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 Dennis Harrison, Lisa McCubbin, Harlow Giles Unger, and more. Enjoy your new biography and memoir books. Happy reading!
What can you tell us about your new release, The Rocking Stone?
The Rocking Stone is the story of a young woman in the early 20th century who lives in the poverty stricken area of the South Wales Mining Valleys. She thinks she is incapable of loving someone but then meets Tom. However, she has a secret she must keep from him at all costs.
This is a story of love and betrayal and the struggle of a woman to keep her family together and survive in the social unrest of the world she lives in. The social history and atmosphere are authentic.
What or who inspired you to become an author?
As I’ve been an avid reader all my life I also wanted to be a writer but never really had the confidence to think that I could be. But it was always a dream. Finally, in life, you reach a level where you find the confidence to join creative writing classes and then spend years learning your craft. The final challenge is to achieve success and for me, that is giving pleasure to the people who read my books.
What's on your top 5 list for the best books you've ever read?
Arthur Golden’s, Memoir of a Geisha, it has everything.
Sarah Walters, Fingersmith for the quality of the storytelling and writing.
Agatha Cristie – anything by her – she’s grossly underrated in my opinion.
John Grisham, anything by him is fine by me.
Robert Goddard, again, anything by him is fine by me.
Say you're the host of a literary talk show. Who would be your first guest? What would you want to ask?
Agatha Christie, I’d ask her how she plots her novels.
What's your favorite thing about writing?
I like the whole process even though it’s hard work but holding your book in your hands when it is published is so very satisfying.
What is a typical day like for you?
I always write between 9am and 1pm as that is my creative time. I do this five days a week. Then I try and do something physical, walking the dog, going out somewhere, gardening, whatever gets me moving.
What scene in The Rocking Stone was your favorite to write?
The last two chapters are my favourite, but I won’t say anything more as they would be spoilers.
Do you have a motto, quote or philosophy you live by?
Never give up! If you really want something, persistence often pays off when you think all is lost.
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What can you tell us about your new release, P.S. I Miss You?
P.S. I Miss You is probably one of my favorite books to date. It's about a girl in LA who takes over her best guy friend's lease, only when she moves in to his old place, she immediately butts heads with his roommate. While the two of them launch an all out war against each other at first, they can't deny the chemistry between them. But then a confession changes everything.
Who are your literary heroes working today? Why do you admire them?
In the indie world my favorite romance authors are Whitney G, LJ Shen, and Mia Asher. Whitney has the best banter, LJ's books are rich and deep, a fully immersive experience, and Mia writes the most beautiful angsty prose.
What's on your top 5 list for the best books you've ever read?
What's on your writing desk?
Too much stuff! A paper sorter. A pen cup. A framed picture of my kids. A pair of glasses that help with screen glare. Two pads of Post-Its. A marble coaster. An acrylic phone stand. My notebook and laptop of course. I think that's it.
Where is your happy place? Why does it bring you joy?
I don't really have one happy place. I try to find joy in everyday, ordinary experiences. But I am particularly fond of sitting on the sofa with my laptop in my lap, listening to the rain on a stormy day.
BAM. You're a superhero. What's your superpower?
To predict the future! (At least as it pertains to my books). Every release is different and that makes for some stressful launch weeks. Twenty-odd books later and it's still just as nerve-wracking as the first time.
What scene in P.S. I Miss You was your favorite to write?
When Sutter first kissed Melrose! There was so much tension leading up to that moment, so the payoff was huge for me as a writer. I hope readers feel the same when they get to that chapter.
Winter Renshaw is the author of the new book P.S. I Miss You.
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What can you tell us about your new release, Ever Told?
