Brand New (Oddio) Audiobooks to Enjoy! Y una nueva edición muy guay

I've always known my books are mostly odd, so it only makes sense that they should be available in oddio audio. I'm so excited that this dream is now finally coming true! I've decided to reach readers through their ears instead of their eyes! 

The first book is a medieval classic prepared for you with modern technology, my translation, The Abencerraje.

Listen here.

This short story (it will take you less than an hour to listen to) was written in Spanish in the 1560s, and it will surprise you with its depth of feeling and its powerful message about the value of human life and especially of friendship. 

The Abencerraje is a popular text in Spanish literature survey courses at the university level, and I've also completed this project in the spirit of helping out a few students. 

More amazing audiobooks are on their way! Feel free to subscribe to my YouTube channel so you never miss another one.

These texts are read by yours truly. What I lack in professional locution skills, I hope to make up for in enthusiasm and drama.

Grab your copy of the extraordinarily entertaining historical novella, Empress of Misfortune: 

- available at select outlets

- FREE only to my email subscribers

It's coming out in paperback and audiobook read by the author very soon!

The audiobook magic continues in my other genre! The second book, releasing today, is the sweet, fun science fantasy novella The Atwells Avenue Anomaly. I'm so excited to bring this original story to readers in this new format! 

Watch/listen here.

If you're in a massive heat wave like I am, The Atwells Avenue Anomaly can help you cool off. It takes place in Providence, Rhode Island, in the autumn, and also in another universe that never has unpleasant weather! 

Next up in audiobook is the always controversial women's novella, Tree/House. This one is read by a professional! Look for it very soon on my channel! 

And again, I would be grateful if you subscribed to my channel so you can always have access to surprising, memorable stories.

Y por último, quizás lo más importante: Mundos impredecibles, mi colección de relatos que consistentemente alcanza cinco estrellas de sus lectores satisfechos, ya aparece en una nueva edición. ¡Ahora ya se puede adquirir en rústica! Ver toda la información aquí.

Thank you for letting me share my hard work and excitement with you! 

Announcing The Atwells Avenue Anomaly with Cover Reveal

The act of writing is very important in Awash in Talent, which is a novel made up of a journal required by a therapist, a young firestarter's secret diary, and a psychic therapist's case log. As I was finishing up the second section, Waterfire, I had an idea to explain where the manuscripts from that world populated with Talented people and those envious of them came from. I was going to frame the novel with the story of a down-on-his-luck Brown University professor stumbling onto a portal to another universe. In the end, I didn't use that text, but there may be a reference to a certain house on Atwells Ave in Providence at the end of Awash in Talent that has its origin in that idea. 

That idea, in turn, came about because of the long drop awaiting anyone walking out this door on Atwells Avenue in Providence, Rhode Island. I took this photo way back in 2008. 

In 2017, after Awash in Talent had been published, I took up the story of the dumb-luck professor in Providence as a kind of lifeline during the first year after my beloved husband passed away. The first part was well-received at the Tin House Summer Workshop that year, but it wasn't yet complete. 

Four years later, the story has become a novella that undermines every expectation a reader might have, The Atwells Avenue Anomaly. 

Here's the description and a first look at the cover (my newsletter subscribers got the first look):

A lonely English professor falls for a physics genius. His only chance to be with her might be in an alternate universe populated by flipper-footed birds and cats covered in rose petals. It's not only the low atmospheric oxygen that makes them lightheaded. 

When the happy couple is separated by chance, the physics genius must raise their brainy daughter with no other humans to ask for advice. Are scientific curiosity and the memory of love enough for mother and daughter to create their own world?

In this unique novella, the author of Awash in Talent and Unpredictable Worlds brings you a fast science fantasy read about isolation and belonging the editors of Hybrid Fiction have called "sweet, imaginative," and "engaging." 


The Atwells Avenue Anomaly will appear in ebook and paperback in August with exclusive illustrations by Shirley MacKenzie. Catch a small glimpse of the artistic wonders below. 

"Something of Monumental Proportions" by Shirley MacKenzie, 2021
Part of The Atwells Avenue Anomaly series. 

The Atwells Avenue Anomaly will debut at a low price so my devoted readers can save a few dollars. Don't miss it! Preorder here.

A Celebration of Unpredictable Worlds, Now Also Known as Mundos impredecibles!

