The shortlists for the 2020 Romantic Novel Awards

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8 February 2020

We are delighted to announce the shortlists for the prestigious 2020 Romantic Novel Awards in what promises to be a spectacular year for the Association, as we celebrate our 60th (Diamond) Anniversary. Writer and performer Jenny Eclair will present the Awards during a ceremony at Leonardo Royal London City Hotel on Monday 2nd March.

The RNA’s awards are the only national literary prizes that recognise excellence in the genre of romantic fiction. In 2020 they comprise the Goldsboro Books Contemporary Romantic Novel Award, the Goldsboro Books Historical Romantic Novel Award, the Romantic Comedy Novel Award, the Sapere Books Popular Romantic Fiction Award, the Jackie Collins Award for Romantic Thrillers, the Romantic Saga Award, the Fantasy Romantic Novel Award, the Libertà Shorter Romantic Novel Award and the Katie Fforde Debut Romantic Novel Award.

Milly Johnson will also be presented with the 2020 Outstanding Achievement Award, in recognition of her extraordinary contribution to the field of romantic fiction.

Since its inception in 1960 the RNA has promoted excellence in romantic fiction and RNA Chair, Alison May, commented, “The shortlists this year show the fantastic range of romantic fiction being produced by hugely talented authors. In the RNA’s 60th year it’s heartening to see the genre in such good health, and to see such an exciting mix of established and up-and-coming writers taking romantic fiction forward into the next sixty years.”

The Category Shortlists

(authors are listed alphabetically)

The Katie Fforde Debut Romantic Novel Award:

The Forgotten Village, Lorna Cook, Avon, HarperCollins

Living My Best Life, Claire Frost, Simon & Schuster UK

The Hopes and Dreams of Lucy Baker, Jenni Keer, Avon, HarperCollins

The Flatshare, Beth O’Leary, Quercus Fiction

The Million Pieces of Neena Gill, Emma Smith-Barton, Penguin

The Libertá Books Shorter Romantic Novel Award:

Christmas by The Lighthouse, Rebecca Boxall, Lake Union, Amazon Publishing

Surprise Baby for the Heir, Ellie Darkins, Mills & Boon True Love

Miss Amelia’s Mistletoe Marquess, Jenni Fletcher, Mills & Boon Historical

A Return, a Reunion, a Wedding, Annie O’Neil, Mills & Boon Medical

The Lord’s Inconvenient Vow, Lara Temple, Mills & Boon Historical

The Romantic Saga Award:

The Street of Broken Dreams, Tania Crosse, Aria Fiction, Head of Zeus

The Brighton Guest House Girls, Lesley Eames, Aria Fiction, Head of Zeus

A Ration Book Childhood, Jean Fullerton, Corvus

A Precious Gift, Rosie Goodwin, Bonnier Books

Secrets of the Homefront Girls, Kate Thompson, Hodder & Stoughton

The Romantic Comedy Novel Award:

A Question of Us, Mary Jayne Baker, Aria Fiction, Head of Zeus

Bring Me Sunshine, Laura Kemp, Orion Fiction

A Cornish Cottage by the Sea, Jane Linfoot, One More Chapter, Harper Collins

Honeymoon for One, Portia MacIntosh, Boldwood Books

Love Songs for Sceptics, Christina Pishiris, Simon & Schuster UK

The Jackie Collins Romantic Thriller Award:

The Uncompromising Lord Flint, Virginia Heath, Mills & Boon Historical

Tell Me Your Secret, Dorothy Koomson, Headline Review

The Butterfly Room, Lucinda Riley, Pan Macmillan

Knowing You, Samantha Tonge, Canelo

My Mother’s Silence, Lauren Westwood, Bookouture

The Fantasy Romantic Novel Award:

The Girl at the Window, Rowan Coleman, Ebury Press, Penguin Random House

The Ghost Garden, Catherine Curzon and Eleanor Harkstead, Totally Bound

Queenie Malone’s Paradise Hotel, Ruth Hogan, Two Roads

The Hotel Where We Met, Belinda Jones, Independently published

The Stone’s Heart, Jessica Thorne, Bookouture

The Goldsboro Books Contemporary Romantic Novel Award:

Where the Story Starts, Imogen Clark, Lake Union, Amazon Publishing

A Convenient Marriage, Jeevani Charika, Hera Books

I Owe You One, Sophie Kinsella, Transworld

Happiness for Beginners, Carole Matthews, Sphere

A Summer to Remember, Sue Moorcroft, Avon, HarperCollins

A Walk in Wildflower Park, Bella Osborne, Avon, HarperCollins

Notting Hill in the Snow, Jules Wake, One More Chapter, HarperCollins

Coming Home to Glendale Hall, Victoria Walters, Hera Books

The Goldsboro Books Historical Romantic Novel Award:

The Hidden Women, Kerry Barrett, HQ Digital

Becoming Mrs Lewis, Patti Callahan, Harper Inspire, HarperCollins

Moonlight Over Mayfair, Anton Du Beke, Bonnier Books UK

Bringing Down the Duke, Evie Dunmore, Piatkus (UK), Berkley Romance (USA)

Meet Me in Monaco, Hazel Gaynor and Heather Webb, HarperCollins/William Morrow

The Light Over London, Julia Kelly, Orion Fiction

The French Photographer, Natasha Lester, Little, Brown Book Group

The Giver of Stars, Jojo Moyes, Michael Joseph

The Sapere Books Popular Fiction Award

The Glittering Hour, Iona Grey, Simon & Schuster

The Truths and Triumphs of Grace Atherton, Anstey Harris, Simon & Schuster

The Flatshare, Beth O’Leary, Quercus Fiction

Poppy’s Recipe for Life, Heidi Swain, Simon & Schuster

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About the Award Sponsors:

The Katie Fforde Debut Romantic Novel Award

Bestselling author Katie Fforde lives in the beautiful Cotswold countryside with her family, and is a true country girl at heart. Each of her books explores a different profession or background and her research has helped her bring these to life. She’s been a porter in an auction house, tried her hand at pottery, refurbished furniture, delved behind the scenes of a dating website, and she’s even been on a Ray Mears survival course. She loves being a writer; to her there isn’t a more satisfying and pleasing thing to do. She particularly enjoys writing love stories. She believes falling in love is the best thing in the world, and she wants all her characters to experience it, and her readers to share their stories. www.katiefforde.com, @KatieFforde.

The Libertà Shorter Romantic Novel Award

Libertà is a light-hearted website (libertabooks.com) where readers and authors share their experience, discoveries, favourites and occasional oddities. Run by four multi-published authors, it has evolved to cover advice on writing and, in the real world, well-received workshops for both experienced and aspiring writers. Expect more innovations in 2020, both in the real world and the virtual.

The Jackie Collins Romantic Thriller Award

Jackie Collins was a creative force, a trailblazer for women in fiction, and, in her own words, ‘A kick-ass writer!’ Since her 1968 debut The World is Full of Married Men, her books have sold in their millions in more than 40 countries and she is one of the world’s top-selling novelists. Ian Chapman, CEO of Simon & Schuster UK and International, said “Jackie was kind, brilliantly astute, with a wicked, mischievous sense of humour. She was a consummate storyteller and made her craft look easy, like all great practitioners. I – along with many others – miss her still and often expect to see her appear suddenly in our midst. Jackie was a wonderful friend, too, always there to offer advice, support and wisdom. We have long made a solemn commitment to ensure that her legacy endures and are incredibly proud to partner with the Romantic Novelists‘ Association and launch this wonderful award to support her fellow writers.”

The Goldsboro Books Contemporary Romantic Novel Award, and the Goldsboro Books Historical Romantic Novel Award

Goldsboro Books is the UK’s leading independent bookshop, specialising since 1999 in first editions, signed, collectable and exclusive books. Situated in Cecil Court in London’s West End, it has gained a reputation for championing debut authors, as well as creating the UK’s largest book collectors’ club, and is influential in selling large quantities of hard-back fiction.

The Sapere Books Popular Romantic Fiction Award

Sapere Books is a digital first publisher of romantic fiction, historical fiction, women’s fiction, crime fiction and thrillers. Sapere Books launched in 2018, and specialises in reissuing novels which have gone out of print and developing relationships with both new and established writers.

IDW Publishing Announces Four-Part Deep Space Nine Miniseries Debuting in April

By

Jocie McKade

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7 February 2020

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IDW Publishing (OTCQX: IDWM) brings the beloved DS9 crew back to comics with a taut noir thriller: the four-part comic book miniseries Star Trek: Deep Space Nine — Too Long a Sacrifice, under the license of ViacomCBS Consumer Products.

