Today's Featured Books

"A tense, haunting story that I had to finish in one sitting." ~Amazon Review. Ten years after Emma’s son disappeared into a flooded river, the boy returns. Emma can’t believe he’s alive—but as she attempts to connect with distressed, silent Aiden, she starts to suspect he’s hiding something. Goodreads Choice Award Nominee. 4.2 stars, 59,000+ ratings. From $0.99 SHOP NOW / 

An escape. A rescue. A clandestine affair. An imprisonment. While fleeing the horrors of war, a young woman's quest for survival becomes an affair of the heart in this World War 2 historical romance novel that explores themes of love and war among friends and among enemies. "Deeply moving and meticulously researched." ~Goodreads Review. 4.8 stars, 33 ratings. From $0.99. Free via KU. SHOP NOW / 

A must-read for booklovers who enjoy a complex, emotive narrative with a strong, passionate protagonist.

Today, LitNuts is shining a spotlight on Love Lost Adventure: The Lie by Roseann Gargiulo, a thrilling blend of romance and suspense, transporting readers across time from the Civil War era to the 1990s. 
 

Recipient of five 5-star reviews from Readers' Favorite.

Love Lost Adventure: The Lie

Surrounded by the whiteness of the blizzard’s snow, Theodora Hayes was determined to rekindle a flame she had walked away from many years ago. But can one ever truly go back? "Teddy" didn’t give it a second thought. Passion drove her need. Cole was the love of her life, and nothing was going to keep her from finding him…except maybe danger, murder, and yes, love—and its wicked dark past.

Love Lost Adventure: The Lie written is a story of many plots, all threaded together in a mixture of romance, history, murder, mystery, and adventure, with a dash of humor thrown in for good measure. Set in the 1990s and the Civil War era, the story jumps effortlessly between dual timelines, but in a way that you always know where you are and what era the story is in. It's packed with twists and turns and plenty of suspense. It is both heart-stopping and heartwarming, with an eclectic mix of characters that you will adore.

Five-Star Reviews from Readers' Favorite
★★★★★ “People will do crazy things for love and there is no better example of this than Love Lost Adventure: The Lie. The characters were all quirky and unique and added something to the plot. This is a wonderfully written book. Anyone who loves a romance that isn’t just a romance would appreciate this work.” ~Miche Arendse, Readers' Favorite

★★★★★  “Gargiulo’s characters are richly developed, and their deep connections evoke a range of emotions, taking readers from laughter to tears at the turn of a page.” ~K.C. Finn, Readers' Favorite

★★★★★ “The alternating perspectives from several characters provided transitions that built suspense. The sudden twists in the plot made it unpredictable, and I was on edge as I read each page.” ~Stephanie Chapman, Readers' Favorite

★★★★★ “An awesome story told by a master storyteller.” ~Anne-Marie Reynolds, Readers' Favorite

★★★★★ “It’s all fun and games until somebody ends up in an incinerator!” ~Jamie Michele, Readers' Favorite

About the Author

Roseann Gargiulo is a multimedia artist, musician, and visual storyteller. She studied Motion Picture and Theatre Arts at the University of Miami and then received her Master’s in Information Technology at Florida State University.

Gargiulo’s writing style is not that of the typical romance writer. Instead, her multi-plot storylines are usually seen from a camera’s lens. Love Lost Adventure: The Lie is the first novel in the series, and she is currently working on the second. 

Learn more at LoveLostAdventure.com, sign up for the Love Lost Adventure free monthly newsletter, and be sure to follow Roseann online: 

          

Free online: Summer Solstice Meditation. The summer solstice is a time of new beginnings, a time to embrace the new and let go of the old. This free 30-minute meditation session will give you an opportunity to pause and reflect on what you want to celebrate and invite into your life as the summer begins. Saturday, June 22, 1 – 1:30 PM EDT. 

Speaking of free: Today's Featured Books include three freebies and three ebooks priced at only 99 cents! See all of our Featured Books at LitNuts.com.

"This is the solstice, the still point of the sun, its cusp and midnight, the year's threshold and unlocking, where the past lets go of and becomes the future, the place of caught breath." ~Margaret Atwood

"I love the storyline and the writing...there is nonstop action!" ~Modupe Hendricks, Vine Voice. The starship Freedom is just a museum ship. Until the aliens attack! Battlestar Galactica meets Starship Troopers in this sci-fi adventure from Daniel Arenson, the USA Today bestselling author of Earthrise. Grab the first book for FREE, then grab books two and three at deep discounts. 4.2 stars, 2,500 ratings. FREE - SHOP NOW / 

The course of true love never did run smooth.

New release! Get Midsummer: A Contemporary Enemies-to-Lovers Adaptation from Jena Doyle, a book that involves politics, fairies, and intrigue in this dark enemies-to-lovers adaptation of A Midsummer Night's Dream.

"I've read and seen many variations of the play and this is one of my fave takes on it." ~Amazon Review

Midsummer: A Contemporary Enemies-to-Lovers Adaptation

When a Midsummer party turns into a nightmare, we learn there are consequences to making a vow in a magical place. And the fairies never play fair.

