Today's Featured Books— Spotlight

Today, LitNuts is shining a spotlight on a free novella from author Logan D. Irons:

Bridge of Kings, an Oaths of Blood Saga novella

The Oaths of Blood Saga is a dark historical fantasy series. Book 1 is coming in May with more books in the series to follow. Get started on this new series with the free Bridge of Kings novella! 

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Bridge of Kings

Genre: Dark Historical Fantasy
Ebook price: FREE download!

Two Kings. Two Warriors. A single crown.

Some men hold secrets that are far darker than war. An old oath obligates Ulf Bodvarsson to join King Harald Hardrada’s army of Norsemen, seeking to assert his claim to the English crown. Yet near Stamford Bridge, enemies await, seeking to fulfill their own oaths of blood. The struggle that awaits them all will decide who rules the isles and who dies.

The Oaths of Blood Saga promises to be perfect for fans of George R.R. Martin, Bernard Cornwell, Joe Abercrombie, John Gwynne, and Mark Lawrence. The free Bridge of Kings novella will whet their palette for the release of Oaths of Blood, Book 1 of The Oaths of Blood Saga, coming in May 2024.

“Akin to acclaimed grimdark author Joe Abercrombie's The Heroes, Irons' Bridge of Kings covers an entire skirmish between two forces, presenting a grim and bloody view of war through the perspective of an anti-hero berserker hell-bent on destroying anything and everything he comes across.” ~Readers’ Favorite 5-star review

"Thoroughly imaginative and visceral. Five stars." ~Eric Schumacher, author of God’s Hammer

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Coming Soon

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About the Author
Logan D. Irons has traveled to more than 50 countries for both work and pleasure. He lifted weights in Arnold’s childhood gym in Austria, asked his wife to marry him in an abandoned castle in Ireland, bartered for jewelry in a Kuwaiti souk, drank beers and sang quite poorly German songs at Oktoberfest in Munich, and burned a Viking ship during Hogmanay in Edinburgh. 

Fantasy, historical fiction, and history novels dominate his library. In particular, the works of George R.R. Martin, Steven Pressfield, Bernard Cornwell, and Robert Jordan inspire his work. He currently resides in Virginia, a place with enough history to keep him busy until the end of time, with his wife, son, and a dog named Ronin the Barbarian. 

If he has free time, which is rare, Logan throws axes (usually at targets), is physically active, and loves taking his family on adventures. And he’s convinced his nieces he’s a werewolf…

Learn more at logandirons.com, sign up for his free newsletter, and be sure to follow him online: 
 

Today, LitNuts is shining a spotlight on the work of Rev. Dr. Anne Hays Egan, author of books that can help enrich your personal, family, community, and spiritual lives. 

"Hope is real. In these times, we can and we must find ways to fuel our belief in one another and make positive change together."
~Rev. Dr. Anne Hays Egan

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Meet the Author
Anne is a high energy community building consultant and retired Presbyterian Minister and mindfulness practitioner. She has lived and traveled all over the world, and has found something special in the many cultures she has experienced. 

Anne’s books have received many rave reviews from readers, Gold Star Awards, and excellent editorial reviews. They have been called "a great read," "compelling," "inspiring and motivational," and "eye opening."  

Reviewers say reading Anne’s books is like having a conversation with her in her living room. Anne welcomes those conversations. Her books are about hope and making a positive difference in the world.

"Together, we can make a difference," says Anne—and that sentiment comes through loud-and-clear in her books:

• Moving Mama is about how she and her family cared for her mother with Alzheimer’s. It took a village.
• Building Communities of Hope is full of stories about how people can and do make positive change.
• God’s Eyes is about a series of visions and God’s loving gift of pathways for all of us. "No matter where we live or our religious or spiritual practice, God has a path home for each of us," says Anne.  

Learn more about Anne and her work at NewVenturesConsulting.net and via her Amazon Author Page.

Read on to learn more about each of Anne's books.

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Moving Mama: Taking Care of Mother During Her Final Years with Alzheimer's

Genres:  Eldercare, Aging Parents, Gerontology Social Sciences, Memoir
4.6 stars, 43 ratings
Paperback: $9.99
Ebook: ON SALE FOR $2.99 FOR A LIMITED TIME (Free via Kindle Unlimited)

Did you know 6.7 million people in the United States are living with Alzheimer's? Most of us need help, and this book has a lot to offer. Readers call it an excellent, practical resource for those of us who are caring for a loved one. Reviewers say the book is "a must for someone caring for an elder," "a page-turner," and "a compelling story that touched me deeply." They also said the book was "something I could not put down." It's a book that at its core speaks of hope. Add this to your toolkit! 

★★★★★ "A compassionate guide through Alzheimer's." ~Amazon Vine Voice Review 

★★★★★ "Valuable advice and strategies for navigating the complexities of elder care." ~Amazon Review

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Building Communities of Hope: How People are Making Positive Change

Genres: Spiritual Self-Help, Happiness Self-Help, Religion & Spirituality
4.8 stars, 73 ratings
Paperback: $11.99
Ebook: ON SALE FOR $2.99 FOR A LIMITED TIME (Free via Kindle Unlimited)

Hope? You gotta be kidding me! Are you tired of all the bad news, violence, and stress? There are positive alternatives—practical ways people bring more hope to energize themselves and others. Each of us, deep down, has the spirit and fire within to live in joy. This book is filled with real-life stories about people who are doing just that—living large and making a huge difference. Rave reviews from more than 70 readers and editorial reviewers. Given a Gold Award from Literary Titan, and called one of the 20 Best Community Building Books of All Time by Book Authority. 

★★★★★ "A great book that guides readers toward building a strong community through good deeds. It is also a much-needed resource for self-healing from life’s challenges and advocating compassion, kindness, and love to support one another." ~Literary Titan, Gold Award

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God's Eyes - A Vision for Us: Presence, Promise, and Power

Genres: Spiritual Self-Help, Motivational Self-Help, Religion & Spirituality
New Release: November 21, 2023
4.8 stars, 14 ratings
Paperback: $9.99
Ebook: ON SALE FOR $2.99 FOR A LIMITED TIME (Free via Kindle Unlimited)

Considered a transformative guide, God’s Eyes shares the author’s experience of a powerful vision in which she saw the world and its promise through God’s perspective. Great for seekers, those on a spiritual path, out-of-the-box thinkers, and all who want greater focus and purpose in their lives. This award-winning new release already has rave reader and editorial reviews. It is called a “great work,” “much needed in our world,” and “inspirational and enjoyable!"  

★★★★★ "A thought-provoking book that invites us to embrace the mystery of divine encounters, live in the slipstream of divine guidance, and contribute to a more compassionate world through small acts of kindness." ~Goodreads Review

★★★★★ "Tremendous help on my journey." ~Amazon Review

Congratulations to Effy Redman and Vine Leaves Press on the release of Saving Face, a memoir that pays tribute to anybody who has ever felt like an outsider
 
★★★★★ “When you own this book, you acquire the miracle that is both the human who embodies it and her art.” ~Catherine Filloux, award-winning playwright

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Saving Face

NEW RELEASE: March 19, 2024
Genre: Memoir
Paperback: $17.99
Ebook: From $6.99  

What's in a smile? Or the absent smile? Saving Face is Effy Redman's thought-provoking answer.

Born with a rare condition of facial paralysis called Moebius Syndrome, Redman's grit and eye for beauty help her survive childhood bullying and adolescent doldrums. Her physical transformation at age thirteen via plastic surgery eviscerates her concept of image, just in time for her and her family to immigrate from hardscrabble Manchester, England to America's disorientingly scenic upstate New York. Not until diagnosis in young adulthood with bipolar disorder does Redman come out of the closet as a lesbian, finally claiming her most inherent identity.

Saving Face is a searing personal tribute to anybody who has ever felt like an outsider. This memoir honors the grace of a face that stands out in a crowd, defying societal beauty norms. Disability meets transcendence, suffering becomes hope, and the individual expands into community. The inability to smile, in Redman’s book, lights a window onto the human capacity for redemption.

Praise for Saving Face
★★★★★ "The unfurling of a highly entertaining and shocking memoir in which we are asked to face what happens when we are deprived of what we take most for granted." ~Catherine Filloux, award-winning playwright

★★★★★ "A profoundly beautiful, enthralling, and emotionally stirring tale." ~Goodreads Review

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About the Author
Effy Redman’s writing investigates the intersection of disability and identity. She has work published in The New York Times, Vice, Ravishly, Chronogram, Berkeley Poetry Review, and Iron Horse Literary Review, among other places. She holds an MFA in Memoir from CUNY: Hunter College, where she received an Honorable Mention for the Helen Gray Cone Fellowship, and a BA in Literature/Drama from Bennington College, where she was an Ellen Knowles Harcourt Scholar and a Bennington Scholar. Learn more at EffyRedman.com.

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About the Publisher
Vine Leaves Press likes to blur the line between commercial and experimental works. They publish book-length vignette collections, writing reference books, short story collections, memoir/autobiography, and character-driven novels with a literary bent.​ Subscribe to the Vine Leaves Press newsletter to receive FREE advanced review copies of upcoming new releases, news about their authors and subscribers, and/or to read the monthly opinion column, SPILL IT! or a daily dose of 50-word stories. Learn more at VineLeavesPress.com. 

