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 novels from Anthony Everitt, Sarah Miller, Laura Cumming, and more. Enjoy your new biography and memoir books. Happy reading!
What can you tell us about your new release, Pirate's Prey?
The theme of Pirate’s Prey revolves around power which has the ability to influence decisions, change lives and surpass the control of those who would believe they can harness its force. The story is set in late 17th century Ireland, England and America. Intricate schemes, grand battles and bold escapes entwine throughout the story of Shane Christian and Maura Brent whose unwavering love and perseverance fortify them against their adversaries who attempt to part them forever.
What or who inspired you to become an author?
My mother was an English teacher so I was inspired by her to appreciate words and phrasing. My father was a voracious reader. For me, the two came together early on. Even as a child, without conscious design, I always had some sort of story in mind with ‘what if’ scenarios. In my early school years, I began writing mini-biographies of my family, which contained a few sentences on notebook paper with taped on pictures of whomever I was writing about. My imagination was always working and nothing has changed over the years.
What's on your top 5 list for the best books you've ever read?
Margaret Mitchell’s Gone with the Wind; Dean Koontz’s Lightening; Tom Clancy’s Patriot Games; Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird; and, The Autobiography if Errol Flynn: My Wicked, Wicked Ways.
Say you're the host of a literary talk show. Who would be your first guest? What would you want to ask?
For a first guest, although many come to mind, I would choose Michelle Obama. I would love to ask her what the biggest challenge was in choosing her platform in which to promote. A follow-up question would be how did she respond to those who hoped to influence her or those who may have opposed her platform choice(s).
What's your favorite thing about writing?
I truly enjoy the creation of a storyline and where it can take the characters. There are times I have a scene or outcome in mind and suddenly a thought comes that even surprises me as though the characters are driving the storyline. Sometimes what I think is going to occur changes completely.
What is a typical day like for you?
I have a full-time ‘day job’ that is all encompassing in regard to focus and time constraints. The evening is when I tend to write as that is when I am most creative in my thought process. Sleep becomes nearly secondary with many nights garnering only 5-6 hours at best.
What scene in Pirate's Prey was your favorite to write?
Without providing any spoiler alerts, there is a scene early on where the hero and heroine clash with their matched stubbornness. The heroine, Maura Brent, defies yet another instruction of the hero, Shane Christian, as Captain of the ship. Following a battle of words, Maura, throws a bucket of water in Shane’s face to have the last word, or does she….?
Do you have a motto, quote or philosophy you live by?
The philosophy I consider often is to make memories now rather than waiting to experience the enjoyment of life’s beauty for another day.
Colleen O'Connell is the author of the new book Pirate's Prey.
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What can you tell us about your new release, Angel?
Angel is a paranormal reverse harem book, the first in a brand new series that I just released a couple of weeks ago. Here's a video trailer to give everyone an idea what it's about: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V5SCYbVatlM
What or who inspired you to become an author?
When I started reading the Anita Blake series and the Sookie Stackhouse series way back when (I think it was 2009?) I got really inspired to write my own series. My first book I wrote was Fire Burn and Cauldron Bubble, the first of the Jolie Wilkins series, which would go on to hit the NY Times list twice!
What's your favorite thing about writing?
I love the freedom it affords me, it's great being able to be your own boss and being able to create new worlds and characters is always an incredible experience. I've always wanted to be a writer, ever since I was a little girl. I'm just so happy I was able to make that dream a reality!
What is a typical day like for you?
Lately with all the books and series I"m working on, it's nonstop from the time I wake up at 6 am until I go to bed around 10-11. I've been writing and marketing so much my fingers are cramping! I'm not complaining though. I absolutely love what I do. Sometimes I just wish I could duplicate myself to make things a little easier.
What scene in Angel was your favorite to write?
I really enjoyed writing this book in general because it was a new genre for me, still paranormal but the reverse harem part was completely new. I actually really loved writing scenes from the male point of view of the three leading men. It's fun throwing yourself into different character types and trying to differentiate them enough that they sound like different people. Challenging too.
Do you have a motto, quote or philosophy you live by?
I try to be grateful for each and everyday. I think when you live with gratitude, it makes the world a much happier place!
H.P. Mallory is the author of the new book Angel.
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By Willow Rose
It was a thrill to write this book, and it is my most intense thriller yet. Some of it might seem to be far out, but a lot of it actually happened in real life, I am afraid.
When writing this book, I have picked things from real life, incredible as it sounds to those who have already read it. Three of the stories came from real actual events.
A little while ago, a story broke down here in Florida about a health inspector. He had been to several massage parlors and spas during routine checks and discovered that they were harboring trafficked girls. The story became very big and ended up involving celebrities who had been to these places.
