New Books - NewInBooks

Interview with Bader N. S., Author of Shella City

What's the story behind the story? What inspired you to write Shella City?

The surprising fact is that my inspiration for Shella City has nothing to do with fashion, luxury, or modeling. It was about social skills. In our world, winning in life is no longer about knowledge or experience, but rather about how you make connections. I started to imagine what a person (or people) with superpowers in social and emotional intelligence would look like. This is how the character Randal came to mind, and through writing short stories about him, I realized he has his own philosophies and a distinct way of viewing modeling and advertising as powerful tools used to control a capitalist world.

If you had to pick theme songs for the main characters of Shella City, what would they be?

Viva La Vida (for Randal)
Tired (for Megan)

What's your favorite genre to read? Is it the same as your favorite genre to write?

Society genre fantasy, which is what Shella City is based on.

What scene in your book was your favorite to write?

The Breaking Into My Heart and Garment Bag chapters.

Do you have any quirky writing habits? (lucky mugs, cats on laps, etc.)

Walking for an hour without a destination.

If you could choose one thing for readers to remember after reading your book, what would it be?

Do you have a brand in your life?

Bader N. S. is the author of the new book Shella City

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Interview with Oyindamola Dosunmu, Author of Your Tomorrow Was Today

What's the story behind the story? What inspired you to write Your Tomorrow Was Today?

We all know women who have faced obstacles because of gender or, worse, domestic or sexual violence; it’s an epidemic in many non-Western parts of the world. I started writing the book when I was especially disturbed by the treatment and challenges women face every day in my home country. The Nigerian government has made some progress in tackling these issues over the years, but there’s still a lot of work to be done, and society needs to unlearn harmful beliefs. Not only that, but the book’s themes are also universal; perhaps the most important is the long-standing debate over reproductive rights. I decided I must lend my voice to these domestic (and global) conversations about womanhood, particularly in the areas of female empowerment and autonomy.

If you had to pick theme songs for the main characters of Your Tomorrow Was Today, what would they be?

I’m picking these songs based on the tunes I love and how I picture each character’s vibe!
Karen – Not for Sale by Sudan Archive
Omo – Ancient Oja by Ojazzyigbonile
Uloma – Nwanem Ebezina by Chief Stephen Osita Osadebe
Tunde – Slow by Wizkid ft. Anais Cardot
Stephanie - Save Yourself by Birdy

What's your favorite genre to read? Is it the same as your favorite genre to write?

Yes, I absolutely love literary fiction, and it’s also my favorite genre to write.

What books are on your TBR pile right now?

I have so many books sitting on my shelf. I’m excited to dive into This Mournable Body by Tsitsi Dangarembga, Klara and the Sun by Kazuo Ishiguro, and Peaces by Helen Oyeyemi.

What scene in your book was your favorite to write?

The final scene. It sat with me for a long time after. I love quiet endings, and I think I captured the solemnity Karen, our main character, felt after all she went through.

Do you have any quirky writing habits? (lucky mugs, cats on laps, etc.)

Would typing away under a blanket tent on my bed count?

Do you have a motto, quote, or philosophy you live by?

My philosophy will always be to love others as I love myself. There’s so much hate in the world, I want to live my life as an inspiration to others.

If you could choose one thing for readers to remember after reading your book, what would it be?

As a woman, happy endings are not limited to traditional goals, e.g., marriage; there’s nothing wrong with wanting things like that for yourself, but there are women who see their happy endings differently from tradition, and that’s okay as well.

Oyindamola Dosunmu is the author of the new book Your Tomorrow Was Today

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Interview with Asa Bowers, Author of Mancala Moon

What's the story behind the story? What inspired you to write Mancala Moon?

Mancala Moon grew out of a question I kept returning to: why do grief and harmful family patterns sometimes feel less like experiences and more like inheritances - almost like a curse passed quietly from one generation to the next. I was interested in that feeling of being born into something you didn’t choose, yet still being asked to carry it. I wanted to explore that idea in a mythic, symbolic way - something that felt less like a modern novel and more like an old folktale whispered around a fire. The forest, the visions, the silent fox, and the ancient game all became ways to externalize an inner struggle: the moment when someone realizes that healing doesn’t come from escaping the past, but from facing it with courage and intention. At its heart, this book is about the quiet, difficult choice to break a cycle - to believe that even something that feels centuries old can end with you. I wanted to write a story that feels beautiful and haunting, but also hopeful. A reminder that the power to change a legacy already lives within us.

