Today's Featured Books

The Winner at Being Me! by Jessica Gold

Children and Young Adult

Everyone has a special talent, but finding it can be a challenge. In The Winner at Being Me, Jessica Gold tells the story of a young boy who is struggling to find something he's good at. His family takes him to try different sports like basketball, baseball, football, and bowling, but he can't seem to find the one he enjoys the most. With the help of his teacher, he discovers that his special talent lies in something he never expected. From $16.99 SHOP NOW


Festive Fates: 11 Spirited Holiday Tales

Romance

‘Tis the season to get into the holiday mood, both real and alien, with a special holiday anthology from eleven amazing authors who love spreading good cheer—and great stories! Join S.E. Smith, Jill Wallace, Eliza Sinclair, Kyndra Hatch, Candace Colt, Natalie Palma, Winnie Winkle, Electra Gajdos, Stephanie Harrell, Pauline Baird Jones, and Cassandra Chandler as they fill your holidays with these original, never-before-released spirited tales of family and celebration. Don’t miss out on this limited-edition anthology that will get you in the spirit. Coming Nov. 30. $4.99 PRE-ORDER NOW


Under the Emerald Sky by Juliane Weber

Literary Fiction and Poetry

"Reaches another level in storytelling, the kind where the characters remain with you long after you have closed the book." -The Historical Fiction Company. It’s 1843, and the Englishman Quinton Williams has come to Ireland to oversee his father’s estate and escape his painful past. He meets the Irishwoman Alannah O’Neill, whose family is one of few to have retained ownership of their land. But they must keep her budding relationship secret, especially given the hatred Alannah's brother, Kieran, feels for the English. An action-packed romance ensues. 4.2 stars, 130+ ratings on Goodreads. From $0.99. Free via KU. SHOP NOW


FREE - Antoinette in the Dark by Eunice Schofield

Mystery Thriller Crime and Horror

A twisty, psychological mystery novel about love, family, and what we are willing to do to keep hold of our dreams.  As a girl, An longed for the love and connection her complicated parents never provided. Now, due to an unspeakable secret, the perfect family An thought she had finally created with her husband and two stepdaughters has been torn apart. Things take an even more unexpected turn when An learns of the suspicious death of her neighbor—and others believe An is the key to solving the murder. FREE - SHOP NOW


Daisy by Pat Backley

Literary Fiction and Poetry

A gentle family saga spanning almost 100 years, from 1887 to 1974. Set in Alabama, Harlem, and London, Daisy's story incorporates some of the evils of society, including poverty, racism, and snobbery, as well as some of the best that life has to offer, like family, friendship, and love. 4.4 stars, 61 ratings. From $2.99 SHOP NOW


The Second Daisy: A Sequel by Pat Backley

Literary Fiction and Poetry

An historical novel of Family, Friendship, and Love. The first Daisy had a hard start in life, born in the slums of London in 1887, to a poor unmarried mother. In this sequel 100 years later, we meet her namesake, The Second Daisy, whose life is much easier. But in many ways the two women are very similar...smart, sunny, and loving. The only difference is that The Second Daisy is black. From $2.99 SHOP NOW


Where the Light Shines Through by Kathleen Bailey

Mystery Thriller Crime and Horror

Olivia is looking forward to visiting her father in her beautiful hometown. But when a body is found and the police accuse her childhood friend of the crime, Olivia searches for the evidence that will clear his name. With her friend’s future in the balance and her own life on the line, it may be "lights out" for both of them. If you like Clue, Nancy Drew, and small town, cozy mysteries with heart and humor, you’ll love this first book in The Olivia Penn Mystery Series. 4.7 stars, 26 ratings. From $4.99. Free via KU. SHOP NOW


Free download: Book 1 of the new Pentacoven Chronicles YA fantasy series

Spotlight

Today, LitNuts is shining a spotlight on the Pentacoven Chronicles, a new young adult fantasy series from author Sutton Scott that promises "Enchanted Ever Afters."

The Cusp (Book 1 in the series) is available now, and the eBook edition is currently FREE from Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and Kobo. FYI: The Cusp is ranked #1 in 90-Minute Teen & Young Adult Short Reads, #2 in Teen & Young Adult Magical Realism eBooks, and #2 in Teen & Young Adult Wizards & Witches Fantasy eBooks on Amazon. Book 2 is coming October 26, and three additional books in the series are coming soon!


The Cusp: A Prequel (Pentacoven Chronicles Book 1)

NEW RELEASE: September 28, 2023
Genre: Young Adult Fantasy
Paperback: $7.99
Ebook: FREE  



Five young witches. An ancient prophecy. A summons that cannot be ignored.