Written by longtime Star Trek scribes David Tipton and Scott Tipton and illustrated by Greg Scott (Gotham Central), the new series marks the first Deep Space Ninetitle published in over a decade. Debuting its first issue in April 2020, this long-awaited DS9 storyline shines the spotlight on Constable Odo, the fan-favorite shapeshifter brought to life by the late (and greatly missed) actor René Auberjonois.

“Set during the most difficult hours of the Dominion War, Too Long a Sacrifice shows the station during trying times: a series of mysterious and seemingly unsolvable terrorist attacks just as the war has everyone strained to the breaking point,” says David Tipton. “We’ll get to see the darker side of life on the station as Odo leads the investigation, with increasingly desperate conditions forcing him and others to deal with new and unexpected allies and to use unusual tactics in their efforts to stop the attacks.”

Scott Tipton says, “We’re so excited to return to the world of Star Trek: Deep Space Nine. With its ‘frontier setting’ and precarious place in the galaxy, Deep Space Nine offers the opportunity to tell truly unique tales of intrigue and suspense. Combine that with one of the best character ensembles ever assembled, and you get something no other Star Trek series can offer.”

“I’m really excited to be spending time with the DS9 crew,” says artist Greg Scott. “I’ve always loved Star Trek, and can’t wait to draw these wonderful characters!”

“Deep Space Nine is one of the StarTrek series that I’ve been the most eager for IDW to dive into in comics form, so to be at the helm for the first series in over a decade is a dream come true,” says editor Chase Marotz. “I’ve worked with David and Scott Tipton on several amazing StarTrek books and know that they’re going to deliver a story that the fans will love, and it’s exciting to finally be able to work with Greg Scott. I’m a big fan of his style and I think we’re poised to create a Star Trek book that’s going to both surprise and delight.”

Star Trek: Deep Space Nine — Too Long a Sacrifice #1 will be available with multiple cover variants for retailers and fans to enjoy, including Cover A by Ricardo Drumond, a Photo Edition for Cover B, and two Retailer Incentive editions by J.K. Woodward (Star Trek: The Next Generation — Mirror Broken).

Jerry Seinfeld’s Releasing New Book

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Jocie McKade

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6 February 2020

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Simon & Schuster is proud to announce the publication of Jerry Seinfeld’s first book of comedy in more than 25 years, to be released internationally on October 6, 2020.

The work will be published in hardcover, ebook, and audio editions by Simon & Schuster in the United States, United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, and India.

Since his first performance at the legendary New York nightclub “Catch a Rising Star” as a 21-year-old college student in the fall of 1975, Mr. Seinfeld has written all his own material and saved everything.

“Whenever I came up with a funny bit, whether it happened on a stage, in a conversation, or working it out on my preferred canvas, the big yellow legal pad, I kept it in one of those old school accordion folders,” Seinfeld said. “So, I have every piece of stand-up comedy I thought was worth saving from 45 years of hacking away at this for all I was worth.”

For his book, Mr. Seinfeld has selected his favorite material and organized it decade by decade. “Not only is the book brilliantly crafted and laugh-loud loud funny on every single page, but readers will be able to see Jerry and his comedy evolve through the years,” said Jonathan Karp, President and Publisher of Simon & Schuster. “We are honored to be Jerry Seinfeld’s publisher and expect his book to be both a highlight of 2020 and a lasting work for anyone who appreciates the thrilling but unforgiving art of stand-up comedy writing.”

Mr. Seinfeld’s previous work of comedy, Seinlanguage, was a #1 New York Times bestseller, selling over 2.5 million copies over multiple printings.

Simon & Schuster acquired World rights from Mr. Seinfeld’s representatives, Creative Artists Agency (CAA).

Mary Higgins Clark, 1927-2020

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Jocie McKade

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5 February 2020

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Mary Higgins Clark

December 24, 1927 – January 31, 2020

The #1 New York Times bestselling author Mary Higgins Clark has written thirty-eight suspense novels, four collections of short stories, a historical novel, a memoir, and two children’s books. With her daughter Carol Higgins Clark, she has coauthored five more suspense novels, and also wrote The Cinderella Murder, All Dressed in White, The Sleeping Beauty Killer, Every Breath You Take and You Don’t Own Me with bestselling author Alafair Burke. More than one hundred million copies of her books are in print in the United States alone. Her books are international bestsellers.