Ever Told is a mystery thriller where nothing is quite as it seems. Specifically, it presents the reader with a locked - room murder (one of my favorite types of mysteries) that takes place during a family's annual vacation. Of course, everyone becomes a suspect and everyone seems to have a motive or, at the very least, a devious secret. The story also alternates between the past and present. The past shows us what happened during the week leading up the murders and the present focuses on the police investigation while also introducing us to our main protagonist - a dedicated female cop with her own shattered past. There are several twists, reversals and reveals that come to light as the story progresses toward its conclusion. I've always loved reading mysteries that allow me to try to solve the case along with the main characters, and this novel is no exception. The clues are right there for the reader to find and I absolutely played fair, but will they be able to see past the surface and get to the truth? I'm hoping it'll be a fun experience for the reader and I'm hoping they enjoy my debut novel!
What or who inspired you to become an author?
My great grandmother, who taught writing to high school students, was a huge inspiration to me and always gave me the confidence I needed with my writing skills. My mother and father also always encouraged me to follow my passions and to do what I love - advice that I have tried to follow my whole life.
What's on your top 5 list for the best books you've ever read?
1. "I Let You Go" by Clare Mackintosh
2. "The Murder of Roger Ackroyd" by Agatha Christie
3. "And Then There Were None" by Agatha Christie
4. "Bad Love" by Jonathan Kellerman
5. "Old Yeller" by Fred Gipson
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 definitely be Agatha Christie, since she has always been one of my favorite authors of all time. I would ask her what her process is for creating such ingenious puzzles for the reader to try and solve.
What's your favorite thing about writing?
My favorite part of writing is creating characters that I truly end up caring about as I'm going through the process. I love visualizing what they look like and giving them their own unique quirks and traits. It's especially fascinating for me to give my characters personal flaws that could end up derailing the entire plot of the story. For me, the most intriguing action comes from the characters and their own skeletons hiding in their closets.
What is a typical day like for you?
A typical day for me is waking up extremely early, working all day in a profession that I love, and then coming home to spend time with my family or friends. On the days that I do not spend time with my family or friends, I'm usually either reading or writing.
What scene in Ever Told was your favorite to write?
My favorite scene, without revealing too much, was close to the end of the novel where the unidentified killer is finally revealed and they have a personal conversation with the protagonist. It was cathartic for me to have both characters reveal so much about themselves and to finally tie up all loose ends.
Do you have a motto, quote or philosophy you live by?
I've always been a fan of the quote "One door closes, another door opens." Hopefully, now that my first novel is finished, another door will soon open for a future book.
Benjamin Bremasi is the author of the new book Ever Told.
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Aurora Rose Reynolds is the New York Times Bestselling Author of contemporary romance novels. She is best known for her popular series Until, Until Him, Until Her, Underground Kings and Shooting Stars. If you're a romance lover and searching for some new releases, we think you'll adore these books to read if you like Aurora Rose Reynolds.
Release Date: September 4, 2018
Her touch was like fire and her lips tasted like Cabernet. I was blinded by what she did to me and I fell for something I thought I'd never have. I should have known better. I should have known she could never love a man like me. She brought out a side of me that I wish had stayed dead. I will not make the same mistake twice.
Release Date: May 18, 2018
Joseph won Samantha's heart and trust, now he is determined to conquer his next challenge of making her his wife and priming her for a career at MCI. But then an old nemesis threatens the woman he loves, threatening their happiness. Can Samantha see beyond the evidence? Will Joseph prove his innocence before it's too late to say "I do"?
Release Date: August 29, 2018
Waking up next to a hot stranger was the first red flag. The huge rock on my finger was hint number two. Then I sit down with Noah Bernard, my mysterious new husband. He talks a good game and I almost wish I remembered our honeymoon. What's a pretend wife to do with a tight-lipped temporary badass? I can't wait for my two-timing ex to hear I've landed Mr. Perfect.
Release Date: September 4, 2018
Book seven in the bestselling Men of the North series... When I was twelve I promised Solo that I would marry him one day. Maybe I would have if he did ruin everything that summer when I was fifteen. For the last seven years, I have replaced the love I once had for him with anger over how he almost got me killed.
