Fiction: literary and general non-genre

Book SynopsisJohn and Erica Mason-Grey are hard-working artists and loving parents—but when John dies, their teenage daughter Mona’s casual drug use spirals into heroin addiction. She and her mother soon begin an anguished game of hide-and-seek leading to countless arguments, arrests, thefts, rehabs, and relapse, a recurring nightmare that seems to have no end. Ultimately, it’s only when each of them finds a way to accept their new reality—Mona by taking charge of her own recovery, and Erica by focusing on her own vitality—that each experiences the unexpected joy and renewal that await those who decide to stop living in the bad dream of addiction. Unflinching about the ways the disease of addiction can torpedo a family yet leavened with dollops of humor, The Bad Dream Notebook will resonate with anyone who has lived through the agony of a loved one’s drug dependency.Trade ReviewIBPA Ben Franklin Awards Finalist in Popular Fiction “This novel details a family’s experience with addiction in a way no guidebook can. It captures the rational and irrational fears, the spiral of addiction, and the tension of an ill-timed event. It is a trip through the emotional house of horrors families of an addict must contend with. But Linda Dahl also clearly understands the power of art (a painter in her story–but it could be any art form) to help heal and restore. The conclusion moved this parent to tears. I have to believe that this book is restorative not only for the reader, but also for the author.” —Bill Williams, author, educator, and Advocate of the Year for the Addiction Policy Forum 2017 "Compelling and insightful, The Bad Dream Notebook, takes readers on a powerful ride on the rollercoaster of addiction. Linda Dahl has brought to the page what so many families live through in the real world each day. For anyone who struggles with addiction, loves someone who does, or simply wants to learn about how addiction impacts families, The Bad Dream Notebook is an engaging and enlightening read that will leave you with a deeper sense of understanding and compassion." —Lisa Smith, author of Girl Walks Out of a Bar The Bad Dream Notebook as mother and daughter wrestle demons and grief to find the road back to each other." —Phyllis Piano, award-winning author of Hostile Takeover: A Love Story and Love Reconsidered

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Book SynopsisAbbie Rose Stone’s acquired wisdom runs deep, and so do her scars. She has successfully navigated the shoals of a long marriage, infertility, challenging children, and a career. Now it’s her turn to realize her dream: producing hard apple cider along the northern shores of Lake Michigan that she loves. She manages to resist new versions of the old pull of family dynamics that threaten to derail her plan—but nothing can protect her from the shock a lovely young stranger delivers when she exposes a long-held secret. In the wake of this revelation, Abbie must overcome circumstances that severely test her self-determination, her loyalties, and her understanding of what constitutes true family.Trade Review2019 IPPY Silver Medal Winner in Popular Fiction 2019 Best Book Awards Finalist in Fiction: Literary 2019 International Book Awards, Finalist, Fiction: Literary 2019 Foreword Reviews Finalist in Adult Fiction—General 2019 Eric Hoffer Award Finalist 2018 Grand Prize in Chanticleer Book Awards: Somerset Award for Contemporary & Literary Novel “The novel soars with passages about upper Michigan’s unique beauty…Hard Cider is a story about following a dream.” —Foreword Reviews “In this moving, compelling novel, a character who makes cider from a variety of different apples says 'I can’t help but feel that there’s some magic in the mixing.' Barbara Stark-Nemon reminds us this is true for families, too. Through its exploration of the many forms family can take and the possibility of new beginnings in midlife, Hard Cider is easy to love.” —Gayle Brandies, award winning author, poet, and essayist “In this absorbing and thoughtful novel, the alchemy of turning apples into hard cider becomes a potent metaphor for the way in which time blends and distills the characters into a family. With grace and compassion, Stark-Nemon examines the forging of relationships under the pressure of shocking revelations. A deep valuing of connection to land, work, and loved ones emerges from this beautifully written story.” —Jessica Levine, author of The Geometry of Love and Nothing Forgotten “Hard Cider is a coming-of-age story for women of a 'certain age' finding their own paths when the kids are raised, unlocking their own dreams. Barbara Stark-Nemon woos her readers to fall in love, but not with a romantic notion of idealized marriage and family. Instead, we are immersed in the sensual details of her glorious Michigan landscape, where we fall in love with the natural world she so vividly paints.” —Betsy Graziani Fasbinder, author of Fire and Water and Filling Her Shoes: A Memoir of an Inherited Family “I just flew through Hard Cider. Well written, with loving descriptions of northern Michigan, this is the story of Abbie Rose Stone, who strikes out on her own to create a cider business. She meets an intriguing young woman with secrets that could blow Abbie's cherished family apart-or enrich it. Abbie, as the true center of her family, navigates the subtle challenges of her loved ones, giving credit to women who hold their families together by sheer goodwill and small and large acts of love. A book that celebrates family.” —Caitlin Hicks, author of Reader's Favorite and iBooks Best New Fiction pick A Theory of Expanded Love “Hard Cider is magical in its rootedness even as it explores the way we seek home and community and the lives of our dreams.” —Andi Cumbo-Floyd, author of The Slaves Have Names: Ancestors of my Home, Steele Secrets, and Love Letters to Writers: Encouragement, Accountability, and Truth-Telling “Hard Cider is the intriguing story of a strong woman struggling with the psychological fallout of infertility decades after achieving motherhood. Just as she is opening a new chapter in her life by beginning a business of her own, a seemingly harmless encounter leads to a revelation that threatens her hard-won confidence and the cohesion of her family. The reader follows with interest this vividly told story of a woman fighting to regain her bearings, master a major personal challenge, and protect her already-challenged family.” —Monica Starkman, MD, Psychiatrist, University of Michigan Medical School, author of End of Miracles, and columnist for Psychology Today “In Hard Cider, we are dropped immediately into a story-and a family-that we are eager to know. Abbie's family and other characters are well drawn and full of surprises. I loved getting to know them, and found it easy to empathize with the struggles and challenges that arise with the sons. We see how history is always coming to tap us on the shoulder, and we have to find ways to cope with it. As the deeper emotional story started unraveling, I couldn't turn the pages fast enough.” —Linda Joy Myers, president of the National Association of Memoir Writers and author of Songs of the Plains “A lyrically told, powerful story of a middle-aged woman who has the courage to pursue a long-held dream on her own terms while still grappling with the emotional push-pull of mothering adult children whose lives and dreams are not hers to control.” —Jenni Ogden, author of award-winning A Drop in the Ocean “Hard Cider is a fabulous novel about starting a business, taking on challenges, and building a family. The real treat was spending time with protagonist Abbie Rose. Forced to reckon with potentially shattering news, she is human to the core. I so enjoyed being on this ride with her, watching her gain acceptance and eventually find grace. Not just a great story, this is a beautiful example of how to live.” —Jeanne McWilliams Blasberg, author of Eden “A beautifully written novel that will make Stark-Nemon your next one-click author!” —Nicole Waggoner, author of Center Ring and The Act “This book pulled me in like a magnet and kept me in don’t-want-to-put-it-down mode until the last page.” —BRICK Magazine

