The Shattered Court / Scott, M. J.

Enjoy this intense and steamy romantic historical fantasy series from RITA® Award nominated author M.J. Scott. For a royal witch, magic always means marriage...whether she likes it or notLady Sophia Kendall has always known three things. That she's thirty-second in line to the throne of Anglion. That when she turns twenty-one, she'll find out if she's a royal witch. And that, if she is a witch, she'll be married off immediately to whichever lord the king chooses. Now she's about to turn twenty-one and fulfill all the expectations that the Anglion court has for her. But when the palace is attacked just before her birthday, Sophie is spirited away from the city by Lieutenant Cameron Mackenzie, a royal guard determined to keep her safe. Being alone with a man she hardly knows is dangerous, especially so close to her birthday. And when Sophia discovers she does indeed have magic-strong magic-she and Cameron accidentally forge a bond that breaks every tradition Anglion holds dear. When they return to the palace, the aftermath of the attack has stirred up the worst kind of court politics and their unexpected union and Sophie's magic brings her to the deadly attention of those seeking to control the court and those who seeking to destroy it...and her. To survive, Sophia will have to see beyond the lies she's been taught and embrace the power nobody wants her to have... The Shattered Court is the first book in the Four Arts trilogy, a complete historical fantasy romance series from RITA® Award nominated author M.J. Scott. Perfect if you love fantasies with royal turmoil, witches, gaslamp vibes, marriages of convenience, protective heroes, sexy times and political intrigues. Enjoy! Author's note: For tropes and CW, please check the author's website. What people are saying about M.J. ScottThe Shattered Court - nominated for Best Paranormal Romance in the 2016 RITA® Awards."Scott (the Half-Light City series) opens her Four Arts fantasy series with the portrait of a young woman who's thrust into the center of dangerous political machinations... Romance fans will enjoy the growing relationship between Cameron and Sophie, but the story's real strength lies in the web of intrigue Scott creates around her characters." 
-Publishers Weekly
"Fans of high fantasy and court politics will enjoy The Shattered Court. Sophie is such a great heroine..."
-RT Book Reviews The Forbidden Heir "This story was packed with action, political intrigue, scheming, and high stakes." Alyssa - Goodreads reviewer"This is a marvellous book. The world building is unique and complex. The characters are well developed and likable and there is intrigue for days. If you've read the first book in the series it only gets better in this one." Lissa - Goodreads reviewer"'Forbidden Heir" is a great rarity: a sequel that I liked better than the original book." Margaret - Amazon reviewer The Unbound Queen"This was an incredible 3rd and final book in The Four Arts Series which did a wonderful job of tying up the loose ends and seeing great characters finish a wonderful adventure." Amazon reviewer"Cameron is delectable, Sophie is the right mix of practical, insanely talented and wary of the power broking that is going on around her. It was brilliant to watch her come into her power." Amazon reviewer

The Stranger / Modglin, Kiersten

Never trust a stranger...But, late at night and trapped in the middle of nowhere during a terrible snowstorm, Tibby and Walker have no choice.With roads shutting down and cell towers out, running into each other and deciding to travel together could either be their saving grace or worst mistake. When they're forced to take an unexpected detour and seek refuge in a roadside motel, the storm quickly becomes the least of their worries.A disturbing discovery in the motel, the questionable actions of the mysterious owner and fellow guests, and a news report about a missing couple in the area set the scene for a terrifying night, but the worst is yet to come.Each stranger holds a secret...but which one should be trusted?From million-copy bestselling author Kiersten Modglin comes a fast-paced, heart-pounding thriller filled with secrets, lies, and hairpin twists and turns as dangerous as the icy roads the story is set upon.

The Tangled Tale of the Woolgathering Castoffs : A Novel. Purls and Prayers / Mondragón, Sharon J.

A humorous, heartwarming tale of love, loss, and the power of community Fair Meadows Retirement Community might as well be a country club for most of the retirees enjoying the pool, golf course, and book clubs. But for the caregivers whose family members reside upstairs in the special Memory Care Unit, vacation is over. Comforting these caregivers is exactly why the Woolgatherers group has formed. They make prayer shawls to support those affected by the heartbreaking reality of not being recognized by a loved one-people like Sam Talbot, who has been barely existing since his wife moved into Memory Care. He finds that his life has lost all color and meaning without her. That's something the Woolgatherers can't bear to see. Flirtatious Jenny Alderman, cranky crocheter Edna O'Brian, kind Rose Harker, and the rest of the prayer shawl group weave him into the circle. Sam has no idea how he got tangled up with them, and he's no good at knitting. But when one member talks him into taking up his wife's old crochet hooks, he discovers that this one small gesture might just have the power to heal his life--or even save it. Full of Sharon Mondragon's characteristic humor and heart, this book wrestles with the loneliness of being the forgotten spouse of a dementia patient, moving past the fear that the spouses often face into the love and compassion that can make all the difference.

