Today's Featured Books

Free online: Friends & Fiction. Every Wednesday at 7 PM ET, four NYT bestselling authors (Mary Kay Andrews, Kristin Harmel, Kristy Woodson Harvey, and Patti Callahan Henry) host "Friends & Fiction" and chat with some of the biggest names in publishing about the books the literary world is buzzing about. They also have an archive of 200+ past episodes that you can watch on demand. Wednesday, April 3, 7 PM ET.

"There is no surer foundation for a beautiful friendship than a mutual taste in literature." ~P.G. Wodehouse

When catastrophe causes water services to fail, most households are distressingly unprepared. Store-bought filters are not robust enough for floodwaters or extreme contaminations. Even burst pipes or plant shutdowns can affect water purity. Protecting your family requires being equipped to filter water from any source. In this book, you will learn about daily household water requirements, natural water sources, safe collection guidelines, water purification techniques, and more. Equip yourself to get clean water no matter what happens. From $0.99. Free via KU. SHOP NOW / 

In the domed heart of MetiCity-6, a young mechanic named Ren rises from the depths of anonymity. Ren possesses the rare gift of transforming mundane machines and droids into marvels of technology. His skills draw the attention of a group of rebels, unveiling to him the authoritarian power presiding over the city. Will Ren's talents light the fire of revolution, or will the encroaching darkness of MetiCorp's reach extinguish their hopes for a new dawn? An eBookFairs "Best in Show" selection. 4.6 stars, 28 ratings. From $0.99. Free via KU. SHOP NOW / 

Best-selling author Jonathan Sendel has been murdered.
Now, his clone must solve the mystery.

Today, LitNuts is happy to be participating in the "cover reveal" of The Second Life of Jonathan Sendel, a new release coming soon from author Jeffrey Ashkin and Ink Smith Publishing. Read on to learn more!

The Second Life of Jonathan Sendel

In the near future when someone is murdered, a clone of the victim can be commissioned to help police solve the crime. This process is costly, tedious, and not always successful. Memory lapses, mental implosions, and rouge clones are not uncommon. It's risky, but Jonathan has the money, the fans, and the means, and so his clone must navigate a treacherous labyrinth of secrets to reclaim the life stolen from him and put his murderer behind bars.

Before his untimely death, Jonathan was stuck in a rut. His marriage was failing, writer's block had his Jim Starlight series at a deadend, and his affair with a college student was about to go public. When his charred remains are found inside his remote cabin, it's clear that the murderer is someone in his inner circle.

His clone only has a few days to unravel the mystery before he loses the vast fortune he spent his entire life, the first one, building. As he uncovers his previous life's transgressions, the people he trusted most may have some unsavory opinions about clones. Jonathan must take his investigation into his own hands to have a chance at life.

The Second Life of Jonathan Sendel is a twist-filled murder mystery that examines the life of a beloved celebrity tarnished by scandal and the painful process of coming to terms with one’s own demons.

Follow author Jeffrey Ashkin and Ink Smith Publishing via the links below to be the first to hear when this new novel is released! 

Jeffrey Ashkin’s literary journey began with penning plays for local and state competitions. Even before college, he had seen two of his plays come to life on stage.

After college, Jeffrey segued into writing films and short stories. He dove into science fiction and wrote and directed the sci-fi/mystery film Technical Support, which screened at San Diego Comic-Con in 2012. His subsequent films continued to captivate audiences at San Diego Comic-Con in both 2022 and 2023.

In addition to writing, Jeffrey enjoys hosting convention panels that delve into storytelling. He also likes playing trivia at O’Brien’s Pub in Santa Monica. During the week, he teaches special education in Los Angeles. Learn more by following Jeffrey online:
 

      

    

Today, LitNuts is shining a spotlight on Building a Team: A Baseball Buddies Story, an award-winning new release for young readers from author Aaron Derr, illustrator Gary LaCoste, and Red Chair Press.

