April 2021

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INTERVIEWS STEVE BERRY V.K. TRITSHLER V.S. HOLMES

COLUMNS WHY YA?

A PANTSER BY ANY OTHER NAME

REVIEWS, SPOTLIGHTS, AND MORE! April 2021

The Most Trusted Guide to TopShelf Authors & Books!

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table of contents

masthead CEO

interviews

Keith A. Katsikas Jr.

keith@topshelfmagazine.net

6 Steve Berry 8 VK Tritschler 12 V.S. Holmes

President & Publisher Rebecca Katsikas

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articles

Lead Editor

17 A Pantser by Any Other Name 19 Why YA?

23 23 23 25 25 25 27 27 27 33 33 33 36 37 37 37

Kyle Magnus

editor@topshelfmagazine.net

Assistant Editor

reviews

Sharon Isbell

AU79 Besieged Dark Light: Dawn No Pit So Deep The Apocalypse Five Ruler of the Night Shot Down Strong Cold Dead The Girl in the Ice The Secrets on Chicory Lane The Widow Unfolding Civility at Work To Kill a King Fear and Longing in Los Angeles The Hunt of the Dragon

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Contributors & Reviewers

Mickey Mikkelson, Creative Edge Media Kathrin Hutson Miranda Oh Jenna Greene Carole P. Roman Grady Harp Jon Land Julie Gerber Kris Miller Michael Rowland Rosemary Fi eld

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Legend has it: anyone who sees the Demon Cat of Capitol Hill will be cursed with bad luck. 10-yearold Fina Mendoza just saw it. And the last thing her family needs right now is more bad luck. Fina and her older sister Gabby just moved to Washington, D.C. to live full time with Papa, a congressman from California who serves on the House Rules Committee. Fina gives us a backstage peek at life inside the U.S. Capitol - voting in Congress, the fight over amendments, and the beloved congressional dogs who come to work every day with their political owners…

According to the Wall Street Journal, teachers are leaving their positions in greater numbers than ever before. Truth: educators do not commit their passion to teach believing untold wealth awaits them. The purposely concealed story: national teacher shortage is due to a dominating hostile work environment, created by the people educators serve. Who better to empower students, parents, teachers and administrators than Paula Baack.

With her 46 year career, Ms. Baack will not only illuminate today’s issues in education but she will also provide real solutions.

Genre: Children’s Price: $9.99

Genre: Education Administration Price: $11.95

Blind. Outcast. Accursed. From the meanest of beginnings, greatness will rise.

It’s Mardi Gras time in New Orleans. Attending a masquerade ball, wealthy fashion designer Caterine Doucette, dressed as a shimmering ice princess, has her cool façade shattered when she encounters Bayou-born ex-cop Remi Michaud, disguised as the darkly handsome pirate Jean La tte. Their true identities hidden, the princess and the pirate come together in an explosion of passion and desire.

But when fantasy turns to cold reality, Caterine panics and disappears into the night, unaware this man will soon be sent to rescue her from a killer and will capture her heart…

Abandoned at birth by her parents, Auli-Ambar is seen as a child blighted by a callous talonstroke of fate. A worthless burden. She is blind, severely dis gured, and t only for the most menial tasks. Then, a simple act of kindness changes her life. Flown to the Halls of the Dragons, the painfully shy girl becomes a cleaner of Dragon roosts, and a helpless wanderer of the Dragon Library…

Genre: Coming of Age Fantasy Price: $21.99

Genre: Romantic Suspense Price: $8.95

A broken man will be forged in the flames of war…

As a tornado threatens their town, a stubborn old man who has lost his son teams up with a troubled young soldier to deliver a jukebox to the wealthy developer having an affair with the soldier's wife. It's July 2003 and the small town of Maple Springs, Missouri is suffering through a month-long drought. Dancer Stonemason, a long-forgotten hometown hero still grieving over the death of his oldest son, is moving into town to live with his more dependable younger son. He hires Wayne Mesirow, an Iraq war veteran, to help him liquidate his late son's business.

It is late 1862, and the United States has been ripped apart by civil war for over a year with no end in sight. The war is a distant thought to Johannes Wolf, a young German immigrant with a crippled leg keeping him off the muster lists. Desperately dredging the gutters for recruits, Wolf cons his way into the depleted, demoralized, and poorly run Union army, and is promptly placed in the undesirable F Company of the 13th Michigan Cavalry…

Genre: Military Historical Fiction Price: $12.99

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Genre: Small Town & Rural Fiction Price: $16.95

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TOPShelf Spotlights

"..a deeply personal memoir of abuse written from the inside out by someone who's now fighting for fellow victims both past, present and future."

JON LAND, USA BESTSELLING AUTHOR

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What made you decide to switch from practicing law to novel writing?

That little voice in my head. Every writer has one. It nags you every day, telling you to sit down and write. I ignored that voice all during the 1980s while practicing law. Finally, in 1990, I listened to it and started a novel. That first attempt was long and awful. The second and third attempts weren’t

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EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW WITH NEW YORK TIMES AND #1 INTERNATIONALLY BESTSELLING AUTHOR, STEVE BERRY

much better. It wasn’t until the fourth try that I began to appreciate the reality that writing novels was hard. I kept writing for 12 years and produced 8 manuscripts. Five were submitted to New York publishing houses and rejected a combined 85 times. Eventually, in 2002, on the 86th attempt, twelve years after I started, the right-editor-at-the-righttime-with-the-right-story found me. I may or may not know much about writing, but I’m a world class expert on rejection.

Has your past professional experience influenced your writing?

Not much at all. I adhere to the philosophy of never write what you know. That’s not good advice. Instead, write what you love. If what you know and what you love are the same thing, great. I was a lawyer, knew the law and, at the time, legal thrillers were hot.

But I did not want to write about that. I loved action, history, secrets, and conspiracies. So that’s what I gravitated toward, and I still do that to this day.

How has your background of studying art history and English improved or influenced your writing?

