Today's Featured Books— Spotlight

Today, LitNuts is shining a spotlight on the Stories of Shadow and Flame series from Kirkus-recommended author Nick Oliveri. Read on to learn more about the books in this exciting and innovative series.  
 
★★★★★ "Mystical, unique, and exciting." ~Vine Voice Review

Becoming the Conjurer (Stories of Shadow and Flame Book 1)

The paths of three boys intertwine at an unlikely junction in this fantastic tale of treachery, hope, and power.

When opportunity knocks for Mikalla to become The Conjurer’s assistant, he is quickly rivaled by Gobi, the jealous and talented apprentice. Gobi will do anything for a chance to be rid of Mikalla.

Meanwhile, the second prince of Idaza is a pudgy royal with not much to do and even less to be proud of. But Oro is soon taught the ways of power and conflict by an unlikely character.

Treachery, murder, and opportunity rear their heads and clash in a story of shadows and flame, artistry and power. Embark on this fantastic tale about the true influence of people’s minds and the power to control a whole populace—relevant to any time period, and especially now more than ever.

★★★★★ "Gripping and enchanting." ~Goodreads Review

★★★★★ "Dark and intriguing." ~Amazon Review

The Conjurer (Stories of Shadow and Flame Book 2)

In the thriving kingdom of Idaza, Mikalla is the adored Conjurer, the nation’s chief storyteller, using the shadows cast by the city’s glorious ceremonial flame.

But death awaits around every corner. Addiction rattles the king. Trauma haunts the nobility and their conflicting motives. Murder happens, but to find out who succumbs to it is a journey the reader must take alone through the halls and palaces of the glorious Inner Gardens.

With a beautiful family and his position as one of King Oro’s favorite courtiers, Mikalla’s life is perfect. That is, until the king commands him to deliver a deadly message—one that will inevitably end in bloodshed and a war-torn Idaza.

With King Oro’s minions—Secretary Kitan and General Jax—skulking in the wings, Mikalla doesn’t know who to trust. Worse, he isn’t sure who’s really pulling the strings behind this political charade.

Betrayal and murder lie in the shadows Mikalla has always used to captivate the masses.

Will the flames reveal the truth hidden within the twisted schemes, or will Mikalla rise to his government’s call? Mikalla, the Conjurer, must realize his choices alone hold the power to change Idaza—to change everything.

★★★★★ "A thought-provoking exploration of power, trust, and the consequences of one's choices." ~Goodreads Review

"A bold, tautly written work about the struggle to express oneself freely." ~Kirkus Reviews

"I found myself invested and blown away by the story, and I believe prospective readers would feel the same." ~Online Book Club

The Last Conjurer (Stories of Shadow and Flame Book 3)

As dangerous as it is compelling, this genre-defying journey crowns the critically acclaimed trilogy.

In today’s society, people scroll through a digital world that alienates them. Coyote suffers the same struggle as he journeys to the greedy depths of vicious crime and sin. The unproven son leaves his cushy life to battle through tattered robes through deserts and cities. As he does so, a shocking power struggle between the kingdom’s leaders unleashes terror in an unforgettable battle of the wits.

Blood spills.

The Minister of Economics has brought great wealth to the kingdom. But King Oro grows suspicious of the minister’s bold visions. The commoners of the kingdom only live to strive for more wealth as the age and beloved myths of The Conjurer have died. Hopeless and lacking any direction, Coyote often cries alone, dwelling in the dark of night on the loss of so much.

Passionate love, death, and redemption all culminate to tell a timeless tale of society’s last tethers to humanity.

The Last Conjurer is a lush yet twisted journey of a lonely boy coming of age in a time where all is lost.

Congratulations to Catherine Shields and Vine Leaves Press on the release of The Shape of Normal: A Memoir of Motherhood, Disability and Embracing a Different Kind of Perfect. 
 
★★★★★ "Brave and heartbreaking...will resonate with all parents." ~Jen Pastiloff, author of On Being Human

The Shape of Normal

As a young suburban mother in the early 1980s, Cathy had a loving husband, a sweet toddler, and a vision of life laid out before her. Pregnant for the second time, with twins, she imagined creating the warm, affectionate home she’d craved as a child. Her family would flourish, and she would be the calm, unflappable mother at its center.

But the universe had other plans.

The Shape of Normal explores Cathy's intense denial and devotion as she struggles to face the challenges of raising a girl with cognitive disabilities. Convinced her diagnosis can be undone with just the right amount of single-mindedness, she turns it into a dark prophecy. But she'll have to overcome adversity and learn the lesson of acceptance before realizing her daughter was never broken.

Cathy was never on a hero’s journey to save her child. She needed to save herself. 

Praise for The Shape of Normal
★★★★★ “A powerful testament to how our children challenge us to accept them for who they are.” ~Monica Wesolowska, author of Leo + Lea

★★★★★ “Bold, funny, heartbreaking... Nominally, it’s about raising a child with disabilities, but in fact, it’s about raising a child. It's filled with laughs and grit and unforgettable stories and unstoppable love. Everyone should have a mother like Catherine Shields.” ~Jacquelyn Mitchard, author of The Deep End of the Ocean

★★★★★ “Raw, compelling, and brutally honest...a tender exploration of the nuances of raising a child with cerebral palsy that focuses on the often-overlooked emotions of love, fear, guilt, and loneliness... Filled with beauty and insight...impossible to put down.” ~Aileen Weintraub, author of Knocked Down: A High-Risk Memoir

★★★★★ “Ms. Shield’s experience, filled with frustration, fear, laughter, and tears, certainly provokes empathy and joy in the reader.” ~Wendy Nottoli, M.A., CCC, BCaBA, Speech-Language Pathologist

Today, LitNuts is shining a spotlight on the work of A.W. Kaylen, an author who grew up hearing stories from her detective father and went on to write authentic crime thrillers for readers everywhere! Read on to learn about books in the Heather Chase FBI Series. 

Bonus: Get Dirt Dealers, the Heather Chase FBI Series Prequel, FREE!

Silent Witness: Heather Chase FBI Series Book 1

A lifeless body. A string of secret affairs. A silent witness no one knows about.

Is it textbook suicide? The NYPD thinks so. But FBI Special Agent Heather Chase has her doubts…

She must get to the truth quickly before the case gets closed in a hurry. It soon becomes clear that the perpetrator is leading the investigation astray and is always one step ahead. Is someone tipping off the killer?

Without a witness, Chase is about to lose this case for good. She must act fast before the killer covers all their tracks. It dawns on her that she’s been chasing crumbs left for her to follow. How could she have missed the telltale signs? Her instincts have been trying to tell her all along who the killer is. But she was afraid. Not anymore.

Silent Witness is the stand-alone first book in the Heather Chase FBI Series.

Frozen Justice: Heather Chase FBI Series Book 2

A victimless murder. A secret plan that could forever change the geopolitical landscape. And a ghost partner she’s supposed to trust.

FBI Special Agent Heather Chase is dispatched to a murder scene in the middle of the night, hundreds of miles away. Immediately, she feels something’s off. She finds herself working with a new partner whose name doesn’t even exist in the system. Who is he?

Deploying her deep infiltration tactics, Chase discovers a startling secret at the university. She soon realizes she’s chasing the victim instead of the murderer.

Ambushed by highly trained assassins, Chase becomes the hunted. More dead bodies turn up, but no sign of the killer. When Chase discovers a secret plan that puts the United States on the brink of war, she has mere hours to intervene.

Will Chase be able to stop the catastrophe in time?

Chasing Dragons: Heather Chase FBI Series Book 3

Millions vanished. Key personnel AWOL. A bizarre bank robbery.

FBI Special Agent Heather Chase and her partner are on the case to recover the money. Except this is no ordinary robbery. 

No forced entry. No obvious perpetrator. No apparent victim. The money is simply gone. It soon becomes clear to Chase they’re hunting ghosts. How can this impossible mission be accomplished?

Relying on her deep infiltration tactics, Chase disappears into the darkness of the underworld…the dungeon where dragons roam. She discovers a startling secret…a secret that could send the whole economy into a tailspin.

Grappling with greed, murder, and corruption, the deeper she digs the messier it becomes. All it takes is one misstep for everything to come crashing down.

Will Chase be able to save the financial system from complete collapse?

