New book release: A Cowboy in Pune - by AnnElise Makin

 

Find it on Amazon HERE

Cowboy Romance of an average Mexican-American cowboy, former Marine, living through the troubles of setting up a fashion import business in India and being played by three Indian women. He almost doesn't survive it.

Cowboy Carlos Sandoval, “Shlimazel” or Slim, is out of luck with rodeos and women. He blames that on the loss of his his lucky lizard bandana and searches for it in Pune, India. There, three strong women get the better of Slim—matron Niharika, her sassy daughter Sunita, and little Rani. Soon Slim learns that India plays by different rules and also ends up roping a mad cow. Yet he returns home with a coffer of import fashions and makes good money as Bombay Slim at the rodeos. When the merchandise deteriorates, he flies back to India to check on things. The three women are broken up, why? Sunita, the wannabe Bollywood actress and designer has vanished. When Slim sleuthes her out, she puts him under her spell. Is she in with the mob? Things escalate when Slim gets beaten and robbed. A former Marine, he will reclaim his possessions. Or else he might also lose his precious fiancée, Catalina.

About the author:

AnnElise Makin, native of Munich, Germany, writes from Mesa, Arizona. She honed her skills early on with local reporting, took a stint with Harcourt Brace College Publishers after college (MA Anthropology, MA Photojournalism from UT Austin), and publishes her novels under the trade name iMAKINations. She is a "pantster" with a passion for digging deep.

AnnElise's newest, A Cowboy in Pune, is a multicultural, rom-com, dry humor adventure story. Cowboy Slim goes to India to set up a rodeo fashion import business. He gets taken for the ride of his life by the four women he stays with. No surprise, AnnElise's experience of living with a Sikh husband, Inder, will have infused Slim's perspective.

AnnElise's debut novel, Der Keltenschimmel (The Celtic Stallion Rendezvous), narrates a village girl's coming-of-age story filled with love & ghost adventures, "that Bavarian 70ies show." Rebellious Katrina writes all the wrong stuff about the village. In the course of turbulent events, including bullying by the locals, the truth about the Celtic Stallion comes out. Semi-autobiographical with the paranormal touch of real ghosts.

Kreuzfeuer in Texas is a historic Civil War novel based on actual events. At the time (1864), the German immigrants in Fredericksburg were declared "vogelfrei" (ready to be shot) because they had voted against secession. Eberhard Kohlkrug, the gunmaker of the town, wants to ride out the conflict. But when one more gets hung, he must fight back to protect his family. This gruesome historic background was excavated in AnnElise's thesis research.

Random Accident in Sector Noah 135/56 is a storybook for all ages, illustrated by her daughter Priyanka. Here, a girl brings nature back to the well-controlled planet. AnnElise likes hikes in the Superstitions and roses in the garden,

After two Bandana Book anthologies, a third volume is in the works. The next story collection will shine the light on likely and unlikely heroes. Collaborations bring the best out in all of us.

New Book Release: Sojourn to War - by Bill Lynam

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Sojourn to War is Edouard Lynn’s adventures in the Deep South. A French Irish Canadian, devastated by the death of his wife, he must give up his infant daughter. He rejects an invitation from his brothers to join them in the Colony of British Columbia. After learning there are many millionaires in Natchez, Mississippi, Lynn starts his journey.

Undeterred by Southern slavery, he travels down the Mississippi River enduring dangers and setbacks. Arriving, he searches for opportunities, but finds others bring their riches with them.

Introduced to a wealthy widow, they marry and prosper. The election of anti-slavery President Abraham Lincoln sets off the secession of the Southern states and a declaration of war.

Called to arms, Edouard leaves his family who face threats of pillaging and destruction by both Confederate and Union soldiers. Wounded, he returns home and faces a ruined economy, Northern occupation, and the slaves’ desertion.

Follow an intrepid Canadian’s odyssey to antebellum Natchez, Mississippi and his struggles in peace and war.