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Book SynopsisEver since a childhood tragedy bonded Jessica Jensen to Oregon’s mighty Nesika River, she has seen herself as its guardian. Now a courageous field biologist, she has just finished gathering scientific evidence that could bring about the dismantling of the massive hydro dam that threatens to destroy her river. But then she discovers that her boss is suppressing her scientific evidence―leaving the dam’s fate at the mercy of a far-reaching corporate conspiracy—and she falls into a current of loss and desperation. As Jess’s life spirals out of control, she mysteriously starts to make contact with Piah, a member of the Native American Molalla tribe who lived on the riverbanks of the Nesika two hundred years before Jess. Piah, too, faces a terrible threat that could destroy all that’s left of her world. As the veil between their two worlds begins to lift, each woman learns important lessons from the other about how to love, and to rekindle their faith in the future—even in the face of tragic loss and uncertainty.Trade Review2019 Nautilius Book Awards Silver Winner in Fiction 2019 CIBA Somerset Book Awards Finalist 2019 Next Generation Indie Book Awards: Finalist in General Fiction Novel (Over 80,000 words) “The story and characters here are strong; Reddick fleshes out both protagonists’ worlds with thought and compassion.” —Kirkus Reviews "This story is deeply rooted in personal experience, environmental science, and current social reality. Its skilled writing rewards a careful reading." —Joseph Meeker, author of The Comedy of Survival —Gail Hudson, New York Times bestselling co-author with Jane Goodall of Seeds of Hope, Wisdom and Wonder from the World of Plants "Vivid, poignant, and alarming, The Same River forces a young wildlife biologist to confront her conflicting passions as they collide at the crossroads of irrefutable science, the wounds of childhood tragedy, and the heartrending boundaries she must set on love. Reaching back to our native ancestors for the wisdom and strength to do what’s right, this urgent tale of for our times compels us to look our priorities in the eye when government and corporate bureaucracies willfully skirt problematic truths." —Ellen Notbohm, award-winning author of The River by Starlight "The Same River is a gripping novel with complex, beautifully imagined characters whose intense and vividly portrayed inner lives will engage and inspire readers. Through Jess and Piah's stories, we are invited to recognize our often-overlooked ability to listen carefully to the landscape and its inhabitants, and to thus be moved to act as protectors of the earth." —Mary Gomes, Ph.D., Co-editor of Ecopsychology: Restoring the Earth, Healing the Mind "The mystery of the wild is woven through this well-crafted story of two women, connected across time, who share a deep kinship with the river that has taken so much and given so much in return." —Patricia Hasbach, Ph.D., co-author of The Rediscovery of the Wild

