partners in a relationship that eventually spiraled out of control. Tina and Sir John spent nights dancing in gay clubs together, experimenting with drugs, and engaging in sex with their respective partners in public places—all while keeping the rest of their family in the dark.

Outside of their wild clandestine escapades, Sir John made Tina his heir apparent at the travel agency. Drawn deeper into the business, Tina soon became suspicious of her father’s frequent business trips, his multiple passports and cache of illegal documents, and the briefcases full of cash that mysteriously appeared and quickly vanished. Digging deeper, she uncovered a disturbing facet beyond the stunning double-life of the father she thought she knew.

A riveting and cinematic true tale stranger and twistier than fiction, Hiding Out is an astonishing story of self-discovery, family, secrets, and the power of the truth to set us free.


Separated Unto Fulfillment by Folarin Abraham Akinsola

Photo Credit: Goodreads
Synopsis

This book, Separated unto Fulfillment, is about the fulfillment of God's promises, dreams, visions, prophecies, and the call of God upon your life.

Some principles covered in this book, which are relevant to divine fulfillment, are the following:

-- The choice of separation

-- Response to the call of God

-- Being with Jesus and divine appointments

-- The place of timing in divine assignments

-- Tests, examinations, and spiritual promotion

-- The wilderness experience

-- Open heavens and the anointing

-- The life of the separated

The book also has over one hundred and twenty (120) prayer points to aid you on the journey to divinely enabled spiritual fulfillment.

May God richly bless you as you go through the pages of this book in Jesus's name. Amen.


Building a Life by Julie Brown and Angel Logan

Photo Credit: Goodreads



Synopsis

Paralyzed by the harrowing fear of losing her grown daughter to the clutches of brain cancer, a mother, Julie Brown, reflects upon a lifetime of details and experiences that have built and shaped her very existence. As she questions her station in life, she finds herself doubting every decision that she has ever made all along the way and wonders if she'll ever be able to breathe again.






Rebecca's Grand Slam by Tameka McKenzie

Photo Credit: Goodreads


Synopsis

By now the boys on the Barracudas knew when Rebecca made a promise she made sure to keep it. She didn't become "The Captain" for nothing. She loves baseball so much she sleeps in her uniform. Rebecca walked home from her first day of Spring Training exhausted but excited for the upcoming season. "I sure do hope Bianca and Isabel are as good as their stats say they are, if not our team is going to end up at the bottom of the division for the third straight season," Rebecca thought as she entered the front door of her apartment on the East side of town.






I Swear to Tell the Tooth by Dr. Carroll James

Photo Credit: Goodreads
Synopsis

Quirky patients, one-of-a-kind employees, and farm animals set the stage for this humorous, tender, and sometimes irreverent saga of Dr. Carroll James’s dental practice. Headphone-clad patients bop in the dental chair while Dr. James tries to work on the moving target; a long-timer happily drops her pants to show off her latest surgical scar; and a lost cell phone drops out of a patient’s boxer shorts. 

You just can’t make this stuff up. 

Working from his rural home office, Dr. James juggles family, patients, staff, and occasional livestock as he struggles to maintain his professional decorum. After thirty years of scatterbrained staff and distinct clientele, he often finds himself simply shaking his head with a laugh. Alongside the colorful assistants and hilarious antics, we learn just how challenging—and perilous—dental school can be, as well as witnes the acquisition of a half-built farmette certain to take years to finish, a few errant horses, an intriguing trip to Russia with US-USSR Bridges for Peace, and poignant lessons that, when you’re not chuckling at the author’s childhood (and sometimes adult) mischief, are sure to touch your heart.


Laughing at my Nightmare by Shane Burcaw

Photo Credit: Goodreads


Synopsis

With acerbic wit and a hilarious voice, Shane Burcaw's Laughing at My Nightmare describes the challenges he faces as a twenty-one-year-old with spinal muscular atrophy. From awkward handshakes to having a girlfriend and everything in between, Shane handles his situation with humor and a "you-only-live-once" perspective on life. While he does talk about everyday issues that are relatable to teens, he also offers an eye-opening perspective on what it is like to have a life threatening disease.