About the author:

Bill Lynam taught in New York. He is the author of Central Arizona histories for a local newspaper, and fiction and non-fiction stories and articles for various magazines. He co-authored Footloose Pilgrims, a coming-of-age travelogue about hitch-hiking, bicycling, and mopeding in Europe with further travels in North Africa, South and Central Americas. His children's stories are, Bernie, the Flying Squirrel with a dual language vision in Spanish and English—Bernie, Ardillita Voladora; editor and publisher of Lucky Foxes by Eleanor Maroney; a young adult book; Steampunk Mashup, a short story anthology with Victorian themes; contributor to Best Short Stories by AZ Writers; and Shorty, Alien Dog, a chapter book. All available on Amazon and Kindle.

War and Preservation: The Texian Trilogy - Book 2 of 3 - by Karen Lynne Klink

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A riveting journey through sacrifice, resilience, and love in the heart of the Civil War, readers follow Adrien Villere as he fights for love and honor with Terry’s Texas Rangers, while his family copes with hardship and tragedy at home. An epic tale of forbidden love and courage that transcends societal boundaries.

Book 2 in the series continues to hook fans of Southern literature or Civil War history—while also having, as the Historical Novel Society North America says, “the potential to be an important part of the canon of LGBTQ+ literature.”

About the author:

Karen began reading before entering first grade and began her career drawing imaginative adventures in the margins of schoolwork which, unfortunately, few teachers appreciated. 

After completing her formal education at Kent State University and San Diego State, her love of nature sent Karen to wandering the U.S. west and parts of Mexico and Central America hiking and backpacking before settling in Tucson, Arizona, with her cat buddy Dickens. Although she enjoyed minor success as a watercolor painter, she discovered her true passion when she began writing fiction at the age of sixty. Her interest and experience in psychology and therapy inform her writing about individuals who persevere through difficulty and crisis in order to become stronger and accept themselves for who they truly are. Karen is a child abuse survivor, and humbly hopes her stories give readers pleasure and confidence to face their own difficulties, knowing they are not alone. 

Karen believes in taking risks, for this is how we grow. With over fifty years of overcoming her own fears and challenges she hopes to help others find their own true selves, to not only survive, but to thrive.

New book release: Everything We Thought We Knew - by Carolyn Niethammer

 

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In 1970, Christie left behind the comforts of L.A. and joined a New Age commune in rural Arizona. With the Vietnam War raging and the counterculture movement in full swing, she hoped to find her place in the world and create a better society. But building a new social order is no easy task, especially when free love, psychedelics, and a war protest gone horribly wrong are thrown into the mix.

While dancing under the moon in an Indian ruin, Christie reconnects with a lover from a past life, setting in motion events that reverberate through their futures. The end of the commune is not the end of the story. Thirty years later, a child born there forces long-held secrets to be revealed, and everyone's lives are changed forever.

If you're a fan of the Woodstock generation, or simply curious about the counterculture of the 1960s, this book will transport you back to this tumultuous era.

Put on your tie-dyed shirt and come to Bella Vida as the friends try to change the rules of modern society, then face the repercussions when middle age sets in.

If you enjoyed books like "The Electric Kool-Aid Acid Test" by Tom Wolfe or "On the Road" by Jack Kerouac, you'll love this one.

About the author:

I grew up in the little mountain town of Prescott, Arizona, studied journalism at the University of Arizona, and began my writing life working for a local paper. The subjects of my books all relate to the Southwest-five on the foods of the region, including edible wild plants, three on Native American women, one travelogue on Southeastern Arizona, and two western novels. For my first book, I traveled through Arizona and New Mexico in an old rattletrap car in the early 1970s talking to Native American women on how they used the wild plants around them. I get an enormous amount of pleasure picking and eating wild plants or plants from my garden, whether it is just one berry popped into my mouth on a hike or an elaborate dessert made in my kitchen.

To share my passion for Southwest plant foods, I share a blog with three other women and we post about whatever plant is in season and give a recipe or two at Savor the Southwest. Please follow us.

