Today's Featured Books

Congratulations to Laura Katz Olson and Vine Leaves Press on the release of Wrinkled Rebels, the story of six aging radicals from the 1960s who reunite and grapple with past ideals and present struggles over a weekend.

★★★★★ “Badass.” ~Bill Ayers, political organizer, anti-war activist, author

Wrinkled Rebels

Now 80 years old, retirement and advanced age have dissipated the spirit of six college radicals of the 1960s, who jointly had participated in civil rights campaigns and anti-war protests. Having engaged in only periodic communication over the decades, they suddenly receive an invitation to reunite for an extended weekend. Struggling with whether to go, each of them has divergent qualms and expectations for the proposed gathering.

During their three days together, they confront their inner demons, each other, and their future. Does Rebecca, the prime mover of the event, find solace after losing her wife and career? Can Malaika regain her sense of self after stepping down from her successful law practice? Mourning the loss of her youthful athletic prowess and attractiveness, what happens when Deanna faces her old friends?

Struggling with two divorces and a failing marriage, can Russell attain peace of mind? How will Max, an expat living in Canada, manage with his incipient dementia? Will the demoralized Keith recover his idealism?

Wrinkled Rebels is a story of how six people achieve meaningful lives through the struggle for social justice. It is also a tale of love, the bonds of friendship, and growing old positively.

If you enjoyed the following books, you will love Wrinkled Rebels:

• Rebellion, Love, Betrayal by Jack Heinz
• A Man Called Ove by Fredrik Backman
• The Opposition by Todd Gitlin
• Class Reunion by Rona Jaffe
• Tom Lake by Anne Patchett
• Dollbaby by Laura Lane McNeal

Praise for Wrinkled Rebels
★★★★★ “A warm-hearted, engaging novel of the life-shaping force of 60s activism and its enduring aftermath; a rare treat for those who were there and for those who wish they were.” ~David Farber, author of The Age of Great Dreams

★★★★★ “Capture[s] many of the personal nuances and life complications confronting those who sought so urgently to save the world.” ~Paul Buhle, founding editor of the SDS journal Radical America, retired Senior Lecturer, Brown University

★★★★★ “These badass activists reject the temptation to wallow in recitations of an old despond, or any nostalgia for a ship that’s already left the shore.” ~Bill Ayers, political organizer, anti-war activist, author of Fugitive Days: Memoirs of an Anti-War Activist

★★★★★ “A beautifully crafted work of art. Lovingly constructed characters captivated me from page one. Embedded in this novel is a micro history of the 1960s.” ~George Katsiaficas, political activist, author of The Global Imagination of 1968: Revolution and Counterrevolution

★★★★★ “For those who want to learn about the momentous years of social struggle in the 1960s - the civil rights movement; the anti-Vietnam war movement; the women’s liberation movement – Olson gives an engaging and lively flavor of these events through six different relatable characters.” ~Nancy Rosenstock, author of Inside the Second Wave of Feminism

Free online: Story Foolery. Step into the enchanting world of Story Foolery, where you and your partner become the protagonists of captivating tales. Imagine experiencing every thought, feeling, and secret of your character while your partner does the same from their character’s perspective. Whether you become a Femme Fatale, a Private Detective, a Pirate, a Ghost, or a Rock Star, each story immerses you in a way you’ve never experienced before. Monday, July 22, 9 PM CDT.

“Plot grows out of character. If you focus on who the people in your story are, something is bound to happen.” ~Anne Lamott

Today, LitNuts is shining a spotlight on a new children's book from author Daniel Huerga: Frankie the Fart Wants a Friend: A Funny Story of Friendship and Acceptance for Kids, winner of The Golden Wizard Book Prize and a glowing 5-star rating from Readers' Favorite.

Not sure you want a book based on a bodily function? Read on and you'll see why Frankie's story is perfect for kids ages 3 - 7. 

BONUS: Visit the website of Mandu Books to download free coloring pages from the book!

Frankie the Fart Wants a Friend

Meet Frankie, the most amiable puff you'll ever encounter! In this charming picture book, Frankie the Fart is on a quest for companionship. Despite his stinky nature, he's full of heart and ready to show that true friends come in all forms.

