Today's Featured Books

At 18 years of age, John Walker Pattison was diagnosed with cancer. After years of failed chemotherapy and radiotherapy treatments, his parents were told that he would not survive. Yet today, he is one of the longest-surviving cancer patients in the UK. Later, his daughter was diagnosed with terminal cancer, yet she too went on to defy the odds. Learn more in this inspiring true story. 4.9 stars, 20 ratings. From $4.50 SHOP NOW / 

Today, LitNuts is shining a spotlight on When Shepherds Kill by James Hammonds, a thriller set in Chicago that follows a city councilman as he helps investigate the death of his friend and fellow city councilman. 

When Shepherds Kill

“We are the only people in America who have to protect ourselves from our protectors.” ~Stokely Carmichael

Inspired by the 1963 unsolved murder of Chicago Alderman Benjamin Lewis, this novel follows Councilman David Strong as he gets involved in the murder investigation of his friend and colleague, Councilman Earl Williams.

When Williams is found slumped over his office desk, Detective Harry Johnson persuades Councilman Strong to assist in the murder investigation of their mutual friend.

The dead councilman's constituents are angry, so the mayor has the police make a quick arrest. This strategy to keep the city calm goes south fast as demonstrators demand the release of the incarcerated young man.

David Strong, a reluctant sleuth, investigates Williams’ death while supporting the protestors. His efforts put him in the crosshairs of the police, Russian mobsters, Mexican drug dealers, and local street gangs.

If Strong is going to unravel this murder mystery and come out alive, he must use all of his wits.

About the Author

      

Free online: First Friday Book Talk & Reading with Shanan Ballam, Poet Laureate of Logan City, Utah, and a Senior Lecturer for the Utah State University's Department of English. Shanan survived a massive stroke in January 2022 that left her without speech and without the use of her entire right side, but she never quit writing poetry. Friday, September 6, 12 p.m. CDT. 

"Every year, about 800,000 Americans have strokes. But it seems that, unlike Shanan Ballam, few people found poetry in it." ~Peter Rosen, KSLTV.com

Do you believe in Halloween magic? This collection of contemporary military romance stories takes place around and during Halloween, featuring closely held secrets, ghosts, sexy adult costume parties, and things that go bump in the night. It’s a bewitching 'must-have' collection with various tropes and steam levels, offering something for every reader to enjoy. Heroes, Holidays, and Hope (Vol. 2) is available for a limited time—get your copy before we prepare for Volume 3! Step out of the shadows and pick up your copy today! From $2.99 SHOP NOW / 

Ronald Mullins seemingly had it all. So when he dies of an apparent suicide, Detective John Keegan starts asking questions. Before long, Keegan is thrust into a web of corruption that could destroy his career—and his life. In Soft Case, Keegan must navigate betrayal and danger as he uncovers secrets that reach all the way to the top. Can he solve the city's biggest case before it consumes him? Dive into the gripping first book of the John Keegan Mystery Series. 4.0 stars, 669 ratings. FREE - SHOP NOW / 

Congratulations to Michelle Tobin and Vine Leaves Press on the release of Home for the Bewildered, the story of a psychologist who has no problem saving her patients...but can she save herself?

★★★★★ “A poignant, funny, inspiring exploration of the healing power of empathy and common humanity.” ~John Neafsey, psychologist, author of A Sacred Voice is Calling

Home for the Bewildered

It's 1974 and Dr. Dorothy Morrissey becomes the first female psychologist at St. Lawrence Asylum in Lansing, Michigan.

Dorothy’s patients mirror her emotional issues as they draw her into their often-chaotic lives:

• Thomas’s flair for drama as a cross-dressing homosexual with bi-polar makes Dorothy laugh as much as he makes her cry.
• George is at the asylum after pleading "not guilty by reason of insanity," causing Dorothy to wrestle with an inexplicable aversion to him.
• Ruth’s post-partum psychiatric break threatens to draw Dorothy in with her.
• Marcella, labeled as borderline, frustrates Dorothy's efforts to keep her from self-harm.

As good as Dorothy is at holding and interpreting her patients’ past traumas, she resists looking at her own, causing a strain on her relationship with Kenneth. It seems Dorothy has no problem saving her patients...but can she save herself?

