"A Drop of Hope" by Keith Calabrese--charming children's story--wishing and believing go hand-in-hand

A Drop of Hope


"A book that reminds us of the kindness we are all capable of." -- Gary D. Schmidt, Newbery Honor winner and author of Okay For Now

A well. A wish. And a little drop of hope.

Times are tough. Jobs are scarce and miracles are in short supply. But something strange is happening in If Only, Ohio. An old well has suddenly, impossibly, begun to grant wishes. And three sixth graders are the only ones who know why.

Ernest Wilmette believes a good deed makes magic happen. Ryan Hardy thinks they should just mind their own business. Lizzy MacComber believes in facts, not fairy tales. Of course, you don't have to believe in wishes to make one.

As more wishes are made, the well's true secret gets harder and harder to keep. Ernest, Ryan, and Lizzy know they can't fix the world. But in their own little corner of it, they can give everyone a little hope... one wish at a time.

Praise for A Drop of Hope:

 

"Every so often -- though not very often -- a book comes along that reminds us of what we are capable of as human beings. It reminds us that we can be kind. It reminds us that we can create. It reminds us that we really can grow into our best selves. And it does all this with a story that startles us with the absolute conviction that we are connected in ways whose complexities we can never fully know. This is one of those books." - Gary D. Schmidt, Newbery Honor winner and author of Okay for Now

"Keith Calabrese has given us more than a drop of hope in this endearing novel; Ernest and Ryan and Lizzy not only make me want to move to the town of Cliffs Donnelly, their story has renewed my faith in humanity." -– Kirby Larson, Newbery Honor-winning author of Hattie Big Sky

"A Drop of Hope is a rapid-fire novel, wishing-well deep and rich with relatable characters all discovering that forging strong friendships, families, and communities takes hard work, empathy, and just a little bit of luck." -- John David Anderson, author of Mrs. Bixby's Last Day and Posted

 

 

 

Keith Calabrese

 

 

 

Keith Calabrese lives in Los Angeles with his wife, kids, and a dog who thinks he’s a mountain goat. Lena’s Shoes Are Nervous is his first children’s book.

 

https://twitter.com/notmrcalabrese?lang=en 

"Wind River Valley Series"--from author Lindsay McKenna--the cowboys and their ladies--the Wind River Ranch--beautiful Wyoming

Book 1

Wind River Wrangler

Still waters run deep . . .

 

Book 2

Wind River Rancher

Something to hold on to . . .

 

Book 3

Wind River Cowboy

An unexpected reunion . . .  

Book 4

Wrangler's Challenge

Healing, like love, takes time . . .
 

Book 5

Lone Rider

No one can outrun the past forever . . .
 

Book 6

Wind River Lawman

Sometimes the war comes to you . . .
 

Book 6.5

Kassie's Cowboy

This snowy silent night will be one last chance...

Book 7

Home to Wind River

For some, love is the only medicine . . .
 

Book 8

Wind River Protector

Real love is worth every risk . . . 

  

 

AUTHOR LINDSAY MCKENNA SAYS:

"I've lived six lives in one and it all shows up in the books I write, one way or another.

I was always a risk taker and broke mustangs at thirteen years old in Oregon. I learn to break them with love, not threat or pain.

At 17 years old, I picked night-crawlers (worms) out in our Oregon orchards from 9pm to midnight, every night. I earned enough money to buy my school clothes and book. I also plunked down $600 to a flight company at the Medford, Oregon airport and asked them to teach me...a girl...to fly. I soloed in 12 hours, which is average. From that time until I left for the US Navy at 18, I had accrued 39 hours of flight time in my Cessna 150 single engine airplane.

I was in the US military and was an AG3 (weather forecaster). There was no airplane club, so I couldn't fly when I was in the Navy. But I could look at the clouds in the sky ;-).

Later, I flew in a B-52 bomber for a day and night mission (18 hours total), a T-38 Talon jet, USAF, where I was riding in a "chase plane" on a test flight in a Dragonfly jet.

I was one of the first AFLA (American Fencing League of America) women fencers to fence with epee and sabre. These weapons were closed to women because they were too 'heavy' for a female to handle. I said baloney and fought the males and won half my bouts. I was part of a surge of women fencers on the East Coast in the 1970's to push for equality in the sport. Together, we changed the sport and changed the mind of the men. Today? In the Olympics? Women now fence in foil, epee and sabre, thanks to what we did as a vanguard showing the world it could be done.

I then became a volunteer firefighter when I was a civilian once more, the first woman in an all - male fire department in West Point, Ohio for three years. I became a local expert not only in firefighting, driving the engine and tanker trunks, but also had training in hazardous material (Reynoldsburg Fire Academy, Columbus, OH).

My books always reflect what I experienced. If you like edgy, gritty, deeply and emotionally intense love stories with sympathetic heroes and heroines, check out my newest series that will be available mid-Oct. 2015, and it incorporates much of what I have lived." 

http://www.lindsaymckenna.com

"THE FALCONER"--author Dana Czapnik's debut novel is an original coming of age novel set in Manhattan in the 1990's

The Falconer


A literary page-turner brimming with intelligence, energy, and wit, centered on an unforgettable young heroine that “will thrill readers of all generations” (Colum McCann).

