A Wolff in the Family (2024) Francine Falk-Allen "Heartbreaking at its core, A Wolff in the Family takes the bones of a long-hidden family secret and fleshes it out to include a large cast of characters who come alive on the page. Readers will despair with Naomi and her children as they navigate separate, but equal, hardships apart, with hope as their only beacon. Readers cannot help ask the questions: What skeletons are buried in my family lore? Do I dare uncover them? Kudos to Falk-Allen for taking this project on, making it both compelling and relatable, and shedding light into dark corners of family history. A bold and important read."
Sleeping in the Sun (2024) Joanne Howard "Exquisitely rendered and highly nuanced, Joanne Howard's debut novel, Sleeping in the Sun, immerses readers into the world of young American Gene Hinton as he comes of age in rural India in the 1930s. Battling inner and outer demons, Gene forms a unique bond with the Hintons' Indian servant, Arthur, and gains an eye into life's underbelly. Sumptuously written and detailed, this novel is destined to become a classic. A triumph!"
A Golden Life (2024) Ginny Kubitz Moyer "Step into the lavish world of 1930s Hollywood in Ginny Kubitz Moyer's A Golden Life. A vibrant, captivating, and entertaining read!"
At What Cost, Silence (2023) (Texian Trilogy, book 1) Karen Lynne Klink "Karen Lynne Klink's At What Cost, Silence? oozes with deep southern charm and boiling point angst as she breathes life into a colorful cast of mid-19th century Texans on the cusp of the Civil War. Her descriptive language, lively dialogue, and swift pacing enhance this multi-faceted narrative. An impressive debut!"
Josie and Vic (2023) Debra Thomas "Josie Serafini - tough yet tender - wins us over from the first page in award-winning Debra Thomas's second novel Josie and Vic. Dealing with layers of anxiety, grief, and loss, Josie shows us that sometimes the longest road home teaches us the most about ourselves. For fans of Ann Patchett, Joyce Carol Oates, and Barbara Kingsolver. A lovely book."
The Blue Butterfly (2022) Leslie Johansen Nack "Leslie Johansen Nack redeems the tragic legacy of Marion Davies, William Randolph Hearst's long-time lover, in her newest, The Blue Butterfly. Dripping with diamonds and gilded with grandeur, The Blue Butterfly takes readers from the bowels of the New York stage to the glittering life of Hollywood and its stars. Haunting and heartbreaking, The Blue Butterfly elicits the gut-punch that what we do for love colors our lives forever."
Beneath the Veil of Smoke and Ash (2021) Tammy Pasterick "Drawn from the author’s family archives, this richly-wrought family saga invites readers inside immigrant coal mining communities in early 20th century Western Pennsylvania. Gritty and riveting, Pasterick’s debut novel exposes the depths and lengths humans go to protect honor, family, and love."
Sugar Birds (2021) Cheryl Grey Bostrom "Bostrom’s deft language, deep reverence for the natural world, and keen understanding of the human condition merge in this enduring novel of forgiveness and hope."
The Long-Lost Jules (2021) Jane Elizabeth Hughes "Fast-paced international thriller with enough twists and turns to make an Oxford don dizzy. Hughes takes readers on a breathless journey through the playgrounds of Europe to uncover a centuries-old royal mystery and bust international money-laundering rings. Plot twists, mistaken identity, edge-of-your-seat danger, romance, it’s all there. And when you think the stakes can’t get higher, wait, there’s more. I thoroughly loved this novel!"
Estelle (2020) Linda Stewart Henley "Interweaving a contemporary story with a rich and detailed glimpse into a little-known segment of famed French painter Edgar Degas’s life, Linda Stewart Henley invites readers into the intriguing art world of New Orleans through interlocking storylines set a century apart. An admirable debut!"