Wishing Joy by JoMarie DeGioia

Photo Credit: Goodreads
Synopsis

The guy who doesn’t believe in forever
The girl who has faith in the magic of Christmas
A stocking full of wishes…a sprig of mistletoe
And a chance to find love under the tree

Zach Harris knows better than to wish for family. His mother ran off when he was a kid and his late father was distant. Now he and his brother are selling the family ranch, his last tie to his parents. For him, Christmas is just another day.

Joy Rollins loves everything about Christmas. She’s living at the Cypress Inn this season, helping her mother run the place since giving up on grad school. She wishes that the holiday will bring inspiration for her artist’s soul. Meeting Zach Harris at Thanksgiving makes her wish for a little romance, too.

When Zach moves into the inn, Joy vows to get him into the holiday spirit. They flirt and kiss under the mistletoe, and as they grow closer she feels artistic inspiration again. But when old family hurt comes back like the ghost of Christmas past, Zach can’t shake the certainty that Joy will leave just like his mother did.

Can Joy show Zach the love and magic of Christmas?
Or will he give up on the wish for happiness?


Vagabonding with Kids: Brazil by A.K. Turner

Photo Credit: Goodreads


Synopsis

The Turners are on the road again in a raucous continuation of the Vagabonding with Kids series,exploring Brazil from the Amazon rain forest to Rio's famed Copacabana Beach. But this time the in-laws are along for the ride, and three generations have to survive close quarters, radioactive beaches, and jungle hammocks for accommodations. Armed with little knowledge of Portuguese, but a great appreciation for the Brazilian national drink, the nomadic family finds adventure (and laughter) at every turn.






November 9 by Colleen Hoover

Photo Credit: Goodreads
Synopsis

Beloved #1 New York Times bestselling author Colleen Hoover returns with an unforgettable love story between a writer and his unexpected muse.

Fallon meets Ben, an aspiring novelist, the day before her scheduled cross-country move. Their untimely attraction leads them to spend Fallon’s last day in L.A. together, and her eventful life becomes the creative inspiration Ben has always sought for his novel. Over time and amidst the various relationships and tribulations of their own separate lives, they continue to meet on the same date every year. Until one day Fallon becomes unsure if Ben has been telling her the truth or fabricating a perfect reality for the sake of the ultimate plot twist.

Can Ben’s relationship with Fallon—and simultaneously his novel—be considered a love story if it ends in heartbreak?



Seducing the Defendant by Chantel Fernando

Photo Credit: Goodreads
Synopsis

New York Times bestselling author Chantal Fernando returns to her latest, steamy Conflict of Interest series with this electrifying tale of murder, justice, and intense attraction.

Jaxon Bentley is a hardnosed criminal lawyer whose entire life revolves around his work. He’s been asked to represent Scarlett Reyes, a woman accused of murdering her police officer husband in cold blood. All the evidence points to Scarlett being guilty and Jaxon is sure it’s an open and shut case.

But when he meets his client, he can’t help but feel that she’s innocent and that there’s more to the story than meets the eye. With a bit of digging, he uncovers a connection to the notorious Wind Dragons Motorcycle Club and realizes that Scarlett’s case is a complicated and difficult one. It certainly doesn’t help that the two share an immediate and passionate attraction. Will Jaxon be able to prove Scarlett’s innocence or are the two doomed to fail both in court and as a couple?


At Fault by J.W. Becton

Photo Credit: Goodreads
Synopsis

Will Julia and Vincent cling to the belief that they have done right, or will they begin to see themselves as people At Fault? 

Operating on an insider’s tip, Julia and Vincent go undercover to infiltrate an organized fraud ring. But the closer they come to identifying the size and scope of the organization, the more they realize that their source has withheld vital information, causing them to make errors in their investigation—errors that may have grave consequences for an innocent victim. 

Meanwhile, Vincent and Julia must both confront mistakes from the past that could destroy their hopes for the future. Vincent’s tenuous relationship with his son is tested once again. And now that Julia’s search for her sister’s rapist has finally paid off, how will Tricia and the rest of the family react to the news? 