I currently live in Tucson, Arizona, with my husband, Ford Burkhart.

Holding the Line: Women in the Great Arizona Mine Strike - by Barbara Kingsolver

 

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It was the summer of 1983. Barbara Kingsolver had a day job as a scientific writer spending weekends cutting her teeth as a freelance journalist when she landed an assignment. Her mission: was to cover the Phelps Dodge mine strike.

Over the year that followed Kingsolver stood with those miners and their families, increasingly engaged and heartbroken. She recorded stories of striking miners and their stunningly courageous wives, sisters and daughters. She saw rights she'd taken for granted denied to people she had learned to care about, as they cried out to a wide world that either refused to believe what was happening to them, or didn't care, or simply could not know.

This book is the true story of the families who held the line, and of Kingsolver's commitment to tell the story of the women and girls who discovered themselves in their fight to keep their families from destitution.

It is a story about the sparks that fly when the flint of force strikes against human mettle.

About the author:

Barbara Kingsolver, born in 1955 in rural Kentucky, is an award-winning author and biologist known for her rich storytelling and deep engagement with social and environmental themes. With degrees in biology from DePauw University and the University of Arizona, she has lived and worked across the globe and spent two decades in Tucson before settling on a farm in southern Appalachia with her husband. Her acclaimed body of work includes The Poisonwood Bible, Animal, Vegetable, Miracle, Flight Behavior, and Demon Copperhead, which earned her the Pulitzer Prize and made her the first two-time winner of the Women’s Prize for Fiction. Kingsolver’s books, translated into over thirty languages, have become staples in classrooms and literary circles, earning numerous accolades, including the National Humanities Medal and the Dayton Literary Peace Prize.

New Book Release: Flight Behaviour - by Barbara Kingsolver

 

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Dellarobia Turnbow is a restless farm wife who gave up her own plans when she accidentally became pregnant at seventeen. Now, after a decade of domestic disharmony on a failing farm, she encounters a shocking sight: a silent, forested valley filled with what looks like a lake of fire. She can only understand it as a cautionary miracle, but it sparks a raft of other explanations from scientists, religious leaders, and the media. As the community lines up to judge the woman and her miracle, Dellarobia confronts her family, her church, her town, and a larger world, in a flight toward truth that could undo all she has ever believed.

Flight Behavior takes on one of the most contentious subjects of our time: climate change. With a deft and versatile empathy Kingsolver dissects the motives that drive denial and belief in a precarious world.

About the Author

Barbara Kingsolver, born in 1955 in rural Kentucky, is an award-winning author and biologist known for her rich storytelling and deep engagement with social and environmental themes. With degrees in biology from DePauw University and the University of Arizona, she has lived and worked across the globe and spent two decades in Tucson before settling on a farm in southern Appalachia with her husband. Her acclaimed body of work includes The Poisonwood Bible, Animal, Vegetable, Miracle, Flight Behavior, and Demon Copperhead, which earned her the Pulitzer Prize and made her the first two-time winner of the Women’s Prize for Fiction. Kingsolver’s books, translated into over thirty languages, have become staples in classrooms and literary circles, earning numerous accolades, including the National Humanities Medal and the Dayton Literary Peace Prize.

New Book Release: The Last Pass in El Paso - by J. Michael King

 

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When the mother of 22-year-old Mike Holmes passes away after a long bout of breast cancer, Holmes’ cousin Jimmy convinces him to leave his lifelong home in Cheyenne, Wyoming, move to El Paso, Texas, and enroll in college to earn his bachelor’s degree.

Holmes drives to El Paso, on the USA–Mexico border. He shares a house with Manny, Jimmy’s Mexican friend, thus being thrown directly into Mexican border culture.Holmes enrolls in the Fall semester of the Business program at the Hispanic-majority University of Texas–El Paso (UTEP), where he also takes Spanish classes.

On a Friday night in the fall, Manny and Holmes go to a nearby store to purchase beer and snacks. They encounter a Mexican family from Ciudad Juárez needing help with their pickup truck. Holmes repairs their vehicle and immediately becomes enchanted with Carmen, the pickup owner’s attractive niece, who speaks little English.

