DARK HORSE COMICS PRESENTS “WHERE MONSTERS LIE: CULL-DE-SAC”

2 July 2024

Cabin in the Woods meets Tucker and Dale vs. Evil

Slashers always come back for more, so it should be no surprise that Wilmurst and all its residents will return in Where Monsters Lie: Cull-De-Sac, the next volume in Kyle Starks and Piotr Kowalski’s Where Monsters Lie series. The hit meta-horror comedy by Eisner Award-nominated writer Starks (I Hate This Place, Pine and Merrimac), illustrator Kowalski (All Eight Eyes, The Many Deaths of Barnaby James), colorist Vladimir Popov, and letterer Josh Reed returns just in time for Halloween.

Come join us, friends, for it’s time to visit another gated community for slashers! Meet a new cast of horrible monsters as we return to the world of Where Monsters Lie. Connor Hayes, final boy turned apex monster hunter, has been brought to Site B and expected to be a good little killer, but will he cooperate? And what sort of bone-tingling secrets inhabit this new horror hamlet?

“I love a good horror movie like nobody else,” said Starks. “I adore a great horror slasher. But you know what I like even more? A SEQUEL! Brilliant artist Piotr Kowalski did such a great job of bringing the awful beasts of Site A to life I just had to see what he would do at Site B! If you LOVED Volume One you have a great treat coming here in the Cull-de-sac. IF you didn’t read Volume One what are you doing! Read it then come pick this up! What terrible, evil fun we’re having! JUST IN TIME FOR HALLOWEEN!!!”

Where Monsters Lie: Cull-De-Sac #1 (of 4) will be available in comic shops on October 16, 2024. It is now available to pre-order from your local comic shop for $3.99.

Be sure to follow Dark Horse Comics on social media and check our website, www.darkhorse.com, for more news, announcements, and updates!

Praise for Where Monsters Lie:
“If you’re looking for a twisted laugh or a fan of the slasher genre, this is a must-get.”—Graphic Policy

“A unique approach to horror and killers, it’s funny, weird, and wholly original.”—AIPT Comics

“A high-concept blast of mirth and mayhem that will leave readers desperate for a sequel.”—Library Journal, Starred Review

“The writing and the art crafts plenty of scares, dark humor, and even ennui. Come for the horror, stay for the bizarre (and totally blood-soaked) character study.”—Multiversity Comics

“If you’re looking for a comic that’s a lot of fun, extremely dark, and just all-around really well done, Where Monsters Lie is it.”—Comics Beat

Dark Horse Comics

Behind The Words With Nicole M. Miller

Jocie McKade

2 July 2024

Today, we welcome debut author Nicole M. Miller. Her first novel is a romance, but also explores the little know history of Janów Podlaski Arabian Horses. Welcome Nicole, first give our readers a quick look at UNTIL OUR TIME COMES.

Until Our Time Comes is about a woman who has dedicated her whole life to working with
Polish-bred Arabian horses, with the hopes of importing the best horses to America. But the German invasion of Poland and the continent-wide occupation shift her focus entirely and bring a British spy to her aid. Together, they attempt to save the horses that are caught in the tumult of war, and they wrestle with their own emotions amid an uncertain future.

Until Our Time Comes is based on true events that occurred in Poland during the Nazi occupation in World War II. How did you learn about these events?
This whole story originated based on a few paragraphs from a book about legendary Arabian horses throughout history. I was fifteen years old and entranced by the story of Witez II, who had endured Nazi occupation in WWII. The detail that jumped out to me was how the stable hands in this Polish stud farm had slathered the beautiful stallion with mud and cut his long tail to try to hide his identity from Axis soldiers. (This was in an era when horses were more like celebrities.) I dug into the story further and uncovered a biography of that same stallion written by an author in the 1960s. I’d already loved World War II history, and the blending of these two interests ignited so many possibilities within me.

Your female protagonist, Adia Kensington, is a horse trainer working at the famous Janów Podlaski stables in Poland. How does her role with the horses take an abrupt shift when the Nazis arrive?
Once the Nazis capture the horse farm, Adia’s role as caretaker of the priceless animals remains steady and true in a lot of ways, but her role also shifts into one of guardian and Allied spy. There is a massive underground resistance to the German occupation, and many citizens of Poland play a part. Adia is no exception. She treasures the horses and the country she has come to consider a second home and fights alongside the people.

When does Adia first meet Bret Conway, and how does he become involved in her life?
In the summer before the war, Adia meets Bret at the marketplace, near Janów Podlaski stables, after the orphan boy who tags along with her steals Bret’s heirloom pocket watch. Adia, who is a natural protector of all things rejected and helpless, stands up for the boy and ensures the watch is returned, and there’s instantly a tension and spark between her and Bret. They are thrown together by circumstances when Bret, an undercover British operative, realizes that the horse farm is a central location to gather intelligence once the invasion begins.

Adia and Bret’s desire to save hundreds of prized Arabian horses is an overwhelming and taxing undertaking. What type of experiences do they encounter in this process? In the uncertainty of the German invasion, Adia and Bret believe evacuating the horses closer to the USSR border might better protect them from the Germans—and in that process, they find both physical barriers and unexpected enemies from the opposite direction. Air raids, hoof injuries, and criminal elements all come into play with hundreds of horses and only a few dozen handlers. Bret and Adia discover that even with the best- laid plans, it only takes a few seconds for everything to descend into chaos.

Until Our Time Comes covers several time periods and locations all centered on World War II. How did you organize your book to reflect these times?
The real-life plight of these horses is almost stranger than fiction, and there were so many elements I wanted to tell through Adia and Bret’s story. I broke up the novel into three sections that really marked the rise and fall of danger, hope, and expectations. These horses (along with Bret and Adia) cover almost every location throughout the Western Theater of WWII, and I wanted to take readers along for that ride. At each point in time, new players enter the story and influence the steps forward. There’s even a minor appearance of the infamous horseman and soldier, General Patton.

