Fiction – Page 7 – Readers Alley

Category: Fiction

Paranormal Ghost and Love Story – Loving Modigliani

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The Afterlife of Jeanne Hébuterne

Paranormal Ghost and Love Story

Historical Paranormal Fiction, Magical Realism, Fantasy Fiction, Literary Fiction

Published: December 2020

Publisher: Serving House Books

A ghost story, love story, and a search for a missing masterpiece.

PARIS 1920 Dying just 48 hours after her husband, Jeanne Hebuterne–wife and muse of the celebrated painter Amedeo Modigliani and an artist in her own right — haunts their shared studio, watching as her legacy is erased. Decades later, a young art history student travels across Europe to rescue Jeanne’s work from obscurity. A ghost story, a love story, and a search for a missing masterpiece.

Loving Modigliani is a genre-bending novel, blending elements of fantasy, historical fiction, gothic, mystery, and suspense.

Praise for Loving Modigliani:

“LOVING MODIGLIANI is a haunting, genre-bending novel that kept me turning pages late into the night” –Gigi Pandian, author of The Alchemist’s Illusion

“Part ghost story, part murder mystery, part treasure hunt, Linda Lappin’s Loving Modigliani is a haunting, genre-bending novel that kept me turning the pages long into the night.” – Best-selling mystery novelist Gigi Pandian

Other Books by Linda Lappin:

Signatures in Stone

2014 Overall Winner DAPHNE DU MAURIER AWARD for excellence in Mystery Writing, also Winner in the Historical Mystery section of the Du Maurier Awards, from Romance Writers of America.

Seeking inspiration in the timeless Italian landscape, four unlikely misfits find their destinies entangled in the meanders of the mysterious sculpture garden of Bomarzo, peopled with freaks and monsters. Daphne, a writer with a hashish habit, Clive, American gigolo and aspiring artist, Nigel, an English aristocrat down at the heels, and Finestone, a fly by night art historian come together in a decrepit villa looked after by two Italian servants who are not what they seem. To find their heart’s desire, all the characters must descend into the depths of hell, but not everyone will make it out alive. In the hideous sculptures of Bomarzo, Daphne must face up the hidden sides of herself while solving the mystery of murder for which she is unjustly accused. She will discover that her own journey to hell has already been written sculpted by an unknown genius centuries ago in these signatures in stone.

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The Soul of Place

In this engaging creative writing workbook, Linda Lappin, novelist, poet, and travel writer, presents a series of insightful exercises to help writers of all genres — (literary travel writing, memoir, poetry, fiction, creative nonfiction) discover imagery and inspiration in the places they love.

Lappin departs from the classical concept of the Genius Loci, the indwelling spirit residing in every landscape, house, city, or forest, to argue that by entering into contact with the unique energy and identity of a place, writers can access an inexhaustible source of creative power. The Soul of Place provides instruction on how to evoke that power.

The writing exercises are drawn from many fields such as architecture, painting, cuisine, literature and literary criticism, geography and deep maps, Jungian psychology, fairy tales, mythology,metaphysics,theater and performance art, all of which offer surprising perspectives on our writing and may help us uncover raw materials for fiction, essays, and poetry hidden in our environment.

An essential resource book for the writer’s library, this book is ideal for creative writing courses, with stimulating exercises adaptable to all genres. For writers or travelers about to set out on a trip abroad, The Soul of Place is the perfect road trip companion, attuning our senses to a deeper awareness of place.

“Insightful exercises help creative writers of all levels attune themselves to the power of place.” Amy Alippo, National Geographic Traveler

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About The Author

Prize-winning novelist Linda Lappin is the author of four novels: The Etruscan (Wynkin de Worde, 2004), Katherine’s Wish (Wordcraft , 2008), Signatures in Stone: A Bomarzo Mystery (Pleasureboat Studio, 2013), and The Soul of Place (Travelers Tales, 2015). Signatures in Stone won the Daphne DuMaurier Award for best mystery of 2013. The Soul of Place won the gold medal in the Nautilus Awards in the Creativity category.

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Literary Fiction – The Lev Effect

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Literary Fiction

Date Published: November 2020

Publisher: KinurPub

Full of warmth, humor, and the celebration of the extraordinary in the ordinary, The Lev Effect appeals to the faithful of all religions and iconoclasts alike.

