Today's Featured Books— Events

Today's Featured Books include three freebies and books from authors appearing in LitNuts for the first time. Visit the LitNuts website to see all of today's Featured Books. 

Also today, a friendly reminder to check out FOUR giveaways:

• A World of Dinosaurs Giveaway from author Daniel Arenson
• Woodson Falls Mystery Series Giveaway from Andrea O'Connor
• Bundle of 45 Literary, Historical & Book Club Fiction (last day!)
• Bundle of 38 Cozy Mysteries

“I was amazed that what I needed to survive could be carried on my back. And, most surprising of all, that I could carry it.” ~Cheryl Strayed

LitNuts is cosponsoring a new giveaway! Enter for a chance to win a bundle of 38 Cozy Mysteries + a new eReader (a $450 value!). This giveaway is open to readers worldwide. 

“When someone is mean to me, I just make them a victim in my next book.” ~Mary Higgins Clark

It's "last call" for the current LitNuts Deals Giveaway ($50 in Books, Coffee, or Cash to three winners). Enter by January 21 for a chance to win—and be sure to enter these fun giveaways as well:

• Woodson Falls Mystery Series Giveaway
• A World of Dinosaurs Giveaway
• Literary, Historical & Book Club Fiction Giveaway

“Surprise is the greatest gift which life can grant us.” ~Boris Pasternak

New Giveaway: Enter the Woodson Falls Giveaway for a chance to win signed books from author Andrea O'Connor, plus a $25 coffee shop gift card. Enter by February 2. 

While you are waiting to win a signed book, get a free copy of the ebook edition of 18 Lakeview Terrace, Book 1 in the Woodson Falls Series, and begin following the adventures of Gaby Quinn as she tackles mysteries in her small New England town. 

“Never be afraid to sit a while and think.” ~Lorraine Hansberry, A Raisin in the Sun

Free online tonight: Dr. King and the Legacy of Non-Violent Direct Action. Join the Interfaith Round Table and First Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Ann Arbor, Michigan, for a panel and community discussion on how we might draw on Dr. King’s legacy of non-violent action in service to social justice and building a Beloved Community. Monday, January 16, 7 PM EST. 

“The time is always right to do what is right.” ~Martin Luther King, Jr. 

Free online this weekend: What's New in Historical Fiction featuring Gabriella Saab, author of Daughters of Victory; Brynn Barineau, author of Jaguars and Other Game; and Peter Blauner, author of Picture in the Sand. Sunday, January 17, 7 PM CST.

One week to go on the LitNuts Deals Giveaway: Enter by January 20 for a chance to win $50 in books, coffee, or cash! 

"Summer friends will melt away like summer snows, but winter friends are friends forever.” ~George R. R. Martin

Free online tonight: An evening with Ross Gay, author of Inciting Joy. Presented by Illinois Libraries Present, best-selling essayist and award-winning poet Ross Gay will discuss the joy we incite when we turn our attention to what we love and what brings us together. Wednesday, January 11, 7 PM CST. 

"The more stuff you love the happier you will be." ~Ross Gay

This month, LitNuts is cosponsoring a new giveaway: Enter for a chance to win a bundle of 45+ literary,  historical, and book club fiction plus a brand new eReader, a $500 value! Open to readers worldwide. Deadline January 26. 

"Write it on your heart that every day is the best day in the year." ~Ralph Waldo Emerson

Welcome to the January 2023 issue of LitNuts Deals: highly rated indie books PLUS the LitNuts Deals Giveaway.

This month, we're giving away $150 in books, coffee, and cash. Three winners will each choose a $50 gift card for books (from Bookshop.org, Barnes & Noble, Amazon, etc.), a $50 coffee shop gift card (from any coffee shop or café that sells gift cards online), or $50 in cash (payable via PayPal). Enter by January 21 for a chance to win! 

 

Lowcountry Boil by Susan M. Boyer
Genre: Cozy Mystery
4.4 stars, 1,440 ratings
$0.99

Private Investigator Liz Talbot is a modern Southern belle. She blesses hearts, takes names, carries her Sig 9 in her Kate Spade bag, and her golden retriever, Rhett, rides shotgun in her hybrid Escape. When her grandmother is murdered, Liz hightails it back to her South Carolina island home to find the killer. She’s fit to be tied when her brother—the chief of police—shuts her out of the investigation, so she opens her own. When her long-dead best friend pops in things really get complicated. Book 1 in the Liz Talbot Mystery Series.

