Looking to fall in love with some new romance reads? You’ll adore these exciting new novels! This week you can get your hands on books by bestselling authors Jamie Schulz, Rebecca Leigh, Mary E. Twomey, and more. Enjoy your new romance books and happy reading!
Literary fiction readers are in for a treat. This week’s latest releases list is full of intriguing reads you won’t want to miss! The new releases list includes so many bestselling authors like David Isaak, Lauren Lee Merewether, Victoria Benton Frank, and many more. Enjoy your new literary fiction books. Happy reading!
Set off on an adventure to new worlds this week! This selection of new science fiction and fantasy books will surely please! Science Fiction fans should be excited about the latest from bestselling authors Albert Aykler, Ann Leckie, Holly Smale, and more. If Fantasy is what your library needs, you’ll be able to pick up the latest from Reed Logan Westgate, Everly Frost, T.R. Cameron, and more. Enjoy your new science fiction and fantasy books. Happy reading!
Are you an avid reader of Young Adult books? This week you are in luck! With all of these new novels, you’re bound to find a new favorite book to add to your reading list. This week includes new novels from bestselling authors Richard Modlin, Mercedes Ron, M Hendrix, and many more. Enjoy your new young adult books. Happy reading!
Looking for some new biography and memoir books for your library? There are so many new releases this week that you’re bound to find a new favorite. You can pick up new books from Elliot Page, Hannah Pick-Goslar, Fern Brady, and many more. Enjoy your new biography and memoir books. Happy reading!
Are you ready for an adventure of a lifetime? Look no further! Pack your imagination and dive into these thrilling reads that will leave you craving more!
Release Date: April 21, 2023
Wolf shifter Kasha must put aside her disdain for her new Alpha, Nolan, if they have any hope of hunting down the elusive killer slaughtering innocents across their home Isle. This paranormal fantasy romance takes readers on an epic journey of found family, a swoony rivals to lovers slow burn, and a unique twist on werewolves and vampires.
Release Date: May 22, 2023
While Medusa tries her hand at wedding planner, the Greek gods tear apart her city in Sunland Florida, USA, hunting for a blue dwarf and the last drops of nectar. Nectar of Ambrosia is a brand new release stand-alone book in the Furies series narrated by Medusa.
Release Date: May 28, 2023
Two hundred years after the apocalypse, Earth is a brutal planet where humans struggle to survive. New gods, magic, and monsters rampage across the lands. But a new order is rising. With the ancient technologies of the Old World at their side, there may yet be hope.
Release Date: April 15, 2023
A high octane story of Matt and Trent, two friends born with the rare talent of telepathy, as they confront the mysterious Sokolov, a shadowy figure wanting to force them to use their unique powers to control others. Matt must use his telepathy in a new way if they are to have a chance to survive.
Release Date: April 27, 2023
When the council threw Ren into the Choosing, she intended to escape no matter the cost. The last thing she expected was that her struggle for freedom would deliver her into the hands of the resistance. If she plays her cards right, they could give her the revenge and freedom she desperately desires. All they want in return is for her to spy on the council...
Release Date: May 23, 2023
Watch as Matt is dragged into a LITRPG apocalypse set in the real world, where the price of failure is death, and the prize for winning is beyond his wildest dreams. Perfect if you enjoy stories with morally gray characters, high stakes, stealth mechanics, System integration, a smart protagonist with weak-to-strong progression, and more!
If you've been captivated by Sarah J. Maas' enchanting tales and crave a dash of extra heat in your reads, this list is for you. Brace yourself for passionate encounters, irresistible chemistry, and heart-pounding romance that will leave you breathless.
Release Date: May 5, 2023
I'm a confirmed bachelor that's sworn off marriage. My life is perfect until she clings to me in a chaotic restaurant. Minutes later, I watched as another man put a ring on her finger. I don't care if I must break her engagement to get her. It's simple. I want her. I just have to figure out how to steal her from him. Should be simple and easy.
Release Date: June 1, 2023
From USA Today and Wall Street Journal bestselling author Meagan Brandy comes a steamy forbidden romance featuring a possessive hero … who falls first and will stop at nothing to get what he wants.