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Book Synopsis“Berger excels at showing her characters to be people who were raised in old-fashioned homes who are now confronting unconventional, risky life choices—and dealing with the stresses and absurdities that follow their decisions. A smart, nuanced novel about open marriage . . .” —Kirkus Reviews “Sande Boritz Berger sets a 1970s Jersey housewife on a provocative collision course in Split-Level, a sharp portrait of female empowerment. Through sensitive insights, a woman finds an honest version of herself after realizing that her ideas on the nuclear family have made her erase vital parts of her identity.” —Foreword Reviews (five-star review) In Split-Level, set as the nation recoils from Nixon, Alex Pearl is about to commit the first major transgression of her life. But why shouldn’t she remain an officially contented, soon-to-turn-thirty wife? She’s got a lovely home in an upscale Jersey suburb, two precocious daughters, and a charming husband, Donny. But Alex can no longer deny she craves more—some infusion of passion into the cul-de-sac world she inhabits. After she receives a phone call from her babysitter’s mother reporting that Donny took the teen for a midnight ride, promising he’d teach her how to drive, Alex insists they attend Marriage Mountain, the quintessential 1970s “healing couples sanctuary.” Donny accedes—but soon becomes obsessed with the manifesto A Different Proposition and its vision of how multiple couples can live together in spouse-swapping bliss. At first Alex scoffs, but soon she gives Donny much more than he bargained for. After he targets the perfect couple to collude in his fantasy, Alex discovers her desire for love escalating to new heights—along with a willingness to risk everything. Split-Level evokes a pivotal moment in the story of American matrimony, a time when it seemed as if an open marriage might open hearts as well.Trade Review2019 Readers' Favorite Awards Finalist in Fiction (Women's) “How impressive Split-Level is: wonderfully rich with details, fluent and fluid, with an inevitable-yet-unexpected ending, inspired throughout is its portrait of a woman whose essential life is an unconscious double-ness/split-ness.” —Joyce Carol Oates, author of We Were the Mulvaneys and Blonde “Ah, the 1970s. Miniskirts. Suburbia. Tie-dye and the freewheeling era of the so-called open marriage. Boritz Berger’s sly, smart second novel, written in prose as glorious as the era’s iconic tequila sunrise, gives us an on-the-verge-of-an-adventure heroine who comes to realize that sometimes having the life you desperately need means giving up the life you desperately want.” —Caroline Leavitt, New York Times best-selling author of Pictures of You and Is This Tomorrow “Berger excels at showing her characters to be people who were raised in old-fashioned homes who are now confronting unconventional, risky life choices—and dealing with the stresses and absurdities that follow their decisions. A smart, nuanced novel about open marriage . . .” —Kirkus Reviews “Sande Boritz Berger sets a 1970s Jersey housewife on a provocative collision course in Split-Level, a sharp portrait of female empowerment. Through sensitive insights, a woman finds an honest version of herself after realizing that her ideas on the nuclear family have made her erase vital parts of her identity.” —Foreword Reviews (five-star review) “With humor and poignancy, Berger brings us to the depths of how frightening it is to lose all trust in those we love, and the uncertainty that all we thought we had might slide away.” —Nahid Rachlin, author of Persian Girls and Foreigner “In her latest novel, Split-Level, Sande Boritz Berger paints a vivid picture of the early 1970s, a time when the sexual revolution was making its way through the suburbs of America. With equal parts humor and heart, Berger explores the anguish of a marriage coming apart and how some go to any lengths to mend it.” —Laurie Gelman, author of Class Mom “Split-Level is a gripping, fast-paced story, perfect for readers of literary fiction who enjoy a mature, nuanced look at the complications of marital relationships.” —Betty Hafner, author of Not Exactly Love: A Memoir “A page-turning journey through 1970’s suburbia.” —Elizabeth McCourt, author of Sin in the Big Easy “In Split-Level, Berger, a keen observer of suburban angst, takes us back to the early days of the sexual revolution in the ’burbs—to the promise and reality of bed-hopping and marital bliss—as it plays out in the lives of Alex and Donny Pearl and those of a neighboring couple whose marriage is in a parallel state of decline. Hard to put down; hard to forget.” —Barbara Donsky, author of award-winning Veronica’s Grave: A Daughter’s Memoir and the international bestseller Missing Mother “A poignant look back on suburban post-war haze during the swinging ’70s, Berger has written a smart and unpredictably funny novel. Her protagonist, Alex, grappling with marriage, two small children, and the conflicting social mores of that time, is sure to win over your heart.” —Susan Tepper, author of Monte Carlo Days & Nights and The Merrill Diaries

