Magical realism

Book SynopsisJohn Frederick is a man of considerable substance, in every sense of the word. Rich, intelligent, reclusive, and very large, John Frederick lives to eat. His everyday needs are tended to by Mrs. Floyd, his house manager, and by a never-ending parade of personal chefs. Enter Lexie Alexander, the latest applicant for that once-again vacant position. A young woman of magical sensibilities, fresh out of culinary school and still recovering from a recent personal tragedy, Lexie lives to cook. As time passes, a love of food, musical comedy, and tea begins to weave a connection between John Frederick and his new chef—but then a major medical crisis completely turns life at Frederick House upside down, threatening the bond John Frederick and Lexie have forged. Size Matters is the story of how people interact with each other and with the world, and what happens when the structure of a person’s life, their self-image, and all their familiar coping mechanisms are shattered.Trade Review"It’s a jolly, lighthearted narrative, JoJo Moyes’ Me Before You (2012) for foodies. Like a slice of a favorite dessert, thoroughly enjoyable, but gone too soon.” —Kirkus Reviews "This thought-provoking, intellectual novel examines how individuals react when their familiar coping mechanisms are completely shattered.” —Bookstr "Novak packs a lot into this short and sweet foodie novel, and it’s obvious she had a great deal of fun writing it.” —Booklist "Size Matters offers the perfect blend of romance and friendship with a dash of culinary wit." —Redbook

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Book SynopsisLike a monarch surveying her domain, the house has stood for over a hundred years in the fishing village of Apalachicola on Florida’s northwest coast. She has known life. She has known passionate love. She has known brutal death. But she has guarded her secrets well . . . Then eighteen-year-old Elise Foster and her parents arrive from Atlanta in their silver Jaguar, bringing with them their own secrets and desires. Seeking friendship in their new community, they find instead that the townspeople resent their intrusion. But this intrusion on the house’s privacy also provides a pathway for the past and the present to merge—and for the truth behind an unsolved murder to finally be brought to light. As you strive to solve the mystery, you and the Fosters are forced to address two critical questions: What is real? What is delusion?Trade ReviewRoyal Palm Literary Awards Finalist in Published Book-Length Mainstream Genre “I couldn’t put this book down. What a read! If I’m ever in the market for an old house in the South, I’ll be sure to check out its past first.” —Adair Lara, author of Naked, Drunk and Writing “In House, Ruth Coe Chambers explores love in all its guises, including the possibility that it is eternal and exists beyond the grave. This psychological mystery is a must read for anyone who enjoys a thought-provoking look at people caught in a web of deception beyond their understanding.” —Carol Costello, author of Chasing Grace: A Novel of Odd Redemption “We southerners embrace history and romance, especially if they’re set in a mysterious old house. Chambers’ novel provides these ingredients, which left me in awe—of the well-crafted mystery and of the setting, a house filled with history and passion.” —Belinda Hulin, author of Roux Memories: A Cajun-Creole Love Story with Recipes “The story is interesting from the start and keeps your attention through to the end with many twists and turns and a lot of mystery and secrets.” —I'd Rather Be At the Beach “I enjoyed the small town, cozy feeling of this book.” —Book Nerd Native “I will definitely be reading it a second time since this is the type of book you will discover new details each time it’s read.” —Readaholic Zone “...pulled me in with the intense atmosphere and air of mystery.” —Stephanie's Book Reviews “There are many threads in this tale all weaving together to form a very enthralling tale.” —Broken Teepee “This book was fantastic! I love ghost stories anyway but this was one of the best I have read.” —Wall-to-Wall Books “You feel connected to this story. ... give yourself to this novel, don't hold back.” —Jorie Loves a Story

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Book SynopsisVeronica thinks she’s happy. But with fight after fight, night after night, she knows that something isn’t right anymore. Then her husband busts her researching witchcraft—and her picturesque suburban life is turned upside down. As her marriage falls apart, she knows that for her own sake and for the sake of her small daughter, something has to change. The Trouble With Becoming A Witch is about what happens when a woman decides to stop living the life everyone has told her she is supposed to lead and starts living a life true to her desires. But seizing your own magic isn’t easy—and as Veronica’s marriage spirals downward, she’s forced to look deeply into who she wants to be-come. Is risking the security of life as she knows it worth becoming the witch—and woman—she knows she truly is?Trade Review“The Trouble with Becoming a Witch is funny, honest, sometimes shocking, and all about what happens when a woman decides to stop living the life everyone expects of her and seizes the magic of becoming true to herself.” —Suzanne Lang, host of KRCB-FM’s A Novel Idea “. . . an emotional journey that will resonate with you through a realistic voice that follows the journey of a woman that strives to find herself.” —Readers’ Favorite “Chic lit and women’s fiction fans will find The Trouble With Becoming a Witch a gripping story that lends not only to a beach take-along or leisure choice, but to thought-provoking insights about the sources of growth and achievement.” —The Midwest Book Review