Today, LitNuts is shining a spotlight on the work of author Susan Grant, whose focus on "writing for the soul" has led to books that inspire and motivate readers of all ages. Read on to learn more!

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Sweet Dreams, Boone

Genre: Children's Inspirational Books
4.8 stars, 17 ratings
Paperback: From $13.99
Ebook: From $6.99 (Free via Kindle Unlimited) 

Boone is a sad and lonely little dog. He doesn’t like to be left alone when Mom goes to work.

To help him feel better, Mom buys him a special basket for his bed. When he sleeps, he dreams of a long-ago time and meets a man who is sad and lonely too, until he meets Jesus.

Perfect for young readers age 5 - 8. 

Praise for Sweet Dreams, Boone
★★★★★ "Children will be immediately drawn to the pet theme and beautiful illustrations." ~Amazon Review

★★★★★ "An adorable picture book with a beautiful message." ~Goodreads Review

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The Bottle House

Genre: Faith & Spirituality; Psychology & Christianity; Death, Grief & Spirituality
4.5 stars, 48 ratings
Paperback: From $15.24
Ebook: From $5.99 (Free via Kindle Unlimited) 

Where is God in the midst of tragedy and suffering? Is it possible to surrender to God's will during times of despair?

At Bethany R&L Behavioral Healthcare Center, Stacy Meadows, Stefan Krause, and Debbie Young are deeply wounded people struggling to find emotional healing. When they encounter Chaplain Joseph Miller's mysterious bottles labeled for each of them, they are curious: How will a collection of bottles help with their healing—especially when they are feeling angry with God? It is only when these three individuals discover the real purpose behind these mysterious bottles that they discover a deep spiritual reawakening.

Praise for The Bottle House
"A spiritual revelation of how past regrets affect our mental health and cause individuals to lose faith. The Bottle House teaches us that no matter how low we feel, Jesus can forgive us, restore us, and comfort us in every situation we go through." ~LuGina Dumas, Licensed Clinical Mental Health Counselor

"The Bottle House offers an ongoing vision of hope and comfort when we are tempted to retreat into despair and loneliness." ~Ann W. Roach, Psychologist

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100 Minutes with God

Genre: Christian Meditations, Christian Bible Meditations, Christian Meditation Worship & Devotion
4.5 stars, 73 ratings
Paperback: From $8.54
Ebook: From $6.99 

1-Minute Daily Devotions of Timeless Inspirations

God longs to spend time with you, even for a minute. Why don’t you join Him today? 100 Minutes with God is written for those who struggle with finding time to spend with Him. These individual minutes make it possible to connect with our Creator and provide you with material you can contemplate throughout your day. The Scriptures listed on each page allow you to further reflect and meditate on God’s word.

Praise for 100 Minutes with God
★★★★★ "Perfect devotions for busy families, youth groups, working moms and so much more!" ~Goodreads Review

★★★★★ "A great book of daily devotions." ~Amazon Review

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About the Author
Susan Grant is a graduate of Columbia International University and a former Bible teacher in the public schools of North Carolina. Susan has written for devotional magazines such as Unlocked: Daily Readings for Teens and Upper Room Magazine. She has also been published in The Bangor Daily News, The Chattanooga Writers’ Guild, and Re:Fiction Magazine. Susan teaches language arts and lives on the coast of Maine with her husband, Randy, and her little red dachshund, Boone. Learn more at Susan-Grant.com and sign up for her free newsletters, Writing for the Soul and Minute Devotions. Be sure to follow Susan online, too!
 

Today, LitNuts is shining a spotlight on two inspiring children's books from author James DiNanno:

• The First Rock Star On Mars: The book that teaches kids to shoot for the stars. And follow their wildest dreams on Earth...or even Mars.
• President Camila: The book that teaches kids compassionate traits. And that one day they could be President of the United States.

"I loved Shel Silverstein growing up...and just started thinking, 'What would Shel Silverstein write today?'" ~James DiNanno

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The First Rock Star On Mars

Genres: Literature & Fiction for Children, Children's Humorous Poetry, Children's Rock Music
4.9 stars, 70 ratings
Paperback: $8.99
Audiobook: $3.95
Ebook: $2.99 (Free via Kindle Unlimited) 

A modern day classic!

The book that teaches kids to shoot for the stars. And follow their wildest dreams on Earth...or even Mars.

"A delightful and inspirational story for anyone with big dreams and even bigger imaginations." ~Reedsy Discovery

"A very inspirational book for not only children but for anyone who wants to pursue their dreams." ~Goodreads Review

Bonus: The audiobook edition is narrated by Kellin Quinn, the lead singer of rock band Sleeping with Sirens. This audiobook features an exclusive surprise song at the end, "The First Rock Star On Mars," performed by the band The First Rock Band on Mars, which includes Kellin Quinn, Howi Spangler of Ballyhoo!, William Ryan Key of Yellowcard, and the author of this book, James DiNanno.

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President Camila

Genres: Children's Poetry, Children's Jobs & Careers Books
5.0 stars, 4 ratings
Paperback: $7.99
Ebook: $2.99 (Free via Kindle Unlimited) 

The book that teaches kids compassionate traits. And that one day they could be President of the United States. 

A great book for encouraging your little stars to follow their dreams. The illustrations and rhymes make this story as fun for parents and grandparents as it is for the child. A perfect gift for new parents, baby showers, holidays, birthdays, or just because.

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About the Author
James DiNanno is a proud family man, creative force, and serial entrepreneur. After spending his 20s touring with the band Silhouette Rising, with the goal of finding happiness...he found it! Along the way, James, a self-made millionaire, established and now owns businesses including the multi-award winning wedding company Meritage Entertainment, Boston GIF, Ambient Force, and PlaybookU. He is also the drummer for bands Callisto and various other acts.

These days, James is passionate about sharing his experience and energy and empowering others. Each of his books are meant to empower the entrepreneurial spirit in children and adults. In addition to The First Rock Star On Mars and President Camila, he is author of The Networking Playbook and Entrepreneur: The Secret Playbook. 

James lives in Exeter, NH, with his wife, son, and two standard poodles. You can follow him online at @JamesDiNanno or playbooku.com

Congratulations to Jim Zervanos and Vine Leaves Press on the release of Your Story Starts Here: A Year on the Brink with Generation Z, a memoir from a high school English teacher who sees that today's youth are thrust into a tumultuous world and simultaneously burdened with saving it.
 
★★★★★ “Packed with empathy as well as literary lessons, we have a front row seat to watch the world fall apart as these kids come of age. This book is insightful, heartfelt, and authentic." ~Kelly Simmons, author of Not My Boy

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Your Story Starts Here

NEW RELEASE: March 12, 2024
Genre: Memoir
Paperback: $17.99
Ebook: From $6.49  

Jim Zervanos, a seasoned high-school English teacher and father of two, embarks on a mission at the cusp of a new school year. He realizes that today's youth are thrust into a tumultuous world and burdened with saving it. To chronicle this extraordinary period in America, he assigns himself a unique task: keeping a journal.
 
Within its pages, we witness “his kids” grappling with pressing issues like identity politics, gun violence, and political uncertainty. A sophomore prodigy wrestles his demons onto the pages of his fiction before entering a psychiatric hospital. An estranged junior posts ominous threats on Snapchat, while a principal sabotages a student walkout. Meanwhile, in his classroom, Jim prepares a hiding space for an active shooter event and, back home, finds solace in the eulogy of his young sons’ pet fish, sent on its final journey with a flush.
 
By year's end, Jim, unwavering in his determination to inspire hope in his students, discovers that it's the youth who inspire hope in him. Their creativity and ideals paint a vivid portrait of an evolving America, seen through the kaleidoscope of Generation Z. Your Story Starts Here: A Year on the Brink with Generation Z is an intimate exploration of the challenges, resilience, and unwavering hope of today's youth in a turbulent world.

Praise for Your Story Starts Here
★★★★★ “Watching Zervanos stay steady in unsteady waters, with good humor and strength, is the central pleasure of this moving, engaging book.” ~Debra Spark, author of Discipline

★★★★★ “This book is as rich in humor and compassion as it is in dismay at the reality of school shootings and children ushered, sometimes forcefully and prematurely, into adulthood.” ~Peter Turchi, author of Maps of the Imagination

★★★★★ “Masterfully paced and wonderfully rendered... a book that should be required reading for parents, for teachers, for artists…for anyone who’s wondered what it means to be human in a world that daily challenges our humanity.” ~Scott Gould, author of The Hammerhead Chronicles and Idiot Men

★★★★★ “The world needs more teachers, and more writers, like Jim Zervanos.” ~Kelly Simmons, author of Not My Boy

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About the Author
Jim Zervanos is the author of the memoir That Time I Got Cancer: A Love Story and the novel LOVE Park. His award-winning essays and short stories have been published in numerous literary journals, magazines, and anthologies. He is a graduate of the MFA Program for Writers at Warren Wilson College and Bucknell University, where he won the William Bucknell Prize for English and was an Academic All-American baseball player. He teaches at a high school in the suburbs of Philadelphia, where he lives with his wife and two sons, and has risen in the baseball pantheon as coach of two Little League teams. Learn more at JimZervanos.com.

