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 Gianni Russo, Olivia Newton-John, Cara Robertson, Andrew Rannells, and more. Enjoy your new biography and memoir books. Happy reading!
What can you tell us about your new release,Savant, Feral & Seer?
It's a boxed set that contains the first 3 novels in my epic fantasy series, which is based on Greek mythology, but contains a whole new cast of gods, demigods, and heroes set in an original fantasy world.
What or who inspired you to become an author?
Definitely reading the works of J.R.R. Tolkien, J.K. Rowling, Stephen King (I loved the Dark Tower books) and others like them. I remember reading Harry Potter and a book about greek myths back in my teenage years, and thinking "A mashup of these two would be cool."
What's on your top 5 list for the best books you've ever read?
In order from best to "less best": The Forever War, by Joe Haldeman, The Fountainhead, by Ayn Rand, 1984 by George Orwell, Frankenstein, by Mary Shelly, and The Lord of the Rings, by JRR Tolkien
Say you’re the host of a literary talk show. Who would be your first guest? What would you want to ask?
My first guest would be JK Rowling. I'd ask her about her daily writing routine when she was working on Harry Potter and some of the challenges she faced becoming so successful over the course of so few years after her debut.
What's your favorite thing about writing?
Feeling in control of an entire world.
What is a typical day like for you?
I typically get up an hour or two before I have to leave for work, and I write or revise. Then I spend (too much) time at work, recruiting for my company. After that, my wife and I like to make dinner and watch TV. I usually get home an hour to an hour and a half earlier than she does, so I used that time to read. I also read for a half hour before I got to sleep.
What scene inSavant, Feral & Seer was your favorite to write?
Definitely the scene in Seer when one of the main characters wakes up from a coma to find that the world has changed, and not for the better. Then she and her friends have to decide what to do to save everyone. Not all of the characters agree on a path to salvation, so there's a lot of drama and conflict there.
Do you have a motto, quote or philosophy you live by?
Take it one day at a time. That's the only way I've been able to grasp all the work of writing a novel, and especially writing an epic fantasy series. Just take it one day at a time. Make each day worthwhile by producing something, anything.
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What can you tell us about your new release, The Candidate and Other Stories?
They are designed as pure escapism; don’t look for profundity or morality. On the other hand, I’m not sure a writer is qualified to comment on his own work, who knows what the deep subconscious has imbedded in a writer’s prose?
What or who inspired you to become an author?
My aunt, Rosel George Brown, was a science fiction writer. She was so witty and sophisticated, I decided early on to emulate her.
What's on your top 5 list for the best books you've ever read?
“Master and Commander” by Patrick O’Brian.
“Naked Lunch” by William S. Burroughs.
“The Sign of Four” by Sir Arthur Canon Doyle.
“The Odyssey” by Homer.
“The Plague” by Albert Camus.
Say you’re the host of a literary talk show. Who would be your first guest? What would you want to ask?
My first guest would be the skull of Edgar Allan Poe, and after I drank a mixture of blood and Merlot from it, I wouldn’t need to ask anything because then I would know.
What's your favorite thing about writing?
The humbling effect and the arrogance, both come from putting oneself on the same level as Shakespeare, Dostoevsky, Heinlein, Baudelaire, Rimbaud, de Sade, Masoch, and the list goes on.
What is a typical day like for you?
It begins with gratefulness for being alive for another day, and with keen pleasure knowing there is no such thing as god so I don’t have to be grateful to anything but the random events that got me here. The day ends with the punishment reward system caressing or thrashing me for producing (or not producing) text.
What scene inThe Candidate and Other Stories was your favorite to write?
Perhaps the scene in “Harold” when he escapes the homunculus sized Colosseum where the evil Pamela Perkins pits him against the savage Tabby named Thomas.
Do you have a motto, quote or philosophy you live by?
No. That would be pretentious. But if I did it would be Memento Mori; Remember you will die.
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What can you tell us about your new release, Innocence Lost?
Innocence Lost is the first book of a five book series Bootleggers’ Chronicles. The inspiration for the series is a quote by Martin Luther King, Jr: “The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he stands in times of challenge and controversy.”
