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Must-Read Fantasy & Science Fiction Books | May 2020

Are you ready to embark on some amazing new adventures? You'll definitely find some new favorites among our list of new release fantasy and science fiction books. Don't miss new novels by A.L. Hawke, Nowick Gray, Byrd Nash, Martha Wells, C.J. Archer, and Neal Asher. Enjoy!

Broomstick

by A.L. Hawke

I didn't believe in witches... that was until I enrolled in Dr. Alondra Johansen's metaphysical history class. My name is Cadence Hawthorne, but you can call me Katie. Darkness fell over me and my family in my sophomore year. I thought Alondra could help me with my grief and visions of ghosts. But there was this guy working with her. Someone that looked like more like the devil than a professor. He did terrible things to my friend and threatens my growing love for Bryce, Alondri's teaching assistant.

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FutureCon

by Nowick Gray

A spin under the new VR headgear sends programmer Joe Norton into an AI game of tough love, mind control, and true choices. Now Norton's relationships, career, and sanity are at stake. He must finish a mission... but his gifted scope rifle came with no instructions, no target or source, and a single bullet. Stuck between worlds with a menu of bad choices, he must find his way to the "home brain" and beat the rogue cybervirus at its own game.

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A Study in Spirits

by Byrd Nash

The second book in A College Fae Magic Series by Byrd Nash... Brigit has been accused of vandalism and stealing test answers. Now she must find the guilty party to stay at Leopold Otto University. To make things worse, her Fairy Debt to a Doppelganger means she must discover the secret of what's prowling the abbey library. The monster is destroying the books she loves and Brigit is determined to stop it.

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Network Effect

by Martha Wells

The fifth book in The Murderbot Diaries series by New York Times Bestselling Author Martha Wells... When Murderbot's human associates (not friends) have been captured and another not-friend from its past requires immediate assistance, Murderbot must make a decision between inertia and drastic action.

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The Prison of Buried Hopes

by C.J. Archer

The fifth book in the After The Rift Series by USA Today Bestselling Author C.J. Archer... On their adventure south to Freedland, Josie, Dane, and their friends have a feeling that someone is following them. Their best move is to hide in the twin cities of Merrin Fahl. But they soon get recognized by strangers.

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The Human

by Neal Asher

The third book in the Rise of Jain series by bestselling author Neal Asher... Rising from the depths of space, a Jain warship has emerged with a deadly grudge and a wealth of ancient and lethal technology. It is trying to hunt down the alien Client and annihilate anything that stands in its way.

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New Literary Fiction Novels | May 2020

Can't get enough literary fiction novels for your reading list? There have been some amazing new books released this month from bestselling authors Claire Fullerton, Barbara Monier, Jennifer Weiner, Carol Mason, Emma Straub, and Sonja Yoerg. Enjoy your new book recommendations!

Little Tea

by Claire Fullerton

Release Date: May 1, 2020

After a call from Renny to come home and "see about" Ava, Celia Wakefield decides to overlook a distressful past in the name of friendship. The three friends spend three reflective days at Renny's lake house in Heber Springs Arkansas, where they examine life, love, marriage, and the ties that bind. But Celia's personal story has yet to be healed. When an old boyfriend arrives at the door, she must revisit the life she tried to run from.

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The Rocky Orchard

by Barbara Monier

Release Date: May 12, 2020

Mazie has returned to her old farm-her family's summer home and a pivotal refuge throughout her life. As she gazes towards the rocky orchard above the house, movement in the far distance captures her attention. An elderly woman names Lula emerges from the morning fog and a gentle, cautiously loving relationship between youth and age begins.

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Big Summer

by Jennifer Weiner

Release Date: May 5, 2020

Named a Most Anticipated Book of 2020 by Literary Hub, PopSugar, LibraryReads, Booklist, and Library Journal... It has been six years since the fight that ended their friendship, so Daphne Berg is shocked when Drue Cavanaugh walks back into her life. She hasn't spoken a word to her in all this time, so she is speechless when she asks her to be her maid-of-honor at the society wedding of the summer.

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Little White Secrets

by Carol Mason

Release Date: May 1, 2020

Life is pretty close to perfect for Emily Rossi. She has a great career, a house in the country, a solid marriage, and two wonderful children. But when her daughter brings home a toxic new best friend, her perfect world starts to spin out of control.

