FALLING IN LOVE WITH MIRANDA OH

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9 October 2020

Special Feature

FALLING IN LOVE WITH AUTHOR MIRANDA OH

Up in Canada the fall is beautiful. We go from full lush green in the summer to a wild range of burnt oranges, deep reds and mustard yellows. The sun still warms your face when you enjoy your morning cup of coffee on the patio and the nights are crisp and cool enough to crack the window open while you sleep to give your lungs a bit of extra fresh air. Not to mention the pumpkin spices lattes are TO DIE for – regardless if you make them yourself, or do a quick stop at your local Starbucks.

Miranda latest release is:

JUST BREATH: CHIN UP, TITS OUT

Continuing the saga of Hadley, recently divorced and wending her way down the path of life in anticipation of her rapidly approaching 30th birthday as a single woman. Testing waters and wantonly accepting new and exhilarating scenarios, Hadley wisely chooses each path carefully before diving into the quagmire which is life. A humorous, oft times sexy, look at life from a young woman’s standpoint, readers will laugh out loud at some scenarios, cry at others and knowingly shake their heads at still others.

For more information about Miranda and her books:::

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/the.miranda.oh & https://www.facebook.com/ohmirandaoh

Website: www.mirandaoh.com

IG: https://www.instagram.com/ohmirandaoh/?hl=en & https://www.instagram.com/quillandinkposcast/?hl=en

Podcast Youtube Page: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLNiINfX_iapzz74DIUDADrepIDkgL7uO_

Twitter: https://twitter.com/ohmirandaoh?lang=en

Birthdays in the Cemetery

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Sheila English

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9 October 2020

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Guest blogger- Loren Rhoads author of 199 Cemeteries

Before my husband and I had our daughter, we discovered that October is the best time to travel. With the kids back at school and summer crowds back at work, it’s easier to find hotel rooms and cheaper plane tickets.

It doesn’t hurt that my birthday falls in late October, which gives us an even better excuse for an adventure. One year early in our marriage, we managed to be in Paris. We spent the day of my birthday exploring Pere Lachaise Cemetery. The old necropolis is absolutely crowded with thought-provoking statuary and amazing architecture. Crisp autumn leaves crunched underfoot as we roamed, paying our respects at the graves of famous people from Chopin to Oscar Wilde to Jim Morrison.

Years later, my husband and I flew to Prague one October. We visited the Old Jewish Cemetery, which dates to the Middle Ages, and the New Jewish Cemetery, where Franz Kafka is buried with his mother. On my birthday, we took a bus out of the city to the Bone Chapel in Kutna Hora, where the skeletons of 40,000 people have been arranged into chalices, a chandelier, a coat of arms, and pyramids that towered overhead.

What is it about spending my birthday in burial grounds? Honestly, I can’t think of anywhere better to count your blessings. Every day aboveground is a good day, I say, and where better to inspire some gratitude for the things you can still enjoy? Visiting a graveyard gives you all the benefits of forest-bathing with a side of memento mori — to say nothing of working up an appetite for tart aux pommes or roast duck with sauerkraut. I love to smell the flowers, listen to the birds sing, watch the bunnies or butterflies or, on rare occasions, deer. Visiting cemeteries simply reminds me that I am lucky to be alive.

After our daughter was born, we took her to Los Angeles to celebrate the Dia de los Muertos at Hollywood Forever. Amidst the graves of movie stars like Rudolph Valentino and Mel Blanc — and music icons Dee Dee Ramone and Rozz Williams — huge altars and art installations remembered less well-known dead. We watched the skeletons dance and ate churros washed down with hot chocolate as we introduced her to the joys of October travel.

More recently, my family spent the morning of my birthday poking around Westwood Village Memorial Park near UCLA. I’d only been to that cemetery once before, in the winter as night was falling, when it grew too dark to find any graves other than Marilyn Monroe’s.

Westwood Memorial Park is filled with famous names, from Truman Capote to Bette Page. As we wandered, enjoying the sunshine and peace inside the second-largest city in the country, I stumbled across the grave of Ray Bradbury.

