Author: Marissa DeCuir

NORTHFIELD, MN – A two-time Foreword Indie Book Award finalist returns with a thrilling addition to the Twin Cities mystery series, “When the House Burns” (Coffeetown Press, February 14th, 2023). Priscilla Paton submerges the reader in a fast-paced mystery that tackles the societal implications of the COVID-19 pandemic on the housing market.

When death comes home, is nowhere safe?
The quest for love and home becomes deadly when Detectives Erik Jansson and Deb Metzger search for the killer of an adulterous real estate agent.

A volatile real estate market, unrest in a homeless encampment, jealousies among would-be lovers, a case of arson—these circumstances thwart G-Met detectives Erik Jansson and Deb Metzger as they investigate the murder of an adulterous woman. The victim’s estranged husband has holes in his alibi. A property developer grieves too much over the victim’s death, while his wife shuts him out. The developer’s assistant resents his boss, and suspects that the developer was not only involved with the victim, but is being scammed by the arsonist. A sexy young widow, friend of the victim, has past traumas triggered by the case and turns to the developer for protection. A homeless man stalked the dead woman, and now stalks the young widow. And all of them hold secrets about the past burning of an apartment complex and the man who died there.

Before the clues come together, Erik Jansson is trapped in an abandoned house as Deb Metzger hunts for a sharpshooter at a remote construction site. The case will burn down around them unless they can scheme their way out of lethal surroundings.

“When the House Burns”
Priscilla Paton | February 14th, 2023 Coffeetown | Mystery
Paperback | 978-1-68492-081-5 | $16.95
eBook | 978-1-68492-082-2 | $6.99

Priscilla Paton grew up on a dairy farm in Maine, a state of woods, lakes, and rivers. She now lives in Minnesota, another state of woods, lakes, and rivers, not far from urban Minneapolis and St. Paul. She received a B.A. from Bowdoin College, a Ph.D. in English Literature from Boston College, and was a college professor. She has previously published a children’s book, Howard and the Sitter Surprise, and a book on Robert Frost and Andrew Wyeth, Abandoned New England. She is active in programs that support literacy, affordable housing, and the prevention of domestic violence and abuse. For fun, she enjoys her husband’s cooking and photographing birds. The first in the Twin Cities Mystery series, Where Privacy Dies, was a finalist for a 2018 Foreword Indies Book Award, and the second, Should Grace Fail, was a finalist for a 2020 Foreword Indies Book Award. You can find more about Priscilla on her website.

Follow Priscilla Paton on social media:
Twitter: @priscilla_paton | Instagram: @priscillapaton
Facebook: @priscillapatonmystery | Goodreads: Priscilla_Paton

Advance Praise for When The House Burns

“Detectives Metzger and Jansson sizzle in this smart page turner. Paton’s gift for sharp prose cuts to the bone of her well-drawn characters who drive a plot that propels the reader toward the end of this satisfying mystery.” –Matt Goldman, NYT Best Selling Author

“Clever and intriguing, Priscilla Paton’s latest Twin Cities Mystery, When the House Burns, does not disappoint. Full of rich details evoking the Twin Cities culture and ambience, this well-crafted mystery offers nuanced characters and an unexpected plot. Once again featuring Detectives Metzger and Jansson, the unlikely duo bring heart and personality to their investigation and pursuit of the truth.” –Susanna Calkins, award-winning author of the Lucy Campion historical mysteries and the Speakeasy Mysteries

Praise for the Twin Cities Mysteries

“Should Grace Fail is a lively police procedural featuring an unusual and highly enjoyable pair of investigators. Snappy dialogue, sharp plotting, and a colorful cast of characters kept me entertained and guessing until the last page!” -Mindy Mejia, critically acclaimed author of Strike Me Down

“Priscilla Paton delivers another exciting Twin Cities Mystery as she reunites detectives Deb Metzger and Eric Jansson. The partners find themselves facing a complex investigation in a novel that touches on murder, racism, and police brutality. Should Grace Fail is a timely addition to the crime fiction genre.” -Elena Taylor, award-winning author of All We Buried

“Priscilla Paton adds a fresh voice to the mystery scene with Where Privacy Dies. Paton delivers lively descriptions, and has an ear for dialogue that works well defining her characters. I loved the interactions, and verbal volleyball, between the unlikely G-Met partners, Detectives Erik Jansson and Deb Metzger. From the discovery of a well-dressed man’s body in a wetland, to the unsavory dealings of people in high places, she kept me reading, trying to figure out who was really in the bad guys’ corner.” -Christine Husom, National Best-selling Author of the Snow Globe Shop Mysteries. and the Winnebago County Mysteries.

“Fans of SJ Rozan and Deborah Crombie are going to love the mismatched crime fighters at the center of this masterful and timely debut novel; Priscilla Paton tells their story with confidence, style and cunning.” -David Housewright, Edgar Award-winning author of Like to Die

In an interview, Priscilla Paton can discuss:

• How personal housing experiences amid the pandemic informed her writing
• Why she weaves commentary on social issues into her mysteries
• Her process when researching new settings for a book
• How her writing process changed and evolved during the pandemic
• How writing from multiple perspectives helps shape the plot of a mystery

An Interview with Priscilla Paton

This is your third installment in the Twin Cities Mysteries, what are some of the challenges in writing a series? What are some of the joys?

The joys include letting loose Erik Jansson and Deb Metzger with their prickly rapport, mischief, and unusual take on their jobs. I also have to keep them and plot devices from becoming repetitious. I develop the new characters first, all their kinks and problems, to give the detectives fresh challenges and a distinct context. I also like that I need to continue “researching” the Twin Cities area—parks, restaurants, neighborhoods, lakes. That’s scenic and fun.

How did the COVID-19 pandemic impact your research and writing process?