Two of her novels were made into feature films, Where Are the Children? and A Stranger Is Watching. Many of her other works, novels and short stories, were made into television films.

Mary Higgins Clark was chosen by Mystery Writers of America as Grand Master of the 2000 Edgar Awards. She was the 1987 president of Mystery Writers of America and, for many years, served on their Board of Directors. In May 1988, she was Chairman of the International Crime Congress. She received the International Crime Writers’ “First Lady of Mystery” award in 2008 and has been chosen for Malice Domestic’s 2010 Lifetime Achievement Award.

She is a # 1 fiction bestselling author in France, where she received the Grand Prix de Literature Policière in 1980 and The Literary Award at the 1998 Deauville Film Festival. In 2000, she was named by the French Minister of Culture “Chevalier of the Order of Arts and Letters.”

Active in Catholic affairs, Mary Higgins Clark was made a Dame of the Order of St. Gregory the Great, a papal honor. She is also a Dame of Malta and a Lady of the Holy Sepulcher of Jerusalem. She received the Graymoor Award from the Franciscan Friars in 1999.

Mary Higgins Clark’s fame as a writer was achieved against heavy odds. Born and raised in the Bronx, her father died when she was eleven and her mother struggled to raise her and her two brothers. On graduating from high school, she went to secretarial school. After three years of working in an advertising agency, travel fever seized her. For the year 1949, she was a stewardess on Pan American Airlines’ international flights. After flying for a year, she married a neighbor, Warren Clark, nine years her senior, whom she had known since she was 16. Soon after her marriage, she started writing short stories, finally selling her first to Extension Magazine in 1956 for $100. “I framed that first letter of acceptance,” she recalls.

Left a young widow by the death of her husband from a heart attack in 1964, Mary Higgins Clark began to write radio scripts for a living. In addition, she decided to try her hand at writing books. Every morning she wrote from 5 AM to 7 AM, when she had to get her five children ready for school. Her very first book was a biographical novel about George Washington, inspired by a radio series she was writing, “Portrait of a Patriot.” Originally published in 1969 by Meredith Press with the title Aspire to the Heavens, it was discovered years later by a Washington family member and re-issued in 2002 with the title Mount Vernon Love Story.

Mary Higgins Clark’s first suspense novel, Where Are the Children?, was published by Simon & Schuster in 1975. It became a bestseller and marked a turning point in her life and career. It is currently in its 75th edition in paperback and was re-issued in hardcover as a Simon & Schuster classic. Freed to catch up on things she always wanted to do, she entered Fordham University at Lincoln Center, graduating summa cum laude in 1979 with a B.A. in philosophy. She was awarded an honorary doctorate from Fordham University in 1998. She is a past trustee of Fordham University and Providence College and currently on the Board of Governors of the Hackensack College Medical Center. She has twenty-one honorary doctorates.

Honors she has received include the Gold Medal of Honor from the American-Irish Historical Society (1993), the Spirit of Achievement Award from the Albert Einstein College of Medicine of Yeshiva University (1994), the National Arts Club’s first Gold Medal in Education (1994), the Horatio Alger Award (1997), the Outstanding Mother of the Year Award (1998), the Bronx Legend Award (1999), the 2001 Ellis Island Medal of Honor, the first Reader’s Digest Author of the Year Award (2002), the Christopher Life Achievement Award (2003), the Ellis Island Family Heritage Award (2008), and the Authors Guild Award for Distinguished Service to the Literary Community (2018). Since 2001, the Mystery Writers of America has given an annual award in her honor, the Simon & Schuster Mary Higgins Clark Award, for the book most closely written in the Mary Higgins Clark tradition.In 1996, Mary Higgins Clark married John Conheeney, the retired Chairman and CEO of Merrill-Lynch Futures. They lived in Saddle River, New Jersey, until his death in 2018. Between them, they had seventeen grandchildren – Mary’s six and John’s eleven.

Behind The Words with Thriller Author Tom Threadgill

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Jocie McKade

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4 February 2020

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Welcome Tom, we’re excited to have you on Reader’s Entertainment. Let’s start by getting to know a bit about you. Where you’re from, where you live? Is writing your full-time job?