Release Date: May 25, 2023
1st Lesson of Wolf Ridge High: Dominate or submit. It’s a wolf-eat-wolf school, and those on the top–like my stepbrother–rule all. Those of us on the bottom? We try to fly under the radar. But now that my name is attached to Wilde’s, now that we’re “family,” there’s no more hiding. And the cocky baller is out to punish me for the crime of dragging down his reputation. He discovered my secret and uses it against me. I would rather die than have anyone find out. So I give into his demands. My bed. My body. My submission. And the worst part? I don’t want it to stop.
Release Date: May 25, 2023
“Tonight embarks your journey as the vessel for the next great heir. Any woman can have a womb, but yours has been chosen.” He steps forward and presses a hand to my stomach. “Blessed.”
Release Date: May 5, 2023
He's the fae prince... and the prize for the Bride Games. Too bad I'm not interested. Does that stop him from coming into my life and forcing me to compete? No. Does that stop me from keeping up with my personal agenda? Also no.
Release Date: June 1, 2023
When the search for an abducted child leads to a Waco-like siege, Keira O’Shay is blindsided by a man who still holds too much of her heart. Aiding in the boy’s rescue, Luke Ransom reminds her of the warehouse fire that altered her life and the lives of everyone she loves. One that left her firefighting team with paranormal abilities they neither want, nor understand. And when she discovers the boy she came for shares their powers, she realizes the conspiracy surrounding the fire is far deeper than she ever imagined.
Calling all Jo Nesbø fans! From intricate plots to complex characters, these reads will have you guessing, gasping, and eagerly turning page after page. So grab your detective hat, prepare for some white-knuckle suspense, and let's dive into these thrilling reads that will leave you craving more!
Release Date: May 16, 2023
Book Seven in the gripping Tony Valenti Thrillers series pits Tony against perils unlike any he’s ever faced. Embark on a roller-coaster ride of exciting twists and turns that propel these beloved characters to a satisfying and unexpected conclusion. Order your copy today and discover why tens of thousands of satisfied readers never miss a book.
Release Date: April 4, 2023
With help from her talking cat familiar, Trixie Meadows is determined to discover who killed the owner of Moonglow Hollow's premier catering company. Unraveling this mystery could help her determine who hexed her mother a decade ago--or it could bring her to a sticky end of her own.
Release Date: May 22, 2023
Counter-Racist Hitman, Achim Jeffers, faces a deadly dilemma. In order to protect his growing family, Achim cautiously enters into a shady alliance with the FBI. One misstep & a faceless European assassin will shed blood in New Orleans. Join the worldwide manhunt & feel the combat in this sequel to the underground hit “War of the Heart”.
Release Date: May 30, 2023
Laura thought she’d found the one nice guy in New York City. When Ethan saves her from a crushing crowd on Brooklyn Bridge, their connection is dazzling. Worthy of a heat-filled passionate night. Laura falls pregnant from their one-night stand—a miracle considering her past fertility issues. Ethan is attentive and wonderful at first. She hopes he will be the kind of father she’d always wanted for herself. Until his attentiveness turns to obsession... and his questions become demands.
Release Date: May 30, 2023
BBCOne show creator of Death in Paradise, Robert Thorogood delights in giving the Christie-mystery a busy-body twist. Judith (our favorite skinny-dipping, whiskey-sipping, crossword puzzle author), along with Becks the vicar's wife, and Susie the dogwalker find themselves in a head-scratching, utterly clever country house, locked-room murder mystery.
Release Date: May 23, 2023
Three betrayed women with revenge in common channel their fury in a twisting novel of psychological suspense by the Amazon Charts bestselling author of Jane Doe and False Step.
Writing a Series Versus a Standalone Novel
Writers often debate the merits of writing a series versus standalone novels. There are pros and cons to either approach. I’ll recap the debate by focusing on three key elements in any novel: characters, setting, and plot.
Characters. A series negates the need to create a new cast for each novel. It also allows for longer character arcs. Many readers enjoy revisiting characters they connected with, and the same is true of writers. While I enjoy creating new characters, I find it equally rewarding to plumb the depths of my characters in ways only a series can accommodate. On the downside—especially with thrillers—we sacrifice an element of suspense when major characters are placed in peril. We may not know how they’ll escape, but we’re pretty sure they will. Well, most of the time. 😉
Setting: Similar to the pros and cons of characterization, I find a recurring setting advantageous. The fictional Chicago suburb of Cedar Heights is well-established in my series, and I have the giant canvas of Chicago to work with, so it’s generally enough for me to paint a quick sketch to orient readers new and old. This keeps the story moving forward. I established a firm sense of place in the first Tony Valenti Thriller, A House on Liberty Street, which slowed the story here and there, but I did so because the setting was vital to the story. I also knew I was crafting a series and wanted a strong sense of place to anchor the novels. Readers who have read the series from the start have a deeper appreciation of how Cedar Heights figures in the lives of the characters in a way standalone novels are seldom able to accomplish. That said, creating new locales is fun, so Tony has been known to take the odd road trip.