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All Adults Here

by Emma Straub

Release Date: May 4, 2020

A school bus accident in town jostles loose a repressed memory for Astrid Strick. Suddenly, she realizes she wasn't the parent she thought she'd been to her three, now grown children. Her youngest son is drifting and unfocused, her daughter is pregnant, and her eldest seems to measure his adult life according to standards no one else shares. What lapses in her parenting were the ones that mattered?

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Stories We Never Told

by Sonja Yoerg

Release Date: May 1, 2020

Jackie Strelitz thought she was over Harlan Crispin, her ex-lover and colleague. Why would she care if he introduces his new "friend" to her? After all, she now has a loving husband and a successful career. But she is still very curious about Harlan's latest.

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The Best New Biography and Memoir Books | May 2020

If you've been on the lookout for some inspiring new biography and memoir books, you've come to the right place. We've made a list of some of our favorite new biography and memoir book releases from authors Nowick Gray, Bobi Conn, Brad Aronson, Mike Majlak, Meghan Rienks, and Nina Renata Aron. Happy reading!

My Generation

by Nowick Gray

My Generation is the new literary memoir from bestselling author Nowick Gray... In this book, Nowick documents his incredible journey and highlights the intrinsic value of personal growth, and how it can dramatically change the trajectory of your life--if you let it. This fast-paced, passionate, and thoughtful memoir is perfect for anyone that appreciates the importance of understanding where we come from and how it shapes us.

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In the Shadow if the Valley

by Bobi Conn

Bobi Conn was raised in a remote Kentucky holler in 1980s Appalachia. She remembers her tin-roofed house in a vast forest paradise, the sparkling creeks, the sweet blackberries growing along the road... she also remembers her abusive father. Bobi's rule of survival was to always be vigilant but endure it silently.

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Humankind

by Brad Aronson

"An elegant, wise book of love in action." - Deepak Chopra... Ben Aronson's life changed forever when his wife, Mia, was diagnosed with leukemia. For the next two and a half years, Brad spent most of his time by her side and she received treatment or shielding their five-year-old son, Jack, from the worst of her illness. Humankindness is a book dedicated to the people who rescued his family from that dark time and sharing the stories of other acts of kindness.

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The Fifth Vital

by Mike Majlak

Mike Majlak was only seventeen when he got caught up in the opioid epidemic that swept the nation. While his peers were living normal lives, he was snorting OxyContin, climbing out of cars at gunpoint, and burying his childhood friends. Unable to escape the addiction, he eventually lost everything. His dreams, potential, and future were being devoured by addiction. He thought he wasn't going to survive... but he did.

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You're Not Special

by Meghan Rienks

Meghan Rienks was an only child raised in a town of less than 8,000 people. So, she has always been pretty good at entertaining herself. But on June 12th, 2010, her life changed forever. Meghan was diagnosed with mononucleosis. For a sixteen-year-old, mono is social suicide and just plain boring. So, she opened up her MacBook and used her webcam to record her first YouTube video. Since then she has shared the ups and downs of her life with the world. Now that she is through her awkward teenage years, she is here to tell you that it gets better.

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Good Morning, Destroyer of Men's Souls

by Nina Renata Aron

Good Morning, Destroyer of Men's Souls is a memoir of romance and addiction by Nina Renata Aron... This new book tells the story of a love affair with an addict, weaving personal reckoning with psychology and history to understand the nature of addiction, codependency, and our appetite for obsessive love.

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Must-Read Romance Novels | May 2020

Need some new book recommendations for your romance reading list? Look no further than these amazing new novels from bestselling authors Shane Starrett, Bella Roccaforte, Kimberly Readnour, Willow Winters, Christine Feehan, Tijan, and more. Enjoy your sexy new reads!

Jaded

by Shane Starrett

Release Date: April 27, 2020

Jaded is a companion story to the bestselling book Jasmine by Shane Starrett... He was a broken FBI agent and she was a sassy, sarcastic journalist. Brought together by one set of circumstances, there is now another that could destroy them. But he'll need to bring down his walls to let her in. And she will have to learn to trust a man so jaded.

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Dark Moon Falls (Volume 2)

by Bella Roccaforte and more

Release Date: May 5, 2020

The second volume if the Dark Moon Falls paranormal romance collection including 13 bestselling authors. In this boxed set, you will explore the sleepy Pacific Northwest town of Dark Moon Falls... a place where nothing is what it seems. It has secrets, shifters, romance, villains, and more!

