Today's Featured Books

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

Today is the 20th anniversary of the publication of Swimming with Maya by Eleanor Vincent, a memoir that has twice earned recognition as a Best Seller by The New York Times.  

Swimming with Maya has been hailed by booklovers and professional reviewers alike, with nearly 500 reader reviews on Amazon, more than 600 on Goodreads, and dozens of reviews from authors and industry publications, including Booklist and Creative Nonfiction Magazine:

• "Vincent's poignant decision to donate Maya's organs will resonate with even hard-boiled readers." ~Booklist 
• "Powerful prose with a meaningful and memorable message." ~Lee Gutkind, Founder, Creative Nonfiction Magazine 

Swimming with Maya Turns 20: Celebrating Grief Recovery and Organ Donation 

Swimming with Maya

Swimming with Maya demonstrates the remarkable process of healing after the traumatic death of a loved one. Eleanor Vincent raised her two daughters, Maya and Meghan, virtually as a single-parent. Maya, the eldest, was a high-spirited and gifted young woman. As a toddler, Maya was an angelic tow-head, full of life and curiosity. As a teenager, Maya was energetic and independent - and often butted heads with her mother. But Eleanor and Maya were always close and connected, like best friends or sisters, but always also mother and daughter. 

​Then at age 19, Maya mounts a horse bareback as a dare and, in a crushing cantilever fall, is left in a coma from which she will never recover. Eleanor's life is turned upside down as she struggles to make the painful decision about Maya's fate. 

Ultimately Eleanor chooses to donate Maya's organs. Years later, she is able to hear Maya's heart beat in the chest of the heart recipient. Along the way, Eleanor re-examines her relationship with her daughter, as well as Eleanor's traumatic life as a child and young woman. In a story that has been called "heartbreaking and heart-healing," Eleanor Vincent illuminates the kind of courage, creativity, faith, and sheer tenacity it takes to find one's balance after unthinkable tragedy. 

Praise for Swimming with Maya

​"An important addition to the literature of loss and restoration." ~Maxine Kumin, Pulitzer Prize-winning poet and author of Inside the Halo and Beyond: The Anatomy of a Recovery 

​"Heartbreaking and heart healing, this compelling story of surviving the death of a child will stay with you long after you've closed the book." ~Ellen Bass, author of The Courage to Heal and The Human Line 

"Every reader who has had to deal with traumatic loss will find wisdom and healing in these brave pages.'' ~Chana Bloch, author of Mrs. Dumpty and Blood Honey 

"Riveting, poignant, and utterly honest... It shows that one can recover from the loss of a child.'' ~Judy Tatelbaum, author of The Courage to Grieve and You Don't Have to Suffer 

"Eleanor Vincent chronicles her grief and the healing that came with helping others." ~Carol Lin, CNN 

"Blows the reader away with its clarity, its unstinting honesty, and the searing accuracy of its vision of the medical and emotional complexity surrounding the tragic death of a young woman. Highly recommended.'' ~John Ruark, MD, FACP, author of Dying Dignified 

"Thoughtful, honest and beautifully written... a fabulous story about what it means to be a mother.'' ~Wendy Lichtman, author of Blew and the Death of the Mag and Secrets, Lies and Algebra 

"Life trumps death in this beautiful memoir." ~Linda Joy Myers, author of Don't Call Me Mother--A Daughter's Journey from Abandonment to Forgiveness and Power of Memoir

Free online: The Back Room. Join authors Erin E. Adams, Lisa Gardner, Karen E. Olson, and Carter Wilson for an evening of great conversation. Sunday, April 7, 6 - 8 PM CDT. 

"The sun just touched the morning; / The morning, happy thing, / Supposed that he had come to dwell, / And life would be all spring." ~Emily Dickinson