Can five young witches, bred for the sole intent of saving a realm they never knew existed, find the magic within to save the country of Macornia? Or will the evil Faborian witches destroy them before they can fulfill their true destiny?

Fueled by vengeance against the evil witches who took my mother's life, I stumble upon a hidden truth in a sealed historical tome. Within its pages is a revelation that could save my cherished country and everyone I love from the powerful, evil witches of Faboria.

The catch? We must interfere in the realm of humans. Forbidden spells must be cast upon innocent mortals so that the five predicted to save us are born with magical powers.

With Faboria promising to kill or enslave us, the survival of our world teeters on the edge. These young, unsuspecting young witches are our last hope. But will they agree to carry out what they were born to do?

Dive into this gripping YA Fantasy series about courage, embracing our unique talents and the powerful magic of friendship.


The Pact (Pentacoven Chronicles Book 2)

Coming: October 26, 2023
Genre: Young Adult Fantasy
Pre-Order Price: $5.99



Bound by Legacy. Shaped by Prophecy. We are the Chosen Five.

In the shadow of my grandmother's passing, I discover a truth that shakes my world—I am a witch fated to save the magical island of Macornia. With four other young witches, each a granddaughter of the infamous defectors who fled to the mortal realm, we are summoned to Moonstone Academy.

Our mission? To master our burgeoning magical abilities and weave spells potent enough to save Macornia from the ominous clutches of Faboria, a nation bent on our complete and utter annihilation.

Swept into a realm of enchantment that is at once bewildering and captivating, we must dig deep within to find the courage and magic needed to fulfill our destinies.

We are the long-awaited five, descendants of the defectors, bound by blood and magic to fulfill a prophecy etched in the annals of time.

We are the chosen ones, the only force that can defeat the wicked Seraphinas of Faboria.

Can five young witches save their new world in this captivating YA Fantasy series?


Coming soon: Books 3, 4 & 5 of the Pentacoven Chronicles

    


About the Author
Sutton Scott is the mother of four humans and two spoiled kitties. They live in a house on a small lake with tons of wildlife. On any given day there are coyotes, bears, deer, crows, bobcats, squirrels, and countless birds. All of which give Sutton tons of inspiration for her fictional creatures.

Sutton was one of those kids who always had her nose in a book. She remembers being so immersed in a story that she couldn’t hear her mother calling her for dinner. Her greatest joy is creating stories for smart, kind, and curious young people who are as obsessed with books as she was and still is! Sutton says many of her stories come to her in dreams, proving there’s magic in each of us.

Learn more at SuttonScott.com—and be sure to sign up for her newsletter!


Free online: Larksong Writers Place Book Talk & Reading

Events

Free online: Larksong Writers Place First Friday Book Talk and Reading with Kevin Clouther, recipient of the Richard Yates Fiction Award and author of We Were Flying to Chicago: Stories and the soon-to-be-released short story collection Maximum Speed. Friday, October 6, 12 PM CDT. 

"You should never hesitate to trade your cow for a handful of magic beans." ~Tom Robbins


Blood Red Deceit by Steve Rush

Book of the Day

Ridge Warner wishes he knew who wanted to kill him. He wishes he knew why. He wishes he never learned the answer. Dr. Ridge Warner learns more than he cares to know about his fiancée after he agrees to investigate a murder where an IED explodes at the scene. With the support of his ex-girlfriend and a woman who possesses an audiographic memory, he struggles to overcome his fiancée’s relentless grip of deceit and her reason for it. From $2.99 SHOP NOW


Tale of Tales by Nikola Stefan

Science Fiction and Fantasy

Part I: A Strange Bunch. What would you do if the darkness came for you? Join Senka, an ill-fated child in the dark ages of our past, who survives an unexplainable devastating attack only to be pursued by unnatural forces. She finds herself on a perilous quest alongside a group of mysterious strangers, brought together through chance encounters and unforeseen alliances. Chosen by the gods or beguiled into believing it by the far-seeing daughter of a witch, they unravel the secrets of a fateful prophecy and face the deadly shadows rising from the depths of time. 4.3 stars, 34 ratings on Goodreads. From $2.99 SHOP NOW


The Art Of Game Theory by Wisdom University

General Nonfiction

How To Win Life’s Ultimate Payoffs Through The Craft Of Prediction, Influence, And Empathetic Strategy. If Life is a game, what are the rules? And more importantly…where are they written? Whether you’re bargaining your way to a higher pay grade or less housework, this book distills game theory’s basic principles into easy-to-understand, actionable advice and gives you the power to optimize your daily decision-making. 4.7 stars, 18 ratings. From $0.99. Free via KU. SHOP NOW