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Book Synopsis2019 Readers' Favorite Awards Gold Medal Winner in Fiction (Literary) 2019 Best Book Awards Finalist in Fiction (Literary) 2019 International Book Awards, Finalist, Fiction (Multicultural) 2020 IBPA Benjamin Franklin Award Fiction Finalist in Multicultural 2019 Foreword Indie Finalist in Adult Fiction: Multicultural 2019 Nautilus Book Awards Silver Winner in Fiction “Infused with beauty, humor, and pain, The Alchemy of Noise is a modern American love story that asks if love can bridge the distance between two Americas.” —Laura Nicole Diamond, author of Shelter Us and Deliver Me In a world so full of lonely people and broken hearts, Chris Hawkins, a black sound engineer from Chicago’s south side, and Sidonie Frame—white, suburban-raised, the head manager of one of the city’s most elite venues—meet by work-related happenstance and fall quickly in love, convinced that by that act alone they can inspire peace, joy, and happiness in the world around them. The world, however, has other ideas. Their meeting is serendipitous. Chris, who owns and runs his company, largely spends his time surrounded by members of his own community; Sidonie, conversely, is rarely outside the environs of work and its predominantly white staff and clientele. But when the club’s sound manager goes AWOL on the night of a big event and Chris is hired to come in as a last-minute replacement, their destinies collide. Immediately drawn to each other, they fall quickly into an unexpected and thrilling relationship, inspiring myriad reactions amongst family and friends on both sides of the racial divide. But even as their love story evolves, day-to-day tensions, police disruptions, and the microaggressions Chris constantly encounters as a black man in the gritty environs of Chicago become a cultural flashpoint, challenging Sidonie’s privileged worldview and Chris’s ability to translate the unfolding events. After a random and gut-wrenching series of police encounters shakes their resilience, it’s the shattering circumstance of a violent arrest—one in which Chris is identified as a serial vandal and potential rapist—that sends their world into free fall. He claims his innocence; she believes him. But the forces pushing against them are many and oppressive. With a looming trial, the dissipating loyalties of key allies, and unforeseen twists triggering doubt and suspicion, Sidonie and Chris are driven to question what they really know of each other and just whom to trust, leading to a powerful and emotional conclusion. Lorraine Devon Wilke’s third novel, The Alchemy of Noise, ventures beyond the humor and pathos of family drama explored so cleverly in her first two novels to dig deep into the politics of contemporary culture. At its heart a love story, it explores the complexity of race in a suspenseful drama driven by issues of privilege, prejudice, police profiling and legal entanglements, and the disparities in how those provocative themes impact the various and diverse characters involved.Trade Review2019 Readers' Favorite Awards Gold Medal Winner in Fiction (Literary) 2019 Best Book Awards Finalist in Fiction (Literary) 2019 International Book Awards, Finalist, Fiction (Multicultural) 2020 IBPA Benjamin Franklin Award Fiction Silver Medal Winner in Multicultural 2019 Foreword Indie Finalist in Adult Fiction: Multicultural 2019 Nautilus Book Awards Silver Winner in Fiction “Wilke’s prose is cautious and empathetic, probing at the edges of politeness, taboo, and uncomfortable truth. . . the directness and openness with which the author explores the topic, as well as its continuing relevance, make this a novel that will still read as daring to many.” —Kirkus Reviews “Wilke’s story will satisfy readers with its emotional depth and strong characters, making for a memorable novel.” —Publishers Weekly “A story on fresh beginnings marred by police brutality, The Alchemy of Noise tests the limits of love. Lorraine Devon Wilke’s sharp interracial romance strikes at the heart of contemporary race issues with thoughtful, vulnerable characters who excavate their own beliefs to reaffirm what’s worth fighting for.” —Foreword Reviews “The writing is emotive and highly descriptive, painting snippets of life for Chris as he struggles with the everyday racism and assumptions put upon young black men all across America, and Sidonie’s struggle to connect and understand is intelligently handled. Neither of them is perfect, but together they find something special of their own. Wilke’s superb pacing and frank dialogue guide us through every harrowing moment as they fight hard to protect it. Overall, The Alchemy of Noise is a highly entertaining and engaging piece of drama which shines a light on pivotal issues of today.” —Readers' Favorite “12 Can’t-Miss Books by Women to Read This Year—In this devastating and touching new novel from Lorraine Devon Wilke, two unlikely lovers find themselves in the middle of a corrupt investigation that will change their lives forever.” —Brit + Co “This is not a run-of-the-mill love story. But Lorraine Devon Wilke is not a run-of-the-mill writer. The Alchemy of Noise, a powerful interracial romance with rich, cinematic quality, is gritty, clever, and superbly crafted, sustaining a gut-wrenching level of tension until the final page.” —Jane Davis, award-winning author of Smash All the Windows and nine other titles “Every character was authentic. Sidonie and Chris have great depth; they’re real-life people, and I wanted them to overcome, for their love to prevail. The plot line was great as well. The microaggressions, the hidden and overt racism, the passive-aggressive low-key racism—it was all in there, all very plausible and realistic. The book is a sort of Racism 101, an eye-opener for allies.” —Regina McRae, BLM activist, award-winning baker/owner of NYC bakery Grandma’s Secrets, and author of Taking the Cake: Your Ultimate Cake Guide “Beautifully written, perfectly balanced, and evenly paced, The Alchemy of Noise, Devon Wilke’s story of love, redemption, and racial conflict in the shadow of contemporary urban America, is a tour-de-force from an author at the top of her game.” —Mark Barry, author of The Night Porter and Carla “A powerful novel that wraps the love story of a mixed-race couple in a ‘ripped from the headlines’ narrative, The Alchemy of Noise is alternately touching, painful, sweet, and enraging. With its exploration of race and privilege and stunning, unexpected plot twists, it demands your attention from beginning to end.” —Susie Singer Carter, award-winning filmmaker and screenwriter of My Mom & the Girl and Soul Surfer “An impactful story about race, equality and love, The Alchemy of Noise has quickly become a highly-buzzed-about read in the vast community of female writers.” —Working Mother magazine “Reading this combination love story and page-turning legal drama, I was particularly moved by the exploration of the psychological and emotional impacts of racism on each of the characters. The Alchemy of Noise dives into those issues in new, unexamined ways, and as a professional working in the field of PTSD and family trauma, I found that element to be a powerful and authentic driver of this very topical story.” —Nancy Locke Capers, writer/producer and licensed psychotherapist “A fascinating book, really, really quite something . . . a real Chicago novel. I do find something quite courageous about this book. It’s not only terribly provocative and moves like a freight train, but it's a very, very, very ambitious book.” —Rick Kogan, senior reporter for the Chicago Tribune and host of WGN Radio's After Hours with Rick Kogan “Infused with beauty, humor, and pain, The Alchemy of Noise is a modern American love story that asks if love can bridge the distance between two Americas. Author Lorraine Devon Wilke writes with authenticity, insight, sensitivity. Her characters Sidonie and Chris (and the loved ones in their orbit) stayed with me like old friends whose success I am rooting for but is in no way guaranteed in a world where skin color may be destiny.” —Laura Nicole Diamond, author of Shelter Us and Deliver Me “The story of Sidonie, a white woman, and Chris, a black man, is a well-written and compelling tale of love that offers a glimpse into the unique experiences couples face in interracial relationships. When allegations of criminal activity are lodged against Chris, the two are forced into a confusing and frightening reality that shakes them to their very cores. The Alchemy of Noise is an intense emotional journey, and Wilke masterfully guides us through it with laughter, tears, and thought-provoking insight.” —Kimberley A. Johnson, author of Peyton’s Choice and The Virgin Diaries “The Alchemy of Noise is an honest, empathetic, and powerful look at racial tensions in modern America, explored through one interracial couple’s burgeoning relationship—and how it plays on the concerns and assumptions of their friends and families. The writing is excellent, the characters full and real and conflicted—just like life.” —Laurie Boris, author of The Call: A Baseball Novel and A Sudden Gust of Gravity “Lorraine Devon Wilke's The Alchemy of Noise includes brushstrokes of nightlife, music, the club world—true-ringing elements that too often in the lit game are swung at and missed. Her portrait of Chicago as a representation of contemporary urban culture is so vivid it stands as a character all its own.” —Junior Burke, author of A Thousand Eyes and Something Gorgeous “An entertaining while scathing commentary about race relations in America, The Alchemy of Noise is an entertaining love story and so much more. The author’s take on inherent and systemic racism, something her characters are challenged with daily, sounds authentic and credible. In that regard, it is an important book that deserves a larger audience. The book itself is a pleasure to read with believable dialogue, fully developed characters and exceptionally good diction, something that’s becoming increasingly rare. The plot is well crafted, and try as I might I couldn’t find one scene that didn’t develop character or advance the plot, or both.” —Rod Raglin, Reedsy Discovery “The Alchemy of Noise is a novel in which boy meets girl, and essentially it has a love story at its heart. But it is so much more than that . . . The exploration of all the relationships in this novel is excellent—the characters rich and rounded, the way they react and interact absorbing. It is very well written. It’s intelligent, educational, and eye-opening, though still easy to read, the prose flowing and drawing you in. The Alchemy of Noise is an excellent novel I thoroughly enjoyed and don’t hesitate for a moment to recommend.” —Georgia Rose, author of The Grayson Trilogy “Devon Wilke weaves The Alchemy of Noise with an intelligent pen of compassion and soulfulness. Her characters are all relatable, and you will find yourself transported inside the torn social fabric of our contemporary world to first-person perspectives of family matters, addiction, police brutality, and racism. . . . Deftly executed with grace and the author’s own keen sensibilities, the story left me wishing it would never end.” —JanniStyles1

