Books Publishing This Week
Books Publishing This Week: February 18 - 23
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I’m in Cabo this week, so imagine this:
As you settle into the soft sands of Cabo San Lucas, the rhythmic melody of the waves and the warmth of the golden sun envelop you in a tranquil cocoon. The azure expanse of the sea stretches out before you, inviting you to immerse yourself in the serenity of this coastal paradise. However, your attention is captivated by a brand new book that rests in your hands, promising an escape into another world.
The book's cover, adorned with vibrant hues, reflects the vivid palette of the Cabo sky as the sun descends toward the horizon. The subtle breeze carries the scent of saltwater, enhancing the sensory experience of your literary journey. With each turn of the page, you embark on a new adventure, both within the narrative and in the breathtaking surroundings.
As you delve into the opening chapters, the characters come to life, and the plot unfolds with the ebb and flow of the tide. The author's words dance across the pages like the sunlight glimmering on the water, creating a seamless fusion of storytelling and natural beauty. The immersive prose weaves a tapestry that mirrors the captivating scenery around you, transporting you to a realm where fiction and reality intertwine.
The sound of laughter and gentle chatter from nearby beachgoers becomes a distant symphony, allowing you to lose yourself in the rich narrative. The book becomes a portal, transcending the boundaries of the sandy shore and connecting you to a realm where the only limits are those of your imagination. The characters become your companions, and their struggles and triumphs resonate with the gentle lapping of the waves.
With each passing chapter, you find yourself drawn deeper into the narrative, oblivious to the passage of time. The sun, now casting a warm glow across the sky, casts a golden halo on the pages of your book. The plot thickens, and you are transported to a world where the worries of daily life fade into insignificance, much like footprints erased by the incoming tide.
The feel of the book in your hands becomes a comforting constant, grounding you in the present moment even as the story unfolds in distant realms. The author's skillful prose paints vivid landscapes that seamlessly blend with the sun-kissed shores of Cabo San Lucas. The book becomes a cherished companion, a tangible link between the captivating narrative and the idyllic setting that surrounds you.
As the day progresses, you find yourself engrossed in the climax of the story, the tension mirroring the suspenseful hues of the sunset. The sky transforms into a canvas of oranges, pinks, and purples, mirroring the emotional crescendo of the plot. With the final pages in sight, you savor each word, reluctant to part ways with the characters who have become your temporary allies in this literary escape.
As the last chapter unfolds, you close the book with a sense of fulfillment, the narrative echoing in your mind like the persistent rhythm of the waves. The sun dips below the horizon, casting the beach into a serene twilight. The book, now a cherished memento of your beachside sojourn, finds its place beside you on the sand.
In Cabo San Lucas, where time seems to slow and worries dissolve with the tide, the act of reading a brand new book becomes a magical experience. The synergy between captivating storytelling and the natural beauty of the coastal haven creates a memory that lingers, much like the echo of the ocean's song. As you pack up and leave the beach, the words of the author resonate in your mind, a literary souvenir from a day spent in the embrace of both a captivating story and the sun-drenched shores of Cabo San Lucas.
Scroll down to find out what book you might be reading…
The Someday Daughter by Ellen O'Clover
Audrey St. Vrain has grown up in the shadow of someone who doesn't actually exist. Before she was born, her mother, Camilla St. Vrain, wrote the bestselling book Letters to my Someday Daughter, a guide to self-love that advises treating yourself like you would your own hypothetical future daughter.
While the world considers Audrey lucky to have Camilla for a mother, she knows a different side of being the someday daughter. Audrey's always felt more like a promotional tool than a member of Camilla's family, and she's determined to create her own identity — starting at the prestigious summer premed program she'll attend with her boyfriend before heading to college.
But when Camilla asks Audrey to go on tour with her to promote the book's anniversary, instead, Audrey can't help but think that this is the last, best chance to figure out how they fit into each other's lives — not someday, but today, just as they are. What Audrey doesn't know is that spending the summer with Camilla and her tour staff — including the disarmingly honest, distressingly cute video intern, Silas — will upset everything she's so carefully planned for her life.