Release Date: September 3, 2018
She has been by my side through everything. My best friend Natalie. Leaning on my shoulder, borrowing my sweatshirts and driving me crazy with her sassy smile. But she has no idea how I feel about her. That was until one night we fell into bed together after too many cocktails. I'm flirting with forever, she just doesn't know it yet.
Release Date: August 19, 2018
Ian Chase broke my heart when I was seventeen. For the past eighteen years, I have hated him for it. He sure does make it easy with his playboy lifestyle and smart mouth. The problem is he lives behind me and every time I see him climbing out of his pool, practically naked and unreasonably sexy, my blood boils. I always loathed him but never expected to need him.
By Nicole Snow
Love is unpredictable.
That's where our insanity begins in Noah and Mindy's story. These two wake up in Reno after a rough night as complete strangers, and quickly realize they're hitched.
If there are two things I adore, it's a marriage mistake story with a heaping side of mystery. These two have issues from the get go. The instant they start to work on them, the secrets come tumbling out. Oh, but so does the chemistry set.
It's insta-lust. It's words and misunderstandings and dueling tongues. It's something strange and wonderful that should make them both run, but circumstance won't let them. And by the time things get truly hot and heavy, lust is hardly all they're fighting.
Mindy is a young woman fleeing her old life and a bad engagement to reinvent herself in Reno. Noah will give anything to find his missing cousin and end the man who took her. Their problems are emotional and dangerous, life and death and heart, which makes for some really amazing fireworks.
They should be total opposites. They should be worlds apart. They should be round pegs in the square holes of each other's souls.
Of course, life doesn't work that way, and neither does love. I enjoyed guiding cupid's arrow every inch of the way. Forget the Happily Ever After. Between the shock, the steam, the self-discovery, and a whole lot of banter, Noah and Mindy are all about how the heart finds its perfect twin. Sometimes in romance, the journey is everything.
Nicole Snow is the author of the new book Accidental Protector.
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What can you tell us about your new release, The Secluded Village Murders?
The Secluded Village Murders centers on Emily Ryder, an intrepid tour guide who unwittingly becomes involved in the mystery behind the untimely death of her beloved mentor as she “crosses the pond” from the Connecticut hills to the U.K.
What or who inspired you to become an author?
Fiction is the only way I can explore and ultimately resolve a continuing number of haunting issues and circumstances.
What's on your top 5 list for the best books you've ever read?
On my top 5 literary list are The Great Gatsby, To Kill a Mockingbird, The Brothers Karamazov, The Old Man and the Sea, and The Magic Mountain.
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 of a literary talk show, Neil Gaiman would be my first guest as I try to uncover how and why he goes about delving into the realities of his fantasy world.
What's your favorite thing about writing?
My favorite thing about writing is the act of discovery and coming upon revelations I didn’t know that I knew.
What is a typical day like for you?
A typical day is spent getting all the unfinished business out of the way so that I can tackle the next phase of a work in progress.
What scene in The Secluded Village Murders was your favorite to write?
My favorite scene in the “Village Murders” takes place in the fog-bound moors as Emily tries to rescue a pixelated client who may very well have gone too far.
Do you have a motto, quote or philosophy you live by?
“All art is the result of having been in danger. Venturing as far as one can go and beyond.” Rilke
Shelly Frome is the author of the new book The Secluded Village Murders.
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What can you tell us about your new release, Until You Say I Do?
This is the third book in the Until You Series and the conclusion of Joseph and Samantha’s epic love story. We find them 1.5 years after the end of book 2, Until You Are Mine, with Joseph graduated and working to find his footing as VP of Product and Technology at MCI, and Samantha getting ready to start her last year of college. If you think the drama was all used up in books 1 & 2, you would be wrong. Although the story line is not as life threatening as it was in their earlier books, it is a perilous journey of the heart with a heavy mix of trust and belief.