Bradbury is my literary hero. I’ve read his books literally to pieces. I’ve underlined and analyzed and memorized his writing. I had the opportunity to meet him only once: at a bookstore on Haight Street when I was just starting my writing career. I was so tongue-tied I could barely tell him how much his work meant to me.

“For these beings, fall is ever the normal season,” he wrote in Something Wicked This Way Comes, one of the first of his books I read. “Where do they come from?” he asked. “The dust. Where do they go? The grave.”

It’s like he knew me. I am headed to the grave, spiraling closer one year at a time, but every birthday in the open air is a blessing and a gift, something to celebrate. It’s been a joy to have Ray Bradbury’s stories as company along the way.

I’m glad I finally got to tell him that. Afterward, I gathered up my husband and daughter for a celebratory lunch at Canter’s Restaurant, complete with chocolate egg creams and pastrami sandwiches. Confronting your mortality — and thanking your heroes — can leave you with a powerful appetite for life.

Article by Loren Rhoads

BIO:

Loren Rhoads is the author of 199 Cemeteries to See Before You Die and Wish You Were Here: Adventures in Cemetery Travel. Her newest book is Unsafe Words, a collection of short stories.

Social media:

Website: https://lorenrhoads.com/

Newsletter: https://mailchi.mp/aa9545b2ccf4/lorenrhoads

Facebook author page: https://www.facebook.com/LorenRhoadsAuthor/

Amazon author page: https://www.amazon.com/Loren-Rhoads/e/B002P905PE/

Loren’s books-

Unsafe Words on Amazon: https://amzn.to/2FjmmuA

199 Cemeteries on Amazon: https://amzn.to/3jGHtq2

Wish You Were Here on Amazon: https://amzn.to/3d68fWk

Interview with Children’s Author Tracy Hartley

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Sheila English

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9 October 2020

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Little Ellie Isabellie is so excited for the day to begin. She is going on an adventure with her daddy today. The excitement of wondering what the day may hold has her overjoyed. Ellie experiences the smells and colors of a flower shop for the first time. She learns along the way about the special bond between her and her daddy. She is in for a special surprise that she will cherish all her life. Her daddy shows her how loved and important that she is to him. Ellie is ready to see what the next new adventure may bring. https://www.amazon.com/Little-Ellie-I…

A PROMISED LAND, First Volume of Barack Obama’s Presidential Memoirs

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Jocie McKade

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8 October 2020

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A PROMISED LAND, First Volume of Barack Obama’s Presidential Memoirs

The presidential memoirs of Barack Obama, the 44th president of the United States, will be published in two volumes. The first volume, titled A PROMISED LAND, is scheduled for global release on Tuesday, November 17, 2020, and will be issued simultaneously in 25 languages. The news was announced today by Markus Dohle, CEO of Penguin Random House, which acquired world rights to the highly anticipated work. Dohle also announced the book cover image, available here.

A PROMISED LAND will be published in the United States and Canada in hardcover and digital formats by Crown, an imprint of the Random House Publishing Group, a division of Penguin Random House. An unabridged audio edition of the book, read by the author, will be simultaneously released in digital and physical formats by Penguin Random House Audio. A Spanish language edition will also be available, published as UNA TIERRA PROMETIDA.

A publication date for the second, and concluding, volume of the memoirs has not yet been set and will be announced at a later date. Details about President Obama’s book tour will be announced later this fall.

In his own words, Barack Obama tells in A PROMISED LAND the story of his improbable odyssey from young man searching for his identity to leader of the free world, describing in strikingly personal detail both his political education and the landmark moments of the first term of his historic presidency—a time of dramatic transformation and turmoil.

Providing a stirring, deeply personal account of history in the making, Obama takes readers on a compelling journey from his earliest political aspirations to the pivotal Iowa caucus victory that demonstrated the power of grassroots activism to the watershed night of November 4, 2008, when he was elected 44th president of the United States, becoming the first African American to hold the nation’s highest office.