My newsletter subscribers have already heard this news, but I’m thrilled to announce here that my five-star-rated short story collection, Unpredictable Worlds, has been translated into Spanish.

English-speaking readers, please see below the Spanish text for the special way Unpredictable Worlds is celebrating the birth of its Spanish sibling.

El libro con rinocerontes, matrimonios felices, mujeres que encuentran su esencia fuerte, y las miradas más raras al mundo del trabajo ya está disponible para disfrutar en el idioma que dio origen al realismo mágico. Estoy rebosante de orgullo al anunciar la llegada al mundo de la traducción de Unpredictable Worlds al español: Mundos impredecibles.

Encontré a un joven promesa de traductor, Carlos Orlando Castaño Franco, que tiene un don lingüístico genial y ha sabido transformar mis textos más extraños con un estilo ajustado a cada relato. He mirado personalmente la traducción de este colombiano para asegurar un español internacional pero no por ello falto de personalidad.

Estos relatos, que son un reglo ideal para el lector a la búsqueda de lo diferente e impredecible, son disponibles ahora para los siguientes dispositivos:

Amazon.com * Amazon.es * Amazon.mx * Barnes & Noble * Apple * Kobo

Y muy pronto lo verás en Google Play, si es tu mercado preferido.

¡Celebra conmigo! ¡Hazte con tu ejemplar de Mundos impredecibles ya!

Una edición en tapa blanda está prevista para el año 2020, ¡que se acerca!

Seeing Unpredictable Worlds in Spanish makes me feel like celebrating! So for those of you who don’t yet have Unpredictable Worlds in Kindle yet, this is your opportunity! Get it 75% off for two weeks only, now through December 31. The new year will see the price go back up!

Nowhere else can you get so much zaniness for only 99 cents!

You might have 99 problems, but a source for strange stories will not be one!

Makes a perfect Christmas gift for that reader in your life eclectic tastes who you’re never sure has read a certain book yet or not. Trust me, they haven’t read this one yet.

Sale valid in equivalent currencies on all Amazon sites.

My publisher has also decided to end 2019 with a bang. Awash in Talent is only 99 cents in ebook for the month of December. The latest (5-star!) review says, “A great learning experience of perspectives and thought. Stories that explain real-world phobias. Excellent writing.”

Get the 75% discount on Amazon US, and you’ll be all set for some original reading in the New Year.

Awash in Talent Tour Continues

Today Awash in Talent is making a brand new stop on its media tour, this time with gracious host James Jackson.

Previous stops have been hugely fun and informative, with some of the kindest and best authors I've ever met. Find them here:

“Kindle Scout Success” with Kristin Gleeson

“What If The Abolitionist Had Telekinesis?” with Kim Rendfeld

“Author Spotlight” with Teresa Roman

“Jessica Knauss: She’s Awash in Talent” with Linda Sands

Author Interview with Rachelle Paige

“Jessica Knauss—Awash in Talent” with Katherine Hayton

“A Conversation with Jessica Knauss, author of Awash in Talent“ with Seymour Hamilton

“Jessica Knauss Interview” with Craig A. Hart

“Interview with Author Jessica Knauss” at Today’s Author

“Writers Reach: Jessica Knauss with Awash in Talent" at Musings of Orientation with Jennifer Skutelsky

Indie Spotlight with author Ricki Wilson

About the Kindle Scout campaign with The Crazy Mind

If history is more your thing, tomorrow I'm at Unusual Historicals telling what little I know about thirteenth-century Spanish astronomy. If it has to do with Alfonso X, you know I'm there!

Branching Out as a Writer: An Interview with Armand Rosamilia

Fellow Kindle Press author Armand Rosamilia is stopping by today. For his Kindle Scout experience, he branched out from his usual writing routine.

Armand Rosamilia 

JK: What is Dirty Deeds about? Have you written many crime thrillers?

AR: Dirty Deeds is my first official foray into crime thriller fiction. It started out as a much darker idea... about a hit man who kills children. It luckily evolved into a story I wanted to make more mainstream and for more potential readers to enjoy, so it is still about a guy who is paid to kill children... but he doesn't actually do it. He saves them and gets them into better situations, although one of these supposed deaths from years ago comes back and his cover might be blown.

JK: What inspired these ideas?

