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 Misha Bell, Anna Zaires, & Dima Zales, Michelle Dayton, Rina Kent, Stephanie Fournet, and more. Enjoy your new romance books and happy reading!
What's the story behind the story? What inspired you to write Pedro Pan: One Boy's Journey to America?
The book showcases an important part of Cuban history. More than 14,000 children left Cuba without their parents to take freedom flights to escape oppression and tyranny. In my book, the vivid imagination of one boy, flying away like Peter Pan to a rural farm in Iowa. Pedro Pan: One Boy's Journey to America, is a story of country, culture, and the resilience of an immigrant boy and his family. The book is dedicated to my Cuban family who took freedom flights to the United States of America.
If you had to pick theme songs for the main characters of Pedro Pan: One Boy's Journey to America, what would they be?
"America" Neil Diamond
What's your favorite genre to read? Is it the same as your favorite genre to write?
Historical Fiction and, yes this is my favorite genre to write as it allows me to travel back in time.
What books are on your TBR pile right now?
World Travel (Anthony Bourdain and Laurie Woolever) The Stranger in the Lifeboat (Mitch Albom) The House of Love (Adriana Trigiani)
What scene in your book was your favorite to write?
The farm scenes when the animals talk as they befriend Pedro, the new farm boy.
Do you have any quirky writing habits? (lucky mugs, cats on laps, etc.)
Well, like most writers: drinking coffee, coffee, and more coffee. But I have interesting mugs with inspirational quotes for my writing.
Do you have a motto, quote, or philosophy you live by?
Follow your bliss and the universe will open doors for you where there were only walls. (Joesph Campbell)
If you could choose one thing for readers to remember after reading your book, what would it be?
Always hold on to your dreams and never lose hope like Young Pedro.
Michelle Marie McNiff is the author of the new book Pedro Pan: One Boy's Journey to America
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In the mood for a new biography or memoir? Check out these instant bestsellers by Lynne Podrat, Yitzhak Bar-Yossef, Jami Attenberg, and more. Enjoy your new non-fiction picks!
Release Date: August 19, 2021
This memoir was written to honor my youngest brother’s influence over my life, the good, the bad, and the ugly, of living with a Down Syndrome sibling. It tells the story of the children of my family, despite our parents’ frailties, remaining committed to each other through life’s many changes and separations. Who I am today is directly related to who I needed to become.
Release Date: January 9, 2022
The Son He Left Behind brings Itzhak’s unique story to life and tells the tale of the inevitable rift between two entirely opposite worlds – the conservatist, orthodox one and the secular, liberal one, all on the backdrop of the Jewish community in Israel in the 20th century and the young state’s first years.
Release Date: January 11, 2022
Exploring themes of friendship, independence, class, and drive, I Came All This Way to Meet You is an inspiring story of finding one’s way home—emotionally, artistically, and physically—and an examination of art and individuality that will resonate with anyone determined to listen to their own creative calling.
Release Date: January 11, 2022
Funny and exhilarating, poignant and frank, Chasing History is an extraordinary memoir of life on the cusp of adulthood for a determined young man with a dogged commitment to the truth.
Release Date: January 11, 2022
Righteous Troublemakers shines a light on everyday people called to do extraordinary things—like Pauli Murray, whose early work informed Thurgood Marshall’s legal argument for Brown v. Board of Education, Claudette Colvin, who refused to give up her seat on a segregated bus months before Rosa Parks did the same, and Gwen Carr, whose private pain in losing her son Eric Garner stoked her public activism against police brutality.
Release Date: January 11, 2022
A remarkable exploration of the therapeutic relationship, Dr. Mark Epstein reflects on one year’s worth of therapy sessions with his patients to observe how his training in Western psychotherapy and his equally long investigation into Buddhism, in tandem, led to greater awareness—for his patients, and for himself
Looking to add to your literary fiction list this January? Check out these new novels by these indie bestselling authors. Enjoy your new literary fiction book recommendations!
Release Date: March 19, 2021
At the noble sacrifice of his parents, in 1961, Pedro and Pepe, his pet lizard, board an airplane to America. Leaving his family behind, he travels from the city of Havana to a rural farm in Iowa. The vivid imagination of one boy, flying away like Peter Pan with the loving care of a farmer and his wife, he learns English and takes on new chores. Will he ever reunite with his family again?
