Today's Featured Books

New release: Working for dad’s billionaire bestie was a dream come true—until I became pregnant with my boss’s baby. I’ve always idolized Dr. Alexander Knight, but being his assistant isn’t what I imagined. He's a heartless billionaire, but if dad is friends with him, there must be good in him. Things change when he rescues me from an attack and I start feeling butterflies around him even though he's twice my age. He's everything I can't have—but then I find out I'm pregnant, and he's the dad. 4.3 stars, 17 ratings. From $0.99. Free via KU. SHOP NOW / 

Today, LitNuts is shining a spotlight on Be Your Own Rock from Sagar Constantin, a book that promises to help your strengthen your mind and build the power to overcome anything.

★★★★★ “A thought-provoking and fascinating guide on navigating life's inevitable disruptions." ~Goodreads Review

Be Your Own Rock

The proven way to strengthen your mind and build the power to overcome anything

In a world that’s constantly evolving, the one certainty is change. Yet, navigating life’s transitions can often feel overwhelming, leaving us uncertain and apprehensive about the future.

Be Your Own Rock is more than just a book; it’s a journey of transformation, a guiding light for people who seek to find strength in difficult times, challenges, and change rather than fear it.

Crafted with profound insights and real-life stories, this book delves deep into the heart of change and transitions. It’s not just about coping; it’s about thriving. It’s about understanding the intricate dance of emotions, fears, and aspirations that accompany every transition in life. Whether it’s a career shift, a personal transformation, or an unexpected twist in your life story, Be Your Own Rock offers you the tools, wisdom, and courage to navigate your path with confidence and grace.

Reclaim your narrative, harness your inner resilience, and turn the page to a new chapter where you can stand firm as a rock and welcome the opportunity for growth, learning, and self-discovery.

Praise for Be Your Own Rock

★★★★★ "Invaluable guidance on navigating changes in your life." ~Henriette Bohnstedt, UK

★★★★★ "A must-read for anyone striving to become more confident and self-assured in their daily lives." ~Amazon Review

★★★★★ "Of huge value for anyone seeking to master personal and professional upheavals." ~Goodreads Review

     

Free online: Sunday Salon Chicago. Hosted by Roscoe Books, Sunday Salon Chicago is an in-person and online event. This Sunday, join authors Luisa A. Igloria, Felice Neals, Patricia Q. Bidar, and Oghenechovwe Donald Ekpeki as they read from recent writings and published works. Sunday, June 30, 6 PM CDT.

"Big-shot town, small-shot town, jet-propelled old-fashioned town, by old-world hands with new-world tools built into a place whose heartbeat carries farther than its shout." ~Nelson Algren, Chicago: City on the Make

Congratulations to Alice McVeigh on the release of Pride and Perjury: Twelve Pride-and-Prejudice-Inspired Short Stories, the newest addition to the author's award-winning Warleigh Hall Press Jane Austen Series. 

“McVeigh's prose and plotting are pitch-perfect...echoes the master herself." ~Publishers Weekly

Pride and Perjury: Twelve Pride-and-Prejudice-Inspired Short Stories

Discover the untold stories behind Jane Austen’s beloved characters in this captivating new release, the fourth book in what Publishers Weekly described as “McVeigh's celebrated Austenesque series.”

What really happened when Wickham eloped with Lydia? What did the Longbourn servants secretly think of the Bennet sisters? ("I have very little hope," said Mr. Bennet, "of disposing of even one of my daughters much before luncheon." ~from McVeigh's Pride and Perjury.) Take a deep dive into Caroline Bingley's schemes, Lady Catherine's de Bourgh's diary—and Mr Knightley’s heart.

Praise for Pride and Perjury

"A wonderful collection." ~Goodreads Review

"Beautifully conceived, beautifully imagined, beautifully written." ~Amazon Review

"Though there have certainly been other attempts to imitate Austen's narrative and storytelling, none have been so masterfully executed as McVeigh's." ~IndieReader

Susan: A Jane Austen Prequel

Susan is a Jane Austen Prequel, brilliantly capturing Austen's own Lady Susan as a young girl.

Sixteen-year-old Susan Smithson—pretty but poor, clever but capricious—has just been expelled from a school for young ladies in London. At the mansion of the formidable Lady Catherine de Bourgh, Susan attracts a raffish young nobleman. But, at the first hint of scandal, her guardian dispatches Susan to her uncle Collins' rectory in Kent, where her sensible cousin Alicia lives and "where nothing ever happens." Here Susan mischievously inspires the local squire to put on a play, with consequences no one could possibly have foreseen. 

Familiar characters abound—Frank Churchill, Lady Catherine de Bourgh, Darcy himself. But Susan—mischievous and manipulative—is the star. This is Austen that even Austen might have loved, with a touch of Georgette Heyer in the romantic sections. Fans of Bridgerton will also relish this classic regency romance, the first in a six-book series.

Praise for Susan

"Emma mingles with Pride and Prejudice in a delightful confrontation between the two books' worlds." ~Publishers Weekly BookLife Prize quarter-finalist review

"Think Emma or Pride and Prejudice, but with the added sense of humor, mischief, and determination that elevates Susan." ~Midwest Book Review

In addition to being a BookLife Quarterfinalist, Susan also received Gold/First Place awards from PenCraft, Global, eLit, Historical Fiction Company Book Awards, and other competitions.