Big Island, L.A. by Boston Teran

Mystery Thriller Crime and Horror

"Terrific contemporary noir." -Publishers Weekly. Known through his pen name, Landshark, William Worth, author of the popular crime column and podcast BIG ISLAND L.A., rules over his reading public from an estate high above Mount Washington. Into the life of this agoraphobic reclusive comes Ana Ride. A former combat Marine, she swapped a foot for a Silver Star. Ana is in possession of information related to an investigation Landshark has tapped into. Together, they follow a trail of murder and destruction on the battlefield of Los Angeles. Hardcover from $17.35. SHOP NOW


FREE - More Than Pen Pals by Dana Wilkerson

Romance

Ash and I were pen pals. He thought I was a boy, and I never told him I wasn’t. Now we’re sitting a few tables away from each other, and I’m about to be exposed as a fraud. How? My lunch companion, Wendy, knows him. In fact, she’s infatuated with him. To top things off, Ash’s brother saved me from choking to death, and now Wendy is determined to stop by their table to thank him again and to flirt with Ash. Please tell me he won’t hate me! A closed-door romcom set in the late 1980s. 4.5 stars, 41 ratings. FREE - SHOP NOW


Blind Date Rescue by Serenity Raine

Romance

When Sander slid into the seat in front of me, I lost the ability to talk. This man is a tall glass of “thank you may I have another.” His sudden deep laugh and sparkle in his eyes hinted he wasn’t like other guys. Ironically, I was on a blind date with his friend, but Sander's compliments and mannerisms ensured me he was feeling the same thing I felt. But a night of heated passion followed by a morning debacle led me to walk away alone. Then reality smacks me in the face: turns out Mr. New-in-town, one-night-stand is now my next-door neighbor. 4.3 stars, 13 ratings. From $0.99. Free via KU. SHOP NOW


New Release: For You I Would Make an Exception by Steven Belletto

Spotlight

Congratulations to Steven Belletto and Vine Leaves Press on the release of For You I Would Make an Exception.

★★★★★ “Fast-paced, darkly funny, and compulsively readable.” ~Alix Ohlin, author of We Want What We Want


For You I Would Make an Exception

NEW RELEASE: October 3, 2023
Genre: Literary Fiction
Paperback: $17.99
Ebook: $5.99  



Will Sorley, a native Californian, is barely surviving his days teaching college in rural Pennsylvania when he receives an email from a teenage girl in Kenya claiming to be his long-lost daughter.

This explosive note leads to a trip halfway around the globe to find this young woman and uncover more about her enigmatic mother, while trying to stay connected to his new girlfriend.

Swerving from the comic to the tragic, For You I Would Make an Exception follows Will from Pennsylvania to Kenya and from San Francisco to India as his life expands in ways he never imagined.

Praise for For You I Would Make an Exception
★★★★★ “With a sharp eye for detail and a great ear for dialogue, Belletto shows us how the personal and political are always—thrillingly, dangerously, and emotionally—connected.” ~Alix Ohlin, author of We Want What We Want

★★★★★ “This marvelously surprising and deeply moving novel fulfills a demanding task: it shows us how, against all odds, buried courage may be uncovered and a human heart may expand.” ~Lee Upton, author of Visitations

★★★★★ “Belletto takes the reader on adventures from the US to Kenya to Bihar and back as he examines, hilariously and elegantly, the wild ride of any kind of love...immersive and riveting; I could not put it down.” ~Jennifer Gilmore, author of The Mothers

★★★★★ “A coming-of-age novel about a man who is forced to come of age years after he should have come of age. Funny, spot-on, and surprisingly moving, this is a wonderful novel that shows us that it’s never too late to leave home and grow up.” ~Brock Clarke, author of Who Are You, Calvin Bledsoe?

★★★★★ “Intelligent and laden with surprises. This marvelous and wittily titled novel is full of news of the way we live now.” ~Lorrie Moore, author of I Am Homeless If This Is Not My Home


About the Author
Steven Belletto is author of two books of literary criticism: No Accident, Comrade and The Beats: A Literary History. His short fiction and travel writing have appeared in such venues as Cimarron Review, Los Angeles Review of Books, Quarterly Journal, and Wisconsin Review. He lives in Westport with his dog. Learn more at stevenbelletto.com.
About the Publisher
Vine Leaves Press likes to blur the line between commercial and experimental works. They publish book-length vignette collections, writing reference books, short story collections, memoir/autobiography, and character-driven novels with a literary bent.​ Subscribe to the Vine Leaves Press newsletter to receive FREE advanced review copies of upcoming new releases, news about their authors and subscribers, and/or to read the monthly opinion column, SPILL IT! or a daily dose of 50-word stories. Learn more at VineLeavesPress.com


Free online: B&N Book Club

Events

Free online: B&N Book Club. Join Barnes & Noble for a virtual event to discuss Happiness Falls by Angie Kim. When a father goes missing, his family’s desperate search leads them to question everything they know about him and one another—both a riveting page-turner and a deeply moving portrait of a family in crisis. Tuesday, October 3, 2 PM CDT. 