Reflecting on the presidency, he offers a unique and thoughtful exploration of both the awesome reach and the limits of presidential power, as well as singular insights into the dynamics of U.S. partisan politics and international diplomacy. Obama brings readers inside the Oval Office and the White House Situation Room, and to Moscow, Cairo, Beijing, and points beyond. We are privy to his thoughts as he assembles his cabinet, wrestles with a global financial crisis, takes the measure of Vladimir Putin, overcomes seemingly insurmountable odds to secure passage of the Affordable Care Act, clashes with generals about U.S. strategy in Afghanistan, tackles Wall Street reform, responds to the devastating Deepwater Horizon blowout, and authorizes Operation Neptune’s Spear, which leads to the death of Osama bin Laden.

A PROMISED LAND is extraordinarily intimate and introspective—the story of one man’s bet with history, the faith of a community organizer tested on the world stage. Obama is candid about the balancing act of running for office as a Black American, bearing the expectations of a generation buoyed by messages of “hope and change,” and meeting the moral challenges of high-stakes decision-making. He is frank about the forces that opposed him at home and abroad, open about how living in the White House affected his wife and daughters, and unafraid to reveal self-doubt and disappointment. Yet he never wavers from his belief that inside the great, ongoing American experiment, progress is always possible.

Said President Obama, “There’s no feeling like finishing a book, and I’m proud of this one. I’ve spent the last few years reflecting on my presidency, and in A PROMISED LAND I’ve tried to provide an honest accounting of my presidential campaign and my time in office: the key events and people who shaped it; my take on what I got right and the mistakes I made; and the political, economic, and cultural forces that my team and I had to confront then—and that as a nation we are grappling with still. In the book, I’ve also tried to give readers a sense of the personal journey that Michelle and I went through during those years, with all the incredible highs and lows. And finally, at a time when America is going through such enormous upheaval, the book offers some of my broader thoughts on how we can heal the divisions in our country going forward and make our democracy work for everybody—a task that won’t depend on any single president, but on all of us as engaged citizens. Along with being a fun and informative read, I hope more than anything that the book inspires young people across the country—and around the globe—to take up the baton, lift up their voices, and play their part in remaking the world for the better.”

Said Markus Dohle, “Through his words and actions, President Obama has had an indelible impact on the world and the course of history, serving as a beacon of hope and progress that has inspired so many. He is also a supremely gifted and accomplished writer, and it is a great honor for Penguin Random House to publish A PROMISED LAND for readers everywhere. I know they will find it to be a book that vividly brings history to life, reminding us of the power of democracy even during times of global crisis.”

Kathie L. Gifford Releasing New Book — Hello, Little Dreamer

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Jocie McKade

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8 October 2020

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Beloved television personality and author Kathie Lee Gifford hopes to inspire children to follow God’s dreams for them in her new children’s book, Hello, Little Dreamer. The book goes on sale wherever books are sold, Tuesday, Oct. 13.

Each child has dreams to discover over their lifetime, and Hello, Little Dreamer helps families celebrate each child’s God-given purpose in the world. Children glow with joy and a sense of security when they know God made them for a purpose. Gifford reminds her young readers that God has been dreaming for them their entire lives. Some dreams reveal themselves quickly while others take time to develop, but each dream adds to the beautiful picture of who a child is meant to be.

With a bright, decorative cover and wonder-filled illustrations from Anita Schmidt, Hello, Little Dreamer helps children rest in God’s love for them. With its affirming message of purpose, Hello, Little Dreamer will encourage any child to trust that they have an amazing role in God’s story.

In addition, Kathie Lee will be releasing a second book, It’s Never Too Late: Make the Next Act of Your Life the Best Act of Your Life (release date Dec. 1, 2020; Thomas Nelson), sharing never-before-told personal stories along with insights, wisdom and inspiration for anyone facing their own life changes. When Kathie Lee Gifford stepped down as cohost of the fourth hour of the Today show with Hoda Kotb, you might have thought her best days were behind her. It turns out, she was just getting started. As Kathie Lee says, “I’m not retiring; I’m refiring!” But she was just getting started. With her hard-earned wisdom and signature warmth, It’s Never Too Late offers readers insights and inspiration to live out their own dreams, change direction, speak out for what they believe and pursue what truly matters. For more information about It’s Never Too Late, visit www. KathieLeeGifford.com.