"Readers follow Luis as he learns leadership skills in a smooth, well-paced narrative that models good communication and perseverance. A wonderful narrative for readers who love baseball that also offers valuable lessons to those who don’t." ~Kirkus Reviews

Bonus
Get the free discussion guide on topics like moving to a new town, being the new kid at school or on a team, leadership, teamwork, peer pressure, self-esteem, and more! 

Building a Team: A Baseball Buddies Story

When Luis joins his new baseball team, the Manatees, things seem hopeless at first. Some of his new teammates—including "loud and obnoxious" home-run slugger Jimmie—are mean to him or to each other.

The new coach doesn’t tell the players everything to do like the old coach did. And some of the Manatees seem more interested in goofing off than in sportsmanship or working hard.

Then Coach Joe makes Luis team captain. Will Luis rise to the challenge? Can he get the Manatees to balance working hard and having fun? Will he help his teammates learn to be friends rather than compete with each other?

Baseball Buddies explores the power of working together, what it takes to build a team, and the lasting friendships that form on the baseball field.

Praise for Baseball Buddies

• 2024 Mom's Choice Gold Award
• Readers' Choice Silver Award & 5-Star Rating
• Parent and Teacher Choice Award Winner 2024
• "An uplifting story of accepting differences, coming together, and learning the value of cooperation and competition." ~Midwest Book Review
• "A heartwarming story that will make even older readers long to take their glove out and find the nearest baseball diamond." ~Independent Book Review
• "If your child loves baseball, they will want to read this book. It shows perfectly how a team grows, how friendships are formed, and the proper way to behave in the sport—or any sport for that matter! Great images, too!" ~Kameron Brook, Reedsy Discovery

    

Free online: A Sweeping History of Food and Culture. Virtually step into the Smithsonian Institution’s National Museum of American History with Curator Paula Johnson as she discusses the book Smithsonian American Table: The Foods, People, and Innovations That Feed Us, a sweeping history of food and culture that summons everyone to the table for a fresh look at some of the people, ingredients, events, and movements that have shaped how and what we eat. Tuesday, April 2, 2:00 PM EDT.

"One cannot think well, love well, sleep well, if one has not dined well." ~Virginia Woolf, A Room of One's Own

This witty, influential work by Desiderius Erasmus, one of the greatest scholars of the Renaissance, satirizes the shortcomings of the upper classes and religious institutions of the time. This revised and corrected edition is based on the Pascal Covici edition of 1925. It includes Horace J. Bridges’s Introduction, “In Praise of Erasmus,” and illustrations by Anthony Angarola, Hans Holbein, Gene Markey, and Paul L. McPharlin. "A masterpiece of humour and wise irony." ~Dutch historian John Huizinga. Available from the publisher at 25% off [$14.95] via Ingram Spark. From $0.99 SHOP NOW / 

USA TODAY bestselling author Claudia Burgoa pens an emotional, heartbreaking romance duet where soulmates can’t be together and everything around them tears them apart. Almost Strangers is the first novel in the Somehow Everlasting duet, a Decker Family Novel. This book ends on a cliffhanger that'll change everything. "A wonderful and emotional story." ~Goodreads Review. 4.5 stars, 160+ ratings. From $0.99 - SHOP NOW / 

The day democracy was threatened... Protesters morph into a mob and storm the Capitol. Right-wing militias take hostages. In a standoff, militias unleash terrorist attacks. Civil war threatens as the president fights to stay in office. Can democracy survive? "Unreservedly" recommended by the prestigious Midwest Book Review. "The national nightmare you thought ended," declares another reviewer. From $3.99. Free via KU. SHOP NOW / 

Where “truth” clashes with “legal truth.” A behind-the-scenes look into a “killer” trial lawyer's chaotic journey into the heart of legal battlefields where decisions are 5-dimensional chess moves and every move is a life-altering choice. An exhilarating memoir of a world where truth and deception understand each other. "I didn’t care if I prosecuted or defended as my oath was to serve Justicia and not a particular client." An Amazon #1 Best Seller in multiple categories. From $1.99. Free via KU. SHOP NOW /