Today's Featured Books

New release (incl. audio!): A Letter to the Shooting Stars Among Us by Dylan Thomas Doyle

Spotlight

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."


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


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.
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.


Free online: A Historical Evening (including Trivia & Prizes!)

Events

Free online: A Historical Evening. Join the authors of History Through Fiction for an evening of trivia, prizes, and Q&A. Earn prize entries by submitting questions for the authors ahead of time or by correctly answering trivia questions during the event. Tuesday, January 9, 7 PM CST. 

"Events are as much the parents of the future as they were the children of the past." ~John Galsworthy, Saint’s Progress


Indies Inferno by Edward M. Hochsmann

Book of the Day

"Riveting maritime drama." ~The Independent Review of Books. The volcano mission was only supposed to be a cover story! Join the crew of the small Coast Guard cutter Kauai as they embark on an exhilarating sea adventure. Assigned to a covert intelligence operation, their mission takes an unforeseen turn when a volcanic eruption engulfs the tranquil Caribbean island of Saint Ignatius. Enjoy the action, teamwork, and camaraderie of the crew of Kauai as they face another deadly challenge. Part of the Cutter Kauai Sea Adventures series. From $3.99 SHOP NOW


In Freedom’s Shadow by Robert Hilliard

Mystery Thriller Crime and Horror

John Scobell risked everything to escape slavery during the Civil War. He thought he'd reached freedomuntil the moment he was recruited and sent back to the Confederacy as an undercover Union spy. Can Scobell avoid capture and certain death at the hands of brutal Rebel spy hunters? Can break the Confederate codes and earn his emancipation? Or will he remain forever in freedom's shadow? "This year's must-read for anyone who loves history, thrillers, and true stories of American heroes." ~Salena Zito, author of The Great Revolt. 4.6 stars, 28 ratings. From $2.99 SHOP NOW /  


Will Harper Florida Thrillers: Vol. 1-3 by David Crosby

Mystery Thriller Crime and Horror

Dive into the sun-soaked, treacherous waters of Florida with Will Harper, a semi-retired investigative journalist turned private detective, in this riveting box set that bundle thrilling intrigue with a taste of the Floridian wild. Will, a boat and beer aficionado, isn't just navigating Florida’s tropical waterways on his live-in yacht; he's also charting a course through a sea of corruption, greed, and murder. Get three complete novels: Million Dollar Staircase, Guilty Money, and Florida Burning. 4.5 stars, 350 ratings. From $6.99. Free via KU. SHOP NOW


Through Darkness They Will Come by Jared Barber

Science Fiction and Fantasy

Invaders have torn apart Omeera. What happens next will bring you on a journey of betrayal and loveboth lost and foundand of unlikely allies and secret enemies. Wren goes on a trek that takes him to places he has never been and some he never wants to go back to. He meets great and terrible people and goes through changes he never thought were possible. Farm hand to Hero, read to find out more! From $15 SHOP NOW


Spotlight on Your Daily Guide to Shine by Kevin Alan Lamb

Spotlight

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

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)
 


Your Daily Guide to Shine: Embrace Your Calling through Music, Poetry, and Prose offers a hopeful glimpse into the soul of humanity through its relationship with music, dreams, and home. This collection of lyrical poetry, prose, and musician interviews will help tune your inner voice, and guide you in the direction of your joy. Your joy is your light; walk in its direction to discover your true calling and help others to do the same.

For nearly a decade, Kevin Alan Lamb has worked in live music—building community, interviewing bands, writing, photographing, managing artists, booking, and promoting shows. Music is the vehicle that built his love into his life. What is your guiding light? Which direction is it calling you in? Are you listening? Isn’t it time? 