The Vanished : A Novel / Putman, Cara C.

"Putman's legal expertise shines in this compelling and intricately plotted romantic suspense. Highly recommended!" --Colleen Coble, USA Today best-selling author Janae Simmons left the small town of Kedgewick, Virginia, ten years ago to pursue her legal career and never looked back--until a professional mistake leads her to her grandmother's historic carriage house and to the town where her past threatens to find her. The quiet streets echo with her grandfather's sterling reputation, one that conflicts with fresh questions that claw at Janae, launching her on a reluctant journey to unearth his secrets. When her new job at a local law firm doesn't live up to expectations, she wonders if coming home was the right decision. Carter Montgomery starts his art preservation career with the only job he can get--director at the Elliott Museum of Art. At least Kedgewick is a nice enough town to provide him and his nephew with a safe place to grieve the loss of Carter's sister. But Carter's calm days disappear when an elderly woman claims two paintings in the museum's collection were stolen from her family during World War II. Carter enlists Janae's help to unravel the legal labyrinth of art ownership, and the peaceful facade of Kedgewick morphs into a hot bed of secrets. When an attorney turns up dead and Janae uncovers another painting, what began as a simple legal issue spirals into a race against time. As the web of intrigue tightens, the duo must confront a looming question: What dark truths lie beneath the surface, waiting to be exposed? "Cara Putman has once again created an exciting cast of characters. I was immediately drawn in by Janae and Carter's unique chemistry. This is one story you don't want to miss." --Rebecca Hemlock, award-winning author of Fury in the Shadows

The Venom Business / Crichton, Michael

From the creator of Jurassic Park and ER Charles Raynaud has found the perfect cover for his smuggling operation running out of Mexico, because how many custom agents are going to want to inspect a carton of venomous snakes? When Raynaud runs into his old Yale buddy Richard Pierce, a chance to play bodyguard feels like even easier money. Pierce has a large inheritance coming, but a series of thwarted attempts on his buddy's life makes Charles begin to smell a rat. Who's really trying to kill whom? And why is Charles starting to believe that he's the real target?With a new introduction by Sherri Crichton

THE WITCH OF NEW YORK / Hortis, C. Alexander

Before the sensational cases of Amanda Knox and Casey Anthony-before even Lizzie Borden-there was Polly Bodine, the first American woman put on trial for capital murder in our nation's debut media circus. On Christmas night, December 25, 1843, in a serene village on Staten Island, shocked neighbors discovered the burnt remains of twenty-four-year-old mother Emeline Houseman and her infant daughter, Ann Eliza. In a perverse nativity, someone bludgeoned to death a mother and child in their home-and then covered up the crime with hellfire. When an ambitious district attorney charges Polly Bodine (Emelin's sister-in-law) with a double homicide, the new "penny press" explodes. Polly is a perfect media villain: she's a separated wife who drinks gin, commits adultery, and has had multiple abortions. Between June 1844 and April 1846, the nation was enthralled by her three trials-in Staten Island, Manhattan, and Newburgh-for the "Christmas murders." After Polly's legal dream team entered the fray, the press and the public debated not only her guilt, but her character and fate as a fallen woman in society. Public opinion split into different camps over her case. Edgar Allen Poe and Walt Whitman covered her case as young newsmen. P. T. Barnum made a circus out of it. James Fenimore Cooper's last novel was inspired by her trials. The Witch of New York is the first narrative history about the dueling trial lawyers, ruthless newsmen, and shameless hucksters who turned the Polly Bodine case into America's formative tabloid trial. An origin story of how America became addicted to sensationalized reporting of criminal trials, The Witch of New York vividly reconstructs an epic mystery from Old New York-and uses the Bodine case to challenge our system of tabloid justice of today.

The Witless Protection Program / Dirico, Maria

Mia Carina has steered her Italian-American family's Astoria, Queens, catering hall, Belle View Banquet Manor, into becoming the borough's premiere party site, and nothing could make her happier-except her boyfriend proposing. There's just one presumed-dead obstacle in the way . . . A strong, independent woman and respected entrepreneur, Mia never imagined she'd pine for a marriage proposal. Yet lately, with her beloved Shane, she's on tenterhooks. It's especially surprising, considering Mia's first husband, Adam, was a philandering grifter, assumed lost-at-sea after a boating disaster. But everyone knows what happens when you assume . . . While working a huge wedding expo in Manhattan, Mia is shocked to spot the man who nearly destroyed her life. The one who's supposed to be sleeping with the fishes. But she loses him in the crowd. And when it happens again the next day, it's time for an emergency meeting with the family-and the Family. Because if Adam is alive, Mia is still married . . . Everyone wants Adam dead. Everyone except Mia. She's dealt with enough police for a lifetime. Mia needs to be a divorcée, not a widow. But someone out there disagrees, and if Mia doesn't discover who, she may never be free to marry Shane-or anyone else . . . Italian recipes included!