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Behind the Count

by Kimberly Readnour

Release Date: April 30, 2020

The second book in the Cessna U Wildcats series by bestselling author Kimberly Readnour... Dating my brother's best friend? Yeah... That is totally off-limits. Noah Green is Cessna University's starting catcher and my life-long crush. There are only a few things I want in life. To graduate with a fashion degree, to be taken seriously, and Noah Green. I let the idea of him go after my first year of college and it almost worked. Then there was that late summer night.

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Do You Want Me?

by Willow Winters

Release Date: May 3, 2020

Sometimes a love story is a slow burn. Other times it can be quick to ignite, scorching and branding your soul before you've even taken a breath. That's how I would describe what happened to us. Everything around me was blurry except for his lips and his touch. The chase and heat was addictive. But we should have paid more attention. We should have known that it would come to this.

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Shadow Flight

by Christine Feehan

Release Date: May 5, 2020

The fifth book in The Shadow Riders series by New York Times Bestselling Author Christine Feehan... Nicoletta Gomez was just a scared teenager when Taviano Ferraro and his brother saved her life. Since then, she has tried to rise above what was done to her, molding herself into a survivor under the protective eyes of the Ferraro family. At the same time, she's been falling in love with the man who knows her darkest secrets.

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Fallen Crest Campout

by Tijan

Release Date: April 26, 2020

The new crossover novel between the Fallen Crest and Crew series by New York Times Bestselling Author Tijan... Sam and Mason have returned to Fallen Crest for a camping trip. As they head north, they meet up with a few friends from Roussou and enjoy a night of booze, leapfrogging, and a small therapy session to air out the tension in the group.

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Interview with Bella Roccaforte, one of the Authors of Dark Moon Falls (Volume 2)

What can you tell us about your new release, Dark Moon Falls (Volume 2)?

That’s a good question. Dark Moon Falls 2 is the second Boxset in the Dark Moon Falls world which was created by myself, and my ‘partner-in-crime’ Ava K Michaels while we were on vacation in Vegas. It’s a town high in the mountains of the Pacific North West but the town has secrets. One where hot Wolf Shifters pursue their one true mate, with romance, danger and intrigue a staple for every story, also there’s a coven of Witches and other supernatural beings in the stories, and the humans who live there are sometimes caught in the middle of the drama. We invite other authors to write in the world and publish the stories in a set first, for six months, then they can publish them independently. We’re very excited about releasing Volume 2, it’s packed with fantastic stories that’ll keep readers glued to the pages until the end. It’s 99c for release week only though, price will be going up soon.

What or who inspired you to become an author?

I’ve always loved stories, they were my escape, and I have to say there’s some amazing storytellers out there … one who immediately springs to mind is George R R Martin. His mind and the way he writes is utterly amazing. A Song of Ice and Fire is out of this world!

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

A Song of Ice and Fire, of course! I also love reading indie author stories, I enjoy a wide range of genres, Monica La Porta’s Fifth Moon Wolf’s series, Elaine Barris’ Zane series, To Kill A Mockingbird is another, and I loved reading The Wind in the Willows to my kids.

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

Hmm, I’d have to go with George R R Martin and I’d want to know how the heck he could keep track of everything he had going on in that epic story. I mean, the amount of twists, turns, and what not … I’d find it extremely difficult to do. Also, did he know when he started how it was going to turn out? Or, did he change things while he was writing? I do that sometimes, so I’d love to know if he did. Another question would be … did he like how they portrayed his story on-screen? Or not? There were differences to the books, so yeah, I’d like to know how he felt.

What's your favorite thing about writing?

Building suspense and intrigue and hopefully putting in a few twists that readers don’t see coming. My main aim is to produce something that people will enjoy, if I do that, then I’m happy.

What is a typical day like for you?

I don’t think there is a typical day for a writer. Characters can misbehave, or life gets in the way, or the kids can get sick, for me it’s a case of getting words in whenever I can. I do my best to juggle everything and get things done when I can. It can be hard at times, but I do what I can, when I can. Working and being a single mom has an impact on word count … so, it’s a ‘get it done whenever’ scenario.

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

I like to think I do … Be kind and help one another… after all, at the end of the day, what would the world be like if we didn’t?

Bella Roccaforte is one of the authors of Dark Moon Falls (Volume 2).