So much of the crime that sprang up In America during Prohibition (time period for the novels) came about not because of evil people, but because good people stood by and did nothing while evil happened.
The main character, a widow with a young son, must decide how she is going to respond when a young boy is murdered by bootleggers.
What or who inspired you to become an author?
I’ve always been a voracious reader, and like most people who love to read, I’ve always wondered about whether I could write a book. When I retired, I cast around for what the next chapter of my life would look like and decided to turn my hand to writing. With five books under my belt now and the next series started, I gotta’ say—I love it!
What's on your top 5 list for the best books you've ever read?
Say you’re the host of a literary talk show. Who would be your first guest? What would you want to ask?
Louise Penny and her early days and the struggles as she brought her first Gamache story to life.
What's your favorite thing about writing?
I love getting the idea and working it into an outline. Then the first draft is the next fave time. Very exciting to begin to see the story take shape. I’m not a big fan of editing.
What is a typical day like for you?
Super early riser- up around 4AM each morning. I write until 7, pack my husband’s lunchkit, write again from 9-noon, then my lunch, author stuff until 4 and then start supper.
What scene in Innocence Lost was your favorite to write?
The scene where Maggie realizes that Frank is a ghost. She’s a very practical, common-sense person confronted by the unexplainable. He’s a Victorian police inspector struggling to let go of his preconceptions about women and learn to work with a woman in 1920.
Do you have a motto, quote or philosophy you live by?
Life’s roughest storms prove the strength of our anchors.
Perfection is the enemy of done.
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What can you tell us about your new release, The Witch's Tower?
It started with an image. I wanted to know what it would really be like to have dozens of feet of hair, and how manageable such a situation could’ve been, so the image of a bedridden Rapunzel came to mind. Add to that the inability to wash or brush your hair, and an even starker image of a crazed Rapunzel trapped in a tower surrounded by unwashed hair replaced the fairy tale everyone’s familiar with. I was also bothered by how the fairy tale ended, with the witch chopping off Rapunzel’s hair, so I envisioned a benevolent witch, who is helping Rapunzel cut her hair so she can be free of its curse. Needless to say, this is a twisted version of Rapunzel, but it offers a vision of hope as well—that not every witch is evil.
What or who inspired you to become an author?
My uncle and my sister. Both were authors who encouraged me to write a book. I thought they were crazy. Writing a book seemed like a daunting task—one too difficult for me to accomplish. But their challenge always stayed with me until I finally gave in. I wrote my first book in September 2010 and I haven’t stopped since.
What's on your top 5 list for the best books you've ever read?
Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte, Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen, Tess of the d’Urbervilles by Thomas Hardy, The Order of the Phoenix by JK Rowling, I Am Morgan le Fay by Nancy Springer
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 my uncle. He passed away a decade ago. I’d ask if he knew I was writing.
What's your favorite thing about writing?
I love the creative outlet. Like almost everyone on the planet, my life is chaotic. I’ve got five kids who keep me constantly busy, and my “sacred writing time” gives me a way to use my creativity and imagine worlds of adventure and magic. I can’t imagine my life without writing. I’m always thinking of the next story.
What is a typical day like for you?
I get my writing done early before the “witching hour” AKA “the time after the kids get home from school.” I have a four-year old who stays home with me, so I usually play with him after the kids go to school, then I write for a few hours. I aim to write 1,000 words a day, which is about four pages. In the afternoons I focus on marketing and social media, then I become a glorified taxi driver for the rest of the evening. At night, I take time for my own reading.
What scene in The Witch's Tower was your favorite to write?
That’s a tough one. It’s hard to pick just one, but I’d have to say it’s when Gothel enters the Outerlands for the first time. I read a book called The Orphan Keeper by Camron Wright. In the book, he describes the scent of curry, and how it infused the air during traditional Indian meals. The culture in the Outerlands is similar to that found in Arabia or India, so I wanted to include details that hinted at that—thus, the scent of curry. I loved delving into Arabic cultures and including details in The Witch’s Tower.