AR: I think what inspired me is all of the horror fiction I read and write coupled with my wife watching Investigation Discovery every night. 

JK: Did you enjoy your Kindle Scout experience? How was it different from other publishing you’ve done?

AR: The 30 days my book was in the Kindle Scout program were nerve-wracking. It felt like forever and I hadn't been that nervous in years about a submission.

JK: I know what you mean. Mine was the longest February of my life!

AR: I'm glad I did it, though, because I learned quite a bit about marketing and engaging new readers. I felt like I'd become stagnant with the wonderful fan base I have. Complacent. With Kindle Scout and promoting a crime thriller, something I don't normally write and in a slightly different focus (no profanity, no over-the-top sex or violence) it helped me to reach new readers. I am so glad I tried because it has definitely taken me to the next level. Plus, all of my back-list has started to sell even better and I'd like to think a big chunk of that is because new readers loved Dirty Deeds and wanted to read more from me. 

JK: Podcasts seem to be the up-and-coming new platform for authors, and you have two. What topics do they cover? 

AR: I started out about four years ago on an AM station, which turned into a small FM station. Then I did internet radio. I got into podcasting because I saw it would be a definite plus for me as an author. I'd been on a few great podcasts and I saw it helped sales and getting my name out there. I started Arm Cast Podcast about two years ago and I'm coming up on my one hundredth episode soon. I interview other authors and it is very casual. Two writers having a chat about the business and the craft. I've had on musicians, filmmakers, actors and actresses as well, entertainment people. Each episode lasts about an hour and has two interviews. Every Friday you can hear it on Project iRadio. 

The second podcast I do now is Arm N Toof'sDead Time Podcast, co-hosted with author Mark Tufo. We run about an hour every Wednesday and interview one guest. We talk to quite a few film makers, actors, and actresses. We also run it very casual and leave the bloopers and screw-ups in. It is also on ProjectiRadio and I couldn't be more happy about the reach and the interaction with listeners. 

JK: We’ll be sure to tune in! Thank you for stopping by.

AR: Thanks for the interview!

Be sure to check out Dirty Deeds and find all the latest from Armand at his website: armandrosamilia.com

Small Town Romance: An Interview with Kindle Press Author Rachelle Paige

Small town contemporary romance author Rachelle Paige is a fellow Kindle Scout winner. She’s visiting today from RachellePaige.com to share a little about her series and her writing.

  

Author Rachelle Paige 

JK: Tell us about your Kindle Press novel. Is it similar to any other novels you may have written or published?

RP: My Kindle Press novel, Tiny Island Summer, is the second in my contemporary romance series. Set in a beautiful small town on an island in Lake Superior, the True North series is all about finding home (and love). I won Kindle Scout with my second novel.

JK: How is your life different since winning Kindle Scout? 

RP: The biggest change is that winning Kindle Scout encouraged me to share my novels with friends and family. Their support has propelled me forward.

JK: What are you working on now? 

RP: I just finished the final two novels in my True North series, On the Rocks (to be released this month) and Across the Lake (to be released in June). After several months of editing, I am jumping back into writing the next novel in my new, sweet romance series, Golden Shores. The first novel, Tidal Patterns, is available now.

JK: Aside from writing, what are you really good at? 

RP: Planning. I know that answer sounds vague, but my specialty is thinking about a project from all angles and planning out everything so the project is flawless. This is notable especially for vacations and parties (my kids’ birthdays and our wedding the most notable). I love planning so much that for a brief while I was an assistant to a wedding planner. And I LOVED that job.

JK: Is there anything unusual about your writing methods? 

RP: The only thing unusual is the time. I’m a full-time mom to two active boys (the youngest is a toddler). I don’t get time to write until after they go to bed. As a morning person, this was really tough to get used to, but now I find I have a hard time working during the day (when I get the rare chance)

JK: Do you have a favorite quote?

RP: I love the Teddy Roosevelt quote “Get action.” I’m not one to sit around and wait for something to happen.

I recommend the readers of this blog take that quote to heart and “get action” by visiting Rachelle’s web site!

A Debut Author's Road to Publication: Guest Post by Teresa Roman

Fellow Kindle Press author Teresa Roman's debut novel, Back To Us, is a contemporary romance. 