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Interview with Byrd Nash, Author of A Study in Spirits

What can you tell us about your new release, A Study in Spirits?

Accused of cheating and vandalizing the library, Brigit must clear her name. The only problem is what prowls the stacks doesn’t play nicely with others.

Brigit, a dryad, and Logan, a human bard, return in this second book in the College Fae series. With them is a computer hacker-gamer and a flying squirrel that can transform into a key. It’s a story of ghosts, friendships, and a battle over the truth.

This is a contemporary YA fantasy taking place at a European university where the fae and humans attend classes together. It is suitable for 14+ readers.

What or who inspired you to become an author?

Once I started reading (which I distinctly remember making the connection that lines made words), I wanted to duplicate that magic. Even when I played make-believe it was all couched into stories - who did what and why.

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

These are some of my favorites that I return to often for a re-read, probably because they trigger a deep emotional reaction when I read them:

Paladin of Souls by Lois Bujold
Song of the Beast by Carol Berg
The Forgotten Beasts of Eld by Patricia A. McKillip
The Serpent Garden by Judith M. Riley
The Far Pavilions by M.M. Kaye

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

I actually would prefer to be the host of a history talk show. If you would allow me that change, I would be interviewing Queen Elizabeth I (because I want her secrets on how she maintained power), Jane Austen (as I want to know what was in the letters her sister destroyed), and Nathaniel Hawthorne (to reassure him that no one blames him for his relative burning witches).

What's your favorite thing about writing?

Laughing about some embarrassing and ridiculous situation that I’ve written that my characters have to survive.

What is a typical day like for you?

Up by 7 a.m. to take care of my pets (foster puppy, cats, and horses), and immediately to writing or researching. I try to write/research a bit every day.

Each day I do try to get a nature walk in or get outside to just absorb the energy from trees and animals.

What scene in A Study in Spirits was your favorite to write?

There are 2 scenes I especially like:

Early on there is a confrontation between the main character, Logan, who is a human bard and the father of his roommate. It shows very clearly not only the dangerous interrelationships between human and the fae, but also the dynamics of a father who doesn’t like his daughter’s suitor.

Another scene I enjoyed writing deals with a powerful character, Paul, who is a Doppelganger. Through a series of events he ends up hiding in a trash dumpster. That is one of those embarrassing scenes I mentioned earlier that I like to write about because it lends itself to comedy.

I really like to see what my characters do/react when faced with the unpredictable.

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

Be true to yourself first.

It’s probably why I identify so much with my main character, Brigit, as she is also rather stubborn about holding to her principles.

Byrd Nash is the author of the new book A Study in Spirits.

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Interview with Shane Starrett, Author of Jaded

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

JADED is a follow-up companion story to the book JASMINE that Jennifer Bene and I co-wrote and released last year. That book has been incredibly well received, and one secondary character in it drew a good deal of reader attention, both good and bad: Mason Jones, the FBI agent sent to find Sloane Finley, the main character in Jasmine. When I was discussing which book I wanted to start working on next, the idea that ultimately stuck with me most was to give readers Mason’s story. Both where he came from prior to JASMINE, and where he goes afterward in JADED.

What or who inspired you to become an author?

I have been writing for over twenty-five years now, but it was strictly for my wife Cynthia. I would write stories for her, and she would tell me “You really should think about showing these to an agent or somehow and thinking about trying to publish them.” I brushed aside those entreaties as her just being kind.

Jump ahead to two years ago, and I write this fanfic, and Cynthia reaches out the author of the book I wrote it about (Jennifer Bene), and the two of them conspired together to get me to release it in serialized form on my website. They are the true inspiration behind me, because without them I am certain I would still be writing and then filing my stories away unseen.

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

The Monkey Wrench Gang – Edward Abbey

Cat’s Cradle – Kurt Vonnegut

Kushiel's Dart- Jacqueline Carey

The Thalia Series – Jennifer Bene

Bass-Ackwards: A Wrong-Way Romance – Eris Adderley

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

C J Cherryh. She’s an author I would LOVE to just sit down with and talk to about the craft of writing, world-building, and character development. To my mind, she is a master at those things, and so many of her novels are much like early Vonnegut; novels of the human spirit and experience wrapped in a science fiction shell. I love thrill at the opportunity to hear her thoughts on those subjects.

What's your favorite thing about writing?