Will Julia and Vincent unravel the fraud ring before someone innocent gets hurt? Will they be able to keep their families together? (Approximately 77,000 words) 

The six-book Southern Fraud Thriller series blends gripping suspense with a hint of Southern charm and a slow-burn romance.


Point Blank by Justine Avery

Photo Credit: Goodreads
Synopsis

If you can't stand the pressure... ask your mother to stop pointing the gun at your head. 

Steven is a writer, by all accounts of self-proclamation. But no artist can be expected to work under serious pressure, especially not when the pressure consists of his own mother indenting his tender skull with the muzzle of the pistol held in her hand. 

Suddenly, it's write or die for Steven. He better tap away on that typewriter or expect to be extracted from the land of the living before he's had the opportunity to finish anything he's ever written. Not to mention that his recently departed Father lying on the floor beside him should supply enough motivation. 

When Steven manages to frustrate his murderous mother to no end, his wish made under duress actually comes true. Mother's vanished... along with all evidence of the foregoing incident ever having taken place. 

Is his beloved father really dead? Is his own mother now a criminal on the run? Can he truly never cure his lifetime disease of writer's block? 

Only one person can uncover the truth and set the world to rights again. That would be Tim, Steven's much more successful, though younger, brother. If only Tim would actually believe Steven's retelling of the frightful situation he's just managed to survive. 

Someone's got to fix the latest family faux pas. And everyone in the family knows it can't be Steven. 

In the dead of night, two brothers battle sibling rivalry, serious mother issues, one heinous surprise after another, and a lifetime of family strife to get to the bottom of it all and uncover what's been lying beneath all along. 


The Pisces by Melissa Broder

Photo Credit: Goodreads
Synopsis

An original, imaginative, and hilarious debut novel about love, anxiety, and sea creatures, from the author of So Sad Today

Lucy has been writing her dissertation about Sappho for thirteen years when she and Jamie break up. After she hits rock bottom in Phoenix, her Los Angeles-based sister insists Lucy housesit for the summer—her only tasks caring for a beloved diabetic dog and trying to learn to care for herself. Annika’s home is a gorgeous glass cube atop Venice Beach, but Lucy can find no peace from her misery and anxiety—not in her love addiction group therapy meetings, not in frequent Tinder meetups, not in Dominic the foxhound’s easy affection, not in ruminating on the ancient Greeks. Yet everything changes when Lucy becomes entranced by an eerily attractive swimmer one night while sitting alone on the beach rocks.

Whip-smart, neurotically funny, sexy, and above all, fearless, The Pisces is built on a premise both sirenic and incredibly real—what happens when you think love will save you but are afraid it might also kill you.


Nutcracked by Susan Adrian

Photo Credit: Goodreads

Synopsis

Since her grandfather first took her to see The Nutcracker, Georgie has dreamed of being cast as Clara in her ballet company’s annual Christmas production of the Nutcracker. When it actually happens, it’s not at all as she’d hoped. Her best friend won’t talk to her, her grandfather is in the hospital, and every time she holds her teacher’s antique nutcracker in her arms while she dances, she goes somewhere else. Somewhere dangerous. Somewhere with massive Christmas trees, a three-headed mouse king, and row of toy soldiers bigger than her. With advice from a new friend, and a chance to mend bridges with her BFF, can she help the Nutcracker prince break the spell before the curtain goes up?





Lunar Options by T.R. Locke

Photo Credit: Goodreads
Synopsis

"For we are opposed around the world by a monolithic and ruthless conspiracy that relies on covert means for expanding its sphere of influence--on infiltration instead of invasion, on subversion instead of elections, on intimidation instead of free choice, on guerrillas by night instead of armies by day. It is a system, which has conscripted vast human and material resources into the building of a tightly knit, highly efficient machine that combines military, diplomatic, intelligence, economic, scientific and political operations.

Its preparations are concealed, not published. Its mistakes are buried not headlined. Its dissenters are silenced, not praised. No expenditure is questioned, no rumor is printed, no secret is revealed." –President John F. Kennedy, 1961

This was true until 2025, when one event forever changed the world we knew and revealed every secret. 