"A touchstone for personal growth and empowerment, Kevin Alan Lamb's Your Daily Guide to Shine is the beacon of hope you didn't know you needed. More than a book, it's a vibrant, introspective journey pulsating with profound wisdom and dynamic resonance." ~Bestselling Author Matt Rudnitsky

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


Free online: Virtual tour of the Edgar Allan Poe Museum

Events

Free online: Virtual tour of the Edgar Allan Poe Museum. Come along on a virtual road trip to the Edgar Allan Poe Museum in Richmond, Virginia. Monday, January 8, 9-10 a.m. CST. 

"All that we see or seem is but a dream within a dream." ~Edgar Allan Poe


The Girl Who Ignored Ghosts by K.C. Tansley

Book of the Day

Kat Preston doesn’t believe in ghosts. Her disbelief keeps her safe until her junior year at McTernan Academy, when a research project takes her to a tiny, private island off the coast of Connecticut. In a novel that combines time-travel, paranormal, and gothic mystery genres, the author weaves a tale full of ancestral curses, powerful spells, and inherited surprises. "The novel's murder mystery is intriguing and grows more complex as its supernatural elements are unveiled." ~Kirkus Reviews. 4.4 stars, 478 ratings. From $0.99. Free via KU. SHOP NOW


Malcolm from a Distance by Edward H. Garnett

Literary Fiction and Poetry

Malcolm Merrill is a successful executive at a prestigious advertising firm in Los Angeles. He has a beautiful wife, a gorgeous home, expensive cars, and power at his disposal. So what could possess someone who has it all to attempt suicide? Find out in this novel that chronicles the life of a man whose perfect world suddenly crumbles beneath him—a man forced to come to terms with all he sacrificed on his rise to the top: his family, his friends, and his soul. From $0.99 SHOP NOW


Illusions by Elle Preston

Romance

Haunted by her fear of drowning, sixteen-year-old Evie Willow finds herself caught in a forbidden romance with Talon Renwyck, the charismatic lifeguard in their small beach town. As their connection deepens, Evie uncovers Talon's supernatural addiction and his ties to an ancient and mysterious Raven cult. Dive into a gripping tale of supernatural intrigue where love and illusions collide, leaving you breathless and craving for more. Book One in the Ravens of Darkness series. 4.5 stars, 47 ratings. From $0.99. Free via KU. SHOP NOW


Avery's Ghost by Annie Dewell

Science Fiction and Fantasy

When seventeen-year-old Evelyn is accidentally poisoned, her only hope is to sign the curious contract of Hart’s Circus—the same place her brother, Avery, vanished before her birth. When she writes newspaper articles for her hapless father, her investigation turns up questions no one will answer…and infuriates the tempestuous Manager Hart. Undeterred, she’ll cajole and blackmail her way to the truth—catapulting herself into the crossfire of a plot with explosive consequences. Book 1 in The Shimmering Circus series. 4.5 stars, 40 ratings. From $0.99. Free via KU. SHOP NOW


Death on the Line by Carol Amorosi

Mystery Thriller Crime and Horror

He signed on to map the New World, not solve a cold-blooded homicide… Angus MacKay was an orphan with no formal education and few career prospects. But when Angus is hired as part of a ground-breaking expedition, he sails to the American colonies where he will have an opportunity to prove himself. Unfortunately, his dream job just became his worst nightmare. "The author's portrayal of 18th-century America is a delight." ~Kirkus Reviews. Book 1 of The MacKay Mysteries. 4.7 stars, 57 ratings. From $2.99 SHOP NOW


Prelude to Murder by Erica Miner

Mystery Thriller Crime and Horror

Having survived her entanglement in a murder plot at the Metropolitan Opera, violinist Julia Kogan and her cohort, NYPD detective Larry Somers, head to Santa Fe Opera for the summer season, where murderous activities plague the performers onstage and off. Famous opera singers get picked off left and right, and ghostly Santa Fe apparitions spook Julia into a state of constant agitation. She joins forces with Larry to stop the killer from wreaking further havoc. But the threat to her life comes from a source she never could have imagined. From $5.99 SHOP NOW