Why Kids Will Adore Frankie

• Laugh-Out-Loud Fun: Frankie's antics will have kids giggling from start to finish.
• Colorful Characters: Vibrant illustrations capture Frankie's bubbly personality.
• A Message of Acceptance: Learn that everyone has something special to offer.
• A Symphony of Giggles: The story's playful sounds will have readers erupting with laughter, creating a chorus of chuckles

Ideal for Little Ones

• Perfect for ages 3 to 7.
• A captivating read-aloud that encourages interactive storytelling.
• Embrace the Adventure: Join Frankie as he learns that friendship might just be a giggle away. Grab your copy today and let the fun-filled journey begin!

Praise and Recognition for Frankie

• Winner, The Golden Wizard Book Prize
• 5-star rating from Readers' Favorite
• "This book is a real stinker, but in a good way. Its humorous text and illustrations make it a book your whole family will enjoy reading." ~Kameron Brook, Reedsy Discovery
• "Imagine having Dr. Seuss, Eric Carle, and Maurice Sendak in a room and asking them to collaborate on a children's book. The result would likely resemble Daniel Huerga's Frankie the Fart Wants a Friend. This book is exactly what a children's book should be...a charming and engaging read that will leave both children and adults chuckling and reflecting on the power of acceptance and friendship." ~Carol Thompson for Readers' Favorite
• "Get ready to giggle your way through this tale of silly farting situations and friendship. The illustrations are beautiful and the humorous text makes this book a delightful read for children." ~Kidliomag Magazine

  

We are LitNuts are very excited about the focus of this special edition newsletter: Get award-winning urban fantasy and paranormal fiction from L.R. Braden, including the first books of two series for only 99 cents! Read on to learn more. 

BONUS: Sign up for the author's newsletter to get the latest updates on up-and-coming projects, events, special offers, new releases, and more. And if you scroll down on the sign-up page, you will also find links to the first chapters of nine novels that you can read for free! 

Demon Riding Shotgun

Possessed by a demon since she was eleven years old, Mira Fuentes maintains a fragile alliance with the snarky soul who shares her body. Together they hunt down unstable Rifters—demon-controlled humans bent on causing chaos in the mortal realm. But when a routine hunt leads to a powerful Rifter with plans for Baltimore, Mira quickly finds herself in over her head and at the top of the city's Most Wanted.

Recently retired from the PTF after losing his partner, Ty Williams now works for the Baltimore PD and keeps his distance from cases involving magic. But when a person dies of clearly magical causes and the PTF doesn’t have any agents to spare, Ty is the closest thing the department has to an expert. Saddled with a new partner he doesn’t want and a mountain of self-doubt, it's his job to track down a suspect who looks suspiciously like the one-night-stand he brought home from the bar last night.

Mira will have to set her trust issues aside and enlist the help of a man determined to uncover her secrets if she hopes to learn the identity of the demon's host and prevent the human race from becoming meat puppets for the denizens of the Rift.

Read Chapter 1.

Praise and Recognition for Demon Riding Shotgun

• Winner of the 2023 Next Generation Indie Book Award, Paranormal category
• Finalist in the 2023 Colorado Book Award, Sci-Fi/Fantasy category
• Winner of the 2022 Colorado Authros League Award for Writing Excellence, Fantasy and Paranormal categories
• "A delightfully tormented anti-heroine with the mother of all inner conflicts." ~Hunter J. Skye, author of the Hell Gate Series
• "A great read for every female lead Urban Fantasy enthusiast." ~NetGalley Review

A Drop of Magic

The war isn't over...

With the world clinging to a fragile peace forced on the Fae by humanity after the Faerie Wars, metalsmith Alex Blackwood is plunged into the world of the half-fae who traffic in illegal magical artifacts. Her best friend’s murder and his cryptic last message place her in the crosshairs of a scheme to reignite the decade-old war between humans and fae.

