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Books Publishing This Week

Books Publishing This Week

Books Publishing This Week: September 8 - 14

I want to note that I do not get paid to do these posts, I just love authors and the book industry. However, they do take time and energy to create. If you want to donate a few dollars to my coffee fund, which keeps this blog going, you can do so here: https://venmo.com/AshleyHasty or here: http://paypal.me/hastybooklist.

It’s a golden September afternoon, the kind that reminds you why this time of year is so special. The air is warm, but there’s a slight crispness to it, a gentle hint that autumn is just around the corner. The sun is shining brightly, bathing everything in a soft, golden light that seems to make the world glow. You’ve decided to spend this perfect afternoon outside, soaking up the last of the summer warmth before the days start to grow shorter and cooler.

You find a comfortable spot in your backyard, settling into a well-worn chair that has been your companion through many such afternoons. The grass beneath your feet is still green, but there’s a touch of dryness to it now, a sign that the season is changing. Nearby, a tree casts dappled shadows on the ground, its leaves just beginning to turn the first shades of yellow and orange. You breathe in deeply, taking in the fresh, clean scent of the outdoors mixed with a faint hint of earthiness.

In your lap is a new book, one you’ve been looking forward to starting for a while. The cover is inviting, promising a story that will transport you to another world, another life. You run your fingers over the smooth surface, savoring the anticipation of what lies within. There’s something about starting a new book on a day like this that feels just right, as if the story is waiting to unfold in sync with the rhythm of the afternoon.

Beside you, on a small table, is a shiny, crisp apple. Its red skin gleams in the sunlight, and the thought of its sweet, tart flavor makes your mouth water. You pick it up, feeling the coolness of it in your hand, and take a bite. The crunch is satisfying, the taste even more so—a perfect blend of sweetness and a slight tang that’s just what you need on this warm day. You take another bite, savoring the juice that bursts from the fruit, and then set the apple back down, ready to immerse yourself in the world of your book.

You open the book to the first page, the sound of the paper rustling softly in the still air. The words begin to flow, and you can feel yourself being drawn into the story, each sentence pulling you deeper. The sun warms your skin as you read, the light filtering through the leaves above creating a gentle dance of shadows on the pages. The occasional breeze stirs the air, ruffling your hair and carrying with it the faint scent of the apple you’ve just bitten into.

As you read, time seems to slow down. The world around you fades, leaving only the characters and their lives, unfolding before your eyes. The story is engaging, and you find yourself lost in it, your mind completely absorbed by the narrative. The warmth of the sun, the taste of the apple still lingering on your tongue, and the comfort of your surroundings all blend together to create a perfect moment of peace and contentment.

Every so often, you pause to take another bite of your apple, the crispness of it a delightful contrast to the softness of the afternoon. The juice trickles down your fingers, and you wipe it away absentmindedly, your thoughts still caught up in the world of the book. You glance up occasionally, taking in the beauty of the day, the way the light plays on the leaves, the way the sky is a deep, endless blue. But even as you admire the world around you, you’re eager to return to the story, to see what happens next.

The sun moves slowly across the sky, its rays shifting and changing as the afternoon progresses. The warmth of it seeps into your skin, making you feel drowsy and relaxed, but the book keeps you alert, your mind alive with the images it conjures. You lose track of time, the hours slipping away as you turn page after page, completely immersed in the tale.

As the afternoon begins to wane, the sun starts its descent, casting longer shadows across the ground. The air cools slightly, but you’re still warm from the sun’s earlier embrace. You take a final bite of your apple, savoring the last bit of its sweetness, and then return to your book, determined to finish the chapter before the light fades completely.

When you finally close the book, the day is nearly done. The sun hangs low in the sky, painting everything in a soft, golden hue. You feel a sense of satisfaction, not just from the story you’ve just read, but from the simple pleasure of spending an afternoon outdoors, enjoying the warmth of the sun and the taste of a crisp apple. It’s a moment you’ll remember, a perfect way to welcome the change of seasons, with a good book in hand and the sun on your face.

Scroll down to find out wha book you might be reading…

The Book of Taylor: 50 reasons Taylor Swift rules the world by Billie Oliver

Everything you need to know about the queen of the charts and our hearts.

From her signature red lip to her endless list of chart-topping hits, Taylor Swift is a force to be reckoned with.

Every blank space in The Book of Taylor has been filled with colorful collages of our fave cat-loving, Grammy-winning, country-pop queen, alongside 50 T-Swiz facts, including her biggest fears, her unpublished manuscript, her go-to drive-through order, and more.