You claim you’ve been horse-obsessed since birth. When did your love for horses also tie in with your love for history?
Since day one, I was riding rocking horses, playing with horse figurines. As I grew, I began to take more of an interest in horse bloodlines and thus the history of specific breeds such as Arabian horses. I’d always liked history, too, and was an avid reader of historical fiction my whole life, so everything just came together with the story of the infamous Witez II and the Nazi occupation. I also learned later in life that my horse, which I’ve owned for twenty years, is distantly related to the horses who survived World War II.

What do you hope readers will gain from reading Until Our Time Comes?
I hope readers walk away from Until Our Time Comes with a sense of how complex
wartime truly can be, and also how hope and perseverance can win out. In this story, not all the characters are what you expect them to be. Still, we care for the helpless and wrestle with what is worth saving in times of turmoil.

How can readers connect with you?
The best way to connect is through my Facebook or Instagram pages: Facebook.com/NicoleMillerWriter and Instagram.com/NicoleMillerWriter. I also have an email list for readers to get the latest updates—sign up at NicoleMillerWriter.com. I’d love to hear from readers, and I’ll be sharing a lot more fun and interesting historical bits along the way.

Where can readers purchase a copy of Until Our Time Comes?
At all major booksellers including Baker Book House, Amazon, Barnes & Noble.

Nicole, thank you for joining us today, and giving us a look at a piece of little know history, wrapped in romance.

Readers, here’s a quick look at UNTIL OUR TIME COMES….

American horse trainer Adia Kensington is living her dream of working at the famous Janów Podlaski stables in Poland, where they breed the best Arabian horses in the world. But her plans to bring the priceless stallion Lubor to the US are derailed when the German army storms into her adopted country in 1939. Little does she know this is just the beginning of six long years of occupation that will threaten her beloved horses at every turn.

Bret Conway is at Janów Podlaski under the guise of a news reporter, but his true mission is intelligence gathering for the British. That and keeping Adia safe, which is harder and harder to do as she insists they must evacuate 250 horses to save them from being stolen, sold, or eaten by the invading forces. What follows will test their physical, mental, and emotional strength, as well as their faith in God, humankind, and each other.

Drawn from true events of World War II, this epic story of escape, capture, resistance, and love from debut novelist Nicole M. Miller will thunder into your heart like a herd of beautiful horses across a raging river.

There’s a Book for That: Summer Weddings!

Jocie McKade

1 July 2024

“Marry someone who laughs at the same things you do.”—J.D. Salinger

Sound wisdom from Salinger, don’t you think? Marital advice aside, it’s wedding season and we are feeling romantic, not didactic! Perhaps you are getting married? Or are in the wedding party, or a guest? Whatever the case, below are books to match the mood. All are invited!

THE GUNCLE ABROAD by Steven Rowley

Patrick O’Hara is called back to his guncle duties . . . This time for a big family wedding in Italy.

“The Guncle Abroad explores family, love and the act of rediscovering yourself, no matter how old you are.” —People Magazine

LIES AND WEDDINGS: A Novel by Kevin Kwan

From the iconic internationally bestselling author of the Crazy Rich Asians trilogy: A forbidden affair erupts volcanically amid a decadent Hawaiian wedding in this outrageous comedy of manners.

Lies and Weddings is a globetrotting tale that takes us from the black sand beaches of Hawaii to the skies of Marrakech, from the glitzy bachelor pads of Los Angeles to the inner sanctums of England’s oldest family estates, Kevin Kwan unfurls a juicy, hilarious, sophisticated and thrillingly plotted story of love, money, murder, sex, and the lies we tell about them all.

DELE WEDS DESTINY: A NOVEL by Tomi Obaro

The story of three once-inseparable college friends in Nigeria who reunite in Lagos for the first time in thirty years—a sparkling debut novel about mothers and daughters, culture and class, sex and love, and the extraordinary resilience of female friendship.

THE WEDDING DRESS SEWING CIRCLE: A NOVEL by Jennifer Ryan

Three plucky women lift the spirits of home-front brides in wartime Britain, where clothes rationing leaves little opportunity for pomp or celebration—even at weddings—in this heartwarming novel based on true events, from the bestselling author of The Chilbury Ladies’ Choir.

QUEERLY BELOVED: A NOVEL by Susie Dumond

Finalist for The Lambda Literary Award

A people-pleasing baker tries to find her place as a bridesmaid-for-hire. Will she finally find her happily ever after—and her own voice?

SEATING ARRANGEMENTS by Maggie Shipstead

Winner of the Los Angeles Times Book Prize

The irresistible story of a summer New England wedding weekend gone awry—a deliciously biting satirical glimpse into the lives of the well-bred and ill-behaved, from the New York Times bestselling author of Great Circle.

THE WEDDING DATE by Jasmine Guillory

“What a charming, warm, sexy gem of a novel.”-Roxane Gay

A groomsman and his last-minute guest are about to discover if a fake date can go the distance in this fun and flirty multicultural romance debut.

WEDDING STORIES by Diana Secker Tesdell

A bouquet of great wedding stories-by turns funny, passionate, bittersweet, and romantic-by famous writers from across the past two centuries. From F. Scott Fitzgerald to Lorrie Moore, and from Stephen Crane to Edwidge Danticat. EVERYMAN’S LIBRARY POCKET CLASSICS. The stories collected here-including such gems as Stephen Crane’s “The Bride Comes to Yellow Sky,” O. Henry’s “The Marry Month of May,” F. Scott Fitzgerald’s “The Bridal Party,” Joy Williams’s “The Wedding,” and Lorrie Moore’s “Thank You For Having Me”-encompass comic wedding mishaps, engagements broken and mended, honeymoon adventures, and scenes both heartwarming and heartbreaking.