In 2025, a missile strikes the Capitol during the State of the Union address and kills the nation’s leaders. As the surviving heads of the military vie for power, they turn to Lazarus Coles (head of Joint Special Ops Command) and his wife, Dr. Karen Coles (Defense Intelligence Agency) to figure out what happened and why.

The Chinese admit the missile originated from a secret base they built on the Moon, but the Chinese swear they did not launch it. Are they telling the truth? Some military leaders doubt it and prepare to retaliate even though a likely suspect emerges—Laz’s former protégé, Develon. If Develon is behind the attack, only Laz can stop him. Laz and his team must find and terminate the threat before war with China breaks out.

But can they?

The chase from the Earth to the Moon and back leaves the whole world hanging in the balance and reveals shocking secrets of greed, the abuse of power and devastating revenge at the highest levels of government. This new techno-thriller from Author T.R. Locke will rivet you to your seat from start to finish.


Breaking Mobius by T.R. Horne

Photo Credit: Goodreads
Synopsis

ONE GOOD DECISION…
Leaving behind an abusive father and emotionally scarred mother, Mali Struthers catches a bus to freedom. Atlanta University is the perfect place to discover her inner strength and special talents that lead her to a future she never imagined outside her father’s walls. Still learning to love herself, Mali must push past her own doubts to realize she deserves everything she’s worked for, even the love of a man seemingly out of reach.
…CAN CREATE A BAD DECISION
As a star football player, Justice Bradford juggles his high profile relationship and aggressive groupies but with his best friend’s constant lure of temptation, he struggles to remain focused. He has the world at his fingertips until his plans are shattered by deception. Fighting depression, he’s re-routed on a dangerous path of self-destruction until, by chance, he finds a light in the darkness that makes him second guess his vow. When Justice is faced with his new reality, will he get his life back on track before he loses it all?
…AND INCITE REVENGE.
One of the hottest video models on the scene, Nicole Bunn is the epitome of a strong, focused business woman. Concentrating only on her money and the men that can supply her expensive lifestyle, Nicole runs from her own hurts scared to love anyone other than herself. Tired of waiting to marry into fortune, Nicole turns a chance meeting into a whirlwind of sex, lies and obsession that is bound to threaten her livelihood. Through a trail of lies and addiction, Nicole sees her love of money fracture so many lives, including her own. When Nicole is forced to choose between her love of money or a chance at true love, what will she decide?


Foster Doggie Insanity by Tamira Ci Thayne

Photo Credit: Goodreads
Synopsis

Have you ever fostered a dog—happy to make a difference—but wondered why you felt frustrated and alone in your experience? Do you want to foster a dog, but don't know where to start, how to prepare, and what to expect? Have you experienced burnout or compassion fatigue in your rescue experience? If so, this is the book for you. Described as "an embrace from a friend who understands what we all go through; it is a beacon of hope to let other rescuers know they are not alone—a must-read for anyone involved in rescue."

The image you see on the cover of this book is not ‘real’ life. It’s how Thayne wishes doggie foster parenting could be—she walks her tiny foster doggie down the street, the red leash matching Thayne’s designer pumps, her couture dress swaying with each sexy stride. And then once in awhile, oops, Princess and she get tangled in the leash. Goodness Gracious! But soon they’re back in sync again, swishing their way up the block, being envied by all those who wish they were as cute a couple as Thayne and her foster doggie are. 

Ah!...but who is Thayne kidding. That’s not her reality, and it’s probably not yours either. Fostering is not for wimps, cowards, or the otherwise mess-or-insanity-challenged. It’s hard and emotionally draining work, and there are days we all could use an understanding shoulder to cry on. You are not alone! Let Foster Doggie Insanity be there for you.