I currently live outside of Dallas, but I’ve lived all over the Southeast. Nashville, Orlando, Memphis, and as far into the frozen North as St. Louis and Evansville. Writing is more of a part-time gig (do people still say “gig”?) for me these days.

How long have you been writing?

I’ve been writing for probably 7 or 8 years. It was one of those things I kind of stumbled into, and it took off from there. My first woeful attempt at a novel has long since been deleted from existence (I hope), and the journey to Network of Deceit has been a long road, but one I’ve enjoyed travelling.

Briefly describe your writing day. Tell us about your latest release.

Wake up. Get coffee. Search for excuse not to write. Can’t find excuse so search harder. Give up and get more coffee. Write.

Seriously, I try to write to a time limit. Word counts don’t work for me, so I block out the internet, put on some headphones and music, and go for a set amount of time.

Network of Deceit is the sequel to Collision of Lies. The book is the ongoing story of Amara Alvarez, a police detective in San Antonio. This time around, she gets what she’s wanted . . . a position in Homicide. She soon learns the truth of that adage about being careful what you wish for. As with all my books, it’s clean suspense. No profanity or overt sexual situations. There might be a touch of gore (i.e., reality) now and then, but nothing too graphic.

What inspired this book?

Actually, the plot has been swirling around in my mind for years. My wife and I drove past an old waterpark years ago that was closed for the winter. As a writer of police procedurals, naturally my first thought was what a great place that would be to hide a body. That’s not what happens in the book, but it’s where the story began. And it also gives you insight into how my mind works. It’s a scary place. Don’t go there.

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?

Sure. In the novels, Amara has a partner whose nickname is Starsky. One of Amara’s goals is to find out why everyone calls him that. Obviously, it’s from the old TV series Starsky & Hutch, but he looks nothing like the guy. I’ve been asked many times why Starsky is his nickname.

Oh, was I supposed to answer that too? Fine. Yes, I know why that’s his nickname. No, I won’t tell you. I haven’t decided if I’ll reveal it in a later book or if it’s something I’ll keep between Starsky and me.

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

Probably Douglas Pritchard, the Medical Examiner in the Amara Alvarez books. He’s a fun, quirky character. Not sure I’d want to be him for more than a day though. His social skills are, um, subpar?

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

I was a big Tom Clancy fan for a long time. I found his stories to be exciting and I liked his characters, but his tendency to get bogged down in technological details eventually wore me down. Ken Follett’s Pillars of the Earth is a favorite of mine. The characters and setting are fantastic, and the story moves at a good pace.

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

Pizza. No, Mexican. Wait, ice cream. Unless Chick-fil-A is open.

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

How do you maintain your boyish good looks?

Great question. An intense regimen of coffee, pizza, Mexican, ice cream, and Chick-fil-A.

HA! Great interview Tom, thanks so much for joining us today!!

Here’s a quick look at Tom’s latest release NETWORK OF DECEIT:

After her rescue of nearly fifty kidnapped children made international headlines, Amara Alvarez gets what she’s worked for: a transfer to San Antonio’s Homicide Division. Reality sets in quickly, though, as her first case, the suspicious death of a teenager at a crowded local water park, brings chaos to her personal life.

As the investigation moves forward and she increases the pressure on the suspects, Amara finds herself under attack by cybercriminals. Her every move is being potentially watched online, and she’s forced to resort to unconventional methods to find the killer. With few leads, she fights to keep her first murder investigation from ending up in the cold case files.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Tom Threadgill is a full-time author and a member of American Christian Fiction
Writers (ACFW) and the International Thriller Writers (ITW). The author of Collision
of Lies, Tom lives with his wife near Dallas, Texas. Learn more at
www.tomthreadgill.com.

Barnes & Noble Customers Donated Over 1.4 Million Books to Children in Need Through Holiday Book Drive

By

Jocie McKade

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3 February 2020

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Barnes & Noble, Inc., the world’s largest retail bookseller, today announced that it collected over 1.4 million books during its 2019 Holiday Book Drive program, nearly 20 percent more books than in 2018. The books were donated to over 627 local charities across the country that provide services to children.

The donation was made possible through the generous support of Barnes & Noble customers, who purchased books for donation at Barnes & Noble bookstores nationwide between November 1, 2019, and December 31, 2019. Community partners distributed the books to hospitals, schools, literacy organizations and social service organizations.