Praise for Home for the Bewildered
★★★★★ “Tobin masterfully takes us deeper and deeper into the minds and hearts of her characters. You finish, wanting a sequel.” ~Dan Mulhern, J.D., Former First Gentleman of Michigan

★★★★★ “Tobin tackles HUGE subjects: grief, homosexuality, priest abuse, family denial, parental guilt, the AIDS crisis, hypermasculinity, and feminine stereotyping with a clear sense of unity and emotional richness.” ~Beth Gylys, Ph.D., author of Body Braille

★★★★★ “A compelling work of fiction that could also serve as an excellent resource for teaching the art of psychotherapy.” ~John Neafsey, author of A Sacred Voice is Calling

Free online: Abraham Lincoln's "A House Divided" Speech. Join the staff of the New York Public Library's Grand Concourse Library for a discussion of one of Lincoln's most consequential speeches. The NYPL provides a link to a free copy of the speech if you'd like to read it ahead of time. Wednesday, September 4, 12 - 1 PM EDT. 

"A house divided against itself cannot stand." ~Abraham Lincoln

Everything in Detective Morgan Foster’s life is a secret. Living in West End, West Virginia wasn’t part of the plan, but the murders of her husband, Peter, and her partner, AJ Roth, forced her into hiding. For a while, everything seemed fine, but two dead bodies at her waitressing job tell a different story... 4.4 stars, 660 ratings. FREE - SHOP NOW / 

"Humorous and inspiring." ~Publishers Weekly

Today, LitNuts is shining a spotlight on the Saskatchewan Romance Series, two books from author Jamie Anderson that follow Kate, Julie, and their close-knit circle of friends and family as they navigate the pitfalls of modern dating and self-discovery.

Bonus: Both books are currently available at big discounts via Kindle Countdown Deals! 

Someone to Kiss

A Hilarious and Heartening Romantic Comedy

As the clock strikes midnight over a disastrous New Year’s Eve and happy couples celebrate all around her, Kate makes a resolution, hastily scrawled on the back of a napkin, that by next New Year’s Eve she will have found someone of her own to kiss.

But when you’re a forty-something cat mom who’d rather binge Netflix than brave the singles scene, finding someone to kiss turns out to be harder than it sounds. Kate is totally unprepared for navigating hook-up apps, speed dating, and sliding into somebody’s DMs.

With the end of the year rapidly approaching, Kate seems further than ever from reaching her goal. As relationships crumble around her and dark long-kept secrets spill out, could Kate's fixation on her quest cause her to let true love slip through her fingers forever?

Someone to Kiss is a wry and witty romantic comedy, tackling serious issues with real heart.

Praise for Someone to Kiss
"A New Year's resolution kicks off a dating journey with unexpected and heartwarming results." ~Publishers Weekly

"This book is about so much more than dating in your 40s. It's about friendships, family, acceptance of who you are, knowing your worth, and never settling for less. A very funny, yet moving story." ~Kate's A Bookworm

"Filled with fun, wit, humour, laughter, friendship and plenty of dating do's, don'ts and disasters." ~She Loves to Read

"You will laugh but you will also gasp, tear up, get angry...feel your heart strings be pulled, and just about every feeling in between." ~The Romantic Comedy Book Club

Love, Julie

A  Richly Emotional Tale of Recovery, Forgiveness, and Romance

Once, Julie dreamed of a life filled with love and laughter. Now, in her mid-forties, she faces a starkly different reality. She's single, lonely, and reeling from breaking her hard-earned sobriety in front of her family and friends.

Opting for self-recovery over romance, Julie dives into planning her best friend Kate’s wedding. However, sharing this task with the irritatingly cheerful best man, single dad Luke, proves to be an unexpected challenge.

As Luke’s persistent kindness chips away at her icy exterior, a friendship forms, stirring a longing she’d sworn to suppress. But with self-forgiveness as her biggest hurdle, and her past ready to sabotage her future, can Julie confront the shame and trauma that have darkened so much of her life and find the courage to love again? Or will her demons shatter both her and Luke’s hearts in the process?

Praise for Love, Julie
"An utterly charming novel that puts romance and modern life hand in hand in an authentic and highly enjoyable plot." ~K.C. Finn, Readers' Favorite

"Engaging and playful." ~Publishers Weekly

"A lovely, thought-provoking book." ~Emily Pankhurst, Good Housekeeping Book Room

An inspiring novel of self-healing and the power of friendship." ~Sue Slade, The Miramichi Reader

"Emotional and unique...perfect for those looking for a romantic comedy with a more mature aspect." ~Bookish Dreams

About the Author

      

Want a weekend getaway and the opportunity to learn more about other cultures...without getting on a plane or spending time in traffic? MyTourOnline offers free online tours of London, Paris, Barcelona, and Lisbon, with plans to add virtual tours of Amsterdam, Athens, Madrid, and Rome. 

“One’s destination is never a place, but a new way of seeing things.” ~Henry Miller