Davi Mai is a short story writer focusing on fantasy, science fiction, and transgressive fiction. ProximaBound is Davi Mai’s latest YA science-fiction novella. (Davi Mai, 2022)
Proxima Bound – Humanity’s last hope rests with the colonists aboard the generational starship Attenborough bound for Proxima Centauri a thousand years away. Catastrophe strikes when a reactor meltdown cuts off those in the ship’s front from the rear. Two factions must now struggle to survive. With four hundred years still to travel, we join a plucky teenager, “Thief.” She has found a way through the ventilation system, around the radioactive core of the ship, and into the front sections. Thief brings back vital components that might help the rear-dwellers connect the ship’s computer. For the first time in hundreds of years, there is hope.
But people are disappearing without a trace, and the makeshift hospital is overflowing with cases of a new virus. It is up to Thief to embark on her toughest mission yet. To crawl through the bowels of the ship, the furthest she has ever been, and find some answers, before there is no-one left alive. What she finds at the front of the ship, however, is terrifying.
‘The Devil in Ohio’ is now a limited series on Netflix. Photo: Amazon
Daria Polatin is a TV writer/executive producer, award-winning playwright, and author. She wrote and directed her new play PALMYRA at Center Theatre Group’s Kirk Douglas Theatre, which ran on CTG’s Digital Stage. Her plays have been produced across the United States and internationally. She is a founding member of The Kilroys, the advocacy group for gender parity in the American theater. Under her 1001 Pictures banner, Daria continues to write and produce propulsive stories that challenge and entertain. “Devil in Ohio,” her debut novel, was adapted into a Netflix limited series consisting of eight episodes starring Emily Deschanel and Madeleine Arthur. Daria is the creator, showrunner, and executive producer. (Amazon, 2022)
“Devil in Ohio” – Based on a true story. When fifteen-year-old Jules Mathis comes home from school to find a strange girl sitting in her kitchen, her psychiatrist mother reveals that Mae is one of her patients at the hospital and will be staying with their family for a few days. But soon Mae is wearing Jules’s clothes, sleeping in her bedroom, edging her out of her position on the school paper, and flirting with Jules’s crush. And Mae has no intention of leaving. Then things get weird. Jules walks in on a half-dressed Mae, startled to see: a pentagram carved into Mae’s back. Jules pieces together clues and discovers that Mae is a survivor of the strange cult that’s embedded in a nearby town. And the cult will stop at nothing to get Mae back.
‘The Spark’ is book one in the Beyond the Light Universe series. Photo: Amazon
William Steele is an artist and writer from the Rio Grand Valley in Texas. He is the creator of the Beyond the Light Universe. His debut novel “The Spark” is book one of four in the Beyond the Light series. (Amazon, 2022)
“The Spark”– Art and Science… Magic and Logic… Creation and Destruction…Choice and Inevitability…All are constructs born of an apex sentience, and somewhere out beyond the boundary of our known universe, there exists another apex species that has long since eclipsed us in experience. Their faith in magic has dwindled, and the Era of Egal has passed. By marching forward into the Era of Capitol, and abandoning the magical tether to their planet, the Thearians have decided to meet the trials of evolution head on. They have sealed their embrace of the New Way within the immortal city of Key-Rown, and choose the shelter provided by the great depths of the crystal flower. All have sealed their fate. All but one. This is his message.
‘Overkill’ is Sandra Brown’s new novel. Photo: Amazon
Sandra Brown is the author of seventy-four New York Times bestsellers. There are more than eighty million copies of her books in print worldwide, and her work has been translated into thirty-four languages. Four of her books have been made into films. In 2008, the International Thriller Writers named Brown its Thriller Master, the organization’s highest honor. In her new book “Overkill” she delivers a riveting thriller in which a conflict of conscience for a former football star and an ambitious state prosecutor swiftly intensifies into a fight for their lives. (Amazon, 2022)
“Overkill” – Former Super Bowl MVP quarterback Zach Bridger has not seen his ex-wife, Rebecca Pratt, for some time—not since their volatile marriage imploded—so he is shocked to receive a life-altering call about her. Rebecca has been placed on life support after a violent assault, and he—despite their divorce—has medical power-of-attorney. Zach is asked to make an impossible choice: keep her on life support or take her off of it. Buckling under the weight of the responsibility and the glare of public scrutiny, Zach ultimately walks away, letting Rebecca’s parents have the final say.