Adam's Land by Alison Pockat

Photo Credit: Goodreads
Synopsis

Adam, while taking a break from school work, tries out a new tube of ‘special ’ bubbles and finds that they can be connected. As they grow, he eventually he is able to enter them, and the bubbles shrink him to the size of an ant. By jumping up and down and with a puff of breeze, Adam ends up in a tree. He finds friends and excitement in his backyard as he tries to go back to his normal size. Along the way he gets to know a number organisms like a fungi, a bee, a wood roach, a cricket, an ant and others who help him and also teach him about their lives and how they work to make a life, a home and incidentally a great soil for his garden.

After this adventure, Adam goes back into a bubble to visit his soil friends and ends up being blown into a snag, a seemingly lifeless tree. With the help of a squirrel, Trouble, he and Kit his friend the cricket travel down the snag in their bubble. They meet the creatures who live in the dead tree. Emerging out of a hole in the base of the snag, they are blown into a storm. Kit is able to leap out of the bubble and Adam travels in the bubble down the hill on storm runoff. He ends up in a pool of the creek. Along the way he gets to know about stormwater and how it effects the creatures to have to live in it.

Although fiction, the book describes the very real aspects of soil and its production, life in a snag and issues related to water from storms and how it impacts streams.


Illuminati Council and Modern Illuminism by Nathan Westerville

Photo Credit: Goodreads



Synopsis

The goal of this book is to explain Illuminati World and give directions to practice Illuminism. The following topics have been explained: economic solutions, status of search project, role in history, skills of illuminist. The special attention is given to political Illuminism with detailed explanation of New World Order. Some traditional topics like key concepts and symbols are also included in the book.






Tales from Cushman Row by Suanne Laqueur

Photo Credit: Goodreads

Synopsis

"Come here, you moron."

For fans of the Venery series, author Suanne Laqueur offers a compendium of love scenes—unpublished chapters, character sketches and assorted reflections about Javier Landes and Steffen Finch. A treat to skim through, skip around and linger over at leisure. Like caviar.

For people who like this sort of thing, this is the sort of thing they will like. Contains adults in adult situations using adult language and a f**k-ton of gratuitous boning. No socks required. Batteries sold separately.




The Wife by Alafair Burke

Photo Credit: Goodreads
Synopsis

His scandal. Her secret.

When Angela met Jason Powell while catering a dinner party in East Hampton, she assumed their romance would be a short-lived fling, like so many relationships between locals and summer visitors. To her surprise, Jason, a brilliant economics professor at NYU, had other plans, and they married the following summer. For Angela, the marriage turned out to be a chance to reboot her life. She and her son were finally able to move out of her mother’s home to Manhattan, where no one knew about her tragic past.

Six years later, thanks to a bestselling book and a growing media career, Jason has become a cultural lightning rod, placing Angela near the spotlight she worked so carefully to avoid. When a college intern makes an accusation against Jason, and another woman, Kerry Lynch, comes forward with an even more troubling allegation, their perfect life begins to unravel. Jason insists he is innocent, and Angela believes him. But when Kerry disappears, Angela is forced to take a closer look at the man she married. And when she is asked to defend Jason in court, she realizes that her loyalty to her husband could unearth old secrets.


We Were Strangers Once by Betsy Carter

Photo Credit: Goodreads
Synopsis

For readers of The Nightingale and Brooklyn, an exquisitely moving novel about friendship, love, and redemption in a circle of immigrants who flee Europe for 1930s-era New York City.

On the eve of World War II Egon Schneider--a gallant and successful Jewish doctor, son of two world-famous naturalists--escapes Germany to an uncertain future across the sea. Settling into the unfamiliar rhythms of upper Manhattan, he finds solace among a tight-knit group of fellow immigrants, tenacious men and women drawn together as much by their differences as by their memories of the world they left behind. 

They each suffer degradations and triumphs large and small: Egon's terminally acerbic lifelong friend, bestselling author Meyer Leavitt, now wears a sandwich board on a New York street corner; Catrina Harty, the headstrong daughter of a dirt-poor Irish trolley driver, survives heartbreak and loss to forge an unlikely alliance; and Egon himself is forced to abandon his thriving medical practice to become the "Cheese Man" at a Washington Heights grocery. But their spirits remain unbroken, and when their little community is faced with an existential threat, these strangers rise up together in hopes of creating a permanent home. 

