The Bookshop at the End of the Internet

Author Zaq Baker discusses his debut novel, Unspectacular. This family dramedy is about young people trying to balance a music career with family struggles and everyday life. The story is told in two primary narratives: Mae, a twenty-year-old music student who doesn't really want a career in music but who is expected to be next big thing; and Ajay, a software engineer and skilled drummer who struggles to balance the job at which he is expected to excel with the music career he desperately wants. Zaq Baker has written what he knows. He's been singing and writing songs since he was fifteen. A professional musician and songwriter, Zaq plays in about ten different bands, so writing Unspectacular began as a private, creative project just for himself.

Author Mima Tipper discusses her debut young adult contemporary romance novel, Kat's Greek Summer. Rising high school freshman, Kat, is dragged off to Greece for a vacation to meet her extended family, ruining Kat's own summer plans of training for the cross-country team and preparing for a successful transition into high school. Mima describes Kat's Greek Summer as high-stakes odyssey for her main character—one of pursing dreams, discovering love, owning her heritage, and finding her own voice. For this story, Mima drew upon her own memories of the summer following her eighth-grade year, as well as summers she spent in Greece with her extended family.

Author Richie Billing discusses his new fantasy novella, Together We Rise, a story about revolution against a corrupt government in a world were life has become a fight for survival. Richie took inspiration from real-world events and the plight of many around the globe. This story is told from multiple points of view—workers, healers, children, police officers, criminals, and so on. Each chapter follows a different character, and the story unfolds like a baton relay race, with each character handing off to the next, chapter by chapter, until we see the entire story unfold. Richie also used AI to create a soundtrack to accompany this novella.

Author Liz Alterman discusses her new book, Claire Casey's Had Enough. Claire Casey is a forty-something year old mom of three who is recently separated from her husband and is facing the decision of whether to reconcile or file for divorce. The book follows Claire through one thirteen-hour day in which her life feels like its spinning out of control. When an old flame gets in touch and asks Claire out on a date, she is forced to revisit her hopes and dreams and things that took a back seat to marriage and family, all while trying to deal with the everyday chaos of being a suburban mom. As it all gets to be too much, Claire has to be honest with herself, take a hard look at her life, and decide what she really wants.

Author Sara Winokur discusses her two new novels—Double Blind: The Icelandic Manuscript Murders, and Ivory Bones: The Lewis Chessmen Murders—both set in Iceland and featuring a forensic geneticist who uses her knowledge and skills to solve mysteries. In both novels, Sara blends Nordic noir mysteries with history and real-world intrigue. Sara was a genetics researcher for twenty-five years, and she manages to include genetics into her stories in a light-handed way. She also likes to weave in historical events and mysteries. As a result, Double Blind features mysterious medieval manuscripts of Icelandic sagas, while Ivory Bones includes a famous set of ivory chess pieces known as the Lewis Chessmen.

Author Brandi Bradley discusses her new novel, Pretty Girls Get Away with Murder. Brandi knew she wanted to write a murder mystery set in a small Southern town like the one she grew up in. Pretty Girls Get Away with Murder is a Southern noir novel set in a small Kentucky town in which a young entrepreneur is murdered, and everyone suspects his “crazy ex-girlfriend” of killing him. The story revolves around three women: the victim's ex-girlfriend, his best friend, and the detective tasked with investigating his suspicious death. In this small town, secrets and gossip run rampant, but the truth is buried in there somewhere.

Author Lola Reid Allin discusses her new memoir, Highway to the Sky: An Aviator's Journey. Lola wanted to write a book that was not just about aviation but also about her experience as a female pilot at a time when it was extremely rare for women to be commercial pilots. While the industry has changed since Lola started out as a pilot, women still make up a very small percentage of the world's commercial pilots, and many of the problems she faced in her career are still ongoing. Her book details Lola's career in aviation, but it also addresses issues of motherhood, divorce, single parenthood, and non-traditional careers. Lola's purpose in writing this memoir was to say to other women, “You are not alone.”

Author Mark Mustian discusses his new Southern Gothic novel, Boy with Wings. In this work of historical fiction, a boy named Johnny Cruel is born with wing-like appendages on his back. Is he a miracle, or is he cursed? Johnny ends up in a freak show traveling through the South in the 1930's. While he bares his back for the entertainment of onlookers, he finds that the very thing that shocks people also gives him power. Mark had long wanted to write a book about “odd people,” and he knew he finally had something special when he struck upon the idea of Johnny Cruel, the boy with wings. In this story, Mark delves into the idea of what it's like to be different, as well as issues of race and religion in the South during the 1930s.

