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 Cornelia E. Davis, Kate Moore, David Yi, and many more. Enjoy your new biography and memoir books. Happy reading!
Don’t miss out on these fantastic personal histories and childhood reflections that will change your perspective and inspire you to do good! Start reading the newest from accomplished authors Michelle Felix, Cornelia E. Davis, Ly Tran, Tiya Miles, Danielle Henderson, and Ashley C. Ford. Happy reading!
Release Date: June 14, 2021
An honest and inspiring memoir from Michelle Felix...During her childhood, Michelle had her world turned upside down, as she was forced to face several family issues that deeply affected her and made her feel stuck in a cycle of pain, regret, and immense grief. However, even with the hurt that painted her childhood, Michelle is determined to find healing and turn her pain into purpose, even when she sometimes feels weighed down by the complexities of her past.
Release Date: March 19, 2021
A memoir from award-winning Author Cornelia E. Davis...After working thirty-five years internationally in infectious diseases in twenty countries in Africa and Asia, Connie shares stories and exploits from her life in the field. Connie inspires you to take calculated risks. She reminds you that if you want anything in life to change you must make the choice to take the chance.
Release Date: June 1, 2021
An autobiography by Bestselling Author Ly Tran...An intimate, beautifully written coming-of-age memoir recounting a young girl’s journey from war-torn Vietnam to Ridgewood, Queens, and her struggle to find her voice amid clashing cultural expectations. "This is a book that will assault and warm your heart at the same time ”- Vogue, Best Books to Read 2021.
Release Date: June 8, 2021
From award-winning author and historian, Tiya Miles comes a fascinating biography...A renowned historian traces the life of a single object handed down through three generations of Black women to craft an extraordinary testament to people who are left out of the archives. “A history told with brilliance and tenderness and fearlessness.” - Jill Lepore, author of These Truths: A History of the United States.
Release Date: June 8, 2021
Amazon Bestselling Author Danielle Henderson recounts her childhood in this personal history...An uproarious, moving memoir about a grandmother’s ferocious love and redefining what it means to be family“If you fight that motherf**ker and you don’t win, you’re going to come home and fight me.” Not the advice you’d normally expect from your grandmother—but Danielle Henderson would be the first to tell you her childhood was anything but conventional.
Release Date: June 1, 2021
In this New York Times Bestseller, Ashley C. Ford tells the story of growing up a poor Black girl in Indiana with a family fragmented by incarceration...Explore how isolating and complex such a childhood can be. As Ashley battles her body and her environment, she embarks on a powerful journey to find the threads between who she is and what she was born into, and the complicated familial love that often binds them.
Billionaires, mobsters, and bikers oh my! Don't miss out on this week's romance recommendations from bestselling authors L.J. Shen, Nicole Snow, Skye Warren, Monica Murphy, MariaLisa deMora, and Diana Palmer. Don't fall too hard!
Release Date: June 15, 2021
The new standalone release from Wall Street Journal bestselling author L.J. Shen...This romantic mafia standalone is about the thin line between love and obsession. “Maybe we were never meant for each other. But that night at the carnival, when you showed me who you were, I figured out who I wanted to be.”
Release Date: June 3, 2021
Wall Street Journal bestselling author Nicole Snow returns with a steamy and electrifying standalone romance thriller...One ginormous protector goes all-in to win Miss Unlucky. Full-length small-town standalone romance heaven. The butterflies come in force when one large and in-charge single dad steps in to rescue the girl who abandoned all hope and forgot how to love.
Release Date: June 15, 2021
Book 2 of the Rochester Trilogy from New York Times Bestselling Author Skye Warren...Forbidden. Commanding. Mysterious. Beau Rochester has an entire house full of secrets. And those secrets are putting Jane Mendoza in danger. She fell in love with the one man she can't have. She should leave Maine to protect her heart, but the thread refuses to be severed. The brooding Mr. Rochester and his grieving niece are more than her job. They're her new family.
Release Date: June 10, 2021
From the USA Today and International Bestselling Author Monica Murphy comes a new romance...Move on, my friends said. He’s never going to see me as I see him. So I take their advice and try to move on. But Jackson is always right there. Running to my rescue. And when I meet someone else, Jackson isn’t having it. Now he says he wants me, but does he want an actual relationship? It’s time to find out what Jackson truly wants...and I’m going to make him work for it.
