New Books - NewInBooks

Interview with Jade C. Jamison, Author of In a Haze

What can you tell us about your new release, In a Haze?

It’s still romance, but it’s a romantic thriller, so I’ve wandered a little off my regular beaten path—but I’m glad I did. It’s my opinion, of course, but I think this is one of the best stories I’ve ever written. I wanted to keep readers on the edge of their seats, guessing about the various twists and turns, and, based on initial reviews, I think I can safely say I’ve succeeded!

What or who inspired you to become an author?

I’ve been writing since I could hold a pencil. The need to tell a story has driven me from the beginning. As a youth, I loved getting caught up in mysteries, trying to figure out what would come next—and I wanted to do the same for readers. So I suppose we can thank Nancy Drew and Trixie Belden for inspiring me (among many others)!

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

Oh, my goodness. There are far too many, but I’m happy to try to pare it down! Paradise, Toni Morrison; Misery, Stephen King; Fast Food Nation, Eric Schlosser; Fight Club, Chuck Palahniuk; 1984, George Orwell. It was HARD narrowing it down to five, and I know there are lots of books I’ve forgotten to mention that are near and dear to my heart.

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

Oh, boy. I would love to invite George Orwell and ask him what he thinks of current events. I’m, uh, I’m going to leave it right there.

What's your favorite thing about writing?

I love when a story I’m writing surprises even me. Sure, I know where I plan to take it but sometimes it takes a turn off the path I’ve set. I love when that happens, because it makes it lots of fun for me, too!

What is a typical day like for you?

Well, much like a lot of authors, I still have a day job—so I get up really early and write for one to two hours before going to work. Then, in the evening, I do a lot of other tasks having to do with my author business (scheduling promotions, formatting books, chatting with readers, and more). There’s family time in there, too, of course. Nothing glamorous, I’m afraid, but I do write almost every single day, including weekends and holidays.

What scene from In a Haze was your favorite to write?

I don’t know that I have a favorite. I could say each was my favorite as I went along, because even though I knew what would happen, more details came to me as the story developed. Some of the finer details I wasn’t sure about fleshed themselves out as I got closer to the end and that was the most fun part for me. If I had to pick one particular scene—hopefully I can talk about it without divulging any spoilers—it would be when Anna moves from passivity to taking control, and that involves confronting a bully. Anna finds her inner strength and determination, and I finished writing that scene feeling inspired and empowered.

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

I am, of course, a work in progress like we all are—but I try to live with these thoughts in mind: See the good in people and be kind, because you don’t know what someone else is going through. You might be the ray of sunshine in their day. Oh, and don’t take things personally!

Jade C. Jamison is the author of the new book In a Haze.

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Interview with Tabi Slick, Author of The Detective's Nightmare

What can you tell us about your new release, The Detective's Nightmare?

The Detective’s Nightmare is the sequel in my Beaumont Bros. Circus Mystery series, but can be read as a standalone. The first book was also a standalone, but I received so many messages from my readers wanting to continue the adventure that I had to oblige.

It’s about a private detective who desires order and prides himself in seeing what others cannot. But when he’s put on the case of solving a mysterious murder involving the Beaumont Bros Circus, a family of magical misfits, his whole world is turned upside down.

For this book, I drew inspiration from real-life ghost stories that people in Halifax, Nova Scotia still tell today! One such example is about Deadman’s Island, a little peninsula just outside the main city. It’s where I have the circus camp when they first arrive in Halifax. It’s said to be haunted by the soldiers who died as prisoners and buried there from the War of 1812.

Mysteriously enough, developers continued to run into roadblocks trying to build on this particular plot of land until eventually a memorial was built instead. Whether you believe in ghosts or not, it was just one of the many bits of history and folklore that helped shape this story.

What or who inspired you to become an author?

I remember when I was very young just being amazed once I learned how to read. I remember the feeling when I realized I could look at something written in English and just know what it said. I was flabbergasted. It felt like a superpower and I began just devouring books.

One of the earliest books series I remember reading were the Magic Attic Club books and as I got older I started delving more into darker supernatural tales and I just fell in love with it all. My love of reading is definitely what helped inspire me to become an author of my own because there were so many more adventures I wanted to go on.

