Children’s Horror / Fantasy / Magic / Chapter Book
Publisher: Progressive Rising Phoenix Press
Page Count: 246
Publication Date: January 9, 2024
SYNOPSIS
Stewart sees a ghostly figure out of the corner of his eye. He and his friend, Andy, begin a ghost investigation that leads to an adventure of a lifetime. Coming face-to-face with a ghost, the boys make a decision to join forces with a group of girls, who have encountered a ghost of their own. The kids soon find that the ghosts that they’ve encountered are in imminent danger and need their help. Can the kids devise a plan to help the ghost in time? Will they be able to reunite a ghost with his lost family? Complete with a ghost village and a feud, this story takes on a life of its own.
Award-winning author Amanda M. Thrasher was born in England and moved to Texas, where she lives with her family. She writes YA, general fiction, middle grade, early reader chapter, and picture books. She is the founder and CEO of Progressive Rising Phoenix Press.
In this unique alphabet book, members of the Elemental Dragon Clan present 26 Magical Elements of the Periodic Table in alphabetical order. Each member of the clan has an element tipped tail. They also have magical powers based on the properties of their metals. There are no more perfect groups than unicorns and dragons to familiarize yourself with elements from the Periodic Table. Their theme is: “No Metal — No Magic. . .and No Technology.”
In this book, Antz starts out the book by introducing the very necessary metal, Antimony on his element page. Zora rounds out the alphabet by presenting scientific facts and other fun information about the metal, Zirconium, on her elemental page. In all, readers will get some great insight into the properties of 26 elements from the periodic table. Each page is full of amazing facts and tons of FUN. There’s a Magical Elemental themed periodic table, too!
This unique book will help tweens, teens and anyone else quickly absorb the elements of the Periodic Table.
Sybrina Durant is a unicorn author and entrepreneur. In addition to books, she offers unicorn-themed activities, t-shirts, and more. Plus, she has pulled together a collection of nearly all the unicorn books available today from hundreds of authors. They are categorized on her website by Little Kid, Middle Kid, and Teen Unicorn Books
In this intimate rendering of a relationship, we learn how deceptive surface impressions can be.
Leon Hale, author of Bonney’s Place, was sixty years old, a “country boy” who wrote about rural Texans with humor and sensitivity in his popular column for The Houston Post and, later the Houston Chronicle. Babette Fraser at thirty-six was a child of privilege, a city girl educated abroad, struggling in her career while raising a young son. No one thought it could work.
Even Hale himself held serious doubts. But it did endure. The interior congruencies they discovered through a long and turbulent courtship knit them tightly together for the rest of his life.
And when he died during the Pandemic isolation period, searing levels of grief and doubt threatened Babette’s understanding of the partnership and marriage that had sustained her for forty years. Had he really been the person she thought he was? Had he kept secrets that would forever change her view of him?
In candid, evocative prose, she explores the distorted perceptions that often follow the death of a cherished spouse, and the loving resolution that allows life to go on.
This Familiar Heart is such an affecting read, my review reads more like a sharing of my feelings rather than a formal literary critique.
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The act of writing is both a disclosure and a construct.”
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– I loved the present-tense narration because it places the reader right smack in the middle of the story as the events unfold. Surprisingly, I also liked the occasional interspersing of first-person memories/clarifications by Ms. Hale. I don’t usually appreciate such a device in fiction because it breaks up the flow of the story but it works for this memoir.
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… a sort of other-worldly vibe that makes his presence in the room feel like kind of a gift.”
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– Leon Hale’s POV feels authentic. His voice comes out strong. It’s as if he wrote the words himself. The depiction of him is realistic with many of his flaws and virtues equally revealed. This is excellent writing that could only come from someone who knows him deeply and who loves him greatly.
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Then there was that electricity–what I call his ‘shimmer’.”
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– I swooned at the romance, the instantaneous attraction, the palpable chemistry that leaps off the pages. Ms. Hale captured everything–the fears, confusion, and tears, the joys and thrills, the pushes and pulls–so vividly, it’s like a romance novel within a memoir. Except in this book the age gap, the disparity in economic backgrounds, and the emotional wounds are not mere tropes, they’re lived experiences.
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– I absolutely adore the letters. The bravery to lay oneself vulnerable in sharing something so personal amazes me. The fluidity and lyricism in the language are astounding and truly enviable. It’s a privilege to get a close glimpse into the lives of such remarkable people as Leon Hale and Babette Fraser Hale.