Author Patsy C. Robertson about her debut novel, A Concoction of Lies. As an avid reader, Patsy was frustrated by the lack of representation of older people as main characters. In A Concoction of Lies, Patsy's characters range from their 40s to their 70s, and she places them in a thrilling, high-stakes game of cat-and-mouse. In this story, a former FBI cybersecurity specialist becomes a cybercriminal, hacking the bank account of a notorious Guatemalan cartel member. He is kidnapped, smuggled into Guatemala, and manages to escape to the Belize border. During his escape, he crosses paths with a plantation owner who battles addiction and has been recently taken advantage of by a charming conman. When their paths cross, their struggles and pasts catch up with them, further endangering them both.

Author Keith G. McWalter discusses his new science fiction novel, Lifers, in which the solution to extending human life has been found and is secretly unleashed upon the world's population in the form of an airborne pandemic. When people stop dying, the pressures of an ever-increasing population create a whole host of political and socio-economic ramifications. Keith admits that he didn't need to make up much of the science in Lifers. The creative part was imagining what would happen if suddenly, overnight, people lived for an additional hundred years or more. What would be the effects on families, economics, medical care, politics, and so on?

Author Talia Carner discusses her new historical novel, The Boy with the Star Tattoo. This story combines two real-life events that took place in France: (1) the 1946 Youth Aliya search for Jewish orphans who were hidden in the European countryside during WWII, and (2) the Israeli naval action off the coast of Cherbourg, in Normandy, during the French arms embargo in 1969. In this novel, the assistant to an Israeli naval officer stationed in Cherbourg uncovers the truth about her boss's mysterious past and his connection to the Youth Aliya program over two decades earlier. Talia undertook years of research for this book, including interviews with the navy admiral who orchestrated the Cherbourg naval operation.

Author R.B. Kelly discusses her debut sci fi novel, Edge of Heaven, and its sequel, On the Brink. Rachael began the first draft of the story when she was only fifteen years old. Always a fan of Terry Pratchett, Rachael loves his notion of inspiration particles sleeting through the universe. What was her own inspiration particle for these books? An imaginary vision of a city built on top of another city. A long-time fan of speculative fiction and being deeply impressed by the movie, Blade Runner, Rachael set about trying to write the story surrounding that city on top of a city. Edge of Heaven went through too many iterations for Rachael to count, but she always knew it was the story she was meant to write.

Author Francine Falk-Allen discusses her new book, A Wolff in the Family. This novel has its origins in a Francine's own family history. About twenty years ago, she learned a family secret that very few of her living relatives knew. She discovered that the five youngest of her mother's eleven siblings were sent to an orphanage by her grandfather. It was Francine's mother, the eldest of the siblings, who kept the siblings in touch with each other through the years. In A Wolff in the Family, Francine explores the family's hardships during the 1920s and 30s and the circumstances that would lead a father to place his own children in an orphanage, as well as the effects that decision had on the rest of the family.

Author Rebecca Hendricks discusses her latest books, Hound Dogged and Hard Dogs Night. These first two books in Rebecca's new series follow a group of friends in a small town as they attempt to establish themselves as a rock-n-roll band called the Hound Dogs. The year is 1958, and rock-n-roll is just getting started. Rebecca's stories feature a harmonious mix of friendship, coming-of-age challenges, the notion of found families, the rolls of women in that era, and, of course, the birth of rock-n-roll. She spent a great deal of time researching 1950s pop culture, as well as the various societal influences on the musical genre.

Author Lisa Diane Kastner discusses the first two books in her new paranormal fantasy series, Cure and Family Pack. In these books, we meet Luna, a young woman who has just lost her beloved brother. She traces his movements to Sweden where she discovers that her family descends from an iconic female Viking warrior known as the Birke. Luna also discovers that her brother was a shapeshifter, a lycanthrope, and that she has begun to show the same signs of transformation. Both books follow dual timelines and narratives, which allow Lisa's love of history and research to shine through. Lisa also plans to publish anthologies of short stories written by fans of the series.

Author Linda Ambrus Broenniman discusses her new book, The Politzer Saga. Linda wanted to learn about her family history but never intended to write a book about it—until she learned the truth. At the age of twenty-seven, Linda found out that her father was Jewish, after being told her whole life that he was Catholic, like herself and the rest of her family. When Linda began her research, she uncovered the world of the Politzers—a cast of characters so amazing they seemed almost fictional. Linda uncovered eight generations of Politzers and learned a great deal about family, heritage, and history.