When the Bolton Jewish Community converts a disused retirement home to a boarding school and hires a Russian refugee to direct it and the retirees as staff, the small town of Bolton, Pennsylvania celebrates the change. But when the director admits a Palestinian boy, schedules Palestine National Day and a fundraiser for a Catholic homeless shelter, the family that endowed the retirement home fifty years earlier sues to regain their trust fund. This action sets in motion a series of events that results in the notion that the school director might be Jesus Christ himself. But is he? The Lev Effect, the sequel to the critically-acclaimed novel Lost and Found, is a modern-day imagining of the second coming of Christ to a small Jewish community.

About the Author

Of Sheldon Greene’s six novels, five draw strongly upon his experience with and knowledge of the Jewish faith. Ranging from fact-based history to flights of imagination, he uses his novels to explore such subjects as Jews in the American Revolution, Jewish influence on pre-Colombian culture, the Israeli War of Independence, and the impact of the Holocaust on creativity. Greene was appointed Warden of Insurance of the State of Ohio at age 23. A public interest lawyer, he pursued seminal issues such as the United States’ flawed health delivery system, the impact of illegal immigration on the economy, renewable energy, and public land policies decades before they achieved national attention. He was a participant in the first Obama national policy team for both immigration and energy. He was one of the founders of the New Israel Fund and helped formulate its unique structure, drawing on his experience as General Counsel of California Rural Legal Assistance. He is an executive in a wind energy development company and has been actively engaged in renewable energy for over 25 years. He advocates the formulation of a God concept derived from the life process, stripped of anachronistic anthropomorphic characteristics. He has developed personal guidelines for a balanced, seamless life with spiritual, intellectual, social, and creative dimensions. Learn more about Sheldon Greene and his work at www.sheldongreene.com

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Sci-fi Adventure – Jingletown

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Where the Battle for Planet Earth Begins and the Prophecy Comes True

Sci-fi Adventure

Published: August 2020

Publisher: Parakletos Publishing

Jingletown is a family-oriented adventure, also a fantastical adventure foretold by his grandfather.

When eight-year-old Thomas Estrella leaves 19th-century Portugal for the United States with his father after the death of Thomas’ mother, he takes with him the legacy passed to him by his grandfather, the lore of a fantastical struggle for the earth’s soul for which Thomas will take up the mantle against the sinister forces led by the White Witch. The key to the powers for victory are held in the diamonds bequeathed to Thomas by his grandfather, and his new home in Jingletown is ground zero for the war between good and evil. Can Thomas finally win the long-dormant battle for human kind, and save “planet earth” from total rule by the White -Witch’s malevolent forces?

Fun Fact:

Jingletown is a real place in American History located in Oakland, California.

About the Author

Dale Trujillo is a Vietnam Veteran and retired baker, a job he had since 1967. He wrote his biograhpy – Jesus Comes to Jingletown. His books can be purchased on amazon.com and other online retailers.

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NA Urban Christian Fiction – They Call Me Gomer…

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NA Urban Christian Fiction

Date Published: Release day Nov. 5th 2020

Publisher: Jess, Mo’ Books LLC

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“Dear Diary, On September 3, 1982, two things happened that I’ll never forget: I acquired an older sister, and I fell in real love. But tell me, what does an eight-year-old know about love?”

For nearly a decade, Hosea Felix and Gomer Williams were inseparable. She loved him from the moment she laid eyes on him. Their friendship was iron-clad until temptation rocked Gomer to her core. Somewhere along the way, she fell for another guy and traded young love for instant pleasure. Not only is Jeri Cole fine—he is a bonafide gangsta, unattainable, and off-limits. Jeri was all Gomer could think about, and the only thing she thought she wanted. Despite her big sister already laying claim to him, not much could stop Gomer from clawing at the possibility of love and diva status. Getting with Jeri felt right…but at what cost?

Gomer never backed down. She is the original bad girl—ratchet, bougie, and insatiable. Feel like you wanna dislike her? Well, get in line.

They Call me Gomer… JC Miller’s sophomore spin-off novel enthralls readers with a deeply woven, emotionally heart-tugging take on the Book of Hosea. By examining rape culture, drug addiction, family secrets, and the vulnerabilities of young Black girls in pursuit of fortune and fame, this contemporary tale gives those in search of a good dra-mance all the feelings!