I think it has helped with my descriptions of setting, and of light especially. I can imagine what I am writing as an Edward Hopper painting, or the bloody scene as being textured like Jackson Pollack. I believe everything we chose to study helps us as writers. I find my degree in theatre/acting to be the most useful in how to create and explore a character, their emotions, what makes them tick.

How does politics and history relate to your novels?

History is a huge element in my stories. All of them involve something from the past.

Something lost or forgotten. Something real, from which I weave a modern day thriller around. I try and keep my stories about 90% to reality, tripping things up only about 10%.

There’s a writer’s note in the back of each book that tells the reader where all that happens. As to politics, not so much. Contrary to what some readers think, my novels are designed to entertain, not to expound any political beliefs.

What have you learned since you first began writing to now? Has your style changed at all?

With writing all you can hope for is what you write today is a bit better than what you wrote yesterday, and what you write tomorrow is a bit better than today. It doesn’t get any more rewarding than that.

So every day is a learning process. And, yes, my style has changed. If you read my rst published novel, The Amber Room (2003),

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What intrigues you about the 'thriller' genre? Why do you think it is popular for readers?

They are the perfect escape. Readers can forget their troubles for a while and immerse themselves into another world where all things are possible. And the closer the writer keeps that imagined world to reality, the better. This has always been the appeal for thrillers going back 2000 years, and it’s why they are still so popular.

Why do you think your books have reached the top of bestseller lists such as USA Today and Publishers Weekly?

If I knew that, I’d be on my yacht somewhere in the Mediterranean enjoying the rewards of selling that how-to information to everyone else. Unfortunately, it’s impossible to know what makes a bestseller. They just happen. Of course, a good story, a dash of innovation, perseverance, time, and a little luck also play into the formula.

How has the pandemic affected your writing and how you connect with readers?

The connection turned exclusively virtual for most of 2020 and all of 2021. I had just completed my last book tour, in February 2020, when everything hit. The tour this year was all virtual. That’s a good thing in that you can do many more events (as you never leave home), and those events stay on the internet forever to be viewed over and over.

So you reach a lot more people. The bad thing is there’s no personal connection. And reader’s want that. Writer’s do too. I think touring in the future will be a combination of virtual and in-person. The pandemic has shown how that could work. As to the writing, with being home all the time, I have definitely been able to get a lot of work done.

What is your role with "The International Thriller Writers" group?

In 2005, I was one of the organization’s founding members and served as its copresident for three years. Then I was vicepresident of publications for a number of years. Now I’m just a member.

Can you tell us a bit about your character Cotton Malone and why he is popular with readers?

He was born in Copenhagen while I was sitting at a café in Højbro Plads, a popular Danish square. That’s why Cotton owns a

TOPShelf Interviews bookshop there. I wanted a character with government ties and a background that would make him, if threatened, formidable.

But I also wanted him to be human, with flaws. Since I love rare books, it was natural that Cotton would too, so he became a retired-Justice Department operative, turned bookseller, who manages, from time to time, to find trouble. I also gave him an eidetic memory, since who wouldn’t like one of those? At the same time, Cotton is clearly a man in conflict. His marriage has failed, he maintains a difficult relationship with his teenage son, and he’s lousy with women. I think he’s popular because he’s not a super hero. Just an ordinary guy who can, when needed, do extraordinary things.

What is your latest release and what will readers find inside its pages?

The latest is The Kaiser’s Web. For a long time I’ve been wanting to involve Cotton Malone in an adventure with its roots set firmly in World War II. But that subject had been done-to-death. Then one day, while researching another matter, I came across something that both surprised and intrigued me. Something that had not been tackled much in the past. And the novel was born. Two candidates are vying to become Chancellor of Germany. One is a patriot, having served for the past sixteen years, the other a usurper stoking the flames of nationalistic hate. Both harbor secrets, but only one knows the truth about the other.

They are on a collision course, all turning on the events from one fateful day — April 30, 1945 — and what happened deep beneath Berlin in the Fürherbunker. Did Adolph Hitler and Eva Braun die there? Did Martin Bormann, Hitler’s close confidant, manage to escape? And, even more important, where did billions in Nazi wealth disappear to in the waning days of World War II? It’s quite a trek too. Moving from the mysterious Chilean lake district, to the dangerous mesas of South Africa, and finally into the secret vaults of Switzerland, and all too finally expose a mystery known as The Kaiser’s Web. I hope that intrigued everyone enough to check it out.

Interview

provided by: Award-winning Canadian authors, Jenna Greene (YA Fantasy) and Miranda Oh (Contemporary Chick lit) pair up to provide you with engaging interviews with authors from all genres to give you a sneak peak into their lives and writing styles.

Read our interview with Steve Berry at:

www.TopShelfMagazine.net

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then the latest, The Kaiser’s Web (2021), you’ll see a big difference. The Kaiser’s Web is smoother, cleaner, tighter. If I had the chance, I could trim about 5000 words from The Amber Room.

April 2021

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How has your non-writing life influenced your books?

I get great ideas of some of my best characters from the real world. Snippets of the way someone acts, talks, or behaves can become an idea for another character or book. But, more importantly, my non-writing life such as my studies in psychology, have given me an understanding and willingness to explore human nature. But also, I love to include scenes from places I have been or know. It’s important for people reading the book to feel like this is a place they can visualize themselves, so I use a lot of my background experience in the location to bring it to life.

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EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW WITH ROMANCE AUTHOR, V.K. TRITSCHLER

What was your first published book about and how did you get started writing it?

My first book was A Secret Life of Sarah Meads, which was a fun rom-com about a woman who isn’t coping with life. It was both a way of me exploring a character that I wanted to become a heroine of her own story, and also as a way of writing something light and easy to read. Sarah has always been one of my favorite characters, even though looking back now I recognize that the story is still very basic and ideally would be reworked.

