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Book Deals & New Releases

Looking for Splasher: The Little Tasmanian Devil

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Looking for Splasher is a fast romp of a story featuring Tasmanian native animals, their habitat, their food sources, and their voices.

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About the Author:

Nancy is the author of Dr Quark, picture book, published by Koala Books, Australia, 2004 (Now Scholastic Aust.) Koobla the Camel, published by Trafford, 2011, and Deja Vu, a literacy booklet, 1992, published ALBE Resources, Devonport, Tasmania.

Author Q&A

What are your biggest literary influences?
Our Planet – Darwin, Climate change, loss of species.

What is the last book you read?
The Book Thief, (Christmas gift).

What is the book that changed your life?
A brief history of time, Hawking.

What are your words to live by?
Treat all equally, and remember – that person could be you.

What is your advice to new and aspiring authors?
Write down that thought, that magical moment when your story wants to take off and keep working on it until you have a beginning, a middle and an ending.

Books For Review – Week of February 4th

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The Princess of Baker Street
Mia Kerick
Harmony Ink Press
Release Date: Jan. 22, 2019
Teens & YA

When she was a child, Joey Kinkaid, assigned as a boy at birth—wearing Mom’s purple sundress and an imaginary crown—ruled the Baker Street neighborhood with a flair and imagination that kept the other kids captivated. Day after day, she led them on fantastic after-school adventures, but those innocent childhood days are over, and the magic is gone. The princess is alone.

Even Eric Sinclair, the Prince Eric to Joey’s Princess Ariel, has turned his back on his former friend, watching in silence as Joey is tormented at school. Eric isn’t proud of it, but their enchanted youth is over, and they’ve been thrust into a dog-eat-dog world where those who conform survive and those who don’t… well, they don’t. Eric has enough to deal with at home, where his mother has abandoned him to live in isolation and poverty.

But Eric can’t stay on the sidelines forever. When Joey finally accepts her female gender and comes to school wearing lip gloss, leggings, and a silky pink scarf, the bullies readily take the opportunity she hands them, driving Joey to attempt suicide and leaving Eric at a crossroads—one that will influence both their lives in not just the present, but the future.

Is there a chance the two teens can be friends again, and maybe even more?

Cognition
A Thriller on the Future of Intelligence
Jacques St-Malo
Release Date: February 1, 2019
Sci-fi Thriller

If the riddle of existence had an answer, would humans understand it?

World powers compete to control the genetics of intellect, and a man’s DNA holds a key piece of the puzzle. When research suggests how to harness brain evolution, a hunt ensues for a missing link―one that allows to design humans with skills that prodigies of old would have envied.

The reader is thrown into the thick of unfolding events as the world’s last monarchy crumbles and a baby is torn from its mother and forced into hiding. For the next twenty years he will grow up unaware of the pivotal role he shall play in the global pursuit for the unique traits he possesses.

Germline engineering and biological enhancement have become routine, and ancient doubts have emerged under new guises: Who are we? Is there a purpose to life? Why is there so much suffering? When faith and science fail to answer these questions, personal greed and national interest quickly fill the void. But gene selection is expensive, and many are excluded from its benefits. The stage is set for tribalism and social discontent on a scale without precedent, and those caught in the fray, whether by choice or by chance, must play roles not always to their liking in the struggle of all creatures against the arbitrariness of existence.

Unexpected
by Kelly Rimmer
HARLEQUIN – Romance
Release Date May 28, 2019
Romance

Co-parenting with her best friend. What could go wrong?

The next three decades of Abby Herbert’s life are as carefully planned out as the last three were. Best career ever? Check. Great friends, one of whom she lives with in a stunning TriBeCa apartment? Check. Perfect man to share her dream family? Surely just a matter of time. But then she gets devastating news from her doctor—if she wants to get pregnant, she needs to get started on that by…well, yesterday. On the bright side, she has the perfect person in mind to be the father.