“The excursion is the same when you go looking for your sorrow as when you go looking for your joy.” ~Eudora Welty


FREE - Lilith and the Psychopath by Johnny Malapert

Book of the Day

Can Lilith, a young beautiful renegade descendant of Helen of Troy, be happy with Johnny, a modern-day California-beach psychopath, who just wants to have fun? Well…it's complicated. FREE - SHOP NOW


A Totally Killer Wedding by D.A. Wilkerson

Mystery Thriller Crime and Horror

The Totally 80s Mysteries cozy mystery series follows the adventures of amateur sleuth/church secretary Beckett Monahan in her small Midwestern town in the mid-1980s. Beckett and her friends investigate the murder of the town playboy at his brother's wedding. Laugh at their hijinks, smile at the 80s references, and see if you can solve the mystery before Beckett does! Book 1 in the series. 4.7 stars, 64 ratings. From $0.99 SHOP NOW


The Last Lumenian by S.G. Blaise

Science Fiction and Fantasy

“An intriguing and entertaining story that’s sci-fi and fantasy with a sliver of romance." -Manhattan Book Review. Nineteen-year-old princess Lilla is a rebel-in-disguise, fighting for the freedom of refugees. But there is a bigger war on the horizon. Lilla must learn to control her magic and defeat the dark god before He finds her. "A terrifically entertaining, complex, and original fantasy." -Kirkus Reviews. Book 1 in the series. 4.1 stars, 400+ ratings. From $2.99. Free via KU. SHOP NOW


Silent by Sues Cummings

Science Fiction and Fantasy

Australia has amnesia. A ten-year war was swept under a blanket of silence, seemingly by a song. Everybody remembers the attack on Sydney that started it all, the camps children were kept in, the underground bunkers, but other than that, it’s humming. Unless you didn’t hear it. Like the self-declared Prophet with dead hearing aids, stuck trying to piece together what happened, until those responsible come to erase their memories too. The first in a trilogy, Silent is an urban fantasy about finding ways to speak. From $0.99 SHOP NOW


Monstra Inter by C. Britt

Science Fiction and Fantasy

Humanity is hurled into chaos as zombies appear. They'll chase for miles; they'll stalk and ambush; they don't eat or drink; their goal is to spread the infection to everyone. The few people who make it through the first wave struggle to survive in this horrifying new reality. The story follows several different characters in their fight for survival as these new monsters take over. Paths cross and intertwine. Who will make it out alive? Who won't? And who will end up as the monsters in between? From $2.99. Free via KU. SHOP NOW


My Second Chance by Natasha L. Black

Romance

New release! Secrets resurface, changing lives. Graham, once a star athlete, noticed the theater nerd, igniting a life-altering spark. Now, he's back as a coach, igniting more sparks. But my hidden son is the true secret. Will it lead to a happy ending or endless regret? From $0.99 SHOP NOW


Spotlight on three series starters from author Kris Bock

Spotlight

LitNuts is shining a spotlight on the work of Kris Bock, author of more than 30 mystery, suspense, and romance novels. Today, we are featuring the first books of three different series: 

  • Something Shady at Sunshine Haven, Book 1 of The Accidental Detective series
  • Coffee and Crushes at the Cat Café, Book 1 of the Furrever Friends series
  • The Billionaire Cowboy’s Christmas, Book 1 in The Accidental Billionaire Cowboys series

Read on to learn more about these enjoyable books and the author.


Something Shady at Sunshine Haven

Book 1 in The Accidental Detective series
Genre: Cozy Mystery
4.2 stars, 57 ratings on Goodreads
From $4.99



She’s pursued the most dangerous news stories around the world. But can she survive going home?

Injured in a bombing, war correspondent Kate Tessler returns to her hometown in Arizona to recover. For the first time in her life, she's starting to feel her age of nearly fifty despite living like a teenager again: staying in her childhood bedroom with only a cat for company, trying to understand why her sister resents her so much, and running into people who still refer to her as Kitty. The hardest part? Seeing her once-sharp and witty mother stuck in an Alzheimer's unit.