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Book Synopsis• Women's Fiction comprises approximately 60% of adult popular fiction paperbacks. • 6 in 10 Americans have had personal experience with adoption. • There are about 1.5 million adopted children in the United States. • 35 Million US Citizens traveled to Mexico in 2017.• In 2012, 35.6 percent of U.S. adults had taken music classes at some point during their lifetime. • As of 2013, an estimated 5 million Americans identified as LGBTQ.AUDIENCE: • Adult women interested in character-driven literature• Book club members• Members of the adoption triad and their friends and relatives• US visitors to Mexico and US citizens residing in Mexico• Armchair travelers• Musicians, music teachers, and adult music students • Persons interested in diversity (sexual orientation, race, nationality)• Dog lovers

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Book SynopsisJeanne Bridgeton, an unmarried executive in her late forties, discovers life doesn’t begin and end on a spreadsheet when her expected menopause instead becomes an unexpected pregnancy. Though accomplished at managing risk professionally, Jeanne realizes her skills don’t extend to her personal life, where she has allowed the professional and the personal to become intertwined. She’s not even sure which of two men in her life is the father. Worse yet, a previously undisclosed family secret reveals that she may carry a rare hereditary gene for early-onset Alzheimer’s—and it’s too late to get genetic tests. This leaves Jeanne to cope with her intense fear of risk without the aid of the mountain of data she’s accustomed to relying upon. Wrestling with the question of whether her own needs, or those of her child, should prevail takes Jeanne on an intensely emotional journey—one that ultimately leads to growth and enlightenment.Trade Review2020 14th Annual National Indie Excellence Award Finalist in Women’s Fiction “Middle-aged corporate women have it rough in fiction. We’re bitter, uncompromising, lonely, regretful—and always barren. Which is why it was so refreshing to read Land of Last Chances by Joan Cohen. By introducing a real-life woman facing real-world choices, Cohen subverts these familiar stereotypes and offers a brand new narrative. Finally! A thinking, feeling woman we can all root for.” — Jillian Medoff, bestselling author of This Could Hurt “Joan Cohen’s remarkable first novel is impossible to put down. Land of Last Chances is fiction, but the heroic actions of a business woman in her forties seem very real. While pregnant, she discovers a potential genetic predisposition to early-onset Alzheimer’s disease. The book takes you through the difficult decisions she has to make and educates you on our latest understanding of early-onset and late-onset Alzheimer’s disease. A must-read genetic thriller intertwined with high-level business decisions at her workplace, all happening in the Boston area, the world center of advanced medicine and biotechnology.” —Carmela R. Abraham, Ph.D., Professor of Biochemistry, Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics, Boston University School of Medicine “Cohen offers an adeptly written genetic detective story in this novel. In Jeanne, she creates a sympathetic and multidimensional character. . . An artfully crafted portrayal of a woman who learns about herself as she weighs an unexpected choice.” —Kirkus Reviews “In this deeply moving and astutely observed novel, one woman's harrowing confrontation with her family's genetic history offers a wise and bracingly modern contemplation of an ancient question: does our history determine our future? A vital new entry into the burgeoning literature of Alzheimer's fiction, Land of Last Chances is a wise, hopeful, and enormously gripping debut.” —Stefan Merrill Block, best-selling author of The Story of Forgetting, The Storm at the Door, and Oliver Loving “Cohen stuffs her novel with thought-provoking scenarios and dramatic events . . . this midlife melodrama will be appreciated by fans of issue-driven relationship fiction.” —Booklist “Cohen’s satisfying, fast-paced debut . . . sustains its momentum and holds readers’ attention with capable prose and emotional depth.” —BookLife

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Book Synopsis1. “Second Chance Romances” are appealing to a growing number of older readers who want to read about characters their own age or about relationships between people who have years of life experience. 2. Among U.S. adults ages 50 and older, the divorce rate has roughly doubled since the 1990s.3. There is great interest in the concept of the “love that got away”. What happens if we find and have a chance to meet the person we loved early, but didn’t end up with?AUDIENCE• Women over aged 50 who have been divorced and/or widowed• People who are interested in the law and powerful men• People interested in second chances at love

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Book SynopsisOne day, a baby girl, Tara, is found, abandoned and covered in flies. She is raised by two mothers in a community rife with rituals and superstition. As she grows, Tara pursues acceptance at all costs. Saffiya, her adoptive mother, and Bhaggan, Saffiya’s maidservant, are victims of the men in their community, and the two women, in turn, struggle and live short but complicated lives. The only way for the villagers to find solace is through the rituals of ancient belief systems.Tara lives in a village that could be any village in South Asia, and she dies, like many young women in the area, during childbirth. Her short life is dedicated to her efforts to find happiness, despite the fact that she has no hope of going to school or making any life choices in the feudal, patriarchal world in which she finds herself. Poignant and compelling, Wild Boar in the Cane Field depicts the tragedy that often characterizes the lives of those who live in South Asia—and demonstrates the heroism we are all capable of even in the face of traumatic realities.