Release Date: January 11, 2022
Young and desperately in love, Merrin had the whole world ahead of her. But just as her new life was about to start, the ground beneath her feet was cruelly swept away. Devastated by the humiliation, she ran far away from the beloved fishing village she had always called home to lick her wounds and escape her gossiping friends and neighbours. It hasn’t been easy, but six years later Merrin has forged a new life for herself far from the sea, burying the impulsive girl she once was. But when tragedy strikes, she has no choice but to return to the village she swore she’d never set foot in again.
Release Date: January 4, 2022
All’s fair in love, war, and baking contests. I’m desperate to save my party planning business. So desperate I agree to dress up as a dancing cucumber for my ex-boyfriend’s sons’ birthday party. Talk about lower than low. Then, I see an opportunity that may solve all our problems. $20,000 for winning a local version of The Great British Bake-Off? I’m in. So what if I’ve never actually baked anything? To save our business, I’m willing to read every baking book under the sun.
Release Date: January 6, 2022
Sonny Cowgill is slowly regaining his memory. He was declared missing in action in the First World War, presumed dead. But Sonny’s beloved wife Rachel found him and brought him home. As he rebuilds his relationship with his wife and learns how to be a father to the son he never knew he had, memories begin to resurface. Sonny remembers something that the Cowgill family thought lost forever — the whereabouts of his eldest brother. James was disowned by their father and never seen again after he ran off with the housemaid. Can the family finally be reunited?
Release Date: January 11, 2022
My darling girl, don’t make the same mistakes as I did. Now that my life is coming to an end, take your grandmother’s bracelet, unlock the secret of our family history, and discover who you are... An absolutely heart-wrenching page-turner about how the catastrophic consequences of war can echo through generations, and the power that true love has to save us all.
England, 1100s. Meet Matilda of England. Betrothed at eight. Married at twelve. And crowned Empress in her late teens. Matilda is the only legitimate daughter of Henry I of England. She’s also the granddaughter of William the Conqueror and is a descendent — through her mother — from the ancient line of Anglo-Saxon kings. She is made a widow in her early twenties and is the only surviving heir to the throne of England. Now she must marry Geoffrey of Anjou, a boy ten years younger, and share the task of leading an often rebellious state.
Release Date: January 4, 2022
Have you been searching for some exciting new sci-fi and fantasy reads? You’ll be able to explore fantastic new worlds with these amazing new releases from bestselling authors Brien Feathers, Toni Behm, Clinton Festa, Martha Carr & Michael Anderle, Seth Cohen, and Mark Goodwin. Happy reading!
Release Date: October 15, 2021
Vampire-like beings guard the earth against supernatural threats. First in the series, an urban fantasy for adults. Drake, a telekinetic Elder, lives in New Orleans. He comes to work one day and finds death, disease, dark war, and the apocalypse. It ruins his weekend plans.
Release Date: December 11, 2021
In a fantastic mystical land mostly obscured by fog, a young adventurer searches desperately for the magic rose that will act as a compass to help him find his best friend and true love.
Release Date: December 14, 2021
A gift at birth will get you enemies for life. When two sisters are exiled from their native home, they embark on an epic journey throughout the mythological world of Ancient Canada. Using Lavender's unique ability to see life and death, she and her elder sister, Marigold, must stay within the narrow margins of survival in an alternate Arctic Circle.
Release Date: December 8, 2021
Is Idina Moorfield going crazy or has an ancient magic found its source? Her family says she’s not a true Moorfield and will never be good enough for the family business. Sometimes what looks like the worst day ever, is the beginning of our best adventure. Idina takes that first step into a new life and gets the hell away from them to forge her own future.
Release Date: September 27, 2021
An old enemy finds an ancient weapon, something more lethal than your partner. How do you protect your loved ones? How do you keep your country safe? How do you save your best friend? Saabrina: Firebird, the third book of the Saabrina series, continues the adventures of Saabrina, a sentient spaceship called a Saab, and her partner, Bob Foxen, Sentinel of the United Star Systems.
Release Date: January 7, 2022
Jennifer Martin struggles to keep her small business afloat in the aftermath of a global pandemic. But when a blast from the past informs her of a plan to take down America, she realizes the pandemic was only the opening act. Death and destruction hang like a dark cloud over the horizon. Jennifer must steel herself for the trouble to come. Don't miss this post-apocalyptic thrill ride set in America's near future.