Heather Chase FBI Series

Get the entire series! Gear up for riveting crime fiction that will sweep you off your feet with pulse-pounding action, creative twists, and a badass heroine who is hell-bent on delivering justice.

The explosive Heather Chase FBI Series is perfect for readers who love hardboiled detective novels with an imaginative new spin.

    

Today, LitNuts is shining a spotlight on Between Jobs, Book 1 in The City Between vampire thriller series from author W.R. Gingell.

★★★★★ "Fresh, sparkling, fun take on Urban Fantasy." ~Amazon Vine Voice Review

Between Jobs by W.R. Gingell

When you get up in the morning, the last thing you expect to see is a murdered bloke hanging outside your window. Things like that tend to draw the attention of the local police, and when you’re squatting in your parents’ old house until you can afford to buy it, another thing you can’t afford is the attention of the cops.

Oh yeah. Hi. My name is Pet. It’s not my real name, but it’s the only one you’re getting. Things like names are important these days.

And it’s not so much that I’m Pet. I am a pet. A human pet: I belong to the two Behindkind fae and the pouty vampire who just moved into my house.

It’s not weird, I promise. Well, it is weird, yeah. But it’s not weird weird, you know?

Praise for Between Jobs
"Quirky, like a visit through the looking glass with supernatural characters." ~Amazon Vine Voice Review

"Dark, hilarious, twisted, and just plain fun." ~Goodreads Review

"Unique urban fantasy." ~Amazon Vine Voice Review

      

Congratulations to Elinora Westfall and Vine Leaves Press on the release of Life in the Dressing Room of the Theatre, a collection of thought-provoking poetry. 

★★★★★ "Striking, cinematic imagery." ~Robbie Jarvis, actor

Life in the Dressing Room of the Theatre

A woman’s soul is laid bare between these pages, eviscerated, sunk deep between ink and page. Life in the Dressing Room of the Theatre is a meandering journey of a heart both scarred and lonely and fierce and wild as it seeks itself in each new incarnation. It is stitched and pieced together with the blades of grass and faded-yellow ribbons that string themselves through each poem, following the thread of love, through grief and trauma, suicide and rose-tinted memories while traversing the vague and uneven road to self-rediscovery.

Praise for Life in the Dressing Room of the Theatre
★★★★★ “Breathtaking... work that needs to be read and re-read and which I’m sure will be quoted in years to come.” ~Samantha Giles, actress

★★★★★ “I’ve no doubt this collection will become a beloved, well-thumbed go-to whenever we need that deeper connection often lacking on our day-to-day lives.” ~Simone Lahbib, actress

★★★★★ “Striking, cinematic imagery. Achingly beautiful use of language. It’s a remarkable collection.” ~Robbie Jarvis, actor

★★★★★ “Thought-provoking and eloquent. A magnificently written collection.” ~Kate Stagg, poet

Today, LitNuts is shining a spotlight on First Bullet, a white-knuckle thriller from author and former special agent Andrew Ceroni. 

★★★★★ "Step aside Jack Ryan...there’s a new action hero in town!" ~Jill Rey, Amazon Vine Voice Reviewer

First Bullet by Andrew Ceroni

Author Andrew Ceroni, former Special Agent, is at his very best with his seventh novel, First Bullet, a white-knuckle thriller with three intriguing story lines. 

Facing the grave dangers of a triple-threat, the CIA is on its heels. CIA Agent Dave McClure and his Special Operations teams face deadly action from a Chinese base hidden in the mist-covered Blue Mountains of Jamaica, to a German terrorist team attack on a strategic missile base in Wyoming, and finally to Berlin, Garmisch, and the German Alps where intelligence sources warn the CIA of a plot by cabinet members in Germany to arrest the Chancellor, overthrow the government, and invade Poland and the Czech Republic. The CIA must act fast and forcibly to avoid the outbreak of World War III.

If you love tales of espionage, this thriller will give you goosebumps!

Praise for First Bullet and Andrew Ceroni
★★★★★ "Authentic and intriguing...a riveting work full of action." ~Readers' Favorite

★★★★★ "A pulse-pounding must-read for fans of action-packed thrillers." ~Piaras, Amazon Vine Voice Review

★★★★★ "One of the most involving espionage thrillers of the year. Electrifying." ~Grady Harp, Amazon Review 

★★★★★ "CIA Agent Dave McClure is James Bond and Jack Ryan rolled into one; a sharp shooter and great analyst who always saves the day." ~Celtpop, Amazon Vine Voice Review

★★★★★ "Andrew Ceroni has written a wholly enjoyable book. His characters are relatable yet badass, emotional yet fearless." ~Jill Rey, Amazon Vine Voice Review

        

Congratulations to Scott Gould and Vine Leaves Press on the release of Idiot Men, a collection of stories about wayward characters who make poor choices in life and love against a backdrop of elegant prose.

★★★★★ "Scott Gould is a literary shapeshifter. A rough Southern man who writes about trucks, beer, dogs and doublewides with the finesse of a poet." ~Jane Stern, author of Ambulance Girl

Idiot Men by Scott Gould

With Strangers to Temptation, Things that Crash, Things that Fly, and The Hammerhead Chronicles, Scott Gould cemented his reputation as one of the most inventive, distinctive voices of Southern literature. In his latest collection, Idiot Men, he once again gathers a cast of unforgettable characters in eleven stories chock full of exceptional storylines and hilarious writing.

You’ll meet a truck driver whose wife flees to Jamaica with her lover, leaving him to babysit her hairless tomcat, Princess Di; a male nurse who discovers a trailer full of counterfeit NASCAR paraphernalia during a home health visit; an amateur arsonist sentenced to a year in a Smokey the Bear suit; a disgruntled roofer with a bad back and a meth-dealing twin brother… these are just a few of the idiot men you’ll encounter in a collection of stories that will appeal to readers who relish literature with a Southern flavor. 
 
Gould's Idiot Men provides the stage for wayward characters who make poor choices in life and love against a backdrop of elegant prose. These tales recalibrate morality and convention as readers will grow to love the characters despite—and perhaps because of—their flaws. These diverse, rich stories are ultimately connected by the spellbinding voice of a true Southern storyteller. 

Praise for Idiot Men and Scott Gould
★★★★★ "A writer able to make you laugh out loud and move you deeply, often in the same sentence." ~Nic Brown, author of Bang Bang Crash

★★★★★ "Yes, the protagonists in Idiot Men make questionable choices at times, but they do so with big-hearted, well-meant, honorable intentions. And if they’re idiots, well, they’re our idiots. Here’s a great congregation of stories, told in Gould’s unmistakable voice." ~George Singleton, author of The Curious Lives of Nonprofit Martyrs

★★★★★ "Idiot Men is like the best country song you have ever heard. [Gould's] writing breaks your heart but makes you rejoice that you are still alive to recover.” ~Jane Stern, author of Ambulance Girl

Today, LitNuts is shining a spotlight on A Perspective on Life: The Big Questions Addressed by Jerry Goldberg, a conversational book that explores science without inundating readers with math and technical jargon. Read on to learn more. Click on the book title, the "SHOP NOW" button, or the book cover image to purchase a copy.

★★★★★ “Covers the broad expanse of science in a logical and friendly way.” ~Amazon Review

A Perspective on Life: The Big Questions Addressed

This is a book about science, but it is written in an informal and readable format offering an imagined dialogue between the reader and the author. The book uses no math or technical jargon and incorporates many images and sketches to help clarify key concepts.

A Perspective on Life also recounts the major events in the personal journeys of famous scientists, recognizing that these great men and women were also real persons with the same problems in their daily lives we all struggle with.

The book presents, discusses, and clearly explains the following topics:

• Cosmology – Only relatively recently have astronomers shown the incredible size of our universe.
• The Big Bang – Astronomers know now that our universe began 13.7 billion years ago.
• Classical Mechanics – Isaac Newton was the first to use math to quantify what we see all around us.
• Quantum Mechanics – The most perplexing theory in physics, but the most successful of all.
• Special and General Theory of Relativity – Always proven right despite the challenges still coming.
• General Theory of Relativity – Einstein's masterpiece: what we perceive as the force of gravity arises from the curvature of space and time.
• Chemistry – How scientists put elements together for all our benefit.
• Biology – What we know about how we are put together and reproduce.
• Human History – From the human migration out of Africa some 50,000 years ago to present.

