"A Good Neighborhood"--from author Therese Anne Fowler--a provocative contemporary novel that examines the American dream through the lens of two families living side by side in an idyllic neighborhood, and the one summer that changes their lives irrevocably

A Good Neighborhood

In Oak Knoll, a verdant, tight-knit North Carolina neighborhood, professor of forestry and ecology Valerie Alston-Holt is raising her bright and talented biracial son. Xavier is headed to college in the fall, and after years of single parenting, Valerie is facing the prospect of an empty nest. All is well until the Whitmans move in next door―an apparently traditional family with new money, ambition, and a secretly troubled teenaged daughter.

Thanks to his thriving local business, Brad Whitman is something of a celebrity around town, and he's made a small fortune on his customer service and charm, while his wife, Julia, escaped her trailer park upbringing for the security of marriage and homemaking. Their new house is more than she ever imagined for herself, and who wouldn't want to live in Oak Knoll?

But with little in common except a property line, these two very different families quickly find themselves at odds: first, over an historic oak tree in Valerie's yard, and soon after, the blossoming romance between their two teenagers. Told in multiple points of view, A Good Neighborhood asks big questions about life in America today ― what does it mean to be a good neighbor? How do we live alongside each other when we don't see eye to eye? ― as it explores the effects of class, race, and heartrending star-crossed love in a story that’s as provocative as it is powerful.


Praise for A Good Neighborhood: 


"A Good Neighborhood is my favorite kind of novel ― compelling, complicated, timely, and smart. With great humanity, Therese Anne Fowler imparts a full-hearted, unflinching indictment of a broken system and in so doing tells a story hard to put down and hard to forget." ―Laurie Frankel, bestselling author of This is How it Always Is

“Therese Anne Fowler has taken the ingredients of racism, justice, and conservative religion and has concocted a feast of a read: compelling, heartbreaking, and inevitable. I finished A Good Neighborhood in a single sitting. Yes, it’s that good.” ―Jodi Picoult, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Small Great Things and A Spark of Light

"A provocative, timely page-turner about the crucial issues of our time. I gulped it down, and the stunning conclusion left me both heartbroken and hopeful.” ―Meg Waite Clayton, New York Times bestselling author of The Last Train to London

"A gripping modern morality tale...Familiar elements - two families, two young lovers, a legal dispute - frame a story that feels both classic and inevitable. But Fowler makes the book her own with smart dialogue, compelling characters and a communal “we” narrator that implicates us all in the wrenching conclusion." ―Tara Conklin, New York Times bestselling author of The Last Romantics

"Compelling and captivating, A Good Neighborhood left me speechless yet wanting to discuss. This is a story that will stick with you for a long time." ―Emily Giffin, #1 New York Times bestselling author of All We Ever Wanted

"Nothing short of mesmerizing." ―Kirkus, on A Well-Behaved Woman (starred review)

"Genius....Fowler's exploration of the way powerful women are simultaneously devalued and rewarded resonates powerfully." ―Publishers Weekly, on A Well-Behaved Woman (starred review)



THERESE ANNE FOWLER

 

THERESE ANNE FOWLER is the author of the New York Times bestselling novel Z: A Novel of Zelda Fitzgerald and A Well-Behaved Woman. Raised in the Midwest, she moved to North Carolina in 1995. She holds a BA in sociology/cultural anthropology and an MFA in creative writing from North Carolina State University.  

http://www.thereseannefowler.com

"Having the Soldier's Baby"--a poignant contemporary romance from talented author Tara Taylor Quinn--soldier thought to be dead returns home and struggles to regain the life he led

Having the Soldier's Baby

Back from the dead…

And back in her heart?

Emily and Winston Hannigan had a fairy-tale romance…until he perished for his country. So when Winston arrives on her doorstep very much alive, Emily’s overjoyed. Winston’s a changed man, though. He may have survived the unthinkable. But he believes he doesn’t deserve Emily—or their unborn child. And Winston’s secret shakes Emily to the core. But at that core is still love…

MY REVIEW: Tara Taylor Quinn is an author who always goes straight to the heart of the story. Her writing has an added depth of emotional involvement with the characters. In "Having the Soldier's Baby", Emily and Winston Hannigan were  first school friends, then teen sweethearts, and finally newlyweds at age twenty two. Deeply in love, and looking forward to a bright and happy future, they could never have imagined the unexpected twists and turns their lives would take. Unsuccessful at having a child on their own, they had considered help from a fertility clinic. When Win is sent to Afghanistan in service to his country, he is later declared missing in action. After two years missing, he is declared dead. Unable to let go of the love of her life, Emily returns to the fertility clinic and is artificially inseminated with Win's sperm donation, which had been stored at the clinic.To her amazement and great joy, Win is found to be alive and returns home. However, he is quite a different man--a man of many secrets and much guilt. Emily has just one secret--a very big secret. Their reunion is not at all as she imagined it would be--will her love and commitment give her the strength and patience needed to allow Win his time to heal? Will he be able to face his regrets and self-doubts and once again be a devoted and loving husband to Emily? "Having the Soldier's Baby" is a very poignant and compelling romance from the talented Tara Taylor Quinn.

Book Copy Gratis Harlequin Books


Tara Taylor Quinn



Tara Taylor Quinn began her love affair with Harlequin when she was fourteen years old and picked up a free promotional copy of a Harlequin Romance in a hometown grocery store. The relationship was solidified the year she was suspended from her high school typing class for hiding a Harlequin Romance behind the keys of her electric typewriter. Unaware that her instructor loomed close by, Ms. Quinn read blissfully on with one finger resting on the automatic repeating period key. She finished the book in the principal’s office. Forced to leave her romances in her locker after that, Ms. Quinn’s typing skills improved - a fact for which she is eternally grateful.

With 90 original novels, published in more than twenty languages, Tara Taylor Quinn is a USA Today bestselling author with more than seven million copies sold. She is a winner of the 2008 National Reader's Choice Award, four time finalist for the RWA Rita Award, a finalist for the Reviewer’s Choice Award, the Bookseller’s Best Award, the Holt Medallion and appears regularly on the Waldenbooks bestsellers list. Ms. Quinn writes for Harlequin and MIRA Books. Reviewer, Cindy Penn, wordweaving.com says, “Amazing character development is the hallmark of author Tara Taylor Quinn’s work. Indeed, Taylor’s profound observations of human nature and intimate understanding of values and priorities lends extraordinary psychological depth to all her work.”

Tara Taylor Quinn was born and raised in Ohio. Though she wrote her first story at the age of seven, her professional writing career began ten years later when she was hired as a stringer with the Dayton Daily News in Dayton, Ohio. She attended Wright State University and graduated from Harding College in Arkansas with a degree in English and Journalism. She published several magazine articles before turning to writing as a full-time occupation.

