Author: Marissa DeCuir

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

DENVER, Colo. – Bestselling historical fiction author Samuel Marquis is releasing Book 3 of his World War Two Series, “Spies of the Midnight Sun: A True Story of WWII Heroes” (Mount Sopris Publishing, May 29, 2018). The novel is the true story of overlooked Norwegian female Resistance operatives Dagmar Lahlum and Annemarie Breien and legendary British spy Eddie Chapman as they grappled to defeat the Nazi regime in Occupied Norway. Based on detailed historical research and Marquis’s award-winning narrative style, “Spies of the Midnight Sun” is the perfect read for fans of WWII history, historical fiction, and heroic women neglected by history.

“Spies of the Midnight Sun” is the true story of legendary British safecracker and spy Eddie Chapman, the British Double Cross Spy System, and Norwegian female Resistance operatives Dagmar Lahlum and Annemarie Breien. Known as Agent Zigzag, the most remarkable double agent of WWII, the fearless and roguishly handsome Chapman fell in love with and spied alongside the stunning 20-year-old model Dagmar Lahlum in Occupied Norway. Based upon recently released historical records from British and Norwegian archives, this WWII adventure and romance tale illuminates for the first time the intimate relationship between the two spy-lovers as well as the wartime exploits of Lahlum, Breien, and the Norwegian Resistance to liberate Norway and combat the Gestapo’s bloodhound investigator, Siegfried Fehmer. The contributions of Dagmar Lahlum and Annemarie Breien to the Allied war effort are many and incontrovertible—and yet history has never properly recognized these courageous Resistance women for their achievements. Until now. This book is their story and the story of the colorful Eddie Chapman in their efforts to defeat the Nazis.

SPIES OF THE MIDNIGHT SUN: A TRUE STORY OF WWII HEROES
Samuel Marquis | May 29, 2018 | Mount Sopris Publishing
Paperback ISBN: 978-1-943593-23-1 | Ebook ASIN: 978-1-943593-24-8
Historical Fiction

About The Author
The ninth great-grandson of legendary privateer Captain William Kidd, Samuel Marquis is the bestselling, award-winning author of a World War Two Series, the Nick Lassiter-Skyler International Espionage Series, and historical pirate fiction. His novels have been #1 Denver Post bestsellers, received multiple national book awards (Foreword Reviews Book of the Year, American Book Fest Best Book, USA Best Book, Beverly Hills, Next Generation Indie, Colorado Book Awards), and garnered glowing reviews from #1 bestseller James Patterson, Kirkus, and Foreword Reviews (5 Stars). Book reviewers have compared Marquis’s WWII thrillers “Bodyguard of Deception” and “Altar of Resistance” to the epic historical novels of Tom Clancy, John le Carré, Ken Follett, Herman Wouk, Daniel Silva, and Alan Furst. His website is www.samuelmarquisbooks.com.

The WWII Series

BODYGUARD OF DECEPTION (March 2016)
– Amazon Top 40 Bestseller – Historical Thriller
– Winner Foreword Reviews Book of the Year
– Award-Winning Finalist USA Best Book Awards

Can the American and British Allies stop a vaunted German spymaster and his U-boat-commander brother from warning Hitler’s High Command about the Allies’ greatest military secret? It is a secret that could win the war for Germany–or, at the very least, delay the outcome for years with an inestimable cost in bloodshed, physical destruction, and suffering. And it is a secret that the two contentious brothers must grapple with within their own Wehrmacht ranks, as they bring U.S. and British intelligence to their knees on America’s doorstep with the clock to D-Day ticking down. From a U-boat on the frigid North Sea to a brutal British interrogation center in heart of London to a remote German-POW camp and the world-famous Broadmoor Hotel overlooking the high plains and snow-dusted mountain peaks of Colorado, “Bodyguard of Deception” will keep you guessing until the final chapter. (ISBN 978-1943593125)

ALTAR OF RESISTANCE (January 2017)
– Amazon Top 40 Bestseller – Historical Thriller
– Award-Winning Finalist Foreword Rev. Book of the Year,
– American Book Fest Best Book Awards, and Beverly Hills Book Awards

In this second thriller in the bestselling WWII Trilogy, the Eternal City of Rome during the Nazi Occupation of 1943-1944 is a besieged city. In this perilous wartime setting, Rome is a tinderbox of four conflicting parties: the Allies—represented by Major John Bridger of the American-Canadian First Special Service Force—trying to capture Rome as the first Axis prize of war but encountering stiff opposition; the Germans—represented by Waffen-SS Colonel Wilhelm Hollmann, the German father of John Bridger—trying to throw the Allies back into the sea while holding Rome hostage and using it as a staging ground and supply line to the front; Pope Pius XII, deeply involved in the plot to remove Hitler from power while struggling to maintain Vatican impartiality, mediate between the West and Nazi Germany, save Rome from destruction, and protect the city’s Jews and others from extermination; and finally, the Partisans represented by Teresa Hollmann, the colonel’s daughter and half-sister of John Bridger, who during the German Occupation is transformed from a passive member of Rome’s aristocracy to an active Resistance fighter. (ISBN 978-194359303)

Talking Points

• Researching WWII history and developing a narrative recounting the real history
• Overlooked women in WWII history and the Allied Resistance Movement in Europe
• How the author learned about the real-life Dagmar Lahlum, Eddie Chapman, and Annemarie Breien, the three heroes of the book, and decided to write about them
• How each of Marquis’s WWII novels cover different time periods during the war

Praise for Samuel Marquis

• Denver Post Bestselling Author
• Foreword Reviews Book of the Year Winner
• Beverly Hills Books Awards Winner & Award-Winning Finalist
• Next Generation Indie Book Awards Winner & Award-Winning Finalist
• American Book Fest-USA Best Book Award-Winning Finalist
• Colorado Book Awards Award-Winning Finalist

“The Coalition has a lot of good action and suspense, an unusual female assassin, and the potential to be another ‘The Day After Tomorrow’ [the runaway bestseller by Allan Folsom].” —James Patterson, #1 ‘New York Times’ Bestselling Author

“Altar of Resistance’ is a gripping and densely packed thriller dramatizing the Allied Italian campaign…reminiscent of Herman Wouk’s ‘The Winds of War.” —Kirkus Reviews

“Marquis is a student of history, always creative, [and] never boring….A good comparison might be Tom Clancy.” —Military.com

“In his novels ‘Blind Thrust’ and ‘Cluster of Lies,’ Samuel Marquis vividly combines the excitement of the best modern techno-thrillers, an education in geology, and a clarifying reminder that the choices each of us make have a profound impact on our precious planet.” —Ambassador Marc Grossman, Former U.S. Under Secretary of State

“‘The Coalition’ starts with a bang, revs up its engines, and never stops until the explosive ending….Perfect for fans of James Patterson, David Baldacci, and Vince Flynn.”—Foreword Reviews

“A combination of ‘The Great Escape,’ ‘Public Enemies,’ a genuine old-time Western, and a John Le Carré novel.” —BlueInk Review (for “Bodyguard of Deception,” Book 1 of WWII Series)

“‘The Coalition’ by Samuel Marquis is a riveting novel by an uncommonly gifted writer. This is the stuff from which blockbuster movies are made! Very highly recommended.” —Midwest Book Review – The Mystery/Suspense Shelf