This is a big one. While accustomed to working at home, I was not used to sharing Zoom bandwidth with my “spousal unit.” I did feel cut off from my sources—I wasn’t doing site visits, hanging out in coffee shops to eavesdrop, or doing in-person interviews. Like many people, I experienced anxiety. Writing was sometimes agonizing, and I wouldn’t have made it without Google as a distraction and research assistant. I saw amazing houses online to fictionalize and use as backdrops—one featured a Wonder Woman mural. I also had to move during the shutdown!

Why was it important to weave in commentary about the housing crisis in this novel?

I didn’t intend to write about the housing crisis—I had another topic in mind. Then a real estate agent was murdered in the Twin Cities (a case unlike the fictional one in the book), I had to move during the crisis, and relatives were also searching for housing. Also, I’m on nonprofit boards and a chronic issue is finding safe housing for people in crisis. In general, I don’t set out to “prove” a point; rather, I’m exposed to the issues so including them is natural.

Your novels return to the same characters throughout the series. As a writer how do you push yourself to explore these characters in new and dynamic ways for your audience?

It’s a challenge, especially after the pandemic shutdowns when everyone seemed to stand in place and not advance. Erik Jansson and Deb Metzger will keep their idiosyncrasies, but they also must adapt to an ever-changing social scene and higher expectations. As they “mature,” they take on more responsibilities, but they too must avoid feeling in a rut. The news, unfortunately, provides new crimes and dangers for a fiction writer and her characters to contemplate. These characters have frisky imaginations, and I work to keep up with them!

Your villains aren’t necessarily all bad. Can you comment on this?

Some characters are simply bad because such people exist and commit horrific crimes without regret. More often, I’m interested in the tangle of circumstances that drives someone to do their worst and the impact such acts have on them, from empowering them to destroying them. Also, it makes the detectives’ job harder to have suspects apparently within normal range, even likable.

Your writing goes to some dark places, but there’s also humor. How do you balance the somber and the comic?

For me, writing about crime and topics like domestic violence is a way to engage the real world and to escape it. The news can drown you, and you may, to paraphrase poet Emily Dickinson, face the truth slant. In writing, I can satirize foibles and awkward encounters, the office rivalries and the committee work Erik and Deb endure. My characters also have to face painful realities: racism, police brutality, the impact of murder on individuals and families. The stress sometimes comes out in their repartee.

What are you working on next?

I’ve started a standalone novel, but my detectives Jansson and Metzger keep butting in. I deserve that because I’ve left their sex lives and love lives unresolved. So I’m not sure what form the next book(s) will take, but I’m fascinated by family estrangement, betrayal, and recovery or restoration after betrayals. One potential character is back-to-nature and works in prairie restoration while another lives in a modern mansion and works on tech projects; that means I can check out very different settings. I’m also researching dyslexia and how that shapes a young person’s life.

Download press kit and photos

Marissa DeCuir

A former award-winning journalist with national exposure, Marissa now oversees the day-to-day operation of the Books Forward author branding and book marketing firm, along with our indie publishing support sister company Books Fluent.

Born and bred in Louisiana, currently living in New Orleans, she has lived and developed a strong base for our company and authors in Chicago and Nashville. Her journalism work has appeared in USA Today, National Geographic and other major publications. She is now interviewed by media on best practices for book marketing.

booksforward.com/about-us/marissa-decuir/

A debut perfect for fans of Ross MacDonald, Dashiell Hammett, Dennis Lehane & James Lee Burke

LOS ANGELES, CA – Private investigator and author Patrick H. Moore is releasing his heart pounding political thriller debut “27 Days” (Feb 6, 2023, Down & Out Books), which follows private investigator Nick Crane as he races against the clock to save his best friend from the powerful alt-right terrorist group that will spare no one to “Make America Safe Again.”

27 Days is a taut, topical political thriller that blends noir with a dash of contemporary Western as it introduces us to veteran LA PI Nick Crane, “a throwback to the old-school, rough-and-tumble, tough-talking, quick-thinking, take-no-prisoners, PI,” (author Charles Salzberg). In the spring of 2019, Nick is on the run in the Pacific Northwest, pursued by a cabal of wealthy alt-right power brokers and domestic terrorists claiming to “Make America Safe Again”–at any cost. The terrorist group, “The Principles,” is led by Nick’s old enemy Marguerite Ferguson, who is out for his blood. When The Principles kidnap Nick’s friend and business partner Bobby Moore, Nick is informed that he has 27 days to surrender to Marguerite, and if he doesn’t, Bobby will be tortured and murdered. Help appears in the form of a young, idealistic female FBI agent named Carrie North who wants to arrest Marguerite for conspiring to commit domestic terrorist operations against the U.S.. Nick and Carrie join forces and the race against time to rescue Bobby Moore begins. And what a race it is!

“A blisteringly taut page turner with loads of engaging attitude plus blindside twists that Moore delivers with the authority of a pro investigator (he is) and the panache of a rock’n’roller (he is that too) who has spent years crawling through the brains of our top noirists from Hammett to Lehane and distilled the best they have to offer.”
– Michael D. Sellers, Award winning Director of Eye of the Dolphin

“27 Days”
Patrick Moore | February 6, 2023 | Down & Out Books | Political Thriller
Paperback | 978-1-64396-298-6 | Ebook

Advance Praise for “27 Days”

“Locked in a life and death struggle with evil, Patrick H. Moore’s PI Nick Crane is a throwback to the old-school, rough-and-tumble, tough-talking, quick-thinking, take-no-prisoners, PI. In Moore’s new thriller “27 Days”, evil comes in the form of a well-organized gang of domestic terrorists called The Principals, whose slogan is Make America Safe Again, and who think that putting Nick six-feet under will do the job. Moore skillfully delivers in the rat-a-tat, take-no-prisoner style of Spillane and Hammett, daring you to turn the page and see what happens next.” – Charles Salzberg, 2-time Shamus Award nominee for Swann’s Last Song and Second Story Man