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Book SynopsisA richly imagined novel based on the life of artist Agnes Pelton, whose life tracks the early days of modernism in America. Born into a family ruined by scandal, Agnes becomes part of the lively New York art scene, finding early success in the famous Armory Show of 1913. Fame seems inevitable, but Agnes is burdened by shyness and instead retreats to a contemplative life, first to a Long Island windmill, and then to the California desert. Undefeated by her history—family ruination in the Beecher-Tilton scandal, a shrouded Brooklyn childhood, and a passionate attachment to another woman—she follows her muse to create more than a hundred luminous and deeply spiritual abstract paintings.

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Book SynopsisAs a young girl growing up in the Midwest, Sunny experiences the shame and stigma of scandal when her father is banned from their church for having an affair with the pastor’s best friend’s wife. As Sunny grows older, she begins to build the life she’s always wanted: she marries, buys a house, enrolls in graduate school, and soon has a baby on the way. But when she experiences the psychological phenomena of orgasmic labor, it triggers a chain of bizarre events, and she gradually descends into a world of delusion and paranoia. As Sunny struggles to separate the real from the unreal, she relies upon friends and family to ground her in truth and love—and keep her from going over the edge into madness.Trade Review“What a vivid and riveting central image: the explosion of orgiastic feeling concomitant with childbirth—physicality that leads to a mental split between real and delusion to become an obsession that is almost like a religious stigmata. For the reader, the protagonist becomes lovable in her tenacious struggle. The precision of the description of her delusional states is very helpful, whether for a reader wanting to learn or a reader wanting to empathize.” —Judith Carrington, media and advocacy group chair, National Alliance on Mental Illness, New York City “The book enthralled from the beginning to the end. It impressed upon me Sunny's struggle to know "real" from "unreal." On a personal level, I feel proud to know her story.” —Sarah Kennedy McPhee, MPH, Sexuality Educator, New Hampshire “What is real and what's a delusion? An erotic, intimate, tantalizing journey through a life like no other.” —Grant Thorsson, author of Bipolar for Beginners “There is something in this memoir that will speak to each of us. The protagonist's development and upbringing is arresting, and the descent into psychosis is real, maddening, and mind-numbing. The difficulties that the protagonist faces and often surmounts, are laid out in an explicit manner that is unmistakably personal. There are insights in this novel that demand thoughtful consideration, especially about the ways and depth with which we affect each other.” —Frederick Naftolin, MD, PhD, Professor of Obstetrics and Gynocology and Director of Reproductive Biology Research, Department of Obstetrics and Gynocology, New York University

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Book SynopsisIt’s the season of siren songs and loosened bonds―as well as war, campaign slogans, and assassination. At the height of the Vietnam War protests, Washington lawyer Tom Rayson uproots his family for the freewheeling city of Berkeley. While Tom pursues a romance with a sexy colleague in the Marin County woods, Marian joins a peace party that’s running a Black Panther for president and meets the Berkeley revolution. But for young Alice, her parents’ liberating forays become a blind leap in a city marked by beauty and social change―and for a girl, that’s no Summer of Love. Feeling estranged from her family, Alice embraces the moment and falls in with Jim and Valerie Dupres. Jim and Valerie have been learning the ropes on Telegraph Avenue, cadging meals at a nearby communal house and camping out in People’s Park. Soon they’re confronting National Guardsmen. As family and school fade away in a tear-gas fog, Alice feels an ambiguous freedom. Caught up in a rebellion that feels equally compelling, scary, and absurd, Alice could become a casualty—or she could defy the odds and become her own person. One thing is sure: there’s no going back. Trade Review2021 International Book Awards Finalist in Fiction: Literary2021 Readers' Favorite Book Awards Finalist in Fiction: Social Issues “This intense retrospective on people yanked out of the strait-laced Fifties and tossed into a culture of anything goes will appeal to readers wanting to learn more about Berkeley’s days of rage.” —Historical Novels Review “Like the writing of Jodi Picoult, Sarah Relyea has the ability to build a particular drama into a compelling plot, unveiled through multiple points of view. . . . Through music, literature, and actual events, the author creates a clear picture of the 1960s, especially the tumultuous events and the free-love flower power that swept the west coast in particular. This is a powerful, historical drama. Well constructed.” —Readers’ Favorite, five-star review “An eerily compelling déjà vu of the free, wild, and jeopardy-ridden kid scene in late-1960s Berkeley. Uncanny and powerful.” —Charles Degelman, Editor, Harvard Square Editions “Like a trip through the Looking Glass, Sarah Relyea’s engrossing debut novel takes you by the hand back to the sixties, where social rules were being challenged and political upheaval was the norm.” —Patricia Hurtado, Brooklyn writer and journalist with Bloomberg News “A fascinating exploration of a strange and exciting time in US history . . . I was totally immersed in the story as Alice grows and develops in a world in which freedom has many different outcomes.”—NetGalley