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You’ll hurt for a while, but you’ll be all right.”
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-The last part of this book was so hard to read. Tears clouded my vision for hours after I put the book down. But my difficulty for sure could not compare with the pain Ms. Hale had to go through in reliving those dark months. I have so much respect and admiration for her and gratitude for sharing her life and love with the world.
Babette Fraser Hale is the author of A Wall of Bright Dead Feathers, 2022 winner of the debut fiction award from the Texas Institute of Letters. Her stories have received notice from Best American Short Stories, 2015 and the Meyerson Award from Southwest Review. In addition to writing fiction, Babette has been a magazine feature writer, columnist, contributing editor, book editor, and publisher. She lives in Texas.
In the aftermath of a devastating sickness that shatters their close-knit beach town, six lonely kids are drawn together during the unpredictable autumn equinox. Among them are fourteen-year-old Lorelei, who yearns to be an oceanographer, and her peculiar younger brother, Tad, who possesses an otherworldly curiosity.
When Lorelei has a strange and almost deadly encounter in a sea cave, her loyal boyfriend, Casey, cannot reconcile her fantastical experience with the rational world. Condi, Lorelei’s best friend, understands ocean magic but isn’t free to share what she knows. Kait, a girl from Ireland, regrets her impulsive move to America–all because of an odd occurrence involving her deceased boyfriend’s lost surfboard. When tides turn and the moon shifts, Isaac, the new kid in town who despises the ocean, is forced to face the truth–a profound and powerful magic lives in the deep.
Guided by a wise surf master, mystical old women known as the Beachlings, and an open-hearted grandmother, six kids embark on transformative adventures that challenge their beliefs about possibilities and the intense nature of love.
Amethyst, the Shallows is the companion novel to The Aquamarine Surfboard.
… how much cozy comfort there is to be found between the pages of a good book.”
Filled with wonderful characters, vivid descriptions, and emotive prose, Amethyst, The Shallows is a transportative work of fiction that is simply magical.
If you have a book, you’re never alone.”
This tale takes us to the mystical Dipitous Beach with its tight-knit community of children and adults who navigate highly relatable true-to-life issues like losses and illnesses as well as friendships and love. The book also transports us to the wonders of the underwater world with its amazing creatures, both imaginary and real.
Everything comes back to love.”
While every one of the named characters is fascinating in their own right, I can’t help but have a favorite– the special little boy Tad Finch. His courage, intelligence, maturity beyond his years, and feeling with colors endeared him to me. I wanted to hug him whenever he appeared on the page. Truly, Ms. Abernathy made me care about the characters in this book–Lori and Casey, Condi and Isaac, Grand Ella, Andy, Trippy and Fancie, Kait and Vinnie, and even Figment, the octopus, and Guardian, the parrot.
She also made me impatient to read the next installment in the series. I am totally invested in these stories now and am looking forward to enjoying them in the years to come.
… age never matters; these things are about bravery and heart.”
Kellye Abernathy’s passions are writing and serving trauma survivors as a yoga teacher and practical life skills advocate. She holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Secondary English Education from the University of Kansas. Her home is in land-locked Plano, Texas—where she’s dreaming of her next trip to the sea!
Contemporary Fiction / Linked Short Stories / Humor
Publisher: Cune Press
Date of Publication: February 20, 2024
Number of Pages: 198 pages
Scroll down for a Giveaway!
Shahrazad’s Gift is a collection of linked short stories set in contemporary Cairo—magical, absurd and humorous. The author focuses on the off-beat, little-known stories, far from CNN news: a Swedish belly dancer who taps into the Oriental fantasies of her clientele; a Japanese woman studying Arabic, driven mad by the noise and chaos of the city; a frustrated Egyptian housewife who becomes obsessed by the activities of her Western gay neighbor; an American journalist who covered the civil war in Beirut who finds friendship with her Egyptian dentist. We also meet the two protagonists of McCullough’s Confessions of a Knight Errant, before their escapades in that story.
These stories are told in the tradition of A Thousand and One Nights.
Like The Thousand and One Nights collection from which this anthology was patterned, Shahrazad’s Gift is a highly entertaining read.
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The interconnected stories are varied. Some are funny, some are sad, and some are both in equal measure. All of them are evocative, always eliciting a reaction from me–laughter and sympathy being the most common. They feature a fascinating cast of multinational characters that are drawn so vividly, they seem like real people. And they all take me to the streets of Cairo, Egypt, fulfilling my goal of traveling through books.