“Haven’t enjoyed a detective novel this much in a long, long time.” – Max Myers, Award winning author of Boysie Blake: Problem Solver

“Patrick H. Moore delivers a dark masterpiece here, a brawling, gunfire symphony dripping with ominous overtones. A contemporary western, a compelling and intricate mystery, a social allegory of the oldest sins of humankind–this book has it all. Take note: Patrick H. Moore has entered the big leagues.” – John Nardizzi, Shamus Award finalist for The Burden of Innocence

“In “27 Days”, L.A. Private Investigator Nick Crane goes mano a mano against a highly ambitious, ultra-violent network of domestic terrorists intent on eliminating their enemies–Nick chief among them… Readers looking for unrelenting suspense and fascinating well-developed characters will find it all here, as the bodies pile up and the action cascades in unanticipated twists that will keep you riveted until the final page.” – John Brown, Los Angeles Private Investigator

More about Patrick H. Moore

PATRICK H. MOORE is a Los Angeles based private investigator and sentencing mitigation specialist. Since 2003, he has worked on over 500 drug trafficking, sex crime, violent crime and white collar fraud cases. Patrick started the All Things Crime Blog in 2013. For several years it was one of the most popular crime blogs in America and currently has over 3 million views. Patrick studied English Literature and Creative Writing at San Francisco State University. While in college, Patrick published numerous short stories and novel excerpts. More recently, in 2014, he indie-published his first thriller, “Cicero’s Dead”, which sold well and was a finalist in the thriller category in the Beverly Hills Book Award Contest. “27 Days” is Patrick’s first traditionally published novel.

Follow Patrick H. Moore on social media:
Facebook: @allthingscrimeblog and @patrick.moore.921230 | Instagram: @patrickhmoore1/ | Twitter: @PatrickHMoore1  | Blog – All Things Crime: https://allthingscrimeblog.com/

In an interview, Patrick H. Moore can discuss:

• His career as a Los Angeles private investigator, and his knowledge of criminal defense and the court system
• How his political thriller differs from the genre standard of modern-day thrillers, and why thrillers can and should be topical
• The real-life political events that influenced his writing, and the importance of the reality behind his fictional story
• The creation of his characters, how they were inspired by real life, and why he decided to create them how he did
• His past writing experiences as the owner of All Things Crime Blog
• His plans to continue PI Nick Crane’s story

An Interview with Patrick Moore

How does the social and political content in your book differ from the content of other modern-day thrillers?

I think the big difference between 27 Days and most modern-day thrillers is fairly clear. Although there are exceptions, most contemporary thrillers do not address the social and political issues that have divided America into warring camps and that threaten to destroy our democracy. While 27 Days is undoubtedly a page turner, and is entirely fictitious, it tries to take on the alt-right domestic terrorists as directly as possible, within the context of a heart-pounding, fast-paced thriller.

Your protagonist and his friends seem to be somewhat skeptical of law enforcement, even though one of them is a cop. Why, then, did you create the character Carrie North, who is an FBI agent?

Nick Crane and his friends are somewhat skeptical of cops because they know that far too many of them are brutal and vindictive. Despite this, I created Carrie North, the FBI agent, because I suddenly thought, ‘What if some young idealistic FBI agents do exist, and what if one of them, Ms. Carrie North, wants to go after Nick’s nemesis, the villainous Marguerite Ferguson, and what if she finds out that Nick has substantial evidence that Marguerite has been conspiring to commit acts of domestic terrorism? I then realized that they would be a natural fit because they need each other. I also wanted to create a strong female character to add interest and diversity to the story. And then I fell in love with Carrie, something Nick Crane for the most part resists.

Do you view Nick Crane as a reflection of yourself?

Nick Crane is not so much a reflection of myself, as he is my alter-ego. He is what I might be like if I was quite fearless and willing to risk my life on a regular basis for what I believe is right. As a young man “on the streets” and during my decades of work in criminal defense, I have rubbed elbows with a great many violent individuals/criminals and am fairly comfortable around them. Yet, personally, I have always been non-violent. Although Nick Crane would never hurt anyone unnecessarily (he does have a heart!), he was raised on the wrong side of the tracks and learned out of necessity to “throw down” at an early age.

What are some real-life political moments that inspired the writing of your novel?

During the time I was writing 27 Days and its prequel, Rogues and Patriots, I was furious over the burgeoning private prison industry and its nefarious relationship to mass incarceration in the United States. I was also thoroughly disgusted by the manner in which elements on the far right were making careers out of invoking the grim specter of racism, both subtly and overtly. I was also disgusted by the manner in which the legions of desperate immigrants trying to get into the United States, especially the families, were treated by our Border Patrol. Those of us who are comfortably secure here in the US need to walk in the other guy’s shoes and learn to empathize with the disadvantaged and the abandoned of this world. I was as shocked as everyone else by the January 6th Insurrection, but viewed retrospectively, 27 Days, which was completed before that dark day, seems eerily prophetic.

What is next for you and Nick Crane?

At the end of 27 Days, Nick Crane and his friends, although having reached temporary “safe harbor,” are hardly “out of the woods.” Nick’s enemy Marguerite Ferguson and “the Principals” will never give up their vendetta against him, and soon, he will once again be living the life of a fugitive. My challenge is to find a way for Nick to neutralize Marguerite and company once and for all so that he can go to other challenges/adventures where his life will hopefully not be in constant danger. I am a slow writer, and each Nick Crane story presents me with unique challenges.

Download press kit and photos

Marissa DeCuir

A former award-winning journalist with national exposure, Marissa now oversees the day-to-day operation of the Books Forward author branding and book marketing firm, along with our indie publishing support sister company Books Fluent.