What's your favorite genre to read? Is it the same as your favorite genre to write?

I love books with layered meaning - stories that linger and feel timeless, revealing something new depending on who’s reading. Literary fiction, magical realism, and mythic tales pull me in because they explore inner lives while hinting at something larger. I’m drawn to writing the same way: crafting quietly mythic stories where emotion and symbolism guide the narrative, inviting readers to find their own reflections.

What books are on your TBR pile right now?

I’m currently working my way through The Complete Short Stories of Ernest Hemingway, which I keep returning to for his precision, emotional depth, and ability to convey so much with so little.

What scene in your book was your favorite to write?

I loved writing Micah’s interactions with the fox throughout the book. There’s something magical about his emotional connection with the fox - an almost unspoken bond - through which he receives guidance without words. The fox doesn’t tell him what to do or where to go, but gently supports him, allowing Micah to make each choice for himself. Writing these moments let me explore subtle symbolism, emotional intimacy, and the mystical thread running through the story, making the forest feel alive and deeply personal. I like to think we all have our own fox - whether internal or external - quietly guiding us through uncertainty and helping us find our own way.

Do you have any quirky writing habits? (lucky mugs, cats on laps, etc.)

I like to write with natural sunlight filling the room and my beagle curled up by my feet. There’s something grounding about that quiet warmth as I settle into the story.

Do you have a motto, quote, or philosophy you live by?

I try to live by the idea that even the heaviest burdens or longest-standing patterns can be faced and changed. It’s a reminder that courage doesn’t always roar - it often lives in those quiet, daily choices. Much like in Mancala Moon, I believe that the power to move through grief already exists within us; we just have to find the strength to claim it.

If you could choose one thing for readers to remember after reading your book, what would it be?

I hope readers carry the reminder that even the heaviest burdens or longest-standing patterns can be faced and changed. Healing, growth, and transformation often come quietly, through small choices and acts of courage, rather than grand gestures. I also hope Mancala Moon is a book readers return to - one that reveals something new each time, lingering in the mind and heart like a quiet, mythic echo.

Asa Bowers is the author of the new book Mancala Moon

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Interview with Donell Jackson, Author of How a Woman Should Treat Her Man

What's the story behind the story? What inspired you to write How a Woman Should Treat Her Man?

It’s part two of How a Man Should Treat His Woman.

What's your favorite genre to read? Is it the same as your favorite genre to write?

I like reading fantasy, so no, it’s not the game genre of the book.

What books are on your TBR pile right now?

Don’t have any at the moment. I’ve been so busy writing.

What scene in your book was your favorite to write?

When Lillian showed up at Terrance’s house and revealed a different side of herself that he didn’t know about.

Do you have any quirky writing habits? (lucky mugs, cats on laps, etc.)

Just listened to some soft jazz or R&B.

Do you have a motto, quote, or philosophy you live by?

Life doesn’t change until you decide to make your first step into it.

If you could choose one thing for readers to remember after reading your book, what would it be?

Your relationship can be as great as you want it to be, no matter what you have been through in the past. You make your love story a reality.

Donell Jackson is the author of the new book How a Woman Should Treat Her Man

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Interview with Halle Oak, Author of The Bear and the Lamb

What's the story behind the story? What inspired you to write The Bear and the Lamb?

The Bear and the Lamb began as a short story about an 1890s outlaw and a stargazing innkeeper’s wife who cross paths briefly, each helping the other out of a kind of cage—social, emotional, and personal. It was always meant to be fleeting, but the characters stayed with me long after I finished writing it. As I revisited the story, it became clear there was more room to explore their pasts, their choices, and the quiet ways people change each other even when they don’t stay together. Expanding it into a full-length novel felt like giving them the story they deserved.

What's your favorite genre to read? Is it the same as your favorite genre to write?

I love reading romance. I’m especially drawn to character-driven stories that focus on emotional intimacy, longing, and complicated connections. That naturally carries over into my writing—I’m always more interested in who people are and how they collide than in rigid genre boundaries.

What books are on your TBR pile right now?