Though the genres and series I read now have changed a bit, my affection towards the written word has only grown stronger.

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

The Bourne Identity by Robert Ludlum would definitely be number one. Ludlum wrote some of the most amazing Thrillers and how he would travel the streets before he wrote the books definitely continues to inspire me to this day.

The next book would then have to be Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, the 6th in the Harry Potter series by J.K. Rowling. I’m a huge fan of antiheroes so I really appreciated getting to know more about Severus Snape and how he was more multidimensional than how most of the antagonists were portrayed.

This is followed by Dust and Shadow, a Sherlock Holmes retelling by Lyndsay Faye, The Guinevere Deception by Kirsten White, and last, but not least, I also have to put in the graphic novel Deadly Class written by Rick Remender. When you mostly read novels and have read a graphic novel in awhile, it becomes hard to get immersed in the story. Deadly Class is one of those where the artwork and the writing equally enhance the reading experience.

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

If time travel was a possibility Robert Ludlum would be my first guest. I would want to know what it was like seeing his manuscript come to life. What he liked best and what he liked least about the whole process.

What's your favorite thing about writing?

I love coming up with new characters. When I start writing it always begins on the who, followed by the what, when, where, and why. But the who is most important. What are their likes? Dislikes? How do they view the world and how does this impact their decisions? How does the world view them? Discovering what their personal journey is outside of the main story is the most important thing you could possibly know. It gives a sense of intimacy with the characters which allows me to honor the character within the story.

What is a typical day like for you?

It depends on where I’m at in the writing process. If I’m in the pre-writing phase, then three days a week I start plotting in the morning followed by chores and other to-do’s with the other two business days studying and coordinating a marketing plan for the book.

If I’m finished with my writing project then I take a much needed break and split my time between my home life and marketing.

But if I’m in the writing phase then after my usual cup of coffee I’m writing eight hours a day four days a week with everything else squeezed into that one business day. Needless to say, there are some weekends where I can’t escape my work.

After work, I fix dinner for my spouse and I followed by a walk (if it’s not too hot) with our German Shepherd and Rhodesian Ridgeback baby. It’s a busy life, but I wouldn’t have it any other way.

What scene from The Detective's Nightmare was your favorite to write?

While there were several scenes in The Detective’s Nightmare that were a lot of fun to write, my favorite would have to be the first scene in Part I: Only on Brunswick Street. It begins at night with Barnaby Grey who’s racing down the cobbled street like he’s seen a ghost after hearing a tin flute playing in the wind, warning him that death is coming.

A fun fact about this scene is that there is an old myth in Halifax that Brunswick Street, also known as “Knock-’Em-Down street” for its rowdy bar scene, is haunted by the ghost of a young orphan who used to play the flute for change. He’s known as the Brunswick Street flutist

I always enjoy a good opening scene. It’s what sets the tone for the rest of the story and really has to draw you in. I wrote this chapter in one sitting and I remember feeling my heart racing as the words flowed onto the page. It’s an incredible feeling when that happens.

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

There are several that come to mind, but if I had to choose it would have to be the quote I chose to highlight in the final book in one of my other series. It’s a quote from Charlotte Brontë’s Jane Eyre, the part where she writes “Yet it would be your duty to bear it, if you could not avoid it. It is weak and silly to say you cannot bear what it is your fate to be required to bear.”

I believe we’re all given obstacles and missions in life. Though we might try to avoid the unpleasant ones, we are doing ourselves a disservice because it's these moments which strengthen us and pushes us to be the person we’re meant to become.

Tabi Slick is the author of the new book The Detective's Nightmare.

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Interview with Esther E. Schmidt, Author of Cowboy Bikers MC #3

What can you tell us about your new release, Cowboy Bikers MC #3?

Cowboy Bikers MC is back with an all new standalone story. This time it’s Decker and Muriel’s time to find love. Cowboy Bikers MC combines both motorcycles and cowboys, what’s not to love about the heat of alpha males claiming their woman, and a threat from someone to take it all away?

Muriel is a shy little country music star. A stalker ruins her life and this is the reason why she is placed in the protection of Decker at the ranch where the motorcycle club is located.

Their story is about love at first sight, growing connections, all the feels, and the solid protection of a brotherhood. All in the setting of a ranch surrounded by animals, sweet tunes and growing friendships.