New York, 1993. Seventeen-year-old Lucy Adler, a street-smart, trash-talking baller, is often the only girl on the public courts. At turns quixotic and cynical, insecure and self-possessed, Lucy is in unrequited love with her best friend and pick-up teammate Percy, scion to a prominent New York family, who wishes to resist his upper crust fate.

As she navigates this complex relationship with all its youthful heartache, Lucy is seduced by a different kind of life—one less consumed by conventional success and the approval of men. A pair of provocative female artists living in what remains of New York’s Bohemia invite her into their world, but soon even their paradise begins to show cracks.

Told in vibrant, quicksilver prose, The Falconer is a “wholly original coming-of-age story” (Chloe Benjamin, New York Times bestselling author of The Immortalists), providing a snapshot of the city and America through the eyes of the children of the baby boomers grappling with privilege and the fading of radical hopes. New York Times bestselling author Claire Messud calls The Falconer an “exhilarating debut,” adding that “Dana Czapnik’s frank heroine has a voice, and a perspective, you won’t soon forget.”

Reviews

"Coming-of-age in Manhattan may not have been done this brilliantly since Catcher in the Rye. . . . Get ready to fall in love."—Kirkus (starred review)

"[A] sizzling debut is a coming-of-age novel set in 1993 New York."—Bustle

"One of the buzziest debuts of the winter may also sound a tad familiar: a coming-of-age story set in ’90s New York City. But early word is this may rank among the best in that ever-popular subgenre."—Entertainment Weekly

"This charming coming-of-age story will get no shortage of comparisons to The Catcher in the Rye. But Dana Czapnik gives readers a heroine all her own: 17-year-old Lucy, a half-Jewish, half-Italian, whip-smart basketball dynamo who is desperately in love with her best friend, a fellow hoops player." —CHATELAINE

"Remember your moony-eyed, slightly awkward 17-year-old self, hesitantly optimistic for the future and bit overwhelmed by the present? Lucy Adler, the ridiculously endearing high school senior (and ridiculously gifted basketball player) at the center of Dana Czapnik’s debut novel, will take you back to the days of unrequited crushes with cold, cool boys and philosophical conversations with friends on walks home from school. The Falconer is the new definitive New York coming-of-age story — expect to underline many poignant sentences, as well as dreamy descriptions of the city at night."—Refinery29

"Move over Holden Caulfield… there is a new rebel in town. Lucy Adler has taken over as the cynical, smart-talking badass. Soak up the nostalgia of New York in the 90s with Lucy... This coming-of-age novel is one you won’t want to miss this year!"—Get Literary

“The book is filled with highly caffeinated badass riffs on Manhattan's scenery and soul, on feminism and art, on Lucy's generation, and on basketball itself. . . . Lucy's simmering sexuality, her reaction to the male bodies around her, is never off the page for long. After all the books we've read about horny, frustrated adolescent boys, it's nice to get a different perspective. . . . Lucy may come from 1993, but her voice and her energy are just what we need right now.”—Newsday

“Smart, tough, an extraordinary athlete, Lucy Adler teeters, zealous and baffled, on the cusp of womanhood. Dana Czapnik’s frank heroine has a voice, and a perspective, you won’t soon forget. The Falconer is an exhilarating debut.—Claire Messud, author of The Burning Girl and The Woman Upstairs

“A deeply affecting tale of a young woman coming of age in a man’s world. All the characters feel authentic and unique, and its protagonist, Lucy Adler, jumps right off the page. I’ve never read a character quite like her in fiction - a deeply intelligent basketball player with a sharp, incisive take on the changing city and country in which she lives. Lucy’s journey into adulthood will be especially resonant with today’s readers.”—Salman Rushdie, author of The Golden House and Midnight’s Children

“An unsentimental education in all that is urgent, soulful and intimate. As much the portrait of an era as it is the portrait of an adolescence, this is a crossover novel that will thrill readers of all generations. The Falconer captures the grueling, exhilarating pathos of one woman’s quest to become whole. A wonderful debut.”
—Colum McCann, author of Thirteen Ways of Looking and Let The Great World Spin

"The Falconer is a novel of huge heart and fierce intelligence. It has restored my faith in pretty much everything."—Ann Patchett, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Commonwealth and co-owner of Parnassus Books

 “Meet Lucy Adler. As I read The Falconer, I felt like I'd found a literary cousin of Holden Caulfield--if Holden were a straight-shooting, hip-hop-listening, court-dominating, seventeen-year-old Jewish-Italian girl. Dana Czapnik has crafted a wholly original coming-of-age story. In basketball terms, The Falconer is a fearless three-point shot.”—Chloe Benjamin, author of The Immortalists and The Anatomy of Dreams

"Told with a poet's ear and a basketball player's eye and reflexes, The Falconer is an extraordinary book. Czapnik is refreshingly honest and open-eyed about the way money, gender and the demands of the body steer the overwhelming longings and frustrations of being a young woman growing up in the city. Every detail feels true and important, every small observation tells a larger story. A wonderful new talent."—Rivka Galchen, author of Atmospheric Disturbances and American Innovations


Dana Czapnik

 

