Kitty Hayward arrives in New York from England with almost no money, and knowing no one but her mother. When her mother vanishes without a trace and the hotel employees claim to have never seen Kitty before, she is left penniless and homeless, surrounded by the freaks and other Unusuals of Dreamland, Coney Island’s newest amusement park.
Kitty finds help in the strangest of places: Magruder’s Curiosity Cabinet, a dilapidated
museum of oddities and monstrosities. Soon Kitty’s new friends—from flea wranglers to lion tamers to mad scientists—vow to help find her mother. But they hadn’t counted on the mysterious illness spreading through Dreamland, or the panic that ensues, turning the amusement park to a madhouse.
Magruder’s Curiosity Cabinet is a book peopled by brilliant, larger-than-life characters that survive on the fringes of a society that despises the unusual or the different. These characters, and the world they inhabit, leap off the pages in glorious splendor, drawing the reader to dance in the light of their flames.
(Galley provided by Sourcebooks Landmark via NetGalley.)
(I do not own this image. Image belongs to Doubleday.)
Dan Vyleta is an award-winning author who has lived in several different countries, and has been compared to everyone from Kafka to Hitchcock. His newest novel is Smoke.
In an isolated England, people with wicked thoughts or deeds are marked by the Smoke that pours from their bodies. The upper class do not Smoke—they have the right to rule by this proof of their virtue. The lower classes are fallen, and their Smoke is proof of their sin. At least that’s what they say, and have said for years.
But at an elite boarding school for the upper class, where professors have ties to powerful warring political factions, a field trip to London teaches some of the students that things are not how they say they are. And this knowledge could cost Charlie and Thomas their lives, unless they can find a way to escape and unleash their knowledge.
Smoke is an England different from this one, but the setting still feels familiar, if slightly out-of-kilter. While the setting is gritty and dark, this novel raises—and strives to answer—questions about the nature of sin, as well as questions about a society that would struggle to keep something like Smoke in force.
(This image does not belong to me. Image belongs to Quirk Books.)
Grady Hendrix writes non-fiction by way of Variety, The New York Post, and The Village Voice. His first novel was Horrorstör. His second novel, My Best Friend’s Exorcism, was published on May 17th.
Abby never really had friends at school until the fifth grade, when she and Gretchen bonded over roller-skating and E.T. From then on, they shared everything. But when they hit high school, Gretchen started acting weird. Really weird.
After one too many strange coincidences, Abby starts to wonder, and Gretchen’s bizarre behavior confirms it: she has been possessed by a demon. An exorcism is the only solution. But Abby doesn’t know how to perform one, and the demon clearly doesn’t want her attempting it. She is desperate to save her best friend; but she will need to find at least one ally when everyone in the world seems to be turning against her.
My Best Friend’s Exorcism brings the 80’s back to vibrant, unforgettable life, exploring the friendship between two girls fighting against powers far beyond their control.
(This image does not belong to me. Image belongs to She Writes Press.)
A couple of weeks ago, I reviewed A Drop in the Ocean, by Jenni Ogden. This novel deals with many things: love, family, medical ethics, and dealing with neurological conditions. It is emotional and moving, gripping and yet freeing at the same time. Today I have an interview with the author.
(Photo by Dominic Chaplin.)
1) What was the catalyst for you to start writing fiction? (Even with the subject matter of A Drop in the Ocean, that seems like such a large step from neuropsychology.)
I loved my career as a university teacher, researcher, and supervisor of clinical psychology students, and a big part of this was always writing. Of course, it was nonfiction writing, from research articles to writing case studies of dysfunctional families for my clinical students to use as practice scenarios. My specialist area, clinical neuropsychology, gave me the excuse to delve into the lives of patients with various brain disorders (similar to those Oliver Sacks wrote about), and I wrote two books of case studies, a textbook, Fractured Minds and a book for the general reader, Trouble In Mind: Stories from a Neuropsychologist’s Casebook. These are not fiction of course but they did allow me to practice writing in a way that would draw the reader into the lives of my “patients.” When readers say some of the stories in my textbook made them cry, I feel happy! But I had to leave the university and go and live on a remote island before I could truly concentrate on the dream I’d harbored for years, writing fiction.