For more on these and other wedding-related titles, visit the collection: Wedding Lit

PenguinRandomHouse

Sneak Peek: Murder at Vinland by Alyssa Maxwell

Jocie McKade

1 July 2024

Murder at Vinland by Alyssa Maxwell

Reporter and sleuth Emma Cross Andrews must stop a bold poisoner who is targeting the society wives of the Four Hundred in Gilded Age Newport, Rhode Island . . .

August 1901: A fundraiser for a new Rhode Island Audubon Society brings Emma to Vinland, the Viking-themed seaside home of her relative, Florence Vanderbilt Twombly, where the guest of honor is Edith Roosevelt, wife of Vice President Theodore Roosevelt. Listening to the speakers and observing the ladies in attendance, Emma is struck by the contrast of the Viking warrior–inspired elements in the house and the admirable but admittedly genteel cause of bird protection. Vinland bears the name of the Vikings’ first landfall in North America, but in this room today there is most assuredly no one to fear.

Emma’s observation of harmless philanthropy is proven wrong the following morning when one of Mrs. Twombly’s houseguests from the luncheon becomes mysteriously and dangerously ill. Accompanying police detective Jesse Whyte, Emma discovers a box of petit fours supposedly sent by Mrs. Roosevelt. They promptly rule out the Second Lady as a suspect, but someone has poisoned the cakes.

Soon another box of desserts as well as letters tainted with ink containing caustic toxins show up at other grand Newport cottages. Are the ladies from the luncheon being targeted? Emma and Jesse must sort through possible motives and means because now more than the birds need protection . . .

Behind The Words with ALLI FRANK and ASHA YOUMANS

Jocie McKade

1 July 2024

Welcome Alli and Asha, we’re excited to have you on Reader’s Entertainment. First, tell our readers a bit about yourself. Where you’re from, where you live? Is writing your full-time job?

Alli: I grew up in rural Washington state (total farm girl, a Jewish one at that), but went to school back East, lived in San Francisco for 20 years, Seattle for eight, and now I am in Sun Valley, Idaho. I write full-time, but also work with students on their boarding school, college, and graduate school essays.

Asha: I grew up in Seattle, Washington; third generation of six and going strong. After spending many years in California for school, I brought my husband back with me and raised my sons in the city. Writing is my full time job.

How long have you been writing?

The two of us have been writing fiction together for seven years. Four books in seven years. Not going to lie, we are a little tired!

What does your typical writing day look like?

Alli: My writing day doesn’t start until about 10:00AM-ish. I have to get my girls out the door to school, and then I have to get a good workout in, or I can’t sit down to write, my body too fidgety and my brain is too flighty. Then from about 10AM – 2PM writing and after two answering emails, doing the business side of books, having calls (most of them with Asha) and/or running errands and taking care of day-to-day life.

Asha: Social media is one of my tasks as part of this partnership and I always begin with checking electronic communications. I take care of my mother who lives with me and is my most enthusiastic beta reader. I write in spurts throughout the day since keeping my body busy seems to spark my ideas. My children are adults so my day is my own to do with what I like.

Tell us about your latest release? Where the idea came from?

Our newest book is Boss Lady, out July 2, 2024.

As comedic writers, we absolutely love the remarkably talented Julia Louis-Dreyfus. Her character, “Elaine” from Seinfeld, was brilliant, but oh do we wish we could vote for Selina Meyer for president. On January 18, 2021, Julia appeared on the podcast Smartless with Will Arnett, Jason Bateman, and Sean Hayes. During the interview, the hosts asked Julia what she would do if she wasn’t an actor. Julia responded that she would work in an airport and that she “would drive the go-cart that takes the old people to the gate;” that that would be a cool job. (Can’t you just hear her saying it?) We doubt Julia imagined her offhand comment at the end of an hour-long interview with three silly men would be the ember that sparked the idea for Antonia Arroyo and Boss Lady. In fact, it did, and now we owe Julia Louis-Dreyfus a huge debt of gratitude.

Could you share one detail from your current release with readers that they might not find in the book?

The entrepreneurial and company founding ideas that are in the book we came up with ourselves. We are now getting asked all the time if we have any plans to start one of these companies. We are more creatives than capitalists, so no, we don’t have any start-up plans ourselves, but it was fun to explore the business side of ourselves.

Who has been the most difficult character for you to write? Why?

Alli: Of our four books, I would say Gloria Arroyo, our protagonist’s mother in Boss Lady was the most challenging for me. She hit close to home for me as the relationship that Gloria and Toni share is not unlike the relationship I have with my mother, where she has been more invested in the beauty side of being a female whereas I have always focused on the brainy aspects of being a woman.

Asha: I don’t struggle writing any one particular character but I do wrestle with a desire to honor each character’s life experience and portray it with empathy. I aspire to inspire understanding for people who make choices I would not and to encourage readers to do the same. It’s tough to write an unlikeable cast member and to also allow room for their potential redemption but I enjoy the challenge.

If you could be one of your characters for a day which character would it be?

Alli: If I could be one character for a day I would either be Aunt Viv from our first book Tiny Imperfections or Sylvia Eisenberg of Boss Lady. It is so fun to write older women who speak exactly what is on their minds because if we are writing it for these octogenarian characters, then trust me, we are thinking it, too!

Asha: If I could be any of our characters for a day it would be Josie from Tiny Imperfections. I am the opposite of a fashionista and I have never worn heels so I think I would enjoy the feeling of feeling fierce in my clothes. Her wardrobe is enviable!