With her uncanny ability to create indelible characters in unforgettable circumstances, Betsy Carter has crafted a gorgeous novel that will resonate with anyone who has ever felt adrift and longed for home.


Hot Cowboy Nights by Carolyn Brown

Photo Credit: Goodreads
Synopsis

LET'S GIVE 'EM SOMETHING TO TALK ABOUT . . .
If gossip is the lifeblood of a small town, then Lizzy Logan has been its beating heart. After being dumped by her fiancé for another woman, she could have decided to crawl under a rock. But no, she'd rather really set tongues wagging by "moving on" with one of the hottest cowboys in Texas, who happens to live next door at the Lucky Penny Ranch. Those busybodies don't have to know it's actually all pretend. And just because Lizzy has no aim to tame her wild, blue-eyed neighbor doesn't mean she can't enjoy the ride of her life.

Toby Dawson never was and never will be the settling-down type. But what harm could there be in agreeing to be Lizzy's pretend boyfriend? They'll put on a show for a few weeks and be done. Yet the more he gets to know Lizzy-really know her-the harder it is for him to keep his hands off of her in private. Soon this rough-and-ready cowboy is hoping to heal Lizzy's bruised heart and turn their fake affair into a true romance . . .


Break the Chains by Megan E. O'Keefe

Photo Credit: Goodreads
Synopsis

As the city that produces the most selium - that precious gas that elevates airships and powers strange magic - Hond Steading is a jewel worth stealing. To shore up the city's defenses, Detan promises his aunt that he'll recover Nouli, the infamous engineer who built the century gates that protect the imperial capital of Valathea. But Nouli is imprisoned on the Remnant Isles, an impervious island prison run by the empire, and it's Detan's fault. 

Detan doesn't dare approach Nouli himself, so his companions volunteer to get themselves locked up to make contact with Nouli and convince him to help. Now Detan has to break them all out of prison, and he's going to need the help of a half-mad doppel to do it.





Wicked Intentions by Elizabeth Hoyt

Photo Credit: Goodreads
Synopsis

A man controlled by his desires . . .

Infamous for his wild, sensual needs, Lazarus Huntington, Lord Caire, is searching for a savage killer in St. Giles, London's most notorious slum. Widowed Temperance Dews knows St. Giles like the back of her hand-she's spent a lifetime caring for its inhabitants at the foundling home her family established. Now that home is at risk . . .

A woman haunted by her past . . .

Caire makes a simple offer-in return for Temperance's help navigating the perilous alleys of St. Giles, he will introduce her to London's high society so that she can find a benefactor for the home. But Temperance may not be the innocent she seems, and what begins as cold calculation soon falls prey to a passion that neither can control-one that may well destroy them both.

A bargain neither could refuse.


A Taste of Sugar by Marina Adair

Photo Credit: Goodreads
Synopsis

A blast from her past...

Charlotte Holden, Sugar's favorite pediatrician, knows better than anyone that love only leads to heartbreak. Instead, she's focused on creating the Grow Clinic, an outpatient center for children. All she has to do now is to host the best Founder's Day Parade in the history of Sugar, Georgia, to win over a big-city donor. Easy as peach pie. Then sexy Jace McGraw blows back into town and utters those three words every woman dreads: we're still married. 

...leads to tantalizing trouble

Jace McGraw was making an offer on his dream business in Atlanta when he was told that his wife had some credit issues. Wait, his wife? The annulment went through years ago—or so he thought. He'd walked away only to keep his troublemaker reputation from ruining her dreams. But now that they have a second chance, Jace offers Charlotte a deal: he'll grant a discreet divorce in exchange for 30 days and nights of marriage. Because this time he isn't going to let her go without a fight. 


Crochet Stories Peter Pan by Sarah Sloyer

Photo Credit: Goodreads

Synopsis

Travel to Never-Never Land with this "crafty" retelling of the adventures of the boy who wouldn't grow up. The book features a brief version of J. M. Barrie's classic tale, Peter Pan, punctuated with more than a dozen well-illustrated patterns for the beloved characters, plus a variety of accessories.