Born and bred in Louisiana, currently living in New Orleans, she has lived and developed a strong base for our company and authors in Chicago and Nashville. Her journalism work has appeared in USA Today, National Geographic and other major publications. She is now interviewed by media on best practices for book marketing.

booksforward.com/about-us/marissa-decuir/

LOS ANGELES – The world is constantly changing — technology, sports, the environment, politics. So how do you raise a new generation of children in a country that’s changed so much from when you were a kid? In his humorous and heartwarming memoir “Not Your Father’s America,” (Jan. 17, 2023, Chandler Press) longtime Hollywood producer Cort Casady exposes the emotional turmoil, joys and challenges of bringing up triplets in an America vastly changed from the one in which he was raised.

Barbara and Cort were a happily married couple when they decided to have children. But they had no idea the struggle and dangers they would face getting pregnant, as well as a heartbreaking loss. When the couple finally become pregnant and safely deliver triplets, they must dive in — overwhelmed and outnumbered — to face the exhausting and unrelenting demands of caring for three babies at once. Following the boys as they grow up, Casady includes numerous anecdotes, stories and ingenious discoveries that every parent can appreciate. Through it all, the author offers insightful commentary about his father’s America, the America he and his brothers were raised in, and the America his sons are inheriting, all while examining how economic injustice, deregulation and greed are affecting and undermining the American experience.

“Not Your Father’s America” is a vivid account of an extraordinary family forged out of determination, patience, acceptance, discipline and love — lots of love.

About the Author

Cort Casady has won two Emmy Awards and three NAACP Image Awards for his work as a television and documentary writer-producer. He won his first Emmy for “New York at Night Starring Clint Holmes,” and his second for the “American Film Institute (AFI) Life Achievement Award: A Tribute to Mel Brooks” (2014). His numerous credits include creating the original story and characters for the television mini-series, “Kenny Rogers as The Gambler,” helping to format and launch the long-running reality competition series, “Star Search” with Ed McMahon, and co-creating television’s first weekly environmental series “Earthbeat”, which aired as “Network Earth” on TBS for five years.

Since 2003, Casady has served as Supervising Producer of the American Film Institute Life Achievement Award tributes to America’s leading actors and filmmakers. In addition to his Image Award-winning specials for Stevie Wonder, Smokey Robinson and Lionel Richie, he has also written and produced televised musical-documentary tributes to R&B legends Quincy Jones, Aretha Franklin, Patti LaBelle and Chaka Khan..

Casady is the co-author of two previously published books: “The Singing Entertainer: The Art & Business of Being a Professional,” a how-to book for performers; and “You Oughta Be Me: How to Be a Lounge Singer and Live Like One by the Fabulous Bud E. Luv,” a humorous faux autobiography of a delusional performer. Casady is also the co-author with Mary Miller of the musical play, “King of the Road: The Roger Miller Story” which had its world premiere at the Laguna Playhouse in Laguna Beach, California, in 2017.
Born in McAllen, Texas, Casady grew up in El Cajon, California, near San Diego. After graduating from Harvard with an honors degree in government, Casady moved to Los Angeles to pursue his career in the entertainment business. He and his wife, Barbara raised their triplet sons in Manhattan Beach, California. They now live on the Palos Verdes Peninsula south of L.A. For more info on Casady, visit cortcasady.com.

Follow Cort Casady on Instagram: @cortcasady

In an interview, Cort Casady can discuss:

• His long and varied career in the entertainment industry as a writer and producer
• The intimacy of writing and publishing a memoir
• How his family’s journey with infertility and IVF informed the writing of his memoir
• How the memoir incorporates subjects like deregulation and climate change into the narrative and why those topics are pertinent to parenting
• What he hopes readers will take away from reading his family’s story

An Interview with Cort Casady

What made you decide to write a book about your experience as a father?

After I became a father, I initially thought about writing an open letter to our sons. I wanted to give them a sense of what we went through to have them and raise them as well as some perspective on the America they were being born into, beyond the obvious “before there was Google.”

What I finally decided to write, as I explain in the preface, is a book that combines two passions, serves two masters and weaves together two decidedly different narratives.

One is a narrative about what it’s like to be hit by the “baby bus” and have three kids at once. The other is a series of reflections along the way, as the boys go from being infants to toddlers to adolescents and young adults. About the America my father grew up in, the America I came up in, and the America our sons are inheriting.

How has your experience in the entertainment industry helped you — or hindered you — when it comes to writing books?

My experience as a working writer, first as a freelance magazine writer, then as a staff writer in television, prepared me to be an author. I first learned that I could write in college. When I finished writing my thesis, by myself over the Christmas holiday break in my senior year, I realized I could write and, more importantly, finish what I was writing. That, and a good outline, enabled me to complete the first book I wrote, for singer John Davidson.

The book is very personal: How did you decide what details you would include and what topics were off-limits?

Fortunately, there weren’t a lot of details I couldn’t include in the book. Barbara read each draft, so I felt confident there wasn’t anything inappropriate in the book. In writing about our sons’ experiences with a bad coach in high school, I decided not to go into too much detail. It was such a disturbing time; it could almost be a book on its own, a book I have no desire to write, by the way.

What do your family members think about you writing the book?

Barbara read virtually every draft of the book as I was writing it. She corroborated memories, corrected facts, and typos, and encouraged me frequently throughout the process. Our sons encouraged me throughout the process of writing and getting the book published as well. Having shared notes and journal entries with them before I started writing in earnest, they had a pretty good idea of what Dad was going to write. All three have fully supported the project and believe it’s a story worth chronicling. They’ve been very complimentary.

What do you hope readers gain from this book?

I hope readers will take away what we learned raising triplets: Don’t panic; take it one day at a time; stay committed; and don’t give up. I also hope they’ll be reminded that we have a lot of work to do as a country to live up to the promise of America, a promise I fervently hope our children will experience. I also hope readers will take seriously what we all must do to meet the climate crisis. The clock is ticking.