2) Who is your favorite author and why? (Do you love being scared by Stephen King, inspired by Maya Angelou, loved by Nicholas Sparks, entertained by Jane Austen?)
I have so many authors whose writing I love, but I don’t often re-read books as there are too many new books to read. I think I will read many again as I get older and can’t afford to buy more books! But authors I really love are Sebastian Faulks, Rumer Godden, Anna Quindlen, Chris Cleave, Ann Hood. Richard North Patterson is by far my favourite thriller writer.
3) What is your absolute favorite, read over-and-over again, book? (Mine is “Gone with Wind,” which I’ve read about 25 times, because the story and the characters are so real to me.)
One book I have read a few times is Wuthering Heights. I first read this in school and it hasn’t lost its pull on me. I know the ‘Bronte’ area reasonably well as my husband’s family come from around there (there are over a hundred of them who were “buried” by Patrick Bronte and lie in the Haworth Church graveyard!) But my favorite novel is Crossing to Safety by Wallace Stegner. I often read bits of this again, just to get the feel of his words. Also China Court and In This House of Brede by Rumer Godden are two of the most beautiful novels I have ever read, and these too I often browse for inspiration.
4) Where is your dream place to write? (Personally, I have visions of white sand and waves, although I live nowhere near the ocean. That seems like it might be much more within reach for you.)
I do most of my writing in my study five minutes walk from one of the most beautiful beaches on earth. White sand, clear blue sea and usually only me on it when I take a break and go for a walk or run or swim! Much of my reading is done lying under my big tree on the beach, or sitting on “Jenni’s Lookout” looking over the sea. My study has big windows that look over a rural scene with no buildings in view. In the NZ winter I write from our small apartment there in the Far North Queensland tropics, with a lagoon pool two meters from me and a beach 10 minutes walk away.
5) What is your absolute favorite part about writing fiction? (The imaginary people is definitely mine.)
As a psychologist, discovering the deep parts of my characters’ personalities are probably my favorite part, but I also love writing about settings, partly because they are often places I know well or at least have been to, and have loved. I also enjoy the research that goes into getting facts right and giving the story authenticity. And I really do like revision, and having the time to mess about with word choice, knowing I have the bones in place.
6) Do you have any advice for someone faced with the prospect of living with a brain disorder? (I have a strong family history of Alzheimer’s, and I had a stroke three years ago due to a dissection in the vertebral artery. You might say this is a topic close to my heart.)
That is a hard thing to deal with. Coping is a little different for everyone, but often finding out all you can about the disorder and the likely prognosis helps, gives back some control, and stops those anxieties that come with “guessing.” For almost everyone, having a close support team of friends, family and health professionals who you feel comfortable with is very important. Often getting involved with research if that is a possibility can be rewarding, and gives the individual something ‘bigger’ to think about, and often comes with better treatment of the condition as well. Keeping on with or gradually returning to activities one enjoys and keeping social contacts alive is very important for resilience and happiness, and for making the very best of the future, however long or short that may be.
7) Tell me a little bit about A Drop in the Ocean. (What was your inspiration for writing it, and what is the message you wanted to convey with it?)
The story opens as Boston neuroscientist and dedicated introvert, 49 year old Anna Fergusson, discovers the funding for her long-time research lab has been terminated. Fran, her only friend, sees an advert offering a cabin for rent on a tiny tropical island on Australia’s Great Barrier Reef and Anna decides to take it up. It will give her breathing space and she can pen a memoir about running a lab while she decides what to do with the rest of her life. But Turtle Island, alive with sea birds and nesting Green turtles, is not the retreat she expected. Here she finds love: for the eccentric islanders who become her family; for Tom, the younger laid-back turtle whisperer; and for the four women on the island. Then she joins the turtle research team and falls in love with the turtles whose ancient mothering instincts move her to tears. But Tom has a secret, and Anna’s estranged mother in far away Shetland needs her, and as Anna’s life-changing year draws to a close her dream for a new life is threatened by a darkness that challenges everything she has come to believe about the power of love.