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Book Synopsis Winner of two INDIEFAB prizes: Gold for Literary Fiction and Bronze for Historical Fiction Readers’ Favorite Gold medal for Literary fiction Spanning a century and three continents, Even in Darkness tells the story of Kläre Kohler, whose early years as a beloved daughter of a prosperous German-Jewish family hardly anticipate the harrowing life she faces as an adult- a saga of family, lovers, two world wars, a concentration camp, and sacrifice. Based on a true story, Even in Darkness highlights Klare’s reinvention as she faces the destruction of life as she knew it, and traces her path to survival, wisdom, and unexpected love.Trade ReviewIPPY (Independent Publishers Book Awards): Gold Medal for European Fiction International Book Awards: Historical Fiction Finalist Winner of the Sarton Women's Literary Award for Historical Fiction 2017 Reader's Favorite Gold Book Award in Literary Fiction Book Riot's 2016 100 Must-Reads in Jewish Fiction Shelf Unbound's Top 100 Notable Indies Foreword Reviews' INDIEFAB Book of the Year Award finalist in Historical Fiction and Literary Fiction “Barbara Stark-Nemon’s writing is so compelling that she makes decades of the mid-20th century feel like today. I can hardly wait to share this exciting novel with my bookstore customers.” —Pamela Grath, owner of Dog Ear Books, Northport, MI “You will be enriched and inspired by Barbara Stark-Nemon’s Even in Darkness, a beautifully crafted, compelling novel based on events in the life of the author’s own family, in which love triumphs over unspeakable horror. The author paints a vivid picture of her upper-middle-class German-Jewish characters and weaves their inner thoughts and feelings into the shocking reality of the historical events of the day. I recommend this book to readers of history and to all those moved by the strength and courage of the human spirit.” —Margaret Fuchs Singer, author of Legacy of a False Promise: A Daughter’s Reckoning “Even in darkness there can be renewal, trust, love. This is the message of Barbara Stark-Nemon's unforgettable book, Even in Darkness. She brings the past century alive through recreating the story of her German-Jewish family, with all of its hopes and fears, losses and survivals—and, above all, the continuity of connections and of values, transcending religion, language, and country. The story is a remarkable and honest portrayal of unexpected paths, told with moving depth and literary skill.” —Dan Isaac Slobin, PhD, Professor Emeritus of Psychology and Linguistics, University of California, Berkeley “Barbara Stark-Nemon's Even In Darkness makes personal the German Jewish experience of the twentieth century. Stark-Nemon offers an important corrective to more standard Jewish narratives, painting a picture of complex German Jews who navigated their way through prejudice and privilege and struggled to find a place for themselves in the various Germanys of the last century. Crossing religious and geographic boundaries, this is a story about family, commitment, loss and love, sacrifice and survival. Ultimately, we learn how humanity triumphs even in darkness.” —David J Fine, PhD, author of Jewish Integration in the German Army in the First World War “This is a Holocaust story certain to move readers not only because of the quiet heroism of its characters, but because it rings with truth. Even in Darkness is a stunning historical endeavor.” —Michelle Anne Schingler, Foreword Reviews “This beautifully written story gives the reader insight into a woman who followed an unusual path, and a different angle on post-World War II life.” —Miriam Bradman Abrahams, Jewish Book Council “. . . smoothly professional and very involving reading. Strongly recommended.” —Historical Novel Society “Throughout the book [Stark-Nemon] demonstrates the beauty and the treasure inherent in good storytelling, both by the stories told by characters in the book and by her own skill at weaving events into a coherent storyline that honors love in all its forms . . . and respects courage in the many manifestations called forth by the Holocaust.” —Barbara Payne, Chicago Examiner

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Book SynopsisJennifer Sharpe is a divorced mother of two with a problem just about any working parent can relate to: her boss expects her to work as though she doesn’t have children, and her children want her to care for them as though she doesn’t have a boss. But when, through a fateful coincidence, a brilliant physicist comes into possession of Jennifer’s phone and decides to play fairy godmother, installing a miraculous time-travel app called Wishful Thinking, Jennifer suddenly finds herself in possession of what seems like the answer to the impossible dream of having it all: an app that lets her be in more than one place at the same time. With the app, Jennifer goes quickly from zero to hero in every part of her life: she is super-worker, the last to leave her office every night; she is super-mom, the first to arrive at pickup every afternoon; and she even becomes super-girlfriend, dating a musician who thinks she has unlimited childcare and a flexible job. But Jennifer soon finds herself facing questions that adding more hours to her day can’t answer. Why does she feel busier and more harried than ever? Is she aging faster than everyone around her? How can she be a good worker, mother, and partner when she can’t be honest with anybody in her life? And most important, when choosing to be with your children, at work, or with your partner doesn’t involve sacrifice, do those choices lose their meaning? Wishful Thinking is a modern-day fairy tale in which one woman learns to overcome the challenges—and appreciate the joys—of living life in real time.Trade Review“A quirky time-traveling adventure mixed with a treatise on the plight of the working mother . . . Wicoff has a comic touch with this amiable fantasy.” —Kirkus “With a bit of time-space-bending whimsy, Wicoff taps into every parent’s wistful dream.” —Booklist “A thought-provoking, gimlet-eyed satire of contemporary motherhood in the guise of a romantic comedy, Wishful Thinking is a Trojan horse of a novel, delivering incisive social commentary while it entertains and delights you. I devoured every word of this funny, brilliant book.” —Christina Baker Kline, author of Orphan Train “Wishful Thinking is funny, tender, perceptive—I tore through it with delight.” —Gretchen Rubin, best-selling author of The Happiness Project and Happier At Home “Wishful Thinking is a whimsical, time-bending tale about an overextended, working single mother’s Year of Magical Living. The solution handed to Jennifer is both fanciful and practical. Who wouldn't want extra hours added to each day? If only!” —Hope Edelman, The Possibility of Everything “In Wishful Thinking, Kamy Wicoff takes a fantasy we’ve all had and turns it into a sparkling, witty, sympathetic take on the stresses, and the rewards, of motherhood, of work, and of being alive at this moment.” —Francine Prose, author of Lovers at the Chameleon Club, Paris: 1932