From the critically acclaimed author of Seven Percent of Ro Devereux comes another heartrending and nuanced novel about family, love, and figuring out who we really are.
We Got the Beat by Jenna Miller
Jordan Elliot is a fat, nerdy lesbian, and the first junior to be named editor-in-chief of the school newspaper. Okay, that last part hasn’t happened yet, but it will. It’s positive thinking that has gotten Jordan this far. Ever since Mackenzie West, her friend-turned-enemy, humiliated her at the start of freshman year, Jordan has thrown herself into journalism and kept her eyes trained on the future.
So it’s a total blow when Jordan discovers that she not only didn’t get the editor-in-chief spot, but she’s been assigned the volleyball beat instead. And who is the star and new captain of the volleyball team? Mackenzie West. But words are Jordan’s weapon, and she has some ideas about how to exact a long-awaited revenge on her nemesis.
Then things get murky when forced time together has Mack and Jordan falling back into their friendship, and into something more. And when Mack confesses the real reason she turned on Jordan freshman year, it has Jordan questioning everything—past, present, and future. If Jordan lets her guard down and Mack in, will she get everything she wants, or will she be humiliated all over again?
The Diamond and the Duke by Christi Caldwell
When a wounded soldier and self-proclaimed “beast” finds unlikely friendship with a headstrong and unconventional beauty, they quickly find themselves weaving a tale as old as time.
Despite a hero’s return to England from the Napoleonic Wars, Wesley Audley isolates from the ton. Deep wounds from the horrors of combat—and the despair of a broken heart—left him scarred. As he struggles to cope and resume his place in Polite Society, Wesley is quick to cut himself off from everyone . . . except for Ellie Balfour.
Independent and strong willed, Ellie has dreams of captaining her own husband-free life and a penchant for meddling in other’s business. She knows befriending Wesley is a risk, but Ellie can’t bear to see his heartache—nor can she seem to silence all the temptingly intimate thoughts his nearness provokes.
But Ellie is yet to face a battle she can’t win—and Wesley’s heart is worth the fight. If only her campaigns ever went to plan. . . .
After Camus by Jay Neugeboren
Author Interview with Jay Neugeboren.
A troubled marriage-and love story-set against the background of the AIDS pandemic, and the American wars in Vietnam and Iraq lie at the heart of After Camus. Saul Davidoff and Tolle Riordan, who meet during a protest against the Vietnam War, marry, live through the Plague Years of the AIDS epidemic, raise a family ... and burn out. Camus is a hero to both of them: Tolle, a young dancer and choreographer, has a liaison with him in Paris shortly before his death; Saul, inspired by Camus's The Plague, becomes an infectious disease (and AIDS) doctor ... and Camus becomes a ghostly presence central to our story. Hoping to repair their marriage, Tolle and Saul return to a village in the South of France where they lived when they were first in love, and where Camus lived when recovering from a siege of tuberculosis. The novel draws a vivid portrait of a marriage that spans a series of historical events: from the Vietnam war through the AIDs epidemic and Gulf War, to the Iraq War and the advent of the right wing Le Pen movement in France. After Camus is both a fictional meditation on recent history and a compelling tale of how various forms of love and friendship do and do not survive in times of social and political upheaval. In this novel of enchantments, internationally acclaimed author Jay Neugeboren is at the peak of his powers as a master storyteller.
Night for Day by Roselle Lim
Author Interview with Roselle Lim.
Two people destined to be together, but to never see each other again, fight against the greatest odds in this powerful and moving fantasy novel by critically acclaimed author Roselle Lim.
Exes Ward Dunbar and Camille Buhay thought they would never see each other again. They had broken up to pursue their dream jobs on opposite sides of the country—her to New York City, and him to Los Angeles. But years later, they unexpectedly reconnect in London, where they are interviewing for similar jobs. The spark they feel when they meet again—the attraction comes back like muscle memory, and they are reminded of what they had lost. When Ward and Camille discover they both got the job working opposing shifts, they vow to give their relationship another try.
