New Books - NewInBooks

Interview with Matt Levy, Author of Keeping Your Head Above Water

What can you tell us about your new release, Keeping Your Head Above Water?

I wanted to share my story and journey and some of my life experiences with others. I thought it would be helpful to others to share my framework to success, because it shows how anyone can succeed even when you think you failed.

What or who inspired you to become an author?

I thought it was really important to share my story and inspire others to achieve their dreams. As a motivational speaker it helps me to have a platform to give people hope, when they may feel there is none.

What's on your top 5 list for the best books you've ever read?

With my busy schedule working and training I don't get much time to read books!

Say you're the host of a literary talk show. Who would be your first guest? What would you want to ask?

I would have wanted to host Albert Einstein on my show. I think I would have asked him about how he thinks about the impossible, and solves problems no one else thinks of.

What's your favorite thing about writing?

Being able to share what I have learned and get it out to the world to inspire others.

What is a typical day like for you?

Get up at 5 am train till about 7.30 am, then work at my day job at Westpac Banking Group from 8.30 am to 4 pm then train again from 5 - 7 pm. After dinner I like to relax with some light reading and Netflix. Usually, I'm in bed by 9 pm for those early morning trainings.

What scene from Keeping Your Head Above Water was your favorite to write?

Writing about my struggles and remembering how far I have come was enjoyable, and felt like a real accomplishment.

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

If you enjoy what you do. You don’t work a day in your life.

Matt Levy is the author of the new book Keeping Your Head Above Water.

Connect with Matt Levy
Author Site
Facebook

Buy The Book

Sign up for our email and we’ll send you the best new books in your favorite genres weekly.

Interview with John Righten, Author of Resilience

What can you tell us about your new release, Resilience?

Resilience is the second novel in The Lenka Trilogy, following on from Heartbreak. Irish teacher, Lenka Brett, is now part of a convoy delivering aid into war-torn Bosnia. She is surrounded by tough, roguish veterans of humanitarian aid work, whose respect she has earned due to her quick wits, astute judgement and resilience. Hunted by mercenaries, as she enters Snipers' Alley she finally learns of her lover's dark secret.

What books are currently on your nightstand?

Hilary Mantel's The Mirror and the Light, which is meeting all my expectations, and The Confederacy of Dunces, an outrageously humorous novel written by the late John Kennedy Toole, whose failure to find a publisher for the novel contributed to his tragically short life.

What advice would you give your teenage self?

That a sharp wit, can cut deep.

If you had an extra hour each day, how would you spend it?

With my wife and son, doing absolutely nothing of substance but revelling in the moment.

What makes your world go round? Why does it bring you joy?

Apart from my family, it is writing, creating a world on a page and then waiting until the day it is published with a combination of excitement and trepidation, as I steel myself for the reaction of my readers.

What scene in Resilience was your favorite to write?

The first scene, which is set three years after the rest of the novel, as an unknown driver - we don't even know the driver's gender - ploughs a truck through a warzone, attacked from all sides. The first chapter in Heartbreak, Resilience, and the final novel in the trilogy, Reflection, follow that heart-pounding chase, and it is a challenge to the reader to identify the driver from the roguish characters they will grow to love in the novels, before his/her identity is finally revealed.

John Righten is the author of the new book Resilience.

Connect with John
Author Website
Facebook

Buy The Book

Sign up for our email and we’ll send you the best new books in your favorite genres weekly.

The Story Behind Two-Step by Stephanie Fournet

By Stephanie Fournet

I have my husband of twenty-seven years to thank for the inspiration for my tenth novel, Two-Step.

I was struggling with a manuscript that just was not taking off, and on a bike ride back from our favorite brunch spot one Saturday, he gave me a suggestion. All of my novels are set in our hometown of Lafayette, Louisiana, in a quirky/artsy/folksy neighborhood called the Saint Streets. He pointed out that a lot of my MCs are artistic, but I’d never had a dancer, and wouldn’t it be fun to have one of the characters be a Cajun-dance instructor?