What projects are you working on that people can look forward to?

I’m developing a feature-length documentary film. 100% Possible: The Battle for the World’s Energy Future is about a series of science-based plans to power America and more than 100 other countries with electricity generated solely by wind, water, and the sun. Developed by a group of scientists led by Stanford University climate professor Mark Jacobson, the plans will be presented to the general public for the first time in this groundbreaking film. A positive, solutions-driven documentary, the film will document how clean, renewable energy will slow global warming, deliver environmental justice, and create millions of jobs worldwide.

Download press kit and photos

Marissa DeCuir

A former award-winning journalist with national exposure, Marissa now oversees the day-to-day operation of the Books Forward author branding and book marketing firm, along with our indie publishing support sister company Books Fluent.

Born and bred in Louisiana, currently living in New Orleans, she has lived and developed a strong base for our company and authors in Chicago and Nashville. Her journalism work has appeared in USA Today, National Geographic and other major publications. She is now interviewed by media on best practices for book marketing.

booksforward.com/about-us/marissa-decuir/

Debut author subverts “good girl” trope in dark YA fantasy series

LAS VEGAS, Nevada – What if you were told from the moment you were born that you were evil? Debut author Victory Witherkeigh creates a thrilling YA story that subverts expectations and finds that your true self is more important than what you’ve been told. Breaking through the good girl, virginal heroine stereotypes and inspired by Filipino mythology and gods, “The Girl,” (Cinnabar Moth Publishing, Dec 6, 2022) will blur the line between what is good and what is evil.

Already a finalist for Killer Nashville’s Claymore Award in 2020, The Girl follows a nameless main character only known as The Girl. She’s been told since a very young age that she was a mistake, a demon who shouldn’t have been born. Shunned by her parents, she’s shuffled between her parents’ and grandparents’ homes until her eighteenth birthday. The Girl is baffled by her ordinary life in Los Angeles. For all intents and purposes, she’s just like everyone else. That is, until the Demon comes to claim her.

Striving to bring more diversity to her story, Victory employs her Filipina/Pacific Islander heritage by combining pre-colonial myths of gods and demons and a modern setting creating the unique coming-of-age story of a first generation-born American. Victory Witherkeigh is able to connect her story with thousands of young first-generation American readers looking to see themselves in modern-day fantasy stories.

By developing a character that flits between human and demon, Victory creates an anti-heroine, a female character who isn’t your typical Mary Sue archetype. Resisting the urge to create another “golden” hero character in a fantasy story, The Girl examines the gray areas of growing up as a young female navigating through rejection, lost friendships, hurt relationships, and choosing imperfection.

For fans of The Sandman series and Wicked Fox, The Girl is an unlikely coming-of-age story filled with the search for identity, understanding parent expectations, and realizing that sometimes evil isn’t what you expect it to be.

“The Girl”
Victory Witherkeigh | December 6th, 2022
Cinnabar Moth Publishing | YA dark fantasy
Hardcover | 9781953971616 | $23.99
Paperback | 9781953971609 | $15.99
Ebook | 9781953971623 | $4.99

VICTORY WITHERKEIGH: Victory Witherkeigh is a female Filipino/PI author originally from Los Angeles, CA, currently living in the Las Vegas area. Victory was a finalist for Wingless Dreamer’s 2020 Overcoming Fear Short Story award and a 2021 winner of the Two Sisters Writing and Publishing Short Story Contest. She has print publications in the horror anthologies Supernatural Drabbles of Dread through Macabre Ladies Publishing, Bodies Full of Burning through Sliced Up Press, and In Filth It Shall Be Found through OutCast Press. Written during NaNoWriMo, Victory’s first novel, set to debut in December 2022 with Cinnabar Moth Publishing, has been a finalist for Killer Nashville’s 2020 Claymore Award, a 2020 Cinnamon Press Literature Award Honoree, and long-listed in the 2021 Voyage YA Book Pitch Contest. Find out more about her at: https://teikitu.com/

Photo credit: Kat Goodloe

Follow Victory on social media:
Facebook: @victorywitherkeigh | Twitter: @witherkeigh | Instagram: @victory_witherkeigh

In an interview, Victory can discuss:

• The Filipino mythology that inspired her writing process
• Her thoughts on the stereotypical “golden” girl heroine and how she subverts that
• Resisting the idea that all female characters must be likable and good from the start
• Her process writing an anti-heroine
• The importance of stories about claiming agency for young female readers
• The importance of diversity among characters, especially within niche genres
• Writing her book through National Novel Writing Month

An Interview with Victory Witherkeigh

Can you talk about the initial inspiration for this book? Did it come from any sort of myth or folklore?

This book was inspired by some of the pre-colonial myths and legends from the Philippines and French Polynesia that I grew up hearing.

What originally got you into the genre of dark fantasy? DId you write in any other genres before finding your love for this one?

I was a very nerdy kid growing up – reading R.L. Stine and Christopher Pike to Tolkien and C.S. Lewis. I’ve tried writing in high fantasy but the darkness always seemed to come very easily.

The first draft of this novel came from NaNoWriMo, right? Could you talk about that experience?

When I first started dabbling with the idea of being a writer, I began with short stories. Once those began to get picked up, I decided to use NaNoWriMo to see if I could get this book out of me. I will say it flowed a lot faster than I thought it would.

What did your writing process look like?

I’m a night owl, so I find that I need to put my errands and gym time all to the morning. I tend to give myself time bounds – write for 20-30 minutes at a time to see how much my mind is willing to go into. I always shoot for at least 100 words a day.

Who is this book for? What people would you most recommend it to?