Harriet: A Jane Austen Variation

Harriet is an intriguing and original take on Jane Austen's immortal Emma.

Emma, a privileged young heiress, decides to mentor Harriet Smith, a pretty boarding-school pupil, and to matchmake her as eligibly as she can… But how is she to guess that Harriet has a secret? Meanwhile, the brilliant, penniless Jane Fairfax consents to a clandestine engagement with Frank Churchill—though not daring to confess, even to him, that she is being relentlessly pursued by her best friend’s husband. Harriet sidelines Emma herself in favour of the ingenious Harriet and the fascinating Jane Fairfax. It is Emma—but an Emma with a surprisingly believable twist in its tail.

Recognition for Harriet

• Gold medal, Historical Fiction Company's Book Awards
• Bronze medal, IPPY Awards
• Starred Editor's Pick on Publishers Weekly
• Finalist for Foreword Indies Book of he Year
• Finalist for Chanticleer's CIBA Chatelaine Award
• Gold Medal, Global Book Awards
• Selected as one of "100 notable indies of 2022" by Shelf Unbound magazine
• Finalist in the International and American Fiction Awards

Darcy: A Pride and Prejudice Variation

The third in McVeigh's prize-winning series of standalone Jane Austen variations.

“Should she reject me again, I shall have to wed—as I swore I never would—for dynasty alone. I can only ever love Elizabeth Bennet.”

Love is put to the test in this fresh spin on Jane Austen’s starriest novel, entwining original and classic characters in a tale of passion and self-discovery. Alice McVeigh puts the spotlight on Darcy in this witty and imaginative re-telling of Austen’s classic tale. In a timeless story of love amid the clash of social classes, Darcy is faced with a terrible choice: to stay in London to force Wickham’s hand—or to go to Rome, to salvage his family’s reputation.

With a new Darcyesque slant, omitted scenes from the original, and an extra helping of humour—as well as excerpts from The Wisdom and Wit of Miss Mary Bennet—this is a fresh new Pride and Prejudice with (wedding) bells on!

Praise for Darcy

"The narrative is infused with a dry twenty-first-century sensibility that respects Austen while also peeking into her characters’ true thoughts... An often delightful deep dive into what the characters of Pride and Prejudice were thinking but not saying." ~Foreword/Clarion Reviews 

"Catnip for Austen fans... A joy to read!" ~Readerss Favorite

"Sparkling, witty, and delectable" ~Publishers Weekly

Finalist, UK Selfies Book Awards 2024

         

Free online: Voices at Larksong, a monthly reading series hosted by Larksong Writers Place featuring writers of all genres, plus the occasional musician. This month: authors J.V. Brummels and Chad Christensen will be on hand. Thursday, June 27, 6 PM CDT. (If you happen to be in area, you can attend in person at 1600 N. Cotner Blvd, Lincoln, NE 68505.)

“It is not true that we have only one life to live; if we can read, we can live as many more lives and as many kinds of lives as we wish.” ~S.I. Hayakawa

Congratulations to Rachel Stolzman Gullo and Vine Leaves Press on the release of Confuse the Wind, a novel in which a skyscraper engineer's worldview shifts as his son's illness reveals unexpected connections and discoveries.

★★★★★ “A deeply humane story that lingers long after the last page is turned.” ~Gayle Forman, New York Times bestselling author of If I Stay

Confuse the Wind

As a skyscraper engineer, Jonathan Brooks has always believed that a skyscraper is either made correctly or incorrectly, and all problems have solutions. He has yet to learn that people are made differently.

When his son, Theo, fell ill with encephalitis at fourteen months old, Jonathan and his wife, Carly, were devastated to learn that Theo’s setbacks would be long-lasting, possibly permanent. Theo is now seven years old and not yet walking or fully verbal, and Jonathan and Carly are living apart.

The broken family’s world is upturned by the arrival of Aimee, a complicated young Irish woman who begins working as Theo's nanny in ways Jonathan does not trust. But as Aimee brings about new advancements for Theo, their bond grows, until Aimee’s own personal crisis rocks the family and shows them all a new way forward.

Confuse the Wind is a book about our human interdependence and how we desperately need one another to survive and hopefully thrive. If you enjoyed A Gate at the Stairs by Lorrie Moore, Wonder by R.J. Palacio, Bee Season by Myla Goldberg, or Commonwealth by Anne Patchett, you will love Confuse the Wind.

Praise for Confuse the Wind
★★★★★ “A wonderful, strange, and astounding masterpiece.” ~Amanda Boyden, author of I Got the Dog

★★★★★ “A love song to love itself, as sturdy and astounding a thing, it turns out, as a well-designed skyscraper, built to confuse the wind.” ~Amy Hassinger, After the Dam

★★★★★ “A heart-wrenching, deftly told story that reminds us that sometimes you have to break a thing before you fully understand how it works.” ~Colin Broderick, Church End

★★★★★ “A beautifully written novel about one family traversing that divide and learning to love one another, not as they might be but as they are.” ~Gayle Forman, If I Stay

First of all, congratulations to Anita Renee of New York City, winner of $100 in books in the LitNuts Spring Giveaway.

And now (drum roll, please)...the LitNuts Summer Giveaway is here! Enter for a chance to win a set of silver resin octopus bookends or a $75 Amazon.com gift card (winner's choice). 

"And I wonder if, in the dark night of the sea, there, deep within its own sphere of instinct, the octopus dreams of me." ~N. Scott Momaday