She will chase after her lovers but not catch them; she will look for them but not find them. Then she will say, “I will go back to my husband as at first, for then I was better off than now. Hosea 2:7

About the Author

JC Miller lives in the scenic Pocono Mountains of Pennsylvania with her husband, children, and floppy-eared Bassador pup.

Raised by a single-mother in the Bronx, JC pulls from early experiences to showcase the soul of the ghetto through faith-based novels. She also dedicates much of her time uplifting women via her blog and creating content with partner MR Spain, through their publishing company, Jess, Mo’ Books LLC.

On her days off, you can find JC whipping up her famous Red Velvet Cake and listening to songs from her impressive vinyl record collection.

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Limited Time Sale – $0.99

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Humor, Apocalyptic – Surviving Crazy

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Humor, Apocalyptic

Published: August 2020

A bizarre and hilarious look at surviving societal collapse…

When Armageddon hits you can’t always pick your post-apocalyptic companions, That’s the dilemma facing major-league scout Riley Knight, who finds himself stranded with a collection of borderline crazies at a remote diner when a gigantic solar storm plunges the world into the dark ages.

Cut off from the rest of the electricity-deprived world, the group, whose grip on sanity is tenuous, and whose coping skills leave much to be desired, are forced to rely on each other with laughingly absurd results. As their situation rapidly deteriorates, the distant town of Jericho becomes their only hope for survival. Only the road to Jericho is fraught with peril that only the bravest of them may survive. Worse, Jericho may not be the safe haven they desperately seek. How will they survive this new bizarre and frightening world where everyone’s a nut in a place that’s getting nuttier by the day is anyone’s guess.

Praise for Surviving Crazy:

“A downright hilarious look at ‘the end of civilization as we know it’… A funny book in the ‘slap him in the head style of comedy’ but this goes deeper.” — Readers Favorite 5 Stars!

“An exceptional and original novel that holds the reader’s fully entertained attention from beginning to end. An impressive and deftly crafted novel populated with memorable characters and unexpected plot twists and turns” — Midwest Book Review

“With a long, character-building fuse and a whip-smart pen behind the imagery-rich writing, this novel hums with tension and possibility from the start… Surviving Crazy is a head-scratching read that will make you laugh out loud and stay up late to see how it all plays out.”— Self-Publishing Review

“I thoroughly enjoyed this goofy, comic novel, and laughed out loud through much of it. The characters are wildly drawn, and the satire is sharp and pointed…The ending is surprising, ironic, and perfect.” — Readers’ Favorite

“A colorful burst of comedy and satire.” — RedCity Review

“An ingenious, humorous novel…a thoroughly engrossing,rib-tickling-funny read that lovers of both SF and literary fiction won’t wantto miss.”…The Prairies Book Review

“Anentirely new perspective on end-time scenarios. Readers should hold onto theirhats in this fast-paced story. It is bursting with troublesome yet loveablecharacters who fill this tale with hyperbole, danger, and amazing camaraderie” — US Review of Books

Excerpt

It was at that point in his near-death experience when Shephard said he saw the light appear in front of him, a bright embraceable warm radiance accompanied by a soothing voice calling him into it.

Shephard however wasn’t ready to comply just yet and began to resist. “I was yelling at the voice that I wasn’t going anywhere until it did something about that jackass Floyd Monroe. I mean I was livid. I wanted some action.”

The voice tried coaxing Shephard into the light by promising him that it only wanted to talk for a brief moment before it sent him back into his body. Then Shephard could take care of Floyd anyway he wanted. It sounded like a reasonable compromise and so Shephard headed off into the light.

What happened next according to Shephard was his face-to-face meeting with God, or who he presumed to be God. “He kind of looked like Mr. Feathers.”

Mr. Feathers was Plucky Rooster’s national mascot, a giant red rooster famous for his straw hat and bib overalls.

Riley’s look of disbelief was shared by Shephard. “I know. I was expecting God to look different too. Something along the lines of a bearded, silvery-haired guy in a white robe. Naturally, I began to think I was getting conned.”

About The Author

Frank Crimi is a writer and the author of Surviving Crazy. His other books include Raining Frogs & Heart Attacks. Frank is married with two sons and two grandchildren.