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About the Publisher
Vine Leaves Press likes to blur the line between commercial and experimental works. They publish book-length vignette collections, writing reference books, short story collections, memoir/autobiography, and character-driven novels with a literary bent.​ Subscribe to the Vine Leaves Press newsletter to receive FREE advanced review copies of upcoming new releases, news about their authors and subscribers, and/or to read the monthly opinion column, SPILL IT! or a daily dose of 50-word stories. Learn more at VineLeavesPress.com. 

Today, LitNuts is inviting booklovers to be a part of a unique publishing project by participating in The Chimera Snare: Fragments Kickstarter campaign. 

The Chimera Snare is a new dark fantasy series, and readers who participate in the Kickstarter campaign can choose from a variety of rewards, including specially curated goods from a selection of independent artisans. Backers will also be acknowledged in the book's credits

Read on to learn more!

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The Chimera Snare: Fragments

Book 1 in a Dark Fantasy Series

High school chaos clashes with an other-worldly feud as two earthbound teenagers work together to thwart a reality-bending showdown.

The Chimera Snare: Fragments plunges the reader into the middle of an otherworldly feud between the distant realms of Celestine and Daeva. Notable characters from each realm are vying for the possession of a powerful set of artifacts known as The Order of Existence that grants the user control over all reality. While the Celestines have established themselves as the guardians of The Order, a sect within the persecuted realm of Daeva aims to assume control of it and exact a long-awaited vengeance.

When two Celestine guardians are expelled from their realm and trapped within the bodies of two earthbound teenagers, a race begins between the feuding realms: Will the Celestines find a way to free their guardians, or will the Daeva succeed in their quest to alter the fabric of existence?

Meanwhile on Earth, high schoolers and best friends Rayshell and Trish are thrust into the story when they realize that they are living vessels in this realm for the two banished Celestine guardians, putting Rayshell and Trish in a race against time to connect with the Celestines before the Daeva find them. 

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About the Kickstarter Campaign
The Chimera Snare: Fragments Kickstarter campaign aims to bring this new dark fantasy series to life while offering backers unique rewards, exclusive merchandise, and the promise of an unforgettable literary journey.

You can become a backer of this exciting project for as little as $5 and earn exciting rewards in the process...ranging from an eBook edition to a signed paperback copy to a lavish first-edition hardcover version, and much more, including a Triple Moon Pendant, hand-painted artwork, fragrances in the form of artisan candles, soaps, and incense, and other curated goods, many of which can be had in rewards bundles.

Visit The Chimera Snare: Fragments Kickstarter campaign now to learn more!

      

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About the Authors
Shannon Vierra is an urban gardener and avid seed collector—last clocked in with over 3500 different varieties. In the makeup community, Shannon goes by zoomzoommacaron where she collaborates with fellow MUAS across the world. She hosts a monthly zombie-themed makeup group called the #zombabescollab and adores SFX and other creative makeup. Shannon is also the owner of ShopCorpsicle which specializes in handmade props, fake food, miniatures, prosthetics, and other accessories. She uses the alias Silence In Shadows for her traditional art. 

Edward Ayllon first discovered the joys of creative writing through his early high school studies, and has spent many years exploring and developing a deep appreciation for the arts. Since first collaborating with his wife, Shannon, he has sprouted a passion and true affinity for storytelling and crafting literature. In addition to refining his skill in creating written works, his other interests include playing bass guitar, listening to music, and dabbling in photography.

Shannon and Edward write together as S&E Black. Both are originally from California and now live in the Chicago area with an a clowder of rescue cats. Learn more at TheChimeraSnare.com. 

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About Clay Urn Publishing
Clay Urn Publishing LLC, co-founded in 2023 by Edward Ayllon and Shannon Vierra, is home to The Chimera Snare series and is open to other imaginative and captivating literary works. Committed to supporting independent voices, this publishing house seeks to create a platform where unique stories can flourish. Learn more at ClayUrnPublishing.com and follow Clay Urn online:
 

Congratulations to Heather G. Marshall and Vine Leaves Press on the release of When the Ocean Flies, a novel that explores the pain of separation and abuse, and the power of love to heal even over huge gaps in time and geographical distance. 
 
★★★★★ "A layered narrative of a woman discovering herself...written with such clarity and powerful imagery that even in its most heartbreaking moments, we are held in its grace. A tale eloquently told." ~Shelly Milliron Drancik, author of The Distance of Mercy

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When the Ocean Flies

NEW RELEASE: February 27, 2024
Genre: Literary Fiction
Paperback: $17.99
Ebook: $5.99  

An email from a stranger tells Alison Earley that her natural father, whom she has known for only six years, has died suddenly. What begins as a short trip back to Scotland for a funeral soon becomes a journey that puts adoption, sexuality, and identity on a collision course as Alison finds herself caught between the life and family she has so carefully constructed on one continent and the family from which she was taken on another.

Shunned by her father’s family, reunited with her natural mother, and reconnected with a long-lost love, Alison finds herself trying to shepherd her youngest child towards college while questioning everything she thought she knew about herself.

When her natural mother uncovers a series of letters written to Alison from the grandmother she never knew, resurrecting the stories of generations of women—stories long buried by patriarchal rule—Alison realizes that she must find the courage to face and reveal the secrets of her own past. At what cost, though? And who and what will be left in the aftermath?

Praise for When the Ocean Flies
★★★★★ “A highly emotive tale with strong characterization. Highly recommended!” ~The Wishing Shelf

★★★★★ “In When the Ocean Flies, Heather Marshall uses braided narratives to reveal the many layers of Alison, a woman searching for identity, belonging, and a real sense of family... a complex, sometimes difficult, emotional journey. You will feel profound empathy for Alison, and you’ll relish Marshall’s lush narrative in this beautifully told story.” ~Carla Damron, author of The Orchid Tattoo

★★★★★ “A gorgeous story transporting us over the ocean, continent to continent, during one woman’s lifelong search for true self and the warmth of her birth mother’s love. Like messages found in wave-washed bottles, ancestral letters surface, filled with the pain and power of being female. This book brought me to tears and a greater understanding of my own possibilities.” ~Terresa Cooper Haskew, author of Winston’s Book of Souls

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About the Author
Heather G. Marshall is adoptee, author, mother, speaker, teacher, coach, and traveler. Her short fiction has been published in a variety of journals, including Black Middens: New Writing Scotland, and Quarried, an anthology of the best of three decades of Pine Mountain Sand and Gravel. Her first novel, The Thorn Tree, released in 2014 (MP Publishing). Her TED talk, “Letting Go of Expectations,” centers around her adoption and reunion. Originally from Scotland, Heather  is currently based in Massachusetts. You can find out more about her at heathergmarshall.com.

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About the Publisher
Vine Leaves Press likes to blur the line between commercial and experimental works. They publish book-length vignette collections, writing reference books, short story collections, memoir/autobiography, and character-driven novels with a literary bent.​ Subscribe to the Vine Leaves Press newsletter to receive FREE advanced review copies of upcoming new releases, news about their authors and subscribers, and/or to read the monthly opinion column, SPILL IT! or a daily dose of 50-word stories. Learn more at VineLeavesPress.com. 

Today, LitNuts is shining a spotlight on Look 'N Up Invasion by Janice Carr Smith, an award-winning work of science fiction/fantasy for young adults and readers of all ages. 

"A cleverly plotted mix of fantasy, family drama, and cultural debate. Highly recommended!" ~Wishing Shelf Book Review

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Look 'N Up Invasion

New release!
Genres: Coming of Age Fiction, Coming of Age Fantasy
Paperback: $20.99
Ebook: $0.99 

It's Baput's 12th birthday. The battle begins today.

While fighting the circadian predators that decimate their population every three years, the green-skinned royal family of a tiny, primitive world are accidentally transported to the Look ’N Up Pomegranate Ranch in present-day California, where they are hired as immigrant farm workers by a particularly empathetic family who were once penniless farm workers themselves, carry a hideous genetic deformity, and believe in the Look ’N Up Way: As the farmer, Elmer, puts it, “It means you pull your head out of wherever you like to tuck it and look around at the people around you. Feel them. Think about them. Consider them. How do these green people feel?”

Warm friendships form as the two families work to understand their vast differences. When they discover that the predators have followed their prey and are hibernating on the Look ‘N Up Ranch waiting to attack Earth, it will take the diverse capabilities of both worlds to defeat them. But can they do it quietly, while the beasts sleep, or will a battle erupt, exposing Earth to the ravenous monsters, and the gentile, green-skinned aliens to a hostile world?

Learn more and read an excerpt on LookNUp.us.