“Readers looking for an unapologetic historical action book should tear through this volume.” —Kirkus Reviews (for “Bodyguard of Deception”)

“Cluster of Lies’ has a twisty plot that grabs hold from the beginning and never let’s go. A true page turner! I’m already looking forward to the next Joe Higheagle adventure.” —Robert Bailey, Author of “The Professor” and “Between Black and White”

“If you haven’t tried a Samuel Marquis novel yet, ‘The Fourth Pularchek’ is a good one to get introduced. The action is non-stop and gripping with no shortage of surprises. If you’re already a fan of the award-winning novelist, this one won’t disappoint.”—Dr. Wesley Britton, Bookpleasures.com (Crime & Mystery) – 5-Star Review

“Marquis is the new Follett, Silva, and Clancy rolled into one.” —Prof. J.R. Welch, Editor of “Dispatches from Fort Apache”

“With ‘Blind Thrust,’ ‘Cluster of Lies,’ and his other works, Samuel Marquis has written true breakout novels that compare favorably with—and even exceed—recent thrillers on the ‘New York Times’ Bestseller List.”—Pat LoBrutto, Former Editor for Stephen King and Eric Van Lustbader (Bourne Series)

“Samuel Marquis picks up his World War II trilogy with ‘Altar of Resistance,’ a well-researched and explosive ride through war-torn Rome with Nazis, booming battles, and intense cat-and-mouse chases….Grounded in historical fact but spiced up with thrilling imagination with the fate of the world in balance.” —Foreword Reviews

“Reminiscent of ‘The Day of the Jackal’…with a high level of authentic detail. Skyler is a convincing sniper, and also a nicely conflicted one.” —Donald Maass, Author of “Writing 21st Century Fiction” (for “The Coalition”)

“Marquis writes quite well, but his real contribution with ‘Blackbeard: The Birth of America’ is historical….An engrossing and historically grounded yarn.”
—Kirkus Reviews

“In ‘Cluster of Lies,’ Samuel Marquis touches all the bases. He starts with a murder and the action doesn’t let up until the very last page in this compelling environmental thriller that is often uncomfortably realistic.” —Charles Salzberg, Author of “The Henry Swann Detective Series”

“In the richness of the texture of his material, Marquis far exceeds the stance of a mere raconteur and entertainer of the masses—he, in fact, becomes a public historian.”—Lois C. Henderson, Bookpleasures.com (Crime & Mystery) – 5-Star Review

www.JKSCommunications.com
237 Old Hickory Blvd., Suite 201, Nashville, TN 37221
Ellen Whitfield
(616) 258-5537
ellen@jkscommunications.com

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/

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

SAN FRANCISCO – Fay Stender was an extraordinary personality and giant in her field who has never — until now — been the subject of a full biography.  A middle class child prodigy, she abandoned the concert piano to become a zealous advocate for society’s most scorned and vilified defendants, from the Rosenberg espionage case in the early ’50s to Black Panther leader Huey Newton and revolutionary prisoner George Jackson, in the late ‘60s and early ’70s. Lise Pearlman’s comprehensive new book, Call Me Phaedra: The Life and Times of Movement Lawyer Fay Stender (Regent Press, June 5, 2018) examines Stender’s life, from her childhood to her amazing legal successes in a hostile environment, her pioneering work for prison reform, and her bitter falling out with the infamous radicals whom she molded into Movement icons. It also chronicles the experiences of her circle of committed activists who were deeply dissatisfied by the reality masked by the white-washed image of America shown on TV in those years and who committed themselves – like Fay Stender – to push society to live up to its stated goals of liberty and justice for all.

Lise Pearlman is a retired judge and prize-winning author of The Sky’s the Limit: People v. Newton, The Real Trial of the 20th Century? and American Justice on Trial: People v. Newton as well as a critically-acclaimed third history book released in November 2017, With Justice for Some: Politically Charged Criminal Trials of the Early 20th Century That Helped Shape Today’s America. Living her whole adult life in the Bay Area where Stender spent her legal career, Pearlman is uniquely qualified to write this definitive biography of Stender. Like Stender, Pearlman clerked on the California Supreme Court, served on the Board of California Women Lawyers and herself has been recognized as a pioneer. She graduated in the first class of women at Yale University, won publicity as the first woman managing partner of a California law firm and was appointed the first Presiding Judge of the state’s lawyer disciplinary court.

About the Book

Call Me Phaedra: The Life and Times of Movement Lawyer Fay Stender provides an inside view of activism during the McCarthy Era, the Civil Rights Movement, Free Speech Era, the rise of black power, and the Women’s Rights Movement. It chronicles the extraordinary life and career of Fay Stender, focused particularly on her work as a rare female criminal defense lawyer and ground-breaking prisoners’ rights advocate. The book focuses on Stender’s achievements and challenges representing two black revolutionary clients. Her work both won her international acclaim as a top Movement lawyer and propelled her to a tragic end. The saga of this feminine icon will fascinate those who lived through these eras as well as young adults today interested in the history of American activism and, particularly, women who challenged white-male monopoly power. Those who are working to change American society for the better today can draw valuable lessons from this important new biography and history book which reflects years of research, including access to several unpublished private collections and scores of exclusive interviews.

Call Me Phaedra: The Life and Times of Movement Lawyer Fay Stender
Lise Pearlman | June 5, 2018 | Regent Press
Paperback | 978-1-58790-435-6 | $29.95
E-book | 978-1-58790-436-3 | $12.95

Advance praise for Call Me Phaedra

“Moving, well written, at times almost poetic, Lise Pearlman’s new, often thrilling book tells the story of Fay Stender, a revolutionary pioneering woman lawyer dedicated to fighting to achieve justice for some of America’s most notorious prisoners. Fay was my friend from the time of our college days, through the years she rose to international acclaim and notoriety, until her untimely death stemming from the gun of a man who tried to murder her. Lise’s book grippingly sheds light on this remarkable woman’s courageous life and the turbulent time in which she made a significant impact on the arc of justice.” —Robert Richter, award-winning documentary filmmaker

“Lise Pearlman’s book generates great emotional traction  . . . recounting the heroic, tragic life . . .. and death . . .. of one of America’s most zealous, brilliant lawyers. It is written with clarity and precision … and is a necessary remembrance of an amazing woman.” —Penny Cooper, member of the California State Bar Trial Lawyer Hall of Fame

“Call Me Phaedra makes two major contributions to American studies.  It documents the life and times of a remarkable activist woman lawyer in the men’s world of mid 20th century law; Stender was a committed lawyer, exhausting and inspiring to work with. It also chronicles the experience of a strong circle of Progressives emerging from the ‘Red Scare’ in that  Cold War era who struggled to make society more just at a time when bucking conformity was not the norm.” —Peter Franck, former partner of Stender and 2017 San Francisco Lawyers Guild  “Champion of Justice”

An Interview with Lise Pearlman

How long have you been interested in Fay Stender?  
Decades. Our lives overlapped in the East Bay though we never met.  I recall hearing on the radio Memorial Day weekend 1979 the shocking news that she had just been shot in her home in Berkeley.  I understood she had earlier specialized in prisoners’ rights.  I first realized I wanted to know more of her life story after I joined the Board of California Women Lawyers in the 1990s, which gives out an annual award in her name to a lawyer selected for her courage and commitment to representing “women, disadvantaged groups and unpopular causes.” My interest was piqued when I attended a program on great trial lawyers at a judicial conference around the turn of the century where Chief Judge Marilyn Patel singled out Fay Stender as someone who should have been listed.