In the mood for a new romance read this week? Check out our favorite new romance paranormal and romantic suspense books from bestselling authors Willow Winters, Liz Talley, Dana Isaly, Sofia T Summers, Devney Perry, and Vi Keeland. Enjoy your new romances!
Release Date: January 9, 2022
From USA Today bestselling author, Willow Winters, comes an exclusive collection of sexy short stories with happily ever afters! This addictive collection has quick reads that can be read on their own and deliver all the desired feels of the romance genre.
Release Date: February 1, 2022
Antique-store owner Cricket Crosby’s life is turned upside down when she discovers that the rumors of her husband’s affair aren’t just leisurely southern gossip. Her plan: hire an investigator; find an attorney; enlist the help of her new assistant, Ruby; and make her husband pay.
Release Date: January 7, 2022
You can run, but you can’t hide, Little Doe. Wes is in Greece when he catches a glimpse of wild brown hair in the crowd, sending a thrill down his spine. He’d know those curls anywhere. But she couldn’t be at the wedding of his best friend... right? He knows she’s keeping secrets, and he’s determined to hunt them down.
Release Date: January 8, 2022
Deliciously sinful, kindle melting hot, full-length, standalone office romance featuring a smart mouthed girl, capable enough of killing her magnificently grumpy boss with kindness. This one is overloaded with drama, banter, slow burn, off-the-charts heat, and ALL. THE. FEELS.
Release Date: January 11, 2022
It’s there, on the fifth worst day of her life, that she meets the handsomest man she’s ever laid eyes on. Knox Eden is a beautiful, sinful dream, a chef and her temporary landlord. With his sharp, stubbled jaw and tattooed arms, he’s raw and rugged and everything she’s never had—and never will. Because after the first worst day of her life, Memphis learned a good life requires giving up on her dreams too. And a man like Knox Eden will only ever be a dream.
Release Date: January 8, 2022
The first time I met Max Yearwood was on a blind date. Max was insanely gorgeous, funny, and our chemistry was off the charts. He also had the biggest dimples I’d ever laid eyes on. Exactly what I needed after my breakup. Or so I thought... Until my real date arrived.
Don’t miss out on these exciting new mystery, thriller, and suspense books that are perfect to add to your reading list this winter! Check out these new books by bestselling authors George Norris, David Greene, J. B. Turner, Freida McFadden, Cap Daniels, and Libby Howard. Enjoy your new mystery, thriller, and suspense books!
Release Date: January 1, 2022
Ten years after a top-secret mission in Afghanistan, retired NYPD Detective and Navy SEAL Michael Keough finds himself about to hit rock bottom. He’s divorced from his wife and instead married to the bottle. Then, on a cool fall evening, a volley of gunfire erupts outside his apartment. When he discovers his partner mortally wounded, it changes everything.
Release Date: January 5, 2022
In book two of the Elliot Blake series, Elliot is promoted to Head of Claims at Auto, Home, and Life Amalgamated. In his first big case, Elliot investigates the death of Leonard Lehnert, the star of a popular radio show called The Shadow’s Voice, a fictional 1948 radio drama. Lehnert’s wife claims her husband drowned in a boating accident, but Elliot isn’t sure that it was an accident.
Release Date: January 1, 2022
When the people he loves most are in danger, Jack McNeal will get revenge... or die trying. To avenge Caroline’s death, Jack embarks on a journey into the darkest recesses of power. Suspects abound—from haunted Special Forces soldiers to ex-CIA to the president’s own body man. Along the way, Jack will be forced to decide: Is there a line he won’t cross to expose the killer?
Release Date: January 10, 2022
Tess Strebel can’t recognize her own face. She can’t recognize her home. Her bedroom is unfamiliar. And she can’t remember the handsome stranger lying next to her in bed. A stranger who claims he’s her husband. Tess reads a letter in her own handwriting, composed during a rare lucid day, explaining her life as it now exists: She was in a terrible car accident one year ago. Every morning, she wakes up unable to remember most of the last decade. And then Tess receives a text message on her phone. One that changes everything: "Don’t trust the man who calls himself your husband."
Release Date: January 10, 2022
From the shallows of the tranquil Caribbean, to the depths of the soul-wrenching unimaginable, let Cap Daniels take you on an adventure you’ll never forget and leave you questioning if freedom could stand without men like Chase Fulton and his team.