Do you have a motto, quote or philosophy you live by?
“A caged bird stands on the grave of dreams.” -Maya Angelou. Also, my tagline is “Imagination Uncaged” which comes from this quote. In my own life, my imagination is my path to freedom, which is a theme that occurs frequently in my own books.
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What can you tell us about your new release, Rock Bottom Girl?
Rock Bottom Girl is hot, hilarious, and heartwarming (if I do say so myself). It’s all of my favorite things rolled into one book: small town, romcom, bad boy turned super sexy good man, revenge, a derpy dog, a makeover, gay uncles, retired parents who decide to open an AirBnB. It’s also a second chance story, not just at love but it’s a do-over for our heroine to finally get high school right. The h and H are almost forty, so they have more adult problems, which I love. This book is for anyone who didn’t love their high school experience and for any reader who still feels like she (or he) doesn’t have life figured out yet.
What or who inspired you to become an author?
I started stealing my mom’s romance novels when I was 13. Between devouring Julie Garwood and Nora Roberts books, I was destined to write romance. Unfortunately, it took me a long time of trying every other job in the world before I committed to writing as a career. I still can’t believe this is my life. Every day I have this little sliver of clarity about the fact that I’m living my dream.
What's on your top 5 list for the best books you've ever read?
Okay, hang on to your hats. Let’s do this! The Bride by Julie Garwood is the first romance I remember reading. I’ve reread it approximately 30 million times. The Obsession by Nora Roberts is romantic suspense perfection. The Husband’s Secret by Liane Moriarty is phenomenal. Bohemian by Kathryn Nolan is so emotional and satisfying and genius. And then there’s Bourbon Bliss by Claire Kingsley. This is in a series we’re co-writing together so I’m biased. But Claire’s heroine, June, has one of the most satisfying character arcs ever!
Say you’re the host of a literary talk show. Who would be your first guest? What would you want to ask?
Lauren Rowe because she lives so big in everything that she does. I’d just say “Tell me about your life…”
What's your favorite thing about writing?
Besides the comfy pants? I love watching these characters that pop into my head become real people with real lives. I love finally putting my imagination to good use.
What is a typical day like for you?
Wake up later than I expected. Blindly stumble through a workout. Eat breakfast around noon, firmly believing that after this cup of coffee I’ll sit down and write. Waste too much time on social media and email and not get started until 3. Then I get lost to the world for about four hours while I write (sometimes it’s great and the words are exploding out of me, most days it’s hard). After I hit my word count goal or give up, I’ll do some marketing or more social media. Maybe proof some audio. Make dinner around 9 (I know, that IS really late). Then Mr. Lucy and I will watch some TV or hang out and catch up on the day, while I stare at his handsomeness.
What scene in Rock Bottom Girl was your favorite to write?
There’s three (I know, I know). The meet-puke, for obvious reasons. There’s a scene with Marley and a student where Marley is trying to recruit the girl to join her soccer team and the banter is just so entertaining. Then there’s the tree branch moment. I don’t want to spoil anything. Oh! And the bonus epilogue. I was sobbing and laughing while writing that scene!
Do you have a motto, quote or philosophy you live by?
No. I probably should. If I did it would be about more gratitude and less whining.
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By Marin Montgomery
I picture the beach, the ocean, multi-million dollar properties, and the guise of the people in these homes. In this case, my husband and wife in The Perfect Stranger are both successful, but I wanted them to switch roles. You often read about women who change their appearance, but what about a man who undergoes his own makeover? Is it just for vanity, or is there more than meets the eye?
Trust can be a slippery slope, and the main character, Stella McKinney, is struggling with her own personal revelations. How well can you trust someone and what happens when that trust is broken? As a writer, I’m fascinated by human nature and psychology. I wanted to explore a woman’s own quest for truth in my latest thriller. Stella has her own demons, and her own complexities, after all, she’s human.
Most of us have been shocked to discover someone we know is someone we don’t actually know, whether it be our significant other or a friend. People are complex and layered, and Stella is forced to question not only her marriage, but her friendships.