What was the most interesting thing you found out when you were researching Stender for the book? 
How many contradictions she embodied. She alternated bold, impetuous actions, with fearful paralysis.  She rejected as bourgeois the values of her parents and her sister, but, despite embracing radicals, time and again found herself leaning on the traditions she was raised with. By the time of her death, she had come full circle.  She rejected a career as a concert pianist but always found solace playing the piano. She turned some friends into enemies or “frenemies” and sometimes back again. She kept returning to her husband for security in a rocky, on again, off again marriage.  It was surprising to find out how much she valued her Jewish heritage throughout her life though she seldom attended services, how much she depended on her mother’s moral support despite their often-strained relationship, and how close she became to her sister.

What long term impact did Stender make on the legal system?
She was a pioneer among women lawyers seeking careers in criminal defense. She played a key role in revolutionizing the American “jury of one’s peers” so that nowadays that constitutional guarantee is drawn from a diverse cross-section of citizens instead of the traditional 12 white men.  Her brilliant work with her co-counsel Charles Garry for Huey Newton in his 1968 death penalty trial had instant results — seating mostly women and minorities, who then selected the first black foreman in any major murder case in the United States. Their jury selection techniques were memorialized in a 1969 handbook that became a “Bible” for criminal defense lawyers across the country. Fay Stender then was lead counsel on the Newton appeal and, remarkably, got Newton’s conviction reversed. She won the first change of venue in the history of Monterey County which saved three inmates at Soledad Prison (“the Soledad Brothers”) from near certain execution for the death of a guard if tried in conservative Salinas. With those two amazing achievements, she gained international fame as a Movement lawyer and inspired many young activists to go to law school. She arranged for her inmate client George Jackson’s edited letters to be published in a book, Soledad Brother: The Prison Letters of George Jackson, that became an international best seller.  She launched the Prisoners’ Rights Movement, filing numerous actions on behalf of inmates through staff lawyers, law students and mainstream lawyers she convinced to volunteer their time. Law schools began clinics for prisoner representation they never had before. She helped establish the rights of unmarried life partners and pave the way for lesbian adoptions.

Did the work on your previous books help when you were writing this biography?
Yes and no. I started this project first and put it aside to write the others. I talk about that in the author’s note in my book.  The filmed interviews for the documentary project “American Justice on Trial” added some key insights I lacked before – particularly from former Deputy Public Defender Penny Cooper, who observed part of the 1968 Newton trial, and from pioneering African-American journalist Belva Davis, who covered the trial as a cub reporter. I also found extremely valuable the perspectives of Huey Newton’s older brother Melvin, a great admirer of Fay’s skills and dedication, and those of prosecutor Lowell Jensen, who had great respect for her, both as an adversary in an era when women lawyers rarely represented defendants in criminal cases, and later as a star witness for the prosecution of her assailant.

What can people be able to learn from Stender? 
Both how a passion for a cause and persistence can pay off and a cautionary tale of the perils of unbridled zeal and reckless entanglements. She accomplished amazing results for Huey Newton and for George Jackson and in expanding legal services for prisoners. Personally, she took great risks and did not observe boundaries in her relationships with her black militant clients. Her presumptuousness in acting on behalf of George Jackson proved fatal.

What is the relevance of this book in the “Me Too” era? 
It is highly relevant. Fay Stender went to law school and practiced in a white-male world where women were often taken advantage of and demeaned. If Charles Garry had his way, she would have spent her whole career as his sidekick, never making partner. She is also an example of a woman who suffered greatly from mistreatment by two men – emotionally from being rejected in humiliating fashion by her client Huey Newton, and physically in a near fatal attack by a follower of George Jackson.

Do you relate personally to Stender? 
Yes and no. Both of us are of Jewish heritage from middle class intellectual families. Her dad was a devoted chess player, so were my mother and her father. Our fathers’ careers were both in the sciences.  My mother was an artist; her father painted as a hobby. We each had Polish grandparents who fled persecution for a new life in America. We both value our children above all and share a strong commitment to civil rights and justice. I am far more cautious by nature. I would not have taken the risks she did.

How do you find the time to do this kind of extensive research and write when you have so many other responsibilities?
I also share Fay Stender’s compulsion to juggle many balls in the air. I think it’s true that when you want to get something done you ask a busy person. If it appears worthwhile, they will make time.

Are there any other people you’d like to cover in future works? 
I started researching and writing another history book a while back, but put it aside. I am not ready to discuss its subject. I have thought about the possibility of collaborating on a book about my class of the first women who graduated from Yale, but have not pursued that idea.

Is there anything else you’d like to tell your readers?
I think that we are seeing echoes of the McCarthy Era today and a need for young people to step up again in the forefront of activism. It is heartening to see so many of them eager to lead the way. I hope my books provide some useful insights from those who were inspired to become active from the ’50s through the ’70s.

www.JKSCommunications.com
237 Old Hickory Blvd., Suite 201, Nashville, TN 37221
Ellen Whitfield
(616) 258-5537
ellen@jkscommunications.com

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/

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

SAN DIEGO, California – Welcome to Spellgiver, the divided world where power rises from the moon’s phases and the language of magic is assembled from the ruins of a long-dead race.

Reminiscent of the work of Brent Weeks, Steve Rodger’s debut novel creates a fascinating world where the power structures of Seridor, Tanbar, and the Northlands live in fear and ignorance of each other. Like all the best fantasy novels, “City of Shards” (March 30, 2018) challenges worldviews by presenting them in a new universe and touching on themes of social justice and redemption in a deeply political, trustless world.

About the Book: The Wormpile district is the official canker on the capital’s bottom, a place where the people boil under the sway of a monstrous god. There, 16-year old Larin suffers from violent and random outbursts, shouting his nonsense words into the decaying alleyways. Protected from the gangs by his drug-addicted warrior uncle Akul, Larin’s only friends are an outcast thief and an alcoholic priestess looking for excuses not to arrest him.

But when Larin learns that his outbursts come from Haraf, Lord of Demons, all other worries shrink to nothing. For the Demon Lord is in permanent war with the Six-Legged Gods, whose priests now slink through the Wormpile, masking their terrifying agenda with good deeds and cries for social justice. As Larin and his uncle find themselves surrounded by enemies, their only allies are a permanently drunk priestess and a high-born wizardress, who must hold her nose and work with the street rabble she despises. And Larin will either follow his master Haraf, or watch his city slide into a far greater evil—one that will turn mankind’s soul to ash.

“City of Shards”
Steve Rodgers | March 30, 2018
Paperback ISBN: 978-0998361611 | Price: $10.00
Ebook ASIN: B0795YV7FJ | Price: $3.99
Fantasy

About the Author: Steve Rodgers has been reading science fiction since he was old enough to carry a stack of hard-bound books out of the central library. He’s been writing all his life.