Praise for Look 'N Up Invasion

      
• Finalist! 2023 The Wishing Shelf Book Awards
      
• Royal Dragonfly Award
      
• Honorable Mention in three categories (Novel, Sci-FI/Fantasy, Young Adult) from Story Monsters Ink
      
• "Entertaining and enlightening." ~Book Trib
      
• "A thrilling book with lots of plot twists, drama, and action." ~Hollywood Book Reviews
      
• "An amazing job of both world building and character development." ~Pacific Book Review

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About the Author
Janice Carr was raised by liberal parents in ’60s in Cambridge, Massachusetts, but was orphaned at fourteen and ended up living with relatives who had a very different world view. Jan rebelled and returned home to live with a family friend during high school, then left campus-rich Boston for a Radio-TV-Film major at Northwestern University. The college Outing Club opened her city-born eyes to the natural world with hiking, rock-climbing and spelunking trips, and she switched to a Geology major.

Jan settled in northern California where she married John Smith and made a career of shepherding projects through California’s rigorous environmental compliance process. After retirement, realized her lifelong dream of writing. She is now a member of: The Author's Guild, the Women's Fiction Writer's Association, The Wishing Shelf, and the Alliance of Independent Authors. Learn more at LookNUP.us. 

Today, LitNuts is shining a spotlight on Bibliotherapy, The Healing Power of Reading, and on the Book Therapy website, created by book curator and bibliotherapist Bijal Shah. 

As a booklover and subscriber to the LitNuts newsletter, you already make books and reading an integral part of your life. Read on to learn more about Bijal's work and the life-changing magic of books.
 

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Bonus: Receive free bibliotherapy resources and book recommendations when you sign up for the free Bibilotherapy Newsletter. 

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About Bijal Shah and Book Therapy Services
Bijal Shah is a UK-based book curator and bibliotherapist. She is also a freelance journalist, writer, poet, counsellor, publisher, and a voracious reader. After a decade-plus career in Investment Banking and having completed post-graduate work in Psychodynamic Counselling and Psychotherapy, she launched Book Therapy, a bibliotherapy and literary curation practice. (Be sure to check out her book, Bibliotherapy, The Healing Power of Reading, below.)

Bibliotherapy is "an art therapy that leverages the power of stories to heal." Via Book Therapy, Bijal offers bibliotherapy training and bibliotherapy sessions (for individuals and couples, which includes unlimited email or text support for two weeks following your session). She also creates personalized book prescriptions for therapeutic or personal interest purposes.

Bijal's book recommendations have been featured in the Guardian, BBC Culture, Marie Claire, NBC News, Sydney Telegraph, Reader's Digest, Asian Voice, The New York Observer, and elsewhere. 

"Time is precious," says Bijal. "We may only read 2000 books in our lifetime, and for some people it might be a fraction of that. Book Therapy's reading service focuses on creating a truly personalized book prescription (detailed, tailored book recommendations) for clients based on questions that explore your interests, needs and circumstances, and your reading habits." The book prescriptions and book boxes can be gifted and make a great gift for any book lover.

You can learn more on the Book Therapy website, including an online course on the practice of bibliotherapy, A-Z Book Prescriptions for Adults and Children. and more. You can also follow Book Therapy on social media: 
 

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Bibliotherapy, The Healing Power of Reading

Hardcover: From $25.12 (via Amazon USA)
Other editions: From £9.99 (via linktr.ee)

In this unique and transformational guide to healing, bibliotherapist and counsellor Bijal Shah explores the restorative power of reading. Bibliotherapy traces the history of how therapeutic reading evolved - including the important role played by the best writers such as the Stoics, Montaigne, Eliot, and Wordsworth. In doing so, Bijal offers first-hand stories from clients who have found solace in great works of literature when struggling with grief, relationships, or illness.

Full of practical advice and insights into how bibliotherapy really works, Bijal offers an A to Z reading list of books for every mood and need. A much-needed reminder of how comforting and life-changing reading can be, Bibliotherapy is a sumptuous celebration of books that will invite you to see them as more than just an escape, but a legitimate form of self-care.

Praise for Bibliotherapy
"Utterly fascinating. I have long felt that books can be medicine. Now I understand why. Read this book. Feel better." ~Beth Kempton, bestselling author of Wabi Sabi: Japanese wisdom for a perfectly imperfect life

"One of the most fascinating books that I have read in years! Beautifully written and full of insights, this book demonstrates the healing power of stories and how you can transform your life through bibliotherapy." ~Simon Alexander Ong, bestselling author of Energize

Today, LitNuts is shining a spotlight on the work of author Frances Ellen, creator of the Asters Original Series, a found family, YA fantasy adventure. If you like diverse characters, found family, and magical/dangerous adventures that criss-cross the globe, this is the series for you:

• From Fury Reborn, Book 1 in the Asters Original Series
• A Crown Denied, Book 2 in the Asters Original Series
• A Queen to Come, The Complete Prequel Trilogy

"An utterly enthralling saga of magic and subterfuge, highly recommended" ~Midwest Book Review

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Bonus: Sign up for the author's monthly newsletter and get a free sneak peek at A Queen to Come!

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From Fury Reborn

Genres: Teen & Young Adult Fantasy
4.3 stars, 24 ratings on Goodreads
Paperback: $19.99
Ebook: $4.99 (Free via Kindle Unlimited) 

Five magical warriors. One dangerous mission. Two fearsome enemies. When they all converge in a deadly jungle, who will come out alive?

Protecting humans from the seven Dark Kings is the duty of the Affinite race, led by the Asters, five people each with a unique form of magic.

Charged with investigating sinister events in the Amazon Rainforest, Nathan and his fellow Asters prepare themselves to face the smartest and deadliest King ever. But there is more than one monster roaming the jungle, and Nathan’s magic holds the key to its identity.

As the shocking revelations mount, Nathan fears that the fatal mistakes of the past have come back to haunt them. Can Nathan harness his unique connection to the Asters’ newest enemy and form an alliance against the Dark King? Or will that put them in more danger than ever?

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A Crown Denied

Genres: Teen & Young Adult Fantasy
4.4 stars on Amazon
Paperback: $21.99
Ebook: $4.99 (Free via Kindle Unlimited) 

Their deadliest enemy always one step ahead. Can the Asters unmask the spy before critical secrets are exposed and lives are lost?

After a grueling mission in the Amazon Rainforest, Sky and his fellow Asters have succeeded in bringing their reluctant new Queen back to their island home.

While Sky prepares for the mission that should bring the King of the South American Underworld to their knees, he finds himself drawn to his Queen’s extraordinary powers and beauty, despite her ruthless reputation. And when a trusted ally turns foe, his divided loyalties could threaten everything he holds dear.

A Crown Denied is the second book in the Asters Original Series, which follows the adventures of the five magical Asters: Lian, Sophie, Matu, Nathan, and Sky. Discover whose betrayal will draw the Asters and their Queen into another fatal reckoning with the most powerful Dark King of all time.

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A Queen To Come: The Complete Prequel Trilogy

Genres: Teen & Young Adult Fantasy
4.4 stars on Amazon
Ebook: $4.99 (Free via Kindle Unlimited) 

Meet the Asters, five members of a found family, each with a unique magic.

They have trained together all their lives. They have deep bonds of friendship. They will lay down their lives for themselves, their Queen, and their people. With Dark Kings stirring into deadly action, they will be put to the ultimate test. 

The prequel trilogy includes:

• A Queen to Come: An ancient power reincarnated in their new Queen. Can the Asters thwart a Dark King's plan to capture it for himself?
• A World to Lose: A newly emboldened King makes his move. Tasked with assessing his threat, the Asters uncover more than they bargained for. And it's not just their lives at stake.
• A Threat to Remain: The Asters are facing their deadliest test yet. Can they use their magic in unique ways to succeed in their mission?

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About the Author
Frances Ellen writes YA fantasy stories full of magic and adventure, action and jeopardy, sacrifice and betrayal, deep bonds of friendship, and a light touch of romance. Her first series describes a world where humans with exceptional affinities for specific traits, the Affinites, led by a magical elite known as the Asters, protect humans from the ever-present threat from Dark Kings. Learn more at FrancesEllenBooks.com, sign up for her newsletter, and be sure to follow her online: 
 

Today, LitNuts is shining a spotlight on the work of author David Crosby, creator of the Will Harper Mysteries—a series in the grand tradition of marina-living private investigators like John D. McDonald’s Travis McGee and Randy Wayne White’s Doc Ford. 

Sanibel Wind (new release!): the calm before the storm...and an island's fate hangs in the balance...

Will Harper Florida Thrillers: Vol. 1-4 (FREE!): 4.6 stars, 1800+ ratings

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Sanibel Wind

NEW RELEASE: February 14, 2024
Genres: Mystery, Thriller, Action, Adventure
Paperback: $14.95
Ebook: $2.99 

In the explosive tenth chapter of the Will Harper Mystery Series, the tranquil retreat of Florida sleuth Will Harper and his love, Luna, turns into a tempest's epicenter when fugitives Birdie and Rufus unwittingly enter the eye of the storm.

As Hurricane Ian wreaks havoc on Sanibel Island, Harper must navigate treacherous waters to rescue the stranded. For fans of John D. MacDonald and aficionados of crime mysteries by Dawn McKenna and Wayne Stinnett, Sanibel Wind is a seafaring odyssey where Harper races against time, unraveling the unpredictable currents of love, deception, and Florida's tumultuous underworld.