"A simmering gumbo of a story." ~The Huffington Post. 

Edgewood by Karen McQuestion
Genre: Teen & Young Adult Thrillers & Suspense
4.4 stars, 1,472 ratings
$0.99

"Such a gripping story! I couldn't turn the pages fast enough." ~Five-star Goodreads Review. Wandering the dark streets at night is Russ Becker's way of dealing with his relentless insomnia and the angst of life. But that changes forever the night he witnesses a strange astronomical event, then discovers he's developed incredible superpowers. And he's not the only one...

"I devoured it in one sitting!" New York Times Bestselling Author Lesley Kagen ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

"Edgewood was mind-blowingly amazing." Olivia at Fictionally Obsessed ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 

 

Kingdoms of Sand: Books 1-3 by Daniel Arenson
Genre: Epic Fantasy
4.2 stars, 137 ratings
FREE

Game of Thrones meets Spartacus in an epic saga of sand and splendor. This bundle contains the first three novels of Kingdoms of Sand, a fantasy series from a USA Today bestselling author. That's over 1,000 pages of battles, intrigue, and magic.

Sweeping from snowy forests to cruel deserts, from bazaars of wonder to fields of war, here is a tale of legionaries and lepers, priests and paupers, kings and crows. Here a girl travels across endless dunes, seeking magic; a cruel prince struggles to claim a bloodstained throne; and a young soldier fights to hold back an overwhelming host. As the empire spreads, the fate of one family—and of all civilization—stands upon a knife's edge, for under the storm of war, even the greatest nations are but kingdoms of sand.

The Prodigal Returns by Miranda Rose Barker
Genre: Cozy Mystery
4.4 stars, 41 ratings
$0.99

Holly owns a small-town café. Her curiosity is piqued by the rich and powerful Montgomery family, who control the town. When the family patriarch dies, the police view it as murder, and the estranged son of the deceased who recently returned is a suspect.

Holly meets this young man at her café and tries to help solve the case to exonerate him. One thing is for sure—Holly will do whatever it takes to learn who killed the family patriarch…and, in the process, uncover any other secrets the family is hiding.

Book 1 of the Near-to-Home Mystery Series.

My Mother's Secret by Alina Adams
Genre: Historical Fiction
4.4 stars, 47 ratings
$0.99

New York Times Bestselling author Alina Adams draws on her own experiences as a Jewish refugee from Odessa, USSR, as she provides readers a rare glimpse into the world's first Jewish Autonomous Region. My Mother's Secret: A Novel of the Jewish Autonomous Region is rooted in detailed research about a little-known chapter of Soviet and Jewish history while exploring universal themes of identity, love, loss, war, and parenthood. Readers can expect a whirlwind journey as Regina finds herself and her courage within one of the century's most tumultuous eras.

"An eye-opening family saga...both exotic and chillingly familiar." ~Kyra Davis, New York Times and USA Today bestselling author

Blue Hydrangeas: An Alzheimer's Love Story by Marianne Sciucco

Genre: Fiction
4.6 stars, 227 ratings
$0.99

What if the person who knew you best and loved you most forgot your face and couldn't remember your name? In Blue Hydrangeas, a pair of retired Cape Cod innkeepers encounter Alzheimer's disease. 

"Blue Hydrangeas traces a couple's struggle with Alzheimer's in an effective story that doesn't pull its punches, but remains compassionate and absorbing." ~IndieReader

"By far the most tender love story I've read in a very long time." ~Story Circle

What's Not Said: A Novel by Valerie Taylor

Genre: Women's Domestic Life Fiction, Family Life Fiction 
4.2 stars, 193 ratings
$0.99

Kassie O’Callaghan’s meticulous plans to divorce her emotionally abusive husband, Mike, and move in with Chris, a younger man she met five years ago on a solo vacation in Venice, are disrupted when she finds out Mike has chronic kidney disease—something he’s concealed from her for years. Once again, she postpones her path to freedom—at least, until she pokes around his pajama drawer and discovers his illness is the least of his deceits.

But Kassie is no angel, either.  As she struggles to justify her own indiscretions, the secret lives she and Mike have led collide head-on, revealing a tangled web of sex, lies, and DNA. Still, mindful of her vows, Kassie commits to helping her husband find an organ donor. In the process, she uncovers a life-changing secret. Problem is, if she reveals it, her own immorality will be exposed, which means she has an impossible decision to make: Whose life will she save—her husband’s or her own?