About the Author:

Kathie Lee Gifford is the four-time Emmy award winning former co-host of the fourth hour of “TODAY,” alongside Hoda Kotb. After 11 years together, Gifford stepped down from that role to pursue other creative endeavors. The Gifford-Kotb hour had been hailed as “appointment television” by Entertainment Weekly, and “TODAY’s happy hour” by USA Today.

Prior to NBC News, Gifford served as the co-host of “Live with Regis and Kathie Lee” for 15 years, where she received 11 Emmy nominations. In 2015 Gifford was inducted into the Broadcast & Cable Hall of Fame. She has been chosen to receive a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 2020.

A playwright, producer, singer, songwriter and actress, Gifford has starred in numerous television programs and movies in her 45-year career. She has her own record label and has written several musicals including Broadway’s SCANDALOUS, which received a Tony nomination for Best Actress in 2012. Gifford also starred on Broadway in “Putting it Together” and “Annie.” In the fall of 2018, she wrapped post-production on “Then Came You,” a film she has written, produced and starred in alongside Craig Ferguson. In April of 2019, she made her directorial debut with “THE GOD WHO SEES” the short film, shot in Israel and based on a song she co-wrote with Grammy-nominated Nicole C. Mullen. The song was nominated for a Dove award.

Gifford authored four NY Times bestselling books including “The Rock, The Road and the Rabbi”, “Just When I Thought I’d Dropped My Last Egg,” “I Can’t Believe I Said That,” and the popular children’s book “Party Animals.” In October of 2018, she released the children’s book, “The Gift That I Can Give” with all proceeds going to Childhelp. She also launched GIFFT, a line of wine with the Scheid Family Vineyards in Monterey, CA.

Gifford lends support to numerous children’s organizations including Childhelp, the International Justice Mission, and the Association to Benefit Children, which spawned Cassidy’s Place and Cody House, named after her two children. She received an honorary degree from Marymount University for her humanitarian work in labor relations.

Gifford is on Twitter and Instagram at @KathieLGifford.

About the Illustrator:
Anita Schmidt lives in Northern Germany surrounded by seven seas. Her passion for drawing began early in life from the moment when she first held a pencil. Since then, Anita went on to study graphic design, but after having two children, she rekindled her passion for illustrating and now can’t stop drawing!

About Tommy Nelson:
Tommy Nelson® is the children’s division of Thomas Nelson. As a leading provider of Christian content, Tommy Nelson publishes a wide variety of high-quality, enjoyable products that are consistent with the teachings found in the Bible. Tommy Nelson’s award-winning products are designed to expand children’s imaginations and nurture their faith while inspiring them to develop a personal relationship with Jesus. For more information, visit www.tommynelson.com.

Behind The Words With Susan May Warren

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Jocie McKade

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8 October 2020

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Welcome Susan, we’re excited to have you on Reader’s Entertainment. First, tell our readers a bit about yourself.

I’m the author of nearly 80 novels (I feel very old when I say that!), the wife of 1 husband, (over 30 years), mother of four adult children and two spouses, and “MayMay” one adorable granddaughter. I’m also a SCUBA diver, a swing dancer, a writing teacher, the owner of a school for writers, a world traveler, a home remodeler and a friend of Jesus. I feel very very blessed with my life.

Where you’re from, where you live? Is writing your full-time job?

I grew up in Minneapolis, graduated from the University of MN, did ten years in SIBERIA as a missionary, (not a typo), lived in a tiny town on the shores of Lake Superior in northern MN for fifteen years, and now split my time between our home in Minneapolis, and our vacation place in Florida. I do write full time, about 5-6 hours every day, Monday-Friday.

How long have you been writing?

All my life. But, my first book was published in 2002. So…18 years.

Give readers a look at a typical writing day.

I get up around 7am, make coffee and spend the first hour doing my “Miracle Morning,” – a time of mediation, reading, prayer, and planning for my day. Then I do a few personal chores, grab breakfast, and start my day at 9 am by attacking the first item in my “block of time.” I organize my day not by time slots but by “Power Blocks” where I focus on ONE type of activity at a time. E.g. I might write a blog. Or I might answer email. Or I might edit a chapter. Or maybe I draft a chapter. I might write a class, or even listen to a class. Whatever it is, I block an hour, maybe two, and ONLY do this task. Then, I take a break and do another Power Block. I usually have one morning block, and 2-3 afternoon blocks, depending on my projects. I love working this day because I can plan my week, doing many different activities, but getting each done in their own time. I usually take a walk at lunchtime and end my day around 6pm so I can join my husband for dinner. It’s not unusual for me to work after dinner, Mon-Thursday, as my goal is to take Friday afternoon and all weekend off!