In his adult life, Steve is a writer of science fiction, fantasy, and speculative fiction whose short stories have appeared in Deepwood Publishing’s “Ruined Cities” anthology, Cosmic Vegetable’s “Anthology of Humorous SF”, Longcount Press’s “Songs of the Great Cycle (Mesoamerican Fantasy)”, and “Dysfunctional Family: An Anthology”, all for sale on Amazon. His short fiction has also appeared in several online magazines, such as Compelling Science Fiction, Bards & Sages, Perihelion, Stupefying Stories, Black Denim Lit, Electric Spec, Newmyths, Heroic Fantasy Quarterly, and many others. Steve has won several honorable mentions and silver honorable mentions from the prestigious Writers of the Future contest, and has attended the Viable Paradise science fiction writing workshop.

Steve Rodgers lives in Southern California with his wife and dog. You can find out more about him at his author website: www.steverodgersauthor.com

www.JKSCommunications.com
237 Old Hickory Blvd., Suite 201, Nashville, TN 37221
Ellen Whitfield
(616) 258-5537
ellen@jkscommunications.com

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/

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

LONDON – Hannah Fielding is back with her signature blend of contemporary romance and historical fiction in her latest title, “Aphrodite’s Tears” (London Wall Publishing, Apr. 12, 2018). Fielding’s mesmerizing and and picturesque prose never ceases to amaze as the reader journeys with archaeologist Oriel Anderson to uncover yesteryear’s secrets. A beautiful retelling of popular Greek mythology, “Aphrodite’s Tears” evokes the Legends of the Gods, their power and passion, playfulness and cunning.

ABOUT THE BOOK — Summer 1977, Oriel Anderson finds herself on the charming Greek island of Helios hoping to fulfill a long held dream or joining an archaeological dive team. Broken hearted after her university fiancé leaves her for her best friend, Oriel is determined to prove she can make it in a man’s world by heading up an all-male dive team on her first underwater dig.

Spending her days excavating a Roman shipwreck, surrounded by turquoise waters and scorching sunshine, Oriel thinks that she has found paradise, until she meets her employer and the owner of the Island, Damian Lekkas.

A widower, with a scarred face, Damian is a brooding presence on the island who instantly takes a shine to Oriel, but Oriel resolves to maintain a professional relationship between them. But the mercurial Damian has other ideas, and Oriel’s stay soon becomes a battle between her head and her heart.

When strange things start happening Oriel doesn’t know what to think. She learns that no other women who had come to work on the dive had lasted more than a few weeks, a young boy almost drowns on one of her dives, then one morning Oriel finds a dead songbird in her room, its throat slit. Finally out exploring the beaches Oriel becomes trapped in a cave. Is it all just a coincidence or is someone trying to send her a warning?

ABOUT THE AUTHOR — Having already had huge success as one of the UK’s leading romance authors, “Aphrodite’s Tears” follows the award winning success of Hannah Fielding’s previous novels “Burning Embers,” “Echoes of Love,” “Masquerade,” “Legacy” and “Indiscretion.” “Echoes of Love” won Romance Novel of the Year at the IPB Awards in 2012. With its spectacular setting and deep emotional drama, Aphrodite’s Tears will appeal both to fans of her backlist, as well as lovers of atmospheric travel writing including Santa Montefiore, Penny Vincenzie, Victoria Hislop and Lucinda Riley.

Egyptian by birth, Hannah is fluent in French, English and Arabic and has lived all over the world. She currently lives between her writing retreat in the South of France and her rambling family home in Ireland. Hannah’s grandmother, Esther Fanous, was the revolutionary feminist writer in Egypt during the early 1900s and helped found the Women’s Wafd Central Committee in 1920.

www.JKSCommunications.com
237 Old Hickory Blvd., Suite 201, Nashville, TN 37221
Ellen Whitfield
(616) 258-5537
ellen@jkscommunications.com

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/

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

ATLANTA, Georgia – Acclaimed novelist Mike Nemeth is back with a new crime thriller that Kirkus Reviews is calling “a precise, elaborate tale that shows just how menacing a family’s history can be.”

Releasing on May 15, 2018, by Morgan James Fiction, “The Undiscovered Country” explores the complexities of families, the depth of secrets they hide and the sacrifices they make to keep them buried. A followup to his bestselling debut novel, “Defiled,” Nemeth tells the story of Randle Marks, a wrongfully convicted felon on parole trying to cope with his mother’s death and his family’s moral corruption and hidden motives. In an effort to protect the family’s matriarch from his selfish siblings and negligent caregivers, the ever-crafty Randle discovers the truths of his own life, forced to the sidelines due to societal expectations of his mother’s time.

Nemeth presents a relatable narrative about the ins-and-outs of a Southern family’s dysfunction on the brink of losing a loved one. And as with all difficult situations, you begin to question everything you previously considered truth, and as Randle copes with the death of his mother, he begins to wonder if the people who share his name have something to gain.

“The experience of my mother’s passing inspired me to write ‘The Undiscovered Country,’” Nemeth says. “The title is a line from Shakespeare’s ‘Hamlet’ and refers to the unknown afterlife. I wanted to tell the story of the conflicts that arise when a loved one passes. The protagonist, Randle, is conflicted about how to deal with his mother’s imminent passing. Should he let her go or fight for her life? Should he honor her wishes or find the truth about her life and his as well? Should he reconcile with his siblings, as she’d have wished, or succumb to the compulsion to gain revenge?”

MIKE NEMETH is a novelist, blogger, former AAU basketball coach and retired information technology executive. “The Undiscovered Country” is the sequel to “Defiled,” a crime fiction thriller, which became a bestselling book on Amazon. Mike’s other works include “128 Billion to 1,” a nonfiction examination of March Madness, the NCAA Men’s Basketball Championship Tournament. Mike lives in the suburbs of Atlanta, Georgia, with his wife, Angie, and their rescue dog, Sophie.

About the Book

“The Undiscovered Country”
Mike Nemeth | May 15, 2018 | Morgan James Fiction
ISBN: 978-168350-6973 (paperback) | Price: $19.95
ISBN: 978-168350-6980 (ebook) | Price: $14.95
Crime Fiction, Thriller, Family Drama

When Randle Marks buried his abusive father three years ago, he thought he had escaped the gravitational pull of his dysfunctional family. Exiled in Florida, Randle was convicted of a crime he didn’t commit, served his time, wrote a book about his scientific work, and laid plans to marry his college sweetheart. Then his new beginnings were interrupted by his mother’s medical emergency. He is summoned to his boyhood home of Augusta, Georgia to face long-suppressed memories, contemptuous siblings, and his dying mother’s desperate attempts to conceal her secrets and preserve her dignity. He battles dispassionate doctors who are reluctant to waste resources on a terminal patient and discovers that his mother’s fate may not be an act of God. While investigating her medical situation, he uncovers conspiracies to hijack his mother’s modest estate, and that of a wealthy man who claims to be his birth father. To bury the past, he will have to learn the truth about the past and choose between greed, revenge and reconciliation. Randle embarks on a journey through the cultural wasteland of contemporary end-of-life rituals juxtaposed with Old South traditions and the fading mores of his mother’s generation. As he untangles the layers of lies that enshroud his family’s history, Randle is challenged to prevent the embezzlement of a stranger’s wealth, and solve the riddle of his own identity. To do it, he must solve a murder no one knew had been committed.

An Interview with Mike Nemeth

“The Undiscovered Country” becomes a murder mystery, but there’s much more going on here. What is the book really about?
The book is really about the indignity of aging and dying in present day America. We haven’t figured out how to do it comfortably, and a combination of medicine, technology, religion, and laws complicate the decisions we face. Add to that the financial strains of growing fragile and the competition among family members for financial gain, or at least relief, and you have a big mess.