When I begin a novel, I never know the outcome. I surprise even myself when I decide how it will end. I have to leave something to my own imagination, and even though I might have an inkling it usually changes at some point during the writing process.
For those avid writers that are trying to complete the arduous process of writing their book, here are my suggestions:
Storyboards-Make your characters come to life. Put pictures of what you envision them to be, their hobbies, and any critical details that are pertinent to the story.
Don’t be afraid to draw on your own life experiences-I believe Mark Twain said, “Write what you know”. Draw from your experiences and research the rest.
Keep honing your words-The first draft of my first book was a disaster. I re-wrote it at least five times. I could’ve easily given up and said this wasn’t for me. It takes time and like any craft or skill, you have to practice, practice, practice. With each release, I become a stronger writer and you will also.
Break it down- It can be daunting to imagine seventy-thousand words or the culmination of an entire novel. Divide your story into parts and write down what you want to focus on in each chapter. You can always add more details or figure out pieces of the puzzle by beginning this way.
Marin Montgomery is the author of the new book The Perfect Stranger.
Connect with Marin:
Author Website
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Greg Iles is the New York Times Bestselling Author of mystery and thriller novels. Fans of the genre have likely read popular releases like the Penn Cage and Mississippi series. If you're on the hunt for some exhilarating new mystery or thriller novels, check out these books to read if you like Greg Iles!
Release Date: March 8, 2019
Everything is perfect for Stella McKinney. She has a doting husband, a beach house, and a successful business. But then her beloved husband suddenly started to behave out of character. Suddenly Stella is starting to question his fidelity and her quest to uncover the truth turns into a sick obsession. The last thing she expected was a perfect stranger to appear at her door. A woman who knows all the intimate details about Stella and Grant.
Release Date: March 1, 2019
She thought her 5-year-old son would be fine if she just left him in the car for a few minutes. She just needed something quick from the store, it wasn't a big deal. But when Mrs. Cunningham returned, her son was gone... Reporter Rebekka Franck was on her way to interview a famous author in central Florida when the body of a young boy is discovered in an abandoned house. The death leaves the town of Webster in shock.
Release Date: February 3, 2019
Philadelphia, 1924. After the death of her husband, Maggie Burns doesn't have much left. She is left alone to care for her son and look after a rundown house. To make things worse, Prohibition has turned her neighborhood into a playground for bootleggers. To keep a roof over their heads, Maggie has to take on boarders with criminal ties. But when one of her son's friends disappears, Maggie fears the worst.
Release Date: March 5, 2019
Ever since freshman orientation, Wynn and Jack have been best friends. They bonded over their shared love of mountains, books, and fishing. While on a canoeing trip on the Maskwa River in Canada, they expected a leisurely vacation. A wildfire soon adds urgency to their trip. When they hear a man and woman arguing on the riverbank, they rush to go warn them about the fire. But they didn't find them. The next morning a man appears paddling alone down the river...
Release Date: February 26, 2019
A woman stumbles from the frozen depths of a forest in Ormberg, Sweden. She is covered in scratches, her feet are bare, and she has lost all memory of who she is. She is soon identified as Hanne Lagerlind-Schon, a psychological profiler. She and her husband had been trying to solve a cold case of a murdered young woman. She has no idea where her husband is or what they had uncovered.
Release Date: March 5, 2019
Cardinals are starting to arrive at the Vatican to find the replacement for the recently deceased pope. But one has fled Rome for Malta to search for a document from the 4th century and the time of Constantine the Great... Cotton Malone is also on a hunt, looking for the legendary letters of Winston Churchill and Benito Mussolini. It is a search that draws the attention of the legendary Knights of Malta.
This month we've already had some amazing adventures and traveled to distant worlds with so many new fantasy and science fiction novels. We've made a list of some of our favorite new releases from bestselling authors Tamara Grantham, L.C. Conn, B. K. Brain, Richard Denoncourt, Samuel R. George, and A.G. Riddle. If you've been searching for some books to add to your library, look no further than these new fantasy and science fiction novels!