And something just clicked.

You see, my husband hates to dance, and I knew he was right: it would be fun to write about a reluctant dance student and a sexy, confident dance instructor. And that’s how Iris and Beau were born.

Their love story is of the funny, feel-good, steamy, and sweet variety, and I had a blast writing it.

Here’s a peek at one of Beau and Iris’s dance lessons:

“Let’s warm up,” he says.

I’m expecting the same breathing routine we’ve used every time, but instead of Bill Withers, Gnarls Barkley's “Crazy” fills the room. I almost choke on a laugh. Beau turns to face the three of us. “Follow my lead.”

The beat is faster, more in-your-face than our other warm-ups, and I watch Beau keep time with it just by using his hips. Ramon and Sally imitate him, but I stand still. No way am I going to shake my hips. I’ll do it wrong and look like an idiot.

“C’mon, Iris,” he prompts.

I shake my head. “No thanks.”

“We’re just warming up,” Beau says, stepping in front of me, shaking those sexy-as-sin hips. “No big deal.”

No big deal? Who is he kidding? Has he seen himself?
He’s just standing there, barely moving to the rhythm, but all the movement, all the rhythm makes it impossible to look away. He’s the sexiest damn thing on two legs, and I am beyond intimidated. Frozen solid.

That is, until Beau settles his hands on my hips. “Just let go, Iris.”

It’s not that simple. It can’t be that simple.

He looks down at me, his dark eyes soft and patient. I look away, over at my friends, who are hip-shaking like pros. For about two seconds, I let myself hate them.

Scowling, I look back at Beau. His mouth quirks. If he laughs at me, I’m going to knee him in the balls.

“Trust me, Iris.”

The invitation is low, intimate. My throat goes dry at his words, and I swallow. The last couple of weeks have brought down my guard. I’ve gotten comfortable with the routine, even if I’m still awkward and clumsy and mess up more than I get it right. But he’s made it easy even when I botch it. The temptation to trust him is just unfair. It’s almost as if someone is offering me a chance to learn how to fly like a bird. Thrilling. And equally impossible.

Stephanie Fournet is the author of the new book Two-Step.

Connect with Stephanie

Author Page

Facebook

Buy The Book

Sign up for our email and we’ll send you the best new books in your favorite genres weekly.

New Mystery and Thriller Books to Read | December 8

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 Willow Rose, Erica Hilary, John Righten, Helene Tursten, and many more. Enjoy your new mystery, thriller, and suspense novels. Happy reading!

Get The Book

Sign up for our email and we’ll send you the best new books in your favorite genres weekly.

New Romance Books to Read | December 8

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 Stephanie Fournet, Amelia Shaw, Kate Archer, Colleen Hoover, and more. Enjoy your new romance books and happy reading!

Get The Book

Sign up for our email and we’ll send you the best new books in your favorite genres weekly.

New Books to Read in Literary Fiction | December 8

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 Michael McGinnis, Meredith Allard, Sumi Hahn, and many more. Enjoy your new literary fiction books. Happy reading!

Get The Book

Sign up for our email and we’ll send you the best new books in your favorite genres weekly.

New Science Fiction and Fantasy Books | December 8

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 Diane Mayer Christiansen, Marshal Rust, Marko Kloos, and more. If Fantasy is what your library needs, you’ll be able to pick up the latest from Anna Finch, E. Hall, Randolph Lalonde, and more. Enjoy your new science fiction and fantasy books. Happy reading!

Science Fiction

Get The Book

Fantasy

Get The Book

Sign up for our email and we’ll send you the best new books in your favorite genres weekly.

New Young Adult Books to Read | December 8

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 Jerri Chisholm, Colleen Forbes, Jordon Greene, and many more. Enjoy your new young adult books. Happy reading!

Get The Book

Sign up for our email and we’ll send you the best new books in your favorite genres weekly.