FREE - Plant Based Weight Loss by Shawn Sales

General Nonfiction

If you have struggled to lose weight and have been unable to solve this problem, you have come to the right place. Have you thought about starting a plant-based diet for weight loss but didn't know where to begin? In Plant-Based Weight Loss, author and registered dietitian Shawn Sales dives deep into formulating a plan for you as you start your journey to plant-based eating. Shawn shares the story that led him to a plant-based lifestyle and a weight loss of more than 30 pounds that he has kept off long-term. FREE - SHOP NOW


Spotlight on the Law of Attraction Series

Spotlight

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! 

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)
 


Do you struggle with consistency in your manifestation practices? Are you lacking clarity around what to focus on? Do you feel overwhelmed and all over the place? 

If you’ve read any personal development book, you’re probably familiar with this one principle: Where attention goes, energy flows.

It’s a principle that’s been endorsed by the likes of Steve Jobs, Warren Buffet, and Tony Robbins. Few master this principle, but those who do achieve success beyond their wildest expectations. They build businesses, complete projects, publish books, and are always receptive to new and life-changing opportunities.

If you cannot manage your attention, you cannot manage your reality. So the secret to manifesting consistently and predictably is knowing how to focus—making this book the most important one in the entire series.

Inside Focused Manifesting, you’ll discover:
  • 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!
You may feel like the Universe is conspiring against you, but even if you're the most scattered and cluttered person you know, following the laws in this book will guarantee you find the focus necessary to create your dream reality.

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)
 


Do you complain or start nagging when something isn’t going your way? Do you give fault and make others responsible for your misery? Are you annoyed seeing others who have exactly what you want in life?

Believe it or not, you are the driver of your own life and no one else can steal your seat...if you don’t let them. There are straight-forward, easy principles to get everything you want in life.

Manifestation involves using the power of your thoughts, feelings, or beliefs to bring something into your physical reality. There are laws that control how energy flows and where it goes. The more you know about these laws the easier it is to navigate the energy you need in the right direction.

In The Magic of Manifesting, you'll learn:
  • 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.
If you think “manifesting” is just another 21st Century buzzword, then you haven’t heard the success stories of millions of people who made their dreams come true with this one powerful tool. Stop waiting for life to happen to you and start creating your best life right now.

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)
 


Are you always stressed or worried about how and when money will come? Have you read a ton of “how to manifest money” books without getting results? 

A specific set of laws make up the entire universe. Mastering these laws is the missing key to getting rid of your struggles around money. This means more time with your loved ones, getting promoted at work, growing your business, and even buying your dream house. More importantly, it means having freedom in all areas of life.

In The Magic of Manifesting Money, you will discover:
  • 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.
Now, even if you don’t have a dollar to your name, are unemployed, or failed at every money-making opportunity out there, financial freedom and abundance can be easy, sustainable, and right within your reach.

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.
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:
 
    


Free online: Publishing Scandals of 2023!

Events

Free online: Publishing Scandals of 2023. This past year was an eventful one in the publishing world, including lots of literary scandals. Join the hosts of Writers Lunch for a discussion of some jaw-dropping and bonkers literary misdeeds from 2023. Thursday, January 4, 1-2 PM CST.

"Good writers borrow, great writers steal." ~T.S. Eliot


FREE - Earth Alone by Daniel Arenson

Book of the Day

They came from deep space. They came to destroy us. Fifty years ago, bloodthirsty aliens devastated the Earth. Most of humanity perished. We fell into darkness. But now we rise from the ashes. Now we fight back. If you loved Ender's Game, Starship Troopers, and Old Man's War, you'll love Earthrise, a new military science fiction series from a USA Today bestselling author. "A classic readers will remember for years." ~Nicholas Smith, author of Hell Divers. Book 1 in the series. 4.1 stars, 7900+ ratings. FREE - SHOP NOW