Dana Czapnik is a 2018 NYSCA/NYFA Artist Fellow in Fiction from The New York Foundation for the Arts. In 2017, she was awarded an Emerging Writers Fellowship from the Center for Fiction. Czapnik earned her MFA at Hunter College where she was recognized with a Hertog Fellowship. She’s spent most of her career on the editorial side of professional sports including stints at ESPN the Magazine, the United States Tennis Association and the Arena Football League. Her debut novel, The Falconer, will be published by Atria Books, an imprint of Simon & Schuster, in January of 2019. A native New Yorker, she lives in Manhattan with her husband and son.

http://www.danaczapnik.com/

"GOLDEN CHILD"--author Claire Adam's deeply affecting debut novel set in Trinidad, Spain, following the lives of a family as they navigate impossible choices about scarcity, loyalty, and love

 Golden Child


A deeply affecting debut novel set in Trinidad, following the lives of a family as they navigate impossible choices about scarcity, loyalty, and love

Rural Trinidad: a brick house on stilts surrounded by bush; a family, quietly surviving, just trying to live a decent life. Clyde, the father, works long, exhausting shifts at the petroleum plant in southern Trinidad; Joy, his wife, looks after the home. Their two sons, thirteen years old, wake early every morning to travel to the capital, Port of Spain, for school. They are twins but nothing alike: Paul has always been considered odd, while Peter is widely believed to be a genius, destined for greatness.

When Paul goes walking in the bush one afternoon and doesn't come home, Clyde is forced to go looking for him, this child who has caused him endless trouble already, and who he has never really understood. And as the hours turn to days, and Clyde begins to understand Paul's fate, his world shatters--leaving him faced with a decision no parent should ever have to make.

Like the Trinidadian landscape itself, Golden Child is both beautiful and unsettling; a resoundingly human story of aspiration, betrayal, and love. 

Reviews

"Throughout this stunning portrait of Trinidad’s multicultural diversity, and one family’s sacrifices, soaring hopes and ultimate despair, Adam weaves a poetic lightness and beauty that will transfix readers."—Publishers Weekly (starred)"Adam's writing is luxuriant, evoking the atmospheric island setting and the complicated, worried lives lived under a near-constant sense of impending violence...Heartbreaking and lovely, this is an important work by a promising new voice."—Booklist (starred)

"Fascinating...an incisive and loving portrait of contemporary Trinidad."—Kirkus"This book manages to combine two things rarely bound together in the same spine: asensitive depiction of family life and the page-flicking urgency of a thriller."—The Guardian"This is a tough, original novel of remarkable poise and confidence."—The Economist 

"Golden Child is a stunning novel written with force and beauty.  Though true to herself, Adam's work stands tall beside icons of her tradition like V.S. Naipaul."—Jennifer Clement, author of Gun Love

“Golden Child swells with wisdom about masculinity, family, violence and sacrifice. I read it in a sitting, gripping the pages, nails chewed down by the final word. An intense, heart-breaking debut.”—Daniel Magariel, author of One of the Boys

“The characters in Golden Child are so completely real that I keep forgetting that their home is the page; they seem to breathe and think on their own. This is a devastating, wonderful book, and I can't help but wait impatiently for whatever Claire Adam writes next.” – Sara Taylor, author of The Lauras“Utterly convincing, horrifying and, ultimately, intensely moving, it’s almost impossible to believe this small masterpiece is a first novel. Adam is a true and rare talent. I’m in awe.”—Julie Myerson, author of The Stopped Heart

Claire Adam




Claire Adam was born and raised in Trinidad. She studied Physics at Brown University and later took an M.A. in Creative Writing at Goldsmiths, University of London. She lives in London. Golden Child (SJP for Hogarth, January 2019) is her debut novel.

https://www.shelf-awareness.com/max-issue.html?issue=310#m657

"The Gilded Wolves"--author Roshani Chokshi's historical fiction tale is set in a darkly glamorous world--full of mystery, decadence, and dangerous but thrilling adventure

The Gilded Wolves (The Gilded Wolves, #1)

 
Paris, 1889: The world is on the cusp of industry and power, and the Exposition Universelle has breathed new life into the streets and dredged up ancient secrets. In this city, no one keeps tabs on secrets better than treasure-hunter and wealthy hotelier, Séverin Montagnet-Alarie. But when the all-powerful society, the Order of Babel, seeks him out for help, Séverin is offered a treasure that he never imagined: his true inheritance.

To find the ancient artifact the Order seeks, Séverin will need help from a band of experts: An engineer with a debt to pay. A historian who can't yet go home. A dancer with a sinister past. And a brother in all but blood, who might care too much.

Together, they'll have to use their wits and knowledge to hunt the artifact through the dark and glittering heart of Paris. What they find might change the world, but only if they can stay alive.