If you could spend the day with your character, what would you do? What would that day look like?

Alli: I would spend the day sitting at the kitchen table yapping away with Zwena while Toni cooked up batch after batch of sweet plantains one of my all-time favorite foods that I had, in fact, for the first time in Vieques, Puerto Rico years ago. YUM!

Asha: I was a science fan as a kid – particularly astronomy. If I could spend the day with Toni we’d surely geek out about experiments we did as kids while on a visit to the planetarium.

What’s your take on research and how do you do it?

Alli: I can answer this for both of us – I AM the Alli and Asha Productions research department. I do it all, usually while Asha is owning our communications accounts because there is nothing I detest more than social media. So, to all those people out there wondering if writing as a pair is hard, I say it is the best because you can divide and conquer based on personal strengths and areas of interest!

What’s the most fun thing about being an author?

Alli: Hands down writing with Asha. We crack each other up. All. The. Time.

Asha: I look most forward to connecting with readers. Meeting new people gasses me up, fills my tank, and provides me with material for creating new characters. Talking about my books with fellow book lovers is a treat.

Do you write multiple books at once, or one at a time?

Alli: I don’t write multiple books at a time, and I don’t read multiple books at a time – I’m not that talented.

Asha: Marketing a current book, writing the next, and planning for a future one of our books is enough all at once. Doing twice the work in any one of those lanes might run us right off the road so we work together to stay focused.

What’s your favorite writing tool? — software, app, notebook, etc.

Alli: For each book I have a big notebook of constant thoughts, ideas, musings. I don’t write the actual manuscript in the notebook it is just scribbles, brainstorms, nonsense etc….It is so fun, after a book is finished, to go back and read through the notebook and see what we actually used, what got scraped and what never even made it on the page.

Asha: I have notebooks and notepads stashed everywhere – even in my car. Ideas pop into my mind at inconvenient times so I have to keep paper and pen in convenient spots to keep it all straight. I have a strong hand to brain connection so I do a lot of writing away from my computer.

Are there any particular authors that have influenced how you write?

Alli: Honestly, no. I read a ton – fiction, non-fiction, The New York Times, Washington Post and The Atlantic (Oh, and I devour People magazine whenever I am at the doctor or dentist), but what influences how I write is the sense of humor that Asha and I share that we have not found in voice or spirit in any other author or their characters. That is why we claim we write com-rom rather than rom-com.

Asha: Toni Morrison is an inspiration for me as a writer. Her ability to write concise and powerful sentences, and her use of a single word to convey an array of feelings is awesome. For me, Ms. Morrison sets the bar.

Do you have a secret talent readers would be surprised by?

Alli: This is the least sexy talent ever, but I am a crazy minimalist. If something comes in my house something goes out. There are no junk drawers to be found and if anyone in my family hasn’t used or worn something within the last six months, bye-bye!

Asha: I was a member of a traveling circus and acrobatics team and I can still juggle, double-dutch, and ride a unicycle. Tumbling and doing backflips are no longer in my wheelhouse but I could probably bust out a cartwheel.

Your favorite go to drink or food when the world goes crazy!

Alli: Scorching hot English Breakfast tea and Trader Joe’s Corn Dippers with their Cowboy Caviar salsa. But not together, even I know that’s gross.

Asha: I am a dedicated home cook taught by women raised in the country in the South. Sweet tea and soul food have a history of soothing the soul, and they do it for me.

What is your writing kryptonite?

Alli: Asha knows I will break out in hives if we don’t hit all our deadlines. I can’t stand not doing what we say we will do by when we say we will do it. I guarantee you Asha is going to say my corn chip crumbs in the keyboard and people who confuse there, their, and they’re…

Asha: Alli is right…both of those things make me nutty.

What is the one question you never get ask at interviews, but wish you did? Ask and answer it.

Alli: I would love to be asked, as a White woman, why I am interested in writing Black and Afro-Puerto Rican protagonists, and I would love for Asha to be asked why she is interested in writing books that have White and often Jewish main characters. In an entertainment era when it seems our culture has ruled that you can only write what you are and what you know, I would be interested in engaging in real dialogue around this subject. I am going to leave it at that, and maybe a reader here will come to one of our in -person events and ask exactly this because they are curious to hear our answers!

Asha: I would like someone to ask how my loved ones feel about my writing. I often imagine my father, who passed away a decade ago, would have been my biggest cheerleader as each novel was released. Making my friends and family proud – including Alli’s family who through this partnership have become family to me – is a feeling I can barely describe but one I continue to chase.

Thanks for having us!

We hope you all enjoy BOSS LADY.
Cheers,
Alli and Asha

Thank you so much for joining us today!! Reader’s here’s a quick look at BOSS LADY:

Antonia “Toni” Arroyo’s protective mother has outdated notions for her daughter’s life: employ her natural beauty and marry young. But Toni has wholly different aspirations.

A promising inventor and budding entrepreneur, she fights to keep her passions alive as a financially strapped mother of twins with a job in airport transportation services that has her going in circles. One treasured frequent passenger is elderly traveler Sylvia Eisenberg, Toni’s sage but unofficial adviser and cheerleader. When Toni meets Sylvia’s grandson, Ash, a striking venture capitalist, luck just might bend her way.

With a game-changing new business endeavor in development, Toni hustles an opportunity to pitch her idea on TV’s Innovation Nation. Toni’s unexpected challenger? Her very own recently resurfaced, self-aggrandizing not-quite-ex-husband. As Toni’s interrupted past collides with her tenuous future, she is more determined than ever to follow through on her delayed dreams. Toni’s been clinging to “maybe” for so long—it’s finally time for “absolutely.”