Tell us about your latest release? Where the idea came from? Perhaps some fun moments, or not so fun moments?

My latest release, The Price of Valor, is the final book in a trilogy about a man’s search for his wife…and ultimately, a quest to save his nation. The wife of Former Navy Seal, Hamilton Jones has been missing and presumed dead for over a decade. But when Ham discovers that she’s not only alive, but has vital information about the safety of America, he has to find her, get the information, bring her home, and maybe, just maybe, reignite their romance. It takes place in Italy, Minnesota, and finally, Washington D.C.

I get my ideas from the news, television shows, conspiracy theories (seriously! They’re fantastic for what-ifs!) and my own musings. This particular idea was birthed years ago when I was plotting a different series, the Montana Marshalls. It was fun to see it come to completion in Price of Valor!

Could you share one detail from your current release with readers that they might not find in the book? Perhaps a juicy bit of back-story, or something only you know about a character.

The setting, Catania, Italy, just happens to be where my son and his wife currently live! He’s a corpsman at an air base outside Catania, and in order to get the setting correct, I made them “facetime” with me all over Catania! (I’m sure they got tired of me asking, “what does it smell like?”)

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

I think Ham’s wife, Signe, was the most difficult. I had to make her likeable, and yet committed to her mission. Her backstory is not an easy one, and she’s made some questionable choices that most people wouldn’t agree with. So, I had to figure out what was likeable about her, and then, how to address her choices in a way that readers would at least understand. Finally, I had to figure out how Ham would react in a realistic but compassionate way to these choices. It was a difficult dance, but with the help of my excellent editors at Revell, I think we got it right.

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

I love Jenny Calhoun, the character of book #1. She’s smart and tough and athletic, and I love that she knows how to take care of herself and everyone else.

All writers are readers. Are there any particular authors that have influenced how you write and, if so, how have they influenced you?

Oh my, I think there might be a word count on this blog, right? LOL. So, of course, I read the usual suspects – Francine Rivers, Dee Henderson, Tracy Peterson, Deb Raney, Colleen Coble. But I am also a fan of a number of new authors – Rachel Hauck (my writing partner!), Ronie Kendig, Lynette Eason, Patricia Bradley, Lynn Blackburn, Natalie Walters, Melissa Tagg, Lisa Jordan, Tari Faris, Beth Vogt, Lindsay Harrel, Bethany Turner, Jessica Kate, Nicole Deese, Tammy L. Gray, Betsy St. Amant…my kindle is full, and I’m sure I missed people! This is a great time to be an author—and to find new authors!

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

Hmm…I love home DIY and remodeling. (although I think readers know this!) If I weren’t an author, I’d probably be a DIY blogger!

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

Okay, I found this new drink that I LOOOOVE. It’s a grown up drink, but it’s very, very light. I take red wine Sangria, fill up my glass (on the rocks) halfway, and then I take margarita mix (without the tequila), add ice to it and slush it up in a blender. Then I add that on top of the Sangria. It makes the drink very low alcohol content, but adds a limey-margarita flair that is super fun.

Then, I take some flour or corn tortillas, pour a little olive oil in the bottom of a cooking sheet, wash the tortillas in the olive oil and then cut them into triangles and put them on the sheet. I grind some Himalayan salt on them, then cook at 350, turning once, for about 10-12 minutes. Let cool on a paper towel, then serve them with homemade guac or salsa. Better than store bought, for sure.

Or, just come over on a Friday night. That might be easier. ?

What are you reading right now?

I’m reading Brandon Sanderson’s The Way of Kings. It’s very long. But very good.

Thank you so much Susan, for joining us today!!