I would say this book is for the teenage girls like myself who never felt like they were truly squeaky clean enough to be the heroine or not quite attractive enough to be the anti-hero. I would recommend this book to those who enjoy reading about the grayness in the coming of age stories – the fact that the journey itself is messy, turbulent, and terrifying.

The main character of this book is considered an “unlikeable female character.” How did you go about creating the girl?

The girl almost wrote herself with just some of the trials and tribulations one witnesses in grade school and high school amongst young women. I remember trying to read The Babysitters’ Club books and not being able to get past the first few chapters because it seemed too unrealistic that that many young women could be friends given that at that time the growing cliques were dividing my classroom.

What part of The Girl was the most fun to write?

Without spoiling too much, I would say any of the traveling chapters were probably my favorite. All the real world places mentioned in The Girl are trips I had taken myself as a young child through my teenage years and it was so much fun to revisit those historic sites and cities.

Download press kit and photos

Marissa DeCuir

A former award-winning journalist with national exposure, Marissa now oversees the day-to-day operation of the Books Forward author branding and book marketing firm, along with our indie publishing support sister company Books Fluent.

Born and bred in Louisiana, currently living in New Orleans, she has lived and developed a strong base for our company and authors in Chicago and Nashville. Her journalism work has appeared in USA Today, National Geographic and other major publications. She is now interviewed by media on best practices for book marketing.

booksforward.com/about-us/marissa-decuir/

TAMPA BAY, Fla. – How far would you go to keep what’s yours? Debut author Marie Still is searching for the answer in her exciting new psychological thriller, “We’re All Lying,” (March 14, 2023, Rising Action Publishing). Exploring the weight of family secrets — and how far we’ll go to keep them — this dark, twisty novel is sure to thrill fans of Gillian Flynn and Karin Slaughter.

Someone is hunting Cass. She lives an enviable life: a successful career, two great kids, and a handsome husband. Then an email from her husband’s mistress, Emma, brings the façade of perfection crumbling around her, setting off a chain of events where buried secrets come back to haunt her. A taunting email turns into stalking and escalates into much worse. Ethan and Cass try to move on, then Emma disappears. No longer considered a victim, Cass finds herself the prime suspect and center of the investigation. Her dark secrets — including ones she didn’t know existed — threaten to destroy everything they’ve worked for.

A fast-paced psychological thriller with jaw-dropping twists, the novel examines buried family secrets and how desperation can lead to fatal mistakes when “We’re All Lying.”

“We’re All Lying”
Marie Still | March 14, 2023 | Rising Action Publishing | Psychological Thriller
Paperback, ISBN, $22.99 | Ebook, ISBN, $9.99

About the Author

MARIE STILL grew up obsessed with words and the dark and complex characters authors bring to life with them. Now she creates her own while living in Tampa with her husband, four kids, two dogs, and a very grumpy hedgehog. Her debut novel, “We’re All Lying” will be released March 14, 2023, from Rising Action Publishing. “Beverly Bonnefinche is Dead” “My Darlings” will follow in late 2023 and 2024, respectively. She also writes under Kristen Seeley. Find out more about Marie at mariestill.com.

Follow Marie Still on social media:
Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | TikTok

About Rising Action Publishing

Rising Action Publishing is an independent publishing house committed to diverse stories and who is passionate about literature and sharing authors’ stories with the world. A member of IBPA, their commitment extends to readers, and their carefully curated collection of books includes unputdownable page-turners across many genres, delivering surprise and delight and that are filled with emotion.

Rising Action Publishing is more than a publisher, and it considers authors family. They support the authors they represent to ensure their books garner the attention and dedication they deserve. They never charge reading fees and are not a hybrid or vanity press. Their authors enjoy 360° support from start to finish, including all formats (digital, print, audio), wide channel and market distribution, marketing and advertising, public relations, ARC programs, the highest quality editing, formatting, cover design and more.

Follow Rising Action on social media: Facebook | Twitter | Instagram

In an interview, Marie Still can discuss:

• The journey behind releasing her debut novel
• The novel’s numerous themes, including jealousy, marriage and family
• How her experience living in Tampa Bay, Florida, inspired the book’s setting
• Where the book is situated in the domestic thriller/domestic noir landscape
• Projects she’s working on next, including 2023 and 2024 releases

An interview with Marie Still

“We’re All Lying” is your debut novel. What was the process like getting your first book published?

I was in the process of querying “Beverly Bonnefinche is Dead” when I wrote “We’re All Lying.” I queried the book for two weeks and had13 agents show interest. On the third week, I received an offer from Rising Action Publishing for both books. I was drawn to their business model and passion for both stories, so decided to sign unagented. Since then, I’ve signed my third book “My Darlings” with them.

Jealousy is one of the key themes of the book. Why did you want to explore that emotion?

I’m drawn to human emotions, especially the darker ones. Jealousy can bore beneath people’s skin and change them as a person. It’s consuming and can make them act out of character — or bring a side of their personality to the forefront they wish would stay buried. Jealousy is often immediately associated with love and relationships, but it really extends beyond that.

We live in a world where people can curate the life they want people to see: They use social media to post the good, while hiding the bad. When you’re an observer of this, who may not be happy or comfortable with your life and in your skin, it can breed jealousy. The sad side of this is the detrimental effect it can have on mental health. The scary side is when people, driven by jealousy, act on it and do bad things.

The book also delves into the value of family

Family means something different to everyone. Some people are lucky enough to grow up in loving nurturing homes, and others don’t get that. But your family is your foundation, these people who you didn’t choose have a huge impact on the person you grow into. Even in the most stable of homes, we’re all human, and parents make mistakes. I think the other thing explored in “We’re All Lying” is what makes a family. Sometimes it isn’t blood, and rather the people who are there for you when you’re at your best and when you’re at your worst.

Without any spoilers: What parts of the book were difficult for you to write? Which sections came easier?

