Today's Featured Books

Congratulations to Alan Humm and Vine Leaves Press on the release of The Sparkler, a work of historical fiction in which Charles Dickens becomes immersed in an affair so all-consuming that his life begins to fall apart. 

★★★★★ “A dark hymn to pre-Victorian London in all its grotty glory.” ~Nick Perry, author of The Loop

The Sparkler

Charles Dickens is a newly famous author and a man who has only just married. He thinks that he is about to become a father.

Why, then, does he go wandering London after dark and why, under the influence of a famous clown, does he begin an affair with Sarah, a barmaid who works in a North London pub?

While his own descriptions of sex barely exist, he becomes immersed in an affair so all-consuming that his life begins to fall apart. He takes to drink, he develops a liking for rough company, he even steals a necklace. Where will it end?

During a Christmas entertainment held in his own house, Dickens, Sarah, and his wife edge towards a confrontation that has the potential to ruin him for ever.

If you enjoyed Ragtime by E.L. Doctorow, Jack Maggs by Peter Carey, Underworld by Don DeLillo, or Sway by Zachary Lazar, you will love The Sparkler.

Praise for The Sparkler
★★★★★ “This is absolutely terrific—thoroughly steeped in Dickens’s own idioms and ideas while also taking a step back and coolly assessing them from a distance. It’s...reminiscent (in a good way) of the rich period atmospheres generated by those two neo-Victorian Peters, Ackroyd and Carey.” ~Robert Douglas-Fairhurst, author of Becoming Dickens

★★★★★ “A remarkable Dickens-fi debut.” ~Philip Hoare, author of Albert and the Whale

★★★★★ “A work of sublime psychogeography.” ~Nick Perry, author of November Dead List and The Loop

Free online: Literary event at Malaprop's Bookstore, Asheville, NC, Join Mesha Maren, author of the new novel Shae, and Ellen Birkett Morris, author of the award-winning debut novel Beware the Tall Grass, for a reading and conversation. Monday, May 28, 6-7 PM EDT.

"Freedom makes a huge requirement of every human being. With freedom comes responsibility." ~Eleanor Roosevelt

"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. 4.9 stars, 34 ratings. From $2.99 SHOP NOW / 

Today, LitNuts is shining a spotlight on Murder Under Redwood Moon, a cozy paranormal murder mystery from author Sherri L. Dodd and a fun read for mystery junkies as well as for fans of modern fantasy fiction and witchcraft. Read on to learn more. 

★★★★★ "An engaging and atmospheric novel that skillfully blends elements of realistic mystery with the supernatural." ~K.C. Finn, Readers' Favorite

Murder Under Redwood Moon

At the age of eight, Arista Kelly was whisked off to an isolated town in the California Redwoods. Two days later, her parents were gone. Now at the age of twenty-three, Arista has settled into an eclectic lifestyle, much like her Great Aunt Bethie, who has been Arista's guardian since childhood.

But Arista's tranquil life in the Santa Cruz Mountains takes a dark turn when her recurring visions and a ghostly presence disrupt her peaceful existence. With a penchant for herbs and crystals and a connection to nature, Arista's unique lifestyle intertwines with the mysterious events unfolding around her. The discovery of a classmate's body and the looming threat of a serial killer force Arista to confront the encroaching darkness in her once-idyllic mountain sanctuary.

Praise for Murder Under Redwood Moon
Literary Titan Gold Award Winner

"Dodd’s skillful fusion of nature reverence, supernatural themes, and suspenseful plot twists results in a narrative brimming with intrigue and a touch of witchy allure." ~Literary Titan

"An energetic and suspenseful witchcraft-filled murder mystery." ~Chelsey Tucker, Independent Book Review

★★★★★ "A compelling blend of the mystical and the macabre." ~K.C. Finn, Readers' Favorite

★★★★★ "A thrilling supernatural mystery." ~Amy's Bookshelf Reviews

About the Author

  

Massimo Fantini is an Italian author and free thinker focused on exploring the human condition. Today, LitNuts is shining a spotlight on his Human Condition Trilogy: 

• Concerning Decay of The Human Race
• Concerning Intellectual Suicide in The Human Race
• Concerning Fanaticism in The Human Race

Read on to learn more about Fantini's contributions to the debate on the human condition.

"A piercing critique of contemporary existence, challenging conventional notions of fulfillment and purpose." ~BookBelow
 

Concerning Decay of The Human Race

A small village of the Island of the Iguanas experiences the succession of different communities – sometimes forced to live together, sometimes taking over from a former generation. 