In this electrifying adventure, the winds of justice and chaos converge, testing Harper's resilience and determining the fate of an island. Can Will weather this storm, or will the secrets of Sanibel be forever lost to the winds? Dive into this tropical thriller, where suspense surges like a tidal wave, and the pulse of danger beats with every turn of the page.

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Will Harper Florida Thrillers: Vol. 1-4

Genres: Mystery, Thriller, Action, Adventure
4.6 stars, 1800+ ratings
Ebook: FREE

“Start the boat. We've gotta get rid of this body!"

The Will Harper Mystery Series opens with a bang and never stops thanks to the protagonist, a semi-retired reporter and burgeoning sleuth who lives aboard his yacht in the Florida Keys when he’s not solving hard-boiled murder mysteries. This box set includes four complete novels: 

• Million Dollar Staircase: Will thinks fast when he discovers his girlfriend is the victim of a frame-up. He sees instantly why they can’t go to the cops—the mayor, the city manager, and for all Will knows, every official in town could be in on it.
• Guilty Money: The Grove County police department is arresting citizens for minor charges and then driving up their bail when a search of the citizen’s home too conveniently turns up drugs. When Will finds out crooked cops are behind the scam, it seems every cop in town is out to get him.
• Florida Burning: A toxic algae bloom in Lake Okeechobee... a deadly pollutant from a cane field...and a dead environmentalist. Coincidence? Florida PI Will Harper knows damn well it’s not.
• The Florida Shuffle: A Florida "sober" home has lost three of its patients to “accidental” overdoses in the past four months. When WiIl investigates, he finds it's just the tip of the iceberg.

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About the Author
David Crosby is a bestselling author who creates unputdownable Florida-based thrillers. His books feature strong social justice themes in tropical settings. David brings extensive knowledge and love of boats to crafting his own compelling characters and settings, tackling topics such as eminent domain abuse, jail/bail scams, opioids, human trafficking, pollution, and senior citizen rip-offs as his protagonist cruises the Florida Gulf coast. Learn more at his website, sign up for his newsletter, and be sure to follow him online: 
 

Today, LitNuts is shining a spotlight on two young adult fiction titles from author Rebecca Rook: 

False Haven (new release!) - a chilling YA horror novel where Holes meets The Haunting of Hill House

The Penance of Valentine Cash - Neil Gaiman’s American Gods meets Jennifer Mason-Black’s Devil and the Bluebird in this modern adaptation of the Greek legend The Twelve Labors of Hercules for YA fantasy readers

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False Haven

NEW RELEASE: February 13, 2024
Genres: Teen & Young Adult Horror, Teen & Young Adult Ghost Stories, Teen & Young Adult Fantasy & Supernatural Mystery
Ebook: $4.99  

A young adult horror novel for fans of Anna Dressed in Blood by Kendare Blake, Asylum by Madeleine Roux, and Fiendish by Brenna Yovanoff.

Seventeen-year-old Vivienne Barston’s life has fallen apart.

With her mother recently dead, her father disappears into his grief – leaving Viv to deal with her sadness and anger alone. Viv turns to destructive behaviors like petty vandalism, but after a disturbing stint in a juvenile detention center frightens her, Viv agrees to a court mandated service opportunity designed to expunge her record. The deal: work for six weeks with a trail conservation crew in the rural woods of southern Oregon, and she’ll be free with a clean slate.

She knows it’s her last chance to fix her life.

When Viv arrives at the small town of Hard Luck, Oregon, she meets her motley crewmates, all with troubles of their own. The unusual group travels to Grafton Stake, a remote and derelict former asylum with a haunted history–and now Viv must face the ghosts of the past while fighting for her future.

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The Penance of Valentine Cash

Recent Release: January 16, 2024
Genres: Teen & Young Adult Fantasy, Teen & Young Adult Mythical Creatures, Teen & Young Adult Greek & Roman Myths & Legends
Paperback: $16.00
Ebook: $4.99 (Free via Kindle Unlimited)

The young and the ancient, the tangible and the mythical, collide in this tale of redemption, connection, and the enduring power of the human spirit.

Valentine Cash is dead.

When she dies in an accidental collision she caused on the cusp of musical fame, Valentine is offered a deal: Complete a series of difficult tasks to get her life back. Fail, and she dies a final, everlasting death. Guided by Route 66 the Mother Road of America on her quest, she tackles one herculean task after another, giving up a piece of herself with each trial.

Valentine begins to understand that the fame she once sought won’t bring her happiness or belonging – and if she fulfills the penance, she must decide what’s more important: Her old life or restoring the lives of the strangers who died alongside her.

Praise for The Penance of Valentine Cash

"A unique and wonderful book." ~Amazon Review

"Incredible storytelling." ~Goodreads Review

"The gods would be pleased." ~Amazon Review

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About the Author
Rebecca Rook is a hard of hearing person who designs tabletop games, manages a little free library dedicated to sequential art and comics, and lives in the Pacific Northwest with two wonderful dogs. A 2021-2022 Hugo House Fellow in Seattle, WA, she also attended the 2021 Tin House YA Fiction Workshop in Portland, OR. Prior to this, she completed the wonderful Yearlong Workshop for Young Adult and Middle Grade Fiction at Hugo House. She writes young adult fiction in the fantasy, thriller, and horror genres. Learn more at byrebeccarook.com, and follow Rebecca online:
 

Congratulations to Kathleen Collins and Vine Leaves Press on the release of Study in Hysteria, a psychological portrait of a woman who senses that there is a better life for her somewhere else.
 
★★★★★ “Compelling, surprising, and witty... an exquisite novel about the painful consequences of repressing emotions, the deep rifts caused by the fear of revealing ourselves, and the unexpected ways the heart finds to heal. A heartbreakingly beautiful debut.” ~Sandra A. Miller, author of Wednesdays at One

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Study in Hysteria

NEW RELEASE: February 13, 2024
Genre: Literary Fiction
Paperback: $17.99
Ebook: $5.99  

In the middle of 1974, Flora is privileged and middle-aged in a liberation-hued America, and feels both compelled by and left out of the women’s movement. She finds it difficult to activate her limited supply of empathy as she contends with a clandestine and unlikely friendship, a worrisome health scare, a domineering and philandering psychiatrist husband, or her own distant daughter.

Flora's secret foray into psychotherapy does nothing to halt the sense that there is a better life for her somewhere else, in some parallel existence. Through the continuum of psychological diagnoses, she is lost in the murky place between contentment and discontentment, normal and abnormal.

Is her state of mind a clinical, diagnosable condition, or common malaise? Perhaps she'll find out if she stops resisting to share herself with those who love her.

Praise for Study in Hysteria
★★★★★ “A nuanced psychological portrait of an indelible character and the complex era that shapes her... [an] intelligent, engrossing book.” ~Heidi Diehl, author of Lifelines

★★★★★ “In shimmering prose, Kathleen Collins gives us Flora, a woman who spends nearly a lifetime meeting–or not meeting–everyone's expectations without ever realizing she has deeply-held expectations of her own.” ~Stephanie Gangi, author of Carry the Dog and The Next

★★★★★ “Collins’s elegantly woven prose reads like a brocade of one woman’s feelings in a sexist world, a woman for whom silence is rebellion. Collins's psychological acuity manages to feel both classic and thoroughly contemporary.” ~Jason Tougaw, author of The Elusive Brain

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About the Author
Kathleen Collins’s nonfiction books include Watching What We Eat: The Evolution of Television Cooking Shows, Dr. Joyce Brothers: The Founding Mother of TV Psychology, and a memoir, From Rabbit Ears to the Rabbit Hole: A Life with Television. Study in Hysteria is her first novel. She is a professor and librarian at John Jay College of Criminal Justice and lives with her husband near the forest in the northernmost tip of the New York City borough of Manhattan. Learn more at katcoindustries.com.

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About the Publisher
Vine Leaves Press likes to blur the line between commercial and experimental works. They publish book-length vignette collections, writing reference books, short story collections, memoir/autobiography, and character-driven novels with a literary bent.​ Subscribe to the Vine Leaves Press newsletter to receive FREE advanced review copies of upcoming new releases, news about their authors and subscribers, and/or to read the monthly opinion column, SPILL IT! or a daily dose of 50-word stories. Learn more at VineLeavesPress.com. 

The Ryan DeMarco Mystery Series is a collection of five literary thrillers by critically acclaimed author Randall Silvis. The fifth and final book in the series was recently released, and all five books are now available in a boxed set. Click below for more information about the series finale, When All Light Fails, starting at $4.97, and about the five-book boxed set on Kindle. 

 

Today, LitNuts is shining a spotlight on The Cupsnake Escape, Book 2 in the Frankinschool Mysteries series for young readers from award-winning author Caryn Rivadeneira and Red Chair Press.