There’s steamy romance, no cliffhanger, a happily-ever-after, and interesting secondary characters to fall in love with.

What or who inspired you to become an author?

Five years ago I saw a picture from the photographer Golden Czermak and I commented with the statement “I could write a story just by looking at this picture.” My friend Christi Durbin told me to do it…and it inspired me to write the first book I published “Zack” Areion Fury MC #1 and I’ve been writing ever since.

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

It’s hard to make a top five list of best books and nowadays I barely have time to read. I’d rather go with my top five of favorite authors I love to read or reread often: Gena Showalter, Lexi Blake, Sawyer Bennett, Cora Reilly, and Natasha Knight.

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

If I was the host I would have my top five authors listed above around the table with a few bottles of wine to chat about the joy of writing, life, and everything in between.

What's your favorite thing about writing?

To be able to drift off into a world I create where everything is possible. It’s my comfort zone where I can relax and escape reality.

What is a typical day like for you?

Coffee, always a good start, any day of the week. I have an American Hairless Terrier I have to walk around town with a few times a day and in between I write, edit, design graphics, do marketing, answer reader questions/messages, take care of my kids, hubby, and a crazy iguana. My day can be quite busy. But there are also days where I need to reread the book I just wrote and that’s just it…not one day is ever the same.

What scene from Cowboy Bikers MC #3 was your favorite to write?

The whole story. Cowboy Bikers MC is my happy place and I love writing these stories. But this is the first time adding a country music star and I loved the part where she finally allowed the stress to fall away to pick up her guitar, inspired by the connection with the hero, and wrote a new song.

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

Anything is possible, as long as you work hard for it.

Esther E. Schmidt is the author of the new book Cowboy Bikers MC #3.

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Interview with E.F. Skarda, Author of The Splinter's Siege

What can you tell us about your new release, The Splinter's Siege?

I think most authors have a book that just seemed to melt onto the page. The words came easy, the plot flowed nicely, and it all came together without the typical handwringing. This book was like that for me. As the second volume of The Infinity Chronicles series, this book is pretty packed with action, some deception and intrigue, and LOTS of emotion. That’s probably what I’m most proud of, is the emotional tone. There are times that I look through it and even I get goosebumps.

What books are currently on your nightstand?

I just started The Atlantis Gene by AG Riddle. So far it’s been pretty good, so I’m guessing I’ll have the rest of the series by my bed soon.

What advice would you give your teenage self?

Don’t stay in your head too much. I have a tendency to draw out thoughts in my head for hours on end, especially at night. I wish I would have learned to be quiet more when I was younger, focus on the experience of the day rather that imagining what might happen next. Feels like I may have missed out on things that way.

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

I’ll take the low-hanging fruit here and say that I’d spend it writing. My day job is as a physical therapist, so I don’t get as much time to write as I would like. Otherwise, I would probably spend it watching a movie with my son.

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

My son is the obvious answer. It’s just so satisfying watching him grow up. Kids have this weird ability to drive you crazy for hours, and then spontaneously give you a hug for no reason, which seems to make the whole world make sense again. That’s the best feeling.

What scene in The Splinter's Siege was your favorite to write?

That’s a tough question. Without giving away too much, there’s a scene in the book where the Infinity team is trying to rescue some civilians from a Dominion raid. It doesn’t go well. The main character, Kyle Griffin, encounters a very powerful enemy, and it pulls him away from the rest of the team. The rest of the team is forced to confront the army without him. It’s just a really strong example of how the team works, and how things can go sideways if Kyle isn’t at his best.

E.F. Skarda is the author of the new book The Splinter's Siege.

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Interview with John Reizer, Author of False Memory

What can you tell us about your new release, False Memory?

False memory is a science fiction story that I thought up one evening when reflecting on my childhood years and a telescope my grandfather purchased for me on my twelfth birthday.

The novella is centered around a young boy who is infatuated with looking at the moon and stars. On his twelfth birthday, the young man receives a telescope as a gift. While looking at the moon, the satellite disappears, and from that day forward, nobody in the world, except the boy, can recall the fact the Earth once had a moon.