Release Date: January 10, 2022
Sassy Letteroux is not normally an impulsive woman, but when the campground that held so many childhood memories comes up for sale, she throws caution to the wind and buys it—sight unseen. Arriving with her 85 year old mother and her bloodhound, Elvis, Sassy realizes there’s a lot to do before the campground will be ready for the spring rush of guests. And first on the to-do list is find out who murdered her handyman.
What's the story behind the story? What inspired you to write Ancient Canada: A Mythological Tale?
I was visiting a friend in New York City, looking for a place to eat lunch. There were fantastic restaurants everywhere with food from all over the world. Thinking about all of those different cultures made me want to create an alternate world full of its own, without infringing on any true cultural traditions.
This story takes place in an alternate Arctic Circle. It only uses the geography of the North, not its cultural traditions, and tells its own story. Without giving away too much, the title still makes sense as you progress through the book.
If you had to pick theme songs for the main characters of Ancient Canada: A Mythological Tale, what would they be?
That’s funny, because when writing the characters, I tried to think of what they would be like in our world, particularly what music they would listen to. I’m not sure of one specific song, but Marigold would definitely be a huge Madonna fan. That was fun, and important, for me to think about while writing because it helped me develop some universality to the characters. For Lavender, it would be Annie Lennox. If they lived in our world, Lavender would get into fights with Marigold over music, for sure.
What's your favorite genre to read? Is it the same as your favorite genre to write?
My favorite genre to read, believe it or not, is actual mythology. I love The Odyssey, I enjoy reading Greek tragedies, and anything really, really old. For current works, the latest book I read was River of Fire, a memoir by Sister Helen Prejean. I highly recommend all three of her books. My favorite genre to write is fantasy/mythology fiction just like this story.
What books are on your TBR pile right now?
The Stranger by Albert Camus.
What scene in your book was your favorite to write?
Probably when Lavender and Marigold are inside the sea monster and the Canadian soldiers fail miserably in their attempt to kill the creature (not to rescue, but to arrest the sisters). The reason I liked writing it was that the scene required a certain precision of detail for the action not to be confusing, and that also brought out a lot of the imagery and movement, making such a bizarre scene so easy to picture.
Do you have any quirky writing habits? (lucky mugs, cats on laps, etc.)
Nothing too quirky, but my family schedule tends to force my writing time to be late at night. Most of this book was written between 9 p.m. and 3 a.m. on weekends, or when I was traveling for work. Which is probably why it took me a while to write, and why the characters suffer multiple episodes of sleep deprivation throughout the story.
Do you have a motto, quote, or philosophy you live by?
My grandfather used to say, “The impossible just takes a little bit longer.” He was an educator and a school superintendent, and that motto worked for him. His brother used to say, “Do everything with love.” He was a priest, and that worked for him as well. Those sayings work for me too, when I remember to use them.
If you could choose one thing for readers to remember after reading your book, what would it be?
I just hope it’s unlike anything they’ve read before. If they’re expecting sword and sorcery fantasy, they’ll be upset at the lack of wizards and dragons. But I suppose with a title like Ancient Canada: a Mythological Tale, and knowing that it’s not based on actual cultures of our world, I would just hope they’d question the story world, and wonder why things are the way they are.
Clinton Festa is the author of the new book Ancient Canada: A Mythological Tale
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What's the story behind the story? What inspired you to write Silver to the Heart, Light of Adua Book One?
I’ve always loved vampires, magic, and concepts such as parallel universes. So here you are, vampires with magical abilities who are souls from a different realm.
If you had to pick theme songs for the main characters of Silver to the Heart, Light of Adua Book One, what would they be?
Well, not a theme song for this book in particular, but one of my favorites is ‘Man That You Fear’ by Marilyn Manson (because I’m old!).
What's your favorite genre to read? Is it the same as your favorite genre to write?
In reading, I love any type of fantasy and some well written memoirs. I love space horror type of sci-fi too, but I like them better in films such as Danny Boyle’s ‘Sunshine’. So, yes, I do love the genre I write in.
What books are on your TBR pile right now?
I’m really into Joe Abercrombie at the moment, Calder is my favorite. Everything Abercrombie is on my TBR right now. Also, Frank Herbert’s Dune Sage is on my list as well (don’t hang me for not having read them yet).
What scene in your book was your favorite to write?