During the Spring semester, Holmes gets the unlikely and unexpected coveted opportunity to try out for the UTEP Miners football team with no previous playing experience. Will he make the 100-man roster and be teammates with star quarterback Samuel “Sammy” Sánchez from Juárez, the only true Mexican player in US college football? Will Holmes develop a relationship with Carmen, bridging the international border? Will he earn good grades and graduate? Then what?

About the author: 

The author earned Engineering degrees from North Dakota State University (NDSU) and the University of Texas at El Paso (UTEP). He was employed by a large US manufacturer of diesel engines, holding various positions. He worked and lived in Spain for eight years, traveling throughout western Europe. He also worked in numerous Latin American Spanish-speaking countries, including Mexico, Colombia, Panama, Chile, Peru, Argentina, and the Dominican Republic.

The author resides in southern Arizona, USA, and enjoys traveling, learning, hiking, practicing Spanish, wine tasting, and attending concerts.

Writing the book blurb - Every author's nightmare - by Vijaya Schartz

The Blue Phantom glows like a beacon in black space, appears and vanishes,
and never registers on scanners. Rumors say it will save the righteous, the oppressed,
and the downtrodden… and slay the unworthy without mercy.
The space pirates fear it. Their victims pray for it… but its help comes at a price…

The art of the cover blurb is to give a taste without revealing too much.

When I am half-way through writing a novel and I know my story and my characters better, I like to take the first stab at the cover blurb, a short paragraph of about 100+ words, to let the reader know what the novel is about.

First, I need to set the stage. What kind of world is it? In the case of my current WIP the feudal planet was almost destroyed two decades ago and is starting to reorganize itself. Many nobles covet the throne.

Writing the blurb also helps me refocus on the main themes, motivations, and conflicts of the characters in the story. It forces me to reconsider, and to pinpoint the larger scope of the novel beyond the step-by-step sequence of events. Is it about revenge? Thwarting evil? The challenges of doing the right thing? Resisting temptation? Never trusting appearances? Overcoming unsurmountable obstacles? Finding your true self? Coming of age? Seeking salvation for past mistakes? Is it about greed and corruption? Ambition? Intrigue?

Usually in my novels, it’s several of these, but I have to determine which theme dominates this particular story. Then, I can reinforce that theme throughout the book.

It's also time to define my characters in a few words for the reader. In my current project, I define my heroine as a “spiritual warrior woman.” I often have warrior women in my stories, Samurai, soldier, bodyguard, Avenging Angel, Valkyrie, bounty hunter… but this one is different. She adheres to a pure code of conduct, lives in a monastery, and practices meditation and Tai-Chi as well as lethal weapons. She respects all life, loves animals, never took a sip of a fermented drink, and is a strict vegetarian.

Avenging Angel

Bounty hunter

 

Samurai heroine

amazon - B&N - Smashwords - Kobo

The other side of that pure heroine is that she lacks life experience. Believing everyone is basically good and worthy is dangerous for a warrior confronting pure evil. That naivety can be her undoing… or her salvation.

But there are other constraints in writing the blurb. Usually, online shoppers on a retail site like Amazon can only see the first one or two lines of the blurb. So, the challenge is to hook the reader with the first words, hoping that he or she will want to click on “more” and read the full book description.

Here is my first try at the blurb for CHI WARRIOR, book 1 of the Protectors series. Look for it releasing from BWL Publishing in November 2025.

Blurb for the entire series, called: The Protectors

A few decades ago, a cataclysm devastated the feudal planet. Today, as simple life returns, an elite of mighty warriors protect the Celestial Gate, expecting benevolent Immortals to return from the stars. But they struggle against alien races with advanced technology, who covet their natural resources, and plan to enslave the defenseless population.

Chi Warrior – Book 1 

A spiritual warrior woman faces a fearsome barbarian with a wolf, a double-edged prophecy, and a black cloud with wings.

