Today's Featured Books

A father’s legend...a family’s ancestral lore...and two brothers will all collide. From the author of False Neutral, Clear-Cuts is a raw, visceral, unflinching tale about the ties that bind coming unbound. Set in the rough-hewn woods of northern Maine, Clear-Cuts is a tense, fast-paced New England narrative related in the author's trademark compact time signature. Piercing and resolute in tone, relentless and unwavering in storytelling, Clear-Cuts is a dynamic, immersive reading experience for plot-centric devotees and character-driven fiction fans alike. From $9.99 SHOP NOW / 

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

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

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

Death and Other Survival Strategies

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Online Author Talk: The Sound of Light. Presented online free-of-charge by the New York Public Library, join the NYPL staff and author Sarah Sundin for a discussion of The Sound of Light, a story of WWII resistance. Tuesday, October 24, 5 PM EDT.

"War does not determine who is right—only who is left." ~Bertrand Russell

The golden age of man ended seven hundred years ago. Humanity has since rebuilt a modest civilization from the ruins. Now a medieval war ravages the land once known as America. Six young men serve the Eastern army as they battle Kayzitt, the zealot Western leader. The six heroes have learned that their minds are subtly connected in a way that cannot be explained but lends them increased prowess on the battlefield. Inevitably, their skills place them on a collision course that will shape the future of the nation. 4.7 stars, 23 ratings. From $3.99. Free via KU. SHOP NOW / 

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

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

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

Two for the Money

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

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

Praise for Two for the Money

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

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

New giveaway: Fall Winner's Choice Amazon.com/PayPal Giveaway. Win a $150 Amazon.com eGift card or $150 in PayPal money (winner's choice) in a giveaway cosponsored by LitNuts. Enter by November 30, 2023, for a chance to win.

“I would rather sit on a pumpkin, and have it all to myself, than be crowded on a velvet cushion.” ~Henry David Thoreau