Go beyond friendship bracelets and get to know your dream BFF on a whole other level.

The Temptation of Magic by Megan Scott

Nicole Palmer and her family have been in hiding for years from the Wake—a shadowy organization that governs all supernatural creatures. If the Wake discovers that Nicole is an Empyreal—a rare kind of creature that can shapeshift into any creature’s natural predator—they’ll force her to join them or kill her for resisting.

Like they did her mother.

Nicole is close to uncovering a secret message hidden in a supernatural art collection—a message from her mother about how to destroy the Wake for good. But when the collector is murdered and a key painting stolen, the Wake sends their best Empyreal assassin to track down the dangerous creature on the loose.

Kyan McCarter is handsome, perceptive, and the last person Nicole wants to work with to find the stolen painting. Their search sparks a powerful connection between them, but if Kyan finds out that Nicole is a rogue Empyreal, he’ll have no choice but to hunt her next. After all, no one disobeys the Wake and survives.

Murder on a Summer Break by Kate Weston

Amateur sleuths and wannabe influencers Kerry and Annie are back on the case when a social media festival inspires some killer content—and several on-camera influencer deaths—in this page-turning and sidesplitting sequel to Murder on a School Night from author and comedian Kate Weston.

After catching the menstrual murderer red-handed, Annie and Kerry are now the Tampon Two, Barbourough’s most famous—well, only—detective duo. So Annie (and decidedly not Kerry) is enjoying her five minutes of fame.

Except life in the spotlight seems to be a magnet for death these days. After a famous prankster is found dead with a condom stretched over his entire head, the Tampon Two are on the scene at their small village’s Festival of Fame to catch another killer.

Honestly, Kerry doesn’t know how she ended up here again, but this might be her one chance to prove to the folks at the local paper that she has what it takes to be a reporter—and to prove to herself that she doesn’t need her boyfriend, Scott, to save the day. Or even Annie, who definitely has stars and hearts in her eyes investigating all these influencers.

With Annie distracted, Kerry has to work quickly, before one more live stream can be cut off by yet another grisly death. And this time, the murderer might be following her—and not just on social media—in their quest to create some truly killer content.

The Paris Understudy by Aurélie Thiele

Author Interview with Aurélie Thiele

This powerful debut novel brings to life the hard choices Parisians made--or failed to make--under Nazi occupation, in the tradition of Pam Jenoff and Fiona Davis.

1938. Paris Opera legend Madeleine Moreau must keep newcomer Yvonne Chevallier, whose talent she fears, off the stage. As the long-standing star of the opera, she is nowhere near ready to give up her spotlight. The perfect solution: enlist Yvonne as her understudy so she can never be upstaged. When Madeleine is invited to headline at Germany’s pre-eminent opera festival, she is sure this will cement her legacy. But war is looming, and when she learns that Adolf Hitler himself will be in attendance, she knows she’s made a grave error. As Madeleine makes a hurried escape back to France, Yvonne finds herself unexpectedly thrown into the limelight on the German stage.

When a newspaper photograph shows Hitler seemingly enraptured by Yvonne, Yvonne’s life is upended. While she is trying frantically to repair her reputation at home, Yvonne’s son is captured and held as a prisoner of war. Desperate to free her son, she makes an impossible choice: turn to the enemy.

As the Nazis invade Paris, both women must decide what they are willing to do in pursuit of their art. They form an unlikely alliance, using their fame to protect themselves and the people they love from the maelstrom of history.

Painting an enrapturing portrait of resilient wartime women, The Paris Understudy is a love letter to the arts and a stark depiction of the choices we make to survive, for fans of Kate Quinn and Kristen Harmel.

Katharine, the Wright Sister by Tracey Enerson Wood

From national and international bestselling author Tracey Enerson Wood comes KATHARINE, THE WRIGHT SISTER, a vibrant historical novel about the unsung hero behind the groundbreaking aeronautical achievement of Wilbur and Orville Wright: their sister.

Wilbur and Orville Wright risked life and limb in their pursuit of human flight, but their sister Katherine was the behind-the-scenes mastermind of their inventions. She sourced materials, managed communications, and kept Wilbur and Orville focused on their goal—even when it seemed hopeless—all at the expense of her own unique dreams and plans. But the Wright brothers’ success in 1903 wasn’t the end of her sacrifice. At the height of Wilbur and Orville’s fame, tragedy rips them apart time and again, forcing Katherine to make choices that will haunt her for the rest of her life.