Tech entrepreneur Marcus Ross has been harboring decidedly not-friends feelings toward Abby. He doesn’t want to lose her and, knowing his feelings are one-sided, he’s been trying to move on. When he learns about the curveball Abby’s just been hit with, he promises to be there for her however she wants him to be, even if the idea of fatherhood is a little complicated for him right now. But it isn’t long until boundaries start to blur, and a deal struck between friends starts to turn into something perilously close to feelings that could change everything…

New Thriller Coming May 2019 – Tell No One By Barbara Taylor Sissel

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Their desperate secret. Her desperate search. A shattering truth exposed.

Caroline Corbett wants nothing to do with her father, Hoff, a man who abandoned her as a young girl and then vanished from her life almost thirty years ago. But when her beloved aunt expresses a dying wish to see him once more, Caroline, despite her failing marriage and other personal troubles, drops everything to look for him.

Harris Fenton found the father figure he’d dreamed of when he turned eight and his mother married Hoff—but his disappearance four years later left Harris with scars he carries even now that he is a father himself. While he has a beautiful family and a great job, he’s hiding a shameful secret and a nightmare from his childhood.

Caroline’s search for Hoff soon uncovers a host of disturbing clues and draws a threat of violence. Her mind churns with memories of her troubled history, while Harris is losing the battle against his own demons. But for both of them, dredging up the past will be dangerous, and confronting the truth could prove life shattering.

Reader Reviews

“Tell No One gripped us from the very first page. A buried secret and a daughter’s search for answers about her missing father lead us on a pulsing journey to discover the truth. A heart-thumping story and a shocking ending make Tell No One a must-read!” —Liz Fenton and Lisa Steinke, bestselling authors of Girls’ Night Out

“Wow. Tell No One is a mesmerizing tale of recruiting scandals, infidelity, broken relationships and family secrets. With well-crafted characters and clever plot twists, Barbara Taylor Sissel has created a fantastic must read that will keep you glued to your seat from the first page until the last.” —Bette Lee Crosby, USA Today bestselling author

“Atmospheric, suspenseful, and shocking, Tell No One is the story of grown half-siblings, one who is searching for their long-lost father and the other who is trying desperately to forget his dubious role in their lives. Barbara Taylor Sissel weaves a gripping story rich in questions about terrible choices, painful secrets, necessary lies, and the depths we’ll descend to protect the ones we love.” —Linda Keir, author of The Swing of Things

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About the Author:

Barbara Taylor Sissel writes issue oriented, upmarket women’s fiction that is threaded with elements of suspense and defined by its particular emphasis on how crime affects the family. She is the author of nine novels, WHAT LIES BELOW, THE TRUTH WE BURY, FAULTLINES, CROOKED LITTLE LIES, SAFEKEEPING, EVIDENCE OF LIFE, THE VOLUNTEER, THE NINTH STEP AND THE LAST INNOCENT HOUR.

Born in Honolulu, Hawaii, she was raised in various locations across the US and once lived on the grounds of a first-offender prison facility, where her experience, interacting with the inmates and staff, provided a unique insight into the inmates’ lives, the circumstances behind the crimes they committed, and the impact on the families that were affected. Her novels focus on the family at the heart of the crime.

Barbara indulges her other passions, exploring, hiking, gardening, reading and stitching on and around the farm where she lives in the Texas Hill Country.

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The Waiting Room From Bestselling Author Emily Bleeker

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From the bestselling author of When I’m Gone and Working Fire comes a gripping novel about a mother, her missing daughter, and the dark secrets that engulf them.

Ever since her husband’s death collided with the birth of her daughter, postpartum depression has taken hold of Veronica Shelton. She can’t sleep, can’t work, and can’t bear to touch her beautiful baby girl. Her emotional state is whispering lies in Veronica’s ear: You’re a bad mother. Your baby would be better off without you. But not everything can be reasoned away by Veronica’s despair. Can it?