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Literary Fiction – Someday Everything Will All Make Sense

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Literary Fiction

Published: February 2019

Publisher: Adelaide Books

Someday Everything Will All Make Sense follows Luther van der Loon, an eccentric professor of early music, as he navigates the stages of grief after his mother chokes on a wonton. Luther institutes a personal injury suit against the takeout whose “sloppy methods” he blames for his mother’s death. Slowly, and with the help of his girlfriend, Cecilia, he struggles toward resolution. Luther finds redemption in music as he plans the annual symposium for his early music colleagues.

Praise for Someday Everything Will All Make Sense:

“LaHines’ tale paints a robust picture of a suffering neuroticstuck in his sorrow, her protagonist recalling a Laurence Sterne character. . .. An admirable addition to that venerable category [of] novels to find humor in loss.”- Kirkus Reviews

“It’s rare to find a character like Luther van der Loon who makes such a rich and lasting impression–so vividly wounded, exuberant in characterization. Luther embodies the anxious, angst-ridden neurotic we are afraid we will become, or maybe who we aspire to be. In his grief over his mother’s accidental choking vis-à-vis death, his obsession with what is the point of life is simultaneously heartbreaking and hilarious. I could read this novel a hundred times and never tire of it.” – Amy E. Wallen, author of When We Were Ghouls

“An original and very funny novel about a man’s obsessive longing and guilt after his mother accidentally chokes on wonton soup. We follow the endearing protagonist through a period of morning, cleverly interwoven with musical theory and an attempt to sue the Chinese take-out restaurant, all brought to a hilarious finale with a last symposium on medieval music.” – Sheila Kohler, author of numerous award-winning novels

About the Author

Carol LaHines is the author of Someday Everything Will All Make Sense, a finalist for the Nilsen Prize for a First Novel and an American Fiction Award (Adelaide Books, New York City, 2019). Her fiction has appeared in many literary journals including Fence, Hayden’s Ferry Review, Denver Quarterly, Cimarron Review, The Literary Review, The Laurel Review, North Dakota Quarterly, South Dakota Review, The South Carolina Review, The Chattahoochee Review, Sycamore Review, Permafrost, redivider, Literary Orphans, and Literal Latte. She is the recipient of the Lamar York Prize for Fiction. Her short stories and novellas have also been finalists for the Mary McCarthy Prize in Short Fiction from Sarabande Books, the David Nathan Meyerson fiction prize, the New Letters short story award, and the Disquiet Literary Prize, among others. She is a graduate of New York University, Gallatin Division, and of St. John’s University School of Law.

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Literary Fiction – Asteroidea

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Literary Fiction, Fiction

Published: November 2020

Publisher: Adelaide Books

ASTEROIDEA is about regeneration: personal, professional, cellular. Marine biologist Claire Holt is at a frustrating crossroads. Having spent her career experimenting on asteroidea, commonly called star-fish, and trying, without success, to transfer their regenerative capabilities to mammals, she’s grown frustrated and depressed. With her grants running dry, time running out, and her two grown daughters facing their own life changes, Claire feels defeated. To cope, she takes a journey back to her childhood home, only to discover several startling and destabilizing facts about her past. As she tries to handle the resulting intergenerational and emotional fall-out, a graduate student arrives at her lab with a newly discovered, promising species of asteroidea. Juggling emotional and familial upheaval, as well as this fresh direction for her research challenges Claire to re-engage in both her work and in life.

About the Author

After attending the Haystack Writing Workshop with Ursula K. Le Guin and Vonda N. McIntyre, Stephanie A. Smith took her PhD from UC Berkeley; she is the author of The Warpaint Trilogy (2012-14); Other Nature (1995-7); The-Boy-Who-Was-Thrown-Away and Snow-Eyes (1985/87); academic criticism Conceived By Liberty (Cornell 1995) and Household Words (Minnesota 2006); as well as numerous short stories, creative non-fiction and scholarly essays published in journals such as New Letters, differences, American Literature, and Genre. She has held fiction residencies at the Writer’s Colony, the VCCA, the Noepe Center, Hedgebrook, Norcroft, Provincetown and Dorland and was an NEH Scholar at UCLA.

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