Ms. Quinn is a Past President of the Romance Writers of America and served for eight years on the Board of Directors of that association. She has a wide range of experience as a public speaker and workshop presenter for writers groups around the country.

When she’s not home with her owners, Jerry Lee and Taylor Marie, or fulfilling speaking engagements, Tara loves to travel with her husband, stopping wherever the spirit takes them. They’ve been spotted in casinos and quaint little small town antique shops all across the country...

http://www.tarataylorquinn.com/

"The Dove Pond, North Carolina Series"--author Karen Hawkins' modern-day fairy tale--an unforgettable story about a charmed, sleepy little Southern town and the magic of books and friendship

A Cup of Silver Linings

From New York Times bestselling author Karen Hawkins comes another book in her Dove Pond series—and this time Ava’s famous tea leaves spell trouble ahead.

Ava Dove—the sixth of seven daughters of the famed Dove family, and owner of Ava’s Landscaping and Specialty Gourmet Tea—is frantic.

Just as she is getting ready to open her fabulous new tearoom, her herbal teas have gone wonky. Suddenly, the tea that is supposed to help people sleep is startling them awake with vivid dreams; the tea that infuses romance back into tired marriages is causing people to blurt out their darkest secrets; and the tea that helps people find happiness is making them spend hours staring into mirrors.

Meanwhile, living four doors down the road from Ava, sixteen-year-old Kristen Foster’s life has just crashed down around her. After her mother’s death, Kristen’s grandmother Ellen has arrived in town to sweep Kristen off to a white mansion on a hill in distant Raleigh. But Kristen has had enough ‘life changes’ and is desperate to stay with her friends in her beloved hometown of Dove Pond. But to do so means Kristen must undertake a quest she’s been avoiding her entire life—finding her never-been-there-for-her father.

With the help of an ancient herbal remedy book found in her attic by her sister, Ava realizes that Kristen holds the key to fixing her unstable tea leaves. So Ava throws herself into Kristen’s search, even convincing Kristen’s grandmother Ellen to help, too. Together, the three embark on a reluctant but magical journey of healing, friendship, and family that will delight fans of Alice Hoffman, Kate Morton, and Sarah Addison Allen. 

Love in the Afternoon

A woman with a legendary green thumb, a man living in an emotional desert, and a small boy unable to connect with others. Can the three of them, with a little help from the charmed town of Dove Pond (and a pesky ghost), turn a nightmare into a fairy-tale and forge their own happily ever after?

Young widow Sofia Rodriquez has just accepted the position of greenhouse manager for Ava Dove’s booming herbal tea business. Sofia is delighted to have found a job that will make use of her gardening skills and allow her to spend time with her son, Noah, who has been diagnosed with Asperger’s. Adding to her joy is the charming farmhouse she’s renting on the edge of Dove Pond.

The only cloud on Sofia’s horizon is her next door neighbor, Jake, whose yard is a thorny jungle worthy of Sleeping Beauty. Soon enough, Sofia discovers that Jake himself is just as thorny and unpleasant as his yard.

After his fiancé left him, work-from-home IT whiz and game developer Jake Klaine has gone from Prince Charming to complete hermit. But Jake isn’t really alone; he’s living with a ghost: a (formerly) hairy man named Doyle who’s a fan of bad puns and who refuses to leave Jake’s bathtub. This is nothing new for Jake, as he’s been talking to ghosts since he was a boy. He finds real people harder to deal with, like the kid next door who won’t stop bugging him about the new game he’s developing.

Sofia and Jake know all too well that life isn’t a game. They’ve both lost the person they loved most. But under the watchful eye of the ghostly Doyle and Sofia’s new friend Ava, who has abilities of her own, Jake and Sofia decide to take a chance and let in an outsider. Soon they discover that, with a little magic, even the thorniest walls are no match for the innocent trust of a lonely child and the fierce determination of a woman wielding a razor-sharp pruner and a heart big enough to make even the most stubborn flower bloom.



 

The Book Charmer

New York Times bestselling author Karen Hawkins crafts an unforgettable story about a sleepy Southern town, two fiercely independent women, and a truly magical friendship.

Sarah Dove is no ordinary bookworm. To her, books have always been more than just objects: they live, they breathe, and sometimes they even speak. When Sarah grows up to become the librarian in her quaint Southern town of Dove Pond, her gift helps place every book in the hands of the perfect reader. Recently, however, the books have been whispering about something out of the ordinary: the arrival of a displaced city girl named Grace Wheeler.

If the books are right, Grace could be the savior that Dove Pond desperately needs. The problem is, Grace wants little to do with the town or its quirky residents—Sarah chief among them. It takes a bit of urging, and the help of an especially wise book, but Grace ultimately embraces the challenge to rescue her charmed new community. In her quest, she discovers the tantalizing promise of new love, the deep strength that comes from having a true friend, and the power of finding just the right book.

REVIEWS

“A mesmerizing fusion of the mystical and the everyday” (Susan Andersen, New York Times bestselling author), The Book Charmer is a heartwarming story about the magic of books that feels more than a little magical itself. Prepare to fall under its spell.

"This heartwarming story by Hawkins (“MacLean Curse” and “Hurst Amulet” series) will delight fans of cozy romantic fiction with its quirky characters and charming small town." Source: Library Journal 


Karen Hawkins

 

Karen Hawkins is a New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of over 26 fun and lively Regency historical romances and two humorous contemporary romances. Like Sabrina Jeffries, Julia Quinn, Victoria Alexander, and Suzanne Enoch, Karen's books are renown for their sparkling humor, dashing rakes, independent heroines, and often include freshly retold fairy tales (Cinderella, Sleeping Beauty, Snow White, etc), daring rescues, runaway brides, marriages of convenience, Regency balls, and more! With vivid descriptions, strong characters, and captivating plots, Karen takes her readers from London's Regency ballrooms to the purpled moors of Scotland and beyond.

When not stalking hot Australian actors, pretending to do 'research' while looking up pictures of men in kilts from the Scottish highlands, or teasing her husband (aka Cap'n Hot Cop) about his propensity to idolize chocolate cake over the other food groups, Karen is busy writing her next book while resting her toes on one of her three large rescue dogs. She lives in snowy Massachusetts and can be reached at karenhawkinsauthor@gmail.com.

If you want information on Karen's new releases, sign up here for her amazingly fun newsletter, which she sends out only three or four times a year because ... well, we don't know why, but she never seems to do more than that. Probably because she's too busy with her kilt-watching. That takes up a lot of our time, too.