After all, the break-in at her house happened. The disturbing sketches she found in her studio are real. So is the fear for her daughter’s safety—especially when Veronica comes home to a cold, silent nursery and a missing baby.

As she turns from victim into primary suspect, Veronica realizes that only she can find her daughter. Authorities aren’t helping. They’re only watching. Veronica’s concerned mother has suddenly vanished from her life. And a new friend seems to be keeping secrets from her too. Now, reality is waiting for Veronica in a dark place—because someone’s mind games have only just begun.

Reviews

“Engrossing…The complex denouement reveals one surprise after another.” —Publishers Weekly

“A psychological thriller in the vein of Gillian Flynn’s Gone Girl, Bleeker’s novel (When I’m Gone; Working Fire) is swiftly paced…Readers who enjoy authors such as Mary Kubica and Kate Moretti may enjoy this title.” —Library Journal

“With a killer twist that no one will see coming, readers will be blown away by this one.” —The Parkersburg News and Sentinel

“If you loved Gillian Flynn’s Gone Girl, you will want to get your hands on this new psychological thriller…” —Take a Break

“[The Waiting Room is] not just thrilling, there is hope there, too. It might even make you a little more understanding toward those going through depression and/or experiencing the loss of a loved one.” —The Tulsa Book Review

“A twisty, turny, wild ride.” —BookBub

“Clever and unpredictable, The Waiting Room is psychological suspense at its finest. Bleeker ingeniously pulls aside the curtain to expose the dark underbelly of grief after a tragic loss. The story moved at breakneck speed and kept me on my toes, delivering an ending I didn’t see coming. Mind-blowing!” —Kerry Lonsdale, Amazon Charts and Wall Street Journal bestselling author

“Emily Bleeker’s books are always compelling reads, and The Waiting Room is no exception. I flew through the pages, desperate to discover the truth about Veronica. A wonderful tale of emotional suspense and heartbreak.” —Victoria Helen Stone, author of #1 Amazon bestseller Evelyn, After

“Fast-paced and suspenseful from page one, a story where nothing is as it seems. The answer to the mystery of what happened hovers just off the page, and just when you think you have it, a jaw-dropping twist will take your breath away. Fans of Emily Bleeker will not be disappointed.” —Barbara Taylor Sissel, bestselling author of The Truth We Bury and Faultines

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About the Author:

Emily Bleeker is a former educator who discovered her passion for writing after introducing a writer’s workshop to her students. She soon found a whole world of characters and stories living inside of her mind. It took a battle with a rare form of cancer to give her the courage to share that amazing world with others. Emily lives in suburban Chicago with her family. Between writing and being a mom, she attempts to learn guitar, sings along to the radio (loudly), and embraces her newfound addiction to running.

Find Emily Online:

Books For Review – Week of January 28th

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What the Parrot Saw
Darlene Marshall
Eve D. Ackerman
Release Date: February 26, 2019
Historical Fiction, Romance

Hijacking an Englishman from a brothel is all in a day’s work for Captain Mattie St. Armand. She needs protective coloration, and a naïve (and expendable) white man will keep the eyes of the authorities off her as she smuggles slaves from the Florida Territory to freedom in the Bahamas.

Oliver Woodruff wanted a spot of travel in the Caribbean before he settled down, but he never expected “Marauding Mattie.” He’ll help her, but he knows there’s no place in his world for the bastard daughter of a pirate and a freedwoman.

As Mattie trains him for their ruse, she comes to realize he’s a man she can turn to for support and companionship, and Oliver grows to love the commanding and daring woman who refuses to fit society’s mold… but both are sure their relationship is doomed by society’s taboos.

It will take danger and adventure (and Roscoe the parrot) to convince them that the passion between them is more than an island fantasy.