Perfect for fans of Marie Benedict and Fiona Davis, KATHARINE, THE WRIGHT SISTER is an intricate and refreshingly emotional historical novel that reveals the story of one of the most consequential women to ever live and the incredible, courageous choices she made so that others might fly.

The Pink Dress: A Memoir of a Reluctant Beauty Queen

For fans of Little Miss Sunshine and Secrets of Miss America, this memoir from a national award-winning author reveals the reality of being the first Guyrex Girl in the 1970s. Beauty pageant stories have never been this raw, this real.

Growing up in West Texas, Jane Little Botkin didn’t have designs on becoming a beauty queen. But not long after joining a pageant on a whim in college, she became the first protégé of El Paso’s Richard Guy and Rex Holt, known as the “Kings of Beauty”—just as the 1970’s counterculture movement began to take off.

A pink, rose-covered gown—a Guyrex creation—symbolizes the fairy tale life that young women in Jane’s time imagined beauty queens had. Its near destruction exposes reality: the author’s failed relationship with her mother, and her parents’ failed relationship with one another. Weaving these narrative threads together is the Wild West notion that anything is possible, especially do-overs.

The Pink Dress awakens nostalgia for the 1960s and 1970s, the era’s conflicts and growth pains. A common expectation that women went to college to get “MRS” degrees—to find a husband and become a stay-at-home wife and mother—often prevailed. How does one swim upstream against this notion among feminist voices that protest “If You Want Meat, Go to a Butcher!” at beauty pageants, two flamboyant showmen, and a developing awareness of self? Torn between women’s traditional roles and what women could be, Guyrex Girls evolved, as did the author.

Negative Girl by Libby Cudmore

For fans of Cottonmouths by Kelly J. Ford comes Negative Girl: an evocative, moody, neo-noir thriller that explores obsession and people dying across America's forgotten spaces.

Martin Wade lived hard in his youth, but unlike many of his former bandmates and roadie friends, he didn’t die young. Instead he hit the recovery path, cleaned up his life, and became a private investigator in a dying city in upstate New York.

When his heavily tattooed and scarred assistant Valerie sets up an appointment with a young woman who needs help keeping her biological father away from her, none of the three realize that the father is Martin’s old bandmate, still using, and on a destructive path that will soon be headed straight for Martin’s clean life. As Martin struggles, Valerie becomes increasingly obsessed with their new client’s life.

Then the client is found dead in a riverbank, and duty, nostalgia, and lifetimes of regret find Martin and Valerie on the case for the young woman’s killer. As Martin struggles to hold onto his sobriety, Valerie becomes increasingly obsessed with their dead client.

The Examiner by Janice Hallett

Author Interview with Janice Hallett

Told in emails, text messages, and essays, this innovative page-turner follows a group of students in an art master’s program that goes dangerously awry, from the internationally bestselling “new queen of crime” (Electric Literature) Janice Hallett.

Once More From the Top by Emily Layden

A propulsive, layered novel about the meteoric rise of a legendary pop star and the secret she’s kept hidden for fifteen years, for fans of Megan Abbott and Daisy Jones & the Six.

Everyone in America knows Dylan Read, or at least has heard her music. Since releasing her debut album her senior year of high school, Dylan’s spent fifteen years growing up in the public eye. She’s not only perfected her skills when it comes to lyrics and melody; she’s also learned how to craft a public narrative that satisfies her fans, her label, and the media. In the circles of fame and celebrity in which she now travels, the careful maintenance of Dylan Read pop star is often more important than the songs themselves.

And so lots of people think they understand everything about Dylan Read. But what no one knows is the part of her origin story she has successfully kept hidden: her childhood best friend Kelsey vanished the year before Dylan became famous. Now, as Dylan’s at the height of her career, Kelsey’s body is found at the bottom of their hometown lake—forcing Dylan to reckon with their shared past, her friend’s influence on her music, and whether there’s more to their story than meets the eye.

Before We Were Us by Denise Hunter

She can’t remember. He can’t forget.

When Lauren Wentworth wakes up in the hospital after falling from a ladder, she has more questions than answers. Way more. She knows where she is—the wilds of New Hampshire. But she’s apparently lost the last four months of her life. Is she really contemplating forfeiting her big-city dream job for a position at a rustic resort? And how did her number one nemesis become her adoring boyfriend?

Jonah Landry is crushed to learn Lauren has forgotten their entire summer together. Terrified of losing her for good, he determines to help her remember their deep connection as she finishes her obligation to the resort. But soon it becomes apparent Lauren doesn’t want to remember falling in love with him or rethinking the entire course of her career. She wants to pretend the summer never happened and move on with her life. Without him.