I tend to bounce between genres depending on my writing headspace, but I’m always chasing strong voices and unforgettable characters.

What scene in your book was your favorite to write?

An absinthe-fueled trip inside a New Orleans opera house. It was surreal and a little unhinged in the best way.

Do you have any quirky writing habits? (lucky mugs, cats on laps, etc.)

I have an objectively terrible writing posture. I’ll sometimes write with my laptop balanced on my chest while lying flat on my back, then wonder later why my neck hurts.

Do you have a motto, quote, or philosophy you live by?

Anyone who has ever done anything extraordinary has had to be a little delusional.

If you could choose one thing for readers to remember after reading your book, what would it be?

I hope readers remember the characters like old friends. One of my favorite feelings as a reader is finishing a book and still thinking about the people in it days—or weeks—later, wondering what they’d be doing now. If my characters linger like that for someone, then I’ve done my job.

Halle Oak is the author of the new book The Bear and the Lamb

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Interview with M.H. Sargent, Author of Catching The Wind

What's the story behind the story? What inspired you to write Catching The Wind?

With some of my thrillers, I take a controversial subject or a conspiracy theory and run with it, giving people a chance to think outside the box. In this case, I looked at the writings and videos of Dane Wigington at Geoengineering Watch. He has been saying for years that climate engineering is harmful (commonly known as ‘chemtrails’), and he’s helped various states here in the US draft legislation to stop it. I wanted to take that issue, put a lot of his scientific research into layman’s terms, and spin it into a good spy thriller.

If you had to pick theme songs for the main characters of Catching The Wind, what would they be?

License to Kill by Gladys Knight.

What's your favorite genre to read? Is it the same as your favorite genre to write?

Yes, I love thrillers.

What books are on your TBR pile right now?

The last two books by Daniel Silva are An Inside Job and A Death in Cornwall.

What scene in your book was your favorite to write?

When one of the main characters goes to talk to a university professor about geoengineering since her own research has just taken her down different rabbit holes, yes, it’s bad and needs to end; no, it’s safe and necessary to save the planet. The professor puts it all out there in just a few concise pages that everyone can wrap their head around.

Do you have any quirky writing habits? (lucky mugs, cats on laps, etc.)

No cats, but I always have my German Shepherds in my office with me. As for writing, each morning, I review what I wrote the day before, massage that, then move forward with the next scene.

Do you have a motto, quote, or philosophy you live by?

Being grateful for all that I have, the glass is always half-full.

If you could choose one thing for readers to remember after reading your book, what would it be?

I just want them to enjoy the twists and turns and thoroughly enjoy the story.

M.H. Sargent is the author of the new book Catching The Wind

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Interview with Davis Hall, Author of It Fell from the Sky

What's the story behind the story? What inspired you to write It Fell from the Sky?

My daughter wanted a book about teenage female detectives — imagining if some of the famous old lady detectives were modern teens—and she loves to laugh, so this is what came out. It was intended to be humorous, sort of like the TV shows Psych or Monk. So, yes, the teens are a bit bumbling. But I would be too if I had to investigate a murder!

What's your favorite genre to read? Is it the same as your favorite genre to write?

I do like humorous books of any genre, really.

What scene in your book was your favorite to write?

The heart-shattering elephant ride breakup scene, of course.

Do you have any quirky writing habits? (lucky mugs, cats on laps, etc.)

After getting started, like a first chapter or whatnot, I have to find the right band/musician that is the feel of the book to write the rest, and I only listen to that artist while I write.

Do you have a motto, quote, or philosophy you live by?

I don’t know anything. So there is always a lot to learn.

Davis Hall is the author of the new book It Fell from the Sky

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Interview with Rob Sheinkopf , Author of Baseball Imposters

What's the story behind the story? What inspired you to write Baseball Imposters?

As I explain in Chapter One, I discovered that one of the former major league baseball players I had interviewed for my master's thesis in 1985 lied about having played major league baseball. It got me started on a 40-year research journey to expose him and the many other impostors I learned about along the way.

If you had to pick theme songs for the main characters of Baseball Imposters, what would they be?

Van Lingo Mungo (Dave Frishberg)

What's your favorite genre to read? Is it the same as your favorite genre to write?

I like reading non-fiction, history, biography, memoir, and anything baseball.

What books are on your TBR pile right now?

