Today's Featured Books

Today, LitNuts is shining a spotlight on the writing of Randall Silvis, internationally acclaimed author of two dozen books. He is also a prize-winning playwright, a produced screenwriter, and a prolific essayist. His work is available in twenty countries in more than two hundred editions in several languages.

"Randall Silvis is a masterful storyteller." ~The New York Times Book Review

Bonus: Aspiring writers and experienced authors alike will appreciate Ten Easy Steps to Becoming a Writer, a no-nonsense book on the art, craft, business, and teaching of creative writing.

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The Ryan DeMarco Mystery Series

Five-book series
From $7.17 (Book 1 is free via Kindle Unlimited)
 

The Ryan DeMarco Mystery Series is a collection of literary and emotionally propulsive thrillers:

Two Days Gone (4.2 stars, 2000+ ratings), Book 1 in the series, is a Hammett Prize Finalist and Amazon #1 Bestseller. What could cause a man to suddenly snap and destroy everything he has built? "A suspenseful, literary thriller that will resonate with readers long after the book is finished." ~Library Journal, Starred Review

Walking the Bones (4.3 stars, 457 ratings): When long-buried secrets come back to the surface, DeMarco is drawn into a case that will demand more of himself than he may want to give. "Silvis smoothly blends moments of exquisite beauty into a sea of darker emotion to create a moving story heavy with the theme of the ‘past is never past.'" ~Publisher’s Weekly

A Long Way Down (4.4 stars,156 ratings): DeMarco and his new love, Jayme, agree to investigate murders that might tie into a cold case from his school days. "Silvis is at it again, striving for a blend of crime story and literature, mutilated bodies and lapidary prose." ~Booklist

No Woods So Dark as These (4.3 stars, 129 ratings): DeMarco and Jayme want nothing more than to live quietly in each other's company. But dreams of a peaceful life are shattered when two bodies are discovered in a smoldering car in the woods. "Poignant and gritty." ~Kate Kessler, bestselling author

When All Light Fails (4.5 stars, 105 ratings): In the final book of the series, DeMarco comes out of retirement to help a nine-year-old girl find her biological father in what might be the most emotionally troubling case DeMarco and Jayme have yet encountered. "A soulful, deeply felt story." ~Kirkus Reviews

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The Deepest Black

Genres: Crime Thriller, Mystery, Murder Thriller
From $9.99
 

A crime novel unlike any you've ever read―based on true events. Where does the line blur between fact and fiction? Acclaimed author Randall Silvis is looking for a story―any story to follow up the books of The Ryan DeMarco Mystery Series that catapulted him to success. But when a stranger tips him off about a series of murders in a small Pennsylvania town, Silvis finds himself embroiled in a world of corruption that shatters his sense of reality.

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Small Town Crime Series

Genres: Heist Thrillers, Psychological Fiction
From $3.99 (Free via Kindle Unlimited)

Only the Rain: Facing bills, a new baby, and a bone-dry bank account, Russell has nothing left to lose. When a good deed leads him to a stash of money, he takes a handful to help his family. But when the criminals he robbed come looking for their dirty money, Russell must choose between saving his daughter or giving the devils their due.

First the Thunder: Three brothers grapple with their lives in decline and stumble upon a shocking secret that, if revealed, would upend their lives. A riveting exploration of the unforgivable secrets that families keep—and the consequences that come from exposing them.

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Ten Easy Steps to Becoming a Writer

From $6.99 (Free via Kindle Unlimited)
 

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About the Author
Randall Silvis’s many literary awards include two writing fellowships from the National Endowment for the Arts, the prestigious Drue Heinz Literature Prize, a Fulbright Senior Scholar Research Award, six fellowships for his fiction, drama, and screenwriting from the Pennsylvania Council on the Arts, and an honorary Doctor of Letters degree awarded for “a sustained career of distinguished literary achievement.” Learn more at RandallSilvis.com, and be sure to follow Randall online:
 

Free online: Poetry Lit! Explore the world of poetry from the comfort of your favorite chair. Poetry Lit! is a monthly reading series with international poets and their passionate fans. This month's event features poets Alyson Hallet and Isobel Dixon. Friday, January 10, 1:00 - 2:30 CST. 