"Highly recommended for readers who look for not just stories of marital relationships, but the unexpected revelations that revolve around life purpose and the immortality of love.” ~Midwest Book Reviews

A Conjuring of Ravens by Azalea Ellis
Genre: Fantasy
4.5 stars, 316 ratings
$0.99

In a world where magic is a science, Siobhan is a genius. But even geniuses need schooling.

Siobhan has just been banned from the country's only magic university. As the unwitting accomplice to the theft of a priceless magical artifact, she has suddenly become a wanted criminal. There are fates worse than death, and if caught, she will face them. Unwilling to give up on her dream of becoming the world's most powerful sorcerer, she resolves to do whatever it takes to change her fate—even if it means disguising herself as a man and indebting herself to a gang of criminals to pay for University tuition.

With the coppers after her, the pressure of trying to keep her spot in the devilishly competitive magic classes, and the gang calling in favors to repay her debts, Siobhan will need every drop of magic she can channel. Book 1 in the A Practical Guide to Sorcery series. 

One & Done by Kelly Jayne
Genre: Steamy Romance
4 stars, 62 ratings
$0.99

He's hot. Like smoldering on a 98-degree day hot! He looks like a man I could enjoy all night long!

When she looked into the camera, it felt like she was looking straight into my soul, and a jolt of electricity pulsed through me like I haven't felt in years.

Holly doesn't believe in love. She saw what it did to her parents and she wants no part of it.

Morgan had true love once and doesn't believe he will ever find it again.

Will they find in each other what they never thought possible? Or will their fears and flaws keep them apart? Book 1 in the United Front series.

Outrageous: Rise to Riches by Neal Katz
Genre: Historical Fiction 
4.3 stars, 89 ratings
$0.99

Women empowerment, overcoming adversity, social change, and hope were the cornerstones upon which Victoria Woodhull (1838–1927) and her younger sister Tennessee Celeste Claflin built their incredible lives in Victorian America. 

Winner of 12 literary awards, Outrageous: Rise to Riches, Book 1 of The Victoria Woodhull Saga, sets the psychological verity and traces Victoria from childhood poverty and horrific abuse to becoming one of the wealthiest women in America, founding the first women-owned brokerage firm on Wall Street, and the first women-owned newspaper. Victoria would stop at nothing to achieve her destiny.

"A compelling page-turning story that cleverly unfolds history while providing a wonderfully entertaining ride." ~Midwest Book Review

A Ring of Truth by Michelle Cox
Genre: Historical Mystery, Mystery/Romance
4.1 stars, 517 ratings
$2.99

“Downton Abbey meets Miss Fisher’s Murder Mysteries!” 

In this second book of the series, Henrietta and Clive delightfully rewrite Pride and Prejudice—with a hint of mystery. Newly engaged, Clive and Henrietta now begin the difficult task of meeting each other’s family. “Difficult” because Clive has neglected to tell Henrietta that he is heir to the Howard estate and fortune, and Henrietta has just discovered that her mother has been hiding secrets about her past as well. When Clive leaves his new fiancée with his wealthy family to return to the city, Henrietta stumbles upon a servant whose ring has been stolen. What begins as an innocent investigation quickly becomes very dangerous. 

“Henrietta and Inspector Howard make a charming odd couple in A Ring of Truth, mixing mystery and romance in a fizzy 1930s cocktail.” ~Hallie Ephron, New York Times bestselling author

Free online: The Blanche Ely House Museum sponsors Zoom Story Time for children the first Saturday of each month. This month, they are celebrating Chinese New Year with "Dragon Dance" as the main story. Saturday, January 7, 10 AM CST. 

"Always try to be a little kinder than is necessary." ~J.M. Barrie, The Little White Bird

Free online cultural event: Édouard Manet & Impressionism - The National Gallery of Art Livestream. The National Gallery of Art (NGA) in Washington, DC, is home to one of the world’s most important collections of Edouard Manet’s work. This online/virtual program will explore Manet's paintings and drawings at the NGA and compare and contrast Manet's art with that of other Impressionists, including Monet, Degas, Renoir, Cassatt, Van Gogh, and others. Wednesday, January 4, 8 PM EST.

“There are no lines in nature, only areas of colour, one against another.” ~Édouard Manet

Free online: Speaking Crow Poetry Open Mic from Winnipeg, Canada, featuring Sally Ito. Funded and facilitated by the Winnipeg International Writers Festival, this open mic series is held the first Tuesday of every month. Register to be part of the audience, or register to be one of the open mic readers (limit 25, first-come-first-served). Tuesday, January 3, 7 PM CST.