The shocking part — to me at least — was that we see these places in strip malls everywhere. To think that they are keeping young girls as sex slaves in places like that, in areas I pass by every day, right under our noses, is so scary to me.
If you haven’t heard about it, then you can read more here:
https://www.tcpalm.com/story/news/crime/2019/03/15/trafficking-spa-inspection-records-show-red-flags/3079435002/
https://www.bostonherald.com/2019/04/30/health-inspector-testified-she-felt-uneasy-in-florida-spa/
In the book, we meet a young woman who joins a cult called NYX, encouraged by a friend who thinks it will be good for her. What happens to her was highly inspired by the current real-life drama of the cult NXIVM. This story has so much fascination; I knew I had to write about it. How the celebrities and billionaires fell into this leader’s claws - and how he preyed on their vulnerabilities.
The things he got away with doing to them, like branding them and having sex with them. It is truly gripping.
If interested, you can read more here:
https://www.rollingstone.com/culture/culture-news/nxivm-what-we-know-about-alleged-sex-trafficking-forced-labor-204958/
The book begins with a nerve gas attack on the Metrorail in Miami. This was inspired by the gas attacks in Japan in 1995, where a cult brought in bags of nerve gas and released it. None of the passengers knowing or suspecting that anything was going on, till it was too late and they had trouble breathing. Here’s a link if you want to know more:
https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-35975069
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What can you tell us about your new release, Broken Knight?
Broken Knight is a steamy, highly emotional new adult standalone. It evolved around Knight Cole and Luna Rexroth, best friends who are trying to save their relationship by denying their attraction toward one another. The book is a top #3 in the entire Amazon store and free with Kindle Unlimited. Stock up on tissues if you decide to pick it up!
What books are currently on your night stand?
The First Girl Child by Amy Harmon and a Feast of Sparks by Sierra Simone. Both are the ultimate one-click authors for me.
What advice would you give your teenage self?
Stop stressing. Whether it'd work out or not--if it's beyond your control, worrying about it is not going to help.
If you had an extra hour each day, how would you spend it?
Reading some more!
What makes your world go round? Why does it bring you joy?
Good books, good friends, and a good time.
What scene in Broken Knight was your favorite to write?
I don't want to give away too much, but I think probably the lemon scene. If you decide to pick it up, you'll see what I mean. It's a really cute scene that totally threw Knight and Luna's relationship to another level. I loved writing it. It was super intimate.
L.J. Shen is the author of the new book Broken Knight.
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By D.M. Davis
I’ve been asked many times how I came up with the idea of The Road to Redemption, and in truth, it came to me in a dream. Not so much book one, but the Finding Grace series as a whole. Theo and Lauren were fully developed characters in my dream. It’s as if they were talking to me while I slept, telling me their story. The concept of two people (a race of humans), who were born with predestined mates, their bond so strong, if one died the other would die too. The kicker is they don’t know who their mate is. It’s chance, life choices, the universe at large that brings them together. Only if they find each other can they then ‘activate’ their gifts by their physical and emotional bond. They can only acquire and pass on their gifts if they have children with their predestined mate. In Theo and Lauren’s case, they don’t know anything about THE GIFT, who they are, or that they were made for each other. Book one, The Road to Redemption, in the Finding Grace series is only the beginning of their journey. The depth of their gifts and who Theo and Lauren really are is yet to be discovered. Though the paranormal aspects grow as the series progresses, at its heart it’s a love story, a second chance, redemption from their pasts.
I should probably mention at this point, The Road to Redemption was the first book I ever wrote. Waking up from the above dream, I said to myself I’m going to write a book. No, I hadn’t written anything worth noting prior to this. Yet I wasn’t daunted by the task, nor did I tell anyone what I was doing. I worked on the outline, spent the next few weeks writing whenever I could, wherever I could, on my computer or my iPad. The book just poured out of me. Somewhere in those early weeks I mustered up the courage to tell my husband and kids what I was doing. I thought for sure they would laugh at me. Imagine my surprise when they were nothing but supportive! Slowly, I started to tell the rest of my family and a few close friends. But it was still my secret project. I devoting my evenings and weekends to the task. It took me three and a half months to finish it at a whopping 380,000 words. Most romance novels are closer to 60,000-100,000 words. I had a Stephen King/Diana Gabaldon size book here. What was I going to do with it? How was I going to get it published?
Well, I didn’t publish it. I continued to write the next two books in the series. The story kept coming, the characters demanding their time on the page, each book amassing 380K+ words. They were huge, the size of nearly four normal-sized books each. Until finally I decided I needed to get something out the door. I needed to publish. But these were my babies. I didn’t want to self-publish and mess them up. So, I wrote a new book I thought would be a standalone. I ended up writing and publishing the first three books in my Until You series.