Her absolute favorite things in life are her family and books. Her passion for reading is what inspired her to become a writer. She loves the way stories can take you to another time and place.

Teresa currently live in beautiful Sacramento, California, with her husband, three adorable children, and a doxiepoo named Parker that her son convinced them to adopt. When she's not at her day job or running around with her kids, you can find her in front of the computer writing, or with her head buried in another book. If you'd like to know more about her, she can be found at www.teresaromanwrites.com, where you can also sign up for her newsletter for exclusive book release information.

Take it away, Teresa!

Author Teresa Roman

I love reading author’s stories on how they eventually got their first book published, so I thought I’d share mine with you.

For three years I’d been working on a young adult urban fantasy novel. I struggled with it, agonizing over whether the pacing was too slow, or the world-building good enough. I finally decided to take a break from it and start writing a contemporary romance that I’d had in my head for a while.

Back To Us tells the story of Jessica, a college girl struggling to make ends meet, and Justin, a former Navy Corpsman dealing with injuries from a tour of duty in Afghanistan. They meet, and despite the issues they’re both dealing with, can’t ignore their attraction for each other.

After I finished writing Back To Us, I decided, after much internal debate, that I was going to self-publish it. I hired and editor, a book formatter and an amazing cover designer. Only days away from self-publishing Back To Us, I got an email about Amazon’s new Kindle Scout program.

Despite my determination to self-publish my book, I still feared the process, but the alternative—querying a hundred agents and waiting eons for a reply—was even less desirable. Kindle Scout promised a yes or no reply in just over a month. That appealed to me. So I went ahead and submitted Back To Us. I asked friends and family for nominations, but didn’t expect much. I was new to Facebook, new to the world of self-promotion, and quite frankly sure my book wouldn’t get selected.

No one was more surprised than I was when it did. I was also really excited. Another part of me was relieved that I wouldn’t have to figure out the right way to get started in the world of self-publishing.

While the Kindle Scout program might not be a perfect fit for every author, I’m glad that I published Back To Us through Kindle Press. I’ve gotten to meet a ton of authors, many who’ve written several novels before being published by Kindle Press. They’ve become not only friends, but have offered a wealth of advice on writing, publishing and marketing.

Back ToUs has been out for almost a year and is now joined by that young adult urban fantasy novel I mentioned earlier, titled Daughter of Magic.

You can find out more about me and check out my books on my website www.teresaromanwrites.com

Happy reading!

Thanks for stopping by, Teresa. 

Although I've been writing for more years than I care to count, and I had Seven Noble Knights accepted for publication before Awash in Talent, Kindle Press's swift action means that Awash will be my debut, too!

Awash in Talent: Get to Know Patricia the Psychic

Patricia is the narrator/heroine of the third and final novella in Awash in Talent (the novel YOU can bring to publication with the power of YOUR nomination!), Friendship Street.

You may know that in Providence, Friendship is literally a one-way street. Patricia understands this only too well. As a psychic, she has a deep understanding of everyone around her, and receives little to no reciprocation. It's lonely being a psychic because, in order to avoid the institutions and practices that may have killed her psychic father, Patricia has never revealed her Talent.

You might think being able to read your husband's mind is an advantage, but for Patricia, it's a burden. She realizes this too late and must figure out how to escape his controlling clutches, all while keeping the secret of her Talent and dealing with Emily, who is her most troublesome therapy client.

Like Emily, Patricia is a Californian. She came to Providence to do a post-doc and loved it so much that she stayed to set up her own therapy practice in a Victorian house she adores on the East Side, but which she can't afford without her new husband's help. Patricia takes on Emily's court-ordered case out of curiosity: she can't read Emily's thoughts, no matter how she tries. In contrast, everyone else assaults Patricia with a barrage of continual thought. She must solve this mystery without anyone finding out that she can read minds, and she must do this before Emily does something else drastic and illegal.

The cover for Friendship Street has an artist's conception of what thought might look like as it goes out into the world. To Patricia, I'm sorry to say, thoughts make more sense and are far less beautiful.

I'm proud to say Awash in Talent has made it into the podcast sphere. Have a listen to the Big Gay Fiction Podcast, episode 19! My charming and talented (although not Talented) brother and brother-in-law do me the honor of explaining the Kindle Scout program and mentioning my dear Awash in Talent at 13:23 – 14:01. And once again in Episode 20, minute 13:56, complete with a reading of the blurb!