The ever-popular story opens in the London nursery of the Darling household, presenting patterns for Peter, Wendy and her brothers, and Nana the dog. Storybook chapters of the young Darlings' adventures in Never-Never Land follow, alternating with patterns for Captain Hook, Smee, the crocodile, Tinkerbell, the Lost Boys, the pirate ship, and other whimsical projects that range from easy to intermediate to advanced.



From Religion to Science by Lawrence H. Wood

Photo Credit: Goodreads
Synopsis

Have you ever wondered: "Why two diametrically opposite explanations of ourselves -- Religion and Science -- coexist?" As this book explains, the reason is, one explanation began before the other. The first explanation's development began thousands of years ago when our gradually evolving brains and minds awoke to an unknown, possibly threatening environment. Unfortunately, attempts to explain this strange environment were frustrated by illusions such as the apparent motion of the sun, moon and stars around the earth, which clouded our limited observational capability, such as our inability detect constant motion, thwarting the developing human mind's ability to correctly explain observations. These limitations ultimately led to a totally incorrect explanation: we reside in a very small, young, unchanging universe revolving about us, created by a supernatural being - God -- a belief system termed Religion.

About 500 years ago, the formulation of the second explanation was initiated when astute investigators such as Copernicus and Galileo, using improved new observation instruments such as the telescope and microscope, began to realize the existing illusion based religious explanations could not possibly be correct. Author Lawrence Wood introduces the brilliant investigators who resolved the illusions by developing radically new explanations of the illusions, an explanation system termed Science, many still cannot accept - hence, the coexistence of religion and science.

If you are one of those, trying to bridge the gulf between your religious beliefs which have become increasingly difficult to accept and the strange new world of science, this book will help you immeasurably!


A False Report: A True Story of Rape in America by T. Christian Miller and Ken Armstrong

Photo Credit: Goodreads
Synopsis

Two Pulitzer Prize-winning journalists tell the riveting true story of Marie, a teenager who was charged with lying about having been raped, and the detectives who followed a winding path to arrive at the truth.
On August 11, 2008, eighteen-year-old Marie truthfully reported that a masked man broke into her apartment near Seattle, Washington, and raped her, but within days police and even those closest to Marie became suspicious of her story. The police swiftly pivoted and began investigating her. Confronted with inconsistencies in her story and the doubts of others, Marie broke down and said her story was a lie. Police charged her with false reporting. One of her best friends created a web page branding her a liar.

More than two years later, Colorado detective Stacy Galbraith was assigned to investigate a case of sexual assault. Describing the crime to her husband that night--the attacker's calm and practiced demeanor, which led the victim to surmise "he's done this before"--Galbraith learned that the case bore an eerie resemblance to a rape that had taken place months earlier in a nearby town. She joined forces with the detective on that case, Edna Hendershot, and the two soon realized they were dealing with a serial rapist: a man who photographed his victims, threatening to release the images online, and whose calculated steps to erase all physical evidence suggested he might be a soldier or a cop. Through meticulous police work the detectives would eventually connect the rapist to other attacks in Colorado--and beyond.

Based on investigative files and extensive interviews with the principals, An Unbelievable Story is a serpentine tale of doubt, lies, and a hunt for justice, unveiling the disturbing reality of how sexual assault is investigated today--and the long history of skepticism toward rape victims.


So that is all of the books that I had waiting for me at my parents house when we got there on January 4th this year. It amounts to about one month's worth of book wins per year that we were overseas, so less than ten percent of the books I won were delivered to my parents house, and I'd started using their address exclusively in the middle of November, once we knew for sure we were heading back to the states, so over one months worth of these books were from that period alone. 

Yes, I realize that is me merely trying to justify entering giveaways for books that I could not receive at my mailing address while living in Germany, but you might also be surprised who was willing to bend their "no P.O. Boxes" rule for an APO. I know I sometimes was, although sometimes the exceptions made sense based on the book's subject. 

So that's me all caught up on bragging about all the awesome books I've gotten in the mail, to include the books my parents were hanging onto for me. Which of these books sound most interesting to you? - Katie