What's on your writing desk?
My laptop (docked), two widescreen monitors, a phone (the land-line type), a wireless keyboard, mouse (purple, of course), a dolphin mouse pad (see question about what I wanted to be when I grew up), a doc for my iPhone/iPad, coaster (grapes, no dolphins…darnit!), a plush smiley-face keychain (from my daughter), a Pixel of my likeness (from my daughter), a small pink plastic horse (from my daughter), and a TY Beanie Baby puppy with purple eyes keychain (also from my daughter…she thinks I need company when I write), and a box of Kleenex for all those emotional moments (or when allergies get the best of me). Oh, and I nearly forgot—a clear glass mug with my logo on it. It was a gift from my web designer as a thank you. I put a candle in it since I don’t drink coffee, but I also keep it in here because it was the first thing I ever got with my logo on it, so it’s sentimental. I like to turn the candle on (battery operated) when I write.
What's on your top 5 list for the best books you've ever read?
This is in no particular order:
All of these are the first book of the series—I am a diehard series lover—and consider all of the books in that series to be included in the above list of best books I’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?
A.L. Jackson would be my first guest. If I could manage not to gush or cry, I would ask her how she infuses such depth into her characters, her stories. She has a way of weaving angst and heartache as a running current below the surface of the story. It’s like an underground spring that runs turbulent just out of sight, but its effects are obvious in her lush writing and turn of a phrase. I’m in awe of her writing style. It’s one of the most unique that I’ve found —and related to—and I most definitely aspire to achieve that depth in my own writing.
BAM. You're a superhero. What's your superpower?
You know, my kids and I have this conversation all the time. It’s easier to pick my favorite super hero (Superman, by the way. Though Loki is a strong runner up with his bad-boy/good-boy angst—don’t even mention the last Marvel movie. I can’t even bear to discuss it!) than it is to choose just one superpower for myself. I bounce between flying and being able to breath underwater, both of which I dreamt repeatedly about being able to do as a kid. I’m sure that says something about my psyche in the world of dream interpretation. Anyway, back to the question at hand—I would choose flying, though the ability to be invisible has it’s perks too!
When you were a child, what did you want to be when you grew up?
I wanted to be Jacques Cousteau, which I interpreted to mean I would be a marine biologist, though I’m not sure that is entirely accurate. I wanted to study, swim, live with the dolphins and whales. So, whatever profession allowed me to do that, that was what I wanted to be.
What scene in Until You Say I Do was your favorite to write?
This is a terribly unfair question. I have so many favorite scenes, though perhaps, they are more my favorite to read after the fact. It is the writing of those scenes that can be more difficult to get just right.
So, I will choose a favorite to write that is still my favorite to read. It’s the beginning of Chapter 19: I Get To Love You where we find Joseph standing at the alter waiting on his Samantha to walk down the isle to marry him. It’s the accumulation of all the joy and heartache that brought these two to this point—the pinnacle of all three of their books.
It starts out, “MY HEART IS POUNDING, thundering like a champion racehorse at the starting gate, biting at the bit for the race to begin. It’s been two years, four weeks, three days, and seventeen hours since I first laid eyes on Samantha Lilian Cavanagh. It was the Friday before Thanksgiving, my family out of town for the holiday. I took the standing offer from my then-roommate, Jace, to spend the holiday with his family. I’d met his parents before, many times, in fact. But the illustrious Samantha was known to me only through Jace’s words and actions when he talked to her or about her.
Even then, she stood out in my mind as someone important. Important enough to be spoken of in awe by a man who chased women like a stud working for his next meal. Jace revered his sister, and though his actions didn’t always equal his love for her, it was obvious, even to me, that she was the most important person in his life.
He wasn’t wrong.”
You’ll have to buy the book to see how it ends.
D.M. Davis is the author of the new book Until You Say I Do.
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By Elin Peer
It started out as a thought experiment.