As Lauren falls back into the steady routines of resort work with Jonah, she’s relieved her memories haven’t returned and remains resolute about her big-city future. But as autumn leads into winter, she begins to see glimpses of the Jonah she’s forgotten. Will she be able to resist the steady love of this patient man? Or Is her heart destined for its own freefall?

Sunshine and Spice by Aurora Palit

Naomi Kelly will do anything to make her new brand consulting business a success. When she lands a career saving contract to rebrand the Mukherjee family’s failing local bazaar, she knows there can be no mistakes. But as the “oops” baby of a free-spirited Bengali mother, Naomi’s lack of connection to her roots represents everything Gia Mukherjee disdains.

Enter, Dev Mukherjee.

Dev knows everything his mother wants…including her wish for him to get married, like, yesterday. When Gia hires a matchmaker (without, you know, asking him), Dev vows to do whatever it takes to avoid ending up in a cold, loveless marriage. When a potential match assumes Naomi is his girlfriend, the solution to both their problems becomes clear: Naomi will pretend to date Dev in order to sabotage his mother’s matchmaking efforts in exchange for lessons in Bengali culture. Flawless plan, right?

But as Naomi and Dev bond over awful dancing at Garba, couples cooking classes, and tackling the rebrand as a team, they start to realize while their relationship may be fake, their feelings for each other are starting to become very real. As the line between reality and rumor blurs, Naomi and Dev must confront what it means to fit the mold, and decide how much they’re willing to risk for love.

First Do No Harm by Joe Kenda

Former homicide detective and star of Investigation Discovery, Joe Kenda follows his authentic and fascinating debut novel with First Do No Harm, another addictive tale of crime and punishment as only he can tell it.

A string of overdoses in Colorado Springs has Detectives Joe Kenda and Lee Wilson on the lookout for a bad batch of heroin that has been cut with a drug they’ve never seen before.

Meanwhile, at Springs General Hospital, Dr. Blair Moreland—the notoriously unpleasant head anesthesiologist—has found a way to feed his deepening addiction to the very same powerful new drug: fentanyl.

But when Dr. Moreland starts supplying the dangerous painkiller to dealer Lula Lopez—planning to manufacture the drug himself—he angers a Mexican crime syndicate and sets into motion a cycle of death and violence that threatens to engulf the entire city.

Detectives Kenda and Wilson must track down the source of this killer heroin before anyone else can overdose—and stop Moreland before he can escape the long arm of the law.

Don’t Pity the Desperate by Anna B. Moore

Don’t Pity the Desperate tells the story of Myra, a self-aware teenage girl who perseveres when her father admits her to an inpatient treatment center against her will. Under tight surveillance, Myra must confront both her alcoholism and her compulsion to pull out her hair. She finds hope in faith and confession, two key principles of recovery. As her peers—an ensemble of abused, neglected, and sometimes unrestrained addicts—grow to rely on the solutions offered at Our Primary Purpose, Myra decides to follow the rules. But when her counselor betrays her, her boyfriend rejects her (doesn’t he?), and God remains indifferent despite her prayers and devotion, Myra must twist her narrative to move forward. Her quest for love and acceptance is a dark anthem of Gen-X pop culture and an affirmation of the suffering of growing up.

How to Hide in Plain Sight by Emma Noyes

On the day she arrives in Canada for her older brother's wedding, Eliot Beck hasn't seen her family in three years. Eliot adores her big, wacky, dysfunctional collection of siblings and in-laws, but there's a reason she fled to Manhattan and buried herself in her work—and she’s not ready to share it with anyone. Not when speaking it aloud could send her back into the never-ending cycle of the obsessive-compulsive disorder that consumed her for years.

Eliot thinks she's prepared to survive the four-day-long wedding extravaganza—until she sees her best friend, Manuel, waiting for her at the marina and looking as handsome as ever. He was the person who, when they met as children, felt like finding the missing half of her soul. The person she tried so hard not to fall in love with… but did anyway.

Manuel's presence at the wedding threatens to undo the walls Eliot has built around herself. The fortress that keeps her okay. If she isn't careful, by the end of this wedding, the whole castle might come crumbling down.

The Sleeping Beauties by Lucy Ashe

Author Interview with Lucy Ashe

Late spring 1945, London: The war in Europe is over. But for Briar Woods, a dancer at Sadler’s Wells Ballet, the past resurfaces and she must come face to face with the truth. It feels as though her war has only just begun.