In “The Undiscovered Country,” the matriarch of the family is dying, and you began writing this book after your own mother passed away. How did this heartbreaking real-life experience inspire the story?
My mother survived her heart attack, successfully rehabilitated, and lived independently and happily for three and a half more years. However, her survival defied the odds and the predictions of medical staff, and exceeded all expectations of her children and relatives. We had been encouraged to “let her go,” and “put her affairs in order,” but we didn’t follow that advice. The question is: When do you fight for life and when do you accept death?

What impact do you hope to have on your readers, and what to do want them to take away from your new book?
Most of us sleepwalk through day after day of ordinary life, in total denial regarding our mortality. In some sense, people who have managed to survive into their 80s and 90s are the winners at the game of life. In other ways, their diminished capabilities and resources and lack of planning, leave them losers at the very end of the game. I hope readers will see the wisdom in planning for the end and discussing with and gaining agreement from family members on how they want it to play out. It is inevitable that conflicts of interest and contrary opinions will intrude upon and defile the mourning period.

Given that you grew up in Wisconsin, what made you write a character with such deep ties to the South?
I did my military service in the South and married into a traditional Southern family at an early age. I fell in love with southern culture, southern food, and mild winters. After forty-odd years in the south, I hope I’m now accepted as a southerner. Just as importantly, I see the conflict between tradition and modern science to be most evident here.

What challenges did you have in writing “The Undiscovered Country?”
One challenge was in accurately conveying just enough medical information to give the story a basis in fact without burdening the reader with impenetrable jargon and procedures. Another challenge was making the motivations of characters in conflict believable and justifiable. We tend to believe that there is but one right way of thinking about a situation (our way!) when there are often many justifiable ways to think about a situation. I wanted all the characters to be sympathetic on some level.

How would you describe your writing style?
In the golden age of novel writing—Faulkner, Fitzgerald, Hemingway and Wolfe—novels contained far more narrative than dialogue or action. The story-telling skill of the narrator determined the quality of the novel. If the narrator was clever, facile with words and phrases, the novel was “good,” and if not, the novel lacked merit. Today, short attention spans, the Internet, Google, and smart phones, have changed reader reactions to stories. Today the story itself, the plot and characters, the suspense-inducing events and plot twists, determine whether the novel will appeal to readers. Fortunately, this suits my style. My novels are 80% dialogue and action scenes and only 20% narration. The characters tell the story in their words and the act out the story with their actions. I call this the “modern cinematic” style because it is more like watching a movie and less like listening to a story-teller around a camp fire.

Given your tendency to be modernistic rather than classical, why don’t you write about superheroes or monstrous villains in your novels?
Because most evil acts are committed by perfectly ordinary people who find themselves in extraordinary circumstances. Common human motivations, such as greed and jealousy, prompt people to do unspeakable things that they rationalize by self-interest. Randle Marks isn’t the one and only person who can save the world and his antagonists aren’t easily explained psychopaths. I wanted my stories to be about real life.

And, how do you choose those stories or themes?
Each novel is intended to expose a social injustice. In “Defiled,” I wanted to make readers aware of the failings of our civil and criminal justice systems. In “The Undiscovered Country” I wanted to point out our lack of respect for the aged and infirm. In the next novel, the backdrop is the insidious attack of technology advancements on the middle class.

In your first book, “Defiled,” you tell the story of Randle Marks and his unwavering quest for fairness in the broken criminal justice system. When you were writing that book, did you have any idea that Randle’s story might continue on after that last page?
Yes, I had planned from the beginning to tell Randle’s continuing story through the challenges of an ordinary life. I left the reader hanging to some degree at the end of “Defiled,” and again at the end of “The Undiscovered Country.”

Do readers have to read “Defiled” first to understand what’s going on in “The Undiscovered Country?”
No, there’s enough backstory in “The Undiscovered Country” so that events in this book are understandable and the challenges are independent of the ones Randle faced in “Defiled.” However, characters from “Defiled” reappear in “The Undiscovered Country” and leave us with questions that will have to be addressed in yet another installment of Randle’s story.

You have a very diverse professional background – blogger, coach, novelist, IT executive – do you think all of these skills influence or serve as a foundation for your writing?
Yes, my professional life allowed global travel, encounters with diverse cultures and diverse ways of thinking about the challenges we all face as humans. I’m paraphrasing, but Hemingway said something to the effect that in order to write about life one must have experienced life. My experiences left me with the thought that the status quo is not the best we can be, the best we can do. We should never shrink from the opportunity to change what is and make it better. (Although most people will fight to preserve the status quo because change is the most difficult challenge of all.)

Tell us more about your rescue dog, Sophie! Is she a good writing companion?
Sophie lies at my feet, under my desk, until she feels it’s time for me to take a break and let her outdoors. Then we sit in the sunshine, thinking together about the next sentence or paragraph or chapter. Her aversion to adverbs is good for my writing. She’s perfect.

What’s next for you?
I’ve just released a nonfiction book called “128 Billion to 1,” which are the odds against filling a perfect March Madness bracket. Next summer, a companion nonfiction book, “Lies, Damned Lies, and Statistics” will be released. It details common misconceptions about college football. Those two books are my hobby, dispelling myths about sports. But I now owe readers the third installment of the Randle Marks story. I hope readers are anxious to learn the answers to the two riddles that were left unanswered in “The Undiscovered Country.” I don’t want to give too much away, but eventually he will have to deal with his ex-wife, Carrie.

www.JKSCommunications.com
237 Old Hickory Blvd., Suite 201, Nashville, TN 37221
Ellen Whitfield
(616) 258-5537
ellen@jkscommunications.com

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/

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

CHICAGO, IL – “Wall Street Journal” Bestselling author Emily Bleeker is set to add a new novel to her already impressive list of accomplishments — her latest thriller, “The Waiting Room” is filled with suspense and mind-bending twists that will consume readers and keep them guessing until the very last page.

“The Waiting Room” (Lake Union Publishing, August 21, 2018) tells the story of a new mother reeling from the recent death of her husband, battling a postpartum depression so deep she is unable to touch her daughter. Her emotional state is whispering lies in Veronica Shelton’s ear: You’re a bad mother. Your baby would be better off without you. But not everything can be reasoned away by Veronica’s despair. As her mother urges her to seek help through counseling, Veronica begins to learn that everything is not as it seems. After all, the break-in at her house happened and the mysterious and disturbing sketches she found in her studio are real. So is the fear for her daughter’s safety—especially when Veronica comes home to a cold, silent nursery and a missing baby.

As she turns from victim into primary suspect, Veronica realizes that only she can find her daughter. The authorities aren’t helping; They’re only watching. Veronica’s concerned mother has suddenly vanished from her life. And a new friend seems to be keeping secrets from her too. Now, reality is waiting for Veronica in a dark place—because someone’s mind games have only just begun.

EMILY BLEEKER is a former educator who learned to love writing while teaching a writer’s workshop. After surviving a battle with a rare form of cancer, she finally found the courage to share her stories, starting with her debut novel, “Wreckage,” followed by the “Wall Street Journal bestseller” “When I’m Gone” and “Working Fire.” Emily currently lives with her family in suburban Chicago. Find out more about her at www.emilybleeker.com.