To sign up for information on sales, contests, free giveaways, and such, just copy and paste the link below into your browser:

http://karenhawkins.com/lists/?p=subscribe  

"Wildhood: The Epic Journey from Adolescence to Adulthood in Humans and Other Animals"--a revelatory investigation of human and animal adolescence and young adulthood from the New York Times bestselling authors of Zoobiquity

Wildhood: The Epic Journey from Adolescence to Adulthood in Humans and Other Animals

With Wildhood, Harvard evolutionary biologist Barbara Natterson-Horowitz and award-winning science writer Kathryn Bowers have created an entirely new way of thinking about the crucial, vulnerable, and exhilarating phase of life between childhood and adulthood across the animal kingdom.

In their critically acclaimed bestseller, Zoobiquity, the authors revealed the essential connection between human and animal health. In Wildhood, they turn the same eye-opening, species-spanning lens to adolescent young adult life. Traveling around the world and drawing from their latest research, they find that the same four universal challenges are faced by every adolescent human and animal on earth: how to be safe, how to navigate hierarchy; how to court potential mates; and how to feed oneself. Safety. Status. Sex. Self-reliance. How human and animal adolescents and young adults confront the challenges of wildhood shapes their adult destinies.

Natterson-Horowitz and Bowers illuminate these core challenges through the lives of four animals in the wild: Ursula, a young king penguin; Shrink, a charismatic hyena; Salt, a matriarchal humpback whale; and Slavc, a roaming European wolf. Through their riveting stories—and those of countless others, from adventurous eagles and rambunctious high-schooler to inexperienced orcas and naive young soldiers—readers get a vivid and game-changing portrait of adolescent young adults as a horizontal tribe, sharing behaviors and challenges, setbacks and triumphs.

Upending our understanding of everything from risk-taking and anxiety to the origins of privilege and the nature of sexual coercion and consent, Wildhood is a profound and necessary guide to the perilous, thrilling, and universal journey to adulthood on planet earth. 

Reviews

 

“A lucid, entertaining account of how creatures of many kinds learn to navigate the complex world that adulthood opens.”—Kirkus

"It blew my mind to discover that teenage animals and teenage humans are so similar. Both are naive risk takers. I loved this book!”—Temple Grandin, author of Animals Make Us Human and Animals in Translation 

"Wildhood’s tour of the natural history of adolescence is original, entertaining, and constructive. The transition from youth to adulthood might never be easy, but this comparative biology is full of ideas for understanding it better."—Richard Wrangham, PhD, author of The Goodness Paradox and Catching Fire 

 "Wildhood links coming-of-age neurobiology with ecology and evolutionary biology to create a powerful new lens for understanding the science (and art) of growing up. At times counter-intuitive, at times paradigm-shattering, this illuminating new book generates dozens of hypotheses for raising, educating, counseling and treating, and living life as an adolescent human."—Gene Beresin, MD, Professor of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School

“Our teenage years can be many things, from fraught and frustrating to exhilarating and joyful.  In Wildhood, Natterson-Horowitz and Bowers show that these years are something else altogether—essential for humans and animals in general. Read their enlightening journey and you will never see the transition to adulthood the same way again.”—Neil Shubin, Ph.D., author of Your Inner Fish and The Universe Within

“Wildhood is one of the most insightful books ever written about this critically important stage of life. Unfailingly fascinating—and sometimes downright mind-blowing—this a remarkably original account of the nature, meaning, and purpose of adolescence in today’s world.”—Laurence Steinberg, author of Age of Opportunity: Lessons From the New Science of Adolescence


Barbara Natterson-Horowitz, M.D.


 

Barbara Natterson-Horowitz, M.D., earned her degrees at Harvard and the University of California, San Francisco. She is a cardiology professor at the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA and serves on the medical advisory board of the Los Angeles. Zoo as a cardiovascular consultant. Her writing has appeared in many scientific and medical publications. 

https://www.uclahealth.org/barbara-natterson


Kathryn Bowers



Kathryn Bowers was a staff editor at The Atlantic and a writer and producer at CNN International. She has edited and written popular and academic books and teaches a course at UCLA on medical narrative.

http://www.zoobiquity.com 

"GINGERBREAD"--beloved novelist Helen Oyeyemi invites readers into a delightful tale of a surprising family legacy, in which the inheritance is a recipe

Gingerbread

The prize-winning, bestselling author of Boy, Snow, Bird and What Is Not Yours Is Not Yours returns with a bewitching and inventive novel.

Influenced by the mysterious place gingerbread holds in classic children's stories—equal parts wholesome and uncanny, from the tantalizing witch's house in "Hansel and Gretel" to the man-shaped confection who one day decides to run as fast as he can—beloved novelist Helen Oyeyemi invites readers into a delightful tale of a surprising family legacy, in which the inheritance is a recipe.

Perdita Lee may appear to be your average British schoolgirl; Harriet Lee may seem just a working mother trying to penetrate the school social hierarchy; but there are signs that they might not be as normal as they think they are. For one thing, they share a gold-painted, seventh-floor walk-up apartment with some surprisingly verbal vegetation. And then there's the gingerbread they make. Londoners may find themselves able to take or leave it, but it's very popular in Druhástrana, the far-away (and, according to Wikipedia, non-existent) land of Harriet Lee's early youth. In fact, the world's truest lover of the Lee family gingerbread is Harriet's charismatic childhood friend, Gretel Kercheval—a figure who seems to have had a hand in everything (good or bad) that has happened to Harriet since they met.

Decades later, when teen-aged Perdita sets out to find her mother's long-lost friend, it prompts a new telling of Harriet's story. As the book follows the Lees through encounters with jealousy, ambition, family grudges, work, wealth, and real estate, gingerbread seems to be the one thing that reliably holds a constant value. Endlessly surprising and satisfying, written with Helen Oyeyemi's inimitable style and imagination, it is a true feast for the reader.