Doug Liberty Presents Bandit the Dancing Raccoon
John L. Sheppard
Paragraph Line Books
General Fiction (Adult), Humor

Effete alcoholic Tris Edgar finds a talking raccoon digging through his trash one evening. Tris tells a story of heartbreak, loss and self-defeat, and of his life as an instant celebrity in the internet age. At turns dark and whimsical, Doug Liberty Presents Bandit the Dancing Raccoon is a uncanny fable for the 21st century.

The Spanish Promise
by Karen Swan
Pan Macmillan
Macmillan
Women’s Fiction

The Spanish Promise is another sizzling summer novel from Globe and Mail bestselling author Karen Swan, set in the vibrant streets of Madrid, for fans of Victoria Hislop and Elin Hilderbrand.

Charlotte, a wealth counsellor who knows from personal experience the complications that a sudden inheritance can bring, helps her clients navigate the emotional side effects of sudden wealth syndrome. When she is asked by Mateo Mendoza, heir to a huge Spanish estate, to fly to Madrid to help resolve an issue in his father’s will, she’s confident it will be straightforward. The timing isn’t great as Charlotte’s due to get married the following week, but once her client signs on the dotted line, she can return to her life in London and her wedding, and live happily ever after. Marrying Stephen might not fill her with excitement, but she doesn’t want to live in the fast lane anymore – safe and predictable is good.

But Carlos Mendoza’s final bequest opens up a generation of secrets, and Charlotte finds herself compelled to unravel the mystery. As she digs deeper, Charlotte uncovers the story of a family divided by Spain’s Civil War, and of a love affair across the battle lines that ended in tragedy.

And while she is consumed in the drama of the Mendozas, Charlotte’s own tragic past catches up with her, threatening to overturn everything in her life she’s worked so hard to build.

The Disappeared By Sibel Hodge – The Widow. The Secret. The Liar.

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The Disappeared…

On a routine flight from Africa to England, Dr Mason Palmer is tragically killed when the light aircraft he’s travelling on crashes and disappears in dense bushland.

The Widow…

Ten months later, Nicole Palmer is still trying to block out the grief of her husband’s sudden death. Until one morning she receives a photo of Mason through the post, along with a cryptic message. A message only he could’ve written.

The Secret…

But when Nicole tries to find out if Mason is really alive and what actually happened to him in Africa, everyone she turns to for answers ends up dead.

Determined to find the truth, Nicole uncovers a conspiracy that spans the globe, and discovers there are powerful people who are prepared to kill to keep her silent.

Who’s lying? Who’s watching Nicole? And can she expose their murky secrets before they catch up with her?

Reader Reviews

“A revealing mystery of international thieves, who will stop at nothing to make sure they control the market.
A husband declared dead ten months ago, a recent photo leads, Nicole into the plantations of South Africa, to find the truth, is her dead or alive, and what did he know that is worth killing for. You will not be able to put this boomtown until the final page. Not all international crime is drug related. “ – Kindle Customer

“If love of money is the root of all evil, then nowhere is this more evident than between the pages of this gripping, heart-pounding thriller. Sibel Hodge is up there as one of my favourite authors in the genre, and once again she pulls out all the stops.

Grieving Nicole believes that her beloved husband Mason was killed in a plane crash. Until … ten months later, she receives evidence that suggests all is not as it seems.

The author creates a wholly credible world with the fictional West African country of Narumbe where good people do good things, and very bad people will do absolutely anything to gain power and financial reward. Even at the expense of the most innocent of all.

Knowing how much of this book is based on real-life events in far from fictionalised countries sends a shudder of revulsion down the spine. And realising the true price of something we take for granted in our shopping baskets is a chilling lesson indeed. An absolute must-read.” – Audrey Davis – Reviewer

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About the Author:

Sibel Hodge is the author of the #1 Bestsellers Look Behind You, Untouchable, Duplicity, and Into the Darkness. Her books have sold over one million copies and are international bestsellers in the UK, USA, Australia, France, Canada and Germany. She writes in an eclectic mix of genres, and is a passionate human and animal rights advocate.