Reviews

“Chokshi has created an inclusive and authentic cast with obvious chemistry and affection for one another and infuses the tale with witty banter and twists. A delectably intriguing adventure for all teen shelves.” ― SCHOOL LIBRARY JOURNAL, Starred Review

“Chokshi delivers a thrilling, gritty new fantasy set in an alternate nineteenth century Paris… Chokshi shines as a master storyteller in her newest novel; the setting, world building, plot, and conflict are all staggering. However, the elements that perhaps shine the most are the history, riddles, mysteries, and science, woven together in a world brimming with power and magic.” ― BOOKLIST, Starred Review

“Leigh Bardugo's Six of Crows and Dan Brown's The Da Vinci Code converge in this dazzling new fantasy… An opulent heist adventure that will leave readers voracious for more.” ― KIRKUS, Starred Review

“Evocative writing, sumptuous set pieces, and vividly sketched, authentically flawed characters distinguish this immersive tale of found family and star-crossed romance. Kaleidoscopic narration complements the intricate, high-stakes plot and allows Chokshi to showcase numerous aspects of her richly imagined universe all the way to the closing cliff-hanger.” ― PUBLISHERS WEEKLY, Starred Review

“In this delicious first entry in a new series from a veteran YA author, readers will find sumptuous visuals, deep characters and a maddening eleventh-hour twist.” ― BOOKPAGE, Starred Review

"The Gilded Wolves sets up a fantastical great heist with a series of clues and problems the well-developed, diverse group of teens must decipher. Chokshi's world is lush and her characters distinct and engaging―this first in a new series is as sharp and lustrous as the title suggests." ― SHELF AWARENESS, Rave Review

“There can be no doubt that Chokshi has grown as a writer with each book, and 'The Gilded Wolves' takes us to a new level of intrigue.” ― NPR.ORG

“Chokshi’s writing is vivid and lovely.” ― ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY

“Thrilling and gorgeous, The Gilded Wolves is another captivating book from one of YA’s most brilliant voices.” ― PASTE, “10 Best YA Novels of January”

BUSTLE names The Gilded Wolves one of the “28 Young Adult Books Coming Out In 2019 That Will Seriously Get You Pumped For The New Year”

B&N TEEN BLOG includes The Gilded Wolves in their lists of “33 of January’s Best New Young Adult Books” and “January’s Best New YA Fiction”

HYPABLE calls The Gilded Wolves one of the “2019 Winter Books Not to be Missed”

BOOKISH, “Winter 2019’s Most Anticipated Young Adult Sci-Fi & Fantasy”

SHEREADS, “Most Anticipated Books of 2019”

GOODREADS, “Best of January” and “Most Anticipated YA”

POPSUGAR, “10 of the Most Anticipated Books of 2019 ― All by Women”

PARADE names The Gilded Wolves one of “10 Buzzworthy YA Books to Read in 2019”

The Gilded Wolves is one of THE NERD DAILY’s “Most Anticipated 2019 Releases”

BOOKBUB, “The Best Teen Books Coming in 2019”

THE HOLLYWOOD REPORTER includes The Gilded Wolves in a column on “new books that should be turned into movies”

CULTURESS, “19 books we can't wait to get our hands on”
“This rag-tag team will face danger, deception, puzzles, and of course delicious secrets that hide in the opulence of Paris. This is a story you will not soon forget.” ― THE NERD DAILY

“Beautiful cover? Check. Beautiful prose? Check. And this book is gloriously diverse.”” – BOOKRIOT, “3 More LGBQT+ YA Books to Read in 2019”

“You’ll fall in love with these characters, the world they live in, and all the promises it holds.” ― WE SO NERDY

"A gorgeously layered story, with characters that make you laugh and ache and cheer." – Renée Ahdieh, New York Times bestselling author of The Wrath and The Dawn

"A masterpiece of imagination. You will want this book to steal your heart so that you will never have to leave this story." Stephanie Garber, New York Times bestselling author of Caraval

"This is a book to swan dive into, swim around in, luxuriate in. Trust me, you won’t want to come out” – Laini Taylor, New York Times bestselling author of Strange The Dreamer

"The Gilded Wolves is part political misadventure, part puzzle and thoroughly charming, with a band of rapscallions and a string of surprises!" – Holly Black, New York Times bestselling author of The Cruel Prince

"The Gilded Wolves is the smart, dark adventure YA readers have been waiting for.” – Adrienne Young, New York Times bestselling author of Sky In The Deep

"The Gilded Wolves has it all: magical Belle Époque Paris, dark and glittering prose, a cast of characters that will steal your heart inside their other heists. This is a book I wish I'd written." – Ryan Graudin, award-winning author of Wolf By Wolf



Roshani Chokshi


 


Roshani Chokshi is the New York Times bestselling author of The Star-Touched Queen and A CROWN OF WISHES. Her middle grade debut, ARU SHAH AND THE END OF TIME, released April 3, 2018 from Disney/Rick Riordan Presents. The sequel, ARU SHAH AND THE SONG OF DEATH is slated to release April 30, 2019. Her next young adult novel, THE GILDED WOLVES, is slated for January 15, 2019. Chokshi's work has appeared in Strange Horizons, Shimmer, and Book Smugglers. She was a finalist in the 2016 Andre Norton Award and the Locus Top Ten for Best First Novel. Her short story, "The Star Maiden," was longlisted for the British Fantasy Science Award.

http://www.roshanichokshi.com 

"A Painted House"--author John Grisham's memorable novel--and the Hallmark Hall of Fame film adaption of his remarkable story

A Painted House

Until that September of 1952, Luke Chandler had never kept a secret or told a single lie. But in the long, hot summer of his seventh year, two groups of migrant workers — and two very dangerous men — came through the Arkansas Delta to work the Chandler cotton farm. And suddenly mysteries are flooding Luke’s world.