Reviews

"Both stunningly beautiful and breathtakingly original… [Oyeyemi’s] imagination, it turns out, is as boundless as her talent. Literary fiction is often knocked for being dismal and cynical, but Oyeyemi proves that it can just as easily be life-affirming, charming and just plain fun. Gingerbread is an enchanting masterpiece by an author who's refreshingly unafraid to be joyful, and it proves that Oyeyemi is one of the best English-language authors in the world today.—Michael Schaub,NPR

"Exhilarating. . .Gingerbread is jarring, funny, surprising, unsettling, disorienting and rewarding. . .This is a wildly imagined, head-spinning, deeply intelligent novel that requires some effort and attention from its reader. And that is just one of its many pleasures."- New York Times Book Review

"If a book is going to propel itself solely on language and atmosphere, then it should aspire to be as good at even one of those elements as Gingerbread is at both. No matter what happens in the plot, every sentence is perfectly balanced and evocative and rich with meaning." –Vox

"Charm evident on every page."– Slate

"This is a bold book with a great deal of depth and mischief to it that makes you think how astonishing it would be to have our parents sit up with us for a whole night and tell us in fine detail what they have lived." – Financial Times

"Is there an author working today who is comparable to Helen Oyeyemi? She might be the only contemporary author for whom it’s not hyperbole to claim she’s sui generis, and I don’t think it’s a stretch either to say she’s a genius, as opposed to talented or newsworthy or relevant or accomplished, each of her novels daring more in storytelling than the one before. . .A tale that bears multiple rereadings and is more marvelous the deeper you’re willing to dive into its rearranging of reality, its derangement."- Los Angeles Review of Books

"Helen Oyeyemi is a master of reinventing tropes from traditional fairy tales to say something entirely new about the world we live in. She twists familiar stories in entirely unpredictable ways, and her books never end up where you thought they would when you started." –Vulture

"Curious, original and little bit strange—in the best possible way."- HelloGiggles

"Gingerbread rises to the level of Mr. Fox and Boy, Snow, Bird, revealing Oyeyemi as a master of literary masquerade, forging a singular art."—Minneapolis Star-Tribune

"A beautifully, wildly inventive beast. Nobody else writes like this: puncturing the timelessly poetic with harshly contemporary asides, animating plants and dolls with a cool nonchalance. And how is it that this dark, nutty novel exudes cozy warmth above all else?"- Entertainment Weekly

"Gingerbread isn't just one of the best books of March, it's poised to be one of the best books of the year thanks to the magnificent writing of Helen Oyeyemi."- Cosmopolitan.com

"Gingerbread remains utterly unique, utterly spellbinding, utterly Oyeyemi.”-- Jennifer Baker, Electric Lit
 
“[Oyeyemi] deftly balances fantasy and reality, with brilliant nods to modern society. . . Gingerbread is strange and tangled and oddly satisfying.” –KMUW

"The line between real world and fairy tales in Helen Oyeyemi’s novels is never clear, which means they’re way more fun. Following the plot of Oyeyemi’s latest novel can be a challenge, simply because Gingerbread abides by fairy tale logic, not the conventional structure of a novel. But if you sit back and accept the twists, we guarantee you’ll enjoy your romp."- Refinery29

"Helen Oyeyemi flexes her exceptional talents and infuses her magic into this novel."- Bustle

"Oyeyemi’s sixth novel sparkles with her sublime inventiveness."—BBC Culture

"[A] challenging, mind-bending exploration of class and female power heavily spiced with nutmeg and sweetened with molasses."—Ron Charles, The Washington Post

"Playful, enchanting…a modern-day fairy tale with a mysterious twist."—Marie Claire

"Like a fairy tale tethered to reality, Helen Oyeyemi’s Gingerbread is as warm and piquant as the foodstuff it’s named for.” –Harper’s Bazaar

"[T]he novel's real enchantment is its experimentation with storytelling itself. . .this book is not only about childhood, but also what it feels like to be a child." —Time

"Fans of Oyeyemi’s work won’t want to miss it, and first-time readers will become fans, too." –Bust Magazine

"Helen Oyeyemi's writing is full of enchantment and magical details, and will make you want to dive into your own family's rich legacy. Side effects include cravings for gingerbread.”  –Woman’s Day
 "It is always a cause for excitement when a new Oyeyemi book is born. As with the best writers she never seems afraid to try new things, to break different boundaries, to cross lines previously left untouched. . . I recommend her to everyone I meet.”—Daisy Johnson, author of Everything Under

"From a childhood best friend named Gretel to a family recipe passed down through generations, Oyeyemi takes us on a journey that is wild and adventurous. Gingerbread is a novel you won't soon forget.”—PopSugar

"Oyeyemi takes the familiar contours of a children's tale and twists it into something completely new, unsettling, and uncanny. . .A strange, shape-shifting novel about the power of making your own family."—Kirkus Reviews,  starred review

"Idiosyncratically brilliant. . .Oyeyemi excels at making the truly astounding believable and turning even the most familiar tales into something strange and new. This fantastic and fantastical romp is a wonderful addition to her formidable canon."—Publishers Weekly, starred review

"Beguiling."—Buzzfeed Books

"[Gingerbread] has the tinge of the folkloric to it: There are family feuds, a childhood friend named Gretel, and many more archetypal touchstones. Tying this all together is Oyeyemi’s deft hand, virtuosic lyricism, and graceful ability to find transcendence in all aspects of life, sweet and spicy alike.”—Nylon.com

"Gingerbread is the story’s metaphorical core, both sweet and spicy, simple and yet it is the hook for much strange and bizarrely haunting children’s folklore, and Oyeyemi manages to make something just as complicated and delicious; her prose is not without its bite."—Vogue.com

"Gingerbread looks set to bring more of her inventiveness and wit to a fairytale element—gingerbread, of course—that holds a mysterious place in children’s literature.”—Literary Hub

"Oyeyemi’s trademark imagination makes for an enchanting, unreal story about legacy and birthright.”—Esquire.com

"Oyeyemi's latest is a clever subversion of fairy tale tropes to expose the secrets, entanglements, and estrangements within a family…Both a scathing indictment of capitalism and a tribute to the maddeningly inescapable endurance of family bonds, this enchanting tale will resonate with literary fiction lovers.” – Booklist
 "Oyeyemi [is] …one of our most singular and inventive contemporary voices…Oyeyemi’s sentences continually sparkle with viciously precise humor." –Spectator USA
 
"Gingerbread is a novel that recognizes the way relationships can grow out of hardship and being stuck in places one wishes to leave." – Boston Globe

"[A] rollicking tale from the wildly inventive Oyeyemi." – Library Journal



Helen Oyeyemi

 

Helen Oyeyemi is the author of the story collection What Is Not Yours Is Not Yours, along with five novels—most recently Boy, Snow, Bird, which was a finalist for the 2014 Los Angeles Times Book Prize. She received a 2010 Somerset Maugham Award and a 2012 Hurston/Wright Legacy Award. In 2013, she was named one of Granta's Best Young British Novelists.

http://helenoyeyemi.com/

From Kate Walbert, the highly acclaimed, National Book Award nominee, comes "SHE WAS LIKE THAT", a dazzling, career-spanning collection of new and selected stories about the trials of womanhood and the vulnerabilities of motherhood.

She Was Like That: New and Selected Stories

In these deft, acutely funny, heartbreaking stories, Kate Walbert delves into the hearts and minds of women in the age of anxiety. Her characters are uneasy in one way or another; they all yearn for connection; they all struggle to find meaning in their lives as mothers, wives, and daughters; they all try to find their own voices often within isolated, and isolating, circumstances.