It is a quiet story but with deep themes about marine turtle conservation, Huntington’s disease and medical ethics, belonging—and the ripples that can flow from the family we choose to the family that chooses us, and the hardest lesson of all, that love is about letting go.
My inspiration for the story was my love of this environment. I was a turtle tagger myself on an island rather like Turtle Island when our children were young, and coral cays are magical places. Many of the things that happen in the novel around the turtles and birds come from my own experiences, but Anna, who is a neuroscientist, as was I, is totally different from me! No-one would call me a dedicated introvert, and I have 4 children and 5 grandchildren, unlike Anna who was single and lonely for the first 49 years of her life.
Thank you, Ms. Ogden for taking the time out of your schedule to answer a few questions. (I’m a bit jealous of your description of your study and its proximity to the beach.) Check out the novel A Drop in the Ocean for a great read!
Taco’s motto is “Today is the best day of your life, and tomorrow will be even better.” That’s what his mom always said, until she died of cancer, and his dad moved away for work, leaving Taco and his brother alone. Taco misses having a family, but when Maggie Corrigan agrees to go to prom with him, he thinks he’s found happiness again. Because Taco loves Maggie, and she loves him, too.
Except Maggie ends up pregnant. While everyone else is having a meltdown, Taco is excited about the prospect of having a family again. Now he just has to juggle calculus with learning how to be a dad. It would be great if he didn’t have to climb the side of the Corrigans’ house to see Maggie, too. But Taco is an optimist. He’s sure he’ll get things all figured out before the baby gets here.
Anything You Want is a light-hearted look at a hard subject, from the eyes of a boy who means well, but doesn’t always know what’s going on. It’s a look at growing up from the inside of Taco, a happy-go-lucky boy who just wants a family.
(Galley provided by Sourcebooks Fire via NetGalley.)
(This image does not belong to me. Image belongs to She Writes Press.)
Jenni Ogden is neuropsychologist from New Zealand. After studying the human mind for many years, she turned to fiction. A Drop in the Ocean is her first published novel.
On Anna Fergusson’s 49th birthday, she finds out that the funding for her research lab has been cut. Now Anna, a neuroscientist and introvert from Boston, must discover what life holds for her and where it will lead. A spur-of-the-moment decision has her renting a cabin for a year on a tiny island on the Great Barrier Reef.
Turtle Island is not the indolent retreat she imagined, and she loves life with the eccentric islanders. Soon she finds herself spending time with laid-back turtle researcher Tom, emotionally invested in the lives of the great sea creatures who come to the island to nest. But secrets haunt even the sunny Tom, and these secrets, along with family on another island far away, will force Anna to make the hardest decision she has ever had to face.
A Drop in the Ocean is a through-provoking, emotional read that explores life in the sunlight, but also the shadows of the hardest times imaginable, and the decisions that these shadows demand. A well-written, gripping novel that will have the reader fully invested in Turtle Island, as well as the story of Anna and Tom.
(Galley provided by She Writes Press via NetGalley.)
(I do not own this image. Image belongs to Sourcebooks Fire.)
Jessica Spotswood is from Pennsylvania. She has a M.A. in Theatre History & Criticism, but decided she likes writing much better. She is the author of the Cahill Witch Chronicles, and her new novel, Wild Swans.
It’s going to be a great summer for Ivy Milbourn: bonfires, barbeques, and best of all, no classes to fulfill her grandfather’s expectations. She is a Milbourn, after all, and that comes with some high expectations. For generations, the Milbourn women have been larger-than-life and extraordinary. They have also died young and tragically. Ivy has had enough. She’s not extraordinary, or her mother wouldn’t have left when she was a baby.