More great news—The Crazy Mind (appropriately enough) has interviewed me on the Kindle Scout experience, how Emily's little sister started the whole thing, and all the great stuff you'll find in Awash in Talent. Check it out here.

Friendship Street, I'm told, is some of my best writing. In truth, I put my heart and soul into all of Awash in Talent, and it is my fondest hope that it will win a publishing contract with the Kindle Scout program. You, dear reader, can make all the difference in my publishing dreams. It's easy and fun to go to the link and click the "Nominate" button. Not only does it get you an exclusive, unique, free book, but also my sincere gratitude.

I'm sorry to say there's also a time limit on when you can do this wonderful, easy thing. It has to happen before February 29. Let's unite our forces before Leap Year Day! Thanks!

Awash in Talent: Get to Know Kelly the Firestarter

This, the day before Valentine's, is a great time to talk about WaterFire because, of the three novellas in Awash in Talent (the novel you can make sure gets published!), this one has the purest and most innocent concept of love.

Note, I didn't say it had a happy ending necessarily. It's just that the people in love are pretty new at it and are doing it without malice or manipulation, which can't be said about the other love stories in this novel.

WaterFire is the second novella and is narrated by Kelly, a pyrokinetic (firestarter) who's been placed in Providence's special school for her Talent after coming into her power in a surprising and destructive way. I imagine that's Kelly on the cover, sitting on the docks near the school and contemplating her fate as well as the beautiful city she loves but must escape from. The cover was created by Amygdala Designs and inspired the romantic scene in which Brian takes Kelly on a seemingly spontaneous date to WaterFire.

WaterFire is a real-life public art installation that Kelly appreciates and describes in detail in the novella. Check it out here.

Kelly's love, Brian, is another student at the school, which little by little is revealed to be nothing more than a lockdown facility to keep the frightening powers of the pyrokinetics out of the public arena. This is a problem because Kelly's mother is suffering in the burn ward at Mass General Hospital in Boston. Kelly finds out that Emily's sister might be able to heal her mother! How can she bring them together when no one trusts her to be able to control her Talent?

While the love story is a beautiful part of WaterFire, it doesn't define Kelly. She's too busy understanding her own power and trying to save her mother. I enjoyed writing about a teenager who has a lot of problems, but love isn't one.

You can read about Kelly's journey of emotional strength—and don't miss the underaged driving in the snow!—if Awash in Talent gets enough nominations in the Kindle Scout program to win publication. Everyone who nominates Awash in Talent before February 29 will receive an exclusive free early reader copy! Help me make my dream come true. I'll thank you for it.

See even more about Awash in Talent here.

Awash in Talent: Get to Know Emily, Sister of a Telekinetic Healer

Awash in Talent is a YA/NA contemporary paranormal novel in three novellas. You can help it be published by clicking the "Nominate" button at this link. Easy, free, and fun! Learn even more here.

Each novella in Awash in Talent will have its own cover. Hope & Benevolent, the first, foundational novella, called for a cover that reflects the preoccupation of the narrator, Emily, with early hominids, such as Australopithecus ramidus, one of the oldest fossilized primates who is considered to have a relationship to modern humans. It also illustrates Emily's tendency to keep reaching for what she wants, even when it's obvious to everyone else that it isn't going to work out.

I have a real-life friend whose name is Emily, and after she read "Unpredictable Factors in Human Obedience" in Unpredictable Worlds, she asked me, "Do you hate me?"

Simply because the narrator of that story is crazy or evil and has the same name she does? Not a chance.

When it came time to name the crazy and/or nefarious narrator of Hope & Benevolent, I made use of the name Emily again, for reasons lost to time (but probably related to author shorthand in character development!). I named her younger sister Beth, so in the end the sisters are named after the owner of Clifford, the Big Red Dog.

Emily's simple desire to be recognized for her own brilliance over her ridiculously Talented sister sends her across the country to Providence, Rhode Island, where she finds the love of her life. To be with him, and to spare herself a summer at home with her sister, Emily does a field study in Ethiopia. But even that's not far enough away to escape her sister. And that's when things really get complicated. You can read an excerpt that includes the astonishing incident in Ethiopia at the Kindle Scout campaign page.