Author Matt Scott discusses his political thriller series, Surviving the Lion's Den. All three books in this trilogy—Surviving the Lion's Den, The Iranian Deception, and The Ayatollah Takedown—are available now. The series opens with a race against time. Can the main characters make it safely out of Iran in the midst of a political coup to overthrow Iran's Supreme Leader—a coup orchestrated by the U.S. government? Inspired by Dan Brown's The Da Vinci Code, Matt set about to write a series that would explore what it looks like to be inside Iran during a regime change. The books feature CIA operatives, Iranian insiders, international intrigue, geopolitical conflicts, and plenty of fast-paced tension.  

Author Margaret Dulaney discusses her new middle grade book, Whippoorwill Willingly. The story follows eleven-year-old Whippoorwill Willingly as she embarks on a magical journey to an enchanted lake in the Swiss Alps. She meets a variety of friends—humans, animals, and birds—and experiences a mystical world filled with wonder and healing. As a result of her journey, the once-cynical Whippoorwill learns patience, empathy, and a greater appreciation of the natural world. Margaret Dulaney has been writing about mystical things for nearly twenty years, and this latest book is a fun, light-hearted story that is filled with hope.

Author Kurt Deion discusses his book, Presidential Grave Hunter: One Kid's Quest to Visit the Tombs of Every President and Vice President. Kurt was just nine years old when he told his parents he wanted to visit the grave sites of all the U.S. presidents. They were happy to support him, and the family traveled around the country visiting presidential libraries, cemeteries, and other interesting locales. Kurt's quest expanded to include the vice presidents and first ladies as well. His book includes his impressions of the tombs, his escapades to reach some of the more out-of-the-way gravesites, and fond memories of his family trips.

Author David Weill discusses his new book, All That Really Matters. In this novel, the main character, Dr. Joe Bosco, is a rising star in the heart transplant field, and he's feeling all the pressures that come with the job. His professional and personal issues lead him into trouble, and he struggles to find redemption. David knows all about being a transplant surgeon, and he wrote this story to give readers an idea of the kind of people who work in the field and what it feels like to that job. While the book is a work of fiction, it incorporates real-world personalities and situations in an effort to humanize doctors and explore the high stakes world of medical transplants.

Author Doug Kari discusses his debut true crime novel, The Berman Murders: Unraveling the Mojave Desert's Most Mysterious Unsolved Crime. In this book, Doug chronicles the 1986 disappearance of Barry Berman, heir to the Kahlua fortune, and his wife, Louise, from Saline Valley, CA, located in the Mojave Desert. Their bodies were eventually discovered by the local sheriff's office, but the double homicide was never solved, and no one was ever arrested, let alone convicted, for their murders. After years of research, investigation, and interviews, Doug names the most likely suspect and details how he linked the murders to an overseas sex crimes and trafficking case.

Author Jane Buckingham discusses her new young adult psychological thriller, A Lie for a Lie. In this novel, Sabrina Richard's carefully orchestrated future is on the line when she finds herself ensnared in a series of high school revenge pranks that get out of hand. By messaging a revenge account, she and her fellow classmates can exact revenge on their enemies, but at what cost? Sabrina discovers she's being set up to take the fall for a prank gone wrong and must uncover the mastermind behind the revenge account before it's too late.

Author Evette Davis discusses her new novel, The Others. It is the first installment in her urban paranormal fantasy series, The Council Trilogy. The main character, Olivia Shepherd, is a political consultant in San Francisco who stumbles upon a secret society of witches and vampires that is actively meddling in elections around the world. While uncovering this supernatural cabal, Olivia also learns some secrets about her own heritage. Evette describes The Others as a metaphor for the ways in which women make peace with their own power in light of all the expectations placed upon them.

Author Becky Dean discusses her new young adult contemporary romantic comedy, Hearts Overboard. Set on a cruise ship bound for Alaska, this novel follows Savannah Moore, who is still reeling from a public breakup with her boyfriend and being nicknamed “Moore the Bore.” In an effort to heal her heart and her reputation, Savannah vows to do one new thing each day. Stepping out of her comfort zone is far from easy, and it's made all the more challenging because her long-time nemesis, Tanner Woods, is also on the ship. Tanner offers to help her with her plan to try new things, and, as it turns out, she may not dislike him as much as she thought.