As author Jerry Goldberg says, these topics are important because "the public must have an understanding of the basics of science, which is the underlying structure of our modern civilization. Even more so, the public now needs a grasp of science to challenge those fools who claim to be 'science deniers.'”

Praise for A Perspective on Life
★★★★★ "An excellent book. It is readable, interesting, and informative on a whole range of topics not usually combined into a single book." ~Amazon Review from Bob L., a successful engineer and entrepreneur

★★★★★ "I like reading about science. This is one of my favorite books for several reasons. First of all, I could follow everything in the book. I like Stephen Hawking’s A Brief History in Time, but frankly, he lost me about 2/3 into the book. I really enjoy Neil Degrasse Tyson a lot! But, once again, his books seem to lose me before I get to the end. That did not happen with this book.

"Jerry Goldberg starts with the ideas and concepts that were accepted in earlier times and shows why, how, and by whom they were challenged and changed. He continues along this path until he arrives at the current scientific thinking and then explains them, even if the ideas are complex. He does this without using mathematics or technical jargon.

"The chronological presentation of events—the stepwise growth of scientific thought—is enhanced by allowing the reader to peek in on the lives of famous scientists, and not just their accomplishments either, but their struggles too. Learning about Newton, Darwin, Einstein, and others was a real treat. Sure, they were geniuses but they were real people too. It’s a connection to their humanity that I have rarely seen in other books. This enriches the book and the reader’s experience as well." ~Amazon Review from Joseph G., retired engineer

Today, LitNuts is shining a spotlight on The Last Lumenian by S.G. Blaise, a science fiction action adventure that has won multiple awards (including the Grand Prize in the prestigious CIBA 2022 CYGNUS Awards for Science Fiction) and has an average rating of 4.3 stars on 4,300+ ratings on Goodreads! 

Read on to learn more about The Last Lumenian...

The Last Lumenian

• Book 1 in The Last Lumenian series
• Genres: Science Fiction Adventures, Science Fiction Romance, Romantic Fantasy, Galactic Empire Science Fiction, Space Opera Science Fiction
• 4.3 stars, 4300+ ratings on Goodreads
• Print: From $11.99
• Audiobook: From $14.95
• Ebook: From $0.99 (Free via Kindle Unlimited)

Most princesses need saving. This one will save you.

She is a rebel. Lilla is fighting for the refugees's freedom from oppression. The king, her father, lost touch with reality ever since Lilla's mother died. Now everyone else is paying the price.

Lilla's life is not what she imagined it to be. Not by far. Meddling gods, love interests, and sudden magical abilities have no room in Lilla's world, but that has become her new reality. No matter how hard she pushes them away, it's too late. They all seek to control her anyway.

The arrival of Callum, a powerful Teryn general, further complicates Lilla's life. His presence leads to conflicted feelings and friction with Arrov, a handsome pilot and fellow rebel.

Now the Era War between two ruling archgods forces Lilla to act: accept who she really is. magic and all; find true love; and fulfill her destiny by defeating the Archgod of Chaos and Destruction before He finds her: The Last Lumenian.

Reviews & Awards

• "A terrifically entertaining, complex, and original fantasy." ~Kirkus Review
• "A fantastic escape from reality which is beautifully easy to fall into but very hard to let go of at the close." ~K.C. Finn, Readers' Favorite
• "Bursting with deeply thought-out worldbuilding, tension, and a wide cast of characters with a blend of science fiction and fantasy." ~US Review of Books
• "An intriguing and entertaining story that's sci-fi and fantasy with a sliver of romance trickling through it." ~Manhattan Book Review
• "A lovely and thoughtful fantasy story, with magic, danger and adventure, plus a little dash of romance." ~The Bookish Elf
• "A fast-moving science fiction fantasy, which is suitable for young teens as well as adults, that offers a valuable perspective on political repression and economic inequity." ~Indie Reader
• Grand Prize Winner for the CIBA 2022 CYGNUS Award for Science Fiction
• 2021 Independent Press Award Distinguished Favorite: Fantasy
• 2020 New York Book Festival Winner: Romance & Honorable Mention: Science Fiction
• 2020 San Francisco Book Festival Winner: Science Fiction
• 2020 New England Book Festival Winner: Science Fiction

About the Author
S.G. Blaise was born in a faraway land of castles, monarchies, and fallen dictatorships (aka, Hungary). Hollywood movies were forbidden under Soviet oppression during her childshood, but her dad smuggled them in anyway, risking his life so that his children could experience the magic and hope inherent in those stories.

She watched rebellions unfold in real time. Journeyed across the Atlantic Ocean for love.

She ended up in sunny California, where she is living her dream—writing stories and annoying family members. 

Visit SGBlaise.com to learn more and to sign up for her newsletter. Be sure to also follow her online:

Today, LitNuts is shining a spotlight on five fantasy novels from author Lara A. Steel, including Beastly - The Dark Heart, released on October 28, 2023. Read on to learn more!

Beastly - The Dark Heart

Jack Beastly: “All these years I watched you and knew: someday you would have to fulfill the prophecy and then you would belong to me. Someday I would come for you! And today is that day.”

Heather O'Hara: “Even as a child I knew it was best not to get too close to Jack Beastly’s cursed mansion. And to this day I still give its sinister walls a wide berth. So imagine my shock when, after a painful blow to the back of the neck on my wedding day, I wake up in Jack Beastly’s house. But it turns out he’s not the cranky old geezer I always assumed him to be. He’s an intimidating but very attractive young man and apparently no ordinary human. And what he wants from me is simply outrageous”

Dawn of the Dragons

Hunter is a dragon. An assassin, the deadliest of them all. His assignment is to hunt down Dawn Frazer. And as always, he’ll carry out his assignment with cold-blooded efficiency...or so he thinks! When a stranger is brought to Dawn's emergency department, she performs a complicated operation to save his life, and the only thanks she gets is to be abducted by him. He keeps babbling about dragons and his destiny. It’s clear to Dawn that this outrageously attractive bastard has a screw loose! At least, that’s what she assumes...

Angels of Sin (three book series)

"Beautiful, soulful, and exciting." ~Amazon Review. 

Angels of Sin is a three-book, slow-burn, young adult fantasy series featuring angels, demons, and a battle between light and damnation. The series includes three complete novels that were originally released in German. Each is now available in English, and each is free via Kindle Unlimited: 

• Blood Moon: 4.3 stars, 3600+ ratings (German edition)
• Heart of Ice: 4.5 stars 2900+ ratings (German edition)
• Dark Desire: 4.5 stars, 3300+ ratings (German edition)

Lara A. Steel

      

Great news for fans of vampire, werewolf, and zombie horror-comedy...

Monsters of the Midwest is FREE through October 31, 2023!
 

Monsters of the Midwest: The Complete Trilogy includes three novels from author Scott Burtness: 

• Wisconsin Vamp: Book 1 in the series, 4.1 stars, 383 ratings
• Northwoods Wolfman: Book 2 in the series, 4.4 stars, 98 ratings
• Undead Cheesehead: 4.4 stars, 74 ratings

Read on to learn more about this great offer!

Monsters of the Midwest: The Complete Trilogy

A cheese-infused, flannel-clad, very Wisconsin horror-comedy trilogy

Herb, Dallas, and Stanley live in small-town Wisconsin, where life is nice and simple.

Until Herb becomes a vampire.
And Dallas becomes a werewolf.
And Stanley becomes a zombie.

Folks like to say that sometimes it takes a big change to discover who you were meant to be. Join the three friends on their hilarious misadventures and find out if that's true!

It all begins in Wisconsin Vamp. Truckstop diner cook and mediocre bowler Herb Knudsen starts rolling strikes. His best friend, Dallas, suspects the bloody reason why. When the newly-turned vampire and Dallas both go for the same girl, Herb has to decide whose life to spare: His friend's or his own.

The story continues in Northwoods Wolfman. After crowning himself the Hero of Trappersville, egotistical Dallas signs up with a group of monster hunters. When his first hunt reveals that he's the monster they're hunting, Dallas is forced to reckon with his new nature and redefine his humanity.