"Poignant lessons on forgiveness, friendship, and fairness. Slightly spooky and utterly charming, young readers will enjoy every page." ~BlueInk Reviews Starred Review of Book 1 of the Frankinschool Mysteries

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The Cupsnake Escape

NEW RELEASE: February 6, 2024
Book 2 of the Frankinschool Mysteries
Genre: Juvenile fiction (Ages 8-12, Grades 2-5)
Hardcover from $16.99
Ebook from $9.99

The second book about a boy named Fred who turns into "Frankenstein's monster" whenever he writes his "What-if" assignments. Fred and his friend Luisa find themselves in trouble once again when the new student mixes up recipes at their class’s bakery field trip leading to snakes running amok.

While the students scramble out of the school in fear, Fred and Luisa suspect their old friend Frank is behind the Great Cupsnake Escape. Once again, they put their creativity, their cooperation, and their courage to the test—but will it be enough to save the school from the snakes?

For more information (including a discussion guide), visit Red Chair Press.

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Monster Match

Book 1 of The Frankinschool Mysteries
Genre: Juvenile fiction (Ages 8-12, Grades 2-5)
Hardcover from $16.99
Ebook from $9.99

In the first book of the Frankinschool Mysteries, Fred is working diligently on his writing assignment when a mist fills the room, and the words on his page come to life, literally. Suddenly Fred (now Frankinschool) and Luisa (now Princess Luisa) need to save the school from the mysterious potion—and the even more mysterious and devious ghost living in the school attic.

For more information (including a preview sample chapter and a discussion guide), visit Red Chair Press.

Praise for Monster Match
Finalist, Early Readers Category, Canadian Book Club Awards

Finalist for Best Children's Book 8-12 of 2023, Readers' Favorite

Semi-Finalist in Middle Grade Fiction: Gertrude Warner Award of the Chanticleer International Book Awards, 2023

Outstanding Creator Awards Winner, Author and Illustrator

"A great selection for third- to sixth-grade readers who enjoy books about friendship and supernatural events." ~Readers' Favorite

“Humorous and heartwarming." ~Glenys Nellist, former schoolteacher and author of the Little Mole series

“Relatable, funny, and just the right amount of creepy.” ~Jennifer Grant, award-winning author of Once Upon a Time Not So Long Ago

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Gone to the Dogs

Coming August 2024
Book 3 of the Frankinschool Mysteries

Fred’s emotions have gone to the dogs! Fred’s teacher and Luisa might be excited about their research trip to the library, but Fred is not. In fact, the whole project—and his continued failures at it—are making him angry! That is, until he realizes he has the perfect solution to his problem: Simply write one of his “What If” poems, tap into the power of pretend, turn into Frankinchool, and voila! Project, cancelled.

In Book Three of the Frankinschool Mysteries, readers set off on an adventure with Frankinschool through secret passageways and grand rooms of a mansion-turned-library. Along the way, they learn about managing expectations, anger, and friendships, and discover that sometimes going-to-the-dogs is a very good thing.

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About the Author
Caryn Rivadeneira is the award-winning author of more than twenty-five books for both children and adults. Her work has appeared in Aleteia, Sojourners, Christianity Today, Relevant, FamilyLife, ThinkChristian, and Engineering and Mining Journal (yeah, you read that right). She has spent nearly three decades in the publishing industry, serving as a magazine, blog, and book editor. Caryn lives in the near-west suburbs of Chicago with her husband, her three kids, and her three beloved rescue pit bulls. Learn more at carynrivadeneira.com.

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About the Publisher
Red Chair Press is committed to learning and literacy (and laughter!). Founded in 2009, Red Chair Press has been dedicated to publishing series to engage children in stories that provide models for strong character and good behavior. By working with only the highest-quality artists from around the world, Red Chair Press ensures that their books will appeal to a wide range of readers. Learn more at RedChairPress.com, and be sure to follow them online:
 

Congratulations to Elizabeth Bruce and Vine Leaves Press on the release of Universally Adored and Other One Dollar Stories, a collection that gives the reader 33 ways of looking at a dollar via bittersweet stories of resilience and defiance.
 
★★★★★ “A deeply gifted writer.” ~Richard Bausch, Winner, PEN/Malamud & Rea Awards for the Short Story

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Universally Adored and Other One Dollar Stories

NEW RELEASE: January 30, 2024
Genre: Short Story Collections, Literary Fiction
Paperback: $17.99
Ebook: $4.99  

In Universally Adored and Other One Dollar Stories, Elizabeth Bruce gives readers 33 ways of looking at a dollar. Her empathetic, humorous, and disarming embrace of plain-spoken people searching for a way out, charms and provokes.

In “Universally Adored,” a color-obsessed artist draws a facsimile of a dollar—a masterpiece universally adored—to win her girlfriend back. While checking for spare change in the laundry in “Bald Tires,” a Tennessee housewife with a malcontent husband finds an unused condom in his Sunday trousers. In “The Forgiveness Man,” a runaway teen with a newborn follows a vagabond healer absolving the bedraggled godless through hugs of forgiveness. And in “Magic Fingers," a ladies’ room attendant tracked down by her abusive ex finds refuge in a cheap motel with a 1970s era bed massager. 

Riffing on the intimate object of a dollar, Bruce’s humane short fictions—from a great mashed potato war to the grass Jesus walked on—ring with the exquisite voices of characters in analog worlds.

Praise for Universally Adored and Other One Dollar Stories
★★★★★ “Elizabeth Bruce’s stories have that rare quality of feeling as though they have always existed, the way the best stories always do.” ~John McNally, author of The Book of Ralph: A Novel

★★★★★ “A remarkable tapestry around a shockingly familiar starting point, this collection brings us new ways of seeing ourselves and the constellations of our closest relationships. It’s breathtaking.” ~David A. Taylor, author of Soul of a People: The WPA Writers’ Project Uncovers Depression America

★★★★★ “A gifted storyteller... Just how far can one dollar take a person? You’d be amazed.” ~Naomi Ayala, author of Calling Home: Praise Songs & Incantations

★★★★★ “[Elizabeth] writes thoughtfully and elegantly about the pain and beauty of being alive.” ~Eric Stover, Faculty Director, UC Human Rights Center, Co-Producer, PBS documentary, “Tulsa: The Fire and the Forgotten”

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About the Author
Washington-DC-based Texas author Elizabeth Bruce’s debut novel, And Silent Left the Place, won Washington Writers’ Publishing House’s Fiction Award and distinctions from ForeWord Magazine and Texas Institute of Letters. She’s published in USA, UK, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Malawi, India, Yemen, and The Philippines, A co-founder of Sanctuary Theatre, her bilingual book, CentroNia’s Theatrical Journey Playbook: Introducing Science to Early Learners through Guided Pretend Play, garnered four indie awards. She’s received DC Commission on the Arts & Humanities and McCarthey Dressmfriean Education Foundation Fellowships and studied with Richard Bausch, Lee K. Abbott, Janet Peery, John McNally, and Liam Callanan. Discsover more at elizabethbrucedc.com.

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About the Publisher
Vine Leaves Press likes to blur the line between commercial and experimental works. They publish book-length vignette collections, writing reference books, short story collections, memoir/autobiography, and character-driven novels with a literary bent.​ Subscribe to the Vine Leaves Press newsletter to receive FREE advanced review copies of upcoming new releases, news about their authors and subscribers, and/or to read the monthly opinion column, SPILL IT! or a daily dose of 50-word stories. Learn more at VineLeavesPress.com. 

Today, LitNuts is shining a spotlight on Secrets of the Catalogue, an epic tale of adventure, love, and the clash between fiction and truth from author Amelia Spencer. 

"Shhhh! This book is a 'secret' sleeper hit. A unique take on banned books in a modern world, with fantasy and 'other worlds' on the side!" ~Amazon Vine Voice Review

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Secrets of the Catalogue by Amelia Spencer

Book 1 of The Librarians Series
Genres: Coming of Age Fantasy, Romantic Fantasy, Epic Fantasy
4.6 stars, 28 ratings on Amazon
4.3 stars, 116 ratings on Goodreads
Paperback: $12.99
E-book: $0.99 (Free via Kindle Unlimited)
 

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About the Author

Amelia was born and raised in a small town in Ohio where she developed an interest in reading and writing from a young age. After working as a lawyer for several years, she decided to pursue her true passion and become a writer. Her debut novel, Secrets of the Catalogue, is the first book in The Librarians Series. Her next book, Foundation, is coming May 2024. 

Amelia now lives in Brooklyn, NY, where she continues to write and explore the city’s vibrant literary scene. When she is not writing, you can find her browsing the shelves at her local bookstore, taking impromptu trips, or spending time with family and friends. Learn more at AmeliaSpencer.com and be sure to follow her online: 

    

Today, LitNuts is shining a spotlight on the Figure Skating Mystery Series from Alina Adams, a special edition e-book that includes five complete novels that were published as paperback originals by Berkley Prime Crime, plus videos by Ice Theatre of New York.

"Adams has the wacky, incestuous world of skating down cold...from Russian coaches to skating moms to groupie fans to prepubescent stars." ~Philip Hersh, Chicago Tribune

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Figure Skating Mystery Series (5 books in 1)
All 5 Books in 1 Kindle Edition: $9.99  


Fans of figure skating will laugh out loud at the descriptions of the skaters, attitudes, costumes, and stunts. Non-fans will revel in the finely crafted mystery. Bex Levy is a great protagonist who is prone to talking to herself, putting her foot in her mouth, and slashing at people with blades of sarcasm.