"When you read something beautiful you find coexistence; it breaks walls down." ~Mahmoud Darwish

In this debut thriller, engineer Lynn Dayton must protect her sister, her colleagues, and herself from the deadly plans of a French saboteur. Tasked with fixing a troubled refinery on the Houston Ship Channel, Lynn soon finds herself battling chemical leaks, disloyal employees, and deadly sabotage. As the stakes rise, she faces off against Robert Guillard, a ruthless idealist who underestimates her determination to outmaneuver his threats. From $0.99. Free via KU. SHOP NOW / 

Looking for a “different” apocalypse story? You may have finally found it with Abe, who thought he was prepared until he discovered Hollywood didn’t get all the facts right about the monsters. With an evil lurking in New York City and an apocalypse that’s anything but typical, Abe is the guy you want on your survival team—or maybe not—but his friends might just make the chaos bearable. 4.1 stars, 146 ratings. From $0.99. Free via KU. SHOP NOW / 

"Tender perspectives helping readers with their own goodbyes." ~Midwest Book Review. A collection of true stories about saying goodbye to the people, places, and things in our lives. This powerful book includes a number of sad stories, as well as some very funny ones. Taken together, the stories serve as amazing examples of people saying heartfelt goodbyes with grace, dignity, and good humor. 4.1 stars, 44 ratings. From $1.79 SHOP NOW / ​

"Travel pieces that capture the exterior world and offer a vivid sense of personal reflection." ~Brevity. Real people sharing real stories as they explore the world around us, including a man lost on the flooded Amazon River at night, a blind man's encounter with mountain gorillas in Rwanda, a woman's spiritual journey in Peru, helping sea turtles lay eggs in Costa Rica, an encounter with a grizzly bear, and a journalist's friendship with an Iraqi translator in Syria. From $1.79 SHOP NOW / 

Today, LitNuts is shining a spotlight on books from Red Lines Press, a small press that is focused on publishing hard-to-find proletarian literature, defined as "work [that] advances class consciousness" while also being "a bloody good read." The two books featured in today's special edition newsletter—both translations of works by German writer Oskar Maria Graf—certainly fit the bill:

• We Are Prisoners, the autobiography of Oskar Maria Graf
• Anton Sittinger, a "must read" novel for anyone who seeks to understand how and why Adolf Hitler came to power

“He behaves disgracefully and provokes laughter and disbelief, but in so doing, he wins our hearts.” ~Thomas Mann on Oskar Maria Graf

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We Are Prisoners

Genres: Autobiography, Memoir
Paperback: $15.95

This autobiography of Oskar Maria Graf was first published in 1927. It was his first major work.

Graf's autobiography covers his early youth growing up in the village of Berg by Lake Starnberg, his cruel abuse by his older brother, his escape to Munich, where he worked as a baker, and then to anarchist communes in Switzerland. Graf is drafted into the army, where he reluctantly serves as a horse-groom on the supply trains. He is discharged as mentally unfit, spends a year in an asylum, then returns to Munich, working in a biscuit factory, starting his literary career, and making money on the black market.

We Are Prisoners paints a fascinating picture of bohemian life in Schwabing, the radical politics of the time, and climaxes with the short-lived Bavarian Soviet Republic of 1919. Many of the characters in the novel became well-known artists and writers in Weimar Germany. We Are Prisoners (A Confession) is an honest and blithe personal account of momentous events.

Graf's quirky literary style combines a self-deprecating and anarchic sense of humor, sympathy for the downtrodden, and the Heimat genre of German culture. 

★★★★★ "A fascinating insight into Germany from 1900 to 1919." ~Amazon Review

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Anton Sittinger

Genres: Literary Fiction, Historical Fiction
Hardcover: $25.00

A "must read" for anyone who seeks to understand how and why Adolf Hitler came to power.

This is the first English translation of the novel written in 1934-5 and first published in German in 1937. It covers the events of the Weimar Republic from the end of the First World War to Hitler’s appointment as Reichskanzler in 1933—all viewed from the point-of-view of a Munich civil servant who retires to the countryside and "does not concern himself with politics."

Oskar Maria Graf provides a uniquely satirical insight into the mindset of the German middle classes. The eponymous antihero does not welcome Hitler, but does nothing to oppose the Nazis either, while his wife, Malwine, actively welcomes and propagandises for the "national" movement.

Anton Sittinger’s drinking pals likewise cover the broad spectrum of attitudes from the local busybody, a Catholic businessman who supports the mainstream bourgeois parties but eventually capitulates, to the enthusiastic and active support of Captain Schlicht, leader of the district SA. Only the Marxist painter Koestler offers resistance, attempting to rally villagers against Nazi terror, ultimately without success.