New Biography and Memoir Books to Read | December 8

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 Matt Levy, James Patterson, Kelly Conaboy, Lauren Martin, and many more. Enjoy your new biography and memoir books. Happy reading!

Get The Book

Sign up for our email and we’ll send you the best new books in your favorite genres weekly.

New Fantasy and Sci-Fi Books For Your Winter Reading List | 2020

New and exciting worlds await you thanks to some amazing new fantasy and sci-fi books hitting stores. We've made a list of some of our favorite picks for your winter reading list from authors T.L. Christianson, Herman Steuernagel, Tegan Abbott, Glynn Stewart, Nora Roberts, and Ian Douglas. Happy reading!

Over Easy

by T.L. Christianson

Release Date: November 25, 2020

The second book in The Dragon Born Academy Series by T.L. Christianson... I've finally accepted my place at the Dragonborn Academy, but my search into my mother's shadowed past is still on. As I begin to piece together her life and the circumstances of her suspicious death, I can't help but wonder if history is repeating itself... the similarities between us make me wonder if I'll be the next victim? At least my friends, Olivia and Logan, have my back.

Buy on Amazon

Lies The Guardians Tell

by Herman Steuernagel

Release Date: December 1, 2020

The first book in the Lies of The Guardians Series by Herman Steuernagel... Sierra Runar’s future was supposed to be decided with one fateful test. But when she has a vision of a beautiful land, unlike anything inside the Sphere, the inquisitive teen must face the reality of the Guardians' true intentions. And after Sierra seeks her council, a wise friend breaks protocol with a cryptic warning that the answers she seeks lie beyond their protected world, and she’s plunged into a deadly hunt for forbidden secrets.

Buy on Amazon

Legends that Bleed

by Tegan Abbott

Release Date: August 10, 2020

The first book in The Cerulean Queendom by Tegan Abbott... In the brutal, ever-changing world of the verdant rainforest, tensions have never been higher. As the four exotic races which inhabit it battle one another, the only chance for peace lies in the hands of one who has the power to change the course of history. With her unique blue hair and dual parentage, Syriel is half of two worlds, with no claim to either. With drive, passion, and the conviction to defend it, she’d be the perfect heir apparent to take her mother’s place as Grand Chancellor.

Buy on Amazon

Raven's Course

by Glynn Stewart

Release Date: November 24, 2020

The third book in the Peacekeepers of Sol Series by Glynn Stewart... Amid the ruins of a fallen empire, humanity fights to secure the fates of once-enslaved worlds. Captain Henry Wong and Ambassador Sylvia Todorovich of the United Planets Alliance have mustered force and diplomacy alike to drive their former allies in the Kozun Hierarchy back from their invasion. With their superiors unwilling to fight a war this far from home, Todorovich leans on the Drifters, old allies of both the UPA and the Kozun, to broker a peace summit that could bring peace to a dozen worlds

Buy on Amazon

The Awakening

by Nora Roberts

Release Date: November 24, 2020

The first book in The Dragon Heart Legacy Series by New York Times Bestselling Author Nora Roberts... When Breen Kelly was a girl, her father would tell her stories of magical places. Now she’s an anxious twentysomething mired in student debt and working a job she hates. But one day she stumbles upon a shocking discovery: her mother has been hiding an investment account in her name. It has been funded by her long-lost father—and it’s worth nearly four million dollars.

Buy on Amazon

Stargods

by Ian Douglas

Release Date: December 1, 2020

The ninth book in the Star Carrier Series by New York Times Bestselling Author Ian Douglas... Having battled aliens to prove humanity’s worth as a star-faring species, Admiral Trevor Gray has a new mission: follow the directives of the super-AI Konstantin and lead the star carrier America on a mission through time and space to determine if humanity can truly transcend into Singularity… and avoid the pitfalls that have plagued so many of the aliens Earth has encountered since it gained faster-than-light travel.

Buy on Amazon