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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 SynopsisIn present-day Los Angeles, Caroline Martin has everything but the thing her soul craves most: a daughter. When she undergoes what is supposed to be a routine hysterectomy, she unwittingly aborts the little girl she’s always longed for, leaving the unborn baby’s soul in limbo. Sharing a hospital room with Caroline is a pregnant woman who’s just been shot by her boyfriend. Her unborn child is barely hanging on—and the soul of Caroline’s hovering baby cannot resist the overwhelming urge to rebirth via this unclaimed fetus. In the aftermath of these events, two engaging heavenly guides, working together through sensitive humans, struggle to find an alternate way to help Caroline and her would-be daughter forge the link that was always meant to be between them—before the child’s brutal father makes good on his vow to steal the girl and disappear with her forever. By turns comic and tragic, Rachael’s Return explores the concept of soulmates, the afterlife, reincarnation, and relationships that never die, even as it offers readers a glimpse of the mysteries that exist within the ordinary and challenges assumptions about the true nature of reality.Trade Review2020 Readers’ Favorite Book Awards: Honorable Mention in Fiction – Visionary 2020 International Book Awards, Winner in Fiction: Visionary “Rebhan skillfully braids several plotlines into a coherent fabric. An artful emotional drama . . .”. —Kirkus Reviews “Reads like a cross between The Alchemist and the parables of Jesus . . . guaranteed to be a different book from what you have read lately.” —Readers' Favorite, five stars “Combining elements of reality with the supernatural, Rachael's Return takes the reader on an intricately plotted and heart-stopping journey of suspense even as it explores the larger themes of immortality and the inscrutable nature of both death and rebirth.”. —Barbara Taylor Sissel, best-selling author of What Lies Below & Tell No One “In this fascinating ethereal stunner, Rebhan explores unique concepts: Are soulmates real? Is there an afterlife? Do we reincarnate? On this wild emotional ride, readers will question the bonds that define us. A book with heart.” —Rea Frey, author of Until I Find You “Stunning and seamless, Rachel’s Return guarantees a riveting read. Eyeing the universe with provocative guides, Janet Rebhan develops characters powerful beyond the last page. This suspenseful and beautifully written novel hits the mark at every twist and turn.” —Julie Maloney, award-winning author of A Matter of Chance

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Book SynopsisThe complete collection of the New York Times bestselling trilogy from Stephen King and Richard Chizmar!In Gwendy?s Button Box, twelve-year-old Gwendy Peterson?s life is forever changed when she is given a mysterious wooden box by a stranger for safekeeping. It offers enticing treats and vintage coins, but he warns her that if she presses any of the box?s beautifully colored buttons, death and destruction will follow. Years later, in Gwendy?s Magic Feather, she?s a successful novelist with a promising future in politics. But when the button box suddenly reappears in her life, she must decide if she is willing to risk everything for its temptations. And in the thrilling conclusion Gwendy?s Final Task, evil forces seek to possess the button box and it is up to Senator Gwendy Peterson to keep it from them at all costs. But where can one hide something so destructive from such powerful entities?