A brutal murder leaves the town seething in gossip and suspicion. A beautiful young woman ignites forbidden passions. A fatherless baby is born ... and someone has begun furtively painting the bare clapboards of the Chandler farmhouse, slowly, painstakingly, bathing the run-down structure in gleaming white. And as young Luke watches the world around him, he unravels secrets that could shatter lives — and change his family and his town forever....

 

Reviews

 

“John Grisham is about as good a storyteller as we’ve got.”—The New York Times Book Review

“The kind of book you read slowly because you don’t want it to end ... John Grisham takes command of this literary category just as forcefully as he did legal thrillers with The Firm.... Never let it be said this man doesn’t know how to spin a good yarn.”—Entertainment Weekly

“Characters that no reader will forget. .. prose as clean and strong as any Grisham has yet laid down ... and a drop-dead evocation of a time and place that mark this novel as a classic slice of Americana.”—Publishers Weekly

“Some of the finest dialogue of his career ... Every detail rings clear and true, and nothing is wasted.”—Seattle Times

A Painted House

Hallmark Hall of Fame

A memorable adaptation of John Grisham's life-affirming story, A Painted House draws on childhood memories and "local lore" from his Arkansas roots. 

Amazon.com: Even by the high standards of the Hallmark Hall of Fame, A Painted House is well above average. John Grisham's well-received "lawyer-free" novel was respectfully adapted by Patrick Sheane Duncan (Mr. Holland's Opus), and director Alfonso Arau (Like Water for Chocolate, A Walk in the Clouds) brings just the right touch of toughness and delicate nostalgia to Grisham's semi-autobiographical remembrance of boyhood in rural Arkansas, circa 1952. Grisham's alter ego is 10-year-old Luke Chandler (well played by Logan Lerman), and when tempers flare into violence between the Mexican migrant workers and itinerant "hill people" hired to harvest cotton on his grandfather's farm, Luke--who has witnessed a murder--must decide whether to expose the killer or keep the crime a secret. Filled with warm grace notes and a perfect cast including leather-faced Scott Glenn and Melinda Dillon (as Luke's grandparents), A Painted House juggles multiple crises (including devastating rainstorms) with strong family values, capturing the humor and hardship of farming life at a crossroads of fading tradition and inevitable change. Combining elements of To Kill a Mockingbird and Places in the Heart, this is a purebred Hallmark production in every respect, earning a badge of pride for everyone involved in its maki

 

John Grisham

 

 

 

"Long before his name became synonymous with the modern legal thriller, he was working 60-70 hours a week at a small Southaven, Mississippi law practice, squeezing in time before going to the office and during courtroom recesses to work on his hobby—writing his first novel.

Born on February 8, 1955 in Jonesboro, Arkansas, to a construction worker and a homemaker, John Grisham as a child dreamed of being a professional baseball player. Realizing he didn't have the right stuff for a pro career, he shifted gears and majored in accounting at Mississippi State University. After graduating from law school at Ole Miss in 1981, he went on to practice law for nearly a decade in Southaven, specializing in criminal defense and personal injury litigation. In 1983, he was elected to the state House of Representatives and served until 1990.

One day at the DeSoto County courthouse, Grisham overheard the harrowing testimony of a twelve-year-old rape victim and was inspired to start a novel exploring what would have happened if the girl's father had murdered her assailants. Getting up at 5 a.m. every day to get in several hours of writing time before heading off to work, Grisham spent three years on A Time to Kill and finished it in 1987. Initially rejected by many publishers, it was eventually bought by Wynwood Press, who gave it a modest 5,000 copy printing and published it in June 1988.

That might have put an end to Grisham's hobby. However, he had already begun his next book, and it would quickly turn that hobby into a new full-time career—and spark one of publishing's greatest success stories. The day after Grisham completed A Time to Kill, he began work on another novel, the story of a hotshot young attorney lured to an apparently perfect law firm that was not what it appeared. When he sold the film rights to The Firm to Paramount Pictures for $600,000, Grisham suddenly became a hot property among publishers, and book rights were bought by Doubleday. Spending 47 weeks on The New York Times bestseller list, The Firm became the bestselling novel of 1991.

The successes of The Pelican Brief, which hit number one on the New York Times bestseller list, and The Client, which debuted at number one, confirmed Grisham's reputation as the master of the legal thriller. Grisham's success even renewed interest in A Time to Kill, which was republished in hardcover by Doubleday and then in paperback by Dell. This time around, it was a bestseller.

Since first publishing A Time to Kill in 1988, Grisham has written one novel a year (his other books are The Firm, The Pelican Brief, The Client, The Chamber, The Rainmaker, The Runaway Jury, The Partner, The Street Lawyer, The Testament, The Brethren, A Painted House, Skipping Christmas, The Summons, The King of Torts, Bleachers, The Last Juror, and The Broker) and all of them have become international bestsellers. There are currently over 225 million John Grisham books in print worldwide, which have been translated into 29 languages. Nine of his novels have been turned into films (The Firm, The Pelican Brief, The Client, A Time to Kill, The Rainmaker, The Chamber, A Painted House, The Runaway Jury, and Skipping Christmas), as was an original screenplay, The Gingerbread Man. The Innocent Man (October 2006) marks his first foray into non-fiction.