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While the tone is easy and most often light, there’s an underlying depth to the themes that’ll make you think, make you reflect, and maybe want to read it all over again.
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Having read Ms. McCullough’s previous work Confessions of a Knight Errant, I was not surprised that I thoroughly enjoyed this collection. It has the same cinematic quality, sharp dialogues, irreverent situations, even more quirky characters, and utter craveability. Recommended for everyone who appreciates unique and excellent storytelling.
Gretchen McCullough was raised in Harlingen Texas. After graduating from Brown University in 1984, she taught in Egypt, Turkey, and Japan. She earned her MFA in Creative Writing from the University of Alabama and was awarded a teaching Fulbright to Syria from 1997-1999. Her stories, essays and reviews have appeared in The Barcelona Review, Archipelago, National Public Radio, Story South, Guernica, The Common, The Millions, and the LA Review of Books. Translations in English and Arabic have been published in: Nizwa, Banipal, Brooklyn Rail in Translation, World Literature Today and Washington Square Review with Mohamed Metwalli. Her bi-lingual book of short stories in English and Arabic, Three Stories From Cairo, translated with Mohamed Metwalli, was published in July 2011 by AFAQ Publishing House, Cairo. A collection of short stories about expatriate life in Cairo, Shahrazad’s Tooth, was also published by AFAQ in 2013. Currently, she is a Senior Lecturer in the Department of Rhetoric and Composition at the American University in Cairo.
It’s 1739. An abused girl accused of witchcraft must be defended by a man married to an actual witch.
William MacLeod, a fierce Scottish lawyer with a kind heart, takes on a daunting task—rescue young Annaliese from the clutches of her tormentors in the untamed wilds of Virginia colony and deliver her safely to her aristocratic father in London. But lurking in the shadows are enemies eager to expose MacLeod’s own wife, Fiona, as a witch with a dark secret.
Their perilous journey takes an unexpected turn when their ship wrecks, and Annaliese’s haunting nightmares and unexplained Devil Marks trigger suspicion among the crew. Tension peaks when MacLeod must become Annaliese’s unwavering protector in a witch trial, where Fiona’s clairvoyance and a murder are unveiled.
To Rescue a Witch navigates themes of betrayal and redemption, in a spellbinding narrative that blends history, magic, and the unyielding resilience of the human spirit.
Did you know that back in colonial days, you would get a fine if you didn’t go to church? There was no separation of church and state back in those days. This is a picture of the church at Colonial Williamsburg and is the setting for one of the scenes in my novel.
Courthouse
Ever wonder what it was like to be an accused witch? This is the Courthouse, whipping post, pillory, and stocks in Colonial Williamsburg, where little Annaliese (the young protagonist) is from. Witchcraft accusations required examinations, trials, and often included punishments including execution.
Lisa A. Traugott is an award-winning author and World Championship public speaker semifinalist and spoke five lines on Buffy the Vampire Slayer. She lives in Austin with her husband, two kids, and English bulldog, Bruno.
In the aftermath of a devastating sickness that shatters their close-knit beach town, six lonely kids are drawn together during the unpredictable autumn equinox. Among them are fourteen-year-old Lorelei, who yearns to be an oceanographer, and her peculiar younger brother, Tad, who possesses an otherworldly curiosity.
When Lorelei has a strange and almost deadly encounter in a sea cave, her loyal boyfriend, Casey, cannot reconcile her fantastical experience with the rational world. Condi, Lorelei’s best friend, understands ocean magic but isn’t free to share what she knows. Kait, a girl from Ireland, regrets her impulsive move to America-all because of an odd occurrence involving her deceased boyfriend’s lost surfboard. When tides turn and the moon shifts, Isaac, the new kid in town who despises the ocean, is forced to face the truth-a profound and powerful magic lives in the deep.
Guided by a wise surf master, mystical old women known as the Beachlings, and an open-hearted grandmother, six kids embark on transformative adventures that challenge their beliefs about possibilities and the intense nature of love.
Amethyst, The Shallows is the brand-new companion novel
to The Aquamarine Surfboard.