"To maintain culture, one must choose to practice it.” ~Sally Ito

This is the last LitNuts newsletter of 2022, so we want to first say "thank you" for subscribing to LitNuts. As you know, we feature only indie books, and your support means a lot to us and to the small publishers and independent authors who promote their work with us. We hope you found some great reads in our newsletter in 2022, and we look forward to bringing more of the "Best of the Indies" to you in the year ahead.

We also enjoy finding and telling you about free online literary and cultural events, and here are a couple of nice ways to ring out the old and ring in the new:

Manifest the Love & Life You Want in 2023. Four witchy wise women will inspire you to release the past and manifest the life and love you want in 2023 through this special ceremony. Saturday, December 31, 10 AM PST. 

The Gardens of Cornwall. This free online slideshow will take you on a tour of the stunning gardens of Cornwall and Devon, and even take a flight to the Tresco Abbey Gardens in the Isles of Scilly. Make a cup of tea and climb aboard! Available online from January 1 to February 28. 

"I wake expectant, hoping to see a new thing." ~Annie Dillard

Free online tonight: The Philosophical Research Society presents Peace Class, a weekly gathering in which participants come together to build inner peace and world peace. Each meeting is a stand-alone lesson; drop in for one meeting or attend the whole series. 

“Peace begins with a smile.” ~Mother Teresa

LitNuts is cosponsoring a giveaway of Women Sleuth Mysteries. Enter for a chance to win a bundle of 50 mysteries featuring female detectives + a new eReader (a $550 value!). This giveaway is open to readers worldwide. Deadline for entry: January 4.

"Very few of us are what we seem." ~Agatha Christie

The holidays and the start of a new year are times of introspection for many people. Here are two free online events to help with your inner journey:

The Archetypes and The Collective Unconscious by Carl Jung. This multi-date free event will feature a live reading of The Archetypes and The Collective Unconscious with pauses for discussion. You do not need to have the book or do any reading beforehand for this event. Begins Friday, December 23, 7:30 PM EST.

Living with No Limits with Liz Bull. Discussion of self-sabotage and procrastination, overcoming fears, dealing with trauma, stress relief, and more. Sundays at 11 AM EST. 

"The privilege of a lifetime is to become who you truly are." ~Carl Jung

Free online tonight: Antigone in Savannah fuses dramatic readings by acclaimed actors of Sophocles’ Antigone with live choral and gospel music performed by choirs and singers from Savannah, St. Louis, and New York City to frame dialogue about the challenges and opportunities of honoring the dead and healing historical wounds. Featuring performances by Jesse Eisenberg (The Social Network), Kara Young (The Punisher), and more. Wednesday, December 21, 5:15 PM EST. 

“We have only a little time to please the living. But all eternity to love the dead.” ~Sophocles, Antigone

Looking for books to help you start the new year on a positive note? The Healthy New You promotion features 20+ free ebooks for a healthier mind and body. 

Also, here's a last call for three giveaways ending this week:

• A.J. Park Young Adult Fantasy Giveaway, ends Dec. 20
• Win $100 in PayPal Cash, ends Dec. 21
• Science Fiction & Fantasy Giveaway, ends Dec. 22

“What we fear doing most is usually what we most need to do.” ~Ralph Waldo Emerson

December 21 is the winter solstice, marking the shortest day and longest night of the year in the Northern Hemisphere. (To our friends in the Southern Hemisphere, enjoy your day basking in the sun!) Since prehistory, the winter solstice has been an occasion for festivals and rituals.

Stories for a Winter Solstice was created to "share in the light of storytelling." Join Stories with Spirit (aka, Cooper Braun and Rachel Ann Harding) for this free online event. Saturday, December 17, 7 PM CST. 

Also, don't forget to enter the Black Phantom Chronicles Giveaway for a chance to win signed copies of books from this young adult fantasy series. Deadline: December 17. 

“People don’t notice whether it's winter or summer when they’re happy.” ~Anton Chekhov

Free online tonight: Mission Joy - Finding Happiness in Troubled Times, a 90-minute film inspired by events leading to the publication of The Book of Joy in which Nobel Peace Prize Laureates His Holiness the Dalai Lama and Archbishop Desmond Tutu looked back on their long lives to answer a single burning question: How do we find joy in the face of life's inevitable suffering? Wednesday, December 14, 6:30 PM PST. 