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Book SynopsisMay Alcott spends her days sewing blue shirts for Union soldiers, but she dreams of painting a masterpiece—which many say is impossible for a woman—and of finding love, too. When she reads her sister’s wildly popular novel, Little Women, she is stung by Louisa’s portrayal of her as “Amy,” the youngest of four sisters who trades her desire to succeed as an artist for the joys of hearth and home. Determined to prove her talent, May makes plans to move far from Massachusetts and make a life for herself with room for both watercolors and a wedding dress. Can she succeed? And if she does, what price will she have to pay? Based on May Alcott’s letters and diaries, as well as memoirs written by her neighbors, Little Woman in Blue puts May at the center of the story she might have told about sisterhood and rivalry in an extraordinary family.Trade Review“Little Woman in Blue is an inspiring and engaging fictional portrait of the artist May Alcott, written with knowledge, sensitivity, and beauty. It is wonderful to see May Alcott gain the center of her own story, and inhabit it with such generosity and grace.” —Harriet Scott Chessman, author of Lydia Cassatt Reading the Morning Paper “At last, a book about the other artistic Alcott sister. May Alcott, dismissed in Little Women as the pampered youngest March sister Amy, explodes onto the pages of this wonderful novel as a real and hugely likeable woman, passionate about life, art, and adventure, and struggling to make sense of her relationship with an older sister who will never appreciate her for who she really is. Thank you, Jeannine, for giving Amy March a voice of her own!” —Gabrielle Donnelly, author of The Little Women Letters “I don't know which I admired more: the author's masterful and affectionate resurrection of 19th-century Concord or her imaginative and insightful portrait of the sisterly relationship at the heart of this delightful novel.” —George Howe Colt, author of The Big House, a National Book Award Finalist “Devotees of Louisa May Alcott’s Little Women will be intrigued by this fictionalized biography of the women behind the characters.” —Library Journal “Thoughtful readers will appreciate the depictions of the sisters’ passion for their art and the challenges that 19th-century American women faced when they worked for a living.” —The Historical Novels Review “Atkins delivers a marvelous reimagining of the very human story behind one of America’s most beloved novels. Little Woman in Blue is the Little Woman I have always wanted.” —Erika Robuck, author of The House of Hawthorne and Hemingway's Girl “Atkins has brought to life the person, places, and time of May Alcott, but in doing so, she has drawn attention to the fact that May Alcott might well be “Everywoman,” no matter in which era she lives,where she chooses to live, or what craft she strives to perfect.” —Story Circle Book Reviews “Little Woman in Blue is a fast-paced, compelling story of two sisters, and their unquenchable drive for success.” —Foreword Review

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Book SynopsisSince adolescence, Bravura and salt of the earth Susie have been partners in magic and best friends, as well as occasional bedmates. But when the two performers hire the mysterious and alluring Lena as a third banana to jazz up the act, Bravura falls madly in love. Lena believes in magic—and not just the rabbit-out-of-a hat kind. She encourages Bravura to believe in her own supernatural powers, and when Susie balks, conflict ensues. Things really go south during the classic “Disappearing Box” act, when Susie disappears for real. With her pal presumed dead, and Bravura the prime suspect, the magician must act quickly to find Susie—hopefully alive! To prove her innocence, Bravura must uncover the holes in her own story—even if it means incriminating herself, and her precious Lena, in the process.Trade Review“Jill Dearman is the New Queen of Noir.” —Go Magazine “Brutal and magical and sexy as hell. Dearman’s noir voice shatters boundaries I never knew existed.” —Augusten Burroughs, author, Running With Scissors. “A rich, noirish picture of Olde New York with a punk sensibility that rocks the senses. Dearman’s characters are twisted, doomed, with a lust for life.” —Roberta Bayley, photographer and author of Patti Smith and Blank Generation Revisited: The Early Days of Punk Rock. “Sapphically ardent, meta-absurd, and Nin-sexy all at once, Jill Dearman’s tale is a triumph of mysterious pleasures: a Colette martini with a drop of Robbe-Grillet vermouth and a Jeanette Winterson olive.” —Michael Atkinson, author of Exile Cinema and Hemingway Deadlights. “The Great Bravura straddles two worlds: her feet are firmly planted on earth, among a gritty ragtag group of early-20th century circus performers, while her hands reach for the stars, drawing the reader into a magical mystery realm where fantasy and sorcery are commonplace. Dearman builds on the tension created by the two milieus bumping into each other on the page to ultimately create a morality tale reminiscent of another era―the tragedies of ancient Greece.” —Aaron Krach, artist, journalist, and author of Half-Life "With the illusion of a good magic show and the captivating edge of the early 20th century, The Great Bravura spellbinds readers in its twisted tale.” —RT Reviews

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Book SynopsisHelen of Troy and Aphrodite: two classical paragons of beauty and love. These two figures have served as the inspiration for innumerable works of art in the Western cannon. In the twenty-first century, however, what do their stories provide but a reminder of the predictable roles which sexism has assigned women throughout history and literature? In this fresh new take on the two women’s stories, Jennifer Pullen takes us away from the familiar and deeper into their experiences. Rewriting Homer, Pullen revitalizes these two figures for the contemporary era. In A Bead of Amber on Her Tongue, Aphrodite maintains autonomy through her experience of her own body, even when forced into marriage. Helen of Troy, meanwhile, harbors a love for her maid, Esme, that no conquering hero can vanquish. Revisiting these classic stories with an inventive twist, Pullen shows that, with a little imagination, the classics may yet bear new insights.

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Book Synopsis

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