Anila trained all her life in the monastery of the Celestial Gate, ready to take the vows of the mighty Protectors. That’s all she’s ever known, all she ever wanted.

When a barbarian horde descends from the north, Bayar Khan, their leader, seems unstoppable, determined to destroy everything in his path. Rumors of his cruelty make the most powerful princes tremble in their stone fortresses.

But in the inevitable clash, nothing is as it seems… blurring the lines between good and evil, an ancient enemy rises in the shadows, and the falling darkness threatens Anila and everyone she loves.

In the meantime, you can find all my available novels with strong heroines and brave heroes on my author page at:

amazon - B&N - Smashwords - Kobo

"Phenomenal world building, characters the readers care about, and an intriguing mystery... all the elements one expects from a Vijaya Schartz story! Easily recommended!" Debbie - CK2sKwipsandKritique
amazon - B&N - Smashwords - Kobo

Happy Reading!

Vijaya Schartz, author

amazon - B&N - Smashwords - Kobo

 

New Book Release: Sun City, 85373 - by Savannah Hendricks

Find it on Amazon HERE

 

Winner of the 2025 PenCraft Seasonal Book Award Spring Competition - Women's Fiction

Kelly needs a break, even if it’s only for the weekend. But visiting her aunt in Sun City turns into an unexpected care-giving situation, prompting her to face avoided decisions.

Welcome to Palms Place, a small complex of nine ’70s-style apartments, located in the vibrant 55+ community of Sun City. As a resident, you’ll enjoy access to a resort-style pool, and an outdoor entertainment area where you can join in the FNF (Friday Night Fun), happening year-round, as well as a grill station. In addition, you’ll have access to close parking, and a secure courtyard with plentiful greenery.

Kelly, a burned-out social worker living in Flagstaff, takes a weekend respite to visit her Aunt Paula at Palms Place, in Sun City. She expects a nice, relaxing and quiet time in the retirement community. What she gets is anything but. At the Palms Place apartment complex, life is full of laughter, trouble, and love. Will these lively residents add to Kelly's issues or help her fix them?

*Annually, 10% of the proceeds from the sale of this book, and all Savannah’s books are donated to dog rescue organizations

About the author:

Savannah is a multi-genre, award-winning author. Readers can find something special in each of her humorously wholesome romances, heartfelt coming of age/women's fiction, and meaningful children's picture books, all while helping dogs! Annually, 10% of the proceeds from all of Savannah's books go to a local dog rescue organization. Because READING IS BETTER WITH A DOG.

Savannah has worked as a nanny, an underwriter, with special needs preschoolers and for the last 12 years, she's been a medical social worker.

Give her a follow on social media where she shares her adventures in Arizona, gardening, puzzling, red wine, cooking/baking, and love for her dogs.

New Book Release: The GOODLANDS: A Wide-Open West Mystery - by Christine Haese

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Someone killed four Mexican gray wolves near the Continental Divide Trail in New Mexico. As federal and state wildlife investigators return from the grisly investigation scene, they accidentally stumble into illegal activities and become victims of a deadly ambush.

Sam Rios, Law Enforcement Officer for the U.S. Forest Service returns to the family ranch in Arizona to recuperate from his injuries suffered in the attack. Upon his arrival, he receives the heartbreaking news of his Papá’s death. Career-altering decisions and the fate of his ancestral home are threatened, and Sam’s world transforms rapidly when he struggles with new responsibilities and mysterious activities at the ranch.

Readers are invited to visit majestic wilderness lands, the charming town of Rimtop, and historic archaeological sites. Come sit on the front porch of the historic Rios Ranch and meet its cowboys: their music, food, horses, traditions, and humor. The townsfolk are mostly friendly with diverse, intertwined relationships, simmering romances, and loitering back stories that unravel to the very end.

Will Sam Rios, his family and friends, unearth the evidence to explain his father’s dying words? How can he help his beloved friend, Mag, protect herself from a dangerous marriage. Fate intervenes when an old buckskin mare trots home with an empty saddle.