The Nazi takeover is seen not so much as a coup or "seizure of power," as had been attempted in 1923, but rather a "creeping to power" made possible, and even welcomed, by the ruling class, which had grown impatient with "democratic" politicians failure to quash unrest.

There are thousands upon thousands of Anton Sittingers in every country, even today. Despite its historical setting, the atmosphere may seem all too familiar to the contemporary reader.

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About the Publisher
Red Lines Press is dedicated to publishing hard-to-find proletarian literature in English, including translations of previously untranslated and/or out-of-print work, first in German and subsequently other languages. Shorter texts and extracts are published on the Red Lines Press website. Longer works are available via Amazon.com. Learn more about Red Lines Press at redlines.home.blog. 

Free online: Speaking Crow. Presented by Plume Winnipeg, Speaking Crow is Winnipeg's longest running poetry open mic. Come hear poets from across Canada and around the world.

"If you fill your face with laughing, there will be no more room for crying." ~Rohinton Mistry, A Fine Balance

Army Air Corps doctor Jack Monroe was performing his usual duties in an army hospital in England soon after the end of World War II. Monroe and French, British, and Soviet doctors are ordered to witness the autopsy of a Nazi bureaucrat. What starts as a routine assignment leads Monroe into a world of intrigue, romance, and mortal danger. 4.4 stars, 57 ratings. FREE - SHOP NOW / 

Poseidon, a show jumping horse, is injured in a fire and becomes aggressive due to trauma. Axel, a horse whisperer with a special ability to communicate with horses, is asked to help by Poseidon's owner. Despite the vet's recommendation to euthanize the horse, Axel takes on the challenge to heal Poseidon. Can Axel save Poseidon? A heartwarming tale of the transformative bond between a man and a horse. Gold Medal, Global Book Awards. 4.7 stars, 433 ratings on Goodreads. From $0.99. Free via KU. SHOP NOW / 

New release: Dr. Chris Wright, a cynical physician with a wounded soul, struggles to save his latest research subject, a woman suffering from a life-threatening illness. But his world is turned upside down when his path collides with Sera, a compassionate angel with the power to glimpse within a person’s soul. Book 1 of the Heartbeats and Halos Clean Paranormal Romance Series. From $0.99 - SHOP NOW / 

In 2051, a massive solar storm triggers a global EMP, plunging the world into chaos as cities collapse into barbarism and an artificial superintelligence, Tron, seizes control. Julia, a 17-year-old survivor from the ruins of a clean city, crosses paths with Winston, an 18-year-old from a technology-rejecting wilderness settlement. Together, they lead a rebellion against Tron’s machines—unaware that Julia possesses a unique and powerful gift that could change everything. 4.6 stars, 45 ratings on Goodreads. From $2.99 - SHOP NOW / 

Colorado rancher Dan Tucker’s life takes a dark turn when he kills a mutant canine in self-defense, only to realize it was a man. Desperate to protect himself, he covers up the incident, plunging into a web of lies that strains his relationships and his conscience. As his wedding day approaches in Dan struggles to conceal his nocturnal secret, only to uncover even greater dangers looming ahead. FREE - SHOP NOW / 

Desperate to find his missing brother, Lord Richard Seaton strikes a dangerous deal with criminal lord Thorne Blackmore: a marriage of convenience to Thorne’s bluestocking sister, Jane. Shunned by society, Jane runs a school for Whitechapel’s children and insists on a fake engagement to protect her independence while secretly helping Richard uncover the truth. But when Richard falls Jane and Thorne discovers their deception, their love may come at the ultimate cost. 4.3 stars, 1400+ ratings. From $0.99. Free via KU. SHOP NOW / 

The billionaire heir with a secret is the jerk who, in college, cruelly deceived me. Now we’re fake engaged, and my heart is aching to know: Can this relationship ever be more than fake? An enemies-to-lovers, forced-proximity, fake-fiancé romance. Part of the Badazz Billionaire Boos Series. 4.6 stars, 30 ratings. From $0.99. Free via KU. SHOP NOW / 

We all experience struggles and challenges in life. As we grow and learn, we adapt to the environment we are placed in and make choices based on those circumstances. Embracing life’s journey with the guidance of Jesus is a way forward, but trusting God’s plan for our lives seems to be more difficult than it should be. The logical question is, "Why?" From $9.99 - SHOP NOW / 