Her work has been nominated and shortlisted for numerous prizes, including the Harry Bowling Prize, the Yeovil Literary Prize, the Chapter One Promotions Novel Competition, The Romance Reviews’ prize for Best Novel with Romantic Elements and Indie Book Bargains’ Best Indie Book of 2012 in two categories. She was the winner of Best Children’s Book in the 2013 eFestival of Words; nominated for the 2015 BigAl’s Books and Pals Young Adult Readers’ Choice Award; winner of the Crime, Thrillers & Mystery Book from a Series Award in the SpaSpa Book Awards 2013; winner of the Readers’ Favorite Young Adult (Coming of Age) Honorable award in 2015; a New Adult finalist in the Oklahoma Romance Writers of America’s International Digital Awards 2015, 2017 International Thriller Writers Award finalist for Best E-book Original Novel, Honorable Mention Award Winner in the USA 2018 Reader’s Choice Awards, and winner of the No 1 Best Thriller in the Top Shelf Magazine Indie Book Awards 2018! Her novella Trafficked: The Diary of a Sex Slave has been listed as one of the top forty books about human rights by Accredited Online Colleges.

Find Sibel Online:

Books For Review – Week of January 21st

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Ultimate Mindfulness Activity Book
150 Playful Mindfulness Activities for Kids and Teens (and Grown-Ups too!)
Christian Bergstrom
Children’s Nonfiction, Teens & YA

Kick-start and sustain a fun mindfulness practice with kids and teens.

“This book makes it easy and is a must have for every parent and teacher!” – Denise Besic, Mother and Teacher

Give kids lasting life skills to de-stress and calm down, navigate difficult emotions, control impulses, focus on what matters, and nurture empathy, kindness, and joy.

In Ultimate Mindfulness Activity Book you will find:

150+ playful mindfulness activities
Tools for calm, focus, joy, kindness, and emotional intelligence and regulation
A 21-step guide to kick-start and sustain your practice together
Inspirational examples of how mindfulness makes positive change
Easy to understand explanations on how to explain mindfulness to kids and youth
A FREE audio course for grown-ups and more

Virginia Woolf in Richmond
Peter Fullagar
Biographies & Memoirs, Nonfiction (Adult)

Although more commonly associated with Bloomsbury, Virginia and her husband Leonard Woolf lived in Richmond-upon-Thames for ten years from the time of the First World War (1914-1924). Refuting the common misconception that she disliked the town, this book explores her daily habits as well as her intimate thoughts while living at the pretty house she came to love – Hogarth House. Drawing on information from her many letters and diaries, the editor reveals how Richmond’s relaxed way of life came to influence the writer, from her experimentation as a novelist to her work with her husband and the Hogarth Press, from her relationships with her servants to her many famous visitors.

Storm and Fury
by Jennifer L. Armentrout
Harlequin TEEN (US & Canada)
Inkyard Press
Teens & YA

From the #1 New York Times, USA TODAY and internationally bestselling author of the fantastical Dark Elements and the Lux series comes a new novel set in a world of gargoyle protectors, rising demons and one girl with an explosive secret.

Eighteen-year-old Trinity Marrow may be going blind, but she can see and communicate with ghosts and spirits. Her unique gift is part of a secret so dangerous that she’s been in hiding for years in an isolated compound fiercely guarded by Wardens—gargoyle shape-shifters who protect humankind from demons. If the demons discover the truth about Trinity, they’ll devour her, flesh and bone, to enhance their own powers.

When Wardens from another clan arrive with disturbing reports that something out there is killing both demons and Wardens, Trinity’s safe world implodes. Not the least because one of the outsiders is the most annoying and fascinating person she’s ever met. Zayne has secrets of his own that will upend her world yet again—but working together becomes imperative once demons breach the compound and Trinity’s secret comes to light. To save her family and maybe the world, she’ll have to put her trust in Zayne. But all bets are off as a supernatural war is unleashed…