Today's Featured Books
Free online: Readings from the Writers Room of Boston
Free online: Readings from the Room. Join host Spencer Johnson of the Writers Room of Boston for an event featuring the work of authors Lesley Wheeler and Beth Armstrong. Tuesday, October 22, 6-7 PM CDT.
“Keep good company, read good books, love good things and cultivate soul and body as faithfully as you can.” ~Louisa May Alcott
A Mutiny of Dreams by J M Unrue
The 7 Pillars Of Habit Building by Thinknetic
Driftwood by Martha Craig
Nightmares and Copyrights by Scott Kinkade
Mystery Thriller Crime and Horror
Scions and Shadows: A world of magic & intrigue spanning centuries
Today, LitNuts is shining a spotlight on books of the Scions and Shadows fantasy series from author Dax Murray, a world of magic and intrigue, spanning centuries of political conspiracies, divine machinations and conflicts of ethics, morality, and conscience. There is an overarching plot to the series, but each book can be read as a stand-alone and in any order.
Bonus: Earn rewards by participating in The Shades and Silver Audiobook Kickstarter campaign.
Stars and Soil
Genres: Sword & Sorcery Fantasy, Epic Fantasy4.6 stars, 7 ratings
From $4.99
The land is dying, commoners are protesting, and workers are revolting. The king is ailing, but the prince is not stepping in to quell the unrest.
Lady Caitlin doesn't care—she hasn't cared about anything since the day her world shattered and she lost everything. But fate intervenes, giving her the influence and power to rule the realm as queen or tear it all down from the inside.
Caught in a web of deception and conspiracies, Caitlin must unravel the truth of a long-hidden magical prophecy or she will become yet another pawn of an enemy that has its sights set on making Caitlin into its weapon.
Stars and Soil is the first novel in the Scions and Shadows series and is perfect for those who like their fantasy full of court gossip, political intrigue, shifting alliances, deep worldbuilding, backstabbing, betrayal, and sapphic and disability representation. Fans of Seth Dickinson's The Traitor Baru Cormorant and Tessa Gratton's The Queens of Innis Lear will feel right at home in this magical, queer-normative world.
Praise for Stars and Soil
"A complex story about grief and trying to find both agency in one's life and what one wants out of it." ~Liz Sauco, author of Lost Blades
"A very emotionally convincing main character, making her journey through her fantastical world all the more engaging." ~Ka'ua Lara, author of A New World For You
Nominated in the Queer Indie Awards 2023 for: Best Overall Fantasy, Best Epic Fantasy, Best Dark Fantasy, and Best Supporting Character
Smoke and Steel
Genres: Sword & Sorcery Fantasy, Epic FantasyFrom $4.99
Being one of the youngest of the Sua royals never stopped Saritrah from scheming to take the throne. But violent insurrectionists shattered those plans when they stormed the palace and decimated her family.
In the years since, she has amassed an army and will return to claim her crown. However, Ashur, her one remaining sibling, has done the same, and Saritrah must act soon if she's to secure her prize.
Saritrah must retrieve a magical artifact from the hidden city before Ashur does, all while making sure none betray her. If she fails, Sua is lost not just to her, but also forfeited to the insurrectionists and stripped of its pride as a warrior nation.
Shades and Silver
Genres: Sword & Sorcery Fantasy, Fantasy Anthologies4.5 stars, 7 ratings
From $0.99
The birthright of every Ástfríður is to know each metal in the earth, command it, bend it to their desires. Each Ástfríður must choose which metal they would wear upon their heads, denoting the path they would walk.
But Britt does not know if they can choose the path they want...if they can overcome a past which has stolen their identity. And Astrid has never felt the pull of the metal at all while trying to navigate a world that they feel has rejected them. The Veil of the Ástfríður has kept them hidden from the world and safe from intruders. Yet Britt and Astrid feel they are imposters in their own homes. Each must decide who they are and what they want to be, or risk losing their place in the Veil.
Shades and Silver is a duology about identity, doubt, disability, and acceptance set in the universe of Scions and Shadows.
Praise for Shades and Silver
"Lyrical writing, detailed characters, and exquisite world-building/" ~Amazon Review
2023 Indie Ink Awards Finalist; Writing the Future We Need: Disability Representation by a Disabled Author
About the Kickstarter Campaign (ends October 25!)
The Kickstarter Campaign for Shades and Silver: The Audiobook aims to bring to life this anthology of fantasy stories about disability, unicorn-people, and belonging via narrator Kyle Rocco East, a finalist for the Indie Ink Award for their narration of Chameleon Moon.