Grisham took time off from writing for several months in 1996 to return, after a five-year hiatus, to the courtroom. He was honoring a commitment made before he had retired from the law to become a full-time writer: representing the family of a railroad brakeman killed when he was pinned between two cars. Preparing his case with the same passion and dedication as his books' protagonists, Grisham successfully argued his clients' case, earning them a jury award of $683,500--the biggest verdict of his career.

When he's not writing, Grisham devotes time to charitable causes, including most recently his Rebuild The Coast Fund, which raised 8.8 million dollars for Gulf Coast relief in the wake of Hurricane Katrina. He also keeps up with his greatest passion: baseball. The man who dreamed of being a professional baseball player now serves as the local Little League commissioner. The six ball fields he built on his property have played host to over 350 kids on 26 Little League teams. 

 

Grisham lives with his wife Renee and their two children Ty and Shea. The family splits their time between their Victorian home on a farm in Mississippi and a plantation near Charlottesville, VA.

http://www.jgrisham.com/

"The Girl He Used to Know"--author Tracey Garvis Graves presents a compelling, hopelessly romantic novel of unconditional love

The Girl He Used to Know


Annika (rhymes with Monica) Rose is an English major at the University of Illinois. Anxious in social situations where she finds most people's behavior confusing, she'd rather be surrounded by the order and discipline of books or the quiet solitude of playing chess.

Jonathan Hoffman joined the chess club and lost his first game--and his heart--to the shy and awkward, yet brilliant and beautiful Annika. He admires her ability to be true to herself, quirks and all, and accepts the challenges involved in pursuing a relationship with her. Jonathan and Annika bring out the best in each other, finding the confidence and courage within themselves to plan a future together. What follows is a tumultuous yet tender love affair that withstands everything except the unforeseen tragedy that forces them apart, shattering their connection and leaving them to navigate their lives alone.

Now, a decade later, fate reunites Annika and Jonathan in Chicago. She's living the life she wanted as a librarian. He's a Wall Street whiz, recovering from a divorce and seeking a fresh start. The attraction and strong feelings they once shared are instantly rekindled, but until they confront the fears and anxieties that drove them apart, their second chance will end before it truly begins.

Reviews

"Careful to balance the emotional and intellectual power between Annika and Jonathan, Graves creates a believable love affair in which Annika is not infantilized but rather fully realized as simply different. And her differences become her strengths when catastrophe strikes, compelling Annika to take the lead for the first time in her life. A heartwarming, neurodiverse love story. " - Kirkus

"Tracey Garvis Graves has crafted an incredible story with a unique premise and characters you'll want to root for. The last thirty pages had me on the edge of my seat. This book is beautiful." - Colleen Hoover, #1 New York Times bestselling author of It Ends with Us and All Your Perfects

"I adore Tracey Garvis Graves' work." - Sarah Pekkanen, New York Times bestselling coauthor of The Wife Between Us

"Tracey Garvis Graves is a must read author. Her voice is wise, tender and refreshing." - Taylor Jenkins Reid, author of The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo

"Written with sensitivity and spot-on truth, this is the most riveting, rewarding, refreshing novel I've read in years." - Barbara Delinsky, New York Times bestselling author of Sweet Salt Air

"From page one, this enchanting story resonates with gentle humor and lush detail. I adored this book." - Tammara Webber, New York Times bestselling author of Easy and Breakable

"Smart and sensitive, with wholly original characters you can’t help but root for, The Girl He Used to Know is unlike any book I’ve read. I loved every page.” ―Camille Pagán, bestselling author of Life and Other Near-Death Experiences 

“Tracey Garvis-Graves keeps the tension high throughout, and readers will be rooting for this pair’s happy ending from the first page until the last.” – Kate Hilton, bestselling author of The Hole in the Middle and Just Like Family

"Tracey Garvis Graves pens a compelling novel with beautifully rendered characters, an extraordinary tale filled with sensitivity and empathy that gives readers a peek into the world of autism through the eyes of a woman who proves to be as audacious as she is charming. Readers, don't you dare miss this love story." - Kellie Coates Gilbert, author of the Sun Valley Series

"Tracey delivers another romantic gem! This time an engaging exploration of second-chance love mixed with real-life drama. The last few chapters had my heart beating fast and furious.” ―Dina Silver, author of No Time To Blink and One Pink Line

"Tracey Garvis Graves has the magical gift of capturing enduring love in the face of adversity, and The Girl He Used to Know is no exception . . . well written, engaging and quietly romantic." - Renee Carlino, National bestselling author of Blind Kiss

“Tracey Garvis Graves is a master at writing layered characters you’re thrilled to spend time with, and Annika and Jonathan are no exception. The Girl He Used to Know is a consume-in-one-sitting read, full of heart and depth, with a most satisfying ending. I loved it!” - Karma Brown, bestselling author of The Life Lucy Knew

“Both charming and unique, The Girl He Used to Know follows Annika and Jonathan as they grapple with how the past defines their present. The climax of their sweeping love story will slam you hard in the chest, leaving you grasping for tissues as you race to find out if they’ll find their happy ending.” - Liz Fenton & Lisa Steinke, bestselling authors of The Good Widow