Today, LitNuts is shining a spotlight on the work of Terri Greening, author of thrillers, mysteries, romantic suspense, and historical fiction:

• We Meet Again in Summer - new release!
• The Lady of the Lighthouse
• The Copper Isle Ghostslayer
• Danger Inside the Beltway

★★★★★ "Greening’s skillful writing weaves emotional depth, eerie tension, and unexpected twists." ~Goodreads Review

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We Meet Again in Summer

New release! Coming January 20, 2024
Genres: Medical Thriller, Medical Romance
E-book: $3.99

Lily Prescott is a romance novelist. She is stunningly lovely, single, and lonely--especially after her breakup with Mitch Jaymison, a handsome, divorced doctor.

When a chance meeting Lily and Mitch together again, they decide to try to overcome their previous problems, even as Lily struggles to put the emotional hurts of the past behind her. Interference from Lily’s billionaire ex-fiancé and nefarious happenings at the hospital near Mitch's home only make matters worse.

Through elegant social occasions in town, sailing dates, and romantic beach walks at the lake, Lily and Mitch pursue their love amidst an overshadowing uncertainty and increasing physical peril as they progress toward a final, challenging reckoning.

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The Lady of the Lighthouse

Genres: Historical Thriller, Espionage Thriller
From $3.99

"A deftly crafted and fully entertaining World War II thriller." ~Midwest Book Review

This World War II, Great Lakes thriller brings together a Great Lakes shipping captain, a dashing Italian spy, a pirate, and the young woman who loved them all.

Loralei Lancaster, a lonely, pregnant young mother and lighthouse keeper on the Great Lakes, is caught up in a WWII espionage plot while waiting for her shipping-captain husband, Devon, to return from a Great Lakes voyage. When a dashing, Italian spy posing as a down-and-out art dealer and handyman enters her life and seduces her, she must ultimately choose between her passionate love for him and her love for Devon, her family, and her country.

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The Copper Isle Ghostslayer

Genres: Suspense, Action, Mystery, Thriller
From $3.99

Literary Titan Book Award Winner

When nature photographer and former journalist Layla Devereaux travels to a remote island, she finds it haunted by ghosts. Originally there to solve a murder mystery and free her wrongly accused brother, Layla soon realizes she faces greater dangers than imagined. She turns to local businessman Colton Harding for help, and together, they try to unravel the mystery, even as vengeful spirits aim to thwart their efforts.

As Layla searches for answers, she also grapples with ghosts from her own past failed relationships. But dealing with both the living and dead becomes easier with Colton by her side. To solve the lighthouse murder and secure her brother’s release, Layla must learn who she can trust among the living as well as the dead before the island’s dark secrets claim yet another victim.

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Danger Inside the Beltway

Genres: Suspense Action Fiction, Wo
From $3.99

A Washington, DC Thriller.

Tarryn Blue, a young investigative reporter in Washington, DC, becomes the target of a killer when she unknowingly uncovers and writes a controversial article about a major financial fraud. She turns for help to Brock Spencer, an FBI agent looking into the story, and together they work to unravel and solve a crime in a high stakes political world of escalating danger, intrigue, and physical peril.

★★★★★ "A fun, romantic romp with lots of action!" ~Goodreads Review

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About the Author
Terri Greening is the award-winning author of four novels.She enjoys yoga, gardening, nature parks, walking, and biking. Learn more at TerriGreening.allauthor.com, and be sure to follow her online:
 

Today, LitNuts is shining a spotlight on The Dead Chip Syndicate, a crime thriller set in Macau by award-winning screenwriter and author Andrew W. Pearson. 

When an ex-pat moves to Macao to run his twin brother's Artificial Intelligence company, he falls under the influence of a charismatic casino owner who recruits him to sell a crypto coin to the Chinese elite. But he soon discovers he's the dupe in a huge money-laundering scheme that might be orchestrated by his treacherous twin.

★★★★★ "A captivating blend of crypto, casinos, and culture." ~Amazon Review

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The Dead Chip Syndicate

Genres: Crime Thrillers, Cultural Heritage Fiction
4.7 stars, 12 ratings
Paperback: $14.66
E-book: $6.99

Offered the chance to run his twin brother's A.I. company, Anthony Wilson ditches his failing screenwriting career to start anew in Macau. The job turns highly lucrative when Anthony's new client, Cash Cheang, a pompadour-topped and Johnny Cash-loving casino operator, hands him a bag full of cold hard Yuan to implement a facial recognition system in his casino.