****
PRAISE FOR AMETHYST, THE SHALLOWS “Amethyst, The Shallows‘ sensitive and potent prose stirs the reader, leaving a lasting impression. Although this novel is the second installment in a series, it stands strong independently, welcoming newcomers and returning readers alike.” —Literary Titan
Kellye Abernathy’s passions are writing and serving trauma survivors as a yoga teacher and practical life skills advocate. She holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Secondary English Education from the University of Kansas. Her home is in land-locked Plano, Texas—where she’s dreaming of her next trip to the sea!
Each stand-alone book in this multi-author crime novel series is set in the fictitious, beautiful little Texas Hill Country town of Magnolia Bluff. Each author writes in their preferred sub-genre to allow readers to experience humor, dark dilemmas, suspense, romance, thrills, and spills — told through good storytelling that will keep readers awake past their bedtime, trying to find out whodunit.
Season three of The Magnolia Bluff Crime Chronicles begins in January 2024. Stay tuned.
The entire Doyle clan is celebrating Easter at Old Man Thompson’s barn. Though Bliss isn’t blood-related, they insist she be a part, which kind-a makes sense since months ago she uncovered the murderer of patriarch Merrick Doyle, who now resides, in spirit, in the general store.
The barn walls vibrate with the beat from the popular band Loco-Motion. Suddenly, the lead singer lights up like fireworks on the Fourth of July. Nina Warren has been electrocuted, and things look bad for the family. After all, except for Bliss, Diablo the toucan, and the band members, the only attendees are blood-related. This puts a giant snarl in the investigation.
Cindy Davis hails originally from the Northeast, but now calls Florida her permanent home. She is an avid reader, gardener, editor, author, psychic, and an awesome wife.
Western / Wholesome / Sweet Romance / Historical Fiction
Publisher: Severn House
Date of Publication: November 7, 2023
Number of Pages: 203 pages
Scroll down for a Giveaway!
Texas, 1868. Emma Taggart has finally found a place to belong – setting up Heaven’s Door orphanage with her sister Maura was a new beginning for her – and one she will do anything to protect.
When guarded ex-army man Stone Landry buys the neighboring land and moves in – camels and all – Emma’s world changes forever. He is an infuriating man who instantly gets under her skin – in ways she never dreamed possible, and despite herself, Emma starts to wonder if, just maybe, he is man enough to take on a Hangman’s daughter . . . But their newfound connection is quickly tested by violent night raids, kidnappings, and underhand tricks by powerful rancher Zeke Parker, who is intent on running them out of town and taking the land he deems to be his. Can Emma find enough courage to trust in Stone to give her the life, the family, she’s always dreamed of?
It’s no wonder Linda Broday is my go-to author for Historical Western Romance. She delivers an immensely entertaining read every time. Every. Single. Time. Courting Miss Emma, the second book of her The Hangman’s Daughters series continues Ms. Broday’s long list of excellent books with memorable lead characters, heart-in-your-throat action, unpredictable storylines, despicable villains, and a motley crew of support characters that include children and animals (camels in Texas!). Most importantly, there’s humor to balance all the angst and violence inherent to the subgenre. And, of course, a sweet, wholesome romance.
Life was fleeting at best and a woman had to grab every moment. Emma wanted no regrets when her time came.”
Miss Emma Taggart has to be one of my favorite Linda Broday heroines ever. Not only is she intrepid, caring, capable, and resourceful, but she is also incredibly funny. Her internal musings about possible epitaphs are either poignant or downright hilarious. Morbid perhaps but admirable nevertheless considering a lot of people want her dead just for being the hangman’s daughter. I love that she saves herself from danger and defends her found family with all her might. A true heroine in every sense of the word.
Life doesn’t play fair sometimes … We have to make the best we can of what we’re dealt.”
Stone Landry is a great match for Emma. They have fantastic chemistry and have heavy daddy issues in common. Stone’s character arc is probably the most compelling in this story. From getting pissy about orphans trespassing on his property to becoming a father figure to an abused child. His reflections on being a soldier make this book a fitting read for Veteran’s Day.
She held on to hope despite the odds.”
Another aspect of Linda Broday’s writing I love is the way it transports me to the time and place of her novels. Maybe not the exact time as she herself confessed in the author’s note but certainly in the general vicinity. Incorporating elements like the camels, the canon, the concept of land grabbing, and the presence of the Chili Queens into the story goes a long way toward effectively bringing the setting to life.
She wanted to be someone’s whole world, not just a little piece of it.”
The introduction of a third hangman’s daughter and a tattooed stranger wandering into the orphanage ensures the continuation of this wonderful series and I am super happy about that. I hope I’ll get a chance to read that story in advance as I had both Winning Maura’s Heart and Courting Miss Emma thanks to the publisher and Lone Star Lit.