“The Waiting Room”
Emily Bleeker | August 28, 2018 | Lake Union Publishing
Hardcover ISBN: 978-1503900882 | Price: $14.99
Paperback ISBN: 978-1503901421 | Price: $10.99
Mystery/Thriller & Suspense

“Fast-paced and suspenseful from page one, a story where nothing is as it seems.”
—Barbara Taylor Sissel, bestselling author of “The Truth We Bury and Faultines”

In an interview Emily can discuss:
* How her experience as a mother gave her valuable insight into Veronica’s struggle as a mother with PPD depression, due to the loss of a spouse
* Her battle with cancer and how that led her to follow her dream of becoming an author
* A mother’s fear for her daughter’s safety in the face of a mysterious kidnapping
* Balancing being a “stay-at-home mom” with her writer life
* How her industry success with previous titles When I’m Gone and Working Fire has prepared her for her upcoming release

An Interview with Emily Bleeker

How did your background as an educator and work in a writer’s workshop prepare you to write your own novels?
When I taught writing as an educator I would tell my students to write with abandon, to let the joy of writing overtake them and then worry about the technical work later. As I watched them submit to this process, I realized that I should be a good example and try to do the same thing. I’d never thought of myself as a writer before, but as I wrote along with my students I started to wonder why I didn’t want to stop even when class was over and school was out for the summer.

You’re a cancer survivor and have experienced your own traumas; how has this informed your writing process when you create characters going through their own difficult situations?
Something a lot of people don’t know about cancer is that the fear of what is going to happen to you and your family is almost as intense as the physical fight. Fear is a really powerful and potentially paralyzing emotion—rightfully so. In order to deal with the fear during my own battle I found myself thinking through each potential outcome and finding a way to be okay with it. I find that is how I write my character’s inner worlds even now. I look at it like the pain scale at a hospital—when you are asked how much pain you feel from 1-10, it is not comparative to someone else’s pain. It is if this is the worst pain YOU have ever thought. I feel that by letting myself explore the full range of that emotional pain scale in my own life, I can get in touch with my character’s emotional lives at a deeper level.

Veronica struggles with postpartum depression and not feeling like a successful mother. How has your experience as a mother played a role in writing Veronica’s story?
Let’s be honest, all mothers struggle with feelings of inadequacy at some point in their journey through parenthood. I did not personally struggle with postpartum depression but it is something I’ve seen up close and personal with loved ones. But beyond PPD, I do have personal experience in my home with mental illness in general. It is something that carries such a terrible stigma in this world that I would love to get rid of. I’m proud of anyone who walks into a therapist or psychiatrist’s office wanting a better life.

Being a mother is hard work. On top of a lot of hidden effort, tears and frustration, there is an overwhelming amount of judgment in the world against mothers. This is not a new phenomenon but nowadays there are new and ever-evolving platforms that intensify this feeling of “never good enough.” I’ll admit it—I’ve found myself unfollowing the “perfect mom” on Facebook or deleting Pinterest on my phone so I don’t feel ashamed of counting yogurt covered raisins as the dairy and the fruit in my kids’ lunch that day. Over time (and many many kids) I’ve learned that part of being a perfect mom is accepting your imperfection.

How have your past novels led you to “The Waiting Room”?
The Waiting Room was special in its inception. It poured into my brain fully formed after a discussion with a friend about an interaction that happened in the waiting room of my own therapists office. That day I was helping in my daughter’s classroom cutting out bunnies for a project as the story built up, one thought at a time, in my mind. In a moment of what must’ve looked like insanity, I pushed all the bunnies aside and wrote out a basic synopsis for The Waiting Room on some scratch paper.

Though this book started a little differently than my other stories, I know that what I learned about grief from When I’m Gone, helped me write about Veronica’s loss. And that the feelings of guilt and insecurity following great trauma in Wreckage, helped me understand how inescapable sorrow can appear. And from Working Fire I learned how sometimes new beginnings come from the ashes of catastrophe. Veronica faces all of these challenges. Mostly I like exploring resilience in all of my novels, and how resilience doesn’t mean never falling down, it means never staying down.

What authors have inspired your writing?
I’ve read and met a lot inspiring writers in my life and I wish I could mention them all, but there is a group of women who I’ve never met that first inspired my imagination and now inspire my soul. The Bronte sisters, Jane Austen, Louisa May Alcott and other extraordinary women who followed their passion to write despite countless stumbling blocks have helped me see that I can write even through my insecurities, challenges and while balancing life as a single mom of four kids.

I first read Jane Eyre when I was in seventh grade. My teacher at the time told me it was too far above my reading level and that I should try something a little easier. I persisted and found more depth and emotion in that story than I ever had in the more age appropriate books I had been reading. I felt that I knew Jane and that I felt her joys and sorrows along with her. I remember taking the book into a bathroom stall at school and crying along with her heartbreak. That is what I want—I want to touch hearts. I want my readers to come to know my characters as intimately as I knew and loved Jane. When a reader sends me an email or message saying one of my stories made them feel real emotion—I think of thirteen-year-old Emily sobbing in a bathroom stall…and I smile.

www.JKSCommunications.com
237 Old Hickory Blvd., Suite 201, Nashville, TN 37221
Ellen Whitfield
(616) 258-5537
ellen@jkscommunications.com

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/

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

NEW YORK, NY– Phatty the cat is on a mission to stop the bully hawk Crawler from hurting his friends and stealing his mother’s jewelry. This brave kitty and his ragtag buddies learn about teamwork, kindness, and forgiveness, all while facing their fears in Central Park. Our unlikely heroes are an overweight cat, his know-it-all feline friend Payaso, and Max, a boy on the Autism spectrum. With booby trap plans, sneaky disguises, and an enormous amount of courage and grit, these buddies and a verified menagerie of animal friends come together to save the day.

Next on every fall reading list for children is “The Adventures of Phatty and Payaso: Central Park,” an Early Chapter Book by Marie Unanue. Marie’s fascination with Characterlab.org helped her to write a story that would help teach the character skills missing in today’s children. The book focuses on six skills: curiosity, gratitude, grit, self- control, social intelligence, and zest.

Through “The Adventures of Phatty and Payaso: Central Park,” child readers learn about good behavior and how to treat people with kindness. Kids can identify with a character’s fear or insecurity and experience the feeling of achievement when the character overcomes it. This is not just book about an adventure in Central Park, it is a book about kindness, character and overcoming obstacles. Like the best children’s content, though, these books have fun “inside jokes” for the parents reading along, with puns and pop culture references for those older bedside readers.

Unique in its use of minority characters to set the scene, this book will find a home on the shelves of those most focused on giving equal attention to special needs children, latinx culture, and of course, cat lovers.

Marie Unanue is the new author of the children’s book series, “The Adventures of Phatty & Payaso.” Marie has always been an avid reader and an activist for children who are bullied. As a kindness advocate, she hopes to inspire children across the world to remember to always treat each other with kindness and compassion. The former anchor of “Travels with Marie,” a weekly travel review program, Marie Unanue is also the former vice president of sales and marketing of Honeymoons.com and former owner of Beyond Compare Events, an event planning, marketing and public relations firm. Marie is involved in many charitable endeavors including sitting on the board of the C&J Unanue Foundation, and the New York City’s St. Patrick’s Day Parade Foundation. Marie resides with her husband Andy and their animals in NYC and Mantoloking, NJ. Visit her at www.kindallthetime.com.