Emily doesn't have the same limits to her ambition or her behavior we mere mortals do. Although at first she seems sassy and fun, in reality you probably wouldn't want her as your friend. She will obliterate anything that gets in her way, and she's not above committing what others would consider crimes. Imagining what Emily would do next, I thought about her goals and took possible actions far past their logical conclusions.

Emily is great fun to write. Far from hating my friend with the same name, I'm honoring her. Her name is now immortalized in a character who's so delightful to write, I can't imagine she'll be forgotten by readers any time soon.

At least that's my dearest authorial hope.

You'll be able to read Emily's incredible adventures in Hope & Benevolent and the third novella, Friendship Street, if enough readers nominate Awash in Talent for publication. Wish it luck!

Cover Reveal and the Beginnings of My YA Paranormal Adventure Set in Providence

It's the book with telekinesis, pyrokinesis, and psychic powers. Just as importantly, it's the novel with a field study in Ethiopia, a snowy trip to Boston, and the wonders of Waterfire in inimitable Providence, Rhode Island. It's Awash in Talent, and it's nearly ready to knock your literary socks off!

The amazing cover was created by Jasmine Green. It captures the female focus of the book and the way their Talents can make the characters feel, at the same time, invincible and about to drown.

I'm sharing the cover with you on the auspicious occasion of the beginning of Awash in Talent's Kindle Scout campaign. This is your opportunity to select Awash in Talent for publication by Kindle Press!

The link takes you a rather attractive page with the cover, the tag line (So much Talent can kill you.), an excerpt from the beginning through most of Chapter 2, a short bio, and three questions and answers about the book. It also shows a "Nominate" button. If you think Awash in Talent is worthy, all you have to do is click the "Nominate" button before February 29 (Leap Year Day!).

This simple act will get you three major benefits:

1. If Awash in Talent is chosen for publication (because you nominated it!), you will receive an exclusive edition of the novel for free before anyone can buy it! You'll be under no obligation to read it or to leave a review, although that's what Amazon (and I) will be hoping for.

2. You will have helped an author's dreams come true. How great will that feel?

3. You will be the proud owner of my gratitude. I will remember you when my writing career takes off. The value of this benefit is incalculable.

Here's a little more about the novel. At the link, you can also read an excerpt that introduces Emily's world. More beautiful graphics and descriptions are to come in the following weeks.

Emily can’t escape her annoyingly Talented telekinetic healer sister by going to a university 3000 miles away, in Providence, or even by doing a field study in Ethiopia. Why don’t people give credit where credit is due?

Kelly is forced to attend a pyrokinesis school/lockdown facility, but she must escape and bring Emily’s healer sister to Boston—her mother’s life depends on it.

Appointments with Emily might drive psychic therapist Patricia insane. Meanwhile, Patricia falls ever deeper into her husband’s selfish, cruel trap. In Providence, Friendship is a one-way street.

Awash in Talent is a novel in three interrelated novellas, all set in Providence, Rhode Island, where telekinetics, firestarters, and psychics attempt to function in a largely un-Talented society unappreciative of what they have to offer. Love/hate between sisters, mother and daughter, scared teenagers, a mismatched married couple, adult female friends, and an obsessive and the object of her affection are all put to the test.

The Kindle Scout campaign runs from now until midnight EST February 29. It's easy—just one click brings so much joy! Thank you so much for your consideration.

In the Presence of Greatness

I was honored and excited to be accepted into this little thing called Launch Lab.

I can't believe it's over. I know so much now that I never expected to discover. I had a lot of information before Launch Lab, but this program gave me the tools to sort through the information and think critically about what will work for Seven Noble Knights. Today is T minus one (leap) year and one day, or 367 days before the launch date for Seven Noble Knights, so I have just about enough time to plan.

Massive added bonus: I got to meet and share in some of the joys and sorrows of some excellent authors. In Launch Lab, we talked a bit about making ourselves seem like "regular people." Yes, we do want to seem approachable. But this group was made up of anything but regular people. There were so many accolades and so much talent in the room, I'm surprised we all fit. But we did, because everyone was so down-to-earth. I'm so proud to work with them! With me in Launch Lab 2015 were:

Moderator/Expert/Consultant Lynne Griffin is the author of the novels Sea Escape (Simon & Schuster) and Life Without Summer (St. Martin’s Press), and the nonfiction parenting guide, Negotiation Generation (Penguin). She has just launched the harrowing novel Girl Sent Away and the nonfiction companion Let's Talk About It: Adolescent Mental Health. For more about Lynne’s work, visit her website, www.LynneGriffin.com or her blog, Field Guide to Families.