The third element I’ll address is plot. A decided danger in working with a series is repeatedly writing essentially the same novel, so I strive to give Tony and company fresh challenges to face in each book—tests they meet with the help of accumulated experience and newly-acquired skills. Brute force and/or violence is one way of taking down an adversary, but I find it equally satisfying and more interesting when characters outthink their opponents. Not knowing how Tony will tackle problems also adds a welcome element of suspense.
At the end of the day, there’s no right or wrong in this discussion. Some of us enjoy writing in a series; others are abhorred by the idea of doing so. Some authors write a series and standalones. One size doesn’t fit all!
Neil Turner is the author of the new book Nowhere to Hide (The Tony Valenti Thrillers Book 7)
Connect with Neil Turner
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What's the story behind the story? What inspired you to write Nectar of Ambrosia?
I love writing Medusa stories. My books are all about characters and Medusa’s struggle as a split character as a shy librarian transforming into a snake-haired monster is a joy to write. Like the cover, I think you’ll find this story to be funny, a bit loony, and just plain fun.
In the last book, Medusa was visiting Portofino, Italy, guarding her spider friend Arachne: The Guardian. In this fourth one, Medusa returns home to Sunland Florida, USA. But not only does she have to protect her boyfriend from secret agents in dark shades again, she has to guard a new short blue character, or actually a very old character, Engel, a Mandrigel dwarf from the mythical Isle of Azure Blue in Atlantis. Inspiration for all the series came from my desire to take all that world building from my epic fantasy books, The Azure Series, and turn it into urban fantasy modern romances. I had a whole treasure trove of stuff from my former characters, their memories, and Greek mythology that I could use in more modern times.
My epic fantasy books take place four thousand years ago on the mythical continent of Atlantis. They center around the goddess Persephone, Cora. Well, Persephone stars in one book in the twentieth-first century, Cora. And Medusa’s best friends with her in her own modern world adventures with the rest of the series.
What's your favorite genre to read? Is it the same as your favorite genre to write?
Fantasy and romance. I suppose it’s exactly the same genre I write.
What books are on your TBR pile right now?
I’m currently enjoying Shiftless by Aimee Easterling. I like her MC’s internal dialog. Recently I’ve also been checking out some classics. I was listening to Through the Looking Glass by Lewis Carol. Yeah, really. I’ve been listening because I’m finally delving into audiobooks of my own and I wanted to get a better sense of them (audiobooks are new for me as a reader too). Well, I’m excited ‘cause I just converted my entire witch series to audio after discovering the absolutely perfect narrator and performer, Alexa Elmy, for it!
I also recently picked Of Mice and Men up again. Sometimes I like snatching and skimming old classics. I feel like I can say I read them after I do that. I didn’t really care for the middle of Of Mice and Men, but I was floored by the ending. Medusa likes the book too, by the way. She mentions it in Nectar of Ambrosia. Ah, what a perfect segue…
What scene in your book was your favorite to write?
The pacing of this book probably moves faster than any other book I’ve ever written. So if you want to read action, this is the one to check out. There’s one particular scene of chaos that’s very memorable. Medusa jumps in a car protecting a drunk woman being chased by bad guys as she transforms into her snake-haired alter ego. The woman she’s protecting didn’t know she was a monster. And she hates snakes. Oh, and Medusa doesn’t know how to drive. There’s lots more pandemonium, but I don’t want to give too much away. It’s a fun scene. It’s funny too.
Do you have any quirky writing habits? (lucky mugs, cats on laps, etc.)
You’ll find me in coffee houses every day sipping nitro brews. Or writing at home in the dark with headphones. Any way I can escape and write. Sometimes I write outside—still with headphones. Just as my readers escape reading books, I escape writing them.
If you could choose one thing for readers to remember after reading your book, what would it be?
Nectar of Ambrosia was really made for fun. I hope readers laugh and smile. And I hope they have a wonderful time enjoying it.
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