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Book SynopsisThe fourteen fantastical stories in Magic For Unlucky Girls take the familiar tropes of fairytales and twist them into new and surprising shapes. These unlucky girls, struggling against a society that all too often oppresses them, are forced to navigate strange worlds as they try to survive. From carnivorous husbands to a bath of lemons to whirling basements that drive people mad, these stories are about the demons that lurk in the corners and the women who refuse to submit to them, instead fighting back—sometimes with their wit, sometimes with their beauty, and sometimes with shotguns in the dead of night.Trade Review"[ Magic for Unlucky Girls ] is that rarest of things: A book that doesn't remind me of anything else I've read ... A wonderful, truly original work." -- Emily St. John Mandel, author, Station Eleven" Magic For Unlucky Girls is a bold debut from a bold author, and make no mistake -- these are stories that matter, and that will stick with you long after you've read them." -- William Jablonsky, author, The Indestructible Man: Stories and The Clockwork Man"You'll find familiar fairytale tropes here, but Balaskovits shatters these familiar mirrors and finds fresh, original stories in the sinister shards." -- Tara Laskowski, author, Bystanders and Modern Manners for Your Inner Demons"Readers looking for something askew from any fantasy they've read before will want to get to know the unlucky but determined girls of Balaskovits's stories." -- Publishers Weekly"The stories in Magic for Unlucky Girls combine the magical with contemporary realism, rendering an aesthetic I've not quite seen but couldn't get enough of. Balaskovits has an in-depth eye for detail, creates her own folklores, and possesses a dry wit that adds a welcome attitude to her fables." -- Michael Czyzniejewski, story366blog.wordpress.com"Balaskovits's anthology breathes fresh life into classic fairy tales. Readers who enjoy short fiction with a fantastical bent should pick up this award-winning book." -- Library Journal"Balaskovits' stories are spectacularly entertaining and artfully executed." -- Ashley Miller, Atticus Review"Balaskovits creates her own mythology that transcends time and upends traditional ideas about helpless damsels and men-as-beasts." -- Jen Michalski, washingtonindependentreviewofbooks.com

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Book SynopsisIn a magical city seen only at twilight, resentful second son Matteo unlocks secrets which could cause his world’s star to set. For fans of Neil Gaiman and Paulo Coelho comes “a haunting lyrical fantasy dealing with love, loss, and political turmoil.” (Publisher’s Weekly) In Panduri, an enchanted city seen only at twilight, everyone's path is mapped, everyone's destiny decided, their lives charted at birth and steered by an unwavering star. Everyone has his place, and Matteo, second son of Panduri's duca, is eager to take up his as Legendary Protector—at the border and out from under his father's domineering thumb. Then Matteo's older brother pulls rank and heads to the border in his stead, leaving Panduri's orbit in a spiral and Matteo's course on a skid. Forced to follow an unexpected path, resentful and raw, Matteo is determined to rise, to pursue the one future Panduri's star can never chart: a life of his own.Trade Review"There’s a lot to like about Tarquini’s Italian-inflected fantasy story, starting with her often lyrical prose." —Kirkus Reviews “Tarquini spins a haunting, lyrical fantasy dealing with love, loss, and political turmoil . . . Patient readers will be rewarded by the mysteries at the heart of these brothers’ struggles, which slowly unfold until the last page.” —Publishers Weekly "Deepest Blue is a paean to the indelible journey of life, from expectation and station to our destinies and hopes. Braiding myth and fairy tale into melodic prose that borders on poetry, Tarquini gives us a story of yesterday, today, and, most importantly, tomorrow. The world of Panduri’s characters are deftly drawn, their discordant desires juxtaposed with a world seemingly in demand of harmonic balance. The author carefully conducts her brilliant third novel with her signature deft humor and wry insight. Through deep grief and even deeper love, Tarquini brings readers a new symphony of our stars: hope, light, life, and dreams." —Camille Griep, author of Letters to Zell and New Charity Blues "Mindy Tarquini, weaver of magical stories and poetic prose, has spun a riveting tale of royal brothers whose lives churn with conflict and rock with the consequences of word and deed. Deepest Blue sets an undaunted gaze upon the mysterious city of Panduri, and into the family dynamics that manage to keep love afloat even when all seems lost." —Jan Von Schleh, author of But Not Forever "This is an engaging story that moves at a blistering pace . . . a powerful tale that takes us to a mythical place where magic and the simple and purest joys in life are prized above all else . . . If you haven't read a book by Tarquini before then I can only encourage you to sit down and strap yourself in for the ride with faith." —Sandra Ruttan, author of The Spying Moon and What Burns Within

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Book SynopsisThy Father’s Glass explores the complexity of familial relationships and offers hope that, in the end, acceptance and forgiveness are possible.Dane Schottmer remembers his father, Branson, as hard, mean, and distant. He promised himself and his wife that he would never turn out like his old man. Still, for years, he held on to the hope for reconciliation, or at least an apology for all the abuse he suffered as a child. Those hopes are ruined when Alzheimer’s disease ravages his father’s memory and robs him of his personality, rapidly closing the window of opportunity for the two men to make peace. Even worse, when Dane’s beloved mother dies, Dane is forced to move into his childhood home and care for the father who never cared for him. As grief and stress consume Dane, his mental health and his marriage suffer—until the home his family has occupied for generations intervenes in a supernatural way. Persistently and provocatively, it invites Dane to see his father for who he really is and to show Dane that he’s more like the old man than he wants to admit.

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