Sneak Peek: All My Stars by Nora Roberts

Jocie McKade

30 June 2024

All My Stars by Nora Roberts

From #1 New York Times bestselling author Nora Roberts, two fan-favorite stories from the STARS OF MITHRA series! This 2-in-1 collection features HIDDEN STAR and CAPTIVE STAR.

Hidden Star

Bailey James can’t remember a thing. She doesn’t even know who she is, let alone why her bag is filled with cash, a gun and a large blue diamond. Desperate for help, she heads to the first detective office she can find, hoping that PI Cade Parris is someone she can trust—and with no options, Bailey doesn’t have much of a choice. Cade is sure the woman of his dreams walked through the door when Bailey first shuffles in, but he’ll have to convince her that she’s not a criminal before he can consider his love for her.

Captive Star

M.J. O’Leary is used to punching first and asking questions later. So when bounty hunter Jack Dakota tries to arrest her for bail jumping, she doesn’t go down easily. On the run from hired killers, M.J. refuses to talk about who’s after her…or why she has a massive blue diamond hidden in her purse. M.J. and Jack are drawn to each other, despite their better judgment, but can Jack learn to trust M.J. when she has so many secrets?

Library of Congress National Book Festival

Jocie McKade

30 June 2024

Library of Congress National Book Festival Announces Full Author Lineup
Main Stage to Feature Sandra Cisneros, James S.A. Corey, Doris Kearns Goodwin, Max Greenfield, Tamron Hall, Abby Jimenez, Casey McQuiston, James McBride, James Patterson, Lish Steiling and Rebecca Yarros

The festival’s theme this year, “Books Build Us Up,” explores how reading can help connect us and inform our lives. It’s through books that readers can develop strong bonds with writers and their ideas — relationships that open the entire world, real or imagined, to us all.

Throughout the day, attendees will hear conversations from authors of various genres across the festival’s many stages. Award-winning author James Patterson will chat about his recent nonfiction book, “The Secret Lives of Booksellers and Librarians: Their Stories Are Better Than the Bestsellers,” and James McBride will discuss his latest novel “The Heaven & Earth Grocery Store.”

Historian Doris Kearns Goodwin will take readers on an emotional journey in her latest book, “An Unfinished Love Story: A Personal History of the 1960s,” an account dedicated to the last years of her husband’s life after serving as an aide and speechwriter to Presidents John F. Kennedy and Lyndon B. Johnson, and Sen. Robert F. Kennedy. Erik Larson, author of “The Demon of Unrest: A Saga of Hubris, Heartbreak and Heroism at the Dawn of the Civil War,” will bring to life the pivotal five months between the election of Abraham Lincoln and the start of the Civil War.

Sandra Cisneros will celebrate the 40th Anniversary of “The House on Mango Street.” Abby Jimenez, author of “Just for the Summer,” and Casey McQuiston, author of “The Pairing,” will join forces to chat about their romance novels. Rebecca Yarros will talk about her bestselling “Empyrean” fantasy series including “Iron Flame,” sequel to her bestselling “Fourth Wing.”

On some timely topics, Annalee Newitz, author of “Stories Are Weapons: Psychological Warfare and the American Mind,” and Peter Pomerantsev, author of “How to Win an Information War: The Propagandist Who Outwitted Hitler,” will discuss the impact, now and historically, of political propaganda and misinformation. Also, Joy Buolamwini, author of “Unmasking AI: My Mission to Protect What Is Human in a World of Machines,” and Kyle Chayka, author of “Filterworld: How Algorithms Flattened Culture,” dive deep into the impact of technology.

Explore how cooking can inspire with Tamron Hall and Lish Steiling’s “A Confident Cook: Recipes for Joyous, No-Pressure Fun in the Kitchen.”

Grammy Award-winning vocalist Renée Fleming will explore the healing power of music in her latest book, “Music and Mind: Harnessing the Arts for Health and Wellness,” on stage with renowned psychologist and neuroscientist Daniel J. Levitin, author of “I Heard There Was a Secret Chord: Music as Medicine.”

Young adult readers will enjoy a conversation between Candace Fleming, author of “The Enigma Girls: How Ten Teenagers Broke Ciphers, Kept Secrets and Helped Win World War II,” and Monica Hesse, author of “The Brightwood Code.”

For children, featured authors will include actor and author Max Greenfield debuting his new children’s book, “Good Night Thoughts.” National Ambassador for Young People’s Literature Meg Medina will share her latest children’s book, “No More Señora Mimí,” a salute to the caregivers who enter a child’s tender world.

The full lineup of more than 90 authors by genre is listed below.

Attend the Festival

The National Book Festival will take place on Saturday, Aug. 24 from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center in Washington, D.C. Doors will open at 8:30 a.m. The festival is free and open to everyone.

Interested attendees not able to join the festival in person can watch conversations throughout the day. Events on the Main Stage will be livestreamed on loc.gov/bookfest. Videos of all presentations will be made available at loc.gov and on the Library’s YouTube channel shortly after the festival.

Visit loc.gov/bookfest to learn more about attending the festival. A comprehensive schedule will be available on the website and announced on the Library’s Bookmarked blog in the coming weeks. Subscribe to the blog for updates on festival plans and more. The National Book Festival celebrates creators and invites the public to be curious about the Library and its collections in their own creative or scholarly pursuits.

Full Lineup of Featured Authors by Genre

Fiction

Sandra Cisneros celebrates the 40th anniversary of “The House on Mango Street,” her national bestselling novel following the life of a 12-year-old Chicana girl growing up in the Hispanic quarter of Chicago.

Donna Hemans, author of “The House of Plain Truth,” Rachel Khong, author of “Real Americans,” and Claire Messud, author of “This Strange Eventful History,” join forces on a panel to discuss how family secrets reverberate across generations.