HERE’S A LOOK AT SUSAN’S LATEST RELEASE — THE PRICE OF VALOR

A high-octane mix of love and adventure

Kidnapped by rebels while serving as a humanitarian aid worker in Chechnya, Signe Kincaid has spent the past decade secreting out valuable information about Russian assets in the US to her CIA handler. Fearing for her daughter after being discovered as an operative, Signe sends her to former Navy SEAL Hamilton Jones for safekeeping. Signe is ready to give her life for her country, and she can hardly expect Ham to rescue her after breaking his heart over and over.

Hamilton Jones has never forgotten the only woman he loved—and he can’t believe after all these years she’s shown up alive. But can he forgive her for her secrets? And, when Ham discovers the reason Signe has kept her distance, he must choose between love for her and love for the nation he has vowed to protect.

Will he save the many? Or the few? And what is the price of valor?

You can purchase THE PRICE OF VALOR at:
http://www.bakerpublishinggroup.com/books/the-price-of-valor/395091

Praise for The Heart of a Hero “Warren once again delivers a high-action inspirational that explores how love and faith ground those on the brink of disaster.”—Publishers Weekly

About The Author:
Susan May Warren is the USA Today bestselling author of more than 65 novels with more than 1 million books sold, including The Way of the Brave and The Heart of a Hero, as well as the Montana Rescue series. Winner of a RITA Award and multiple Christy and Carol Awards, as well as the HOLT Medallion and numerous Readers’ Choice Awards, Susan makes her home in Minnesota. Find her online at www.susanmaywarren.com, on Facebook @SusanMayWarrenFiction, and on Twitter @susanmaywarren. You can learn more about Susan at:

http://www.susanmaywarren.com/

https://www.facebook.com/SusanMayWarrenFiction

https://twitter.com/susanmaywarren

https://www.youtube.com/user/NorthShoreSuz

Talking Weird World III with Sean Patrick Hazlett

By

Sheila English

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7 October 2020

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Weird World III is the new anthology Sean Patrick Hazlett is the editor for. With an astounding line of authors we promise to list at the end of this interview with Sean!

But of course, we wanted to find out more about the ringleader of weird, Sean Patrick Hazlett!

RE: Tell us the synopsis of your book.

Weird World War III is an anthology featuring short stories from some of today’s greatest minds in science fiction, fantasy, and horror that imagines how a war between the United States and Soviet Union may have unfolded.

The concept for Weird World War III was inspired by my tactical expertise as an Army captain and tank commander training US forces using Soviet doctrine and tactics at the National Training Center; my strategic background as a research assistant at the Stanford-Harvard Preventive Defense Project to former US Secretary of Defense Ashton B. Carter; and my academic degrees in history and electrical engineering.

RE: What do you feel is the most unique aspect of your story?

Weird World War III is a unique anthology because it fuses two seemingly unrelated concepts. The first is to explore various alternative histories in which the US and Soviet Union fought World War III. The second is to add a weird or science fictional element to that conflict. Think Tom Clancy meets H.P. Lovecraft. After all, what is the existential threat of nuclear annihilation but another manifestation of cosmic horror?

RE: Tell us about your main character(s).

Weird World War III is an anthology, so each of the nineteen stories has different plots and characters.

RE: What genre(s) is this and who do you think will enjoy reading it? (type of audience)

Weird World War III is a science fiction, fantasy, and horror anthology that presents alternative histories about World War III from national best-selling and award-winning authors such as David Drake, Mike Resnick, John Langan, Nick Mamatas, Marina J. Lostetter, Sarah A. Hoyt, T.C. McCarthy, and Brad R. Torgersen. Anyone who enjoys weird fiction, military science fiction, or a mix of both will love this book.

RE: Have you received any feedback on it yet, and if so, what was it?

To my knowledge, there have been no published reviews at this point.

RE: Tell us something about yourself that most of your readers may not know.

I was then-Senator Joe Biden’s primary nominee for an appointment to the United States Air Force Academy. I turned him down to attend Stanford.

RE: What’s next for you?

I am working on several projects right now. I just sent an occult detective novel called The Flatlands to my agent for comments. The novel takes place Northern California, particularly in Oakland and Lake Tahoe. There could potentially be a follow-up anthology to Weird World War III if the book does well. I am also working on a military science fiction short story for a future Baen anthology that explores the future of robotics and artificial intelligence. Additionally, I am starting work on a corporate cosmic horror novel. And, as is my usual practice, I continue to work on several other short stories that are in varying stages of completion.