Release Date: June 14, 2021
From The Wall Street Journal Bestselling Author MariaLisa deMora comes Book 6 in the Neither This, Nor That series...As the only nomad for the BBMC, Einstein takes pride in policing all potential threats to the club that has become his home and family. Marian still hasn’t become accustomed to her new life. As danger once again darkens her world, Marian is thrust into an unfamiliar role. She’s never seen herself as anything other than an underdog until Einstein demands so much more.
Release Date: June 15, 2021
New York Times bestselling author Diana Palmer’s Long, Tall Texans series returns with secrets and dangerous seduction...Gaby Dupont knows some men shouldn’t be trusted, especially Nicholas Chandler. How can she trust the man who might be helping her greedy relatives steal her family fortune? To get the inside scoop on Nicholas’s dealing Gaby must take a job with the devil himself!
Looking for some exciting new adventures? Check out our recommendations for sci-fi thriller and epic fantasy lovers. We think you’ll love the latest books by Eileen Mueller, KT Belt, Kate Danley, Kathleen O'Neal Gear, Laura Shone, and Marissa Levien. Enjoy!
Release Date: June 1, 2021
Bestselling Author Eileen Mueller has returned with 6 books in the Riders of Fire Series...When Ezaara imprints with the dragon queen, she’s swept into a world of dragons, treachery, intrigue, and danger. Now the new Queen’s Rider, Ezaara must lead her people as Commander Zens and his army of tharuk monsters rampage across Dragons’ Realm. She must stop them.
Release Date: March 30, 2021
The first book in the Mirrors in the Dark series by KT Belt...Carmen Grey always knew she was different. She is taken to an underground facility meant for others like her, for Clairvoyants. Stripped of her name and identity, over the years she is fashioned into something scary. Each day is an endless struggle and every night is plagued by nightmares. Yet Carmen’s ultimate battle won’t be to save her life but to keep her soul.
Release Date: May 14, 2021
A humorous knight's tale from Bestselling Author Kate Danley...George is just your normal peasant, with parents who abandoned him to join up with pirates and a terrible family secret he carries around his neck. But when a wandering knight scoops him up to carry all his heavy stuff, George feels like his dreams are coming true!
Release Date: June 15, 2021
A dystopian novel from New York Times bestselling author Kathleen O'Neal Gear...Explore a frozen future where archaic species struggle to survive an apocalyptic Ice Age. The old stories say that when the Jemen realized their efforts to halt global warming had gone terribly wrong, they made a desperate gamble to save life on earth and recreated species that had survived the worst of the earth's Ice Ages.
Release Date: June 12, 2021
The second book of the Dragon Ore series from author Laura Shone...After completing her transformation into a dragon rider, Alena now begins on her journey as Queen of Dragon Ore, but she feels as though something is missing in her life. She often sees people in her memories that she doesn't remember, and is plagued by a feeling of unease, as she struggles to adapt to her new life. Amongst her emotional turmoil, she meets her companion and a celestial being that bestows upon her a warning of the coming threat, as well as the role that she will play, in the coming war. Will she be strong enough to carry the burden? Or will she collapse beneath the weight of it?
Release Date: June 15, 2021
The highly-anticipated debut novel from author Marissa Levien...A sweeping novel with a darkly glimmering heart, The World Gives Way is an unforgettable portrait of a world in freefall, and the fierce drive to live even at the end of it all. In a near-future world on the brink of collapse, a young woman born into servitude must seize her own freedom in this glittering debut with a brilliant twist—perfect for fans of Station Eleven, Karen Thompson Walker, and Naomi Alderman.