I'm reading Dan Good's "Playing Through the Pain, Ken Caminiti and the Steroids Confession that Changed Baseball Forever", and Gene Greenberg's "NO MATTER HOW FAR", based on a true story of a Holocaust Survivor's search for his wife after WW2. Both are highly recommended.

What scene in your book was your favorite to write?

The story about the chiropractor lying about having played for the Yankees, Chapter 5. It is absolutely true, and it gets my blood boiling every time I read it to groups, and people seem to enjoy it.

Do you have any quirky writing habits? (lucky mugs, cats on laps, etc.)

No, nothing like that. But I'm an old man who needs his naps, so I try to stay awake long enough to finish a story.

Do you have a motto, quote, or philosophy you live by?

No, I don't think about things that deeply. I'm a pretty shallow person. Just ask my wife.

If you could choose one thing for readers to remember after reading your book, what would it be?

Only that it was a good book, so maybe go back and buy my other one ("Hey Mom, Wanna Have a Catch?") because you'll like that one too.

Rob Sheinkopf is the author of the new book Baseball Imposters

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Interview with Terry Odell, Author of Deadly Ambitions

What's the story behind the story? What inspired you to write Deadly Ambitions?

The last Mapleton Mystery, Deadly Adversaries, left some open threads. Not cliffhangers—I hate those!—but things I wanted to follow up on. Also, I thought it was a good time for Angie to have a bigger role, although I’m not sure how happy she was with the way things turned out.

If you had to pick theme songs for the main characters of Deadly Ambitions, what would they be?

For Angie – either “C is for Cookie” or “Alice’s Restaurant.” For Gordon, the theme song from Cops, “Bad Boys,” although things don’t really happen that way in small town Mapleton.

What's your favorite genre to read? Is it the same as your favorite genre to write?

I like reading the genres I write, which is probably why I write them. Traditional mystery structure more than suspense or thrillers, although I’ll read those if I like the characters. I don’t like knowing more than the detective does, probably because my first introduction to mysteries was Sherlock Holmes, and we never saw Moriarty’s point of view. I like puzzles. I also like romantic suspense when there’s a good mystery plot along with the romantic elements.

What books are on your TBR pile right now?

I don’t really have a ‘pile’ as much as a list, usually of new releases. I look forward to books by JD Robb, CJ Box, John Sandford, and Michael Connelly, among others. I’m currently reading new releases by two author friends, Suzanne Brockmann and Karla Brandenburg.

What scene in your book was your favorite to write?

My favorite scenes in Deadly Ambitions (can’t have just one) would be the scenes where Gordon and Ed Solomon are engaging in their usual banter. Solomon keeps things light, and I enjoy his sense of humor. And, of course, since Gordon and Angie are still in their newlywed phase, I enjoy writing the scenes between the two of them, usually over a meal she’s cooked.

Do you have any quirky writing habits? (lucky mugs, cats on laps, etc.)

I’m not sure you’d call this quirky, but before I dive into the writing, I check in with my writing buddy/critique partner, and we compare scores for Connections and Strands and the NYT Mini Cross. I think that helps jump-start my brain for writing. And maybe a few rounds of Candy Crush just to keep things entertaining. Then, I look at what I wrote the day before, which I’ve printed out, read in bed, and made some markups. I make the tweaks based on that, and then it’s full steam ahead.

Do you have a motto, quote, or philosophy you live by?

You can’t fix a blank page. Get something written and fix it later.

If you could choose one thing for readers to remember after reading your book, what would it be?

I’d like readers to come away from any of my books feeling like they’ve spent some time with friends. And now, especially these days, they can enjoy a satisfying ending, where justice is meted out. Also, if I’ve provided a little enlightenment about a subject they might not have thought about before, then that’s a bonus. In Deadly Ambitions, there’s a theme about things people might not know about Colorado’s history that runs through the book.

Terry Odell is the author of the new book Deadly Ambitions

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New Mystery and Thriller Books to Read | January 20

Hold on to the edge of your seat as we hunt for clues and solve the case with these exciting new mystery and thriller books for the week! There are so many bestselling authors with new novels for you to dive into this week including Davis Hall, Terry Odell, Christy Barritt, and more. Enjoy your new mystery, thriller, and suspense novels. Happy reading!