But I like the fact that it isn’t polished. It shows my growth and development, and I hope that one day it will be the collectors item that every reader wants to get!

Are you a plotter or a pantser, or somewhere in between?

Pantser through and through. I have tried plotting, and occasionally if I have a multi-series I will set up a basic plan for what I want to happen, but I let the characters develop on their own terms.

For me, part of being a writer is letting the characters expand and explore their own worlds, and I am just the schmuck that gets to write it down (hopefully capturing their experiences as they go!).

Where does your love of romance come from?

Who doesn’t love love? Its warmth and friendship, relationships and complications. The beauty of any story is in how the characters relate to each other and the experiences they encounter, so for

How has your writing evolved over the years?

It’s slowly getting better Every book allows me to grow and understand my writing strengths and learn more about how I can bring out character development. I hope that I can continue writing for many years to come, and look back at my earlier work and smile. Like an adult looking back of photos of them as a child and remembering how innocent you were, and realizing how much you have grown in the process.

Is it difficult to combine genres (eg. romance and paranormal) or does the story flow naturally with both elements?

Not at all, in fact I find it easier to move between sub genres, because it keeps my brain going. I write depending on my mood, so if I’m feeling cheeky I write rom-com, if I’m feeling worried I write suspense. What it means is I never have an excuse not to write! I just have to pick up the page and continue the story, and let the characters reveal themselves to me.

TOPShelf Interviews What is Eyre writers and what is your involvement with this group?

Eyre Writers is a support group for authors based locally. They have been established thirty three years, and I am the spring chicken of the group. They have an amazing set of authors with a range of genres, who I am so glad to call now my friends. To be surrounded by people with skills and desire to achieve in a skill you are learning, is something special.

What is one piece of writing advice you'd give young writers, or those new to the industry?

Don’t stop. Write lots. Kill your darlings.

Write the book you’d love to read. And most of all, do what you love.

What is your latest release and what can readers find between those pages?

My newest book is called A Town Called Nowhere, which is set in rural Australia and is a were-panther book. I was inspired by a local author giving me a writing prompt, and drew into it the idea of there being panthers being on the loose in Australia which was a story I had seen on news. It’s a racy jump into paranormal romance, and it was great fun to write.

Interview

provided by: Award-winning Canadian authors, Jenna Greene (YA Fantasy) and Miranda Oh (Contemporary Chick lit) pair up to provide you with engaging interviews with authors from all genres to give you a sneak peak into their lives and writing styles.

Read our interview with V.K. Tritschler at:

www.TopShelfMagazine.net

TOPShelf

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me part of finding the resolution is understanding their emotive needs. This, in itself, is a type of romance. So it makes sense for me to write in this genre.

April 2021

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Laura Del Gaudio's gripping story of learning the family undertaking business from sitting under the kitchen table as a child. It is how she learned empathy in the face of unspeakable traumas. Licensed at the age of twenty-one, she became a third generation funeral director who ran a successful funeral home which was located at the foot of the Brooklyn Bridge. The author has written an original story out of her own experience of growing up.

On May 8, 1945, WWII in Europe ended with Germany’s surrender. But did the Nazi Party itself surrender? Some say no.1943: A German ship moors in a clandestine anchorage in western Mexico with a cargo of gold intended to bribe the Mexican government into declaring war on the United States. When the attempt fails, the German vessel ees leaving its gold buried somewhere along the coast of the Sea of Cortés.

1997: The horrific murder of an old flame’s husband sets former war correspondent Peter Brandt on the hunt for the hidden Nazi treasure.

Genre: Memoir Price: $19.95

Genre: Mystery Price: $12.50

Once upon a time in a land not so far away, a man and a woman fell in love. They were very happy. Until one day they weren’t – their happily ever after disappeared. This is their story. Summer Have you ever been in love?The kind of love that leaves you breathless and makes you feel like you can fly?

I have…. It was the biggest mistake of my life. I let him become my everything; my sun, moon and stars but that wasn’t enough for him.What he did nearly destroyed me….

This book isn’t just about being in business; it’s about the business of being. But when you stop to think about it, each of us is like a small business. Successful business owners implement strategies that improve their prospects for success. Similarly, as human beings, it serves us well to implement guiding principles that inspire us to live our purpose and reach our goals. From a business plan and metrics to mission and goals with everything between this book clearly maps how to create personal transformation at the intersection of business and spirituality.

Genre: Contemporary Romance Price: $9.99

Genre: Strategic Business Planning Price: $16.95

Annella Metoyer courageously shares the details of her life’s challenges, her family’s dedication to positive change as well as offers hope for readers through her struggles and accomplishments.

Starting with the integration of her small town public school, she encounters a life-changing experience that sets her on a path of “being the change.” Not only did Annella face the challenges when women were not the voice in the room, but she also did so as a person of color. From coworkers to disgruntled customers discrimination, she lived the evolution of attitudes.

Atae is a Kaji half-breed living on the capital planet of the Kaji Empire. In a culture dictated by strength and honor, Atae must prove her worth against shapeshifters and otherworldly creatures. Hybrids like Atae search for their place within the changing Kaji society. At Sula Academy, they struggle to compete with Kaji purebreds, warriors with the ability to transform into savage battle beasts. Atae and her pack mates prepare for the Sula Academy Tournament, which will determine their fate within their warrior culture…

Genre: Sociology of Race Relations Price: $13.73

Genre: Fantasy Action & Adventure Price: $13.99

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TOPShelf Spotlights

Due to hardships caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, we are extending the early-bird pricing for our TopShelf Book Awards for duration of the 2021 season.

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OCTOBER2017 11

Where did your writing adventure begin?

Storytelling has always been a part of my life and growing up an only child in a rural area inspired me to create my own friends and worlds through imagination.

As I got older the drive to tell stories--especially ones where people like me existed-remained. I first took the leap to write professionally in university, publishing Smoke and Rain in between lab times, overnight shifts, and exams.

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EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW WITH INTERNATIONALLY BESTSELLING SCI-FI AUTHOR, V.S. HOLMES

Of course! It’s more obvious with my Stars Edge: Nel Bently Books, as those adventures follow a fellow archaeologist, but as a keen observer and anthropologist, a lot of what I encounter in everyday life winds up somewhere in my work. Many of the lessdramatic obstacle’s Nel faces are drawn from real projects, or issues the industry faces. While many people think Nel is the most similar to me, I think all of my characters have equal, if different, parts of me woven through them.

In each of my series I also have an opportunity for readers to be written in as side characters! Teera in Heretics and Hylier in Madness and Gods and Blood and Mercy are both modeled after wonderful readers who are members of my Explorers team. Writing them in is a singularly fun experience!

What is your writing process?

It’s recently changed, since our lives have been turned completely upside down over the past year and a half. I always have multiple projects going at once, usually with very different tones or genres. I draft first by pantsing all the scenes I’m inspired to write. I never force myself to work chronologically until I embark on revisions.

My day job’s schedule is fickle and tough, and so my writing has to be scheduled in too, or it falls by the wayside. Typically I aim for a thousand words a day average in whatever project I’m most inspired for that day (unless, of course, the dreaded deadlines are looming!)

Has your writing changed/ evolved over the years?

I would hope so! But in all seriousness, it certainly has. Each project I tackle hones my skills and I am always looking for a new tool to add to my kit. I mentioned earlier that my process has recently changed--I was a heavy outliner for a few years, but I felt that it was hindering my writing--there is a lot of great writing advice out there but I wholly believe you have to nd a system that works for you.

Since I switched my process up and jettisoned some bad advice I’ve found that my voice is much stronger. I’ve also learned that one of the bene ts to being a hybrid or indie author is you can bend some of the rules. Lately I’ve been having a lot of fun playing with style and format as a way to enhance the story’s power..

How does you work stand out from others in similar genres?

I have a bit of an eclectic style--my science ction has a very different tone from my

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fantasy--but in all my writing I languish in the language I use. I enjoy playing with alliteration and rhythm. I also center imperfect protagonists who are often disabled or queer. While stories of “overcoming” those identities are popular, I prefer to focus on the casually queer or disabled person--we are just as complicated, human, and imperfect as our able, cis, straight counterparts and just as capable of happy endings, titanic powers, and saving the world.

How important is it to you to include diverse characters in your writing?

Well, I may have already waxed poetic on this, but it’s imperative. Part of the beauty of working in speculative genres is we have the unique opportunity to craft worlds from scratch.

This means we can build worlds we want to see, worlds we fear or hope ours will become. It wasn’t until I was well through middle school that I rst saw a character that looked a bit like me on the cover of a book and as someone who never t in (and still doesn’t) it changed my life to see I could be a protagonist. A person like me could be more than a sidekick or the butt of a joke. Additionally, when others only see us painted in certain ways, those stereotypes become how we’re expected to be, which can literally become an issue of life or death. Our world misses out on some truly incredible voices when we spread the message that only some deserve to be heard.

Are there messages to be found within your novels that you hope readers grasp on to? What might they be?

I weave a lot of my philosophy on life into my work, and I always am thrilled when a reader picks up some of what I’m putting down. Honestly, though, I hope my readers nd something that helps. I hope they nd people loving in the hard, complicated ways so many of us do, and surviving. I hope they nd the faith and kindness I choose to see in humanity. I hope they nd bad puns and moments of stillness.

To my readers: all of my books are love letters, whether to goodbyes, death, humanity, or science, but foremost, all of them are love letters to you.

TOPShelf Interviews What are the advantages and challenges of writing a series?

I have room to stretch my legs! I enjoy the journey of a story, and I’m a big fan of slow-burning ction and subtly. Writing a series, for me, gives me the space to do that, and really dig into the weird internal worlds of my characters in a way I might not normally.

While I have dallied frequently in short ction, to date only one of my fulllength works-in-progress has been a standalone--despite the fact that they all started out that way! One of the big challenges is keeping everything straight. While I’m fairly organized, keeping track of side characters and seasons and time when working with a large scope can be pretty challenging. Having completed the rst arc in my Blood of Titan’s world last summer, with Blood and Mercy, however, I can say with con dence it is one of the most rewarding feelings!

Can you tell us a bit about the character of Dr. Nel Bently? How has she grown/ changed over the course of several books?

Nel is a delight to write. I joke she gets to say all the things I can’t and that’s partially true. She’s angry and grumpy and a commitment phobe, but over the course of the books both I and my readers have watched her nd out why she’s angry, and what to do with it, how to channel it. We’ve watched her fall in love, both with a strange, equally complex woman, and with where she came from. A lot of the advice she receives from those around her are things I’ve heard that resonated with me-particularly when her therapist (who is inspired by a very dear physiologist friend of mine) tells her that anger is smoke, and fear is the re…

Interview provided by:

Award-winning Canadian authors, Jenna Greene (YA Fantasy) and Miranda Oh (Contemporary Chick lit) pair up to provide you with engaging interviews with authors from all genres to give you a sneak peak into their lives and writing styles.

Read our interview with V.S. Holmes at:

www.TopShelfMagazine.net

TOPShelf

www.TopShelfMagazine.net

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Are there elements of your non-writing life in your books?

April 2021

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TOPShelf Discoveries

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REMINDER This is an interactive magazine. Click on a book cover to learn more or to purchase.

Award Winning Historical TimeTravel Romance "...engaging novel, Storm at Keizer Manor will sweep you up in the storm of Annet's and Forrest's lives and command your emotions. It's a jewel for romantics to treasure. Like a fabulous meal lingers on your tongue, this story remains with you to mull over and savor in quiet moments."

Romantic Thriller

Award Winning Romantic Suspense

"Dark, haunting, and heartbreaking, and I simply couldn't put it down. 5 darks stars from me."

"...learning to trust your heart after a painful betrayal."

~ Laura D. Child, Tirza's Bookstore

~ Laura Taylor - 6-Time Romantic Times Award Winner

~ Fiction Ebook Review

www.ramcydiek.com www.TopShelfMagazine.net

TOPShelf magazine

OCTOBER2017 15

What is the most difficult part of your craft?

The first draft. I have OCD, and it’s very hard for me to enter into the phase of absolute mayhem and chaos—not just in my manuscript, but life, as appointments, bills, and social obligations fall by the wayside.

What is the biggest surprise you’ve encountered after becoming a published author?

The bonds you forge with your readers, and the privilege of being a part of their lives—lives they often share with me in person or in letters. I’m blown away every time someone writes

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NY TIMES BESTSELLING AUTHOR, TOSCA LEE

to me to say that they read one of my books while recovering from an illness, going through a divorce while caring for an ailing parent—or just relaxing. We all need healthy relief from the rigors of this world and it is my great joy to provide that and join them in those moments.

Please tell us a little about the real Tosca Lee, something you haven’t shared before.

I’m a big geek-nerd—always have been. I grew up on the Isis/ Shazam Power Hour, Justice League, Wonder Woman, and Thundarr the Barbarian. When I was a kid, I honestly believed Luke Skywalker was coming for me in his landspeeder. I remember basically feeling like a hostage on this family road trip, looking out the window toward the horizon and thinking, “aaaaany minute now…”

Read our interview with Tosca Lee at:

www.TopShelfMagazine.net

AS A FLEDGING WRITER I wrote by the seat of my pants. A pantser. Every night before bed, I would handwrite a few pages in a notebook, a love story set in the far future where we’d messed up Earth so badly it had become a conservation zone.

From what I’ve found, the term pantser came from National Novel Writing Month, or NaNoWriMo. It’s appropriate then, that the first time I sat down and decided to write a manuscript from start to finish was during NaNoWriMo one November years ago.

I’ve heard there are those who are “true” pantsers, those who write without any idea of what they want to write about.

That wasn’t me, no. I definitely had the shape of a story in my head before I set out to write it (usually the beginning and the end), I just never put pen to paper outlining which event would lead to the next, in any chronological fashion beforehand.

That first story will always have a place in my heart. Not only because I loved the romance between two people of warring cultures, but because the story grabbed me so tight I wasn’t happy until I wrote what came next—even if I had no clue what that event would be.

Fast forward several years and several manuscripts later. My writing had become technically stronger. But I’d also learned that without a plan, I often had to rewrite whole sections of a book, not realizing I needed to include something in the beginning until I reached the end. That amount of rewriting became frustrating.

Besides that, there was something

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by J.E. McDonald

to be the best possible time for me to listen.

Maybe if I’d heard the same words two years earlier, I wouldn’t have understood them in the same way.

The plot must be driven by the characters. The story must come from the characters. Every choice they make, every action they perform, needs to come from somewhere, some point of origin that makes them behave the way they do. Just as we, in real life, are victims of repeating the same patterns for reasons that have been ingrained in us since childhood, so are our characters.

Ironically, the pantser in me began to flourish once more. In backstory. This is where I let my imagination run wild. This is where I don’t worry about what comes next, instead immersing myself in the scene, using as much vivid detail as I can muster. I write scene after scene for my main characters (and even secondary ones where it’s called for), depicting past events, pivotal moments in their lives, searching for those things called “emotional wounds” or “misbeliefs.” And when I find them, I can understand what pushes them onward, where the plot comes from.

Not only do I allow myself this pantser freedom in backstory, but I allow myself to fall down the rabbit holes of research during this planning stage. What I once thought of as constraining becomes freeing. My research takes me to places I never fathomed, enriching my stories in more ways than I can count.

Read the complete article, here.

J.E. McDonald was born and raised in Saskatchewan, Canada, The Land of the Living Skies. As a child, she was either searching the clouds for identi able shapes, or star-gazing way past her bedtime. She cut her teeth watching Star Trek, James Bond movies, and reading the Harlequin novels her mother left in the bathroom—which resulted in an extremely skewed sense of sex education by age eleven. All of these factors contribute to her love of writing paranormal romance, romantic suspense, and far-future romance. J.E. resides in Saskatchewan with her husband and three daughters and drinks way too much coffee.

Read more articles like this one at www.TopShelfMagazine.net

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A PANTSER BY ANY OTHER NAME

fundamentally missing from the stories I wrote. I could acknowledge the lack, but I had no idea how to fix it.

Cue the writing groups.

One of the best resources for writers is to connect with other writers. I joined as many local writing groups as I could, and in doing so exposed myself to many different writing styles and techniques.

There were those who wrote over a hundred thousand words of outline spanning three books without writing a single word of the actual manuscript.

There were those who hand-wrote in notebooks like how I had started. There were those who only wrote short stories and those who wrote epic fantasies. By mingling with such a cross-section, I discovered there was no right or wrong way to approach a story. Even then, I continued to feel like I lacked something in my own writing.

In seeing how others worked, I thought perhaps I should take a crack at this mystical thing I’d heard of called “plotting.”

I began to write pages of what I knew would happen in the story and then I’d go back over those pages to fill in the blanks. I kept up with this process until the shape of an entire manuscript took the form of an outline. The plot existed. When I sat down to write the actual story itself, I did so knowing what would happen next and found I enjoyed it. It allowed me enough wiggle room to discover new and interesting things about the work while moving on to the next plot point. I’d feared some magic would be lost in the process.

Luckily, in understanding what came next and leaving wiggle room to be imaginative, this new method became fundamentally freeing.

It still wasn’t enough.

So the pantser thing hadn’t worked, and the plotter thing didn’t fill all the gaps I could still see in my narrative. I wanted to create the kind of stories I enjoyed, the addictive ones so many of my favorite authors seemed to create effortlessly. (I know now none of it is effortless.) I continued to write, to try to make my work better, but could never find that elusive thing I searched for. No matter how many critique partners and beta readers I hoped would shed light on the issue, it never appeared.

It all came down to character.

My “Ah ha!” moment came in the form of a three-hour workshop at a Romance Writers of America conference.

It felt like the whole workshop had been created specifically for the problem I could see in my work. I sat there dumbfounded (and a little embarrassed to be honest) that I hadn’t seen it before. I’m still unsure if it was what presenter said or if it happened

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Being an active spelunker and scuba diver, have you ever written any of your own personal adventures or experiences into one of your books?

All the time. My first novel, Subterranean, takes place almost entirely underground, leaning on my past hobby as a caver. My love of scuba diving gave rise to my third novel Deep Fathom, which deals with a marine salvage operation and the mayhem that follows when Air Force One crashes into the Pacific. I still love to travel, to explore off the beaten track. Some of my adventures (and misadventures) along the way were used in various novels over the years.

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NY TIMES BESTSELLING AUTHOR, JAMES ROLLINS

What is one thing you wish you had known as a budding writer that you could share with other authors?

I’ve never had any formal training in writing, so for the longest time, I convinced myself that it would be impossible for me to ever get a book published. I read a lot…and I mean a LOT. And that instilled the desire to one day try my hand at writing, but again that earlier doubt competed with that desire to actually pick up pen and paper. But as I continued to read, it whetted that appetite to write, enough for me to finally squash that doubt. So if I had to share one wish: If you want to write —then write. It’s that simple.

Read our interview with James Rollins at:

www.TopShelfMagazine.net

always held a special place in my heart. When I was younger, they were me, both the good and bad, and in their pages I learned how to move ahead despite the difficulties I was facing. After all, I thought, if a character could fight vampires, or save the world from evil sorcerers wielding magical objects, how could I not make it through a regular high school Monday?

Now, even though I’m no longer dealing with the usual teen struggles and the sun has passed me far more times than any young hero or heroine, and I’ve created a few YA readers of my own, I still love reading a good YA book, preferably one with magic and mystery. Why is that?

I think the reason YA still appeals so strongly to me is because it takes me back to the same feelings, and in some ways, helps me relive those “glory days”.

While I can’t say I’ve ever experienced anything as exciting as the books I’ve read, I do remember every story that touched me and made me think, from those about the alien civilizations, secret stashes of Spanish doubloons, and even hidden caves I explored with Tom Sawyer and friends. While I

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WHY YA?

by H.M Gooden

teen years, is one where we simultaneously feel we will live forever, can achieve anything, and yet at the same time we are certain our life is over when our crush doesn’t know we are alive.

So, in essence, YA is about possibilities. YA is about feeling the emotions adults aren’t supposed to feel, have, or dream about. It’s about learning, change, and wide horizons. And the best, most wellknown secret about reading is this — we can always fall back into a great story. When that happens, we get to live vicariously anyway we want to. When you are forever sixteen, the possibilities are endless. What are you waiting for?

The books are calling, and it’s time to answer.

H.M. Gooden is a full time worker bee, mother and writer by the wee hours of the day. She would write all the time if she had her way, but alas, life and family come rst.

Somewhere in the last few years she’s managed to carve out just enough to write the trilogy that has spawned it all, based on a recurring dream she’s had since her teens.

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COMING OF AGE STORIES HAVE

may have grown up on a farm outside a quiet town, I can live vicariously through another MC struggling with situations in a city or another planet.

A good YA novel also makes us root for the main character in a way that we wouldn’t for a character who is supposed to be older and wiser. It’s like, “Of course they are having a tough time—they’ve never done this before, it’s all new.”

Coming of age stories appeal to all age groups because we all continually experience new situations throughout our lives, whether we want to or not. But we allow our YA hero(ines) to be angry, petulant, dramatic, and completely overreact the range of emotions without tossing the book aside in disgust because they aren’t an adult. We expect our adult characters to be the better, cleaned up version of who we want to be.

YA characters get to be us, flaws and goals naked to the world.

YA characters are also allowed to grow and change in a way that would seem ludicrous or ingenious in an adult character. (AKA, the ol’ a leopard never changes its spots) Change is fine for someone just beginning to learn who they are.

They are allowed to go into a new situation wide-eyed without seeming fake, and do unexplainable, miraculous things.

That time in our lives, the later

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Catriona Masterton's ancé, Ethan, is Normal He plans trips six months in advance and arrives at the airport a minimum of three hours early. He purchases life insurance, luggage insurance, and always opts for the extended warranty. He's responsible, reliable, and would make any woman a wonderful life partner. In other words, he's the exact opposite of the Masterton clan. Cat's mother has a kitchen gadget fetish…

Two years have passed since humankind faced extinction ...

Two cousins are leaving the protection of their underground bunker for the rst time, after a cataclysmic war and unrelenting disease ravaged the earth. On the other side of North America, a young survivalist is leaving the seclusion of his cabin deep in the woods, traveling with his aging canine companion, Winston. For individual reasons, these men are traveling east, where the fragmented lives of a small number of survivors will soon be decided by the choices of a corrupt few…

Genre: Romantic Comedy Price: $14.95

Genre: Dystopian Fiction Price: $16.99

Spring is in the air, and Snowman Paul sets his sights on winning the Big Easter Egg Painting Contest. He nds the perfect egg for the occasion, but Miss Hen is not ready to cooperate! Can Snowman Paul convince Miss Hen to entrust him with her precious egg? And are Paul’s painting skills good enough to win this highly competitive Easter Egg contest?

Forget everything you ever thought was real…

What if... our entire history from the biblical Garden of Eden until now, is due to a love/hate relationship between two ancient gods named Apollonia and Artemis? When they're in love... peace reigns across the world. When they're in con ict... chaos and calamities are commonplace. From the dawn of mankind... through America's Civil War and into the distant future, these gods in uenced and shaped our world. And then came the Great Rapture... and Sky Parlor was created.

Genre: Children’s Price: $9.99

Genre: Science Fiction Price: $20.50

Bryan Pierce is an internationally famous artist, whose paintings have dazzled the world. But there's a secret to Bryan's success: Every canvas is inspired by an unusually vivid dream.

Bryan believes these dreams are really recollections ―possibly even flashback from another life―and he has always hoped that his art will lead him to an answer. And when he meets Linz Jacobs, a neurogenticist who recognizes a recurring childhood nightmare in one Bryan's paintings, he is convinced she holds the key.

The best dreams are those that come from the heart.

Genre: Time Travel Romance Price: $17.00

Genre: Rural Life Humor Price: $14.99

Days before he must ship out to prepare for a dangerous mission in the Pacific, Lieutenant Zane West crosses Oregon to see a good friend who has been wounded in action. He arrives at the veteran’s hospital, only to discover the army captain has disappeared without a trace. As Zane searches for answers, he finds himself captivated by a beautiful and spunky nurse who offers her help.

Is she the key to his future, or an unwelcome distraction from his important wartime mission?

REMINDER This is an interactive magazine. Click on a book cover to learn more or to purchase.

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TOPShelf Spotlights

Take a trip through the imaginations of 18 visionary writers as they explore the future of trucking in this new science ction anthology! From the back cover: An alien fuel additive shows just how fast a big rig can go... A disembodied driver wages war on self-driving trucks... A haul through time takes an unexpected turn... Reality shatters for a trucker using an experimental delivery device...

Stargazing gives an overweight driver a new lease on life... A young girl risks her life to hitch a ride out of an apocalyptic wasteland…

Strap in, turn down the lights, and enter worlds that will stretch your imagination to the full…

Genre: Science Fiction Anthology Price: $14.99

Genre: Science Fiction Price: $19.95

Police o cers, re ghters, paramedics, and military members all see the innermost of our dark and fallen world.

Jonathan Hickory gives us a veteran police o cer's intimate perspective into the struggle that many of our heroes battle in their hearts. Drowning in the depths of depression and sadness, burning with anger, and chained down by alcoholism, Jonathan couldn't do any more.

After the death of his father as a young boy, facing countless horri c death scenes in the line of duty…

In a world so full of lonely people and broken hearts, Chris Hawkins, a black sound engineer from Chicago’s south side, and Sidonie Frame―white, suburbanraised, the head manager of one of the city’s most elite venues―meet by work-related happenstance and fall quickly in love, convinced that by that act alone they can inspire peace, joy, and happiness in the world around them. The world, however, has other ideas…

Genre: Law Enforcement Biography Price: $15.95

Genre: Family Life Fiction Price: $16.95

Young readers will love the legend of the great American aviator, Chuck Yeager, who grew up from humble beginnings to become the first person to fly a plane faster than the speed of sound. This beautifully illustrated book shows scenes of Chuck as a boy in rural West Virginia, describes his wild flights as a test pilot in the U. S. Air Force, and recounts the terrifying bumping and rattling flights as he neared the "sound barrier." The book presents a chapter on what the sound barrier is and why it is so dangerous…

Be like the eagle in flight that soars above the troubles of the world. Insecure librarian Emma gets swept up into the high-stakes world of politics and marries in haste. Disillusioned by her new husband Jesse, she embarks on a cross-country journey to find an old acquaintance. Will Emma and Jesse’s temporary separation clear the distance between them, or will she find love in the arms of another man?

Genre: Children’s Historical Biography Price: $10.80

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TOPShelf Spotlights From a stranded alien comedian to the darkest depths of the human psyche; from a mindblowing galactic adventure to clandestine extraterrestrial behavior on Earth. They’re all here in this spell-binding collection of short stories to keep you guessing at every turn. With tales of alien invasion, deep space mystery, time travel, and dystopian future Earths, this is a collection which takes inspiration from the much respected ‘old masters’ of Science Fiction.

Genre: Romantic Suspense Price: $14.99

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Do you read books at a certain time of the day and what was the last book that kept you up all night because you couldn't put it down?

Have you ever been part of a writers workshop or group? Was it helpful? Or a waste of time? Any advice for people looking to start or join one?

Wow, great question! I read mostly at night, when I travel, and before I start writing myself. In terms of the last book that kept me awake, I'd have to go with DOCTOR SLEEP, Stephen King's brilliant and long-awaited sequel to THE SHINING. It was literally chilling and I couldn't put it down.

Who is your favorite book character?

James Bond because of his influence on me, Jack Reacher because he is the closest thing to iconic, and Dave Robicheaux

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USA TODAY BESTSELLING AUTHOR, JON LAND

because no one is more flawed and heroic at the same time.

Is there ever a time when a new story isn’t playing out in your mind?

Yes, when I'm busy, or obsessed, with ones I'm working on at the time. The ability to focus is part of the discipline that separate the amateur writer from the professional.

I love speaking at conferences, moderating panels, and discussing the business and the industry. I am not at all, in any way, shape, or form, a creature of workshops. Just not for me.

But every writer's different and others have to find what works for them, not what works for me.

Read our interview with Jon Land at:

www.TopShelfMagazine.net

TOPShelf Reviews

Thriller Thriller

Paperback

$9.99

A MASTERFULLY WRITTEN SUSPENSE THRILLER! As one reads Au79, you wonder how much of the plot and characters came from actual events while author, Anita Dickason, was a patrol officer with the Dallas PD? Great chase scenes and edgeof-the-seat situations, along with surprising twists and turns, thrown in for good measure make this book a real keeper. The plot is tight, exciting, and fast.

If you are a fan of detective stories, you will thoroughly enjoy this novel. The characters are relatable and the events, plausible, as the characters work to unravel why people are ending up dead, while at the same time trying to find out what has happened to a missing detective.