"The sexual encounters in this story were off the charts hot - smoking hot." ~Goodreads Review

"An intense, incredibly beautiful retelling of A Midsummer Night's Dream." ~Amazon Review

"It’s a hot book that’s for sure. This has fairies, enemies to lovers, arranged marriage, and orgies in the woods." ~Goodreads Review

"Smutty, intertwined storyline. The story is told from dual POV and each of them have a very different feel." ~Amazon Review

Ivy: As the daughter of the president, I've had my life planned out for me: college, law school, politics. I should have guessed that my mother would plan my marriage, too. She needs a political success, which means I have to wed my enemy for publicity. I hate Lex Fairfax so much, it burns. I don't know how I'll spend three weeks at a remote castle in Ireland with him, his girlfriend, and my boyfriend without our secrets tearing us apart. When a mysterious stranger overhears my drama, she takes pity on me...in her own way.

Lex: I hate Ivy Washington. She's annoying and frustrating, and she gets under my skin like no one else. Marrying her would be a special kind of hell. I just need to get through this without my past coming back to haunt me. Everyone keeps secrets for their own reasons, but mine will destroy all four of us. 

About the Author

Jena Doyle writes smut for smut’s sake. No apologies. No shame. And definitely no judgment. When she’s not dreaming up dirty words for wild hearts, she enjoys traveling, binge watching trash TV, and dabbling in tarot or astrology. She holds a bachelor’s degree in English / Creative Writing and has been known to ramble at great length about Shakespeare’s gay agenda. She lives in Western Maryland with her partner and furbaby. Learn more at JenaDoyle.com, get a free sexy motorcycle club story when you sign up for Jena's newsletter, and be sure to follow her online: 

              

Free online: Touring a Black culture museum is a great way to celebrate Juneteenth. Here are five museums you can visit free via virtual tours:

• Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture (Washington DC)
• Tuskegee Airman National Historic Site at Moton Field (Tuskegee, Alabama)
• Dance Theater of Harlem (New York, New York)
• The British Museum (London, England)
• The Black Archives of Mid-America (Kansas City, Missouri)

"The more I wonder, the more I love." ~Alice Walker, The Color Purple

This page-turner is a humorous, PG-rated, amateur sleuth mystery featuring a code enforcement officer in a fictional city near Seattle. Kaitlyn Willis’s job usually involves writing tickets for untrimmed trees and cars parked on lawns. But when an animal hoarding case turns up a dead body, Kaitlyn investigates, aided by the enormous cat that "adopts" her. Book 1 in the Road Signs Mystery Series. 4.1 stars, 300+ reviews. From $1.99. Free via KU. SHOP NOW / 

The year is 1889 and private investigator John Doyle is on a quest not only for answers but for his very soul. Along with his partner, Thomas Braham, Doyle investigates unsolved cases, sightings, and obscurities that fall through the cracks from the local authorities. When an esteemed colleague suddenly vanishes, Doyle and Braham embark on the case of their lifetime in this thrilling supernatural adventure that will keep you on the edge of your seat. "Brutal, well-written and twisty." ~Amazon Review. 4.6 stars, 36 ratings. From $0.99. Free via KU. SHOP NOW / 

Explicit Southern Poetry. "Jason Stocks’ collection is brave, unflinching and hits you like a punch in the jaw. It is at times brutal and vicious but also tender and intelligent. I was reminded of early Eminem in the poignant anger of some of the poems." ~Sam Szanto, author of If No One Speaks. Finalist in the 2024 American Legacy Book Awards. 4.7 stars, 36 ratings. From $2.99 SHOP NOW / 

Congratulations to Frances Park and Vine Leaves Press on the release of Blue Rice, a literary masterpiece in which an elderly Korean woman recalls the Korean War, love amid rubble, and acclimation to 1960 America.

★★★★★ “An American adventure filled with humor, history, heartache, and self-discovery.” ~Scott Saalman, author of Vietnam War Love Story

Blue Rice

By candlelight, an elderly Korean woman relives her years upended by the Korean War, finding love in the rubble, and her acclimation to 1960s America.

Recently widowed Honey, née Hanhee, is preparing to move out of her Arlington home when the Virginia earthquake of 2011 hits. Subtly, something in her cracks. Four days later, Hurricane Irene strikes, evoking monsoon-swept streets of yore.

With the power out, Honey’s life of a half-century ago cinematically comes to light: Her months as an unlikely prostitute at Madam Cho’s; her secret revolt against her dead parents whose love was in question; a mysterious monk’s prediction; her great, sassy Korean friend Kissuni Kim who dreamed of nothing more than ‘love-mak-ing’; her kindly American neighbor Emma Church who would guide her to independence; and, above all, her lingering love for her first husband Joe Lipton, a journalist who brought Honey to America, only to desert her.

Author Frances Park states that writing Blue Rice was like living a dream from scenes her late mother shared with her, as well as her watercolor-like remembrances of growing up in white America as a small child of war-torn Korean parents. 

If you enjoyed Norwegian Wood by Haruki Murakami, Pachinko by Min Jin Lee, or A Gesture Life by Chang Rae Lee, you will love Blue Rice.

Praise for Blue Rice
★★★★★ “A rare, sumptuous novel whose heroine will break your heart.” ~R.A. Cramblitt, author of Probably Lives in Tahiti

★★★★★ “Frances Park belongs among the best writers in America today.” ~Wayne Coster Cooper, WritersInTheSpirit

★★★★★ “A sublimely detailed tale of resilience and chosen family.” ~Megan Wessell, book blogger, A Bookish Affair

★★★★★ “A masterpiece.” ~Scott Saalman, author of Vietnam War Love Story

Free online: The Book-Makers. Join Professor Adam Smyth of Oxford University for this free discussion of the history of books. Tuesday, June 18, 9 AM CDT.

“She read books as one would breathe air, to fill up and live.” ~Annie Dillard, The Living