“The Adventures of Phatty & Payaso: Central Park”
by Marie Unanue

In an interview Marie can discuss:

* Writing minorities as the majority: The main characters in this book are a special needs child, an overweight cat, and a Latino cat, all taking center stage.
* Her writing process: two really different manuscript drafts and a survey of young readers and their parents have resulted in this final book
* Bullying: how to see the hurt behind some kids’ bullying actions, how to write characters that can forgive bullies, and why kids today have such a tough time with bullies (hint, social media!)
* Her research into character and the organization CharacterLab.org, which outlines which key traits today’s children can develop better
* The pressure placed on physical appearance, the importance of fitness, and how this can be destructive to kids
* Accepting others that are different and/or have special needs

An Interview with Marie Unanue

How did you become passionate about bullying?
As a child I was bullied, I can remember what it felt like to not fit in at times. I wasn’t a jock, I wasn’t the cheerleader, and I wasn’t in with the “cool” crowd. I kind of just floated along and befriended anyone that wanted to be friends. When I saw how my overweight cat ran from the birds on the terrace I imagined how hard it is to be an overweight child in school, or the child that isn’t cool or doesn’t fit in. I wanted to write a book that spoke to children about that feeling.

We know that bullying is an age-old problem, and it has only been amplified now that social media has allowed the bullies a platform after the children leave the classroom. I am hoping that children will learn how to handle bullies from this story and more importantly, I am hoping that the bullies see how horrible it is to be bullied and make better choices when dealing with kids they don’t like, or that don’t fit in. My characters all have strengths and weaknesses and they are all working on how to use their strengths to help them to overcome their weaknesses; they are also learning how to be vulnerable and take risks.

Children will also get a bird’s eye view of a character with special needs, Max, the main boy in my story. He is on the spectrum and suffers badly when other children don’t include him, or chastise him. This story allows kids to see all different perspectives on bullying.

What inspired you to write this book?
While writing from my home office for various publications reporting on the latest and greatest in honeymoons and weddings, I found another muse for my writing, my animals. After months of working from my home, I couldn’t help but turn my attention to my crazy furry family. Daily I found myself laughing at something crazy and off the wall my cats or dog would do. While, watching my animals, and as crazy as it sounds, my neighbor’s Cat, interact with each other, I found a story inside of my heart I needed to share.

From that moment on, I turned my writing from weddings and honeymoons in an entirely new direction, a four-legged furry and funny direction. I focused on my overweight cat and his unique friend from the apartment next door, Payaso, in time, I dreamt up a ‘tail’ about a bunch of friends overcoming obstacles and their own fears and insecurities while going on an adventure in Central Park. I wanted the story to focus on kindness and the importance of strong character traits, like grit, zest, social intelligence and so forth. I wanted the animals to teach lessons by examples on how to treat each other with unconditional love, acceptance and empathy. I wanted to reach children in a way that would make them pause and reconsider how they were going to treat each other going forward after reading the book. I loved that I was able to mix in personalities, ethnicity and ability and offer children characters that had difference strengths and weaknesses that they would relate with.

What is special about the setting of “The Adventures of Phatty & Payaso?”
Most of the story takes place in a New York city apartment overlooking Central Park. When Phatty the cat realizes a large hawk has plans to rob his home, he takes it upon himself to venture out into Central Park and try and find the Central Park Zoo Keeper to help him capture the hawk. Shortly after his leaving the safety of his apartment his friends head out into Central Park to find him. This adventure story lets children experience life in Central Park… in the greatest city in the world!

How does your book handle its special needs character?
The book addresses how today’s children familiarize and connect with children that have special needs and/or suffer from the ability to adapt or fit in with social groups. I want to offer children a different perspective on the challenge some children face on a daily basis to fit in, feel comfortable or feel/be included. On several occasions throughout the book, children are given examples of how small acts of kindness, behavior modifications, or considerate actions towards someone struggling to fit in makes a large impact on that person’s life[a].

You set out to write this book in part to help develop positive character traits. Which are the ones most described in the book?
We know through research from the non-profit organization Character Lab (Characterlab.org) that there are several character skills missing in many of today’s children. They have discovered that character strengths are malleable, and surprisingly little is known about how they can be intentionally cultivated. Character Lab is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization founded in 2013 by one scientist and two educators: Angela Duckworth, author of “Grit,” and the Christopher H. Browne Distinguished Professor of Psychology at the University of Pennsylvania; Dave Levin, co- founder of the KIPP public charter schools; and Dominic Randolph, Head of Riverdale Country School.

“The Adventures of Phatty & Payaso” focuses on six skills that are lacking in today’s children. They are:
* Curiosity: Taking an interest in ongoing experience for its own sake; finding subjects and topics fascinating; exploring and discovering.
* Gratitude: Being aware of and thankful for the good things that happen; taking time to express thanks.
* Grit: Finishing what one starts; persisting in a course of action in spite of obstacles.
* Self-control: Regulating what one feels and does in the service of goals and standards; being disciplined; controlling one’s emotions .
* Social Intelligence: Being aware of the motives and feelings of other people and oneself; knowing what to do to fit into different social situations; knowing what makes other people tick.
* Zest: Approaching life with excitement and energy; not doing things halfway or half heartedly; living life as an adventure; feeling alive and activated.

The book demonstrates these important and necessary character skills through the actions and behaviors of the books characters. I studied these traits and then developed which character would have which skills as a strength or area for improvement. Together, the characters all possess these traits and throughout the story they teach each other, through actions and by example, how to grow and develop these skills. Throughout the story, each character learns something about themselves they didn’t know, while realizing that friendship is more than just someone to play with. Friendship is about kindness, helping and caring about others, and doing the “right thing,” even when the “right thing” is difficult.

www.JKSCommunications.com
237 Old Hickory Blvd., Suite 201, Nashville, TN 37221
Ellen Whitfield
(616) 258-5537
ellen@jkscommunications.com

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/

Author Ann Marie Ackermann, German mayor will present the reward in May.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Jemma has spent her life scavenging tools and supplies in her tribe’s small enclave outside what used to be a big city. Now she’s a teen, and old enough to become a Mama. Making babies is how her people survive—in Jemma’s world, life ends at age seventeen.

Survival has eclipsed love ever since the Parents died of a mysterious plague. But Jemma’s connection to a boy named Apple is stronger than her duty as a Mama. Forced to leave, Jemma and Apple are joined in exile by a mysterious boy who claims to know what is causing them to die. The world is crumbling around them, and their time is running out. Life is short. Can they outlive it?

Jeff Sweat has made a living from words his entire career, starting out as an award-winning tech journalist for InformationWeek magazine and moving into marketing. He led the content marketing team for Yahoo and pioneered its use of social media. He directed PR for two of the top advertising agencies in the country, Deutsch LA and 72andSunny. He now runs his own Los Angeles–based PR and marketing agency, Mister Sweat.