Edan Lepucki, author of “Time’s Mouth,” and Peng Shepherd, author of “All This and More,” talk all things time travel in their latest novels.

Elizabeth Gonzalez James, author of “The Bullet Swallower,” and Alexander Sammartino, author of “Last Acts,” explore masculinity and the ways we inherit violence in America in their new novels set in the West.

James McBride talks about his bestselling novel, “The Heaven & Earth Grocery Store.”

Genre Fiction

David Baldacci’s newest courtroom novel, “A Calamity of Souls,” takes a deep dive into the nature of racism during one of America’s most tumultuous times.

James S.A. Corey, the pen name for Daniel Abraham and Ty Franck, the bestselling creators of “The Expanse” book and TV series, debut their new sci-fi series with “The Mercy of Gods.”

Abby Jimenez, author of “Just for the Summer,” and Casey McQuiston, author of “The Pairing,” discuss their inspirations behind writing romance novels.

Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child’s newest thriller, “Angel of Vengeance,” follows FBI Special Agent Pendergast and Constance Greene taking a final stand against New York’s deadliest serial killer.

Rebecca Yarros, author of “Iron Flame,” the second book in the “Empyrean” series, talks about her love of writing fantasy romance novels.

Biography, History and Memoir

Marie Arana, author of “LatinoLand: A Portrait of America’s Largest and Least Understood Minority,” discusses her new book that serves as an overview of Hispanic America based on personal interviews, deep research and Arana’s life experience as a Latina.

Amanda Bellows, author of “The Explorers: A New History of America in Ten Expeditions,” talks with Hampton Sides, author of “The Wide Wide Sea: Imperial Ambition, First Contact and the Fateful Final Voyage of Captain James Cook.”

Ned Blackhawk, author of “The Rediscovery of America: Native Peoples and the Unmaking of U.S. History,” and Kathleen DuVal, author of “Native Nations: A Millennium in North America,” discuss Native American history and culture.

Max Boot, author of the forthcoming biography “Reagan: His Life and Legend,” discusses the life and societal influence of President Ronald Reagan.

Stuart E. Eizenstat, author of “The Art of Diplomacy: How American Negotiators Reached Historic Agreements That Changed the World,” discusses his book that touches on some of the greatest diplomatic negotiations of the past 50 years.

Camonghne Felix, author of “Dyscalculia: A Love Story of Epic Miscalculation,”and Safiya Sinclair, author of “How to Say Babylon: A Memoir,” talk about their evocative memoirs that reckon with heartbreak and cultural tradition.

Doris Kearns Goodwin, author of “An Unfinished Love Story: A Personal History of the 1960s,” takes you along on the emotional journey she and her husband, Richard (Dick) Goodwin, embarked upon in the last years of his life.

Alexis Pauline Gumbs, author of “Survival Is a Promise: The Eternal Life of Audre Lorde,” and Tiya Miles, author of “Night Flyer: Harriet Tubman and the Faith Dreams of a Free People,” discuss the intertwined histories of America and Black women.

Erik Larson, author of “The Demon of Unrest: A Saga of Hubris, Heartbreak and Heroism at the Dawn of the Civil War,” talks about his latest book, a political horror story that captures the events that led America to the brink of war during Abraham Lincoln’s election.

Ayana Mathis, author of “The Unsettled,” and Viet Thanh Nguyen, “A Man of Two Faces: A Memoir, A History, A Memorial,” celebrate the life and work of American writer and civil rights activist James Baldwin.

David M. Rubenstein discusses his newest book, “The Highest Calling: Conversations on the American Presidency.” He’ll talk with historian Douglas Brinkley.

General Nonfiction

Arash Azizi is the author of “What Iranians Want: Women, Life, Freedom” and a Liberties Journal of Culture and Politics writer who will talk about the ways that young critics are influencing wide cultural conversations.

Joy Buolamwini, author of “Unmasking AI: My Mission to Protect What Is Human in a World of Machines,” and Kyle Chayka, author of “Filterworld: How Algorithms Flattened Culture,” dive deep into how technology flattens culture and affects our interactions with one another in the 21st century.

Nathalie A. Cabrol, author of “The Secret Life of the Universe: An Astrobiologist’s Search for the Origins and Frontiers of Life,” and Dante S. Lauretta, author of “The Asteroid Hunter: A Scientist’s Journey to the Dawn of Our Solar System,” discuss groundbreaking research in finding evidence of life in our solar system.

Renée Fleming, Grammy Award-winning soprano and author talks about the connection between music and health in her newest book, “Music and Mind: Harnessing the Arts for Health and Wellness,” with neuroscientist Daniel J. Levitin, author of “I Heard There Was a Secret Chord: Music as Medicine.”

Dynamic duo Tamron Hall and Lish Steiling talk about their new cookbook for aspiring chefs, “A Confident Cook: Recipes for Joyous, No-Pressure Fun in the Kitchen.”

Carlos Lozada, author of “The Washington Book: How to Read Politics and Politicians,” and Jeffrey Rosen, author of “The Pursuit of Happiness: How Classical Writers on Virtue Inspired the Lives of the Founders and Defined America,” explore how politicians may reveal more about themselves than they mean to when they write.

Annalee Newitz, author of “Stories Are Weapons: Psychological Warfare and the American Mind,” and Peter Pomerantsev, author of “How to Win an Information War: The Propagandist Who Outwitted Hitler,” discuss the impact, now and historically, of political propaganda and misinformation.