Worse, violent attacks against her and the arrival of a fae knight on a mission force Alex to face a devastating revelation of who and what she is. To catch a killer, retrieve a dangerous artifact, and stop a war, Alex will have to accept that she’s an unregistered fae “halfer” with a unique magical talent—a talent that would change everything she believes about her past, her art, and her future.

Her world is crumbling around her, and Alex will have to decide who to trust if she and the world are going to survive.

Read Chapter 1.

Praise and Recognition for A Drop of Magic

• Winner of the Eric Hoffer Book Award, Sci-Fi/Fantasy
• Winner of the First Horizon Award for outstanding debut authors
• Winner of the Imadjinn Award for Best Urban Fantasy Novel
• "A thrilling and original fantasy ride.” ~Kate Jonuska, author of Transference
• "A damned fun and original read, with sass, action, hot men, and a whole lot of magic.” ~Diana Pharaoh Francis, author of the Diamond City Magic and Horngate Witches Series

Lies and Illusion

Diplomacy has never been Alex’s strong suit…

When the vampire council puts Alex and James on trial for exposing the species’ existence to the world, Alex's freedom and James's life hang in the balance, though Alex suspects James’s new daywalking ability is the real aim of their inquisition.

Any hope of talking their way out of hot water evaporates when one of the council members is found murdered...with James standing over the smoldering corpse. With every vampire looking to claim Alex’s power for themselves, she will have to team up with an unlikely ally, push her magic to its limits, and match wits against a powerful new foe if she hopes to come out unscathed.

Read Chapter 1.

Praise and Recognition for Lies and Illusion

• "An intricately woven tale of hope, betrayal, deceit and love." ~NetGalley Review
• "A brilliant and powerful addition to the series." ~Amazon Review

          

Max's War

"Hellmann expertly marries heaps of historical detail with a thoughtful illustration of the dangers of nationalism. This ranks with the author's best work." Publishers Weekly

A sweeping World War 2 saga in which a young German Jew flees Europe, emigrates to America, and joins the Army to fight Nazis

As the Nazis conquer Europe, Jewish teen Max and his parents flee persecution in Germany for Holland, where Max finds true friends and a life-altering romance. But when Hitler invades in 1940, Max must escape to Chicago, leaving his parents and friends behind. When he learns of his parents' deportation and murder, Max immediately enlists in the US Army. After basic training he is sent to Camp Ritchie, Maryland, where he is trained in interrogation and counterintelligence.

Deployed to the OSS as well, Max carries out dangerous missions in occupied countries. He also interrogates scores of German POWs, especially after D-Day and the Battle of the Bulge, where, despite life-threatening conditions, he elicits critical information about German troop movements.

Post-war, he works for the Americans in the German denazification program, bringing him back to his Bavarian childhood home of Regensburg. Though the city avoided large-scale destruction, the Jewish community has been decimated. Max roams familiar yet strange streets, replaying memories of lives lost to unspeakable tragedy. While there, he reunites with someone from his past who also sought refuge abroad. Can they rebuild their lives…together?

This epic story about a Ritchie Boy is Libby Hellmann’s tribute to her late father-in-law who was active with the OSS and interrogated dozens of German POWs.

Sure to captivate readers of Kate Quinn and Kristin Hannah, Max’s War echoes modern-day decisions made during periods of conflict and explores what happens when hate seems to be winning.

Praise for Max's War
"Another engrossing and powerful historical novel from award-winning author Hellmann. Max's War moves quickly with memorable characters and vivid descriptions." ~BookReporter

"It's a story everyone should know, everyone should read." ~John Lawton, author of the Joe Wilderness series

"Hellmann's novel informs as its story surges ahead, through tragedies and breathless escapes, and the personal cost of vengeance." ~BookLife

Get a Free Gift!
Libby gave a lot of thought to the gift she gives you in return for joining her monthly newsletter, and we love her idea: A collection of seven short stories intended to help you get to know her style and her voice as a writer, which may in turn help you decide which novel of hers you will want to read next!