“Tracey Garvis-Graves has written a beautiful novel that goes far beyond the classic boy meets girl. Annika is a unique character who will stay with you long after the last page and the ending will have you cheering and reaching for a box of tissues at the same time. A true love story for the ages. - Anita Hughes, author of California Summer

“On the surface, this book might appear to be a girl-meets-boy, girl-loses-boy, girl-gets-boy-back-years-later type of story. But dig a little and you'll find so much more. The girl in question is not your usual heroine: she's somewhere on the autism spectrum. And the boy isn't typical either--he's not trying to take advantage of her, he's trying to heal too. Both a touching love story and an interesting insight into life on the spectrum, I raced through this in a day and felt all the feels when life intervened in a way that might have kept them apart forever. I recommend it.” - Catherine McKenzie, bestselling author of Hidden and The Good Liar

“This wonderful novel deals with life and love on the spectrum with captivating and heart-warming characters who will stay with you long after you’ve finished. Memorable, and remarkable, Tracey Garvis Graves has written another winner.” - Kaira Rouda, bestselling author, Best Day Ever and What Comes Aroun


Tracey Garvis Graves



Tracey Garvis Graves is the New York Times, Wall Street Journal, and USA Today bestselling author of contemporary fiction. Her debut novel, On the Island, spent 9 weeks on the New York Times bestseller list, has been translated into thirty-one languages, and is in development with MGM and Temple Hill Productions for a feature film. She is also the author of Uncharted, Covet, Every Time I Think of You, Cherish, Heart-Shaped Hack, White-Hot Hack, and The Girl He Used to Know. She is hard at work on her next book.

http://traceygarvisgraves.com/

"The Girls at 17 Swann Street"--Yara Zgheib's poetic, poignant debut novel is a haunting, intimate journey of a young woman's struggle to reclaim her life

The Girls at 17 Swann Street


The chocolate went first, then the cheese, the fries, the ice cream. The bread was more difficult, but if she could just lose a little more weight, perhaps she would make the soloists’ list. Perhaps if she were lighter, danced better, tried harder, she would be good enough. Perhaps if she just ran for one more mile, lost just one more pound.

Anna Roux was a professional dancer who followed the man of her dreams from Paris to Missouri. There, alone with her biggest fears – imperfection, failure, loneliness – she spirals down anorexia and depression till she weighs a mere eighty-eight pounds. Forced to seek treatment, she is admitted as a patient at 17 Swann Street, a peach pink house where pale, fragile women with life-threatening eating disorders live. Women like Emm, the veteran; quiet Valerie; Julia, always hungry. Together, they must fight their diseases and face six meals a day.

Yara Zgheib's poetic and poignant debut novel is a haunting, intimate journey of a young woman's struggle to reclaim her life. Every bite causes anxiety. Every flavor induces guilt. And every step Anna takes toward recovery will require strength, endurance, and the support of the girls at 17 Swann Street.

Reviews

"...an impressive, deeply moving debut. " - Publishers Weekly, Starred Review

"Zgheib's lyrical, dream-like style will resonate with fans of Wally Lamb's and Anne Tyler's novels and Augusten Burroughs' memoirs." - Booklist

"Moving . . a nuanced portrait of a woman struggling against herself." - Kirkus

“One of the best books I’ve read. Powerful and poignant...” - Jen Lancaster, New York Times bestselling author of I Regret Nothing

"Grabbed me from the first page. If you are interested in compelling characters and/or complex issues, this is a must read." - Lisa Gardner, New York Times Bestselling author

"Heartbreaking and beautiful . . . a brave book, stark in its realism, yet tempered by its lyrical prose." - Diane Chamberlain, New York Times bestselling author of The Dream Daughter

"Heart-wrenching and beautiful . . . a must read." - Erica Bauermeister, national 
bestselling author of The School of Essential Ingredients

"Written with spare, poetic grace, The Girls at 17 Swann Street is engaging, tragic and ultimately hopeful. It opened my eyes as well as my heart." - Susan Crandall, national bestselling author of The Myth of Perpetual Summer

Yara Zgheib
 

 

Yara Zgheib is a writer, policy researcher and analyst, and lover of culture, travel, nature, art. She is the author of The Girls at 17 Swann Street and blogger behind Aristotle at Afternoon Tea. She has written for The Huffington Post, The Four Seasons Magazine, The Idea List, Womanscape, Espresso Economics, A Woman's Paris, and Holiday Magazine.

Wearing her other hat, she consults with governments and the nonprofit sector on peace and security strategies, with an emphasis on conflict resolution, counter terrorism, and countering violent extremism. She is a Fulbright scholar with a PhD in international affairs, who has given courses on human security, but also art history, ballet and etiquette.

Yara was born in Beirut and has since lived in Glasgow, Washington, Paris, Saint Louis, and Boston. She loves books and smart conversations, early morning yoga, evening walks.

https://www.facebook.com/public/Yara-Zgheib

 

"The Kate Waters Series"--from author Fiona Barton--Journalist Kate Waters always does everything she can to be first to the story, first with the exclusive, first to discover the truth-- but danger can lie closer to home than you might think . . .

The Widow

When the police started asking questions, Jean Taylor turned into a different woman. One who enabled her and her husband to carry on, when more bad things began to happen...