I’m a New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of western romance novels and short stories. Watching TV westerns during my youth fed my love of cowboys and the old West and they still do. On a still day, I can often hear the voices of American Indians, Comancheros, and early cowboys whispering in the breeze here on the high West Texas plains. We refer to this land as “cowboy” country and men here still ride the range just as cowboys of old. My stories focus on family life and almost all have children.
Raise your hand if you have ever run into a mannequin in a store and apologized. Continue to keep your hand raised if you want to pre-write thank you notes to those whom you anticipate attending your funeral because you suffer from chronic “way too nice” syndrome. Keep it up high if you have ever farted in church or yoga class. Man, my arm is getting tired!
Most people are awkward during the middle school years, grow out of it, and blossom into mature, well-functioning human beings…I’m still waiting for this to happen. Awkwardness is my hidden talent, although most who know me would tell you it isn’t hidden—it’s written on my forehead. My daily life is filled with epic failures. Sometimes I feel like I’m one big malfunction! As I have gotten older, I just try to embrace it.
After you read this collection of essays, hopefully you will be able to accept your imperfections too! Nope, probably not because I’m still not there! However, maybe my comedy will stick with you like that hemorrhoid you can’t seem to get rid of, like ever—Good Talk. . .Good Talk.
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PRAISE FOR GOOD TALK . . . GOOD TALK:
“Reading Ginny Andrews’s Good Talk. . .Good Talk is a lot like hanging out with that girlfriend that invariably makes you laugh until you cry.” —Lauren Cassel Brownell, author of Zen and the Art of Housekeeping and Dying to Donate
“Good Talk. . .Good Talk is a laugh out loud winner, filled with quirky stories reminiscent of Patrick McManus.” —J. Andersen, author of The Breeding Tree, The Gene Rift, and Legacy’s Impact
“Anyone with anxiety will totally relate to Ginny Andrews’ humorous tales of the struggle of day-to-day life in today’s world.” —John A.B., Amazon Reviewer
Ginny Andrews is a former high school teacher and coach, who is now an aspiring comedian, speaker, and writer. She would greatly appreciate it if you purchased her book! Door Dash, dog-sitting, used car sales, lawn mowing, and selling random items found in her house aren’t high-paying gigs!
Growing up in West Texas absolutely shaped my writing. I have stories in my book about how you can’t apply lip balm and walk outside in West Texas on a dusty day!
Why did you choose to write in your field?
My life seems to be a walking comedy act, so it just seemed natural!
What kind(s) of writing do you do?
Comedy, essays, blogs, social media comedy posts. I just try to cheer people up each day because I know life can be stressful.
How does your book relate to your faith?
I am a Christian and a comedian, but I wouldn’t consider myself to be a Christian comedian. There are chapters in my book titled, “Church Camp,” and “Jesus Take the Wheel.” My faith is a big part of who I am—I try to take a comedic approach to it.
What was the hardest part of writing this book?
Comedy is hard. There is a fine line between making people laugh and offending. It is hard to appeal to all ages, generations, and genders. What would make individuals in their 60s and 70s laugh might not appeal to the 20s-40s generation. What would appeal to the younger generation might offend the older. So, trying to find a comedy style that pleases all is hard. I did my best to achieve this goal with Good Talk…Good Talk and I hope to find this balance even more in my future books.
What did you enjoy most about writing this book?
The idea of bringing joy to people as they read. That is the goal of my comedy whether it is through books, standup, social media posts…I just want to be a bright spot in someone’s day!
Are you a full-time or part-time writer? How does that affect your writing?
I teach high school during the day and write at night and on the weekends. My day job gives me plenty of material for my writing and comedy shows! 😊
What is something you want to accomplish before you die?
If I could have my own comedy show, or open for a big headliner, even if I only get 10-15 minutes on stage (that is golden for me), or get my books (I have three total to write) picked up by a big publishing house, or get to tour as a motivational speaker and sell my books…all of those things would be amazing. Or maybe make enough money through my writing to not have to work a second job while teaching and get a new car that isn’t ten years old with squeaky brakes!
Courthouse 
Book Description:
Cindy Davis hails originally from the Northeast, but now calls Florida her permanent home. She is an avid reader, gardener, editor, author, psychic, and an awesome wife.
Maida Malby 
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