Hi I’m Eileen, a dragon tamer, and adventurer from New Zealand. Today I’d like to introduce you to the riders of fire, a team of talented dragon riders who protect the people of Dragons’ Realm from bands of roaming tharuks (cloned monsters). These riders are as different as their dragons—each has their own talents, strengths, and, sometimes fatal, weaknesses. Lush Valley Our adventure starts off in Lush Valley, a sleepy backwater hemmed in by chains of alps on three sides. Years ago, Lush Valley’s beloved settlement arbitrator, a dragon rider, was killed in battle. His death was blamed on a young mage riding a dragon, so from then on, the entire settlement shunned dragons and attacked them on sight. Ezaara When Ezaara, the local healer’s daughter is accosted in the marketplace and shown contraband cloth patterned with dragons, she’s terrified—and fascinated. Old Bill leaned over the stand, his gnarled hand plucking at Ezaara’s sleeve like a roach clinging to a table cloth. “You’ll like this.” He opened his jerkin and pulled out a scrap of black cloth covered in vivid patterns. “Look.” Ezaara never knew dragons existed. But then she meets Zaarusha, the dragon queen… The owl-wort vines grew among the knobby piaua roots. She parted the undergrowth and plucked a handful of leaves. Rising from a crouch, she opened her pouch. Tomaaz Unfortunately, her departure throws her family into strife. Tomaaz never wanted to be a hero… Now his twin sister’s disappeared, his Pa's imprisoned and his village is under attack, so he has no choice. Except who to save first. “What’s going on?” Tomaaz’s voice cracked. Dragons' Hold Zaarusha, the dragon queen, whisks Ezaara off to Dragons’ Hold, a secret stronghold among Dragon’s Teeth, the alps that ring the verdant basin where dragon riders train. There, she meets Master Roberto, her trainer. Rumors say she’d be better off with the enemy. Dragon Master Roberto Roberto must train the new ignorant Queen's Rider — without revealing the dark secrets he learned at the hands of the enemy, Commander Zens, whose army of cloned tharuks are marching through Dragons' Realm, enslaving and killing innocents. Roberto strode down the tunnel that connected the council chambers to his cavern, the thud of his boots echoing off the stone walls. As he rounded a corner, a familiar figure detached itself from the shadows. I hope you enjoyed this taste of Riders of Fire. If you take flight on your dragon and join us in the skies, you’re in for a treat, as my readers can testify. With an endearing cast bigger than you can count on your fingers and toes, and details that leap off the page to transport you to Dragons’ Realm, you’ll stay up way past your bedtime enjoying these adrenaline-fueled adventures.
No dragons have been seen in Lush Valley for over a generation. And, now, in Lush Valley it’s a crime to even talk about dragons…
It was beautiful. She didn’t want anything to do with Old Bill, but she couldn’t resist. Ezaara leaned in, staring. Dragons—the swirls of color were dragons. “That’s forbidden,” she whispered.
“Go on,” he murmured, eyes glinting. “Touch it. I know you want to.” He held the cloth out.
Someone would see. Ezaara snatched it. Holding it close, she opened her palm and stroked the wing of a golden dragon, then the tail of a bronze. Set against a dark sky dotted with silver pinpoints, the beasts were beautiful. Were dragons really gold, red and bronze? Or was it only the weaver’s imagination?
“How much for this fabric with the wheat pattern?” A woman’s voice startled Ezaara.
She crumpled the cloth and thrust it into Bill’s waiting hand.
Bill tucked the scrap inside his pocket and elbowed his poor daughter, Lovina. She didn’t respond, just kept staring at her feet. “Twenty-five coppers a measure, my lady,” Bill crooned.
“Twenty-five,” the woman exclaimed. “Why, that’s preposterous! I’d only pay—”
Ezaara fled past the cobbler’s stand, pushing her way through the crowded marketplace, toward Ana’s stall. Old Bill was dangerous. If Klaus had caught her staring at dragons …. She strode past hawkers, bleating goats and littlings playing tag, swinging her basket to distract herself from her thumping heart.
A strange tingle ran through Ezaara, then a shadow fell over her. Something swished, a sudden breeze stirring her hair. She jerked her head up.
A dragon was circling the treetops. Ezaara recoiled in fear. With a snap of fangs or a swipe of talons, it could kill her. The owl-wort fell from her shaking hands. She tensed to flee.
But hesitated.
Sunlight played across the dragon’s iridescent scales, making them shimmer. Its graceful wings swished ever closer, rippling with color. This beast was beautiful—beautiful, but deadly. She had to escape. But the tingling grew stronger. The amazing creature circled down toward her. Foliage rustled in the downdraught from the dragon’s wingbeats.
A voice hummed in her mind. “Ezaara,” it crooned.
This creature could talk to her?
She held her breath, drawn to the dragon. Rich colors cascaded through her mind. Sunshine poured into her soul. Ezaara wanted to soar. She glimpsed a vision—her riding the dragon, flying above the forest, over the Grande Alps and into the blue.
“This is your destiny, to ride with me.”
Warning cries reached her—villagers. If only they knew this dragon, they wouldn’t be afraid.
The dragon’s hum built to a roar inside her. It dived.
Familiar faces shot into her mind. Her family! She couldn’t leave them.