Moderator/Expert/Consultant Katrin Schumann is the co-author of The Secret Power of Middle Children and Mothers Need Time-Outs, Too. Current works-in-progress include a novel of psychological suspense, a book on parenting strategies that can make or break affluent children, and ongoing editorial work for editors, agents and writers. For more info, check out her website www.katrinschumann.com and join the conversation on Twitter: @katrinschumann

Katie Bayerl's young adult novel, A Psalm for Lost Girls, will be published by Penguin/Putnam in spring 2017. Find her online at @katiebayerl, Facebook/katiebayerl, and katiebayrl.com.

Jennifer S. Brown is the author of the novel Modern Girls (NAL/Penguin, April 5, 2016), which is already getting some buzz as a most anticipated debut novel of 2016. Find her at jennifersbrown.com, on Twitter @j_s_brown, and on Facebook at authorjennifersbrown. The novel is on Goodreads.

Lindsay Hatton's evocative emotional history of the West Coast's most famous aquarium, Monterey Bay, will be released by Penguin Random House in July 19, 2016. The novel is on Goodreads.

Freelance journalist and meditation instructor Rick Heller is the author of Secular Meditation: 32 Practices for Cultivating Inner Peace, Compassion, and Joy – A Guide from the Humanist Community at Harvard, which has already launched from New World Library.

Maile Hulihan is the author of the hilarious series Trinity of Bitches, the first book of which is due out in November 2016. You can find her on Twitter @MaileHulihan, www.mailehulihan.com, or Facebook.

Katherine Ozment's first book, Grace Without God: The Search for Meaning, Purpose, and Belonging in a Secular Age, will be published by HarperWave June 21, 2016. You can find her on Facebook, Twitter (@katherineozment), or her website: www.katherineozment.com. The book is at Goodreads.

Marian McMahon Stanley's The Immaculate will be launched by Barking Rain Press in May 2016. To learn more, visit her website marianmcmahonstanley.com, or Facebook page, or follow her on Twitter @mjs_mysteries. The novel is at Goodreads.

I have it on good authority (having heard synopses and excerpts) that each of these books is worth a read and even a pre-order. Not a bad start to a To Be Read pile.

Seven Noble Knights is also at Goodreads. It's a great idea to add it to your To Read list so you can get notifications of publication and possible giveaways.

Like to Listen?

It's here! Every audiophile's dream. Tree/House, the strange little novella that inspires everyone who reads it, now comes to you via the lively professional talent of Melissa Moran.

It's available on iTunes, Audible, and Amazon. Click on the links to find compelling audio samples.

If I may say, it's priced very reasonably for this much imagination and creative talent (the voice artist's). And yet, there are a couple of ways you can get it for no money at all.

1. Contact me (in a comment here or at Facebook or Twitter) for a free download code from Audible! I would, of course, love it if you enjoyed Tree/House in audio and left a review after using one of the limited number of codes I have available. The important thing is to enjoy it.

2. Join Audible's first month free and make sure Tree/House is the first book you download. If you love audiobooks, you'll want to keep your subscription for only $14.95 a month. That charge includes one audiobook per month and 30% off additional ones. If you remain a member in good standing for 61 days (three months) after you get Tree/House as your first download, I get a special bounty payment. This is the option for you if you love to listen to books and want to give yourself (and me) an amazing gift.

Having Tree/House brought to life in this way has been a dream come true. I've personally listened to it all and am amazed at how well it's turned out. But it has cost me a significant amount of money to produce. Like everyone I know, I work very hard for the small amount of money I earn, so this was a big decision. I hope I have some avid reader supporters to help me get back my investment. Every download helps! Really. Thank you.

If you prefer to read it and interpret it for yourself, a new edition of Tree/House is also available in many electronic and print venues.
Kindle • iBooks • Nook • Kobo • Smashwords • Inktera • Blio • Many other ebook retailers • Softcover • Softcover Indiebound • Softcover Amazon •  Softcover Barnes and Noble • Request it at your local library or bookstore