You can become a backer of this project for as little as $1 and earn rewards ranging from an e-book edition of the book to a package that includes audiobook, e-book, and paperback editions of book from the Scions and Shadows Series, including Shades and Silver (all formats), Stars and Soil (e-book and paperback), and Smoke and Steel (e-book and paperback). All print copies will be signed by the author!
Visit the Shades and Silver: The Audiobook Kickstarter campaign now to learn more.
About the Author
Dax Murray is an award-winning author of revolutionary fantasy that focuses on trauma, healing, and leftist political advancement. After realizing their dream of being a curmudgeonly hedgewitch in the woods of Western Pennsylvania was not possible due to the construction of an outlet mall, Dax took up a new form of sorcery, where they whispered to rocks in arcane languages and taught them how to spy on you, colloquially known as software engineering.
But this new career lead to an epic battle between the valiant forces of Ethics and all-powerful legion of Student Loan Payments, and Dax left that behind to join the magical order of word-placing. Today, they can be found waiting on the god (ie: cat) who has allowed them to live in their abode and use their word-magic to make others cry.
Learn more at DaxMurray.com, and be sure to sign up for Dax's Diatribes (via website pop-up or sign-up form at bottom of left column on the website) to get exclusive sneak peeks, behind-the-scenes looks, and exclusive updates from Dax Murray, including a free copy of Scorched Scars, a novella set in the world of Scions and Shadows, and Shrouded Sight, a short story anthology set in the world of Scions and Shadows.
Victory Island: Small-town romances from author Jennie Atkins
- Moonlight Cowboy - Book 1 in the Series
- The Warrior's B & B - Book 2 in the Series
Moonlight Cowboy
Book 1 of the Victory Island SeriesGenre: Small Town Romance
5.0 stars, 9 ratings
From $1.99
I’m Daniel Gallagher, an art teacher by day and a world-famous artist by night. I’d do anything to reboot my life after the death of my wife. So when my private investigator friend asks me to do him a favor, I jump at the chance to escape to the small island town of Victory. Big mistake.
The woman I’m to monitor works at the island’s art gallery and has island residents wondering where she’s getting the money for her extravagant shopping sprees.
As I get to know her, I discover two things. One, falling for the gallery assistant is not in my job description. And two, there is a reason I should have left my gumshoes at home—especially when the secrets I discover have nothing to do with the secret missions of mercy she carries out for her employer but have the ability to yank the moorings out from under her.
Praise for Moonlight Cowboy
★★★★★ "A beautiful story with threads of romance and mystery." ~Goodreads Review
★★★★★ "An excellent choice for a feel-good love story with memorable characters and a charming setting." ~Amazon Review
The Warrior's B & B
Book 2 of the Victory Island SeriesGenre: Small Town Romance
New release: October 14, 2024
From $1.99
Sage Johnson decided whom she intended to marry at the ripe old age of eight years old. Too bad the groom-to-be, her dearest childhood friend Derick Rogers, didn’t have a clue.
Twenty years later, Derick is halfway around the world fighting for his country, and Sage is a physical therapist and the new owner of her grandparent’s bed-and-breakfast—not the life she’d envisioned. Especially when Derick appears at her B & B blinded and bruised by an IED explosion and needing her help. In a panic, she lies about who she is and introduces herself as Abbi Johnson.
She could get away with it, right? What could go wrong? Everything!
About the Author
Free online Sunday: What's New in Historical Fiction
Free online: What's New in Historical Fiction, a regular panel series featuring historical novelists with new and upcoming titles. This week, Colin Mustful, founder of History Through Fiction, moderates a panel discussion with Anna Rasche, author of The Stone Witch of Florence: Lynda Cohen Loigman, author of The Love Elixir of Augusta Stern; Rose Sutherland, author of A Sweet Sting of Salt; and Jillian Forsberg, author of The Rhino Keeper. Sunday, October 20, 12 - 1 PM CDT.