In the dazzling opening story “M&M World,” a mother is plunged into panic when she briefly loses one of her daughters at the Times Square store. In “Slow the Heart,” a mother tries to ease tension at the dinner table with Roses and Thorns, the game she knows the Obamas played in the White House. In “Radical Feminists,” a woman skating with her two children encounters the man who derailed her career a decade earlier. And in the story, “A Mother Is Someone Who Tells Jokes,” a grieving mother reflects on the kindergarten project that preceded her son’s autism diagnosis.


Advance Praise for She Was Like That:


“I loved these stories, wide-open, varied, generous, warm, funny.”—Tessa Hadley, author of Late in the Day

“Kate Walbert is inarguably one of our foremost chroniclers of the existential dilemma of being not just a woman, but a human. With astonishing precision, alive and alert to the complications embedded in even the simplest exchange, Walbert slips into the fissures and fault lines of her utterly compelling characters doing the best of what a writer can do: she makes the familiar strange, and in doing so, reveals the glorious complexity of a world we only think we know.”—Marisa Silver, author of Mary Coin


Kate Walbert

 

Kate Walbert was born in New York City and raised in Georgia, Texas, Japan and Pennsylvania, among other places.

She is the author of A Short History of Women, chosen by The New York Times Book Review as one of the ten best books of 2009 and a finalist for the LA Times Book Prize; Our Kind, a finalist for the National Book Award in fiction in 2004; The Gardens of Kyoto, winner of the 2002 Connecticut Book Award in Fiction in 2002; and Where She Went, a collection of linked stories and New York Times notable book.

She is the recipient of a National Endowment for the Arts fiction fellowship, a Connecticut Commission on the Arts fiction fellowship, and a Dorothy and Lewis B. Cullman Fellowship at the New York Public Library.

Her short fiction has been published in The New Yorker, The Paris Review, The Best American Short Stories and The O. Henry Prize stories.

From 1990 to 2005, she lectured in fiction writing at Yale University. She currently lives in New York City with her family.

http://www.katewalbert.com/

 

"JACKSON"--contemporary western romance from author EMILY MARCH--Eternity Springs: The McBrides of Texas need a little of that Eternity Springs magic to solve a problem deep in the heart of Texas.

Jackson

From New York Times bestselling author Emily March comes Jackson, the newest novel in the critically acclaimed Eternity Springs series.

Sometimes it takes a new beginning
  
Caroline Carruthers thinks she buried her dreams along with the love of her life…until a stranger named Celeste dares her to chase a dream all on her own. Moving to Redemption, Texas, is chapter one in Caroline’s new life story. Opening a bookstore is the next. Finding love is the last thing on her mind as she settles into this new place called home. But when she meets a handsome, soulful man who’s also starting over, all bets are off.

to reach a happily-ever-after
 
Jackson McBride came to Redemption looking only to find himself, not someone to love. Ever since his marriage ended, he’s been bitter. Sure, he used to believe in love—he even has the old song lyrics to prove it—but the Jackson of today is all business. That is, until a beautiful young widow who’s moved to town inspires a change of heart. Could it be that the myth of Redemption’s healing magic is true…and Jackson and Caroline can find a second chance at a happy ending after all?

MY REVIEW: "Redemption"--an essential concept meaning recover, regain, reclaim. "Redemption, Texas"--a small town destination for a man and woman each seeking a new beginning. In "Jackson", by appealing storyteller Emily March, Jackson McBride and Caroline Carruthers have a brief first meeting in Redemption when he is there to check out a property that he and his two cousins have inherited, and she is there to fulfill a promise to an acquaintance. Later, they will both return to the little town to overcome personal heartache and seek solace in starting life anew. Jackson's songwriting career in Nashville is on the wane, and Caroline, a writer, wants to open her own bookstore. His marriage is over, and he is separated from his beloved daughter, Haley. After a difficult illness, Caroline's husband has passed away, she is struggling with the loss. A friendship--and something more--grows between the two of them, and glimmers of hope shine here and there. Is it possible that this unexpected awareness--something they weren't seeking--is exactly what they most need? "Jackson" is the first book in a new trilogy which is a spin-off from Emily March's hugely popular "Eternity Springs Series". 

Book Copy Gratis Author


Reviews
 

“March’s contemporary spin-off from her long-running Eternity Springs series is off to a promising start with this story of starting over…March is skilled at writing page-turners with sympathetic characters, and fans will enjoy visiting with many friends from Eternity Springs…” ― Publishers Weekly

“A brilliant writer you’ll love creates a world you’ll never want to leave.”—Susan Mallery, New York Times bestselling author



COMING IN 2020

 

Tucker: Eternity Springs: The McBrides of Texas


Emily March

 

Emily March is the New York Times, Publishers Weekly, and USA Today bestselling author of over thirty novels, including the critically acclaimed Eternity Springs series. Publishers Weekly calls March a "master of delightful banter," and her heartwarming, emotionally charged stories have been named to Best of the Year lists by Publishers Weekly, Library Journal, and Romance Writers of America. 

http://emilymarch.com/ 

"How to Draw: Easy Techniques and Step-by-Step Drawings for Kids"--author Aaria Baid shows that every kid has the potential to be creative―this how to draw for kids workbook nurtures their confidence step-by-step

How to Draw: Easy Techniques and Step-by-Step Drawings for Kids

How to draw everything―for kids 9-12

Even if your little one has never drawn before, they can create pictures better than they ever imagined. Every artist starts with the basics and here is a step-by-step guide to them all. With this how to draw for kids book, every kid can be creative and capture whatever catches their eye.

In How to Draw, kids ages 9-12 will try their hand at everything from magical creatures and cartoons to realistic landscapes, portraits, and so much more. Covering basic techniques as they go, this book will prepare and inspire young artists to create their very own masterpieces. It’s easier than you think.

How to draw for kids includes:

• Age-appropriate basics―Kids will learn how to shade dark and light, use perspective, create 3D shapes effects, and more.
• Easy-to-follow steps―Get start-to-finish instruction for every exercise.
• Cool pictures―Unicorns, faces of friends and neighbors, buildings, plants and trees―the possibilities are as endless as your child’s creativity.

Every kid has the potential to be creative―this how to draw for kids workbook nurtures their confidence step-by-step.

MY REVIEW: In "How to Draw: Easy Techniques and Step-by-Step Drawings for Kids", author and artist Aaria Baid has put together a creatively inspiring workbook and teaching tool. With simple instructions and illustrations, she guides readers through the basics of drawing--explaining lines, spheres, 3D shapes, shading, adding depth, proportion and scale, perspective, lettering, and much more. Learn to draw people, animals, landscapes, objects--even cartoons. Drawing is fun and relaxing, and seeing your skills improve with practice is quite rewarding. I am creative, but I lack basic artistic ability. From a young age, I have done all types of sewing and needlework, and I always wished that I could sketch out my own ideas and designs. While this book is recommended for ages 9 to 12, anyone who wants to learn to draw will enjoy this helpful teaching guide. I am now having much fun making sketches of my favorite subjects--my three beautiful black & white cats.