The trilogy's epic conclusion comes in Undead Cheesehead. A zombie apocalypse is overtaking the town, courtesy of local oddball and T.V. addict, Stanley. After getting turned, the little guy just can't stop biting people. Fortunately, there's someone trying to stop the zombie apocalypse. Someone that looks a lot like Stanley. If his friends and the whole town are going to survive, Stanley will have to be twice the man he is. Or three times. Maybe even four...

The Monsters in the Midwest trilogy is a great read for fans of Rick Gualtieri (Bill the Vampire), D.M. Guay (The Graveyard Shift), and Christopher Moore (Bloodsucking Fiends: A Love Story).

About the Author
Scott Burtness writes about ordinary Midwesterners making an extraordinary mess of things. "If the flannel fits…" says Scott.

Important to note: To Scott, "ordinary” includes vampires, werewolves, zombies, witches, shapeshifters, aliens, and more.

Other books by Scott include The Misadventures of a Paranormal Post-Relationship Personal Effects Repossession Specialist, An Oracle Walks Into a Bar, A Scarecrow Wins an Award, and A Siren Sings Her Heart Out.

When Scott is not writing, he can be found hanging out at the local brewery, hanging out with his dog, or hanging out with his dog at the local brewery. Learn more at Scott's website, sign up for Scott's monthly newsletter The Paranomedy Pint (where drinking is the least of your problems), and follow Scott online: 

Ready...Set...Pride! by Truscott Jones is a unique coming-of-age novel. Young Max is looking forward to his last year of high school. He is still in the closet, but he is surrounded by friends and a loving family, so still has time to figure things out quietly. Or so he thought.

Things change when Max inherits his family's National Football League team. Suddenly, Max is thrown into the national spotlight where he will be forced to face his own truth, find the love of his life, and run a professional football team, all under the harsh glare of social media, hardcore fans, and brutal sports reporters.

Here's what readers are saying:

★★★★★ "Incredibly eye opening and insightful!"

★★★★★ "Captivating read with a lot of heart."

★★★★★ "Fun read with a easy-to-love hero...for both young and older adults alike."

★★★★★ "I was rooting for Max from the first chapter as he navigates his own self doubts and learns to find his courage against ever escalating adversity and pressure. It's a tribute to friendship, family, love, and the human spirit."

Ready...Set...Pride!

Max only thought his last year of high school was confusing, with the gorgeous but horribly straight Silas Cannon roaming the halls, and Max still in the closet. 

No one foresaw Max thrust into the gladiatorial world of football, a sport he barely followed, and only because his grandpa Gunnar owned the NFL’s newest franchise, the Portland Rogues.

No one imagined Gunnar suddenly dying, leaving the team not to Max's Uncle Fen, the team's general manager and Gunnar's only son, but to 18-year-old Max!

Meanwhile on the field, Portland has never put together a winning season. They have plenty of talent, and Coach Curcio definitely commands respect. But is it even possible for the Rogues to overcome the war between their suddenly jilted GM and his young, “undeserving” nephew?

Can Max survive his peers’ sudden interest, or the judgments of Reddit, Snapchat, and Twitter? Will he overcome the scheming Uncle Fen and the skepticism of Rogues players? And what about the other owners—is accepting a teen colleague their biggest challenge, or the waving of a giant Pride flag?

Most of all, though, does Max believe enough in himself, whether it’s leading the club, confronting his foes, or accepting the affections of an unexpected beau? Can he win the Super Bowl and the hottest guy in school?

About the Author
Truscott Jones practiced trial law for 25 years, eventually leaving to teach 12th grade government. Way before that, he played wide receiver in high school, spent four years on a major college program’s football staff, and survived the travails of being a closeted teen.

In Ready...Set...Pride!, Truscott draws upon his own experience to explore what it means to uncover and accept who you are, to experience the gift of love and the blight of prejudice with equal resolve, and to learn that change is both difficult and inevitable.

Today, LitNuts is shining a spotlight on the work of Joe Rothstein, author of multiple political thrillers. As one of the leading political strategists in the United States, Rothstein worked on hundreds of political campaigns and experienced firsthand the tensions, heartbreaks, joys, and disasters of U.S. politics. Now he’s sharing those stories in a series of politically inspired page-turners.

"Powerful fiction, directly relevant to growing risks now facing us." ~U.S. Senator Don Riegle, former Chairman, Senate Banking Committee

The Latina President

"An unusually deep plot for a political thriller... An enthralling protagonist at the heart of a gripping tale. A suspenseful—and topical—tale of White House intrigue." ~Kirkus Reviews

What happens when a fun-loving, charismatic, reform-minded Mexican-American billionairess becomes president of the United States and strikes fear in the pocketbooks of a cabal of the rich and powerful? Conspiracy. Impeachment. Murder. Assassination. It's all here. The world knows President Tennyson as "Tenny." And once you meet her, you will never forget her. 

"For intrigue and suspense, The Latina President rivals anything I’ve ever read about campaign politics." ~U.S. Senator Tom Daschle, former Senate Majority Leader

The Salvation Project

"A riveting, topical storyline that steadily builds tension and suspense...unusual and memorable!" ~Publisher Weekly’s BookLife

U.S. President Isabel Aragon Tennyson (“Tenny,” as the world knows her) is running for reelection, unaware that her opponent is a Manchurian-like candidate created by a shadowy group that calls itself the Salvation Project, bent on taking control of the United States. The election will determine not just who will be president, but likely the future of humanity.

"Readers seeking thought-provoking political intrigue that operates on both domestic and international soils will relish the approach of The Salvation Project, which embraces elections, murder, and conspiracy at the highest levels of office and the heart." ~Midwest Book Review

The Moment of Menace

"Must-read political thriller!” ~Midwest Book Review

Scientific advances are creating utopia. The end of disease and hunger. Longer lives. More leisure. Machines replacing back-breaking labor. Universal education. But every scientific advance also brings existential danger. Artificial intelligence. Test tube babies. Uncontrolled pathogens. Who will control the future? 

A murderous cabal is determined to seize control of the U.S. government. Blocking their path is a woman the world knows as "Tenny." She's U.S. President Isabel Tennyson, a charismatic Latina-American heiress who has survived impeachment, attempted assassination, and political sex scandals. Now the future of humanity hinges on her winning this most consequential fight of all.

      

Congratulations to Carolyn R. Russell and Vine Leaves Press on the release of Death and Other Survival Strategies, a collection of flash fiction that cuts across multiple genres.  

★★★★★ “You will emerge on the other side of this book laughing, crying, and braver.” ~Lorette C. Luzajic, founder and editor of The Ekphrastic Review

Note: Flash Fiction Online describes flash fiction as complete stories told in 500-1000 words...bite-size stories perfect for readers to enjoy in the breakroom or on the bus, while waiting in line or as a breather between daily tasks...yet not to be underestimated because their impact can be great, and they’re likely to stick with you long after you’ve reached the end.

Death and Other Survival Strategies

A young boy confronts a terrifying family secret. A recent college graduate is surprised by her fairy godmother in the powder room of a fancy nightclub in Manhattan. An exhausted midwife and her talking horse stumble into the gunfight at the O.K. Corral. A crack real estate agent confronts monstrously annoying thrill seekers at her open house. Two scheming ex-lovers meet at a diner; only one will leave. A small child gleefully bends reality to her will.

This cross-genre collection of flash explores the far realms of our most basic instinct. Russell’s stories astonish, delight, and repulse, unleashing a multiverse of possibility as her unforgettable characters respond to uncertainty in bedeviling ways.

Praise for Death and Other Survival Strategies
★★★★★ “Carolyn Russell’s collection of multi-genre flash gives her readers big surprises in small and smartly crafted morsels, deftly conjuring whole worlds and unforgettable characters in fewer than 1200 words.” ~Connie Johnson Hambley, award-winning author of The Jessica Trilogy

★★★★★ “[Carolyn's] insightful voice is both strange and familiar, finding the humanity and humor in lives real, imagined, and in between.” ~Doug Mathewson & Sally Reno, Editors, Blink-Ink

★★★★★ “Akin to spending time at your favorite art museum. You turn a corner and are greeted by a wall lined with exquisite miniatures, and here, you turn a page and melt into micro-jewels.” ~John McCaffrey, author of Automatically Hip

★★★★★ “Russell’s collection of compressed literary art is just that: art. Brush strokes trimming out tantalizing microfiction in tighter spaces...gorgeously imagined and thoughtfully rendered.” ~Keith Hoerner, founding editor of The Dribble Drabble Review

★★★★★ “Worlds recognizable enough to feel familiar, yet filled with the underlying dread and longing inherent in our human condition...combines parable, humor, logic and fairy tale to an entertaining and eerily devastating effect.” ~Andrea Caswell, Senior Fiction Editor, Cleaver Magazine

★★★★★ “These stories are compelling, provocative, and a wholly immersive experience, even in a medium that celebrates brevity...don’t just entertain; they make you think.” ~Bob Krasner, 2023 NYPA award winner for Arts Coverage

Earlier this week, we shared news of Two for the Money, a new release from writer and actor Steve Zettler. We're following up to make sure you don't miss this thriller in which "even the twists have twists"—and to let you know about other works by Steve, including a novel and a screenplay that you can download from his website FREE! Learn more at SteveZettler.com.