It was really important for me to write Cass’ pain, anger, hurt in a realistic way. This took me putting myself in her shoes and conjuring up every time I’ve had my heart broken. I cried with Cass while writing those scenes. I’ve had early readers contact me and tell me how raw and real the emotions felt. While the “I never saw that twist coming!” emails are always fun, those readers who really understood Cass have meant the world to me.

How is “We’re All Lying” different from some of the other domestic thrillers out there?

“We’re All Lying” isn’t an affair book; it’s not a stalker book; it’s not a missing girl book. It has all of those things that have been folded into a story with characters who are flawed and messy and real. There are characters you will hate, and that’s OK — you’re supposed to. I’m such a fan of the genre, I’d never want to say it’s better or worse than what’s out there. I’m just happy that it will find its home on shelves with readers who enjoy the ride as much as I enjoyed crafting it.

Did you learn anything about yourself throughout the process of writing and publishing the book?

When you are first starting as a writer it’s hard to believe in yourself. Writing is a lonely process. I have an amazing community of writing friends, but imposter syndrome is a sneaky little thing and can catch you off-guard.
Having a team at my publisher who believes in my stories, and now as it has started to make its way into readers’ hands, gives me the confidence to continue opening my computer and putting words to paper.

Also, publishing is slow. I have learned that I can (surprisingly) be patient(ish).

What do you hope readers gain from reading the novel?

An escape, a thrill, an unguessable twisty ride that keeps them flipping the pages, and a few sleepless nights. As an avid thriller reader, I hope to give my readers what so many authors have gifted me. I love thrillers because of the constant questions and revelations they create throughout the scenes for readers, those breadcrumbs and “OMG” moments you get until you reach the final big reveal.

And last but not least: What projects are you working on next?

My current work in progress folder is filled with 14 concepts that I’ll eventually get to. But right now, I have two main projects. “The Woman From 3A” (a working title) is a dual-timeline thriller where Arden has disappeared. It opens with incredibly odd footage of her taken from her apartment building’s security camera. With police not moving fast enough, and her best friend Kat fearing the worst, she takes matters into her own hands to find out what happened to Arden before it’s too late. My other work-in-progress is a story that’s been floating around my head for a few years now. It takes place in The Village of Lucketts (where my family lived before we moved to Tampa). A tight-knit community has been living there, hiding their dark and creepy ways in plain sight, since first settling there in 1718.

Download press kit and photos

Marissa DeCuir

A former award-winning journalist with national exposure, Marissa now oversees the day-to-day operation of the Books Forward author branding and book marketing firm, along with our indie publishing support sister company Books Fluent.

Born and bred in Louisiana, currently living in New Orleans, she has lived and developed a strong base for our company and authors in Chicago and Nashville. Her journalism work has appeared in USA Today, National Geographic and other major publications. She is now interviewed by media on best practices for book marketing.

booksforward.com/about-us/marissa-decuir/

Music, mystery, and coming-of-age in magical US YA debut

SÃO PAULO, Brazil– Sway to the beat of beauty and poetry in “The Musician” (Dec 13, 2022, Koehler Books) a new YA novel by multi award-winning Brazilian author, Heloisa Prieto. With over 2 million books sold in Brazil, Prieto is already a household name. But her long-standing success hasn’t stopped her from dazzling her readers with lyrical prose and spell-binding stories. With The Musician, she will debut her first English-written story within the US, uniting Brazilian mythology and the Guarani culture in a magical setting.

With the success of her Mano series in Brazil, Prieto’s books are no stranger to the limelight. Famous for her Mano series that was adapted into the 2011 International Film Festival for Children and Young Adults (FICI) award-winning film, “The Best Things in the World”, Prieto approaches her newest story in a different way creating a timeless and magical coming-of-age story filled with poetry, romance, and mystery.

It follows a young Thomas whose only companions are the musical creatures only he can see. As a famous musician, he’s able to hide the lingering pain of his childhood using music as a form of connecting with the rest of the world. But when people find out about his magical creatures, they plan to steal it for themselves through seduction. With the help of Marlui, a young Guarani shaman, Thomas must face down his demons in this offbeat love triangle.

For fans of Paulo Coehlo and Sally Rooney, readers will be entranced by this magical journey of self-discovery and the belief in the unseen.

“The Musician”
Heloisa Prieto | December 13, 2022 | Köehler Books | Contemporary magical realism
Hardcover | 978-1-64663-864-2 | $28.95
Paperback | 978-1-64663-862-8 | $15.95
Ebook | 978-1-64663-863-5 | $7.95

HELOISA PRIETO is one of Brazil’s most celebrated children and YA authors. She has sold over two million books in her native country. Her Mano series of YA novels inspired the Time Warner movie The Best Things in the World. She recently published 1,002 Ghosts, and her book Viajantes do Vento was selected for the PNLD Public-Book Purchasing Programme, the biggest of its kind in the world.

She has spent a lifetime researching myths and legends–both ancient and modern–and organizing and curating collections of cross-cultural interest. She has created and organized numerous creative writing workshops for children, teenages, and adults. Heloisa also has a PhD in French literature (University of São Paulo) and a master’s degree in semiotics (Catholic University of São Paulo). Find out more about her here.

Follow Heloisa on social media:
Facebook: Heloisa Prieto | Twitter: @heloisa_prieto | Instagram: @heloisa.prieto

In an interview, Heloisa can discuss:

• Her journey from writing as a young kindergarten teacher to releasing over 90 books with 2 million copies sold
• The impact Brazilian culture has had on this English language debut
• How she intertwines ancient myths with contemporary characters
• The importance of preserving and learning from indigenous traditions in the Brazilian forest, and how they inspired this story
• Her move into English-written stories and debut in the US

Advance Praise for The Musician

“There is magic in music, and Heloisa Prieto’s elegant prose captures the marriage of the two in a fanciful narrative that also touches the heart’s most profound truths. Accessible, readable, subtle, and often delightful, The Musician draws us forward with a fresh tale that carries deep messages of time, place and the integrity inherent in each soul, to be read slowly and savored for its whimsy, and its wisdom.”