About Libby Fischer Hellmann

Libby Fischer Hellmann is a critically acclaimed crime writer loved by readers the world over for her compulsively readable thrillers and strong female characters. Her fast-paced crime fiction spans 17 novels and 25 short stories. She also writes historical fiction standalones and edited the evergreen crime fiction anthology Chicago Blues. Doubleblind, her newest PI Georgia Davis thriller, #6 in the series, was released in March 2022.

Libby's richly varied novels have won numerous awards, and Libby has also served as the National President (2005-2006) of Sisters in Crime, a 4,000+ member organization dedicated to strengthening the voice of female mystery writers.

Libby started out in broadcast news, beginning her career as an assistant film editor for NBC News in New York before moving to DC to work with Robin MacNeil and Jim Lehrer at N-PACT, the public affairs production arm of PBS. Retrained as an assistant director when Watergate broke, Libby helped produce PBS's night-time broadcast of the hearings. She moved to Chicago to work for public relations firm Burson-Marsteller in Chicago, and then later created Fischer Hellmann Communications.

Originally from Washington, D.C., Libby earned a BA in History from the University of Pennsylvania, and then a Masters Degree in Film Production from New York University. She's lived in Chicago more than forty years now, has two kids and a cat.

Learn more at LibbyHellmann.com, get seven free short stories by signing up for Libby's newsletter, and be sure to follow her online:
 

               

Free online: The Mythology of Wine. Grab a glass of wine and enjoy this webinar about ancient myths in which wine plays an important part. Saturday, July 20, 5 PM CDT.

“Wine is poetry in a bottle.” ~Clifton Fadiman

Aeda is a gifted thief and a member of the elusive Grey Society. She is reluctant to continue her life of crime but knows no other way to survive. When she is tasked with stealing from a famous historian, she is pulled into the mystery of missing historians. Along the way, she will traverse perilous landscapes, encounter terrifying beasts, and be forced to rethink her own purpose in life. "An action-packed adventure." ~Readers' Favorite. 4.6 stars, 19 ratings. From $0.99. Free via KU. SHOP NOW /

Looking for a little action in your next read? Follow the adventures of Montana Game Warden Danny Coogan in the best-selling "Frontier" novels of author Michael Cardwell. Read on to learn more.

BONUS: The e-book edition of The Rough Stuff, a powerful collection of Michael Cardwell's short stories, is currently available as a FREE download from Amazon.com!

FREE: The Rough Stuff

The Rough Stuff is a powerful collection of short stories. Filled with unforgettable characters, it is a mix of action-filled fiction and reflective morality tales about the truisms of life, its spectacle, its inherent dangers, and its frustrating uncertainty. Whether in the mountains of Afghanistan, on a farm in Indiana, or in a lake cabin in Idaho, Cardwell tells brutally honest stories about the lives of decent, hard men in America.

★★★★★ "Short stories about struggles in life that our true heroes face every day." ~Amazon Review

Frontier Justice: A Coogan Mystery

Danny Coogan is an Afghanistan veteran with a new job as a Montana Fish and Game Officer. He's looking forward to a simple life in the wilderness around the small town of Darwin, but his life becomes a nightmare when he is shot and left injured and alone in the freezing countryside. His assailant? Edmund Goodrunner, a local Native American Danny had considered a friend.

Thus begins a brutal battle of lies, deception, and revenge with drug runners, weapons dealers, kidnappers, and killers. Danny finds himself thrust into an FBI investigation and forced to juggle the threats of a dangerous domestic terrorist group that threatens every aspect of the community he loves and has vowed to protect.

Danny, along with his surrogate father, Senior Game Warden Ben Whitetail, and the local Tribal Police Chief, instill the rich flavor of rural America through poignancy and down-home humor as they struggle, each in their own way, to bring peace back to their snowy town.

If you like mysteries and crime stories with resilient heroes, slam-bang conflict, and nail-biting suspense seasoned with a splash of wilderness humor, then you’ll love Frontier Justice. Perfect for fans of Craig Johnson and CJ Box.

★★★★★ "An entertaining contemporary western filled with action, humor and heart." ~Goodreads Review

★★★★★ "Modern Western with action and heart." ~Amazon Review

Frontier Outlaws: A Coogan Mystery

Eight months after the showdown with the domestic terrorist group that nearly cost him his life, Danny Coogan faces a new threat to his community when the body of a dead rancher is found on the Dead Horse Indian Reservation.