Book Copy Gratis Callisto Publishers.

Reviews

 

“Aaria makes me believe I can draw anything! My children and students will really like the chapters on animals. I love how Aaria has included instruction on color at the very end to tie everything together. This book is as informative and encouraging as Aaria herself! This is the best drawing book I've seen.”―Kate Perry of @paintingperrydise, artist

“This book is comprehensive in not only the drawing techniques but also the sheer number of projects and step-by-step drawing instructions provided. It really covers every aspect of drawing in a simple and concise manner, and I would recommend this book to anyone who feels overwhelmed by the thought of drawing! I got so much inspiration from it and I’m confident I’ll be able to improve my skills.”―Karin Newport of @ipadlettering, artist

“This book not only teaches the basics and foundations of drawing but also provides activities that can easily be accomplished from start to finish. I would definitely recommend this to anyone starting out, anyone who would like to get out of their comfort zones and try something new, or even to experienced artists who want a fresh take on different techniques and styles.”―Grace Frösén of @gracecallidesigns, lettering artist

“This book packs a wealth of useful information and techniques for anyone interested in learning how to draw or improve their drawing skills and is beautifully illustrated and very easy to follow along. The variety of themes and projects included will keep you learning for hours and hours all while having fun and getting inspired!”―Jeannie Dickson of @JeannieDicksonDesigns, lettering artist


AARIA BAID



AARIA BAID is an artist, blogger, and writer. She loves art and calligraphy, experimenting with (and collecting) stationery and art supplies, connecting with people, and keeping life surely simple. Follow her latest art adventures on Instagram @surelysimpleblog.

https://surelysimple.com/author/admin/

"The Self-Care Prescription: Powerful Solutions to Manage Stress, Reduce Anxiety & Increase Well-being---by Robyn Gobin PhD--Be the friend you want to be to yourself and others. Be engaged with what you do. Whatever self care means to you, you’ll find your own personal practice in this book.

The Self-Care Prescription: Powerful Solutions to Manage Stress, Reduce Anxiety & Increase Well-being

Real self care practices to enrich every part of your life

Picture your best life: Where would you work? What would your social calendar look like? What personal interests would you be exploring? This book is your prescription to turn those visions into a reality—with proven self care strategies for every area of your life.

The Self Care Prescription empowers you to find balance and purpose in your relationships, work, and life. From creating a plan to spend more time with family and friends, to zeroing-in on a career that you can feel good about, the book will help you create a personalized self care plan. You’ll also learn actionable techniques to fight anxiety, demotivation, or whatever else is holding you back from building the life you want to live.

The Self Care Prescription includes:

• Self care 101—Learn what “self care” really means, and how you can start practicing it every day.
• A full-spectrum plan—Bring self care to the physical, spiritual, emotional, intellectual, vocational, and social areas of your life.
• Best-life strategies—Unwind with mindfulness breathing practices or start eating right with healthy meal planning—you’ll find tons of actionable self care techniques to help you reach your goals.

Be the friend you want to be to yourself and others. Be engaged with what you do. Whatever self care means to you, you’ll find your own personal practice in this book.

MY REVIEW: "The Self-Care Prescription: Powerful Solutions to Manage Stress, Reduce Anxiety & Increase Well-being" by Robyn Gobin, PhD, encourages you to use positive visualization to make empowering changes in your personal life and in the time you devote to your job. By taking charge of how you spend each day and learning to write your own self-care "prescription", you will find your own path to health and happiness. The author defines the types of self-care as: Social, Physical, Intellectual, Vocational, Spiritual, and Emotional. Each one is important, and they work together for overall optimal self-care. By offering yourself positive reinforcement, making simple dietary and lifestyle changes, visualizing your best life, and following through with your self-care goals, you can make improvements in all aspects of your life--including relationships with family and friends. This book is thoughtfully-written, the layout is simple and cheerful, and the information is easy to access and to understand. The many aspects and the importance of "self-care" are fully explained in a helpful, achievable manner.

Book Copy Gratis Callisto Publishers


Robyn L. Gobin, Ph.D.



Robyn L. Gobin, Ph.D. is a licensed clinical psychologist, educator, speaker, and mindfulness teacher who is passionate about helping women worldwide prioritize their mental health and make self-care a reality. Propelled by her values of faith and making a difference, Robyn is an impact maker and servant leader who aspires to bring out the best in everyone she comes in contact with.

Within the mental health field, Robyn specializes in helping women from diverse cultural backgrounds heal from sexual trauma and abuse. Her research has been published widely and generously funded by organizations such as the American Psychological Association and the International Society for the Study of Trauma and Dissociation. She’s been featured in numerous publications and media outlets such as the Black Women’s Health Imperative, CiLiving, Oregon Daily Emerald, the Daily Illini, Trauma Psychology News, and the American Psychological Association Monitor.

A highly-sought-after-speaker, Robyn is transparent, relatable, and compassionate. She enjoys helping women create the change they want to see in their lives by reconnecting them to what matters most and helping them slow down and make intentional choices. Off the clock, you can find Robyn reading an inspiring non-fiction book, hunting for a fashion bargain, or cozying up for movie night with her amazing husband and foodie-partner, Korey, and their fur baby, Justice. You can connect with Robyn at www.robyngobin.com.

"TIDELANDS"--Book One in "THE FAIRMILE SERIES" from acclaimed historical author PHILLIPA GREGORY--England 1648. A dangerous time for a woman to be different . . .

Tidelands

England 1648. A dangerous time for a woman to be different . . .

Midsummer’s Eve, 1648, and England is in the grip of civil war between renegade King and rebellious Parliament. The struggle reaches every corner of the kingdom, even to the remote Tidelands – the marshy landscape of the south coast.

Alinor, a descendant of wise women, crushed by poverty and superstition, waits in the graveyard under the full moon for a ghost who will declare her free from her abusive husband. Instead she meets James, a young man on the run, and shows him the secret ways across the treacherous marsh, not knowing that she is leading disaster into the heart of her life.

Suspected of possessing dark secrets in superstitious times, Alinor’s ambition and determination mark her out from her neighbors. This is the time of witch-mania, and Alinor, a woman without a husband, skilled with herbs, suddenly enriched, arouses envy in her rivals and fear among the villagers, who are ready to take lethal action into their own hands. 