Ward starts the day shift and finds the immortal clientele unusual and dazzling. When he clocks out at the end of the day, he finds the door locked and himself trapped in the building. After a horrific first night shift contending with restless spirits and ghosts, Camille is also unable to escape. In their respective prisons, they discover that they’re able to talk to each other a few minutes before dawn. This fleeting encounter incites longing for each other, but their promise to be together feels impossible. Because they are caught in the middle of a war of the gods—and their choices will determine the outcome.
The Hidden Life of Cecily Larson by Ellen Baker
Author Interview with Ellen Baker.
Orphan Train meets Before We Were Yours meets Water for Elephants in this compelling multigenerational novel of survival, love, and the families we make. In 1924, four-year-old Cecily Larson’s mother reluctantly drops her off at an orphanage in Chicago, promising to be back once she’s made enough money to support both Cecily and herself. But she never returns, and shortly after high-spirited Cecily turns seven, she is sold to a traveling circus to perform as the “little sister” to glamorous bareback rider Isabelle DuMonde. With Isabelle and the rest of the circus, Cecily finally feels she’s found the family she craves. But as the years go by, the cracks in her little world begin to show. And when teenage Cecily meets and falls in love with a young roustabout named Lucky, she finds her life thrown onto an entirely unexpected—and dangerous—course. In 2015, Cecily is now 94 and living a quiet life in Minnesota, with her daughter, granddaughter, and great-grandson. But when her family decides to surprise her with an at-home DNA test, the unexpected results not only bring to light the tragic love story that Cecily has kept hidden for decades but also throw into question everything about the family she’s raised and claimed as her own for nearly seventy years. Cecily and everyone in her life must now decide who they really are and what family—and forgiveness—really mean. Sweeping through a long period of contemporary history, The Hidden Life of Cecily Larson is an immersive, compelling, and entertaining family drama centered around one remarkable woman and her determination to survive.
A Step Past Darkness by Vera Kurian
I KNOW WHAT YOU DID LAST SUMMER meets Stephen King in this character-driven thriller about a study group of six teenagers who witness something tragic in an abandoned mine, which comes back to haunt them 20 years later.
SIX CLASSMATES.
ONE TERRIFYING NIGHT.
A MURDER TWENTY YEARS IN THE MAKING…
There’s more to Wesley Falls than meets the eye, but for six high school students, it’s home.
Kelly, the new girl and rule-follower.
Maddy, the beauty and the church favorite.
Padma, the brains and all-A student.
Casey, the jock and football star.
James, the burnout and just trying to make it to graduation.
And Jia, the psychic, who can see the future.
When these six are assigned to work on a summer group project, their lives are forever changed. At an end of the year party in the abandoned mine, they witness a preventable tragedy, but no one will take them seriously. As things escalate, they realize the church, the police, and the town’s founders are all conspiring to cover up what happened. When James is targeted as the scapegoat, to avoid suspicion, they vow their silence and to never contact each other again. Their plan works – almost.
Twenty years later, Maddy is found murdered is Wesley Falls, and the remaining five are forced to confront their past and work together to finally put right what happened all those years ago. If they can survive…
Love and Hot Chicken by Mary Liza Hartong
The debut of a dynamite new voice from the South, Love and Hot Chicken is a spicy and hilarious Tennessee story about family, friendship, fried chicken, and two girls in love.
The Chickie Shak is something of a historical landmark. Red clapboard walls, thriving wasp population, yard-toilets resplendent with sunflowers. My best friend Lee Ray and I used to come after our softball games and snag a picnic table while our mammas ordered the home team special. Truth is, most people around here order the same thing until the day somebody throws their ashes off a roller coaster at Dollywood. The line snakes around the building as far as you can see, the grimiest bunch of Jessies, Pearls, and Scooters you ever did behold, hobnobbing in the parking lot from noon until night.