These Tangled Threads : A Novel of Biltmore / Thomas, Sarah Loudin

Seven years ago, a hidden betrayal scattered three young friends living in the shadow of Biltmore Estate. Now, when Biltmore Industries master weaver Lorna Blankenship is commissioned to create an original design for Cornelia Vanderbilt's 1924 wedding, she panics knowing she doesn't have the creativity needed. But there's an elusive artisan in the Blue Ridge Mountains who could save her--if only she can find her. To track the mysterious weaver down, Lorna sees no other way but to seek out the relationships she abandoned in shame. As she pulls at each tangled thread from her old life, Lorna is forced to confront the wounds and regrets of long ago. She'll have to risk the job that shapes her identity as well as the hope of friendship--and love--restored. In this seamlessly woven historical tale, award-winning Appalachian author Sarah Loudin Thomas delivers a poignant novel of friendship, artistry, restoration, and second chances.

This Way to Change : A Gentle Guide to Personal Transformation and Collective Liberation-Prose, Poems, Practices / Chung, Jezz

An inspirational roadmap to changing yourself-and the world-through self-healing, transformation, and decolonization from artist, poet, and changemaker Jezz Chung. Artist, poet, and performer Jezz Chung (they/them) focuses on cultural change through personal transformation. In This Way to Change, Jezz shares contemporary poetry, accessible prose, and healing practices from different therapeutic modalities to explore subjects like healing your inner child, nourishing friendships, decolonizing your thinking, deconstructing binaries, and intentional community-making. The interactive healing practices in this book include writing and reflection prompts, somatic exercises, guided meditations, and more to help readers tap into their powers of self-healing on their journey through change. INSPIRING EXPERT AUTHOR: Jezz Chung has built a career as a thought leader and changemaker through their intersectional approach to equity, creativity, and well-being. Celebrated as a champion for diversity and inclusion and featured in such outlets as Adweek, Paper Mag, i-D, Teen Vogue, and The Folklore, they have a vibrant and ever-growing following on Instagram. They are an internationally recognized public speaker sought after not only for their commitment to change but for their practice of honesty and vulnerability. TRANSFORMATIONAL SELF-HELP BOOK: For readers hungry for self-help that inspires and doesn't feel like homework, this deeply engaging guide will spark inspiration as well as introspection. The author is uniquely positioned to address several underrepresented themes and issues, like the strictures of the gender binary, AAPI experience, LGBTQ+ experience, and neurodivergence, making this a breakthrough volume in the self-help genre. GIFT BOOK FOR A WIDE AUDIENCE: Beautifully packaged and filled with inspiration, This Way to Change makes a powerful resource and empowering gift for readers of contemporary poetry, anyone interested in social justice, underground artists, and futurism, and those eager to explore new avenues of self-exploration and personal growth. Perfect for: - Anyone interested in social justice, racial and disability issues, LGBTQIA+ and other marginalized identity issues - Those seeking guidance in alternative wellness, self-guided healing, intentional community building, and collective care - AAPI readers interested in Jezz Chung's Korean American perspective on identity, decolonization, and intergenerational trauma - Readers of Self-Love Poetry, Heart Talk, and such bestselling authors as Alexandra Elle and Yung Pueblo

Tired of Being Tired : Receive God's Realistic Rest for Your Soul-Deep Exhaustion / Connolly, Jess

If you're a woman, chances are you know the cycle: You start the day already exhausted and end it defeated, all the while telling yourself things will get better if you can just power through this week. But then the weeks turn into months, and you start to believe you'll never be able to stop, slow down, or catch your breath. You wouldn't even know how if you tried. And yet God has made you for a life of abundance, not a life of exhaustion. It's time to quit the unsustainable pace and receive God's gift of realistic rest. With relatable stories and eye-opening insights, bestselling author and speaker Jess Connolly offers good news to soul-weary women: There is a better way, and it is yours for the taking. She shows you how to find the source of your fatigue scripts for saying no and strategies for protecting your peace practices for bringing realistic rest into your daily and weekly rhythms You can break the cycle of living like you're constantly on the hook and come to Jesus to find rest for your weary and burdened soul. This book will show you how to find new rhythms so that you can experience the abundant life God intended for you.