Author Steven Joseph discusses his new Snoodles series for young readers. Book One (Snoodles in Space: A Snoodle, The Zoodle Kidoodles, and One Happy Schmoodle) and Book Two (Snoodles in Space: The Zoodles Strike Back) are available now. Though the Snoodles series is for young readers, Steven has also written books for adults that focus on what he describes as the power of crankiness. In his CrankaTsuris books for adults, Steven encourages readers to embrace their crankiness through stories derived from his work as a lawyer and his life in general.

Author Marcia Menter discusses her new book, That Voice: In Search of Ann Drummond-Grant, the Singer Who Shaped My Life. Part biography and part memoir, the book details the life of Scottish contralto, Ann Drummond-Grant (known as Drummie) who died during the prime of her career in 1959. Drummie sang lead roles for the D'Oyly Carte Opera Company, a famous Gilbert and Sullivan troupe that toured Great Britain for over a hundred years. Years after Drummie's death, Marcia was a young teen in upstate New York when she discovered Drummie's legendary singing voice. That discovery impacted Marcia so profoundly that she spent years learning (or as she puts it, failing to learn) how to sing. 

Author Ben Gonshor discusses his new novel, The Book of Izzy, in which a man named Izzy finds himself at a dead end in his career, his romance, and his life in general. But Izzy has the opportunity to play the main character in The Dybbuk, a play that is considered Yiddish theater's Romeo and Juliet, and the novel follows Izzy's journey from going off his meds, to experiencing the world of amateur dramatics, to ultimately discovering the impact that Yiddish theater has on his identity and his search for meaning in his life.

Author Raymond Paul Johnson discusses his debut novel, Conspiracy Ignited. Ray's main character is a former CIA combat pilot-turned-California litigator named Eric Ridge. As the book opens, an attempt is made on Ridge's life, which sets off a twisty, suspense-filled game of cat and mouse that ultimately leads to his discovery of a powerful cabal vying for control of the US legal system. This fast-paced thriller also touches on the civil trial lawyers, CIA operatives, the world of aviation, and the post-combat experiences of military veterans. 

Author Brian J. Morra discusses the first two books in his new series: The Able Archers and The Righteous Arrows. The series is a work of historical fiction based on certain real-life events during the late Cold War period of the 1980's. The protagonist, CIA officer Kevin Cattani, is inspired by Brian's own experiences as a U.S. intelligence officer during that period, and Cattani's Soviet counterpart, Ivan Levchenko, is a composite of various KGB and GRU officers who Brian knew in the 80's. Written as a thriller, the series navigates one of the most dangerous periods in human history.

Author Don Silver discusses his latest coming-of-age thriller, Scorched. In the novel, Jonas Shore had a difficult home life as a teenager in the 1970s. After his father's unexpected death when he was just fifteen, Jonas began selling drugs in order to help support himself and his mother. After he was arrested, he was sent to a boarding school for fatherless boys where he was involved in a violent altercation that had deadly consequences. Twenty years later, Jonas's childhood actions come back to haunt him, and he is forced to deal with his complicated past.

Author Paul Lamb discusses his latest novel, Parent Imperfect. Once again, family takes center stage in this sequel to Paul's debut novel, One-Match Fire. Parent Imperfect is a story about fatherhood—its highs and lows, joys and sorrows. Two fathers, Curt and Kelly, are trying to raise their adopted son, Clarkson. Curt is a reluctant father. Kelly, on the other hand, has always wanted a child but is plagued by his own demons. And Clarkson grows up understanding that one of his fathers is absent even when he is present, while the other is absent because his condition prevents him from being present. Parent Imperfect takes a look at adoption, the nontraditional family, and the relationship between fathers and sons.

Author Liz Alterman discusses her new domestic suspense novel, The Perfect Neighborhood. In this idyllic suburban town, a little boy goes missing, and the event shakes the very foundation of the town where everyone assumed they were safe. The novel is told from multiple points of view, including the mother of the missing boy, the boy's teenage babysitter, and a former actress who resists assimilating. All of these characters are on the outside of what is perceived to be the neighborhood's inner circle. But as they—and Liz's readers—will find out, no one's life is as perfect as it seems.

Author Lane Igoudin discusses his new memoir, A Family, Maybe: Two Dads, Two Babies and the Court Cases that Brought Us Together. In this book, Lane details the challenges—legal, political, and personal—that he and his partner Jonathan faced in the early 2000s while trying to adopt their two foster children through the Los Angeles County child welfare system. The process took three years and was fraught with much stress, numerous court delays, and plenty of heartache. A Family, Maybe is a story about building a family and discovering what it means to be a father. But ultimately, it is a story about love.