Four years later, Rebecca’s attacker, Eban—the heir of a wealthy family in Atlanta—gets an early release from prison. The ludicrous miscarriage of justice reeks of favoritism, and Kate Lennon, a brilliant state prosecutor, is determined to put him back behind bars. Rebecca’s parents have kept her alive all these years, but if her condition were to change—if she were to die—Eban could be retried on a new charge: murder. It is not lost on Zach that in order for Eban to be charged with Rebecca’s murder, Zach must actually be the one to kill her. He rejects Kate’s legal standpoint but cannot resist their ill-timed attraction to each other. Eban, having realized the jeopardy he is in, plots to make certain that neither Zach nor Kate lives to see the death of Rebecca—and the end of his freedom.
David Bowles’ new book ‘They Call Her Fregona’ will be released September 6, 2022. Photo: Amazon
David Bowles grew up in the Rio Grande Valley of South Texas, where he teaches at the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley. He is the author of several award-winning titles, including “They Call Me Güero,” “The Smoking Mirror,” the 13th Street series, and “Feathered Serpent, Dark Heart of Sky: Myths of Mexico.” His picture book debut, “My Two Border Towns,” is available in English and Spanish. In 2020, David co-founded #DignidadLiteraria, a grassroots activist hashtag and movement dedicated to promoting equity for Latinx people in publishing. His new book “They Call Her Fregona: A Border Kid’s Poems” will be released on Tuesday, September 6, 2022. Honoring multiple poetic traditions, “They Call Her Fregona” is a bittersweet first-love story in verse and the highly anticipated follow-up to “They Call Me Güero.” (Amazon, 2022)
“They Call Her Fregona” – “You can be my boyfriend.” It only takes five words to change Güero’s life at the end of seventh grade. The summer becomes extra busy as he learns to balance new band practice with his old crew, Los Bobbys, and being Joanna Padilla’s boyfriend. They call her “fregona” because she is tough, always sticking up for her family and keeping the school bully in check. But Güero sees her softness. Together they cook dollar-store spaghetti and hold hands in the orange grove, learning more about themselves and each other than they could have imagined. But when they start eighth grade, Joanna faces a tragedy that requires Güero to reconsider what it means to show up for someone you love.
Stephen King’s new book ‘Fairy Tale. Photo: Amazon
Stephen King is the author of more than sixty books, all of them worldwide bestsellers. His recent novels include “Billy Summers,” “If It Bleeds,” “The Institute,” “Elevation,” “The Outsider,” “Sleeping Beauties” (cowritten with his son Owen King), and the Bill Hodges trilogy: “End of Watch,” “Finders Keepers,” and “Mr. Mercedes.” His novel “11/22/63” was named a top ten book of 2011 by The New York Times Book Review and won the Los Angeles Times Book Prize for Mystery/Thriller. His epic works “The Dark Tower,” “It,” “Pet Sematary,” and “Doctor Sleep” are the basis for major motion pictures, with It now the highest-grossing horror film of all time. In his new book “Fairy Tale,” which will be released Tuesday, September 6, the legendary storyteller goes into the deepest well of his imagination in this spellbinding novel about a seventeen-year-old boy who inherits the keys to a parallel world where good and evil are at war, and the stakes could not be higher—for that world or ours. (Amazon, 2022)
“Fairy Tale”– Charlie Reade looks like a regular high school kid: good at baseball and football, a decent student. But he carries a heavy load. His mom was killed in a hit-and-run accident when he was ten, and grief drove his dad to drink. Charlie learned how to take care of himself—and his dad. When Charlie is seventeen, he meets a dog named Radar and her aging master, Howard Bowditch, a recluse in a big house at the top of a big hill, with a locked shed in the backyard. Sometimes strange sounds emerge from it. Charlie starts doing jobs for Mr. Bowditch and loses his heart to Radar. Then, when Bowditch dies, he leaves Charlie a cassette tape telling a story no one would believe. What Bowditch knows, and has kept secret all his long life, is that inside the shed is a portal to another world. King’s storytelling in “Fairy Tale” soars. This is a magnificent and terrifying tale in which good is pitted against overwhelming evil, and a heroic boy—and his dog—must lead the battle.
‘Roar Like a Goddess’ is the new book by Acharya Shunya. Photo: Amazon
Acharya Shunya is a truth teller who facilitates authenticity, self-remembrance, and Divine Feminine pathways to awakening within. The first female head of her 2,000-year-old Indian spiritual lineage, Shunya reinterprets and recontextualizes ancient teachings for modern times, empowering people everywhere to lead fulfilled, fearless, and enlightened lives. She is president of The Awakened Self Foundation in California and author of “Ayurveda Lifestyle Wisdom” and “Sovereign Self.” Her new book “Roar Like a Goddess: Every Woman’s Guide to Becoming Unapologetically Powerful, Prosperous, and Peaceful” is a rallying cry for women everywhere to break free from the shackles of patriarchy and awaken their true nature, brought to life through India’s primary goddess archetypes. The release date is September 6, 2022. (Amazon, 2022)
“Roar Like a Goddess” – Within you is a wellspring of strength and resilience, the ability to create and enjoy abundance, and an expansive sense of inner freedom and divinity. Yet after centuries of living in patriarchal societies, many women do not realize how powerful they are―or how much they have been enculturated to keep their true nature hidden. “In Roar Like a Goddess,” trailblazing Vedic spiritual teacher Acharya Shunya empowers women everywhere to step into their divine immensity and lead powerful, abundant, and wise lives through her revolutionary revisioning of ancient India’s primary goddess archetypes: Goddess Durga, Goddess Lakshmi, and Goddess Saraswati.
Throughout “Roar Like a Goddess” Shunya honors her progressive Vedic roots while breaking the shackles of tradition to bring modern-day women an inclusive, feminist spirituality. Sharing classic myths, original insights, and empowering practices, Shunya offers a profound process for awakening the many faces of goddess within. “It is time for all women to come out of the closet and roar with all their spiritual power,” she writes, “because that is our true sound.”
‘Unfear: Transform Your Organization to Create Breakthrough Performance and Employee Well-Being’ by Gaurav Bhatnagar and Mark Minukas of Co-Creation Partners. Photo: Sandra Cruz
Gaurav Bhatnagar is the founder of Co-Creation Partners and has dedicated more than two decades to helping companies thrive and achieve breakthrough performance. Since founding Co-Creation Partners in 2010, he has designed and led programs and workshops for private, public, and social-sector clients across multiple industries, including financial services, basic materials, manufacturing, healthcare, and technology. Mark Minukas has worked across multiple industries, including financial services, high tech, biotech manufacturing, IT services, and governmental offices to deliver both top-and bottom-line improvements and build high-performing operations. As co-authors of “Unfear: Transform Your Organization to Create Breakthrough Performance and Employee Well-Being,” these top experts on high-performing organizations show you how to reframe your, and your employees,’ relationship with fear and anxiety to create a learning culture of engaged workers at the top of their game. (Amazon, 2022)
“Unfear” – Fear and uncertainty have been undermining performance and well-being in the workplace for as long as we have had workplaces. Mismanaged fear is responsible for almost all of the dysfunction that most organizations experience. While fear can drive short-term results, it does so at the cost of high employee burnout and turnover. It also undermines long-term business performance. We can not eradicate it entirely; it is inherent to the human condition. Winning organizations are not fear-free; they know how to reframe fear into opportunities for learning and growth. They create resilient cultures of unfear. This book is divided into two parts: Part I: Fear with chapters such as Biology of Fear and Unfear and EightFear Archetypes in the Workplace and Part II: Unfear and includes chapters on Unfear Transformation and The Unfear Organization. In the Introduction, the authors explain how it is divided: the first part explores fear including its impact and the different ways in which it is expressed in an organization and the second part explores unfear and how to bring about an unfear transformation. This timely and essential guide shows leaders the impact of fear, the strategies and actions needed to bring about an unfear organization, and so much more.
Fear is a natural part of life and therefore impossible to avoid. Instead of hiding from it, we should learn to not only live with it, but learn how to use it to our advantage in every day life, including in the business world. In their book ‘Unfear,’ the authors define the different types of fear and offer advice on how to ‘unfear’ – to shift our relationship with fear and use it as a tool to learn and grow. It is an extremely useful and easy to read business guide that uses down to earth language that does not include too much business jargon. Highlights include Chapter 2: Biology of Fear and Unfear that explains the biology of fear and its importance “In order to live as an unfear individual, you need to understand the evolutionary function of fear and how it can cause dysfunction in the modern world,” Chapter 3: Eight Fear Archetypes in the Workplace, and Chapter 7: The Unfear Organization which emphasizes the need to control fear mindset in the workplace “Instead of cohesion and focus, it [fear] leads to second-guessing, indifference, and wasteful internal politics.” This proven approach to workplace anxiety reduces stress, boosts engagement, and overcomes obstacles that get in the way of success. In the long run, it leads to personal rewards, greater profits, and sustainable growth which is only possible with a culture of unfear. ‘Unfear’ is an excellent guide for recognizing and overcoming fear not only in our personal lives but in the workplace. It is recommended for readers who appreciate self help and enrichment books as well as books on workplace culture, business, and human resources.
“Look forward rather than backward. Don’t dwell too much on why something went wrong. Instead, recognize the value in reflection and diagnostics, but keep most of your focus on solutions and the future.”
*The author received a copy of this book for an honest review. The views and opinions expressed here belong solely to her.
‘Aurora’ is the new novel by David Koepp. Photo: Amazon
David Koepp is a celebrated American screenwriter who has written more than two dozen feature films in a wide variety of genres, including the first two Jurassic Park films, Death Becomes Her, Carlito’s Way, The Paper, Mission: Impossible, Spider-Man, Panic Room, War of the Worlds, Angels and Demons, Inferno, and Kimi. Some of the films he has both written and directed are Stir of Echoes, Secret Window, Ghost Town, and Premium Rush, the latter two co-written with John Kamps. Koepp is also the author of the novel “Cold Storage.” In his new book “Aurora: A Novel,” a worldwide cataclysm plays out in the lives of one complicated Midwestern family. It will soon be a major motion picture from Netflix and Academy-Award winning director Kathryn Bigelow. (Amazon, 2022)
“Aurora” – In Aurora, Illinois, Aubrey Wheeler is just trying to get by after her semi-criminal ex-husband split, leaving behind his unruly teenage son. Then the lights go out—not just in Aurora but across the globe. A solar storm has knocked out power almost everywhere. Suddenly, all problems are local, very local, and Aubrey must assume the mantle of fierce protector of her suburban neighborhood. Across the country lives Aubrey’s estranged brother, Thom. A fantastically wealthy, neurotically over-prepared Silicon Valley CEO, he plans to ride out the crisis in a gilded desert bunker he built for maximum comfort and security. But the complicated history between the siblings is far from over, and what feels like the end of the world is just the beginning of several long-overdue reckonings—which not everyone will survive . Aurora is suspenseful storytelling—both large scale and small—at its finest.
‘The Memory Index’ is Julian R. Vaca’s new young adult novel. Photo: Amazon
Julian R. Vaca has been a creative writer for over a decade. He is a staff writer on PBS’s Reconnecting Roots, a nationally broadcast show that drew in millions of viewers over its first two seasons. He is also the co-writer of Pencil Test, a feature-length documentary with Disney animation legend Tom Bancroft as executive producer. In his new speculative Young Adult science fiction novel “The Memory Index,” the world treats memories like currency, so dreams can be a complicated business. Perfect for fans of Neal Stephenson and Philip K. Dick. (Amazon, 2022)
“The Memory Index” – In an alternative 1987, a disease ravages human memories. There is no cure, only artificial recall. The lucky ones—the recollectors—need the treatment only once a day. Freya Izquierdo is not one of those. The high school senior is a “degen” who needs artificial recall several times a day. Plagued by blinding half-memories that take her to her knees, she is desperate to remember everything that will help her investigate her father’s violent death. When her sleuthing almost lands her in jail, a shadowy school dean selects her to attend his Foxtail Academy, where five hundred students will trial a new tech said to make artificial recall obsolete. She is the only degen on campus. Why was she chosen? Freya is nothing like the other students, not even her new friends Ollie, Chase, and the alluring Fletcher Cohen. Definitely not at all like the students who start to vanish, one by one. And nothing like the mysterious Dean Mendelsohn, who has a bunker deep in the woods behind the school. Nothing can prepare Freya and her friends for the truth of what that bunker holds and what kind of memories she will have to access to in order to survive