Since 1939, Rosamund Caradon had taken in many children from Britain’s bombarded cities, sheltering them in her Devonshire manor. Now, with Germany’s surrender, she is en route to London to return the last evacuees, accompanied by her dance-obsessed daughter Jasmine. Rosamund vows to protect Jasmine from any peril, but a chance meeting with a Sadler’s Wells dancer changes everything. When the beautiful, elusive Briar Woods bursts into Rosamund’s train carriage, it’s clear her sights are set on the captivated Jasmine. As Briar sets out to charm them both, Rosamund cannot shake the eerie feeling this accidental encounter isn’t what it seems. While Briar may be far away from the pointe shoes and greasepaint of The Sleeping Beauty ballet rehearsals, her performance for Rosamund might just be her most successful yet. A dance that could turn deadly . . .

Mademoiselle Eiffel by Aimie K. Runyan

Author Interview with Aimie K. Runyan

From the author of The School for German Brides and A Bakery in Paris, this captivating historical novel set in nineteenth-century Paris tells the story of Claire Eiffel, a woman who played a significant role in maintaining her family’s legacy and their iconic contributions to the city of Paris.

Claire Eiffel, the beautiful, brilliant eldest daughter of the illustrious architect Gustave Eiffel, is doted upon with an education envied by many sons of the upper classes, and entirely out of the reach of most daughters. Claire’s idyllic childhood ends abruptly when, at fourteen, her mother passes away. It’s soon made clear that Gustave expects Claire to fill her mother’s place as caregiver to the younger children and as manager of their home.

As she proves her competence, Claire’s importance to her father grows. She accompanies him on his travels and becomes his confidante and private secretary. She learns her father’s architectural trade and becomes indispensable to his work. But when his bright young protégé, Adolphe Salles, takes up more of Gustave’s time, Claire resents being pushed aside.

Slowly, the animosity between Claire and Adolphe turns to friendship…and then to something more. After their marriage in 1885 preserves the Eiffel legacy, they are privileged by the biggest commission of Eiffel’s career: a great iron tower dominating the 1889 World’s Fair to demonstrate the leading role of Paris in the world of art and architecture. Now hostess to the scientific elite, such as Thomas Edison, Claire is under the watchful eye not only of her family and father’s circle, but also the world.

When Gustave Eiffel’s involvement in a disastrous endeavor to build a canal in Panama ends in his imprisonment, it is up to Claire to secure her father’s freedom but also preserve the hard-won family legacy.

Claire Eiffel’s story of love, devotion, and the frantic pursuit to preserve her family’s legacy is not only an inspired reflection of real personages and historical events, but a hymn to the iconic tower that dominates the City of Lights.

Den of Iniquity by J. A. Jance

New York Times bestselling author J. A. Jance returns with a new pulse-pounding suspense novel featuring beloved private investigator J. P. Beaumont as his investigation of a seemingly accidental death uncovers a complex web of evil.

Former Seattle homicide cop J. P. Beaumont faces trouble in the small town of Ashland, as both his personal and professional lives are thrown into turmoil. Beau’s daughter and son-in-law are having marital troubles, and his grandson, a senior in high school, shows up on his doorstep, wanting to live with Beau and his wife Mel as he finishes out the school year.

Meanwhile, a friend from his past asks for Beau’s help in looking into what appears to be an accidental death. A young man died of a fentanyl overdose, but those closest to him are convinced that he would never have used the drug, and that something much more sinister has happened. Beau agrees to unofficially reopen the case, and his investigation leads him to uncover similar mysterious deaths that all point to a most unlikely suspect.

As the case becomes more complicated than he could have imagined, and past and present mysteries collide, it will take everything Beau has to track down a dangerous vigilante killer.

Going to Maine by Sally Chaffin Brooks

From comedian Sally Chaffin Brooks comes a memoir about the thing she can't seem to shut up about— her life changing thru-hike of the Appalachian Trail.

25-year-old Sally has no reason to upend her comfortable, conventional life to spend 5 months hiking the Appalachian Trail; no reason except that her charismatic best friend, Erin, asked her to come along. A woefully out-of-shape Sally quickly realizes she may not actually be prepared for the realities of thru-hiking— brutal weather, wrong turns, and painful blisters have her wanting to quit almost as soon as she starts. But out of loyalty to Erin, or maybe the sinking realization that her life needed upending, Sally sticks it out. As she and Erin trek from Georgia to Maine, they collect a ragtag band of hikers and together stumble from one hilarious (and sometimes scary) predicament to another. By the time she reaches Maine— accompanied by Erin, their crew, and a guy she's maybe (definitely) falling in love with— readers will cheer for the stronger, more self-assured Sally that has emerged and wish they could start the laugh-out-loud, life-affirming adventure all over again.