When PJ Spoon returns home for her beloved daddy’s funeral, she doesn’t expect to stick around. Why abandon her PhD program at Vanderbilt for the humble charms of her hometown, Pennywhistle, Tennessee? Mamma’s broken heart, that’s why. But truth be told, PJ’s own heart ain’t doing too good either. She impulsively takes a job as a fry cook at Pennywhistle’s beloved Chickie Shak, where locals gather for Nashville-style hot chicken. It may not be glamorous, but it’s something to do.
Fate shakes up PJ’s life again when the town rallies around the terribly retro and terribly fun Hot Chicken Pageant. PJ finally notices her cute redheaded coworker Boof, a singer-songwriter with a talent as striking as her curly hair, and learns to fear her smack-talking manager, Linda.
As PJ and Boof fall for each other, Boof’s search for her birth mother—a Pennywhistle native—catapults the budding couple into a mystery that might be better left unsolved. The Chickie Shak pageant takes off, spurring old rivalries and new friendships in this tale of unexpected connections and new beginnings.
Waiting for the Flood by Alexis Hall
From the acclaimed author of BOYFRIEND MATERIAL comes a deeply moving romance about losing the life you always thought would be yours...and finding something beautiful in the wreckage of the past.
Quietly heartbroken, Edwin Tully lives alone in the house he used to share with the man he once loved. He tends to damaged books and faded memories, trying to build a future from the fragments of the past. Then the weather turns, and the river spills into Edwin's quiet world, bringing with it Adam Dacre from the Environment Agency. An unlikely knight, this stranger with roughened hands and worn wellingtons offers Edwin the hope of something he thought he would never have again.
As the two men are drawn together in their struggle against the rising waters, Edwin slowly lets down his guard as he comes to accept he can't shield his heart from everything--and perhaps he doesn't even need to try. Because love doesn't only leave scars...sometimes, it heals them, too.
This lyrical, moving LGBTQIA+ romance contains never-before-seen content and exclusive bonus material--including a NEW novella, Chasing the Light, following Marius as he rediscovers love and the complicated joy of being truly alive.
The World of SPIRES:
Glitterland, book 1
Waiting for the Flood, book 2
First Down by Grace Reilly
James
Football is my everything. I live, eat, breathe the sport. But when I transfer to McKee University to escape the distractions that nearly cost me my future in the NFL, I’m faced with another consequence: retake and pass the writing class I failed at my last college, or lose any chance I have at making it big. That’s where fellow senior Beckett Wood—gorgeous, stubborn, and just my type—comes in.
She’s the key to my success in this class… but the price of her help is a fake relationship, and I never do things halfway.
Bex
I don't mess around with athletes—I've already learned that lesson—and at first glance, handsome, self-assured James Callahan is no exception. He wants me to help him pass the writing class we’re both stuck taking, but I'm too busy to take on yet another responsibility. But when his teammate—my cheating ex—won’t leave me alone, I realize I need to convince him I’ve moved on… and what better way than by pretending to be with James, who wants nothing to do with a real relationship?
Yet with every fake kiss, James pulls me deeper into a place that thrills and terrifies me. Why does he make me feel alive like no one else has?
And why don’t I want it to end?
Filled with swoons, spice, sports, and the ultimate book boyfriend, First Down is the newest don't-miss new adult college sports romance—complete with brand-new bonus content!
Keep Your Friends Close by Leah Konen
Isolated and embroiled in a custody battle, Mary is desperate for a friend. So when she meets the charming and enigmatic Willa at a Brooklyn playground, their connection feels fated. But during a margarita-fueled moms’ night out, Mary shares her darkest secret about her ex, George, and the next morning Willa simply disappears. No calls, no texts, nothing.
Two months later, Mary’s divorce is almost finalized, and she’s trying to build a new life for her son in upstate New York. On her first day in town, she runs into Willa . . . only Willa’s name is now Annie, and she’s got an entirely new family in tow. When George turns up dead and Mary becomes the prime suspect, she has no choice but to turn to her only friend in town: Willa.