Author Ana Stanojevic discusses her new Fire Wave trilogy. Ana has always loved the fantasy and superhero genres and is a big fan of Batman, which she admits was an inspiration for this trilogy. The Fire Wave novels are all about what it means to be a superhero—how to be one and the weight of that responsibility. It is a fun mix of the superhero journey blended with mystery, fantasy and a little science fiction. Her goal now is to one day see her Fire Wave trilogy as a series of graphic novels.

Author Allie Slocum discusses her Character Club series for middle grade readers. Each book features a different kid who participates in an after-school club, with each installment focusing on the children's journeys as they learn various life skills—such as compassion and forgiveness, dealing with loneliness, respecting yourself and others, and accepting the consequences of lying. Allie's goal is to write books about regular kids living regular lives, going through regular things that kids go through.

Author Stephen Watts (pen name S.R. Watts) and actor and narrator Preston Geer discuss their audio book collaboration for Stephen's new novel, The Celestial Flame. This is book one in the Divine Saga, a 5-part sweeping epic that combines both fantasy and science fiction and is filled with familial dynasties, political drama and intergalactic war. Stephen wrote this novel hoping it help people find some relief from anxiety, depression and trauma, much like his favorite fantasy books (such as LOTR) did for him when he was young. And Preston Geer worked hard to bring The Celestial Flame to life in audiobook format. 

Authors M.M. Downing and S.J. Waugh discuss their new middle grade series, The Adventures of the Flash Gang, about eleven-year-old boy named Lewis Carter who is orphaned and left to fend for himself during the Great Depression in 1930's Pittsburgh. But Lewis has some physical challenges that make it difficult for him to pull off the same stunts as other streeter orphans. So, Lewis resorts to science to help him in his plight. He becomes so successful that people assume there is an entire gang at work, and he becomes the most notorious food thief in all of Pittsburgh. By the way, he foils a Nazi plot as well. Episode One: Exploding Experiment and Episode Two: Treasonous Tycoon are available now.

Author Candace Kade discusses her newest book, Hybrid. It is the second installment in Candace's young adult near-future science fiction trilogy known as The Hybrid Series, which she likens to Ready Player One meets Divergent. In Hybrid, Candace takes on the issues of CRISPR and genetic alteration, adoption and the meaning of family, as well as a bit of fun, including the wonderful celebration of the Lunar New Year. Even though Hybrid is the second book in the series, it is really more of an origin story for main character Lee Urban as she struggles with the idea of family—how difficult it can be, but also how hard we will fight to keep it.

Author Thomas R. Weaver discusses his debut novel, Artificial Wisdom. In this techno-thriller murder mystery, it is 25 years in the future. The world is polarized by politics and is gripped by war, climate change and technology that has advanced exponentially. Tom began writing by asking: What if the global community were to put its faith in an AI leader in a Brexit-style referendum? But all of this serves as a backdrop to a very personal and human story that centers around a reporter whose personal tragedy and grief has a direct connection to the crises that plague the global community.

Author Dr. Marschall Runge discusses his debut novel, Coded to Kill. In this techno-medical thriller, a state-of-the-art medical records system gets hijacked, giving the hijackers unfettered access to private information and the ability to change the patient records of some very important people—which means that medicine's greatest breakthrough has become the world's most efficient killing machine. As Marschall explains, everything in this book is possible, and some of it has already happened.

Author Gary Braver discusses his new book, Rumor of Evil. In this mystery novel, Gary weaves together two seemingly unrelated murders—one past and one present. Two police detectives catch a case of a woman's murder that is staged to look like a suicide. As their investigation unfolds, they discover clues leading back to a decades-old murder of a teenage foreign exchange student. Gary believes the draw of the mystery genre comes down to the differences between true crime stories and fiction—namely that in fiction, motives become clear and, in the end, justice is usually served.

Author D.P. Behling discusses his new series, Josh & Sen Save the Multiverse. In the first book, The Path of One, two unlikely friends, one human and the other immortal, are thrown together to try to accomplish the impossible—rescue Josh's four-year-old daughter, stop a genocidal soul-harvester, and save the multiverse. Dave's inspirations include video games, sci fi fandoms, mythology, the difficult job of parenting, and the recent pandemic. Despite the sweeping and sometimes serious nature of this series, Dave's favorite aspect of writing it was working humor into the stories.