Watching how a story develops from the ‘voices in my head’ to a scene, then to a chapter, and finally to a book as a whole. I love the building aspect of writing, because it ties in with what I’ve spent my ‘other career’ doing. Forming the basic structure of a story, then adding onto it, smoothing out the rough edges, and then giving it the final polish are all things that just appeal to me.

What is a typical day like for you?

Work during the day, come home and fix dinner (I love to cook), relax for a bit with my wife, write for as long as I can until I can feel the words coming sluggishly, then read for a bit before going to bed.

Rinse, repeat.

Although, to be fair, because of the current COVID-19 situation, my reduced work schedule has allowed for a *lot* more writing time than I was afforded in the past, which has been very nice.

What scene in Jaded was your favorite to write?

I think the restaurant scene between Mason, Carmen, and her wife Marianne. I loved the interplay, the dialogue, and how Carmen forces Mason to stop hiding behind the walls he’s built up, because she’s seen through them. She respects and cares for him too much to see him continue to hurt himself, especially when something good is staring him right in the face. Carmen calls him on his bullshit and watching her do that was just so much fun!

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

Res ipsa loquitur. Let the good times roll. ― Hunter S. Thompson, Generation of Swine: Tales of Shame and Degradation in the '80's

Shane Starrett is the author of the new book Jaded.

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Interview with Nowick Gray, Author of My Generation

What can you tell us about your new release, My Generation?

Fifty years after Woodstock, it’s worth recalling the collective visions that flowered then, and reflecting on what happened to those dreams of a revolutionary or utopian new world. In my own case I followed a spiraling path of lifestyle change that was representative of my generation, yet unique. I hope my story can serve as inspiration for anyone, of any generation today, to realize freedom in making choices that serve their true calling.

What or who inspired you to become an author?

The great writers I discovered in university literature courses showed me the power of expressing, in truth and artful composition, what matters most in the world and in the soul. And my university professors brought brilliance and passion to my appreciation of the literary craft. After that I found in my own written voice a well of knowing that I had no choice but to honor.

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

Catch-22 by Joseph Heller, The Songlines by Bruce Chatwin, The Feast of the Goat by Mario Vargas Llosa, Oryx and Crake by Margaret Atwood, The Magus by John Fowles. In no particular order, and if you ask me tomorrow I have 20 other contenders to choose from.

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

I would invite George Saunders to expound on his unequaled gift for satire, with its critical yet compassionate portrayal of human nature. How can the lens be so comically colored yet at the same time so objectively clear?

What's your favorite thing about writing?

I love the way it taps into a channel, an inner or higher voice beyond conscious intention, that speaks and writes for itself, for me, for what others need to hear. I have learned to trust that channel if I only give it time to surface by priming by pump. Then I get to ride with it, in the same way a musical jam can unfold into shared spontaneous magic.

What is a typical day like for you?

Yoga, coffee, meditation. Then my news feeds, social media, and email, leading into editing work or my current writing project. In the afternoon, a nature outing—at least a brisk walk, or a longer hike or kayak trip, work permitting. In the evening I like most to go out dancing or play hand drums with a variety of musical groups.

What scene in My Generation was your favorite to write?

It’s a passage that didn’t actually make the final cut, because it’s a condensed summary of a whole chapter (published separately as “Youth, 1974”). It was fun to write because it captured the whole zany period of my life in California in my early twenties, swinging between down-and-out blues and sheer synchronistic magic—like dreaming of Allen Ginsberg and meeting him the next day, or being down to my last nickel in Reno before hitting it big on the slots and craps. The segment is told in second- and third-person, a monologue delivered by my long-dead little brother, as arch commentary on my foibles; so that novel device was fun to work with too.

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

My favorite, oddly enough, comes from a health book called Sinus Survival, but it has served me well in coping with uncertainty in life at every scale: “Everything is happening in perfect time.” I think that’s an upgrade from mother’s favorite, “Everything happens for the best.” Another revision comes from the Quaker elders I more or less adopted as spiritual parents: “Hope for the best, expect the worst, and take what comes with grace.”

Nowick Gray is the author of the new book My Generation.

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Interview with A.L. Hawke, Author of Broomstick

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

Broomstick was born out of a whim to create a romance for Halloween. That’s it. Simple, huh? But as I worked on the project and studied other books out there (and witchcraft), I endeavored to create something that felt real. So there’s a lot of real stuff mixed with Cadence’s voice that I think gives the novel a little extra creepiness amid her charm.