RE: Where can people interact with you and find out more about you and your books?

Folks can find me on my website or on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, and Amazon.

As promised here is the list of contributors for the anthology!

“Drake couldn’t write a bad action scene at gunpoint.”—Booklist on David Drake

“He’s one of the most talented authors I’ve ever read.”—Larry Correia on Brad R. Torgersen

“[A] tour de force: logical, built from assumptions with no contradictions . . . gripping.”—Jerry Pournelle on Sarah A. Hoyt

“Lostetter remains at the forefront of innovation in hard science fiction.”—Publishers Weekly on Marina J. Lostetter

Contributors:
David Drake
Brian Trent
Mike Resnick
Erica Satifka
Brad R. Torgersen
Kevin Andrew Murphy
Dr. Xander Lostetter and Marina J. Lostetter
Martin L. Shoemaker
Sarah A. Hoyt
Deborah A. Wolf
Stephen Lawson
Ville Meriläinen
Peter J. Wacks and Bryan Thomas Schmidt
Alex Shvartsman
C.L. Kagmi
Nick Mamatas
T.C. McCarthy
Eric James Stone
John Langan

Book Lights radio with Lisa Kessler presents Author LaQuette

By

Jocie McKade

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7 October 2020

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LISTEN HERE!!

LaQuette is a romance author of bold, provocative love stories featuring multicultural characters. Her writing style brings intellect to the drama. She often crafts emotionally epic, fantastical tales that are deeply pigmented by reality’s paintbrush. Her novels are filled with a unique mixture of savvy, sarcastic, brazen, and unapologetically sexy characters who are confident in their right to appear on the page.

This bestselling Romance Author is the 2016 Author of the Year Golden Apple Award Winner, 2015 Swirl Awards Bronze Winner in Romantic Suspense, and 2015 Georgia Romance Writers Maggie Award Finalist in Erotic Romance. LaQuette—a native of Brooklyn, New York—spends her time catering to her three distinct personalities: Wife, Mother, and Educator.

Writing—her escape from everyday madness— has always been a friend and source of comfort. At the age of sixteen, she read her first romance novel and realized the genre was missing something: people that looked and lived like her. As a result, her characters and settings are always designed to provide positive representations of people of color and various marginalized communities.

She loves hearing from readers and discussing the crazy characters that are running around in her head causing so much trouble. Contact her on Facebook, Twitter, her website, LaQuette.com, Amazon, and via email at LaQuette@LaQuette.com

And for more about our host Lisa Kessler visit http://Lisa-Kessler.com

Book Lights – shining a light on good books!

Social Justice Book Prizes Shortlist Announced

By

Jocie McKade

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7 October 2020

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Shortlists have been released for the Goddard Riverside Stephan Russo Book Prize for Social Justice and the new Goddard Riverside / CBC Youth Book Prize for Social Justice. The winners of both prizes will be announced on October 29 online at the Goddard Riverside Annual Gala.

The youth prize recognizes nonfiction books for children and teens related to urban life and issues that support values such as community, equality, opportunity, mutual understanding, respect, caring and justice – in accordance with Goddard Riverside’s mission.

Carl Lennertz, executive director the Children’s Book Council, said: “I want to thank Goddard for the work they do every single day, the publishers for the powerful and important books from this year that they sent in, and the two judges: Beth Puffer, longtime bookseller and former owner of beloved Eeyore’s Books, and Nicholas Rodriguez, the CBC intern who worked on this project all summer. We’re delighted to bring these works some well-deserved attention and we’ve listed many of the books submitted on a Courageous Women in History reading list, now up at CBC.org.”