At the beginning of 2017, I was still working as a personal coach and was stunned by the growing divisions among the people I was helping. Families were splitting up over politics, and I wondered what the world would look like if each side could decide everything.
In my previous book series, Clashing Colors, I’d worked with the theme of opposites attract. Vegan vs. Carnivore, Psychic Medium vs. Scientist, Soldier vs. Rebel, Hollywood Star vs. Medicine Man. Every book was both funny and heartwarming as it took the characters on a journey of self-discovery to a place of higher acceptance and tolerance for someone with different opinions and values.
But could I do the same with a whole society?
The first book in the Men of the North series took off like a rocket and showed me that I was on to something. Thousands and thousands were downloading and reading Book 1 – The Protector, and since then each book has gathered a still-growing number of fans.
The story is set 400 years in the future, where women rule the world – except for the area formerly known as Canada and Alaska, which is inhabited by the Men of the Northlands, a group of strong men, who refuse to be ruled by women.
For hundreds of years the two societies have co-existed with minimal interaction, and that’s why it feels almost like time traveling when Christina Sanders crosses the border in the first book. The clash between feminine and masculine is explosive, funny, and fascinating, and steamy at the same time.
Now, I’m ready to publish the sixth book in the Men of the North series, which fans have been impatiently waiting for. Each book tells the story of a different couple but it’s all set in the same universe, which means we see our beloved characters again. It makes me insanely proud that reviewers are calling each book better than the last and that Tantor Media has bought the rights to produce all ten books as audio books.
The truth is that because of this series, I’m now a full-time author, and I’m having an absolute blast portraying the strong women and men of the future. I’d be honored if you would come along to the Northlands and see where this thought experiment will lead us. But I should warn you. The Nmen are foulmouthed and they don’t play nice. If you prefer clean romance only, then these books are not for you.
Elin Peer is the author of the new book The Dancer.
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What can you tell us about your new release, Breathless?
It's intense. That is the most accurate word I could use to describe this book. Breathless is book 3 in the series and there are fairly cruel cliffhangers. *insert evil laugh* Breathless picks up right where Heartless left off and there's barely a moment to loosen your grip on the pages. It is most certainly aptly named!
Name a book that you feel has impacted your life significantly. Why was it so impactful?
I Never Promised You a Rose Garden. It was simply very real and it forced the reader to accept what life is and to know that there are some things you can't change, but it doesn't mean you shouldn't try. It's one of my favorite books because of how it opened my eyes to certain things.
If Breathless is turned into a movie, who would you pick to play the main characters?
Oh my gosh!! Colin Farrell would be Marcus - hands down. (He's the villain). I didn't even have to think twice about that one. For Aria, I think Jennifer Lawrence would actually fit the role well. Which is crazy to think about, but I'd choose her (and dye her hair). For Carter, I'd like to say Josh Hartnett because he's my celebrity crush, but he'd have to harden up a little and really take from his role in Sin City. That version of Josh, but more... violent. Gosh, I think I am crazy for writing this down! lol It's not my best look; can you tell I don't watch a lot of movies any more?
When you were a child, what did you want to be when you grew up?
I wanted to be a lawyer or an engineer when I hit high school, but before I considered job security I was all about interior design!
Where is your happy place? Why does it bring you joy?
Wherever my littles are. For the obvious reason. They are my happiness. Jax (my four year old) is starting preschool tomorrow and I am refusing to process that until the moment comes where he officially starts and is a preschooler.
What scene in Breathless was your favorite to write?
There are so many it's hard to choose. I always love the softer, romantic scenes where both characters are very raw and vulnerable with each other. There are two in Breathless that I really love. BUT. Breathless also has a damaged heroine picking herself up from the ashes and living up to her name as mafia royalty. She becomes a very bad ass character in Breathless and I am so in love with those scenes. So it's a toss up! I simply can't choose!
W. Winters is the author of the new book Breathless.
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