Reviews


‘Vivid and beguiling – Philippa Gregory at her best’  woman&home

'Tidelands evokes a world of suspense and superstition. Its fascinating fictional heroine, Alinor, is caught in a net of in-between spaces . . . I was completely swept up in this wonderful, immersive story set in the English Civil War when women who lived unconventional lives risked being accused of witchcraft' Tina Jackson, Writing Magazine
 

Praise for Philippa Gregory:


‘Popular historical fiction at its finest, immaculately researched and superbly told’ The Times

'Philippa Gregory is truly the mistress of the historical novel. It would be hard to make history more entertaining, lively or engaging' Sunday Express

‘Gregory has popularized Tudor history perhaps more than any other living fiction writer . . . All of her books feature strong, complex women, doing their best to improve their lives in worlds dominated by men’ Sunday Times

'Immaculate research, pacy narratives and a stubborn insistence that history is not only about men . . . a powerful reminder of how precarious the lives of the Tudor women could be' Daily Mail


Philippa Gregory

 
 
Born in Kenya in 1954, Philippa Gregory moved to England with her family and was educated in Bristol and at the National Council for the Training of Journalists course in Cardiff. She worked as a senior reporter on the Portsmouth News, and as a journalist and producer for BBC Radio.

Philippa obtained a BA degree in History at the University of Sussex in Brighton and a PhD at Edinburgh University in 18th-century literature. Her first novel, Wideacre, was written as she completed her PhD and became an instant worldwide bestseller. On its publication, she became a full-time writer.

Wideacre was followed by a haunting sequel, The Favoured Child, and the delightful happy ending of the trilogy: Meridon. This novel was listed in Feminist Book Fortnight and for the Romantic Novel of the Year at the same time.

Her next book was The Wise Woman, a dazzling, disturbing novel of dark powers and desires set against the rich tapestry of the Reformation. Then came Fallen Skies, an evocative realistic story set after the First World War. Her novel A Respectable Trade took her back to the 18th century where her knowledge of the slave trade and her home town of Bristol explored the human cost of slavery. Gregory adapted her book for a highly acclaimed BBC television production which won the prize for drama from the Commission for Racial Equality and was shortlisted for a BAFTA for the screenplay.

Next came Earthly Joys and Virgin Earth, based on the true-life story of father and son both named John Tradescant working in the upheaval of the English Civil War. In these works Gregory pioneered the genre which has become her own: fictional biography, the true story of a real person brought to life with research and verve.

The jewel in the crown of this new style was undoubtedly The Other Boleyn Girl, a runaway bestseller which stormed the US market and then went worldwide telling the story of the little-known sister to Anne Boleyn. Now published globally, this classic historical novel won the Parker Pen Novel of the Year award 2002 and the Romantic Times fictional biography award. The Other Boleyn Girl was adapted for the BBC as a single television drama and by Sony as a major motion picture starring Scarlett Johansson as Mary Boleyn, Natalie Portman as Anne Boleyn and Eric Bana as Henry VIII.

After adding five more novels to her Tudor Court series including The Constant Princess and The Queen's Fool, two of her best-loved works, Philippa moved back in time to write about the family that preceded the Tudors, the Plantagenets. Her bestselling six-book Cousins' War series tells the story of the bloody struggle for the throne in the Wars of the Roses from the perspective of the women behind the scenes. The White Queen, The Red Queen and The Kingmaker's Daughter were adapted by the BBC and Starz in 2013 as the hugely popular TV miniseries The White Queen.

Having completed The Cousins' War series with The King's Curse, Philippa has come full circle back to the Tudor court. Her latest novel is about Margaret Tudor, the older sister of Henry VIII: Three Sisters, Three Queens. Her other work in progress is the young adult series The Order of Darkness, set in medieval Italy after the fall of Constantinople, feared at the time to be a sign of the end of the world.

A regular contributor to newspapers and magazines, with short stories, features and reviews, Philippa is also a frequent broadcaster, a regular contestant on Round Britain Quiz for BBC Radio 4 and the Tudor expert for Channel 4's Time Team. As well as her extensive array of historical novels she has written modern novels, children's books, a collection of short stories, and a non-fiction book with David Baldwin and Michael Jones: The Women of the Cousins' War.

She lives in the North of England with her family and in addition to interests that include riding, walking, skiing and gardening (an interest born from research into the Tradescant family for her novel Virgin Earth) she also runs a small charity building wells in school gardens in The Gambia. Philipa's Facebook page:
https://www.facebook.com/PhilippaGregoryOfficial 

http://www.philippagregory.com

In Megan Goldin's unforgettable thriller, "The Escape Room", four young Wall Street rising stars discover the price of ambition when an escape room challenge turns into a lethal game of revenge

The Escape Room

Vincent, Jules, Sylvie, and Sam are ruthlessly ambitious high-flyers working in the lucrative world of Wall Street finance where deception and intimidation thrive. Getting rich is all that matters, and they'll do anything to reach the top.

When they are ordered to participate in a corporate team-building exercise that requires them to escape from a locked elevator, dark secrets of their team begin to be laid bare.

The biggest mystery to solve in this lethal game: What happened to Sara Hall? Once a young shining star—”now gone but not forgotten”.

This is no longer a game.
They’re fighting for their lives.


Praise for The Escape Room:

“There is clearly no happy ending likely for the four colleagues trapped inside [the escape room]; but fans of JP Delany and Ruth Ware will want to be right in there with them…a nail-biting tale of a corporate team-building exercise gone horribly wrong.” ―Booklist

“Cancel all your plans and call in sick; once you start reading, you'll be caught in your own escape room―the only key to freedom is turning the last page!” ―Kirkus Reviews (starred)

“Riveting…[a] tale of greed and revenge set on Wall Street…Thriller fans will eagerly turn the pages to see what happens next.” ―Publishers Weekly
"High wire tension from the first moment to the last. Four ruthless people locked in a deadly game where victory means survival. Gripping and unforgettable!" ―Harlan Coben

"Fantastic. One of my favorite books of the year." ―Lee Child

"Amazing...a thriller set in an elevator [that explores] the vast territory of people's worst natures. A nightmarish look inside ourselves. Simply riveting." ―Louise Penny
 
“A sharp, slick, utterly engrossing thriller. This knockout debut hooked me from the first page and didn’t let go.” ―Cristina Alger, USA Today bestselling author of The Banker’s Wife

“Smart and compelling... I devoured this novel!” ―Karen Cleveland, bestselling author of Need to Know


ALSO BY MEGAN GOLDIN


 

The Girl in Kellers Way

When a body is found buried near the desolate forest road of Kellers Way, Detective Melanie Carter must identify the victim if she is to have any chance of finding the killer. That's no easy task with fragmentary evidence from a crime committed years earlier and a conspiracy of silence from anyone who might have information.