Now, over four years later, I rewrote The Road to Redemption. Split it into two books (The Road to Redemption and The Price of Atonement), the first of which went live on Jul 26. It’s still Theo and Lauren’s story, just fine-tuned and shorter than the original four-book length, though it is my largest published book to date.
What is it about? Remember my dream? It’s that but more, much, much more.
When Life put them together, the Universe noticed. What they didn't know is that they were made for each other. Literally.
Theo
My ex broke me, or so I thought. I'd shut down, given up. But my past doesn't seem so bleak when the woman I've only seen in my dreams walks into my usual coffee shop, jump-starting my heart and giving my soul a desperately needed punch to the gut.
She's damaged goods. But not in the way you're thinking.
Life broke her.
…And I'm here to kiss it and make it all better.
She's my queen. My redemption. My second chance at forever.
Lauren
He's gorgeous beyond words. Why he’s attracted to me when no one else is, is unfathomable. And yet, he is.
He's Mount Everest, and my climbing legs are broken.
…I'm broken. Always have been. Always will be.
I'm drawn to him like the universe demands it. He accepts it as truth. I know better, and when he figures it out, I'll be decimated.
I want redemption, but it's a painful road to travel. I'll have to face my demons.
…And apparently, he wants to fight them with me.
All journeys have a beginning. This is Theo and Lauren's...
D.M. Davis is the author of the new book The Road to Redemption.
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Take a look at this month’s selection of bestsellers now in paperback! August had a great selection of bestselling books to check out from thrilling mysteries to enthralling literary reads, and insightful biographies. Pick up these latest paperback books by bestselling authors James Patterson, Clive Cussler, Steve Berry, Lisa Scottoline, Ken Follett, Anne Rice, Marie Lu, and many more!
We wanted to share with you some of our favorite audiobooks we’ve been listening to in August. Our playlist includes a little something for everyone, from mystery, literary fiction, fantasy, romance, and biography/memoir. Grab your headphones and happy listening!
Release Date: July 30, 2019
I am married to my best friend and have two beautiful children. My life is perfect… Then my father got sick. Before I owned a successful company and now I have to stay at home with my family. Before my husband could rely on me to take care of everything but now I have to hire an assistant. Every part of my life can be summed up by these before and afters, but something also happened in the middle.
Release Date: August 13, 2019
A new audiobook from the New York Times Bestselling Author of How to Walk Away... Cassie Hanwell is one of the only female firefighters in her Texas firehouse, she's seen her fair share of emergencies. But when her estranged mother asks her to give up her life and move to Boston, she suddenly has to deal with her own. The old-school Boston firehouse is as different as it could be and they aren't exactly thrilled to have a "lady" on the crew. Except for the rookie, who doesn't mind having her around.
Release Date: August 20, 2019
After the death of his wife, Tom Kennedy needs a fresh start with his son, Jake. He finds a new house, in a new town. But he doesn't realize that Featherbank has a dark past. Twenty years ago a serial killer abducted and murdered five residents. Until Frank Carter was arrested, he was nicknamed "The Whisper Man." But now a young boy has vanished and the disappearance resembles The Whisper Man's crimes.
Release Date: August 20, 2019
The ninth book in the New York Times Bestselling Immortal Guardians series… Seth was the leader of the Immortal Guardians for thousands of years. He protected humans from mercenary armies and vampires, but the latest enemy has proven to be a formidable one. Seth’s only wish is to protect his family but then Leah walks into his life and sparks a new desire.
Release Date: July 5, 2019
Amber Blackwood has been a lifelong resident of Edgehill, Oregon. She has earned a reputation around town as a semi-reclusive odd duck. The people of Edgehill think her store, the Quirky Whisker, is an integral part of the feline-obsessed town, but everyone gives her a wide berth. She’s fine with that, as it keeps her secret safe.
Release Date: July 23, 2019
Vaelin Al Sorna is a legend known across the Realm. His leadership overthrew empires and his blade won battles. But it was his sacrifice that defeated an evil more terrifying than anything the world had seen. Now he has cast aside the glory for a quiet life. But whispers from across the seas arise of an army called the Steel Horde, he is forced to act.
The month of August was a great time for readers with a host of exciting releases from bestselling authors. There were so many page-turning novels that captivated us from cover to cover this month. If you want to catch up on the books everyone was talking about, here are our choices for the buzziest books of August. Happy reading!
Release Date: August 6, 2019
Abbie awakens in a daze next to a man that claims to be her husband. But she has no memory of who she is. Her husband is the founder of an innovative Silicon Valley tech start-up. He says Abbie is a gifted artist and a loving mother of their young son. She is the perfect wife. Apparently, there was a terrible accident five years ago and she was brought back from the abyss via a technological breakthrough. But Abbie starts to piece together old memories and questions his motives.