This novel is about a college sophomore, Cadence Hawthorne, introduced to a special “honors” program. She’s hesitant to join because of its dealings with the occult, but her best friend and this hot teaching assistant enroll. Students are warned that if they join they will be uncomfortable and there’s a consent form that they must sign. But none of that deters Cadence as much as learning that she has to offer her blood.

What or who inspired you to become an author?

I love the thrill of creating magic and romance out of the ordinary. That is why all my novels center on magic and attraction in a contemporary setting. I also write science fiction mixing my medical science background with fantasy.

There are so many amazing authors that I admire out there like Stephen King or E.L. James and many of us want to aspire to have their success, but I’m most driven by the sheer fun of creating a fanciful world and sharing my art with my readers.

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

1. Catcher in the Rye
2. Twilight
3. Carrie
4. Frankenstein
5. The Mists of Avalon

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

I would never be a talk show host because I’m much too shy, but if we were to fantasize: Mary Shelley. I’d ask her: Did you really write Frankenstein in one night? I don’t believe it. And then I’d ask her how she did it. What a genius.

What's your favorite thing about writing?

Breathing life into characters. It’s like being a sculptor. If you think of writing as art, some artists are painters, others are sculptors. I’m a sculptor chiseling and breathing life into my characters. That’s more important to me than painting a scene. They’re both vital, of course, but I write to bring my characters to life. If I don’t have an interesting character, I don’t have a story.

What is a typical day like for you?

Work mostly. I write an hour or two in the early morning, at lunch, or in the early evening. I prefer to write in coffee shops during the day. Sometimes I like to write in the dark at night with just a dim computer screen. In between, there is my busy day job.

What scene in Broomstick was your favorite to write?

The flying one. This witch scene was transformative for Cadence and pivotal for the novel. It was weird, a touch erotic, and just plain fun.

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

Live life to the fullest and, if you can’t, write about it.

A.L. Hawke is the author of the new book Broomstick.

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Interview with Claire Fullerton, author of Little Tea

What can you tell us about your new release, Little Tea?

Little Tea ( named after a character whose real name is Thelonia Winfrey) is the story of those long-lasting friendships that see you through a lifetime, wherein there's shared history; language; and sense of humor. The narrator, Celia Wakefield spent part of her childhood at her family's 3rd generation land in Como, Mississippi, where the cultural social mores concerning racial integration had yet to fully evolve. This premise sets the dynamic of a trajectory of events that impact her friendship with Little Tea and haunt Celia Wakefield decades later. When Celia reunites with two childhood friends at Greer's Ferry Lake in Heber Springs, Arkansas, Celia's past resurfaces for long-overdue resolution.

What books are currently on your nightstand?

The Boatman and Other Stories by Irish author, Billy O'Callaghan
Chemistry and Other Stories by Ron Rash
The Prince of Tides by Pat Conroy, which I've read repeatedly and like to revisit for its stellar language.

What advice would you give your teenage self?

Pay scrupulous attention to the world around you and the people in it. Take mental notes of nuance and particulars. Astute observation is the key to being a writer.

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

Reading the great writers of the world.

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

My world goes round when I get in the middle of it. I love great singer-songwriters with poetic lyrical skills and exceptional singing voices. Taking a long walk while listening to music is physically therapeutic and meditatively inspirational on so many artistic levels. It sets me right! Then, of course, there are my three frolicking German shepherds who've never had a bad day in their life.

What scene in Little Tea was your favorite to write?

There's a memory that narrator, Celia Wakefield, shares about a balmy Sunday in Como, Mississippi, when she and her charismatic brother, Hayward, sneak into the back of a church at the end of a dirt road to hear their good friend, Little Tea, sing with the choir. In the racially divided South, they are the only white people in Mount Moriah church and want to be inconspicuous but instead, they are immediately set upon with great, welcoming enthusiasm by those dressed in their Sunday finest carrying paper stick fans against the Southern heat. It is an eye-opening experience for Hayward, who plays the Steinway piano at a concert level and gravitates to all things musical. I wrote about what goes on in such a setting: the gospel music, the hand-clapping, the bright, unified spirit of humble souls who make that rural, Mississippi church their spiritual center of gravity. The scene is telling of the times and the disparity in racial cultures and, in that moment, Celia has a moment of awakening.

Claire Fullerton is the author of the new book Little Tea.

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