– Greg Fields 2022 Winner, Independent Press Award for Literary Fiction

“‘The Musician’ is a beautifully crafted story involving elements of the supernatural; reminiscent of Edgar Allan Poe. Heloisa Prieto’s pen draws with bold strokes a kaleidoscope of characters in this unique story, explosive in its power to wrap the reader in a fabric of tension which is compelling and alive.”

– Claire Galligan, International Award winning Theater Director, Radio Producer, and Writer

“A narrative which by the magic of music leads us to resignify Orpheus’ classical Greek myth intertwined by the fight for the indigenous forest people preservation and the urgent need to face the ecological issue that is threatening our planet. The characters of this entrancing book shall transform you, in a way or the other… “

– Maria José Silveira, Acclaimed award-winning Brazilian author of the awarded novel “Her Mother´s Mother´s Mother & her Daughters”

“While reading “The Musician” I experienced some of the pleasures which, according to Séan O´Faoláin, a creative narrative offers: the good yarn, suspense, reversal of expectation, effective use of language, identification and, above all, imaginative flight.”

– Dr. Munira Hamud Mutran. Doctor Honoris Causa On Literature, National University of Ireland, Maynooth, professor at the University of São Paulo.

“I really appreciated reading Heloisa Prieto’s The Musician. I believe it is very relevant for people to get acquainted with our cultural scenario and traditional wisdom. According to the Guarani teachings, artists don’t do their job just to entertain, but to touch people’s hearts. We say that writers are warriors, in the sense that they are God gifted, so I believe her book will be very important as a way to show contemporary society a different world: ours.”

– Olivio Jekupé, indigenous writer from the Guarani nation has published 24 books, including bi-lingual editions (guarani-portuguese), having also been published in Italy.

“I was mesmerized by this narrative´s musicality, its rhythm, its repertoire, the quotes from actual songs, as well as poems and lyrics – all of them skillfully orchestrated by the author, offering the reader not only some truly thrilling scenes, as well as poetry and reflection.”

– Gabriella Mancini is an acclaimed Brazilian young TV, movie script writer, having worked at Netflix, TV

Cultura, LC Barreto, Copa Studio, Gullane, among others
“Indigenous people are at risk, fighting to preserve not only the forests, but also the future of our children. The Musician really touched my heart by echoing voices that must be heard. Long life to the power of literature.”

– Dr. Katia Charada has a PHD on Literary Theory and History at Unicamp. (University of Campinas)

An Interview with Heloisa Prieto

The Musician is your first novel that was originally written in English. What made you decide to do that for this novel?

When indigenous rights to their land were violently threatened, I decided to create a narrative in which a contemporary and extremely successful young musician only finds peace by valuing and tuning to the rain forest dwellers mind set. My wish was to share, by the means of a contemporary fable, the relevance of the Guarani ecological way of thinking.

Brazilian mythology plays a large part in The Musician. What drew you to these myths?

My father used to tell me that “when human madness harms the planet to catastrophic proportions, the indigenous people will take the lead, because they will be the only ones who can find the path under the stars”.

All along the years I spent listening to narratives from Brazilian indigenous authors, I realized their myths and legends focus on acceptance, inclusion and deep connection with Nature. Thomas is a sensitive artist whose heart is called by the forest without him knowing it. His inner call which will be sensed by beautiful Marlui will break the contemporary paradigm of early fame/untimely death.
In order to intertwine ancient myths with urban characters, I chose to tell the stories through the eyes of 5 different characters, whereas keeping the pace of life at risk thriller.

What kind of research went into writing this novel?

My father, Luiz, was a great admirer of indigenous traditions. As a boy he made friends with people from the Guarani village and their teachings deeply influenced him. As an adult, he traveled to the Xavantes nation yearly. I heard his tales, his experiences among them and inherited his views. For thirty years now I have been giving my contribution by curating indigenous authors and translating their tales. Some years ago, when Estas Tonne came to Brazil, he played at the village and spoke to their healer. I was fascinated by the Guarani approach to sound healing. The chapter 5 strings was inspired by an actual experience at the praying house.

This is your adult debut after a successful career writing childrens’ books. How did writing this novel differ from writing your others?

In Brazil I had been publishing both children’s books and YA novels. Lenora, my first gothic novel, had been inspired by Edgard Allan Poe’s works, yet it took place in Florianópolis, a tropical beach. When I first submitted The Musician to Koehler’s team I thought I had written another YA book, a thriller in a Brazilian scenario. However, maybe due to the choice for 5 different points of views, the retelling of Guarani myths and teachings in a contemporary scenario, editors thought the book should not be limited to a specific target reader. Although I love writing about and for the youth, I took it as a compliment in the sense that the narrative was considered all inclusive.

What do you hope your readers take away from Thomas, Marlui, and the other main characters?

Poetry, beauty and peace can only be seized if we have “eyes to see” them. As in the rainforest beauty derives from diversity. Each character is meant to share a totally new horizon in order to enlarge one’s inner landscape. What is a happy ending after all? Sometimes questions are more meaningful than answers. Life is a constant riddle whose answers can move us towards surprising scenarios.

Download press kit and photos

Marissa DeCuir

A former award-winning journalist with national exposure, Marissa now oversees the day-to-day operation of the Books Forward author branding and book marketing firm, along with our indie publishing support sister company Books Fluent.

Born and bred in Louisiana, currently living in New Orleans, she has lived and developed a strong base for our company and authors in Chicago and Nashville. Her journalism work has appeared in USA Today, National Geographic and other major publications. She is now interviewed by media on best practices for book marketing.

booksforward.com/about-us/marissa-decuir/