As Ivy tries to sort out what she is good at, her mother arrives out of nowhere, with two daughters in tow. Suddenly Ivy’s world is shaken as she realizes the truth about people she has trusted her entire life. Now she will find out the truth about the Milbourn legacy, and her place in it.
Wild Swans is a bittersweet coming-of-age story about a girl struggling to find herself amidst family secrets and her own personal tragedies. This tale is well-worth the read.
(Galley provided by Sourcebooks Fire via NetGalley.)
(I do no own this image. Image belongs to Random House/Alibi.)
Caroline Fardig is the bestselling author of the Java Jive Mysteries series, as well as the Lizzie Hart series. Her newest novel, Mug Shot, is the second book in the Java Jive Mysteries.
Life has been super busy for Juliet Langley since taking over the management of her best friend Pete’s coffeehouse. Working every day doesn’t leave much time for romance, and Juliet throws herself into getting ready for the Holiday 5k fundraiser organized by Pete’s rich, snobby girlfriend. Since Cecilia is in charge, Juliet knows everything has to be perfect, and she makes sure it is. Until she stumbles over Cecilia’s body the morning of the event.
When Pete is arrested for the murder, Julia sets out to find out who the real killer is, defying her ex-boyfriend, a local Lothario, and her friend Savannah’s good-intentioned “help” to do so. But the real conflict is with Nashville’s high society upper class, who all seem to think Pete is guilty. Juliet is not above upsetting a few grande dames to clear Pete’s name. She just has to solve the puzzle before she becomes the next target.
Mug Shot lets the reader get to know Juliet just a bit better, and the high spirits continue as the mystery deepens. The characters are entertaining and lively, with lots of antics and bad luck to keep the reader hooked.
(Galley provided by Random House/Alibi via NetGalley.)
(I do not own this image. Image belongs to Crown Publishing.)
James Anderson was born in Seattle and raised in the Pacific Northwest. He has worked in publishing, logging, and commercial fishing.The Never-Open Desert Diner is his debut novel.
Ben jones lives a simple life. He’s a truck driver, working Route 117 in a remote area of Utah, where most of the residents want to live off-grid and disappear from the world. Ben is barely scraping by, on the verge of losing his truck and his business, as well as the service he provides for the reclusive inhabitants of 117.
Then one day, Ben sees a woman named Claire playing the cello in an abandoned house off 117, and his entire world changes. Strangers appear on 117: a woman who’s a little too polished for his neck of the woods, a reality television producer who wants to ride along with Ben. A friend of his turns up missing. Something is going on around Route 117, and Ben needs to find out what it is before someone gets hurt. Then there’s Walt Butterfield, owner of the Well-Known Desert Diner, which hasn’t opened in years. Walt knows more about what’s going on than he’s letting on, and Ben is determined to find out what it is, no matter what.
The Never-Open Desert Diner is a mystery novel, but the real focus is the quirky, unforgettable characters that live on the pages. Ben’s “boring” life merely serves as a foil for the vivid people that inhabit this desolate patch of desert.
(Galley provided by Crown Publishing via NetGalley.)
(I do not own this image. Image belongs to Loveswept.)
Violet Duke is a New York Times and USA Today bestselling author. Her newest novel, Jackson’s Trust, is the first in her Fourth Down Series.
Jackson Gray, sports analyst, doesn’t do relationships. Why is a secret. But when he’s assigned to train new sideline reporter Leila Hart, and they become friends, he starts to wonder if he can offer a woman more than a physical relationship.
Leila is finally close to realizing her dream of becoming an NFL sportscaster. With Jackson’s help, she’s well on her way, but as their friendship grows, so do the rumors. And Leila has some secrets of her own, secrets that could be the end of all she holds dear.
Jackson’s Trust features two strong characters struggling to reconcile their hopes and dreams with reality. The camaraderie they share as their relationship grows makes this book worth the read.
(Galley provided by Loveswept via NetGalley.)
I’m not even a football fan, and I enjoyed this book.
Tomorrow Is Another Day 