Soon, Danny, the Tribal Police, the local Sheriff’s Department, and a U.S. Marshal are pressed into action. Danny’s connections to the Rez draw him into the murder case and plant him firmly in the crosshairs of the killers. Another victim is discovered, tortured, and murdered—but why? 

Along with fellow Afghanistan vet Matt Bringloe from the Tribal Police, Danny is determined to uncover the truth. When he finds a connection to a decades-old cold case, Danny must pull together the clues before someone else dies.

With the flavor of a down-home yarn and the intensity of a high adventure, Frontier Outlaws offers a thrilling ride that delivers a bronco-busting punch.

★★★★★ "Complex plot, great sense of place, well-drawn characters, and respect for First Nation culture. Plus drama and humor. I’ll be reading more in this series." ~Amazon Review

★★★★★ "An excellent sequel to Frontier Justice." ~Goodreads Review

      

Today, LitNuts is shining a spotlight on Reflections on Life's Illusions: A Memoir of Culture and Consciousness by Jane Gallagher.

"Unconventionally structured and feminine forward, this memoir presents a narrative that celebrates the strength, resilience and whimsically intuitive nature of all women." ~Olivia Thomes, Hare's Paw Literary Journal

Reflections on Life's Illusions

“It is not our business to solve all the world’s problems. It is our business to learn to be aware of as much as we can...and to act as wisely as we can.”

As growing children, the baby boom generation experienced a vast array of cultural extremes, from McCarthyism's anti-communist paranoia to the Vietnam War, Watergate, systemic racism, second wave feminism, the birth of rock ’n’ roll, the civil rights movement, the environmental movement, and more. This memoir reflects on the dynamic relationship between the development of personal and cultural consciousness in order to highlight a path to resilience for anyone seeking to heal Earth's living systems.

Reflections on the effects of childhood awakening to cultural grief following the assassinations of President John F. Kennedy, Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., and Attorney General Robert F. Kennedy, mingle with reflections on the cultural impacts of rock ’n’ roll, the hippie movement, and the atrocities of Jim Crow racism. From challenges faced in search of personal identity, meaningful relationships, and a rewarding career to the repercussions of a life-changing hike through the mountains of Peru, a focus on the outer journey throughout the book is coupled with attention to a corresponding inner journey to reconnect with wonder, joy, and awe against the backdrop of a nation increasingly at war with itself.

Reflections on Life’s Illusions maps a path of discovery, illuminating what it takes to thrive personally and professionally while working to foster resilience within the turmoil of Western culture and the matrix of life on Earth.

Praise for Reflections on Life's Illusions
"Part memoir, part social commentary, Jane Gallagher's book is both unique and deeply thoughtful in its exploration of the relationship between her personal journey and how it was shaped by the cultural influences throughout her life. A multifaceted, heartfelt book, Reflections on Life's Illusions is rich with both personal stories and skillful cultural analysis, revealing the author's passion for self-understanding, propelled by compelling questions about the mystery of existence." ~Olivia Ames Hoblitzelle, author of Aging with Wisdom

"Jane Gallagher's memoir charts her journey to find direction and connection against the backdrop of the social and cultural mores of the baby boom generation. We attend her long quest to seek a clear and independent voice. She leaves us with a map to unearth the wisdom that nurtures and heals." ~Linda Hoffman, author of The Artist and The Orchard: A Memoir

"A tapestry of experiences that reflect not only her individual journey but also the broader context of the times in which women in her family lived." ~Olivia Thomes, Hare's Paw Literary Journal

Free online: How To Easily Share Your Old Photos. This workshop will teach you the steps for converting your paper print photo collection into print-quality digital images. Hear about the simplest and proven methods from sorting, preparing, and digitizing to developing, storing, and uploading. Thursday, July 18, 12 - 1 PM CDT.

“The camera is an instrument that teaches people how to see without a camera.” ~Dorothea Lange