Aimee Nezhukumatathil, author of “Bite by Bite: Nourishments and Jamborees,” Annabelle Tometich, author of “The Mango Tree: A Memoir of Fruit, Florida and Felony,” and Crystal Wilkinson, author “Praisesong for the Kitchen Ghosts: Stories and Recipes from Five Generations of Black Country Cooks,” explore the intersection of food, memory and culture.

Award-winning author James Patterson will discuss his latest library-themed book that celebrates the world of librarians and their stories in “The Secret Lives of Booksellers and Librarians: Their Stories Are Better Than the Bestsellers.”

Poetry and Translation

M.A.R. Habib, translator of “The Qur’an: A Verse Translation,” and Emily Wilson, translator of Homer’s “The Iliad,” discuss what we could learn from the ancients in their new translations.

Tess Taylor, Aimee Nezhukumatathil, Forrest Gander and Ruben Quesada talk about their new poetry anthology, “Leaning Toward Light: Poems for Gardens & the Hands That Tend Them.”

Young Adults

Tomi Adeyemi, author of “Children of Anguish and Anarchy,” and Vanessa Le, author “The Last Bloodcarver,” discuss fantasy and heritage within their storytelling.

Terry J. Benton-Walker, editor of “The White Guy Dies First: 13 Scary Stories of Fear and Power,” and Desiree S. Evans and Saraciea J. Fennell, editors of “The Black Girl Survives in This One: Horror Stories,” discuss their anthologies that focus on overturning stereotypes within horror stories.

K.A. Cobell, author of “Looking for Smoke,” and Andrew Joseph White, author of “Compound Fracture,” talk about social issues through young adult thrillers.

Hayley Dennings, author of “This Ravenous Fate,” and Marie Lu, author of “Icon and Inferno,” chat about their love of writing heart-pounding stories of action-packed romance.

Safia Elhillo, author of “Bright Red Fruit,” and Tony Keith Jr., author of “How the Boogeyman Became a Poet,” discuss self-discovery through writing poetry.

Candace Fleming, author of “The Enigma Girls: How Ten Teenagers Broke Ciphers, Kept Secrets and Helped Win World War II,” and Monica Hesse, author of “The Brightwood Code,” discuss how their stories bring focus to women and young people in STEM through stories of wartime coding and code-breaking.

Christopher Paolini, international bestselling author of the “The Inheritance Cycle,” explores his latest book, “Murtagh,” the direct sequel to “Inheritance.”

Gene Luen Yang, former National Ambassador for Young People’s Literature, and illustrator LeUyen Pham talk about their new romantic comedy graphic novel, “Lunar New Year Love Story,” a story about a couple trying to break a love curse.

Middle Grade

James Bird, author of “No Place Like Home,” and graphic novelist Jonathan Todd, author and illustrator of “Timid,” discuss how they adapted their personal stories into fiction.

Graphic novelists Vera Brosgol, creator of “Plain Jane and the Mermaid,” and Kazu Kibuishi, creator of “Waverider,” the final novel in the Amulet series, discuss their fantasy adventure graphic novels.

Peter Brown, bestselling author of “The Wild Robot Protects,” the third title in the “Wild Robot” series, chats about how he creates a world where a lovable robot protects her home and animal friends from environmental disaster.

Pablo Cartaya, author of “Curveball,” and Hena Khan, author of “We Are Big Time,” talk about writing graphic novels focused on girls who discover their resilience through their love of sports.

J.C. Cervantes, author of “The Daggers of Ire,” and Zetta Elliott, author of “The War of the Witches,” chat about the journey of writing fantasy novels focused on the strength and power kids can discover when working together.

Ernest Cline, best known for his award-winning science fiction novel, “Ready Player One,” chats about his latest tale, “Bridge to Bat City,” a mostly true story about a young girl and a music-loving colony of bats in Austin, Texas.

Barbara Dee, author of “Unstuck,” and Susan Haas and Lexi Haas, mother-daughter author duo writers of “The Year of the Buttered Cat: A Mostly True Story,” discuss the importance of various styles of communication and connection in real life and within stories.

Anna Lapera, author of “Mani Semilla Finds Her Quetzal Voice,” and Sherri Winston, author of “Shark Teeth,” talk in depth about how their characters find their voice to advocate for themselves during treacherous times.

Picture Books

Steve Asbell, author of “Flap Your Hands: A Celebration of Stimming,” and Stephanie Seales, author of “My Daddy Is a Cowboy,” discuss their love of illustrating and writing nonfiction books for children that help them find positive role models.

Max Greenfield, beloved actor and author, talks about the release of his new children’s book, “Good Night Thoughts,” a sweetly funny bedtime book about anxiety and being present.

Oliver Jeffers and Sam Winston talk about their new book together, “The Dictionary Story,” a lyrical picture book that aims to inspire readers of all ages to create their own art.

Meg Medina, National Ambassador for Young People’s Literature, talks about her new children’s book, “No More Señora Mimí,” a story about the caregivers who enter a child’s tender world.

Author Adam Rubin and illustrator Liniers discuss their new laugh-out-loud picture book,“The Truth About the Couch.”

About the National Book Festival

The Library’s National Book Festival was co-founded in 2001 by first lady Laura Bush.

Authors will participate in book signings at the festival. Festivalgoers will be able to purchase books by the featured authors from Politics and Prose, the official bookseller of the 2024 National Book Festival onsite at the Festival.

The National Book Festival is made possible by the generous support of private- and public-sector sponsors who share the Library’s commitment to reading and literacy, led by National Book Festival Co-Chair David M. Rubenstein. Sponsors include: General Motors, James Madison Council, Institute of Museum and Library Services, National Endowment for the Arts, National Endowment for the Humanities, CoStar Group, the John W. Kluge Center, AARP, Friends of the Library of Congress, Diane and Tim Naughton, the Library of Congress Federal Credit Union, and the Junior League of Washington.