As coincidences—and evidence—pile up, Mary begins to wonder whether Willa had something to do with George’s death. Is the woman a friend or a foe, a confidante or just a con? Mary must uncover the truth before she loses everything.
Sun of Blood and Ruin by Mariely Lares
Rumor has it on the streets of sixteenth-century New Spain, there’s a new vigilante in town serving justice. This reimagining of Zorro—featuring a heroic warrior sorceress—weaves Mesoamerican mythology and Mexican history two decades after the Spanish conquest into a swashbuckling, historical debut fantasy with magic, intrigue, treachery, and romance.
A new legend begins…
In sixteenth-century New Spain, witchcraft is punishable by death, indigenous temples have been destroyed, and tales of mythical creatures that once roamed the land have become whispers in the night. Hidden behind a mask, Pantera uses her magic and legendary swordplay skills to fight the tyranny of Spanish rule.
To all who know her, Leonora de las Casas Tlazohtzin never leaves the palace and is promised to the heir of the Spanish throne. The respectable, law-abiding Lady Leonora faints at the sight of blood and would rather be caught dead than meddle in court affairs.
No one suspects that Leonora and Pantera are the same person. Leonora’s charade is tragically good, and with magic running through her veins, she is nearly invincible. Nearly. Despite her mastery, she is destined to die young in battle, as predicted by a seer.
When an ancient prophecy of destruction threatens to come true, Leonora—and therefore Pantera—is forced to decide: surrender the mask or fight to the end. Knowing she is doomed to a short life, she is tempted to take the former option. But the legendary Pantera is destined for more than an early grave, and once she discovers the truth of her origins, not even death will stop her.
Twice Lived by Joma West
Torn between two families and two lives, a troubled teen must come to terms with losing half their world.
Two Worlds. Two Minds. One Life.
There are two Earths. Perfectly ordinary and existing in parallel. There are no doorways between them, no way to cross from one world to another. Unless you’re a shifter.
Canna and Lily are the same person but they refuse to admit it. Their split psyche has forced them to shift randomly between worlds – between lives and between families – for far longer than they should. But one mind can’t bear this much life. It’ll break under the weight of it all. Soon they’ll experience their final shift and settle at last in one world, but how can they prepare both families for the eventuality of them disappearing forever?
Twice Lived is a novel about family and friendships, and about loss and acceptance, and about the ways we learn to deal with the sheer randomness of life.
The Battle for Erathal by Joseph P Macolino
Enjoying the time without strife, Irontail works to spread peace and unity throughout the forest of Erathal. Organizing the first ever Festival of Gratitude, he finally feels he is fulfilling his calling as the leader of his centaur village. But his plans are once again hijacked when a familiar villain escapes from imprisonment.
The felite warrior, Tel’ Shira, joins Irontail and the other heroes of Erathal as they plan their counter-offensive. But even her gift of foresight is not enough to prepare her for the upcoming battle against this malevolent foe.
With the future of Erathal on the line, will anyone survive to tell the tale? “The Battle for Erathal” is the thrilling conclusion to the Evorath epic fantasy series. If you like expansive world-building, heart-pounding battle scenes, and heroic fantasy, you won’t want to miss Joseph P Macolino’s epic finale adventure.
The Neighbor Wager by Crystal Kaswell
The science of attraction is getting seriously tested…
Meet River. He used to be the nerd next door…only now he’s all grown up, got a sleeve of tattoos, and women seem to like him. A lot.
Even Lexi, the girl of River’s teenaged dreams, all bubbly sweetness—never noticed him. Until now.
There’s only one problem. They’re not meant for each other.
Now it’s up to Deanna, the super pragmatic, algorithm-fueled brains behind the new dating app Meetcute to make sure they realize it.
River might be certain he knows true love when he sees it, but Deanna knows differently, and the future of her company is riding on it. All she has to do is prove to him that what he’s feeling for Lexi isn’t love. Not even close.
…even if it means making him fall for Deanna, instead.
Challenge accepted.