“The Holiday Book Drive allows Barnes & Noble to use its network of stores around the country to get books to children and families with the help of our generous customers and partner organizations,” said Tracy Vidakovich, Vice President of Business Development at Barnes & Noble. “Every year, we are astounded by the generosity of our customers in helping kids experience the joy of reading, and this year shoppers went above and beyond by donating nearly 20 percent more books than in 2018.”

Barnes & Noble stores across the country participate in the Book Drive with local recipients including: Big Brothers Big Sisters; Head Start; Ronald McDonald House; Salvation Army; United Way; YMCA; childrens’ hospitals; various school districts, schools and public libraries; and many other organizations.

Barnes & Noble also made a donation to the Marine Toys for Tots Foundation of over $250,000 worth of products in the New York City and Reno, NV, areas. The donation included books, toys, games, puzzles, and collectibles, which were all distributed by the Marine Corps to families in need.

BECOMING Wins Best Spoken Word Album GRAMMY Award®

By

Jocie McKade

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2 February 2020

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Former First Lady Michelle Obama’s recording of her multi-million-copy #1 bestselling memoir BECOMING has won the 2020 Best Spoken Word Album GRAMMY Award^®. Read in its entirety by its author, her audiobook, published in November 2018 by Penguin Random House Audio simultaneously with its Crown print and e-book editions, has spent fourteen consecutive months on the New York Times Audio Bestseller List—seven at #1. The 19-hour recording is produced by PRH Audio’s Senior Vice President, Content Production—and multi- GRAMMY Award® winner and nominee–Dan Zitt. Zitt also is a producer of this year’s Penguin Random House Audio GRAMMY® finalist BEASTIE BOYS BOOK.

This GRAMMY® is also a triumph for Penguin Random House Audio, whose imprints’ productions have been awarded the Best Spoken Word Album GRAMMY^®three times in the last four years.

Mrs. Obama says of her GRAMMY® win, “Thank you to the Recording Academy for this honor! I had plenty of doubts about sharing so much of myself in Becoming, but this moment is another reminder that when we own the truth of who we are, we give ourselves the chance to connect with others in real, meaningful ways.”

Voted by the membership of The Recording Academy^®, the GRAMMY® for BECOMING was announced yesterday (January 26) afternoon in Los Angeles during the GRAMMY Awards Premiere Ceremony^®, before the nationally televised GRAMMY® broadcast.

Mrs. Obama’s previous Crown book, the #1 bestselling AMERICAN GROWN: The Story of the White House Kitchen Garden and Gardens Across America, was nominated in 2013 for Best Spoken Word album.

Book Review: The Moonlight School by Suzanne Woods Fisher

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Sheila English

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The Moonlight School by Suzanne Woods Fisher

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Wow, I’m at a loss for words with this book. I’m not even sure how to describe it. I had to read this book when I had some quiet time, which was usually at night when the kids were asleep. I truly LOVE this story. I had never heard of Cora or her fight to end illiteracy throughout her county in Kentucky. I had to look her up! The way the story is layout grabbed me from the start. I always wanted to know what would happen next. The way the history is told through the characters of this story is gripping. Lucy is a great character and I love how she found her place in such a small town. I liked how she grew as a character and was strong. Brother Wyatt and Fin were great characters too. They each brought their own uniqueness to the story. I’m so glad I had the chance to read this story and found a great new author too! Happy reading my friends.

View all my reviews

Book Summary:

Haunted by her sister’s mysterious disappearance, Lucy Wilson arrives in Rowan County, Kentucky, in the spring of 1911 to work for Cora Wilson Stewart, superintendent of education. When Cora sends Lucy into the hills to act as scribe for the mountain people, she is repelled by the primitive conditions and intellectual poverty she encounters. Few adults can read and write.

Born in those hills, Cora knows the plague of illiteracy. So does Brother Wyatt, a singing schoolmaster who travels through the hills. Involving Lucy and Wyatt, Cora hatches a plan to open the schoolhouses to adults on moonlit nights. The best way to combat poverty, she believes, is to eliminate illiteracy. But will the people come?

As Lucy emerges from a life in the shadows, she finds purpose; or maybe purpose finds her. With purpose comes answers to her questions, and something else she hadn’t expected: love.

Inspired by the true events of the Moonlight Schools, this standalone novel from bestselling author Suzanne Woods Fisher brings to life the story that shocked the nation into taking adult literacy seriously. You’ll finish the last page of this enthralling story with deep gratitude for the gift of reading.