C-SPAN’s Book TV will return to the National Book Festival as a media partner to livestream select events and interview featured authors. Media partners also include The Washington Post and NPR.

The Library of Congress is the world’s largest library, offering access to the creative record of the United States — and extensive materials from around the world — both on-site and online. It is the main research arm of the U.S. Congress and the home of the U.S. Copyright Office. Explore collections, reference services and other programs and plan a visit at loc.gov; access the official site for U.S. federal legislative information at congress.gov; and register creative works of authorship at copyright.gov.

LOC Press Release

Sneak Peek: Madwoman By Chelsea Bieker

Jocie McKade

30 June 2024

Madwoman By Chelsea Bieker

“The rare kind of book that lives in your bones” (Ashley Audrain), this novel tells a gripping story of motherhood and motherloss and the brutal, mighty things women do to keep themselves and each other alive, marking the arrival of a major fiction talent.

The world is not made for mothers.
Yet mothers made the world…

Clove has gone to extremes to keep her past a secret. Thanks to her lies, she’s landed the life of her dreams, complete with a safe husband and two adoring children who will never know the terror that was routine in her own childhood. If her buried anxiety threatens to breach the surface, Clove (if that is really her name) focuses on finding the right supplement, the right gratitude meditation.

But when she receives a letter from a women’s prison in California, her past comes screeching into the present, entangling her in a dangerous game with memory and the people she thought she had outrun. As we race between her precarious present-day life in Portland, Oregon and her childhood in a Waikiki high-rise with her mother and father, Clove is forced to finally unravel the defining day of her life. How did she survive that day, and what will it take to end the cycle of violence? Will the truth undo her, or could it ultimately save her?

A New FIREFLY Origin Story

Jocie McKade

29 June 2024

A New FIREFLY Origin Story from BOOM! Studios
The legendary Captain Malcolm Reynolds’ origins revealed!

One of modern comics’ most witty and beloved writers Sam Humphires (Harley Quinn), along with debut comics artist Giovanni Fabiano, and colorist Gloria Martinelli (Firefly: The Fall Guys), take on the universe of Firefly by exploring the early life of the intrepid Captain Mal Reynolds in FIREFLY: MALCOLM REYNOLDS YEAR ONE, available September 2024.

Despite starting from an unlikely place, Malcolm Reynolds has always been a troublemaker. Becoming a Browncoat was always meant to be. But what unexpected obstacles lie on that path to him becoming the Captain that fans know and love? To him assembling and leading the crew of the spaceship Serenity?

“It was such an honor to tell the first year of the Unification War and the formative years of Mal,” said writer Sam Humphries. “Unfortunately for him, the war isn’t as glorious as we’ve been led to believe. Giovanni, of course, killed it, and when you read this book you’ll be able to say you saw him when.”

“It has been a true pleasure working on this project,” said debut comics artist Giovanni Fabiano. “It was an honor and a great responsibility to create the concept of the young versions of these characters from scratch. I had a lot of fun.”

Boom Studio

Barnes & Noble Announces The Best Books of 2024 (So Far)

Jocie McKade

29 June 2024

Barnes & Noble is thrilled to announce their selections for The Best Books of the Year (So Far). The list is a compilation of categories hand-selected by the B&N bookselling team, each featuring several titles that represent the crème de la crème of books published since January of 2024.

From household names to debut authors, picture books to memoirs, the Best Books of 2024 (So Far) captures the brilliance of publishing in the first half of this memorable year. These 12 unique collections encompass a wide range of genres, highlighting books that will surprise and delight a broad readership, including:

Horror Rewind: 5 VHS Thrills and Chills

They Write, We Score: 10 Sports Romances We Cheer For

Micro to Macro: 7 Science and Nature Titles to Explore and more.

The Cutting Edge: 8 Spredges We’re Obsessed With

“It is always a joy — and a challenge — to curate our Best Books lists, and this year has been an exceptional one for new publishing,” said Jackie De Leo, Chief Merchandising Officer, Barnes & Noble. “Instead of conforming to a Top 10-style round-up, our booksellers had the freedom to find the best books within a variety of themes. From broad categories like debut novels, to the very niche, like nostalgic horror stories, we’ve had a blast pulling these lists together. We hope our customers find them as interesting and fun to browse as they were to create.”

Barnes & Noble prides itself on uniting readers and introducing them to their next favorite book. Their booksellers are fueled by a desire to amplify stories that have a lasting effect on the reader. The Best Books of 2024 (So Far) joins the bookseller’s immensely successful literary celebrations, including their annual Children’s & YA Book Awards and Discover Prize Award.

“Our booksellers delved deep into the stacks with these,” said Shannon DeVito, Senior Director of Books, Barnes & Noble. “So much so that we couldn’t limit the number of books on each list — classic bookseller behavior. I am so happy we have these engaging, varied groups of titles that speak to the wide range and impressive depth of publishing we’ve seen so far in 2024.”

Some of the Barnes & Noble Best Books of 2024 (So Far) lists include:

Modern Love: 6 Novels That Changed the Way We Think About Relationships

Good Material by Dolly Alderton

888 Love and the Divine Burden of Numbers: A Novel by Abraham Chang

The Husbands: A Novel by Holly Gramazio

All Fours by Miranda July

Green Dot: A Novel by Madeleine Gray

You Are Here by David Nicholls

A Moment in Time: 9 Histories from Today’s Heavy Hitters

The Demon of Unrest: A Saga of Hubris, Heartbreak, and Heroism at the Dawn of the Civil War by Erik Larson

After 1177 B.C.: The Survival of Civilizations by Eric H. Cline

Age of Revolutions: Progress and Backlash from 1600 to the Present by Fareed Zakaria