Release Date: August 20, 2019
Carrin Frost is a confident businesswoman, wife, and mother. But she is starting to resent everything about her life and doesn't understand why. Maybe it's the recent loss of her mother or maybe she's just losing her mind. Then she meets Matias Torres. Their new business partnership thrives and so does their friendship. He is very interested in her but Carrin is determined to keep her distance. But a work assignment sends them both to Southeast Asia where a storm is brewing on the island.
Release Date: August 13, 2019
Ifferon is one of the last in the bloodline of Telm, the dead god that imprisoned the Beast, Agon, in the Underworld. With his connection to the estranged gods in the Overworld, he needs to ensure the Agon remain vanquished. But when he is struck by fear, Ifferon abandons his duty and hides from the world. When the Agon army strikes his refuge, he is forced to embark on a life-changing quest.
Release Date: August 1, 2019
I lost the love of my life. My best friend and lover. Everyone said I should move on as I have the rest of my life ahead of me. But James Lawrence was my everything. That was until Ashton. He came with a secret. A reason that I should stay away from him… I should have listened. And now it is too late. I’d already fallen. I was already ruined.
Release Date: August 6, 2019
Rowan Caine stumbles across an opportunity of a lifetime. A live-in nannying post with an incredibly generous salary. When she arrives at Heatherbrae House she is smitten with everything: the luxurious smart home, the beautiful Scottish Highlands, and their perfect family. She had no idea that she was stepping into a nightmare.
Release Date: August 20, 2019
She was too good for my world. But I couldn’t push her away. I grew up in this world and I run these streets. Violence and blood taint everything I touch. Except her. She was my constant through everything. Just a touch and she became my addiction. I only survived because of her.
Release Date: August 13, 2019
South Dakota, 1949. John Smith is a WWII veteran that lost his wife during childbirth. Desperate to provide for his two children, he is manipulated into an unsuitable marriage… Washington State, 1964. John’s daughter Calla is now 16 and yearns for a life beyond her vindictive stepmother. But when her stepmother takes her college money, her dreams crumble. John fears he is too late to stop the war within his home.
Release Date: August 6, 2019
This is the story of Haben Girma, the first Deafblind graduate of Harvard Law. This memoir follows her life and journey from isolation to the world stage. Haben did not let her disability stop her and used it as an opportunity for innovation. Join Haben through key moments of her life as she searched for the keys to connection.
Have you been searching for a new mystery novel but don't want all the gory details? These fun cozy mystery books are perfect for your reading list! Check out these exciting novels by Melissa Erin Jackson, Sam Cheever, Willow Mason, Addison Moore, Donna Andrews, and Leighann Dobbs!
Release Date: June 10, 2019
The first book in A Witch of Edgehill Mystery series... Amber Blackwood has been a lifelong resident of Edgehill, Oregon. She has earned a reputation around town as a semi-reclusive odd duck. The people of Edgehill think her store, the Quirky Whisker, is an integral part of the feline-obsessed town, but everyone gives her a wide berth. She's fine with that, as it keeps her secret safe.
Release Date: August 2, 2019
The start of the Enchanting Inquiries series from USA Today Bestselling Author Sam Cheever... When I woke up with a migraine, I knew my day would be interesting. I am a magical artifact wrangler, so I expect the unusual. But then I found a frog in my teacup... and it started talking to me. Maybe I took the wrong kind of pill for my headache?
Release Date: August 12, 2019
The second book in the Beezley and the Witch series... So apparently I am a bad witch. But I promise to only use my black magic for good. But this promise was out to the test when a zombie wanders into the local bank right before closing time and I've been hired to investigate.
Release Date: August 15, 2019
It's the morning of the big all-you-can-eat pancake breakfast and everything is going wrong. I burnt breakfast for the town, I've run out of syrup, and the ghosts are staging a protest. But then things get really bad when I find a body face down in a plate of pancakes.
Release Date: August 6, 2019
The 25th book in the New York Times Bestselling Meg Lanslow Mysteries series by Donna Andrews... Meg Lanslow's grandfather has been booked to give lectures on birds for a cruise line and the whole family has been invited to join him. But the passengers' vacation turns into a nightmare when the ship breaks downin the Bermuda Triangle.
Release Date: July 31, 2019
When Josie Waters is the owner of the Oyster Cove Guesthouse. When she discovers the 300-year-old skeleton of shipping tycoon Jedediah Biddeford in the ballroom wall, it is quite a hassle. But then his descendants start to turn up and legends of buried treasure start to surface.