Ezaara’s love for her family was swept aside as energy rushed through her. She was enveloped in a prism of rainbow-colored light, like reflections in a dewdrop. Music from the purest flute filled her heart. For the first time in her life, she felt whole. The energy coiled inside her and she sprang, lifted by the wind, hair streaming out behind her. In a flash of color, the dragon’s scales were beneath her. Ezaara landed on a saddle in a hollow between its wings. She wrapped her arms around the dragon’s spinal ridge, hugging it tight.
It felt so right.
The dragon regarded her with yellow eyes. Ezaara could’ve sworn it was smiling. “I am Zaarusha. You were born to be my rider,” it thrummed. The beast turned. Its belly rumbled and flames shot from its maw.
They flew off, leaving her home and loved ones behind.
“We’ll explain later, Tomaaz.” Pa’s green eyes were intense. “Don’t mention Ezaara.”
Tomaaz’s throat felt raw, his chest tight. A dragon had stolen his sister, and he was supposed to do nothing? He clutched his sword hilt.
Klaus burst into the clearing, a pitchfork in his hand. “Hans, did you see the dragon? Where is it now?”
“There.” Pa pointed at a smudge flying toward the Western Grande Alps.
“It’s gone,” said Klaus, shading his eyes to see the disappearing beast. “What was the damage? What did it take? Are our children safe?”
“No damage,” Pa replied quietly.
How could he be so calm?
“Tomaaz and I were bathing when we saw the dragon fly over the valley …” Pa’s voice trailed off.
He was acting a part—acting, when Ezaara was gone. Tomaaz clenched and unclenched his fist.
“I saw it swoop,” cried one man, waving a pike.
“Perhaps it took a deer from the forest,” Pa said.
“It was pretty,” murmured a littling.
Voices babbled. No one had seen it take Ezaara.
Eventually, folk turned back toward their homes, walking together, discussing stories of dragons. Pa and Ma chatted as if they hadn’t a care. Tight-lipped, Klaus walked with them.
Tomaaz’s world had turned upside down. His twin sister was gone. Gone. And his parents were hiding something.
Adelina’s smiling face made the torchlight brighter—a welcome face after the council’s bickering. “Are you all right?” She hugged him.
There were days, like today, when his sister was the only thing that kept him sane. “I’m fine. Just the usual—more arguing.” They walked along the tunnel toward her cavern.
“I’m surprised you didn’t enjoy it.” She mock-punched his arm, grinning. “I thought you liked arguing. Well, you do with me.”
Despite his mood, Roberto managed a weak chuckle.
She arched her eyebrows. “What was it this time?”
“Apparently, Handel has had word from Zaarusha that she’s imprinted with the new Queen’s Rider.”
Her sharp intake of breath betrayed her. “Oh? Has she? I—”
Oh, shards! “Adelina.” His voice softened. “We already knew it wasn’t you.”
She swallowed. “I know. But I still held hope.” She gave him a too-bright smile. “It’s great news. It’s been eighteen years since Zaarusha had a rider. So, why were the council arguing?”
“Because her rider was found in Lush Valley, of all places.”
Adelina rolled her eyes. “Really?”
Roberto rubbed the back of his neck, trying to dislodge the tension that had been building all night. “It’ll be some ignorant, backward clod, terrified of dragons.”
“From a superstitious backwater, dealing with the likes of Lars and Tonio.” She shook her head. “And leading the council without knowing the politics here.”
Exactly what he’d been thinking. “Tharuks haven’t even made it to Lush Valley. How could someone with no fighting or combat experience lead us in war? What was Zaarusha thinking?”
“Maybe she was desperate for a rider after so many years alone.” Again, hurt flashed on Adelina’s face before she forced another smile. “It’s not our problem. Everything will work out.”
Typical. She was already looking on the good side again. No wonder she kept him balanced. Stopping outside Adelina’s cavern, Roberto faced her. “It is my problem. I’ve been given the honor of training the new Queen’s Rider.” More of a burden than an honor.
Her eyebrows shot up. “Why?”
“Handel decided, for some unknown reason, and Lars and the council have ratified it, so the decision is binding. Zaarusha will be here tonight.”
She grimaced.
The unspoken words hung between them. He’d have to use his talents. “I’ll be fine.” He had to be. Roberto squeezed her shoulder, then strode down the tunnel toward his quarters.