The Revenge of Retro: How Toys from the ‘60s and ‘70s Are Affecting Film and TV Today

By

Jocie McKade

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1 February 2020

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The Revenge of Retro How Toys From the ’60s and ’70s Are Affecting Film and TV Today Many adults are delightfully surprised to discover that some of their favorite toys are finally making their way back into mainstream media. Television and film producers today are realizing the power that comes with nostalgia, and they’ve started to put together impressive scripts that bring back that feeling that you might have enjoyed as a kid. While you might not have ever thought that characters like the Transformers or G.I. Joe would dominate the screen again, they are here. The exact same toys that you might have played with in the ‘60s and ‘70s are now influencing television in the following ways.

Enjoy the Rise of the Reboots

You can turn on the television and find just about any show that featured the characters that you loved as a child. In addition to showing reruns, many networks are also creating reboots. These often start with the spark of what made the show great in the first place with a few twists added. For instance, there may be more modern features included in the reboot plots such as robots or advanced weapons that add to the plot. For example, the new Netflix She-Ra has been garnering accolades for its fresh reimagining of characters, detailed plot, and fun designs that appeal to a new audience.

Indulge a Sense of Nostalgia

TV and film producers are well aware of the effects that bringing back old favorite toys can create in the audience. While there used to be more of a taboo against adults indulging in comics, action films, and toys, today, more people than ever are allowing themselves a bit of nostalgia and fun as adults. You can now find vintage toys and enjoy decorating your room or office with some nostalgia. Although you might have grown up, there’s something comforting about having your favorite action figures decorating your home theater or bedroom.

Be Impressed by Carefully Designed Sets

Set designers are now in the market for vintage toys that they can use as decor for their film sets. Whether that includes the toy Millennium Falcon in Stranger Things or a transformer toy for sale, set designers seek out the best and most authentic retro toys. They know that people love watching retro shows and movies to see the things that they remember from when they were a kid. Try keeping an eye out for authentic elements in the set design of your favorite shows and movies that let you know that some serious effort went into making everything feel like the characters are living in the past.

Watch the Past Blend with the Future

You’ll also notice that some shows take a hint from the past and add on to it to take viewers into the future. For instance, you might see new characters introduced to your favorite show while the former leading ones take on a mentor role. The past and future mix up also applies to special effects. Some directors choose to use special effects that make it seem as though the show or movie was filmed in the past, yet they may switch to modern CGI for action scenes. The new Mandalorian series on Disney + has been charming viewers with its retro, traditional style, puppetry, and of course, toy line up.

As an adult, it is exciting to watch your old favorite characters come back in new ways. While you enjoy watching your shows, you can just bet that a lot of work went into creating that sense of nostalgia that reminds you of your favorite toys.

Brooke Chaplan is a freelance writer and blogger. She lives and works out of her home in Los Lunas, New Mexico. She loves the outdoors and spends most of her time hiking, biking, and gardening. For more information, contact Brooke via Facebook at facebook.com/brooke.chaplan or Twitter @BrookeChaplan

Lee Child’s New Jack Reacher Co-Author: His Brother Andrew Grant

By

Jocie McKade

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31 January 2020

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Random House announces the next Jack Reacher novel, the 25th in the multimillion-copy selling series from Lee Child, will be written by him and his brother, the writer, Andrew Grant.

“I always thought I’d retire at 65, but I’m not quite ready yet,” says Child. “I love my readers and know they want many more Reacher stories in the future. I am thrilled to announce anew writing partnership that ensures Reacher stays on the road for a long time. Going forward, I will be collaborating with my younger brother Andrew Grant. Writing together as Lee Child and Andrew Child, our first book THE SENTINEL will be published in fall 2020.”

“Random House is thrilled that Lee and Andrew will continue to bring Jack Reacher to readers as they write new books together,” says Gina Centrello, President of the Random House group. “Andrew is a terrific writer who intimately knows what makes Jack Reacher tick. Now with Lee, writing together with his brother, the Reacher series is primed for new heights. THE SENTINEL proves no one can take down Jack Reacher.”

Lee Child is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of 24 books in the Jack Reacher series. There are currently over 100 million copies of his books sold worldwide. Andrew Grant is the author of Too Close to Home and Invisible, among others, published by Ballantine Books.