"You cannot swim for new horizons until you have courage to lose sight of the shore." ~Madeline Miller, Circe
Where the Light Shines Through by Kathleen Bailey
Breaking Point by John Rhodes
The Devil's Crossroads by Alexis Brunet
Memoir and Creative Nonfiction
All The Beautiful Things by Emma Grey Rose
Memory Fail by Linda Loprasert
Memoir and Creative Nonfiction
Black Dog Escape by W. L. Bach
Mystery Thriller Crime and Horror
“What have I done?” Navy SEAL Jack Thibideaux thinks as he stands over the shepherd girl he has just accidentally shot in Afghanistan. Thus starts Jack’s perilous journey to save the girl, and himself. Years later, in his new life as a bookstore owner in a small Port Townsend, Washington, Jack seeks solace from PTSD and a new life. But his bloody past is sinking its teeth into him. 4.6 stars, 200+ ratings. From $2.99. Free via KU. SHOP NOW /
Blindspot by André Varela
Mystery Thriller Crime and Horror
Get Avenging Love & the Trinitarian Knights Collection from author Kevin Mansoor
★★★★★ "Kevin puts you right in the middle of what's happening. So many emotions...anger, fear, humor...I even laughed out loud." ~Amazon Review
Avenging Love
Book 1 of The Trinitarian Knights CollectionGenre: Epic Fantasy
4.4 stars, 59 ratings
Paperback: $14.99
Ebook: FREE
Within the enchanted realms of imagination, Kevin Mansoor artfully crafts tales that whisk readers away to worlds where reality melds seamlessly with fantasy. His quill, touched by moonlight, breathes life into imaginative characters that leap off the page, conjuring epic adventures that push boundaries and urge readers to embrace the extraordinary.
Enter the international best-selling debut of the Trinitarian Knights Collection, Avenging Love, a journey that propels readers into a realm uncannily similar to our own. Yet, for David, the boundaries between dimensions blur, revealing a world coexisting with angels and demons. Amid this duality, his heartache stems from the loss of his beloved wife, Sarah, taken from him by the demon dimension three years past.
David, alongside his guilt-laden Saint Bernard, Duke, embarks on a quest to avenge their love and find solace for their tormented souls. Though the path ahead is clear, it leads through the very gates of Hell itself.
Can David break free from the clutches of the tequila bottle he's hidden behind for years? Will the enigmatic 2000-year-old Emma guide him to heed his heart's call? And when David enters an unwinnable battle, will the Archangel Michael stand by his side?
Through a riveting journey, David and Duke confront their deepest personal demons. Join them as they traverse a perilous path, facing their own shadows head-on in a tale that resonates with both heartache and hope. Get your copy of this international best-seller for FREE today!
Praise for Avenging Love
Ranked #1 in its category in seven different Amazon markets/countries and has never left the top 50 in its category on Amazon in the United States.
The Trinitarian Knights Collection Special Edition Boxed Set
Genre: Epic FantasyPrice: $5.49 (Free via Kindle Unlimited)
This special edition boxed set includes all three novels in the series, plus a novella and exclusive bonus content that delves deeper into the characters and events of this epic saga.
Embark on an unforgettable journey through the realms of Heaven, Earth, and Hell with the complete Trinitarian Knights Collection, which includes:
- Avenging Love (Book 1): See description, above.
- Behind the Bravery (a bonus-content short): Get the perspective of Duke, David's canine companion in Avenging Love.
- Protecting Love (a novella): Before Avenging Love, a tormented David battles to protect his family. Plagued by nightmarish visions, he confronts a sinister offer that could silence the demons within.
- The Deception of Fear (Book 2): David's illusion of tranquility shatters when a nemesis, long believed dead, appears on his doorstep, igniting a maelstrom of mystery and fear.
- Buried Within (Book 3): A creeping darkness threatens to engulf the world as David's closest ally, the fallen Archangel Michael, prepares for a long-foretold battle.
About the Author
Kevin's literary journey is driven by a deep passion to not just tell stories, but to fully immerse readers in them. Learn more at KevinMansoor.com. Be sure to also sign up for his newsletter and to follow him online:
Free online: Bellevue Literary Review Fall Reading
Free online: Bellevue Literary Review Fall Reading. BLR’s latest issue is on “Body Politic,” featuring stories, essays, and poems on the intersection of our bodies and society. Join BLR's Fall Reading to meet three writers from this special issue—Mehr-Afarin Kohan, Laura LeMoon, and Sean Sam—who will read from their work, as well as be interviewed by BLR editors. Thursday, October 17, 7 PM ET.
"Your body is not who you are. The mind and spirit transcend the body." ~Christopher Reeve
I Wore the Wrong Shirt to Work Today by T.W. Sheffield
Hear, O Earth! by Daniel Arenson
THIRTEEN: Decoding Superstition by JD Arden
Memoir and Creative Nonfiction
Damaged SEAL Next Door by Kylie Kidd
When the Trees Started Falling by A.D. Popovich
Mystery Thriller Crime and Horror
The Suicide Detective by W. L. Bach
Mystery Thriller Crime and Horror