Also, if you happen to be in the Philly area, you can catch Steve live and in-person at these upcoming events:

• October 26, 6:30 PM: Head House Books, 619 South Second Street, Philadelphia, PA
• November 4, 1:00 PM: Barnes & Noble, 1708 Chestnut Street, Philadelphia, PA

Two for the Money

What happens when millions in cold cash evaporates into thin air? And the only people aware of its disappearance are a collection of misfits, bunglers, and crooked CIA agents? The one person on earth who knows exactly where that cash is located is a legless, ex-Navy SEAL, confined to a wheelchair.

Sam Christie has come to South Philly to visit the grave of a former Secret Service Agent. But he’s walking straight into a sinister trap...a trap that will take him to the exact spot where the Americas meet, and pit him against ruthless mercenaries, an unrelenting cop, and rogue CIA agents.

Praise for Two for the Money

• “A wild search for missing millions that brought to my mind The Treasure of Sierra Madre.” ~Jonathan Santlofer, The Last Mona Lisa
• “Constant action, breakneck twists, and a vivid cast of double-dealing spies, battle-scarred vets, and old school gangsters.” ~Dennis Tafoya, The Poor Boys Game

More Works by Steve Zettler
Note: The free downloads are Ronin, a full-length novel written for MGM after a screenplay by J.D. Zeik & Richard Weisz (David Mamet), and Birds Do It, four one-act plays by Steve Zettler. The Crossword Mystery Series consists of 12 books written by Nero Blanc, a collaboration created by the husband-and-wife writing team of Steve Zettler and Cordelia Frances Biddle. 

      

Type 2 Diabetes?: Break Free Naturally, with Hintonia

You don’t have to settle for a life with Type 2 Diabetes. Going beyond the timely advice of sensible diet and lifestyle choices, authors Terry Lemerond and Dr. Jacob Teitelbaum open the door to a highly researched and proven miracle herb called Hintonia latiflora. Shown through clinical studies to reduce blood sugars, overcome insulin resistance, and more, Hintonia latiflora is your secret weapon. Complete with a special letter from Dr. Teitelbaum, M.D., to share with your health professional.

Congratulations to Steve Zettler and Vine Leaves Press on the release of Two for the Money.

★★★★★ “A thrilling romp from cover to cover.” ~Richard Helms, author of A Kind and Savage Place

Two for the Money

What happens when millions in cold cash evaporates into thin air? And the only people aware of its disappearance are a collection of misfits, bunglers, and crooked CIA agents? The one person on earth who knows exactly where that cash is located is a legless, ex-Navy SEAL, confined to a wheelchair.

It’s an icy Christmas Day in Philadelphia, City of Brotherly Love. Sam Christie has come to South Philly to visit the grave of a former Secret Service Agent, Pete Macaluso. Drive into town, place some flowers on Pete’s grave, and head home. Piece of cake…

Not so fast. Unbeknownst to Sam, he’s walking straight into a sinister trap...a trap that will take him to the exact spot where the Americas meet, and pit him against ruthless mercenaries, an unrelenting cop, and rogue CIA agents.

Praise for Two for the Money
★★★★★ “Zettler’s tough rat-a-tat-tat prose speeds the reader through a wild search for missing millions that brought to my mind such classics as The Treasure of Sierra Madre by way of Texas, Florida, and the Panama Canal. I could not put it down.” ~Jonathan Santlofer, author of The Last Mona Lisa

★★★★★ “Zettler delivers constant action, breakneck twists, and a vivid cast of double-dealing spies, battle-scarred vets, and old school gangsters fighting over a dictator’s submerged secrets and cold, hard cash.” ~Dennis Tafoya, The Poor Boys Game

★★★★★ “Perfect caper yarn...at times white-knuckle, at times poignant, at times irreverent...at all the right times!” ~Christopher Chambers, Scavenger

★★★★★ “Even the twists have twists.” ~Merry Jones, Childs Play

Today, LitNuts is shining a spotlight on books of the Plantagenet Embers series from author Samantha Wilcoxson, critically acclaimed historical fiction focused on the Plantagenet Dynasty. 

From the Wars of the Roses to the Reformation, the Plantagenet Embers series is an emotive journey into the early Tudor era. Told through the intimate experiences of historical figures Elizabeth of York, Margaret Pole, and Queen Mary I, the Plantagenet Embers trilogy transports the reader to 15th and 16th century England. 

"Samantha Wilcoxson has a unique writing style, which makes her stand out from other Tudor storytellers." ~Sharon Bennett Connolly, author of Heroines of the Medieval World

Plantagenet Princess, Tudor Queen: The Story of Elizabeth of York

Born a Plantagenet Princess, Elizabeth became the first Tudor Queen.

She was the mother of Henry VIII and wife of Henry VII, but who was Elizabeth of York? As the eldest child of King Edward IV, Elizabeth had every reason to expect a bright future until Edward died and her life fell apart.

When Elizabeth's uncle became King Richard III, she was forced to choose sides. Should she trust her father's brother and most loyal supporter or honor the betrothal that her mother has made for her to her family's enemy, Henry Tudor?

The choice was made for her on the field at Bosworth.

Did Elizabeth find happiness with Henry? And did she ever discover the truth about her missing brothers, the lost Princes in the Tower?

Praise for Plantagenet Princess

• "Wilcoxson makes Elizabeth an invitingly sympathetic character, and the novel’s portrait of Henry VII is truly remarkable for its humanity, a quality of his Tudor novelists often omit." ~Historical Novel Society
• "I particularly liked the way the author gives a version of events which I had never thought of..." ~Author Annie Whitehead
• "The story immerses the reader in Elizabeth’s point of view. Events are filtered through Elizabeth’s eyes, through her perspective as filtered by her own experiences and personal knowledge." ~Author Stephanie Churchill
• "The author's genuine sympathy with, and empathy for her protagonist shines through, and it is this in particular that makes them a joy to read." ~Themis-Athena's Garden of Books

Faithful Traitor: The Story of Margaret Pole

Margaret Pole is no stranger to fortune's wheel.

Firstborn of the heir apparent of England, she was brought low as the daughter of a traitor. After years of turmoil as the Tudor dynasty took root, Margaret finds favor with her cousin, King Henry VIII. Through it all, she struggles to forge a life for her children while protecting them from the king's suspicious jealousies.

Will the remnant of the York dynasty thrive under this tempestuous king, or will Margaret discover that there is a price to pay for having an excess of royal blood?

Praise for Faithful Traitor

• "This is not only a great story about the Tudor times, but about a woman with the same emotions and moods we can identify with today." ~Readers' Favorite
• "A magnificent and moving book." ~Reading the Ages
• "Leaves you drawing in breath at the end, wondering, if the fates had been spun differently, what this likeable family of York would have achieved had they been given that chance." ~Discovering Diamond
• "In describing Margaret Pole's path...Samantha Wilcoxson comes into her own as a writer and grabs her readers by their collective necks; only to leave us heartbroken at Margaret's fate." ~Themis-Athena's Garden of Books

Queen of Martyrs: The Story of Mary I

How did a gentle, pious woman become known as 'Bloody Mary'?

'God save the Queen! God save our good Queen Mary!'

When these words rang out over England, Mary Tudor thought her troubles were over. She could put her painful past—the loss of her mother and mistreatment at the hands of her father—behind her.

With her accession to the throne, Mary set out to restore Catholicism in England and find the love of a husband that she had long desired. But the tragedies in Mary's life were far from over.