About the author:

Christine Haese is a native of Arizona, a published author, and lives with her husband in the White Mountains near the New Mexico border. She journals and writes about Western adventures, colorful characters, hiking, exploring, gardening, pets, livestock, wildlife, and wild lives.

New Book Release: Crown Of Spears - by Anthony Garcia

 

Find it on Amazon HERE

Shipwrecked on a foreign shore. Torn between faith and survival. Tested in fire and blood.

When the Spanish galleon San Felipe y Santiago is shattered on the shores of an uncharted land, Father Ignacio de Montemayor finds himself stranded with a band of desperate survivors in the heart of an unforgiving wilderness. A man of God among soldiers, mutineers, and lost souls, Ignacio must navigate not only the perils of the jungle but the shifting alliances and tensions within his own ranks.

As hunger gnaws and tempers fray, salvation appears in the form of a mysterious leader—don Juan de Yllescas, a Spanish-African noble ruling over a thriving settlement beyond the frontier. But Ignacio soon realizes that survival comes at a cost. Torn between his duty to Spain and the unexpected bonds he forms with the people of Santa María del Oro, he must confront a question more dangerous than any enemy blade: Where does his true loyalty lie?

Rich in historical detail and driven by unforgettable characters, CROWN OF SPEARS is an epic tale of survival, faith, and the clash of empires. Fans of Bernard Cornwell, Arturo Pérez-Reverte, and Patrick O’Brian will find themselves swept away in this gripping historical adventure.

Will Ignacio remain a servant of the empire, or will he forge his own destiny in a land where faith and steel reign supreme?

From the author:

I am a writer and publisher with a deep-rooted passion for storytelling. Beginning in the comic book industry, I founded a publishing company and authored two graphic novels: Professor Roentgen’s Mysterious Rays, a historical exploration of the discovery of the X-ray, and Project Dark Matter, a thrilling superhero adventure. As the editor and contributor to The Hierograph, an anthology spotlighting emerging comics creators, my work has also appeared in The Compendium, a publication for Steampunk enthusiasts. Now turning my focus to prose, I have just finished Crown of Spears, a full-length novel that marks the next chapter in my literary journey.

New Book Release: The Risk of Sorrow: Intimate Conversations with a Holocaust Survivor - by Valerie Foster

 

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“A beautiful, honest portrayal not only of survival, but of a friendship built from the telling of such a devastating experience.” –Kim Klett, Regional Education Corps, United States Holocaust Memorial

Helen Handler was just fifteen years old when she found herself alone in Auschwitz. The horrors she faced, family she lost, and lessons she learned would shape every moment of her life in ways few people could imagine. After rebuilding her life in America, and sharing her dramatic tale of survival to one group of high school students, she feels a unique connection with Irish-Catholic teacher, Valerie Foster, and entrusts her with her inspiring story. Helen bares her soul, challenging Valerie to listen, learn, and search her own self. The teacher becomes the student as their weekly visits begin to sculpt the profile of a Holocaust survivor as rarely seen before.

More than a Holocaust memoir, The Risk of Sorrow is an intimate look at two women of different generations, religions, and cultures who forge an extraordinary friendship as together they examine deep questions of survival, faith, humanity, and love. This is a story for today's world.

About the author:

Valerie Foster is an award-winning educator and author of two memoirs and a short story. The Risk of Sorrow: Conversations with Holocaust Survivor, Helen Handler, is now archived in six countries. Dancing With a Demon was named Best Nonfiction Narrative by American Book Fest and Finalist by International Book Awards. Her short story, “Loss,” was published in the River Poets Anthology, and she was editor of and contributing essayist in Women Wronged: Discrimination, Repression, & Sexism from the Sixties to Now. With public speaking in Vancouver, B.C., Los Angeles, San Diego, Texas, New Jersey, and throughout Arizona, she has been featured in several magazines and television/radio interviews. She lives in Phoenix, AZ.