Huh! An ignorant settler from Lush Valley could be a traitor or a spy—someone Zens had turned without the queen or her rider knowing it. His job was to test this new rider, despite the memories that haunted him each time he had to perform his duty. He’d need to be thorough—for the realm, for Zaarusha. If there was the faintest hint that the Queen’s Rider wasn’t fit, Zaarusha would be seeking another.
Eileen Mueller is the author of the new book Riders Of Fire Complete Box Set Connect with Eileen Mueller
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What can you tell us about your new release, Strict Confidence? Thank you for having me! Strict Confidence is the second book in the Rochester trilogy. It's a sexy, dangerous contemporary romance with a gothic twist. It's about Jane Mendoza who moves to Maine to become a live-in nanny for a precocious little girl. Paige has just been orphaned. Her uncle, Beau Rochester, is her new guardian. The first book Private Property invites you into their lush, dark world, and Strict Confidence pulls you in deeper. If you love brooding billionaires, strong heroines, and forbidden romance, this one is for you! What books do you find yourself returning to again and again? I love re-reading my favorite books. That includes anything by Lisa Kleypas, Annabel Joseph, and Laura Griffin. I think they are a somewhat random assortment of authors. You don't normally find them grouped together, but I just love their writing. And find it comforting. What fictional literary world would you most like to visit? I love reading about dark and dangerous worlds, such as the one in Strict Confidence, but I wouldn't want to visit. If this were a real thing, definitely the upscale, glittering world of the Travis brothers written by Lisa Kleypas. The irony is that I live in Houston where the books are set, but not in the rarefied high society circles of the characters. I'm just a regular girl with four dogs and a slight obsession with boba tea. What's your favorite scene from Strict Confidence? Oh, it's a filthy one. And it was possibly the last scene I wrote in the book, though it's not quite at the end. (Sometimes I write out of order.) It's just incredibly forbidden, taboo, and emotional. It captures the conflict between the characters--his desire and her innocence. He wants to protect her. She wants to experience everything he has. And there is danger lurking in the shadows. Perfect! If you had to pick one place to vacation for the rest of your life, where would you choose? France. I mean it has everything. The luxurious bustle and culture in Paris, but also the countryside. So much history. Now if only I could learn French... What's rocking your world this month? I'm pretty excited about the fact that I'm now vaccinated, and so is much of the country, so things are returning to "normal." At least to a certain extent. And I have my first writing retreat later this month. I used to travel fairly often to book signings and events. All of that stopped when the pandemic hit, so I'm just so excited to get to hug some of my favorite people soon.
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What can you tell us about your new release, Monster Of The Dark? "Monster of the Dark" is the first in a planned five-book space opera that takes place in the far future. It follows Carmen Grey from age six to nineteen as she is trained to be a Clairvoyant—humans who have the abilities of telepathy, telekinesis, and pyrokinesis. The intention of the training is to turn her into a living weapon. Everything is taken from her, her family, her name, and potentially her future. The reader follows her as she matures, seeing what she was, seeing what she becomes, and every step along the way. The six-year-old girl can still be dimly perceived, buried under the traumatic experiences of the nineteen-year-old woman. The story is actually quite inspirational as the essential conflict is Carmen keeping her humanity. What or who inspired you to become an author? Like most authors, I can’t think of a time when I didn’t tell stories. My oldest son, who is still a child, is much the same why. I think it’s something you’re born with, an urge that has to be expressed. I didn’t originally start with writing books, though. My first forays into written stories were comic books. …Unfortunately, I am much better at storytelling than drawing, so the pictures were dropped and books it was. What's on your top 5 list for the best books you've ever read? I like nonfiction as much as fiction. Reality is often more incredible than anything anyone can think up. So, in no particular order. Say you're the host of a literary talk show. Who would be your first guest? What would you want to ask? Don’t think I’d make a very good talk show host. I’d probably invite a horse so I could get fired and go back to doing…anything else. But if I HAD to invite an author guest and if it had to be well, human. I think I’d invite Michael Crichton, if he were still alive. I’ve done some study of Human Factors. It would be interesting to hear his opinion on that as it relates to complicated systems. What's your favorite thing about writing? I must admit that I’m envious of composers. They can accomplish all the emotion a writer needs thousands of words to generate in a matter of minutes. What they can’t do, however, is transport a reader to an entire imaginary world powered by their own subconscious. They can’t make the reader connect on an almost spiritual level with a character who may be a different gender than them, age, race, or even species. And they can’t travel through time, completely changing the reader’s perspective on past events by a well-placed piece of dialogue or narrative. It is a very demanding art that requires continual improvement and a fair bit of courage from the author. If we write a beloved character dangling for their life on the edge of a cliff, we have to imagine what it’s like to dangle on the edge of a cliff and then express that in a way the reader can digest. Done well it is quite rewarding for both the writer and the reader on almost all levels.