Author Emily Shiner discusses her two of her new books: The Wife in the Photo and The Hotel. If you love a good revenge plot, check out The Wife in the Photo. It's a psychological thriller filled with secrets, twists, a mysterious death and edge-of-your seat family drama. Emily's other book, The Hotel, is a locked-room thriller that reveals what can go wrong when you're trapped in a beautiful clifftop hotel during a blizzard with a family of strangers. As the author of more than a dozen books, Emily writes stories designed to keep her readers up at night.

This is the 200th episode of The Bookshop at the End of the Internet and a celebration of the podcast's five-year anniversary, since the first episode went live on the various podcast platforms. There have been so many wonderful guest authors who visited the Bookshop to discuss their books and their writing journeys. In this episode, however, host Stacey Horan is doing something a little different. In fact, she is doing something that she has never done in any of the prior 199 episodes. Today, host and author Stacey Horan discusses her own books—Sycamore Lane, Inland, and The Elixir Vitae Adventures series—as well as her own writing journey.

Author Becca Wierwille discusses her new middle grade novel, Road Trip Rescue, in which 12-year-old Kimmy loses her dog Bo. But Bo is more than just a pet. He is Kimmy's best friend—because Bo never made fun of her for being born with only one hand. When Kimmy stumbles across a magazine photo of a dog eating an ice cream cone, she knows in her heart that the dog is Bo. With the aid of her Aunt Skylar, an adventure-seeking, pink-haired woman, Kimmy goes on a road trip to try to find her dog. Becca and her main character Kimmy share something in common—they were both born with a limb difference. Born with only half of her right arm, Becca now uses her stories to help others find beauty in what makes them extraordinary.

Author Nancy McCabe discusses her new young adult novel, Vaulting Through Time. A 16-year-old biracial high school student named Elizabeth is coming to the end of her competitive gymnastics career. But that isn't the only thing that has her head spinning. Elizabeth discovers a mystery surrounding about her birth that her mother has kept secret from her. She also finds herself catapulted through time, through her family's own history as well as great moments in gymnastics history, in order to solve that mystery and stop a fellow time traveler whose actions may prevent her from being born at all.

Author Maggie Giles discusses her new thriller, Twisted, in which a mysterious drug is believed to be linked to several unsolved murders. When Detective Ryan Boone's investigation finds more questions than answers, he has no choice but to team up with escort service madame Mel Parker to unravel the mystery behind the medication.  Maggie also discusses her debut novel, The Things We Lost. Main character Maddie has been haunted by the death of a close friend. When Maddie wakes up one morning to find herself in a different life, one in which her friend is still alive, Maddie thinks she's been given a do-over. But this second chance may mean giving up the life she had and never seeing her kids again.

Author Heather Dixon discusses her two new releases, Burlington and Last Summer at the Lake House, both of which released this fall. In Burlington, a mother of two moves to a new neighborhood and quickly gets caught up in the drama of the other mothers. However, the schoolyard politics soon take a dark turn when one of the moms goes missing. In Last Summer at the Lake House, three sisters are called back to the family lake house after their father's death only to learn that he was hiding a dark secret from them all. Despite being in different genres, Heather's books share similar themes of motherhood, belonging and identity.

Author Douglas J. Wood discusses his new book, The Shakespeare Killer. In this thriller, an FBI profiler is on the hunt for a serial killer whose actions indicate that he is taking a particular William Shakespeare quote literally: “kill all the lawyers.” Doug took a great deal of care to weave into this story various Shakespeare theories and quotes. The result is a fast-paced police procedural that is every bit the cat and mouse game. An attorney himself, Doug practiced law for nearly 50 years, but readily admits that writing fiction is his passion.

Author C.J. Milacci discusses the first two books in her Talionis series:  Recruit of Talionis and Fugitive of Talionis. These YA sci fi dystopian novels feature main character Bria, a young woman haunted by personal tragedy, who is kidnapped to become a recruit in an army of secret soldiers and forced to fight in a war that she wants no part of. C.J. began with a question: What would happen if America fell like Rome did, while the rest of the world moved on and abandoned the survivors of America's collapse? From C.J.'s answer to that question, the Talionis novels were born.

Author Tim Facciola discusses his new Vengeful Realm series. The first book, The Scales of Balance, is out now. Tim describes his fantasy series as Game of Thrones meets Spartacus's rebellion from Rome. Told from seven different points of view, The Scales of Balance follows the story of several main characters, one of whom is Zephyrus, a gladiator with amnesia and a mysterious prophecy who finds himself fighting for his freedom while also serving as a royal spy. This book is filled with combat, conspiracies, betrayals, gods and magic. But at its heart, it is a story about finding one's identity.