Praise for Queen of Martyrs

• "A fascinating read which shows us the true nature of Mary, whose reign was marked by extraordinary uneasiness and a lack of strength to set a standard of stability and acceptance for both friend and foe." ~Historical Novel Society
• "Every scholar and enthusiast knows the crimes of Henry VIII and what unfolded in his wake. Samantha uses this to full advantage and weighs every ounce of this on Mary’s soul." ~Knight of Angels
• "Most of all, I feel compassion for Mary and her lonely road through life. A woman who wanted only to love and be loved was given little opportunity to do either." ~Discovering Diamonds

About the Author

          

Today, LitNuts is shining a spotlight on Kaleidoscopic Shades by David A. Neuman, a 2023 Hoffer Award Finalist, winner of Literary Titan and IndieBRAG Awards, and selected as the #1 book of 2022 by Julie Sara Porter of Bookworm Reviews. 

"Takes you into a world where times could be manipulated, and a whole nation can disappear without a trace...a world where anything and everything is possible." ~OnlineBookClub.org

Bonus: Watch the trailer for Kaleidoscopic Shades, filmed in the old Adelaide Gaol in South Australia. 

Kaleidoscopic Shades by David A. Neuman

Joshua Triplow is just your average kid living in what he believes is the best place on Earth: Corona, California. But a recurring nightmare begins to plague him—and all the other kids in the best place on Earth. It's a nightmare of a man in black...the same man who haunts his father's tortured childhood.

Meanwhile, Joshua's father, Bob, begins to understand that what has been left behind half a world away in another lifetime has found a way to thrive. He learns there are no colors but black in a place far over the rainbow, and that it continues to hoard the most vulnerable in a wrenching existence.

It is here that Bob will fight for his sanity and Joshua will confront countless lost souls...and a menagerie of clocks maddeningly ticking away the hour to nowhere. To the endless plains of Black Eternity.

Synopsis from Bookworm Reviews
This is one of those books that is not a book so much as it is an immersive experience. It is a surreal dreamlike journey that takes several different components and creates a thoughtful, unforgettable whole work.

Several mysterious things happen at once. Solar flares erupt in Australia. An Englishwoman spontaneously combusts. A town in Brazil mysteriously vanishes. A man in California appears and disappears. Several children in a small California town have nightmares of a dark clothed figure observing them. All around the world, people hear the sound of bells and see balloon figures.

These various scenes of weirdness ultimately come together when father and son, Bob and Josh Triplow, have to confront the entities that are responsible for this strangeness.

It's a bizarre surreal science fiction novel that is more felt than read. Many of the events are so bizarre that even the Reader doesn't know what is fantasy and what is reality. It puts Readers off kilter just like the characters as they go farther and deeper into this nightmare of a journey.

Praise for Kaleidoscopic Shades

• 2023 Hoffer Award Finalist
• Literary Titan Book Award
• B.R.A.G. Medallion Honoree
• "A doorstopper of a novel that fans of sci-fi and paranormal thrillers can really sink their teeth into." ~BookTrib Review
• "Part Stephen King, part David Mitchell, part David Lynch." ~Jason Pettus, editor
• "An exciting work of paranormal fiction." ~OnlineBookClub.org
• "Will definitely be appealing to someone who enjoys a good genre-bender." ~Monique Snyman, Bram Stoker Award nominee

About the Author

Follow David on Goodreads and Amazon: 

  

Today, LitNuts is shining a spotlight on History Through Fiction, an indie publisher focused on "high quality fiction that is rooted in accurate and detailed historical research." Read on to learn about new, recent, and forthcoming releases from this innovative publisher. 

Bonus: Get signed books and more in an online silent auction that begins today! Booklovers can bid on signed books, box sets, and even book club and Q&A sessions with authors. Authors can bid on editing, marketing, and consultation services. The silent auction will end during the November 3-4 Reclaiming Mni Sota Indigenous Writers Grant 24-Hour Live Fundraiser. Auction proceeds will go to the Reclaiming Mni Sota Indigenous Writers Grant.

Reclaiming Mni Sota: An Alternate History of the U.S. - Dakota War of 1862 by Colin Mustful

Two cultures met in Minnesota—one striving to maintain its homeland and traditions, another trying to create a life of freedom, prosperity, and abundance.  

Samuel Copeland was just a teenager in 1859 when he and his family left Vermont for the promise of a new life in Minnesota. But life is harder and more dangerous than he expected. Devastated by the loss of his father at the hands of Indians and seeking to protect his brother, Samuel joins the Union army believing he’d be safe on the frontier.

WaabiskiMakwa was still a boy in 1850 when his father perished at Sandy Lake because of the negligence of U.S. government officials. Seeing his way of life crumbling around him, WaabiskiMakwa leaves his home to mourn his father and seek a new way, one that includes his lost-love, Agnes.

Seeking their own solutions, neither Waabi or Samuel could see the collision course their paths had been set upon by a world in conflict. War was in their future and it was inevitable. But when war breaks out, and their cultures collide, so do their individual paths. Though they can’t stop the war, maybe they can help each other. 

Fueled by years of mistreatment and seeing the opportunity provided by the War with the South, Dakota spokesman Little Crow and Ojibwe leader Bagone-giizhig, join forces in an effort to reclaim their Native lands. Spurred by early victories over Fort Ridgley and New Ulm, the Dakota-Ojibwe Alliance heads north to Fort Snelling, the beacon of American strength in the region. Once thought impenetrable, the fort and its small group of volunteer militia fights to hang on when a new enemy arrives from the West. 

In Reclaiming Mni Sota, the true and lasting results of history are challenged. Acting as individuals, striving to protect ourselves and our families, it’s impossible to understand our role and impact in the much larger march of time. The United States is an abundant, beautiful land filled with wealth and opportunity, but its history is scarred by inequity and loss. What if the defeated became the victors? What would that mean for the world today and how would that illuminate the wrongs of the past?

Praise for Reclaiming Mni Sota
"Inspires contemplation about what could have happened and what did." ~Linda Ulleseit, author of The River Remembers

"An imaginative and intriguing story of what might have happened...leaves the reader pondering race relationships today." ~Candace Simar, author of the Spur-Award winning Abercrombie Trail Series

"Brings one of the most tragic events in Minnesota's history to life in this carefully researched book." ~Stephen E. Yoch, author of Becoming George Washington

"A compelling re-imagining of history that is accessible to the reader while also creating empathetic characters from both perspectives of the war." ~Jason Lee Willis, author and educator

A Noble Cunning: The Countess and the Tower by Patricia Bernstein

A thrilling tale, based on a true story, of one woman’s tremendous courage and incomparable wit in trying to rescue her husband from the Tower of London the night before he is to be executed.

Bethan Glentaggart, Countess of Clarencefield, is a persecuted Catholic noblewoman determined to try every possible means of saving her husband’s life, with the help of a group of devoted women friends.

Amid the turbulence of the 1715 Rebellion against George I, England’s first German king, Bethan faces down a mob attack on her home, travels alone from the Scottish Lowlands to London through one of the worst snowstorms in many years, and confronts a cruel king before his court to plead for mercy for her husband, Gavin. As a last resort, Bethan and her friends must devise and put in motion a devilishly complex scheme featuring multiple disguises and even the judicious use of poison to try to free Gavin.

Though rich with historical gossip and pageantry, Bethan’s story also demonstrates the damage that politics and religious fanaticism can inflict on the lives of individuals.

Praise for A Noble Cunning
"A riveting tale of one woman's courage and determination." ~David Blixt, author of Her Majesty's Will

"Brings both the Scottish Lowlands and Hanoverian London vividly to life with a keen eye for period detail and a heart-stopping denouement." ~Leslie Carroll, author of Notorious Royal Marriages

"Sumptuously detailed historical novel...based on the remarkable true story of a fiercely courageous woman fighting tirelessly against political and religious tyranny to save her husband." ~Kathleen Kent, NY Times Bestselling author of The Heretic's Daughter

"A compelling and dramatic portrait of Scotland in the perilous time of the 1715 Jacobite Rebellion. Fans of historical fiction will find much to enjoy in this immersive tale of adventure, rich with period detail." ~Gillian Bagwell, author of The September Queen

South of Sepharad: The 1492 Jewish Expulsion from Spain by Eric Z. Weintraub

Fleeing death by the Spanish Inquisition, a Jewish doctor makes an impossible choice between home and faith, then struggles to lead his family on a journey for a new life.  

GRANADA, SPAIN, 1492. Vidal ha-Rofeh is a Jewish physician devoted to his faith, his family, and his patients. When Queen Isabella and King Ferdinand conquer Granada they sign the Alhambra Decree, an edict ordering all Jews convert to Catholicism or depart Spain in three months’ time under penalty of death.

Against his wife’s belief that converting is safer than exile, Vidal insists they flee. Unwillingly leaving behind their oldest daughter with her Catholic husband, Vidal’s family joins a caravan of 200 Jews journeying to start their lives anew across the sea in Fez. On the caravan, Vidal struggles to balance his physician duties of caring for the sick while struggling to mend strained relationships with his family. At the same time, his daughter back home finds herself exposed to the Spanish Inquisition living as a converso in a Christian empire. 

Presenting readers with a painful but important part of Jewish history, South of Sepharad is a heroic, heart-breaking story of a father who holds tightly to his faith, his family, and his integrity all while confronting the grief of the past and the harsh realities of forced exile.

Advance Praise for South of Sepharad
"An epic, historical novel which brings readers directly into the lives of 15th century Jews during their expulsion from Granada, Spain. A must-read for all those wanting to learn more about this little known event in history which displaced thousands, resulting in untold suffering and death." ~John W. Jarrett, author of The Dark Prairie

"An insightful, compelling, and poignant fictional recreation of the trials of displacement and what it meant to be expelled from or forced to leave one’s home." ~Teofilo F. Ruiz, author of Spain's Centuries of Crisis: 1300 - 1474

"Weintraub takes Jewish historical fiction in a fresh, new direction, bringing readers up close and personal with Spain during the Inquisition." ~Alina Adams, author of My Mother's Secret

"Weintraub personalizes history, bringing heart and humanity to Renaissance geo-politics." ~Jordan A. Rothacker, author of The Pit

About the Publisher

          

Today, LitNuts is shining a spotlight on the Pentacoven Chronicles, a new young adult fantasy series from author Sutton Scott that promises "Enchanted Ever Afters."

The Cusp (Book 1 in the series) is available now, and the eBook edition is currently FREE from Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and Kobo. FYI: The Cusp is ranked #1 in 90-Minute Teen & Young Adult Short Reads, #2 in Teen & Young Adult Magical Realism eBooks, and #2 in Teen & Young Adult Wizards & Witches Fantasy eBooks on Amazon. Book 2 is coming October 26, and three additional books in the series are coming soon!

The Cusp: A Prequel (Pentacoven Chronicles Book 1)

Five young witches. An ancient prophecy. A summons that cannot be ignored.

Can five young witches, bred for the sole intent of saving a realm they never knew existed, find the magic within to save the country of Macornia? Or will the evil Faborian witches destroy them before they can fulfill their true destiny?

Fueled by vengeance against the evil witches who took my mother's life, I stumble upon a hidden truth in a sealed historical tome. Within its pages is a revelation that could save my cherished country and everyone I love from the powerful, evil witches of Faboria.

The catch? We must interfere in the realm of humans. Forbidden spells must be cast upon innocent mortals so that the five predicted to save us are born with magical powers.

With Faboria promising to kill or enslave us, the survival of our world teeters on the edge. These young, unsuspecting young witches are our last hope. But will they agree to carry out what they were born to do?

Dive into this gripping YA Fantasy series about courage, embracing our unique talents and the powerful magic of friendship.

The Pact (Pentacoven Chronicles Book 2)

Bound by Legacy. Shaped by Prophecy. We are the Chosen Five.

In the shadow of my grandmother's passing, I discover a truth that shakes my world—I am a witch fated to save the magical island of Macornia. With four other young witches, each a granddaughter of the infamous defectors who fled to the mortal realm, we are summoned to Moonstone Academy.

Our mission? To master our burgeoning magical abilities and weave spells potent enough to save Macornia from the ominous clutches of Faboria, a nation bent on our complete and utter annihilation.

Swept into a realm of enchantment that is at once bewildering and captivating, we must dig deep within to find the courage and magic needed to fulfill our destinies.

We are the long-awaited five, descendants of the defectors, bound by blood and magic to fulfill a prophecy etched in the annals of time.

We are the chosen ones, the only force that can defeat the wicked Seraphinas of Faboria.

Can five young witches save their new world in this captivating YA Fantasy series?

Coming soon: Books 3, 4 & 5 of the Pentacoven Chronicles

Congratulations to Steven Belletto and Vine Leaves Press on the release of For You I Would Make an Exception.

★★★★★ “Fast-paced, darkly funny, and compulsively readable.” ~Alix Ohlin, author of We Want What We Want

For You I Would Make an Exception

Will Sorley, a native Californian, is barely surviving his days teaching college in rural Pennsylvania when he receives an email from a teenage girl in Kenya claiming to be his long-lost daughter.

This explosive note leads to a trip halfway around the globe to find this young woman and uncover more about her enigmatic mother, while trying to stay connected to his new girlfriend.

Swerving from the comic to the tragic, For You I Would Make an Exception follows Will from Pennsylvania to Kenya and from San Francisco to India as his life expands in ways he never imagined.

Praise for For You I Would Make an Exception
★★★★★ “With a sharp eye for detail and a great ear for dialogue, Belletto shows us how the personal and political are always—thrillingly, dangerously, and emotionally—connected.” ~Alix Ohlin, author of We Want What We Want

★★★★★ “This marvelously surprising and deeply moving novel fulfills a demanding task: it shows us how, against all odds, buried courage may be uncovered and a human heart may expand.” ~Lee Upton, author of Visitations

★★★★★ “Belletto takes the reader on adventures from the US to Kenya to Bihar and back as he examines, hilariously and elegantly, the wild ride of any kind of love...immersive and riveting; I could not put it down.” ~Jennifer Gilmore, author of The Mothers

★★★★★ “A coming-of-age novel about a man who is forced to come of age years after he should have come of age. Funny, spot-on, and surprisingly moving, this is a wonderful novel that shows us that it’s never too late to leave home and grow up.” ~Brock Clarke, author of Who Are You, Calvin Bledsoe?

★★★★★ “Intelligent and laden with surprises. This marvelous and wittily titled novel is full of news of the way we live now.” ~Lorrie Moore, author of I Am Homeless If This Is Not My Home

LitNuts is shining a spotlight on the work of Kris Bock, author of more than 30 mystery, suspense, and romance novels. Today, we are featuring the first books of three different series: 

• Something Shady at Sunshine Haven, Book 1 of The Accidental Detective series
• Coffee and Crushes at the Cat Café, Book 1 of the Furrever Friends series
• The Billionaire Cowboy’s Christmas, Book 1 in The Accidental Billionaire Cowboys series

Read on to learn more about these enjoyable books and the author.

Something Shady at Sunshine Haven

She’s pursued the most dangerous news stories around the world. But can she survive going home?

Injured in a bombing, war correspondent Kate Tessler returns to her hometown in Arizona to recover. For the first time in her life, she's starting to feel her age of nearly fifty despite living like a teenager again: staying in her childhood bedroom with only a cat for company, trying to understand why her sister resents her so much, and running into people who still refer to her as Kitty. The hardest part? Seeing her once-sharp and witty mother stuck in an Alzheimer's unit.

When an old friend asks her to investigate suspicious deaths at the nursing home, Kate limps into action. Is a self-appointed "Angel of Mercy" killing patients to end their suffering? Are family members hastening their inheritance? Is an employee extorting money and removing the witnesses? Kate uses her journalism skills to track clues, but the puzzle pieces simply won’t fit. But if Kate can't uncover the truth quickly, her mother could be next on the killer's list.

Praise for Something Shady at Sunshine Haven
"Suspense, mystery and a little romance along with a lotta laughs.” ~BookBub Review

Coffee and Crushes at the Cat Café

What do you do when you meet the guy of your dreams? Set him up with your sister, of course.

Kari doesn't have time for love when she's opening her new cat café. Renovating an old restaurant, hiring employees, fighting with the health inspector—oh, and welcoming 16 shelter cats—keeps her plenty busy. She's doing this for the cats, the community, and most of all her family. The café will give her sister, Marley, a job worthy of her baking skills. Then a tattooed military vet wanders in claiming to be a master baker himself. The café doesn't need another baker, but maybe Marley needs a man. Surely she'll fall for a guy this sweet, this sexy, this tasty.