\ Lastly, I am very appreciative of anyone that takes the time to read my work. It’s a busy, tough world out there. I’m happy if I can take even one person’s mind off it, if just for a moment, and entertain. What is a typical day like for you? Well, I awake to the sounds of trumpets deep within my Mountain of Power. There, I sit upon my ruby throne all the while the slaves whisper, “You shall rule all that is above, just as you rule all that is below.” In reality I doubt my average day to day is little different from anyone reading this. I work my day job, and when I get home, I help my wife take care of our two boys and any domestic chores that need to be taken care of. When the house is quiet, and everyone has gone to bed, I write until well in the evening. It’s not all the grandeur of a Mountain of Power, but it is vastly more satisfying. What scene from Monster Of The Dark was your favorite to write? Writing the entire book was a joy. I certainly have several favorite scenes, but here’s one I can talk about without giving anything away. When conceptualizing the work, I thought very hard on what it would be like to actually have telekinesis. What ways would it be convenient? What ways would it be inconvenient? Would I still use my hands for anything, and so on? With that in mind, there is a scene, very early in “Monster of the Dark,” where Carmen has to levitate sand that fills a room as a test. It sounds simple, but it is not. We psychologically consider sand as I wrote here, a single entity that is called…sand. In actuality, sand is composed of millions of individual objects. No one, not even a Clairvoyant, can focus on millions of individual objects at the same time. It was a fun exercise in cognitive psychology. Do you have a motto, quote, or philosophy you live by? I have several, but since I’m a storyteller, I’ll reiterate a story I heard: A businessman on vacation sees a fisherman pull his boat out of the water. The businessman asked, “How long did it take you to catch that many fish?” “About half the day,” the fisherman replied. “Well, if you spent the entire day catching fish, you’d catch more,” the businessman pointed out. “And then what?” the fisherman asked. “Then you can sell the fish and make more money.” “And then what?” “Then you can use the money to hire other fishermen to fish with you.” “And then what?” “Then you can franchise your company and even go international!” “And then what?” “Then you do that for thirty or forty years.” “And then what?” “Then you sell the company and retire.” “And then what?” “Then you spend your remaining time with your wife and kids.” The fisherman considered what the businessman said. “I don’t think I want to do that.” He then turned to leave. “Hey, where are you going?” the businessman asked. “To spend time with my wife and kids,” the fisherman replied.
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Introductions are in order, I believe! "Hi" I'm MariaLisa deMora, Wall Street Journal and USA Today bestselling author of some of the most engaging MC romance stories you'll ever read. In my own opinion, of course! 😀 Tangled Threats on the Nomad Highway is a book that was more than two years in the making! It's book #6 in the MC romance series, Neither This Nor That, and the character Einstein was introduced back in book #4 which released in January 2019. At the end of that book, the story arc placed Einstein in peril. And there he languished for months and months, with readers asking weekly when I would get him out of the house where he'd been shown with the protagonist having the upper hand. The thing about my writing, it's completely character-driven. This means if a character isn't willing to talk and tell their story, it just simmers along waiting. Thank goodness Einstein finally had enough waiting! In addition to the characters cooperating, my writing process is fairly typical, I think. Music drives much of the creativity, and once a character begins finding their voice in terms of music, I put together a playlist that then goes on repeat. Einstein's is on Spotify, and if you search for "Nomad Highway Einstein" you'll find it easily. Twenty-five songs that embody the journey of the character and story include some popular hits, alongside more eclectic selections! Another part of the process for me seems to be sleep deprivation. No, seriously. My dayjob is intellectually demanding, and I often work 10-12 hours a day. When a story is flowing, however, it doesn't matter how late I crawl into bed, I'm up at 4:30 a.m. with a mug of java in hand and ready at the keyboard. My goal for every day is to get at least an hour and a half of working on the books. When I was nearing the end of Einstein's story, he was shoving me out of bed earlier and earlier, and chatting on my commute so I could leave myself audio notes. Man, I LOVE a pushy character! With book #6 releasing for the NTNT series on Monday, I'm really excited that readers have even more stories to choose from! This book is a strong crossover of not two, but three series, tying characters of the NTNT (6 books) alongside the Rebel Wayfarers MC (23 books), as well as the Borderline Freaks MC (4 books). These guys (and gals) have been pushing for a mega-universe for a while, and I've produced three true "crossover" stories focused more on individual RWMC characters with a few peeks at some of the other guys. But this is the first time I feel like I can glimpse the potential eventual outcome. Man, does it ever look wild! Want to know more about me? You can check out my website or look me up on Facebook. I love to chat with friends and readers.