The Figure Skating Mystery Series includes five complete novels: 

Murder on Ice (Book 1): At the World Figure Skating Championship, the Ladies' Gold medal goes to Russia's dour Xenia Trubin over America's perky Erin Simpson thanks to the vote of one judge. Who then promptly turns up dead. Who killed Silvana Potenza? A skater? A coach? A fan? An official? A parent? It's up to Bex Levy, intrepid television researcher, to figure everything out before the end of the competition, or lose her job–and maybe even her life.

On Thin Ice (Book 2): Bex Levy’s search for a pair of athletes who mysteriously dropped out of the sport years earlier leads to a host of shocking secrets, a kidnapping–and a murder!

Axel of Evil (Book 3): Bex Levy races to discover who killed an ice skating coach during a competition in Moscow. Igor Marchenko defected from the USSR to the States in 1977 and this is the first time he's been able to return home. But he soon turns up dead, poisoned by a pair of gloves. And once Bex does the rounds, she finds that plenty of people had plenty of reasons to bump him off.

Death Drop (Book 4): Bex Levy investigates the mystery behind an infant left in the arena at the Nationals–and why the baby's mother, an ice dancer who mysteriously took off a year ago, is hanging dead from a sequined belt. But leery from events in the past, Bex is hesitant to follow the clues that will uncover personal secrets–and a killer who'll do anything to keep them from coming out.

Skate Crime (Book 5): When a world-famous coach is murdered on the eve of his televised tribute, the suspects include the former partner he dumped as soon as something better came along, the much younger new wife that he turned into a clone of his old one, his resentful daughter who always had to battle Daddy's students for his attention, the skater whose life he nearly destroyed, and the one he guided to Olympic Gold.

Praise for the Figure Skating Mystery Series and Alina Adams
"Murder on Ice mirrors events from the 2002 Winter Olympics. Corrupt judging, cutthroat battles between the skaters, and the behind-the-scenes viewpoint all help to add depth to this unique mystery." ~Roundtable Reviews

"Adams uses her extensive knowledge of the real-life world of competitive figure skating to create a very realistic background for this murder...complete with hints of dark humor. A likable, down-to-earth heroine makes this a must-read for cozy mystery fans with a fascination for figure skating." ~Romantic Times Magazine

"The book nails a Triple Axel in its description of the beautiful but bizarre world of figure skating, where skating talent is only the beginning of the package necessary to make it big. Female skaters, especially, need a pretty face and a good story to hold the public’s interest, and millions of dollars in ice shows and product endorsements can be at stake. Adams’ expertise is obvious, as is her exasperated affection for the sport." ~TheMysteryReader.com

"If you are even a casual fan of figure skating, you will love this book." ~The Romance Readers Connection

About the Author
Alina Adams is a New York Times best-selling author, soap opera insider, and pioneer in online storytelling who was born in the Soviet Union and immigrated with her parents to the United States at age seven. She learned English by watching American soap operas at their home in San Francisco.

Alina's years glued to the television paid off. She received her B.A. and M.A. in broadcast communications at San Francisco State University, and became a writer at E! Entertainment Television's daily talk show Pure Soap. She went on to work at ABC Television as a writer for the transition of the soap opera Loving when it was reincarnated as the daytime drama The City.  She also worked as a researcher for the Daytime Emmy Awards for ten years. 

Alina's childhood and immigration experience was the inspiration for her two latest historical fiction novels: The Nesting Dolls (2020) and My Mother's Secret: A Novel of the Jewish Autonomous Region (2022).

Learn more about Alina and her work and sign up for her mailing list at AlinaAdams.com. 

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Congratulations to Sara Hosey and Vine Leaves Press on the release of Dirty Suburbia, a stunning collection of short stories that traces the lives of girls and women struggling to live with dignity in a world that often hates them.
 
★★★★★ “Measured, witty, captivating.” ~Kirkus Reviews

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Dirty Suburbia

NEW RELEASE: January 16, 2024
Genre: Short Story Collections, Literary Fiction
Paperback: $17.99
Ebook: $5.99  

Dirty suburbias are working-class neighborhoods in which girls who are left to fend for themselves sometimes become predators, as well as affluent communities in which women discover that money is no protection against sexism.

One young woman sets up her abusive, cheating boyfriend, hoping he’ll get arrested so that she can rescue him and win him back. A teenager arranges to meet up with an older man she’s met online playing video games; she brings a knife with her, just in case. A middle-aged divorcee attempts to rekindle a romantic relationship with her high school English teacher, who happens to be a former nun. A struggling academic falls in love with a Henry David Thoreau impersonator, and a well-adjusted grad student goes home for Christmas only to be repulsed by her family’s casual cruelty.

Despite the ugliness and injustice they face, as well as the failures of their families and communities, these characters often find relief in friendship and connection, and sometimes, even discover meaning and cause for hope.

Praise for Dirty Suburbia
★★★★★ “Measured, witty, captivating tales starring a series of resilient, likable female characters.” ~Kirkus Reviews

★★★★★ “Women and girls of the poor, working, and middle-class navigating life under an oppressive, simpering patriarchy... Her characters are smart, funny, bold and wonderfully flawed.” ~Joel Mowdy, author of Floyd Harbor

★★★★★ “Absolutely stunning! Perceptive, empathetic, and always on point, Hosey’s characters will stay with you... I was awestruck by the range of tales and will be thinking about the world of Dirty Suburbia for a long time.” ~Kelly Fordon, author of I Have the Answer

★★★★★ "Gritty and darkly funny and ultimately humane." ~Jess Walter

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About the Author
Sara Hosey is the author of three young adult novels: Iphigenia Murphy, Imagining Elsewhere, and Summer People. Her short fiction has been shortlisted for the Katherine Anne Porter Prize and the American Short Fiction Halifax Ranch Prize and has appeared in journals like Cordella Literary Magazine and Mudroom Magazine. She is a parent, a community college professor, and a tree enthusiast. Read more about Sara at sarahosey.com.

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About the Publisher
Vine Leaves Press likes to blur the line between commercial and experimental works. They publish book-length vignette collections, writing reference books, short story collections, memoir/autobiography, and character-driven novels with a literary bent.​ Subscribe to the Vine Leaves Press newsletter to receive FREE advanced review copies of upcoming new releases, news about their authors and subscribers, and/or to read the monthly opinion column, SPILL IT! or a daily dose of 50-word stories. Learn more at VineLeavesPress.com. 

Congratulations to Dylan Thomas Doyle and Vine Leaves Press on the release of A Letter to the Shooting Stars Among Us—including a spoken word audiobook version with an original soundtrack!
 
★★★★★ "Beautifully tender and self-assured." ~Erica Berry, author of Wolfish

Important note from the publisher: "We would highly recommend purchasing the audio version of this book as it was intended as spoken word poetry and includes an original score."

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A Letter to the Shooting Stars Among Us

NEW RELEASE: January 9, 2024
Genre: Memoir/Poetry
Audiobook: From $7.99
Ebook: $4.99  

Dear You,

Welcome to your love letter. A letter signed to the secrets and celebrations that brought you here. The found family, and the lost innocence, and the wanderlust, and the returning home again in ways you never thought possible. Not to mention the whiskey and the sobriety and the streetlights and the sweet sleepless nights you danced through on your way to this moment. Welcome to the love letter to your leaving and arriving again. Here.
 
A Letter to the Shooting Stars Among Us is a concoction of music and poetry that pushes the boundaries of genre and expectation. Flowing from spoken word poetry and hip-hop roots, it’s a personal and powerful testament to the beauty and heartbreak of wising up and self-discovery. Examining everything from breakups, illness, crustaceans, immigration, supernovas, God, tomatoes, seedy motels, and all those other memories you locked up somewhere safe, this book is a reminder to love deeply, live boldly, and seek beauty in unconventional spaces.
 
Praise for The Shape of Normal
★★★★★ "The body crackles with life in Dylan Doyle’s collection, which maps currents of yearning and youth against the sediment of personal history. These poems are both beautifully tender and self-assured—they sing." ~Erica Berry, author of Wolfish: Wolf, Self, and the Stories We Tell About Fear

★★★★★ "Internal and external landscapes collide, and, instead of bursting, kaleidoscopically combine. Letter to the Shooting Stars Among Us is a scintillating, multi-sensory, deeply emotional journey through this third space." ~Ian Bonaparte, author of The Fool and other works

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About the Author
Dylan Thomas Doyle is a spoken word poet writing out of Boulder, Colorado. A former Unitarian Universalist minister, Dylan is now an information science researcher at the University of Colorado Boulder. The heart of Dylan’s poetry was forged in the glory days of the early 2000s New York City slam scene. Before moving to Boulder, Dylan was a regular touring performer at the Nuyorican Poetry Cafe, Bowery Poetry Club, and other spoken word poetry venues throughout New York City and the Northeast. Previous full-length poetry books include The Garage? Just Torch It (Vine Leaves Press) and Our Graveyard Shift (Spring Otter Press). More work by Dylan can be found at Dylanthomasdoyle.com and on all social media platforms @dylantdoyle.