Colin has other ideas. It's Kari who makes him want to pour on the sugar and turn up the heat. But he's spent the last two years recovering from physical and psychological wounds. Is he really ready for a relationship? He's not even sure he should commit to Samson, the fluffy marshmallow of a cat who steals his heart.

The Furrever Friends Sweet Romance series features the workers and customers at a small-town cat café, and the adorable cats and kittens looking for their forever homes. If you enjoy the friends to lovers trope, work romances, military heroes, and strong heroines completely failing at playing the matchmaker, check out Coffee and Crushes at the Cat Café. You'll also find rescue cats with plenty of personality and their own desire for love.

Praise for Coffee and Crushes at the Cat Café
"A sweet romance, with cats, kittens, yummy pastries (and recipes for some of them), and a hunky hero." ~Reader Review

The Billionaire Cowboy’s Christmas

He has everything this Christmas, but all he wants is the quiet ranch life he’s losing…

When Josh Tomlinson’s Texas ranching family wins a fortune in the lottery, the formerly tight-knit family is suddenly on edge. Seeking advice, Josh reluctantly contacts family friend and now attorney, Carly Garza. His business is serious, yet he can’t believe Carly’s morphed from a long-legged colt of a girl to a sophisticated woman. Besides, he knows the intelligent Carly has no interest in a quiet, rugged cowboy like him.

Carly’s crushed on Josh for years, and she plans to ask him out now that she’s back in Last Stand. She’s hoping he’ll finally see her as someone other than his younger brother’s middle school girlfriend. But when Josh needs advice on how to handle his family’s lottery win, his client and billionaire statuses put him firmly out of reach. If only her heart could ignore the sparks that flare between them.

They’re already keeping the family’s lottery win a secret from the town. Can they also hide their budding romance during the most magical time of year?

Praise for The Billionaire Cowboy’s Christmas
"Sweet and earnest and just right for Christmas." ~Goodreads Review

About the Author

        

Today, LitNuts is shining a spotlight on A Woman's Worth, a series of thought-provoking short fiction from author Jamell Crouthers. 

A Woman's Worth 1

★★★★★ "A very real and emotional look at the exciting and sometimes arduous journey of motherhood." ~Barnes & Noble Reviewer
 
Brenda is a young, pregnant woman who is in her most exciting time of her life. Brenda and her husband are having a baby girl, and the journey through pregnancy is shared from finding out to having birth. Brenda pens her ups, downs, and struggles of pregnancy, all while preparing for motherhood mentally, physically, and emotionally. It isn't until after she has her daughter that she experiences what so many women in this world go through….postpartum depression. While this can happen before and during pregnancy, it's a topic that isn't discussed enough in today's world, and Brenda shares her experience in a way that can help others learn and prepare for these life events. 

A Woman's Worth 2

Lisa is pregnant and having her first child. While this should be the most exciting time of her life, it unfortunately isn't. She shares the journey not just of her pregnancy, but also of her efforts to get maternity leave, have time with her newborn child, manage her finances, and start her journey as a mother. And ultimately, she will have to make a big decision when it comes time to return back to the work world.

Maternity leave is imperative to a woman, but the United States is one of the worst nations in the world in regards to this. This story delves deep into maternity leave and related issues, how this issue is handled in other countries, and how change needs to occur within the government and corporations in the United States. 

A Woman's Worth 3

Role models are a huge component to how young children grow and progress in life. Kayla is a young teenager who is dealing with social media, school, fashion, boys, trends, culture, puberty, and the pressures to be something she really isn't. She shares her story as a teenager, the struggles she goes through, and trying to find the right role models to shape her future. As she tries to understand and figure herself out, there are role models that she can't relate to on her television screen and magazine covers. 

It isn't until she forms a women's group through her guidance counselor in her school that she starts to see role models in different facets. She becomes inspired, happy, and motivated to know that there are women with many different careers, and she figures out what she wants to do with her life through meeting these powerful women in today's society. 

A Woman's Worth 4

Patricia is someone who is on the path to becoming a better woman and not caving into the pressures of what the world wants her to be. She chronicles her story from childhood to the present day, including her struggles, home life, descent into alcoholism, and her recovery. It's not an easy journey, and she shares her mental, emotional, and spiritual journey.

Everyone has a story, it's just a matter of whether we're empathetic enough to listen...

A Woman's Worth 5

Sylvia is a licensed therapist who helps women recover from tragic events in their lives, including helping women recover from domestic violence. With their permission, she shares the stories of some of the clients she's helped. 

The stories aren't easy to tell, hear, or listen to, but she knows that she's making the world a better place. Sylvia also shares aspects of her life that inspired her to become a therapist, as well as what can be done to reduce domestic violence and prevent it from happening to others. 

A Woman's Worth 6

Nancy is at a crossroads of her life, and she has some important decisions to make. As a woman, she feels pressure to have children and raise a family. When she makes the decision not to have kids and become a mother, there's uproar from those closest to her. She goes to great lengths to live her life to the best of her ability and to avoid the judgments and backlash from her family, knowing that she has to do what's best for her. This is the story of a woman who takes a different road, and a reminder that sometimes personal fulfillment comes before making others and the world happy…

About the Author

      

Today, LitNuts is shining a spotlight on the work of Chris Cannon, award-winning author of urban fantasies, romantic comedies, and paranormal cozy mysteries. Read on to learn about the first two books in the Mysteries of Mystic Hills Series.

"A funny, relatable, supernatural story. Brims with humor, action, and a dash of romance that keeps you turning the pages!" ~Lynn Rush, New York Times bestselling author

Murder in Mystic Hills (Mysteries of Mystic Hills Book 1)

All she wants is a break from adulting…then she rediscovers a world that’s been wiped from her memory.

Preschool teacher Belinda Harbinger’s summer vacation is going off the rails. After receiving a letter stating she’s inherited a tearoom and home, she’s shocked it’s from a beloved aunt she can’t remember…who could speak to the dead. And finding out she has the same power, it’s up to her to solve her mysterious relative’s murder.

Moving to the mystical town, Belinda takes up with a talking cat, Familiar, and learns she’s the only one who can help her aunt cross over before she becomes a vengeful spirit. But while searching the house for her lost memories, she faces heated magical politics, fresh bodies popping up, and a hidden evil threatening to make her the next victim.

Not knowing who to trust, can she expose a killer and rescue everyone from deadly plays for power?

Murder in Mystic Hills is the spellbinding first book in the Mysteries of Mystic Hills cozy paranormal series. If you like feline sidekicks, quirky characters, and winding trails of clues, then you’ll love Chris Cannon’s humorous hunt for justice.

Praise for Murder in Mystic Hills
"A journey of magic, mayhem, and murder. Once you pick it up you can't put it down!" ~Lynn Stevens author of Game On

"A lot of humor and a light-hearted tone. I loved the worldbuilding and cross-genre story, and found myself rooting for Belinda from page 1. I'd definitely recommend this book for those looking for a little fun reading that has both serious and humorous elements to it." ~Goodreads Review

Double Trouble in Mystic Hills (Mysteries of Mystic Hills Book 2)

In Mystic Hills, blood is power.

After solving her aunt's murder, Belinda Harbinger, preschool teacher and amateur sleuth, hoped for a peaceful summer. But a magical game wreaks havoc in her newly inherited tearoom, splitting her friends into identical twins with distinctly different personalities.

The perplexing selection of victims—a banker, librarian, real estate agent, and a lawyer—leaves Belinda mystified. Could Reed, the man she’d loved and lost, be an unintended casualty?

When one of each twin starts to go missing, Belinda faces a race against time. Someone wants their blood, a vital ingredient to create spells and charms. She must unravel this riddle and find a way to merge the twins back into their original selves before they cease to exist.

Armed with her ability to communicate with ghosts, a scary new witch friend who specializes in vengeance hexes, and a handsome fairy healer, will Belinda solve the Double Trouble in Mystic Hills mystery before it’s too late?

Praise for Double Trouble in Mystic Hills
★★★★★ "An entertaining and interesting story with magic, enchanting creatures and a mystery that keeps you guessing." ~Goodreads Review

About the Author