Spoiler alert. Alright, I’m writing the third book of the same series as of right now, (book two is complete and sent off my editor). I rework every scene till it feels ‘right’, so in my opinion they’re all good. I also get emotionally invested in what I’m currently writing. In short, all the scenes in ‘Silver to the Heart’ are good but my favorite from that book is a chapter called ‘Farewell, Father’. My all-time favorite scene as of right now, is in book three because it’s always in something I’m currently writing. When I’m done with that, my favorite scene will be in book four.
Do you have any quirky writing habits? (lucky mugs, cats on laps, etc.)
It may or may not involve alcoholic beverages and/or other… things.
Do you have a motto, quote, or philosophy you live by?
Write what you want to read.
If you could choose one thing for readers to remember after reading your book, what would it be?
After reading 'Silver to the Heart', Book One, if you could remember one thing, a single thing, and that was it. Remember this: buy book two! Shameless plug: Prophecy for the Warlord, Light of Adua Book Two coming to all retailers January of 2022.
Brien Feathers is the author of the new book Silver to the Heart, Light of Adua Book One
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What's the story behind the story? What inspired you to write The Shadow's Voice?
The Shadow’s Voice is a sequel to The Winkler Case. The story for both books is set in 1948 in Chicago, in an era when LGBT life was lived in the shadows. As I researched what it was like for LGBT people during and after World War 2, I realized how much courage it took in those days for gay men and women to meet, fall in love, and build their lives together—almost always in secret. My characters are invented, but they represent real people. Their lives were a part of history that historians intentionally suppressed. My mission as a writer has been to tell these stories that were censored. In this book in particular, I wanted to be the shadow’s voice.
If you had to pick theme songs for the main characters of The Shadow's Voice, what would they be?
For Vito it would be opera. He’s Italian. He burns hot. In the book there’s a moment where Elliot plays a recording of the famous Italian tenor Caruso singing ‘Vesti la giubba’ from Leoncavallo’s opera Pagliacci. Quoting from the book: “It was one of Vito’s favorite arias. According to Vito, the song comes at the end of the first act, when the stage performer Canio discovers his wife’s infidelity, but despite this must prepare for his performance as Pagliaccio the clown. “The show must go on,” Vito said. “No matter how much it hurts. The people pay you and they want their laugh.” For Vito, the song was a reminder of what it felt like to be in the ring and take a fall—a swan dive, he called it—at the hands of ‘some cream puff’ that Walt Winkler had bet on to win.
What's your favorite genre to read? Is it the same as your favorite genre to write?
I cannot pick a favorite. I like 19th-century novels, noir novels (James M. Cain’s novel Double Indemnity inspired The Winkler Case), mysteries and thrillers, and young adult fiction. I’ve written novels in all of these genres, though the young adult novel I’m working on right now has not yet been published. My jumping around in various genres has been a challenge for some readers. But I can’t help it. I want to write work that affects others the way the work I love has affected me.
What books are on your TBR pile right now?
Dash & Lily's Book of Dares by Rachel Cohn and David Levithan (young adult) - Doctor Thorne by Anthony Trollope (19th century British) - The Dark Hours by Michael Connelly (P.I. Mystery) - Playback: A Novel by Raymond Chandler (noir).
What scene in your book was your favorite to write?
I really had fun writing the scenes in which Elliot discovers Vito’s old letters. The letters represent coded correspondence written during the war. I felt like I was channeling the text of those letters. I also had a lot of fun with Minnie’s scenes at The Dome Room.
Do you have any quirky writing habits? (lucky mugs, cats on laps, etc.)
I always have a real life model for every character’s voice. While writing The Winkler Case, for example, I was hearing the voice of the actor Edward G. Robinson in my head whenever I wrote dialogue for Martin Zimmerman. Similarly, it was the actress Eve Arden whose voice I heard when writing lines for Minnie McNally in The Shadow’s Voice. I truly love writing dialogue and this method of imagining a specific real world voice helps me with characterization.
Do you have a motto, quote, or philosophy you live by?
Living with Joy by Sanaya Roman, along with the other books in her Earth Life series, form the basis of my personal philosophy. Here’s a quote from Living With Joy: "Freedom is an inner feeling. It is the ability to choose what you want. It is the knowledge that YOU are the captain of the ship. Freedom is knowing that you own your own life, that you are the one in charge."
If you could choose one thing for readers to remember after reading your book, what would it be?
First, I want to recommend that anyone interested in The Shadow’s Voice start by reading The Winkler Case. The sequence is important! I hope readers will come away from these books with an expanded vision of history. History is always evolving. Help history grow more truthful by reading and sharing these untold stories!
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