Over the years, the community consolidates and grows, together with their prejudices, social injustices, and religious superstitions. The structural transformations of the village have repercussions on the ecosystem of the island which – starting as a protected nature reserve – becomes a hunting place, a tourist destination, and a favorable terrain for smugglers to exploit.

Thus, faced with the opportunity to adopt a new lifestyle – concerning principles of equality, safeguarding personal freedoms, and restoring the ancient harmony between man and nature – there are those who choose to follow the tested path of the government of man over man, which makes discrimination its founding principle, and those who choose to defy it. Social contrasts – delineated by origin, by social background, by acquired privileges – begin to arise within these communities.

Given the possibility to make a clean sweep of the past and rebuild the social fabric from scratch, will those who position themselves as leaders avoid the mistakes made by their predecessors, or will they end up mechanically following the same steps laid out by human history?

Praise for Concerning the Decay of The Human Race
"A compelling and thought-provoking read that will resonate with anyone interested in exploring the complexities of human nature and society." ~Heena Rathore-Pardeshi

"Fantini's allegorical depiction of the small village on the Island of the Iguanas serves as a microcosm of human society's perpetual struggle with change and progress." ~BookBelow

"This bold philosophical work offers a raw, incisive critique of modern society's relentless pursuit of shallow gratification and an avoidance of deeper existential issues." ~Rashmi A, Reviewer

Concerning Intellectual Suicide in The Human Race

Intellectual suicide corresponds to the more or less conscious decision to switch off the brain and renounce rational thought in favor of attitudes dictated by superstitions, by established habits, by prejudices, by common places. The effects of irrational choices – made with the brain switched off – can be devastating for oneself and for the others. 

Tommaso, the protagonist of this debate, is the victim of his parents’ intellectual suicide, perpetrated through procreation. Procreation – the unilateral act by which a couple throws innocent individuals into the stillicidium of life, without weighing the consequences that the hell of existence will have on them – is the most heinous form of intellectual suicide in the human race, not least because of the scale of its consequences.

The author’s intention is to shine the spotlight on the one reality that unites us all: the human condition.

Praise for Concerning Intellectual Suicide in The Human Race
"A great read for those looking to push the boundaries of their beliefs and perspectives." ~Independent Book Review

"Fantini invites readers to confront the existential questions that accompany life from birth to death, fostering a deeper understanding of the human experience." ~BookBelow

Concerning Fanaticism in The Human Race

Elijah is a promising young lawyer, in love with his work and confident in the potential of the human race.

His law firm’s senior partner gives him his first important assignment. Elijah will have to follow the case of Leonard, an elderly engineer who lives in Montepastore, a small village in the Bolognese Apennines of Italy.

Leonard's question concerns the supplementary contribution that engineers enrolled in the professional register are required to pay to the Engineers’ Pension Fund. At first, the case seems simple. It was the subject of a previous ruling by the Court of Cassation. But Leonard is not satisfied with an institutional response. He wants to know why. He wants to know what hides behind the Supreme Court’s ruling.

Leonard's demands grow until the subject of the dispute widens to include ethical, religious, and historical concerns.

As in the previous manuscripts, questions about the human condition are at the center of this philosophical debate. In the absence of answers, what is the point of writing about anything else?

Praise for Concerning Fanaticism in The Human Race
"Explores the complex web of human nature, weaving together legal intricacies with profound philosophical questions." ~Abigail L, Librarian

"A wild ride through the maze of human complexity!" ~Sue E, Reviewer

About the Author

Free online: The Back Room. Enjoy an evening of cocktails and conversation with four authors, including Janie Chang, Sally Hepworth, Vanessa Miller, and Sara Paretsky, creator of the V.I. Warshawski novels and recipient of the Cartier Diamond Dagger for lifetime achievement from the British Crime Writers Association. Sunday, May 26, 6-8 PM CDT. 

"Never underestimate a man's ability to underestimate a woman." ~Sara Paretsky

"A rugged, sinuous voice drives the free verse narratives contained in Laughing Is Forever. These mercurial poems surprise, thrill, and move in equal measure. They’re dying to be read." ~Independent Book Review. From $2.99 SHOP NOW / 

Free online tonight: Friends & Fiction. Join the hosts of Friends & Fiction for interviews with bestselling authors on a show that airs live on Facebook and YouTube. Bonus: More than 200 back episodes are available for replay on YouTube! Every Wednesday at 7 PM ET.

“A day without a friend is like a pot without a single drop of honey left inside.” ~A. A. Milne, Winnie-the-Pooh