The one person who may be able to help is Julie West. In a troubled marriage, Julie often jogs along Kellers Way to clear her mind and escape the confines of her suffocating suburban life. Until one day, something happens there that shakes Julie to the core, making her question everything she ever believed about her life, her marriage and even her sanity . . .


Megan Goldin




Megan Goldin is the bestselling author of "The Escape Room", praised by Lee Child as "one of my favorite books of the year", as well as "The Girl In Kellers Way", a critically-acclaimed domestic noir thriller nominated for Australia's leading crime fiction awards. Megan worked as a journalist for Reuters, the Australian ABC and Yahoo! News before writing her debut psychological thriller The Girl In Kellers Way.

Book trailer: http://bit.ly/2vFtj2p

http://www.megangoldin.com/

From Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist JULIA KELLER--the "BELL ELKINS SERIES"--Bell Elkins returns to her home town as prosecuting attorney for Raythune County, West Virginia--richly-characterized, memorable tales of crime and punishment in a small rural town in West Virginia (see my review)

A Killing in the Hills
 
What's happening in Acker's Gap, West Virginia? Three elderly men are gunned down over their coffee at a local diner, and seemingly half the town is there to witness the act. Still, it happened so fast, and no one seems to have gotten a good look at the shooter. Was it random? Was it connected to the spate of drug violence plaguing poor areas of the country just like Acker's Gap? Or were Dean Streeter, Shorty McClurg, and Lee Rader targeted somehow?

One of the witnesses to the brutal incident was Carla Elkins, teenaged daughter of Bell Elkins, the prosecuting attorney for Raythune County, WV. Carla was shocked and horrified by what she saw, but after a few days, she begins to recover enough to believe that she might be uniquely placed to help her mother do her job.

After all, what better way to repair their fragile, damaged relationship? But could Carla also end up doing more harm than good―in fact, putting her own life in danger?

MY REVIEW:  Author Julia Keller steps away from a Pulitzer Prize-Winning journalism career to tell this richly-characterized, memorable tale of crime and punishment in a small rural town in West Virginia. As a young woman, Bell Elkins left behind Acker's Gap, WV, hoping to close the door on a troubled childhood and start a new life in Washington, DC. Marriage, a law career, and a child could not fit together for Bell and her husband, and after their divorce, she returned to Acker's Gap, bringing along her reluctant and rebellious seventeen-year old daughter, Carla. Bell's old friend, Sheriff Nick Fogelsong, is pleased that she has come home, but he is perturbed by her determination to become the Prosecuting Attorney of Raythune County. While he admires her conviction and despairs of her stubbornness, Nick warns her of the drudgery and bleakness that the job entails. Undeterred, Bell wins the position and determines to clean up the drug racket which is poisoning the small community. Bell's commitment to her work does nothing to ease the tense, often hostile relationship between herself and Carla. Everything changes one day, in less than a minute, when a gunmen opens fire in the local eatery, The Salty Dawg. Killing three old men as they drink their coffee, the gunman leaves chaos and horror in his wake. As he makes a fast exit, Carla sees his face, and thus becomes a victim of another kind. Later, she realizes that she has seen the killer once before in a place she shouldn't have been, and she keeps silent so that her mother won't know where she had gone. Carla decides to investigate the killing on her own to save face, causing more harm than good. As Bell continues her quest to destroy the hold that drugs have on Raythune County, she is targeted by the drug lords, and life becomes ever more complex. In communities such as Acker's Gap where poverty is an inescapable, intricate link in the chain of life, there will always be hunters who prey on the weak and the hopeless. This is an endless cycle, as old as humanity itself. On a personal note, West Virginia is my close neighbor--my home in Virginia is just a half-hour away from the WV border. I have a deep fondness for West Virginia and its people, and I have found much there to appreciate. The mountains, while looming and silent, are also breathtakingly beautiful. Their majestic reign encompasses all, and they are sure in the knowledge that the differences each new generation will bring will be absorbed into the timeless legacy of the past.

Book Copy Gratis Amazon Vine

Reviews

 

“A Killing in the Hills superbly evokes the hard times and wooded beauty of a poverty-stricken county in West Virginia. . .A finely written and engrossing debut.” ―Houston Chronicle

“A Killing In The Hills is a gripping, beautifully-crafted murder mystery that shows that small-town West Virginia is no longer Mayberry. Great reading.” ―SCOTT TUROW

“Julia Keller is that rare talent who combines gripping suspense, a fabulous sense of place and nuanced characters you can't wait to come back to. A must read.” ―KARIN SLAUGHTER

“A Killing in the Hills is a remarkably written and remarkably tense debut. I loved it.” ―DENNIS LEHANE

“Julia Keller's A Killing in the Hills is a terrific debut--atmospheric, suspenseful, assured. I hope there's more to come in the story of Bell Elkins and Acker's Gap.” ―LAURA LIPPMAN

“Be careful opening this book because once you do you won't be able to close it. Instead, clear the weekend, silence the phone and settle into Acker's Gap, a place as fascinating and fraught with violence and beauty as Daniel Woodrell's Ozarks or William Gay's Tennessee. A killer novel.” ―TOM FRANKLIN

“Outstanding. . .Keller does a superb job showing both the natural beauty of Appalachia and the hopeless anger of the people trapped there in poverty. . .Unforgettable.” ―Publishers Weekly (starred review, Pick of the Week)

“A page-turner with substance and depth, this is as suspenseful and entertaining as it is accomplished.” ―Booklist (starred review)

“A fictional debut for a Pulitzer Prize–winning journalist, born and raised in West Virginia, whose love for the state, filled with natural beauty and deep poverty, pervades a mystery that has plenty of twists and turns and a shocking conclusion.” ―Kirkus (starred review)

Book 2

Bitter River

Book 3

Summer of the Dead

Book 3.5

A Haunting of the Bones

Book 3.6

The Devil's Stepdaughter

Book 3.7

Ghost Roll

Book 4

Last Ragged Breath

Book 4.5

Evening Street

Book 6

Fast Falls the Night

Book 7

Bone on Bone

Book 8

The Cold Way Home: A Novel 

 

JULIA KELLER




Julia was born and raised in Huntington, West Virginia. She graduated from Marshall University, then later earned a doctoral degree in English Literature at Ohio State University.

She was a Nieman Fellow at Harvard University and has taught at Princeton and Ohio State Universities, and the University of Notre Dame. She is a guest essayist on The NewsHour with Jim Lehrer on PBS and has been a contributor on CNN and NBC Nightly News. In 2005, she won the Pulitzer Prize for Feature Writing.

Julia lives in a high-rise in Chicago and a stone cottage on a lake in rural Ohio.  

http://www.juliakeller.net/