“We are fragile creatures, and it is from this weakness, not despite it, that we discover the possibility of pure joy.” ~Archbishop Desmond Tutu

LitNuts is involved in two new giveaways that are starting today!

Sci-Fi/Fantasy: Win a bundle of 50 Sci-Fi and Fantasy novels +  a new eReader, a $550 value! Open to entrants worldwide. Enter by December 29. 

Books for Winter: Download your choice of up to 19 free ebooks in the Snow Way giveaway of great winter reads. Now through December 31. 

"Summer friends will melt away like summer snows, but winter friends are friends forever.” ~George R. R. Martin

In addition to browsing today's Featured Books (scroll down!), check out this giveaway of 30+ free "transformational nonfiction" ebooks, available now through January 5 via BookFunnel. 

“We cannot change the cards we are dealt, just how we play the hand.” ~Randy Pausch, The Last Lecture

Today's featured indie books include a wide variety ranging from nonfiction on how to be a successful craft fair vendor to fantasy that will appeal to adults and young adults alike, and from gripping mysteries to steamy romances. See all of today's featured books at LitNuts.com. 

Also, be sure to enter one (or all!) of the six giveaways we are currently sponsoring: 

• LitNuts Deals Giveaway ($100 Barnes & Noble gift card)
• The Black Phantom Chronicles Giveaway (signed books +$25 gift card)
• A.J. Park Young Adult Fantasy Giveaway (signed books + $25 gift card)
• Holiday Giveaway ($150 Amazon.com gift card)
• $100 Holiday PayPal Cash Giveaway ($100 PayPal cash)
• Winter is Coming Kindle eBook Giveaway (bundle of Kindle eBooks) 

War's Ending

A courageous noblewoman. A mysterious stranger. A war that may destroy them both…

As the king’s niece, Shalyrie can’t wait to explore her kingdom’s colonies with her uncle. But when she’s badly injured in a savage raid and abducted by mysterious masked horsemen, she’s stunned when her captors heal her wounds. As she adjusts her preconceptions, a terrifying attempt on her life reveals that her own people are trying to kill her.

Kalleck expects to die fighting a hopeless war like his father before him. While he helps Shalyrie piece together clues behind the assassination attempt, her very presence escalates tension between the kingdom and the colony. With time running out, Kalleck knows he must act quickly to prevent innocent bloodshed, yet Shalyrie might be the only one who can end the war.

Can two enemies join forces to put an end to a devastating war?

If you like noble heroines, mysterious strangers, and exotic cultures, then you’ll love A.J. Park’s gripping tale. Buy War’s Ending to ride into a heartfelt adventure today!

"A well-written novel that will delight fans of fantasy, with a powerful plot, an exciting setting, and memorable characters." ~Readers' Favorite Five-Star Review

The Ring Keeper

Caught between twin brothers, one courting demons and sorcery, the other the ruler of an empire protected by magic, Ana bears a ring of unknown powers, her legacy from a mother she never knew.

Discovering the ring’s ability makes her both a valuable member of the emperor’s court and a target for abduction by his jealous brother. Soon Ana finds herself betrayed and kidnapped, ultimately held at the mercy of the emperor’s twin and his dark secrets.

The ring exposes a web of love, hatred and unimaginable betrayal. Though its power drains her life force, the fate of the empire depends on her ability to unlock the ring’s secrets. She must find the will and strength to use it, for its magic can save the lives of everyone Ana has come to love. Or it can destroy them completely…

About A.J. Park

In addition to her work as a novelist, A.J. Park works for Connection Publishing, a print magazine company that partners with city governments to bring hyper-local content to their residents. She has written on a wide variety of subjects that have been enjoyed by countless magazine readers. She loves getting to know new people and is constantly involved in her community, giving her time and talents to serve with local nonprofit organizations.

Unsurprisingly, she spends her spare moments writing or reading. Learning is something she craves, and she is constantly studying ways to improve her storytelling skills. She is never bored and continually adds to a long list of exciting new projects to work on.

A committed outdoor enthusiast, A.J. enjoys the mountains of Northern Utah as often as possible, no matter what the season. She loves hiking, snowshoeing, skiing, backpacking and spending time with her amazing husband, family and friends.

Interested in having A.J. speak to your group or in interviewing her for your followers? Visit Emerald Lake Books to contact A.J. Park.