The shortlist is:

All the Way to the Top: How One Girl’s Fight for Americans with Disabilities Changed Everything, by Annette Bay Pimental; illus. by Nabi H. Ali. The true story of a girl who left who wheelchair and climbed the US Capitol steps to fight for disability rights. (Sourcebooks Explore/Sourcebooks Kids)
For Beautiful Black Boys Who Believe in A Better World, by Michael W. Waters; illus. by Keisha Morris (Flyaway Books). An intimate look at one family’s response to racism and gun violence.
Harlem Grown: How One Big Idea Transformed a Neighborhood, by Tony Hillery; illus. by Jessie Hartland (Simon & Schuster/Paula Wiseman Books). A lush garden grows out of an abandoned lot and feeds a neighborhood.
Lizzie Demands a Seat!: Elizabeth Jennings Fights for Streetcar Rights, by Beth Anderson; illus. by E. B. Lewis (Boyds Mill & Kane/Calkins Creek). A schoolteacher changes history by fighting back when she is unjustly denied entry to a New York City streetcar.

The Goddard Riverside Stephan Russo Book Prize for Social Justice, now in its fourth year, celebrates the power of the written word to create change in the name of justice for all.

“These books not only offer factual insights into some of the most important social issues of our time—they give voice to people suffering from injustice so that we can truly understand the harm that is being done,” said Goddard Riverside Executive Director Roderick L. Jones. “At a time when our politics can seem senseless and brutal, these works light the way forward to a better society.”

The shortlisted titles are:

Abandoned: America’s Lost Youth and the Crisis of Disconnection, by Anne Kim [The New Press]—A journalist examines the hidden crisis of disconnected youth, telling the stories of young people navigating early adulthood alone in communities where poverty is endemic and opportunities almost nonexistent.
Begin Again: James Baldwin’s America and Its Urgent Lessons for Our Own, by Eddie S. Glaude Jr. [Crown]—The Princeton professor and author explores racism and the ongoing battle for civil rights in today’s America through the lens of the great James Baldwin.
Big Dirty Money: The Shocking Injustice and Unseen Cost of White Collar Crime, by Jennifer Taub [Viking]—White-collar crime is neither rare nor victimless; Taub, a banking law expert, shows how ordinary Americans suffer when the rich and powerful commit financial crimes.
Golden Gates: Fighting for Housing in America, by Conor Dougherty [Penguin Press]—A New York Times journalist chronicles America’s housing crisis from its West Coast epicenter, San Francisco, where fleets of private buses ferry software engineers past tarp-and-plywood shanties erected by people who have no homes.
Open Season: Legalized Genocide of Colored People, by Ben Crump [Amistad]—The attorney for the families of Trayvon Martin, Michael Brown and Breonna Taylor exposes how America is killing Black people and justifying it legally.
The Turnaway Study: Ten Years, a Thousand Women, and the Consequences of Having—or Being Denied—an Abortion, by Diana Greene Foster [Scribner]—A groundbreaking ten-year study led by the author, a reproductive health expert, examines the lasting consequences for women who are denied abortions and refutes the claim that the procedure harms women.

The list for the Stephan Russo Prize was chosen by a distinguished slate of judges chaired by Douglas Bauer, executive director of The Clark Foundation. The remaining judges are Paul Krugman, New York Times columnist and Nobel Prize winner; Marcia Cantarella, university administrator and author of I CAN Finish College: The Overcome Any Obstacle and Get Your Degree Guide; and leadership coach and cultural facilitator Ana Polanco. The book prize is named after Stephan Russo, who served as executive director of Goddard Riverside from 1998 to 2017.

FROM GODDARD-RIVERSIDE PRESS RELEASE

JO’S BOOK REVIEWS: MRS. CLAUS AND THE SANTALAND SLAYINGS

By

Jocie McKade

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7 October 2020

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JO’S BOOK REVIEWS

Mrs. Claus and the Santaland Slayings By Liz Ireland

Wait! Santa wanted for murder? Of an Elf? What’s his new bride April to think? A lot, and not all of it is good.

Mrs. Claus, April, is in love with Nick, but her life was completely upended when she learned her ‘Nick’ was St. Nick — you know of Santa fame?

This was a really fun read and the author did a amazing job of creating believable, mythical characters. Her world building was thorough enough that I kinda got nauseated at the thought of peppermint! LOL

Being the first book in the series, I realized there is a lot of backstory to flesh out, and while this is a cozy mystery, I wanted a bit more of April and Nick’s story. I’m betting that will come with book two.

Great start to a fun series!