Release Date: March 11, 2019
Gothel has been punished for the actions of her mother. She must stand guard over Princess Rapunzel or die. Now she must protect an imprisoned princess who is bedridden by hair so long and heavy that it is driving her insane. Gothel's life soon becomes one on imprisonment and solitude as well. That is until a prince and his squire show up at the tower.
Release Date: March 1, 2019
Stones is the fifth book in the bestselling One True Child Series by L.C. Conn... A plateau lies deep within the New Zealand bush. It is now dark and damp after being covered by many years of fallen leaves. Just below the surface are the Stones. Placed by the Guardians long ago, they pulsate with power. Soon they will witness a great battle between light and darkness.
Release Date: March 1, 2019
Physicist Sam Jacobson has discovered a direct line of communication to the fabric of spacetime. He can now convey expectations to the cosmos and reality will answer. With this power comes great insanity. If left unhindered, the evolution of man into God could lead to a world-ending conclusion. Two strangers are the only ones that can stop him.
Release Date: February 21, 2019
The first three books in the bestselling Luminether epic fantasy series by Richard Dennoncourt... Milo Banks was just a regular kid. That was until the day he threw a fireball to save his twin sister's life. It turns out Milo's parents are demigods from another world. After watching them die, he becomes trapped in the world of Astros, where demigod sorcerers like Milo are hunted.
Release Date: March 5, 2019
Professor Alfred Jules Ayer is a famous philosopher. He is best known for his atheism, a disdain for the metaphysical, and reverence for logic. When a heart attack leads him to the Greek Underworld, he never expected an afterlife quite like this, especially since the fabled abode is nothing like the fable.
Release Date: February 26, 2019
Humanity is on the brink of extinction after a new ice age hits Earth. Each month, the planet gets colder and colder. It shows no sign of ending. NASA is racing to discover why this is happening and its scientific expedition may be humanities last hope of survival.
Aleatha Romig is a New York Times, USA Today and Wall Street Journal Bestselling Author of romance novels. Some of her popular releases include the Web of Sin, The Vault, and Light Ones series. If you're searching for some exciting new romance novels, check out these books to read if you like Aleatha Romig!
Release Date: February 15, 2019
I am on my honeymoon alone in Paris after I left my fiancé at the altar in California. I didn't want to let a perfectly good vacation go to waste. On my first night, I met a captivating man who was there on business. One night with this stranger left a mark on me that I would never forget. Little did I know that when I moved to New York, he'd be the man that I'd be working for.
Release Date: February 20, 2019
I had the great idea to ask my friend for lessons in s-e-x-ploration. Yes, it's awkward but how else can a good girl discover if she likes being naughty. I might be sweet, but I'm also bold and curious. Gabe is definitely charming and apparently an ace of seduction. I don't want this to ruin our friendship, so I just want these classes to be hypothetical. Yes, he is hella sexy, but I can handle that.
Release Date: February 26, 2019
A lifetime ago they called me Doll Face because of my perfect porcelain skin. But that was before I learned how cruel the world is... I belong to them now and my secrets are exposed. They will not stop until I'm broken. Then what? What do cruel men do with broken dolls?
Release Date: February 28, 2019
Holden Riley and I have been soulmates since we were kids. He used to come to me when things at home were bad. And I would seek solace in his arms when life was cruel. The night before prom he told me we'd be together forever. Then he left town and left me. It's been the talk of our town for years... Now he is back.
Release Date: March 3, 2019
Our boarding school was home to the wealthiest of the wealthy. Brooke Bennett was at the top but I never knew why. She kept quiet about her family but often showed me photos of her brothers. I soon became fascinated with her second-oldest brother, Kai. When their father dies, Kai became the head of the family and Brooke left school. Two days later, Kai Bennett kidnapped me.
Release Date: March 2, 2019
Carter Sloane is known for winning cases. He is a lawyer that always gets his way. But when it comes to his private life, he is raising his two nieces and in way over his head. He soon moves into a new office and can't take his eyes off the woman across the street. All he wants is to kiss her irresistible body.