But that woman’s husband died last week. And Jean doesn’t have to be her anymore.

There’s a lot Jean hasn’t said over the years about the crime her husband was suspected of committing. She was too busy being the perfect wife, standing by her man while living with the accusing glares and the anonymous harassment.

Now there’s no reason to stay quiet. There are people who want to hear her story. They want to know what it was like living with that man. She can tell them that there were secrets. There always are in a marriage.

The truth—that’s all anyone wants. But the one lesson Jean has learned in the last few years is that she can make people believe anything…




The Child

 ‘An engrossing, irresistible story about the coming to light of a long-buried secret.

When a paragraph in an evening newspaper reveals a decades-old tragedy, most readers barely give it a glance. But for three strangers it’s impossible to ignore.

For one woman, it’s a reminder of the worst thing that ever happened to her.

For another, it reveals the dangerous possibility that her darkest secret is about to be discovered.

And for the third, a journalist, it’s the first clue in a hunt to uncover the truth.

The Child’s story will be told.
 

The Suspect

The New York Times bestselling author of The Widow returns with a brand new novel of twisting psychological suspense about every parent's worst nightmare...

When two eighteen-year-old girls go missing in Thailand, their families are thrust into the international spotlight: desperate, bereft, and frantic with worry. What were the girls up to before they disappeared?

Journalist Kate Waters always does everything she can to be first to the story, first with the exclusive, first to discover the truth--and this time is no exception. But she can't help but think of her own son, whom she hasn't seen in two years, since he left home to go traveling.

As the case of the missing girls unfolds, they will all find that even this far away, danger can lie closer to home than you might think...

Reviews

 

“If you liked Gone Girl and The Girl on the Train, you might want to pick up The Widow by Fiona Barton. Engrossing. Suspenseful.”—Stephen King

“The ultimate psychological thriller! Barton carefully unspools this dark, intimate tale of a terrible crime, a stifling marriage, and the lies spouses tell not just to each other, but to themselves in order to make it through.”—Lisa Gardner, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Find Her and Right Behind You

“A twisted psychological thriller you’ll have trouble putting down.”—People

“Fiona Barton’s debut novel, The Widow, is being compared to Gone Girl, Before I Go To Sleep and The Girl on the Train. It’s actually better than them all.”—Fort Worth Star-Telegram

“[A] twisty tale...with a mesmerizing if unreliable narrator...that will blow your mind.”—Oprah.com

“[Jean is] a fascinating puzzle...Barton knows how to ramp up tension.”—The New York Times Book Review

“[Barton] delivers the goods...Richly character-driven in a way that is both satisfying and engrossing.”—The Washington Post

“[The Widow] will keep you in suspense late into the night.”—Good Housekeeping

“Barton skillfully weaves a tale that reminds us that yes, we can be deceived by others, but we can just as easily deceive ourselves.”—USA Today

“Both a taut reconstruction of a crime and a ruthless examination of marriage...A smartly crafted, compulsively readable tale about the lies people tell each other, and themselves, when the truth is the last thing they really want to know.”—Entertainment Weekly

“Barton’s writing is compelling and top-notch.”—Associated Press

“Gone Girl fans will relish this taut, psychological thriller.”—US Weekly
 “The Widow never loses sight of the dark secrets that define ordinary lives, the gray areas where deception gives way to the truth. This is one book in which such subtleties matter as much as the plot.”—Chicago Tribune

“[Barton’s] journalistic eye is what makes this debut novel so assured and compelling.”—NPR.org

“Every once in awhile, a suspense thriller comes along that grips readers and won’t let go....Joining that mini-library is The Widow by Fiona Barton, a thoroughly chilling novel with one of the most unreliable narrators in recent memory.”—The Sacramento Bee

“I read The Widow with an increasing sense that I was turning the pages through next year’s The Girl on the Train. It has all the ingredients for a bestseller—a clear proposition and a central premise that will stimulate word of mouth.”—The Bookseller (UK)

“A twisty psychological suspense that held me spellbound. Fiona Barton delves into the darkest reaches of the husband and wife relationship and the secrets they keep.”—Linda Castillo, New York Times bestselling author of Among the Wicked

 

Fiona Barton says:

"My career has taken some surprising twists and turns over the years. I have been a journalist - senior writer at the Daily Mail, news editor at the Daily Telegraph, and chief reporter at The Mail on Sunday, where I won Reporter of the Year at the National Press Awards, gave up my job to volunteer in Sri Lanka and since 2008, have trained and worked with exiled and threatened journalists all over the world.

But through it all, a story was cooking in my head. The worm of this book infected me long ago when, as a national newspaper journalist covering notorious crimes and trials, I found myself wondering what the wives of those accused really knew – or allowed themselves to know.

It took the liberation of my career change to turn that fascination into a tale of a missing child, narrated by the wife of the man suspected of the crime, the detective leading the hunt, the journalist covering the case and the mother of the victim.

Much to my astonishment and delight, The Widow is available now in the UK, and around the world in the coming months. However, the sudden silence of my characters feels like a reproach and I am currently working on a second book. My husband and I are living the good life in south-west France, where I am writing in bed, early in the morning when the only distraction is our cockerel, Sparky, crowing. 

http://fionabartonauthor.com/