When an old friend asks her to investigate suspicious deaths at the nursing home, Kate limps into action. Is a self-appointed "Angel of Mercy" killing patients to end their suffering? Are family members hastening their inheritance? Is an employee extorting money and removing the witnesses? Kate uses her journalism skills to track clues, but the puzzle pieces simply won’t fit. But if Kate can't uncover the truth quickly, her mother could be next on the killer's list.

Praise for Something Shady at Sunshine Haven
"Suspense, mystery and a little romance along with a lotta laughs.” ~BookBub Review


Coffee and Crushes at the Cat Café

Book 1 in the Furrever Friends series
Genre: Romance, Romantic Comedy
4.4 stars, 390 ratings on Amazon
From $0.99



What do you do when you meet the guy of your dreams? Set him up with your sister, of course.

Kari doesn't have time for love when she's opening her new cat café. Renovating an old restaurant, hiring employees, fighting with the health inspector—oh, and welcoming 16 shelter cats—keeps her plenty busy. She's doing this for the cats, the community, and most of all her family. The café will give her sister, Marley, a job worthy of her baking skills. Then a tattooed military vet wanders in claiming to be a master baker himself. The café doesn't need another baker, but maybe Marley needs a man. Surely she'll fall for a guy this sweet, this sexy, this tasty.

Colin has other ideas. It's Kari who makes him want to pour on the sugar and turn up the heat. But he's spent the last two years recovering from physical and psychological wounds. Is he really ready for a relationship? He's not even sure he should commit to Samson, the fluffy marshmallow of a cat who steals his heart.

The Furrever Friends Sweet Romance series features the workers and customers at a small-town cat café, and the adorable cats and kittens looking for their forever homes. If you enjoy the friends to lovers trope, work romances, military heroes, and strong heroines completely failing at playing the matchmaker, check out Coffee and Crushes at the Cat Café. You'll also find rescue cats with plenty of personality and their own desire for love.

Praise for Coffee and Crushes at the Cat Café
"A sweet romance, with cats, kittens, yummy pastries (and recipes for some of them), and a hunky hero." ~Reader Review


The Billionaire Cowboy’s Christmas

Book 1 in The Accidental Billionaire Cowboys series
Genre: Western/Frontier Romance, Contemporary Romance
4.5 stars, 27 ratings on Goodreads
From $3.99



He has everything this Christmas, but all he wants is the quiet ranch life he’s losing…

When Josh Tomlinson’s Texas ranching family wins a fortune in the lottery, the formerly tight-knit family is suddenly on edge. Seeking advice, Josh reluctantly contacts family friend and now attorney, Carly Garza. His business is serious, yet he can’t believe Carly’s morphed from a long-legged colt of a girl to a sophisticated woman. Besides, he knows the intelligent Carly has no interest in a quiet, rugged cowboy like him.

Carly’s crushed on Josh for years, and she plans to ask him out now that she’s back in Last Stand. She’s hoping he’ll finally see her as someone other than his younger brother’s middle school girlfriend. But when Josh needs advice on how to handle his family’s lottery win, his client and billionaire statuses put him firmly out of reach. If only her heart could ignore the sparks that flare between them.

They’re already keeping the family’s lottery win a secret from the town. Can they also hide their budding romance during the most magical time of year?

Praise for The Billionaire Cowboy’s Christmas
"Sweet and earnest and just right for Christmas." ~Goodreads Review


About the Author

Kris Bock writes mystery, suspense, and romance. In the Accidental Detective series, a witty journalist solves mysteries in Arizona and tackles the challenges of turning fifty. Kris’s Furrever Friends Sweet Romance series features the employees and customers at a cat café. In the Accidental Billionaire Cowboys series, a Texas ranching family wins a fortune in the lottery, which causes as many problems as it solves. Kris also writes a series with her brother, scriptwriter Douglas J Eboch, who wrote the original screenplay for the movie Sweet Home Alabama. The Teenage Adventures of Felony Melanie is a comedy series that follows the crazy antics of Melanie, Jake, and their friends a decade before the events of the movie.

Learn more at KrisBock.com. Also, be sure to sign up for Kris's newsletter (you'll get free short stories set in The Accidental Detective and Furrever Friends worlds) and follow Kris online:
 
        


Free online from the Brooklyn Book Festival: Can Science Fiction Change the World?

Events

Free online Saturday: Can Science Fiction Change the World?, a panel discussion brought to you live from the Brooklyn Book Festival. Featuring sci-fi authors Cadwell Turnbull, Rebekah Bergman, Justin C. Key, and Luke Dani Blue. Saturday, September 30, 4 - 6 PM EDT. 

"That's all science fiction was ever about. Hating the way things are, wanting to make things different." ~Ray Bradbury