Hearing about Anthony's past life as a screenwriter, Cash offers him another job—ghostwriting a biography about the casino mogul's life, rising from the mean streets of Macau to become one of the city's most notorious and successful businessmen. Anthony accepts the job while also agreeing to help Cash sell his latest scheme, a cryptocoin aimed at raising funds for a floating casino in Macau.

As Anthony learns more about Cash's life, he realizes the biography is filled with dangerous secrets about the Chinese elite, secrets these powerful people would rather see buried for good. "You always cheat the ones closest to you," warns an old Chinese proverb...words that ring true as Anthony enters a playground more surreal and depraved than decadent Hollywood. More deadly, too, as Anthony soon discovers he's the dupe in a huge Chinese money-laundering scheme that might be orchestrated by his treacherous twin.

Praise for The Dead Chip Syndicate
"Pearson’s prose is savvy and brisk but with sharp edges, and the novel will both delight and disgust readers fascinated with wealth and power run amok." ~BookLife

"Not just an eye-opening book and an utterly absorbing insight into Chinese culture, but a commanding thriller and one that does not put a foot wrong." ~NetGalley Review

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About the Author
Andrew Pearson was born in Pakistan, grew up in Singapore, and was educated at boarding schools in both England and America. With a degree in psychology from UCLA, Pearson has had a varied career in IT, marketing, mobile technology, social media, esports, and entertainment. Along the way, Pearson has authored 17 books and optioned and adapted multiple novels into screenplays, including an award-winning adaptation of The Dead Chip Syndicate. Learn more at andrewwpearson.com, and be sure to follow Andrew Pearson online: 
 

Free online Saturday: Hill Writers Reading Series. Presented by A Southern Writers' Collective, this event will feature two authors from the Appalachian region, Shaun Turner and Karrington Aliyah Garland. Saturday, January 4, 6 - 8 PM EST.

“The only Zen you can find on the tops of mountains is the Zen you bring up there.” ~Robert M. Pirsig

On the planet of Vinosu lives a race of beings known as ensali. Ensali are split into eight tribes who have warred for centuries. Even during this time of peace, there are still those ensali who are hated. Follow Sonshi, one of those hated ensali, as he seeks to achieve the position of sumbanwe at The Foundation, a prestigious training institution where ensali seek to master their powers. But Sonshi's path will be like none other. He is beset with eight tasks, each of which could break him or be his doom. From $6.99. Free via KU. SHOP NOW / 

A must-read analysis of today's political landscape. Utilizing an innovative way to conceptualize the two main viewpoints driving American politics, Dr. Craig Wiener, a clinical psychologist for more than forty years, discusses how people holding opposing perspectives may view, respond to, and interact with contentious political issues like poverty, racism, the patriarchy, and family life. He also proposes solutions to create space for multiple points of view and to manage the interpersonal conflicts that occur within our tense political atmosphere. From $0.99 - SHOP NOW / 

It was the 20th anniversary of Ireland joining the EU, and the Central Bank still held reserves for more than 300 million Irish pounds that were never redeemed for euros. Sean is a scammer in San Francisco who figured printing 20th-century Irish currency would be easier than printing today’s security-laden currency. Sheridan is a career employee at the Central Bank. The scammer and the banker...natural enemies. But they end up on the wrong side of a vault door with millions of euros, careers, and prison hanging in the balance. From $5.24 - SHOP NOW / 

For nearly a year, Ivyne has been haunted by painful visions of a magical ruler trapped in a collapsing empire, his pleas echoing in her mind. On the brink of her eighteenth birthday, she reluctantly accepts the guardians he sends to protect her and agrees to a mission tied to a forgotten past. As Ivyne ventures into a magical world she once abandoned, she must uncover the truth and her lost memories before confronting the ruler she once loved. FREE - SHOP NOW / 

Jude Zander is an inexperienced small-town girl on the run from an abusive father, searching for a mother who left her without warning. Jude has no idea how to survive in a city—until she meets two old panhandlers who offer her a place to stay at a place they call The Brickbox. When forced to face her oppressive father in court, Jude's street friends search for the one witness who might save her. But will their search be successful? For teen, young adult, and adult readers. From $0.99 - SHOP NOW / 

Born to different warring kingdoms, Neman and Limera were born to be enemies. Faith collided with destiny, bringing these two unlikely friends together as they face love’s odds. From $0.99 - SHOP NOW /