The Company by Jon Michael Varese

Lucy Braithwhite lives a privileged existence as heir to the fortune of Braithwhite & Company - the most successful purveyor of English luxury wallpapers the world over. The company's formulas have been respected for nearly a century, but have always remained cloaked in mystery. No one has been able to explain the originality of design, or the brilliance of their colours, leaving many to wonder if the mysterious spell-like effect of their wallpapers is due simply to artistry, or something more sinister.

No Address by Ken Abraham

Based on the critically acclaimed dramatic film and inspired by true events, No Address shows how homelessness could happen to anyone.

No Address is a gripping tale about a group of individuals who find themselves homeless due to unfortunate circumstances. It provides a realistic portrayal of their fight for survival against the gangs, vigilantes, and an uncompassionate community.

The first character we meet is Lauren, a recent high school graduate who returns to her foster home only to find herself locked out. Having been in foster care since her mother passed away unexpectedly when she was eight, Lauren has no family or true friends to rely on. With no place to stay, she finds herself on the street and vulnerable.

We also meet Jimmy, who left home at the young age of sixteen to escape his father’s abuse only to find himself now spiraling down into a world of homelessness. A kindhearted homeless veteran finds him sleeping on a bench and takes him under his wing, introducing him to his street family, mentally ill Dora ... drug user Violet ... and now a runaway Jimmy.

Finally, we have Robert, a successful real estate broker who struggles as an addictive gambler. This problem has put his job, his family, and his whole livelihood in jeopardy. Will Robert travel down the road of homelessness?

As these individuals navigate the challenges of daily life in unimaginable circumstances, they encounter life-threatening challenges that never seem to end. Despite every obstacle, they find strength and resilience to overcome these hardships through their unbreakable bond and true friendship. No Address is a story of the endurance of the human spirit, offering hope for a better tomorrow.

The Royals Upstairs by Karina Halle

James Hunter has made a tactical error. His new role as protection officer to Prince Magnus of Norway was supposed to be an exciting change. Instead he’s marooned on a royal estate in the middle of nowhere charged with chasing after demon children and dodging the machinations of meddling staff. And the crowning jewel in this little drama—the children’s nanny is none other than Laila Bruset. The woman whose heart he broke. The woman who still holds his.

When Laila took the job as a nanny for the Norwegian royal children in order to be closer to her ailing grandmother in Oslo, the last thing she expected was to have her life turned upside down—again. But as much as James gets on her nerves, he's also getting under her skin, and the tension between them sizzles just as devastatingly as before.

As undeniable sparks turn James and Laila’s battle royal into a more serious game of hearts, nanny and bodyguard will have to decide just how much they’re willing to risk for a second chance at love.

Casket Case by Lauren Evans

In this charming debut rom-com, a young woman returns home to run her family's casket business and falls in love with a seemingly perfect stranger. But there's just one problem...he works for Death.

Nora thought she was finished with Rabbittown, Alabama for good. But an unexpected tragedy turned her life upside down and she's found herself back in her tiny hometown running the family casket business.

There aren't exactly a lot of prospects for a single woman in her 30s in a place like Rabbittown. Until Nora’s ordinary, casket-selling day is interrupted by a handsome stranger wandering into her shop and asking for directions—as well as a date.

Garrett Bishop seems like the ideal guy. He’s thoughtful, he’s kind, and he has a lucrative job as a logistics coordinator, for which he seems to have a passion. She’s not totally sure what “logistics” entails, but she knows it means long hours, lots of travel and urgent calls in the middle of the night.

When a few of Rabbittown’s residents suddenly pass away—a heart attack here, a car crash there—and Garrett is spotted at the scenes of, well, all of the deaths, his frustratingly vague job description starts to become increasingly...suspicious. What is it that Garrett actually does for a living?

He's a "logistics coordinator" for Death.

When Nora discovers the truth, she is unable to reconcile the wonderful man she knows with the unthinkably cruel job he loves. Will she ever be able to understand how he can do what he does, or will she have to lay her best chance at love to rest?

Casket Case is the heartfelt story of a small-town girl who feels surrounded by death—literally and figuratively. This clever, endearing, and romantic debut explores how love and loss are forever intertwined…but death might not be as scary as it seems.

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