False Memory is a story in which I added a lot of imaginative elements that hopefully takes readers on a suspenseful and entertaining journey while at the same time prompting them to ponder the subjects of human awareness and perceptibility.

What books are currently on your nightstand?

1. Devoted
2. The Ballads of Snakes and Songbirds
3. Idaho
4. In an Instant
5. If it Bleeds

What makes your world go around?

I am a chiropractor who works three days a week in my private practice. On the days I am not seeing patients, I am writing, walking, and spending time with my wife and daughter. These are the people and things that make my life complete.

If you had an extra hour each day, how would you spend it?If I had an extra seven-hours each week, I’d probably spend it working on stories or writing articles for my blog. It never seems like there’s enough time in a day to get these projects done. The extra time would certainly come in handy.

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

If I had an extra seven-hours each week, I’d probably spend it working on stories or writing articles for my blog. It never seems like there’s enough time in a day to get these projects done. The extra time would certainly come in handy.

What advice would you give your teenage self?

Don’t be nervous about taking chances in life. I used to be very shy and introverted as a teenager, and if I had it to do over again, there would be certain things in my earlier years that I would approach differently. You learn these valuable lessons as you progress through the journey of life. I think this bit of information would be the best advice that I could give to my teenage self.

What scene in False Memory was your favorite to write?

My favorite scene in the book was when the protagonist gets to see the moon again 40 years after its disappearance. This chapter was the most fun for me to write because it brings everything full circle and sets up what I believe is a really satisfying ending for readers.

John Reizer is the author of the new book False Memory.

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Interview with Kayley Loring, Author of Troublemaker

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

Troublemaker is very lighthearted, swoony, and probably the funniest book I’ve written so far. It’s a single dad-teacher steamy romantic comedy that’s part of the Sleeper/Charmer world. Though it isn’t necessary to read the other two books first in order to enjoy the story, it might make it more fun to read about the crossover characters. There is a hilarious little boy named Ryder and a lot of funny email and text conversations. It’s a real slow burn, but also somehow the sexiest book I’ve written because of the chemistry between Alex and Emilia.

If Troublemaker is turned into a movie, who would you pick to play the main characters?

Emma Stone and Zac Efron (but only if he promises not to shave).

What’s the last book you read?

Jock Blocked by Pippa Grant! Listened to the audiobook and it’s so much fun.

Where is your happy place? Why does it bring you joy?

Literal happy place is anywhere with a lot of plants, trees, birds, a water fountain and a shady place to sit. Mental happy place is memories of a perfect summer, back when I lived in LA and visited NYC for the first time with my best friend. When I think of it, I feel like that somewhat naïve twentysomething who’s ready to take on the world again.

What's on your writing desk?

What’s NOT on it?! There’s my iMac and its accessories, three plants, a Himalayan salt lamp, several pairs of reading glasses, a collection of smooth precious stones, piles of notebooks, five containers filled with pens, various items that I use to clean my glasses and monitor, a framed print of a squirrel wearing a necktie and holding a cup of coffee, and way too many Post-it Notes.

What scene in Troublemaker was your favorite to write?

There’s a chapter where Emilia initiates her first attempt at sexting with Alex, after getting some tips from her gay best friend. Let’s just say she’s not great at it. But spoiler alert—she gets better eventually!

Kayley Loring is the author of the new book Troublemaker.

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New Mystery and Thriller Books to Read | August 18

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 Tabi Slick, Sarah Vaughan, Christopher Rice, Jenny Milchman, and many more. Enjoy your new mystery, thriller, and suspense novels. Happy reading!

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New Romance Books to Read | August 18

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 Nana Malone, Kayley Loring, Esther E. Schmidt, Jade C. Jamison, J.R. Ward, and more. Enjoy your new romance books and happy reading!

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New Books to Read in Literary Fiction | August 18

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 Danielle Steel, Darin Strauss, David Joy, and many more. Enjoy your new literary fiction books. Happy reading!

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New Science Fiction and Fantasy Books | August 18

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 E.F. Skarda, John Reizer, TS Snow, and more. If Fantasy is what your library needs, you’ll be able to pick up the latest from Lisbeth Campbell, Emily Tesh, Emma L. Adams, and more. Enjoy your new science fiction and fantasy books. Happy reading!