Advance Praise for Mayfly
“There’s an almost mythological quality to this tale, as the resourceful protagonists maneuver through a barely recognizable landscape, with modern culture filtered through generations of oral history and misinterpretation, and debut novelist Sweat does an admirable job of maintaining the tense atmosphere and underlying desperation.” ―Publishers Weekly

Feiwel & Friends | May 8, 2018
Hardcover | Ages 13-18 | $17.99 | 9781250139207

www.JKSCommunications.com
237 Old Hickory Blvd., Suite 201, Nashville, TN 37221
Ellen Whitfield
(616) 258-5537
ellen@jkscommunications.com

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/

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Sheffield, MA – Who doesn’t know the story of Cinderella? In her first novel for adults, Hester Velmans turns the tale on its head, imagining the trials and tribulations of the all-too-real model for the beloved fairy tale character.
The initial setup is reminiscent of the fairytale’s beginnings — Lucinda is a poor orphaned stepchild treated cruelly by the family that takes her in. From there, however, the stories’ paths diverge as Velmans imagines a life rife with the hardships and dangers facing an unattached, penniless young girl in 17th century England.

Together with her faithful nurse, Bessie (Mother) Goose, she runs away to France in pursuit of love, and ends up a camp follower in the baggage train of Louis XIV’s army in his campaign against Holland. Just as she thinks she has found her one true love, her world comes crashing down when she discovers the shocking truth about her origins.

Taken in by a Dutch artist in Amsterdam, she develops a talent as a painter. Her success eventually takes her to Paris, where she is commissioned to paint a portrait of Charles Perrault, the man who will one day write the first, definitive version of the Cinderella tale. It is he who, upon hearing her story, gives her hope for the future and shows her how she can take control of her life.

Filled with wry echoes of fairy tale themes, Slipper shines a fresh light on the predicaments we still wrestle with today.

Hester Velmans is a novelist and translator of literary fiction. Born in Amsterdam, she had a nomadic childhood, moving from Holland to Paris, Geneva, London and New York. After a hectic career in international TV news, she moved to the hills of Western Massachusetts to devote herself to writing. Hester’s first book for middle-grade readers, ‘Isabel of the Whales,’ was a national bestseller, and she wrote a follow up, ‘Jessaloup’s Song,’ at the urging of her fans. She is a recipient of the Vondel Prize for Translation and a National Endowment of the Arts Translation Fellowship. For more, visit her website at Hestervelmans.com.

About the Book:

“Slipper”
Hester Velmans | April 17, 2018 | Van Horton Books
Paperback | 978-0-9994756-0-7 | $16.95
E-book | 978-0-9994756-1-4 | $8.95
Historical Fiction

Her life is the inspiration for the world’s most famous story.
Lucinda, a penniless English orphan, is abused and exploited as a cinder-sweep by her aristocratic relatives. On receiving her sole inheritance—a pair of glass-beaded slippers—she runs away to France in pursuit of an officer on whom she has a big crush. She joins the baggage train of Louis XIV’s army, and eventually finds her way to Paris. There she befriends the man who will some day write the world’s most famous fairy tale, Charles Perrault, and tells him her life story.
There is more: a witch hunt, the sorry truth about daydreams, and some truly astonishing revelations, such as the historical facts behind the story of the Emperor’s new clothes, and a perfectly reasonable explanation for the compulsion some young women have to kiss frogs.
This is not the fairy tale you remember.

An Interview with Hester Velmans

What inspired you to write your own twist on such a classic fairytale story?
The fairy tales, especially Cinderella, were my inspiration, because they touch on such fundamental romantic desires in young girls (and boys) as they grow up. It’s a way of giving yourself courage – you may think yourself misunderstood, looked down upon, dissed, but little do “they” know that in reality you’re a beautiful princess or dashing prince (or a talented actress, singer, or some other kind of hero or genius), and won’t they regret the way they treated you when the truth comes out and your real identity, or your real worth, is revealed! Many all-time favorite novels are built around this same Cinderella theme (Pride and Prejudice, Jane Eyre, Harry Potter, many of Shakespeare’s comedies, etc.); it’s a tradition I was interested in exploring.

How did you incorporate the fantasy elements of Cinderella and other fairytales into your book? 
The fairy tale is the frame on which I set out to hang a more realistic story – what might really have happened to someone living in the 17th Century that could have served as inspiration for the tale – and then I hung as many familiar fairy tale memes on to that realistic framework as I could (eg. Little Red Riding Hood, the pumpkin-coach, Sleeping Beauty, the futility of leaving a trail of crumbs in case you get lost in the forest). I was interested in the essence of Cinderella – the romantic longing, the childhood/adolescent dream that some day you’ll be recognized as someone more special than you are now — but without the magic. I had fun finding reasonable historical explanations for the fantasy elements in the fairy tales

You’ve published children’s books in the past, but “Slipper” is for an adult audience. How was the transition from writing for children to writing for adults? 
I wrote my children’s books for my own children. I wrote SLIPPER for myself. My children’s books have magical elements, but in this novel I went for realism, and deliberately left out the magic. Writing for adults means more freedom to write about sex and death, aspects I felt were necessary in telling this story. Yet even though I was writing a book for adults, I wanted it to appeal to the child that’s inside each of us.

How has your work as a translator of literary fiction affected your own writing?
Translating forces you to be aware of every word, of the way language is put together, the dazzling variety, depth and wealth of words and expressions. When you translate, you can’t take language for granted, or rely on automatic assumptions about meaning and interpretation. It’s a thrill and a challenge, like piecing together a very difficult puzzle. It leaves you amazed at human ingenuity, and the infinite ways humans have found to express themselves.
In this book I’ve had fun incorporating some of my knowledge of foreign tongues into the story. Lucinda’s peregrinations take her around 17thC Europe, and I’ve tried to give the reader a feel for the sounds and linguistic structure of the various languages she encounters.

Did you incorporate any of your real world experience from living across Europe into the novel?
You’re always told to “write what you know”, and in this novel I have mined my experience of living in a number of different countries to achieve the authenticity I was after.

Why do you think that Charles Perrault is such an unknown figure?
I don’t really understand why Charles Perrault has been forgotten, whereas most people have heard of the brothers Grimm, La Fontaine and Hans Christian Anderson. Perrault’s name shows up in the fine print, but over the centuries there seems to have been very little interest in finding out more about him as a person. The explanation may be that he made enemies while he was alive who resented him for his influential position at the court of Louis XIV, and decided to discredit him as an unimportant scribbler of old wives’ tales. That judgment must simply have stuck. It may also be that the tales themselves have such primordial power that they’re assumed to have been handed down through the ages without an author’s input.

Do you have a technique to deal with writer’s block?
When I become frustrated with my own stories, I turn to translating, which is also a form of creative writing but does not require me to come up with original ideas. The act of sitting down at the computer and working with language is usually enough to kick-start my own writing.

Besides historical veracity, a strong plot and relatable characters, what other ingredients did the novel need to have for you?
Humor. No overt jokes, but just enough irony to keep you engaged and make you smile.

What’s up next for you?
A novel about Holland’s 1944 Hunger Winter, and maybe a biography of Charles Perrault! I will also continue to translate fiction, because I believe in the importance of bridging borders by giving people a peek into other cultures.

Your novel takes place four centuries ago. Is there anything in it that you think is particularly relevant to our own day and age?
I found myself writing about a time when women were far less free than they are now. Yet in the #MeToo age, Lucinda’s struggles seem uncomfortably familiar. It makes me realize that even with all the strides we’ve made, we still have a long way to go.

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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.

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