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About the Publisher
Vine Leaves Press likes to blur the line between commercial and experimental works. They publish book-length vignette collections, writing reference books, short story collections, memoir/autobiography, and character-driven novels with a literary bent.​ Subscribe to the Vine Leaves Press newsletter to receive FREE advanced review copies of upcoming new releases, news about their authors and subscribers, and/or to read the monthly opinion column, SPILL IT! or a daily dose of 50-word stories. Learn more at VineLeavesPress.com.

Today, LitNuts is shining a spotlight on Your Daily Guide to Shine: Embrace Your Calling through Music, Poetry, and Prose by Kevin Alan Lamb. 

"A touchstone for personal growth and empowerment." ~Matt Rudnitsky, You Are an Author

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Your Daily Guide to Shine

Genres: Happiness Self-Help, Poetry
5 stars, 59 ratings on Amazon
Paperback: $14.99
E-book: $4.99 (Free via Kindle Unlimited)
 

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About the Author
Kevin Alan Lamb is an author, poet, and journalist based in Oxford, Michigan. Kevin spent the first 18 years of his life believing that he would pitch a baseball for a living, but a torn rotator cuff shattered that dream. 

Once you go all in on a dream only to witness it crumble, there’s no telling how or where to begin again.

The lyrics of a song by The Avett Brothers inspired Kevin to change his life: "Decide what to be and go be it." When Marcus Mumford (of Mumford & Sons) later gave him a shoutout in front of 30,000 people, Kevin realized it was time to stop covering professional sports and become a music journalist. Today, Kevin writes song lyrics, poignant poems, stirring affirmations, personal anecdotes, and fascinating musician interviews. 

Learn more by following Kevin on Instagram and on Amazon, and be sure to also visit ThisIsAGoodSound.com. 

Today, LitNuts is shining a spotlight on books of the Law of Attraction Series from author Ryuu Shinohara and Monk Mode University.

Bonus: Subscribe to the free Monk Mode University newsletter and get the Manifestor Masterlist at no cost! The Manifestor Masterlist includes:

• Top 3 daily habits to maximize your manifesting abilities
• Simple layout to track your progress
• Detailed instructions to help you get started today! 

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Focused Manifesting: 11 Laws of Manifestation to Master Your Mind and Attention

New Release: December 2023
Book 7 of 7 in the Law of Attraction Series
Genres: Journaling (#1 on Amazon), Spiritual Self-Help, Personal Transformation
Paperback: $9.99
E-book: $0.99 (Free via Kindle Unlimited)
 

• The biggest distraction in the Universe.
• A simple exercise for choosing goals that create heart-mind alignment.
• How to turn manifestation into a daily habit vs. a random event.
• Feng shui secrets.
• Mindfulness exercises.
• A counter-intuitive way of using technology.
• A little tweak for 10x-ing the effects of gratitude.
• 7 FREE BONUSES + exercises at the end of each chapter.
• And much, much more!

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The Magic of Manifesting: 15 Advanced Techniques To Attract Your Best Life, Even If You Think It's Impossible Now

Book 1 of 7 in the Law of Attraction Series
Genres: Teen & Young Adult Philosophy (#1 on Amazon), New Age New Thought, Spiritual Self-Help
4.7 stars, 3450+ ratings
Paperback: $15.11
E-book: $4.99 (Free via Kindle Unlimited)
 

• Why you should care about manifestation more than you think.
• The scientific secret behind changing your reality.
• The smartest and most powerful way to attract anything you want in life.
• Essentials about energy, flow, and connection.
• Why your ego is the enemy and what you can do about it.
• The #1 mental exercise Olympians and star athletes practice daily to increase their performance.
• And much more.

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The Magic of Manifesting Money: 15 Advanced Manifestation Techniques to Attract Wealth, Success, and Abundance Without Hard Work

Book 2 of 7 in the Law of Attraction Series
Genres: Personal Success & Spirituality, Philosophy & Spiritual Growth, New Age New Thought
4.7 stars, 1500+ ratings
Paperback: $17.99
E-book: $4.99 (Free via Kindle Unlimited)
 

• The #1 key to accelerating your money manifestation.
• The path of least resistance where money miracles and opportunities flow.
• How to generate revolutionary ideas out of the blue.
• Where to place your focus and energy to manifest wealth.
• How to be receptive to the infinite opportunities around.
• And much more.

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About the Author
Ryuu Shinohara is a metaphysics philosopher and researcher. He is drawn toward unpacking and understanding the hidden laws of life and has a passion for teaching others about the proven and timeless principles of reality (both mystical and scientific) that he has come to adopt and get results with throughout his life. With this experience, he finds the inspiration to write these books. They are clear, relatable, and practical for anyone at any level of understanding (even non-believers)...turning theory into practice and practice into results.

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About Monk Mode University
Monk Mode University is an education platform introducing higher-level, conscious teachings around personal development, spirituality, and business to independent thinkers around the globe. Learn more at MonkModeUniversity.com, sign up for their free newsletter, and follow them online:
 

Today, LitNuts is shining a spotlight on The Ryan DeMarco Mystery Series, a collection of literary and emotionally propulsive thrillers by Randall Silvis, an author who has been hailed by the New York Times Book Review as "A Masterful Storyteller."

The series begins with Two Days Gone, a Hammett Prize Finalist and Amazon #1 Bestseller. Read on to learn more!

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Two Days Gone

Ryan DeMarco Mystery Book 1
4.2 stars, 1945 ratings
Paperback: $10.53
E-book: $9.99 (Free via Kindle Unlimited)
 

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Walking the Bones

Ryan DeMarco Mystery Book 2
4.3 stars, 447 ratings
Paperback: $12.89
E-book: $9.99
 

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A Long Way Down

Ryan DeMarco Mystery Book 3
4.4 stars, 152 ratings
Paperback: $14.19
E-book: $9.99
 

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No Woods So Dark as These

Ryan DeMarco Mystery Book 4
4.3 stars, 123 ratings
Paperback: $10.94
E-book: $9.99
 

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When All Light Fails

Ryan DeMarco Mystery Book 5
4.5 stars, 101 ratings
Paperback: $8.54
E-book: $6.72
 
“Elegiac… Silvis delivers crisp action sequences, but most memorable are DeMarco’s long, ruminative digressions that sum up the career of a complicated, honorable man. Readers will be sorry to see the last of him.” ~Publishers Weekly

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The Ryan DeMarco Mystery Series

The complete e-book set: $46.68
 

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About the Author
Randall Silvis is the multi-genre author of nineteen critically acclaimed novels, three story collections, and two books of creative nonfiction. He is a past winner of the prestigious Drue Heinz Literature Prize, and his work has been published in more than a hundred editions in several languages. Learn more at RandallSilvis.com, and be sure to follow Randall online:

Today, LitNuts is shining a spotlight on Losing My Breath, a new release from J. Rose Black:

A steamy, adult RomCom

Winner, Literary Titan Gold Book Award December 2023

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Bonus: Sign up for J. Rose Black's newsletter and get a free copy of Off the Record:

"On the record, she's the world's most annoying reporter. Off the record, she's the one he can't let get away."

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Losing My Breath by J. Rose Black

New release: November 8, 2023
Genres: Romantic Comedy, Humor, Feel-Good Fiction
4.4 stars, 72 ratings
Paperback: $12.99
Ebook: $0.99 (Free via Kindle Unlimited)

A Marine never says die.

Neither does his princess.

Battle lines are drawn when sheltered debutante Meridian Daly moves across the hall from grumpy veteran Marine Callan Brand. Situated a bit closer than advertised to "crime alley," Meridian’s neighbor finds himself grudgingly guarding the pampered princess out of habit. But with her sharp wit and killer curves, he can’t help but surrender to temptation…

When their relationship evolves from casual courtship to something more, Callan finds that Meridian has already discovered his closely guarded secret. But can he let go of his pride and tell her the whole truth of who he is and what he’s done—in the name of honor and country?

As Callan’s scars start to reveal themselves, his life spirals beyond the careful control that's helped him survive—and kept those he cares about safe.

From him.

Praise for Losing My Breath

• "A powerful and emotionally resonant story that will leave you breathless. It's a tale of love, sacrifice, and the battle against one's own demons, ultimately culminating in the discovery of hope and redemption." ~Literary Titan
• "It is very rare to read a love story that does not have a rinse-and-repeat cycle, but Losing My Breath is far from the normal romantic tale... The pages of J. Rose Black's perfectly penned novel show that there is a light at the end of the darkest of days if you are willing to put in the effort to overcome them." ~Readers' Favorite
• "Hot, hilarious, and devourable." ~International Review of Books

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About the Author

J. Rose Black weaves stories about obsession, redemption, and the transcendental power of love. From her early days writing fanfiction for a passionate following of international readers, to crafting novels with her own characters, Rose has always been drawn to broody protectors and plucky, no-nonsense women ready to fight for what they believe in. 

Learn more at JRoseBlack.com, get a free copy of Off the Record when you sign up for her newsletter, and follow her online: