Today's Featured Books

Free online: Join Rogue Reads for a star-studded night with authors Anne Hillerman (Lost Birds), Lisa Gardner (Still See You Everywhere), Robert Dugoni (A Killing on the Hill), and Carter Wilson (The Father She Went to Find). All authors will be participating "live" to talk about their new books and take your questions. Monday, April 15, 7 PM EST. 

"The true nature of the human heart is as whimsical as spring weather. All signals may aim toward a fall of rain when suddenly the skies will clear." ~Maya Angelou

After solving the Philadelphia Socialite murder, Ann Kinnear should be riding high. Instead, she's depressed and considering abandoning her spirit sensing business. Ann goes to Maine to solicit help from fellow spirit senser, Garrick Masser. Ann and Garrick find more trouble than they bargained for in a tale of obsession and misplaced loyalty that has its roots in a crumbling summer hotel, international art theft, and the historic wildfire that raged across Mount Desert Island in 1947. "Keen and charming." ~Kirkus Reviews. 4.3 stars, 250+ ratings. From $0.99 SHOP NOW / 

Today, LitNuts is shining a spotlight on the work of Valerie Taylor, author of the What's Not series of romantic comedies and A Whale of a Murder, a new cozy mystery coming April 23. Read on to learn more!
 
"Valerie Taylor’s characters face a tangle of events and emotions that keep the reader turning pages!” ~Joan Cohen, author of Land of Last Chances

What's Not Said

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

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

Praise for What's Not Said

• “In this dramatic tale of love, lust, and lies, author Valerie Taylor crafts an entertaining and gripping story...a shocking novel full of secrets, twists, and turns, but it also has elements of pure humor and deep love.” ~Readers' Favorite
• “Highly recommended for women who look for not just stories of marital relationships, but the unexpected revelations that revolve around life purpose and the immortality of love.” ~Midwest Book Review
• “Taylor’s dialogue is snappy and contemporary... A witty and often amusing marriage drama.” ~Kirkus Reviews
• 2021 CIBA Chatelaine Book Awards First Place Winner
• 2021 Firebird Book Awards Winner in Romantic Comedy, Chick Lit, Contemporary Novel, & Marriage
• 2021 Literary Titan Book Awards Silver Winner
• 2021 Best Book Awards Finalist in Fiction: Literary & Women’s Fiction
• 2021 American Fiction Awards Finalist in Women's Fiction
• 2021 International Book Awards Finalist in Fiction: Women’s Fiction
• 2020 Canadian Book Club Awards Finalist in Fiction

What's Not True

With the court date set for her divorce and the future she’d planned with a younger man presumably kaput, Kassie O’Callaghan shifts attention to reviving her stalled marketing career. But that goal gets complicated when she unexpectedly rendezvous with her former lover in Paris. After a chance meeting with a colleague and a stroll along Pont Neuf, Kassie receives two compelling proposals. Can she possibly accept them both?

Kassie’s decision process screeches to a halt when her soon-to-be ex-husband has a heart attack, forcing her to fly home to Boston. There, she confronts his conniving and deceitful fiancée—a woman who wants not just a ring on her finger but everything that belongs to Kassie. In the ensuing battle to protect what’s legally and rightfully hers, Kassie discovers that sometimes it’s what’s not true that can set you free.

Praise for What's Not True

• “Compelling, real, and utterly enjoyable.” ~Readers’ Favorite 5-star review
• “An engaging story of love, honesty, tangled family relationships, jealousy, and ambition.” ~Midwest Book Review
• “A dramatic, comedic telenovela of a women’s fiction about infidelity and fickle hearts...with spicy characters and drama galore.” ~Reedsy
• 2022 Best Book Awards Finalist in Fiction: Literary & Women's Fiction
• 2022 Maxy Awards Winner in Romance & Women's Fiction
• 2022 Literary Titan Book Awards Gold Winner
• 2022 Independent Press Awards Distinguished Favorite in Romantic Comedy
• 2021 Firebird Book Awards First Place Winner in Series, Chick-Lit, Contemporary Fiction, & Marriage

What's Not Lost

What would you do if you discovered your fiancé's ex-girlfriend is having his baby?

Kassie O'Callaghan is searching...for herself and for answers. With her husband six feet under and an engagement ring on her finger, Kassie is convinced managing a company merger in Paris will complete her quest for recognition on her own terms. When she learns her fiancé's ex-girlfriend is pregnant, Kassie's dreams come tumbling down. At least for the moment.

Through the eyes of an overachiever, the schemes of a homewrecker, the magic of a bottle of wine, and a cat, award-winning author Valerie Taylor propels this captivating and heart-warming romance to an unpredictable and delightful conclusion.

Praise for What's Not Lost

• "Juicy, gripping, and so much more than a simple romance. It's about self-discovery, complicated modern family relationships, redefining happiness, and conflicting roles. The writing is fantastic, incredibly sharp, and realistic." ~Readers' Favorite, 5-star Review
• "A story of growth, acceptance, and evolution. Book club readers will find plenty of entertainment value alongside numerous topics of debate." ~Midwest Book Review
• 2023 Literary Titan Book Gold Award Winner
• 2023 International Book Awards Finalist in Fiction: Romance
• 2023 Next Generation Indie Book Awards in Chick Lit Fiction
• 2022 Firebird Book Awards Winner in Romantic Comedy, Chick Lit, Contemporary Novel, & Series

A Whale of a Murder: A Venus Bixby Mystery

Sea breezes and fireworks fill the air in cozy Chatham Crossing, the peaceful and historic whaling town situated between Providence and Cape Cod. 

Venus Bixby, owner of the forever popular music store Oldies & Goodies, is counting on the festivities over the Fourth of July weekend to propel her to a position on the prestigious Town Committee. After years of living in the shadow of her late husband, Venus will finally be the center of attention this holiday weekend: starting with her fiftieth birthday celebration and ending as the parade’s Grand Marshal.

Faster than a cookie crumbles, her dream collapses on the morning of her party when she trips over orange platform shoes in the gardens of the Sofia Silva Whaling Museum and breaks her thumb. When it’s discovered the shoes are attached to the body of the manager of the museum’s gift shop, Venus becomes both a suspect and a sleuth in Chatham Crossing’s first murder in decades.

Perfect for fans of Richard Osman, Katie Gayle, or Ellery Adams.

        

Today's Featured Books include novels from two of our favorite authors: Libby Fischer Hellmann, author of the new release, Max's War, and Stephen Parrish, who has released a new edition of his award-winning novel, The Tavernier Stones. See all of today's Featured Books on LitNuts.com.

"Open your eyes and see what you can with them before they close forever." ~Anthony Doerr, All the Light We Cannot See

Congratulations to Nikki Patin and Vine Leaves Press on the release of Working on Me, a memoir that explores what it means to work on oneself to heal and break patterns of harm and violence.
 
★★★★★ "A book about everything—transcendent creativity and generational hurt, relentless pain and effervescent joy, elusive trauma and remorseless triumph... This book is a fearless, voiceful, middle finger of joy." ~Jaed Coffin, author of A Chant to Soothe Wild Elephants

Working on Me: A Memoir

Working on Me chronicles the dysfunction and lore of a Black Russian Jewish interracial family on the far south side of Chicago, and the resulting trajectory of its prodigal child: multifaceted, multidisciplinary artist, performer, and sexual and domestic violence survivor Nikki Patin.  

A meditation on the biomythography genre defined by Audre Lorde, Maxine Hong Kingston, and Joy Harjo, Working on Me lyrically dances in and out of different voices and perspectives in order to get to something like the truth. Patin’s prowess as a poet and a songwriter is reflected in prose that is brutal, beautiful, and brave. 

Working on Me is about what it means to work on oneself to heal and break patterns of harm and violence and what makes the healing necessary in the first place: all the forces beyond our control that work on us.

Praise for Working on Me
★★★★★ “World-splitting. Fast, crucial, intimate, high, deep, it has the undeniable shine of a brilliant being finding her way in a world that cannot handle her shine.” ~cin salach, author of When I Am Yes

★★★★★ “A captivating blend of humor, wisdom, depth, and beauty, offering readers a profound exploration of bravery and self-acceptance. Nikki Patin’s words resonate as a guiding beacon, illuminating the path toward a stronger, more authentic self.” ~Dr. Ni’Cola Mitchell, Entrepreneur, Author, Executive Producer for Lifetime Movie Network, Giving Hope: The Ni’Cola Mitchell Story

★★★★★ “If writing is emotional excavation, then Working On Me is like the unearthing of the Roman city of Pompeii. Even covered with dust, dirt, and grime, this gem of a book can’t help but shine.” ~Tracy Baim, Cofounder, Windy City Times and former Publisher, Chicago Reader

★★★★★ “Nikki Patin sings into the darkest corners of her story, infusing her trauma with a vibrant, urgent light. She refuses to be invisible—every inch of her, every word of this book, demands to be fully seen.” ~Penny Guisinger, author of Postcards from Here

Free online: What's New in Historical Fiction. Join Colin Mustful, founder of History Through Fiction, for a panel discussion featuring Jennifer Ryan, author of The Underground Library; K.D. Alden, author of Lady Codebreaker; Sara Donati, author of The Sweet Blue Distance; and Lora Chilton, author of 1666. Monday, April 8, 7 - 8 PM CDT.

"If you want to understand today you have to search yesterday." ~Pearl S. Buck