Forgetting the Lost by J. Martain

Literary Fiction and Poetry

Most children are afraid of the dark. She knows better. Six-year-old Madeline Galloway knows she's unlikeable. Unlovable. Uncanny. But when she encounters a strange man she believes to be a fallen angel, her abilities might save her life. Or ruin it. Set in coastal North Carolina in the 1940s, this powerful novella can be read as a standalone, or as a prequel to the paranormal/sci-fi novel Daughters of Men. Part Southern gothic, part supernatural suspense, this literary work has a bittersweet ending that will haunt you long after finishing. 4.6 stars, 11 ratings. From $0.99 SHOP NOW


Daughters of Men by J. Martain

Science Fiction and Fantasy

“Indelible characters carry this enthralling speculative tale.” ~Kirkus Reviews. For decades, Lila Givens has hidden her extrasensory abilities. But her nightmares have grown worse, her angels still haven’t learned Morse code, and raising a tween genius requires more focus than she can muster. Sal, on the other hand, has never attempted to hide. In his experience, humans do not see what they do not wish to acknowledge. “This one got my attention from the start, with an uncommon take on paranormal abilities.” ~Amazon Review. 4.2 stars, 29 ratings. From $0.99 SHOP NOW


The Lightness of Water by Toni Cabell

Science Fiction and Fantasy

"The Lightness of Water is an exquisitely refined fantasy adventure.” ~Indies Today. Solace is beautiful, strong-willed, and divines for water in the arid hills of her home—a dangerous pastime when the king controls access to all water. Rhees is brooding, bitter, and hiding a deadly secret. But he’s determined to help the thirsty people of his land—even if it means kidnapping the last living water diviner. “Highly recommended!” Winner, The Wishing Shelf Book Awards, and B.R.A.G. Medallion Honoree. 4.4 stars, 151 ratings. From $0.99. Free via KU. SHOP NOW


FREE - Of Body and Bone by J.T. Bishop

Mystery Thriller Crime and Horror

"A riveting suspense novel." ~Readers' Favorite. Routines are shattered when a child goes missing and two detectives rush to find a kidnapper with unique abilities and ties to an evil past. But when they discover the kidnapper’s involvement with a killer now behind bars, they’ll confront their own oaths as officers to defeat a man capable of destroying…both body and bone. Part of the Detectives Daniels and Remalla series. 4.5 stars, 257 ratings on Goodreads. FREE - SHOP NOW


FREE - ABC Amazing Book of Crystals by Brenda DeHaan

Children and Young Adult

Captures the attention of readers and rock lovers of all levels! Young readers can practice tracing letters in cyber-sand while readers of all ages can learn the names of almost 200 gorgeous stones. Find your favorites as you scroll through the alphabet of rocks and minerals. If you are starting your rock collection or want to see examples of special stones, this book will help you identify crystals in every color of the rainbow. FREE - SHOP NOW


FREE - Craft Fairs from A-Z by Brenda DeHaan

General Nonfiction

Being a craft show vendor is an evolving endeavor that is not one-size-fits-all. Each show has challenges; the more options you know, the better the flow. This helpful overview of ideas starts with A for advertising and progresses through the Z table formation. Compare what you already know with new considerations to ponder. Discover which letters contain the tips that will benefit your business the most. FREE - SHOP NOW


Farm Boy, City Girl by John "Gene" E. Dawson

Memoir and Creative Nonfiction

“A remarkable autobiography that offers a rare glimpse into the mid-20th century history of both rural Iowa and of LGBTQ individuals in Middle America... An absorbing and inherently interesting life story.” ~Midwest Book Review Small Press Bookwatch. Follow Gene/Miss Gina’s dramatic journey from his rural childhood to his sometimes shocking life in St. Louis as he struggles to become who "she" wants to be. Winner of awards from PenCraft, Royal Dragonfly, and more. 4.6 stars, 53 ratings. From $4.99 SHOP NOW