MariaLisa deMora is the author of the new book Tangled Threats On The Nomad Highway Connect with MariaLisa deMora
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What can you tell us about your new release, Whole Heart? Whole Heart: One Woman’s Incredible and Heartbreaking Journey from Africa to America is non-fiction in the autobiographical genre. It is suitable for the general adult reading audience and was penned by author Michelle Felix. The book follows the author’s journey from her difficult childhood in Africa, filled with family problems, to her transition to living in America, where she pursued her goal of being free from her past. The book explores how the cycle of painful experiences and the grief that they caused is a cycle that the author found a way to break through, finding a way to use the pain to create a positive purpose for her life. What or who inspired you to become an author? After many years of finally finding the courage to talk about my story, many people suggested I write a book or make a movie of my life story. I was also inspired, especially during the pandemic; after seeing so much suffering and pain on media/television, I felt a moral obligation to do something, and I wanted to share my story with the hope of bringing a glimpse of healing and inspiration to others. What's on your top 5 list for the best books you've ever read? Say you're the host of a literary talk show. Who would be your first guest? What would you want to ask? Tom Hanks, what was your favorite movie role, and I am hoping he will say, Forest Gump? What's your favorite thing about writing? Putting my emotions, thought, and personal views into words. It was a spiritual journey for me, and in many ways, I was healing myself. What is a typical day like for you? Walk the dog, work, home, walk dog, cook, watch a show, and fall asleep in front of the television by 8 pm. What scene from Whole Heart was your favorite to write? Chapter 14: Hope Breaks Through. The day that I had left for the UK, I had accepted that my dad was only human. We all make mistakes, and though his mistakes had caused me deep suffering, I somehow knew in that moment at the airport that he was doing all he was capable of, and I saw and felt his love for me. No longer did I need my father to seek my forgiveness. That day, God showed me my fathers’ heart, and my soul was at peace. “Forgiveness liberates the soul. It removes fear. That is why it is such a powerful weapon.” - Nelson Mandela. Do you have a motto, quote, or philosophy you live by? “As long as love exists, we can heal.”- Michelle Felix. Chapter 25: 2020, I know love has healed me in many ways. When all else fades, love still stands because nothing is more powerful than love itself.
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What can you tell us about your new release, The Sophomore? The Sophomore is the second book in my College Years series, and while it's a complete stand-alone, it does feature a couple that was originally in my Callahan series. The heroine has had feelings for the hero since high school, and he's never really thought of her in that way. Until she's ready to move on and he realizes what he's about to miss out on. It's full of unrequited love, frustration and the joy and pain of truly falling in love for the first time. Plus, it features strong friendships, which I love. This is such a supportive group - they all have each other's backs. Who is your favorite fictional character from literature? This question is almost impossible to answer but I am a hardcore fan of The Stand by Stephen King. So I'll have to say all of the characters from that book, the good and the bad. They all have such distinct voices. We even get the POV of a dog in that book. It's amazing. What's on your writing desk? A big mess! Post-Its, pens, two date books (I use both!), a notebook, gum. A coaster to set my cup of coffee on in the morning. A candle called Big Sur After Rain that smells nothing like Big Sur after rain, but whatever. LOL What's the best writing advice you've ever received? Finish the book. You can't do anything with an unfinished book so you must at least finish it! How do you like to spend a rainy day? We had an atmospheric river come through our part of California a few months ago and it dumped rain at my house for almost three days straight. For one of those days, I watched 90s movies with my teenage daughter and her best friend. That was so much fun! Their favorite was Fear with Mark Wahlberg and Reese Witherspoon. It's a classic! What scene from The Sophomore was your favorite to write? The ending! It's so romantic and big gesture and just really emotional. I actually cried while writing it. These two got to me in the best way!
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