Strong female characters portrayed in a genre that tends towards male protagonists is an excellent addition to an already fantastic book. As mentioned in the back of the book, the author's infatuation with ancient myths and legends of Native American Indians, and Scottish and Irish folklore adds a touch of paranormal for the backdrop of the characters. My only criticism is the number of characters, which are listed at the beginning of the book. Apart from that, a masterfully written suspense thriller!

Paperback

$9.49

Supernatural

Hardcover

$25.99

A STYLISTIC DEPARTURE PITCH-PERFECT PLOTTING SEASONED WITH EXPERIENCE! FOR JON LAND THAT WAS WELL WORTH THE RISK! Speaking of putting his military experience to good use, retired Brigadier General Anthony Tata goes where few thriller writers dare to go in the bracing Besieged, imagining a series of terrorist attacks against so-called soft targets. This stunner of a tale pits series hero Jake Mahegan, formerly of Delta Force, against enemies from both abroad and at home as he races to nd the perpetrators of an attack launched in a school before the entire United States ends up hostage to the whims of whack jobs. The set-up is pure gold and only platinum follows from there as Mahegan traces a serpentine path to the truth that winds through his own past as well. Military types are no stranger to the page. But the likes of Anthony Tata are now lending readers not only their expertise but also their mastery as storytellers. Besieged serves up pitch-perfect plotting sharply seasoned by actual experience, propelling Tata to a literary station that matches his military rank.

It's the end of days. Death spreads across the land, coming from the Middle East––an epidemic of biblical proportions––crossing science and superstition, and only one man has the power to save the world… or destroy it. Max Younger, a Navy SEAL with the nickname 'Pope' for his ability to survive anything, finds himself face to face with his tragic past––a mystery that goes far deeper than his father's death and the scandal surrounding it. Trapped by a sinister plot, a biblical apocalypse upon the world, Max must choose. Save the world, or embrace the Dark Light. DARK LIGHT: DAWN is a masterfully plotted labyrinth of mystery and suspense, packed with staggering twists and turns, rocketing toward a cataclysmic denouement that will blow your mind! ~Kris Miller, TopShelf Review

~Jon Land, TopShelf Review

~Michael Rowland, TopShelf Reviews

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#1 BESTSELLING AUTHOR, R.L. STINE You have this fantastic writing program for teachers and librarians.

Could you please take a moment to explain a little about the program?

This is a 16-page writing program with all my writing tips and secrets. It can be downloaded from rlstine.com for free and used in classrooms or by anyone who thinks it might be useful. Some of the questions covered: How to get ideas? How to avoid writer’s block? How to revise? There are many writing projects for students included. I hope a lot of people try it out.

People think if you’re a horror writer, your whole life involves horror. I think many would be surprised to know that I have a subscription to the Metropolitan Opera and also am a big ballet and theater fan. You can’t be scary ALL the time!

Of all the series you’ve created which has been your personal favorite to write?

Goosebumps. Because the 7-12-year-old audience is the best audience in the world. I get my readers the last time in their lives they will ever be enthusiastic about an author.

Read our interview with R.L. Stine at:

www.TopShelfMagazine.net

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You’re so well known and beloved around the world. What would you like our readers to know about you that perhaps isn’t so well known?

TOPShelf Reviews

Mystery & Suspense

Paperback

$11.99

Sci-Fy

Paperback

$10.99

Mystery

Paperback

$15.99

A BOOK ABOUT FAITH, LOVE, A SAVAGE THRILL-RIDE THAT BRILLIANTLY ENTHRALLING… THROUGH TO ITS PERFECTLY GHOSTS OF THE PAST, AND THE KEPT MY HEART PUMPING! POWER OF TRUE FORGIVENESS. Stacey Rourke’s APOCALYPSE FIVE is a SATISFYING CLIMAX. No Pit So Deep: The Cody Musket Story is a book about faith, love, ghosts of the past, and forgiveness. Inspired by real people and actual events, the fictional tale of Cody Musket is one readers won't be able to put down. Cody is a hero, both in war and in civilian life. He bears demons, horrors from his past, never understanding God's grace until he’s forced to confront the nightmares that torment him. A chance encounter starts him down the path of healing the emotional wounds that threaten to destroy his future. Packed with deep, likable characters, a well-developed plot, and a rst-hand view of the terrors of war and the personal struggles with post-traumatic stress disorder, No Pit So Deep delivers a clean, thought provoking love story that won't be easily forgotten. There are some pacing issues, which rob it of a 5-star rating. However, I believe the characters and plot save this book. TopShelf Magazine looks forward to the second book in the series and begs the question... why is this book not available in print? ~Julie Gerber, TopShelf Reviews

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~James Rollins, #1 New York Times

bestselling author

Ruler of the Night is set in Victorian England during the Crimean War in 1855. A respected gentleman is brutally murdered on a passenger train, creating a frenzy of fear among travelers embarking on this new mode of transportation. In the adjacent compartment are Thomas De Quincey, a brilliant author famous for writing about his addiction to opiates, and his twenty-two-year-old daughter, Emily, who serves as his caregiver. Together with two Scotland Yard detectives, they seek to solve the murder but become immersed in a much deeper plot involving the Prime Minister, members of London’s high society, a German doctor accused of killing Czar Nicholas of Russia, and a water-cure clinic on the outskirts of London that panders to the wealthy. Morrell’s extensive research into the life and times of Thomas De Quincey brings this unusual man and his feisty daughter to life.

De Quincey uses logic and clues in ways not common to police of the time, and his daughter’s knowledge of medicine gives them additional insights. Morrell vividly portrays the oddities and attitudes of the period, transporting readers to smoky Victorian London with all its grit, smells, and discomforts alongside the haughty opulence of its upper class. ~Rosemary Fifield, TopShelf Review

www.TopShelfMagazine.net

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savage thrill-ride that kept my heart pumping through every twist and turn.

Imagine The Hunger Games set aboard a starship. And if you are an avid gamer (like me), this is like the best rst-person shooter in book form. I’m ready for the sequel.

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If you could walk into any bookstore with the ability to merchandise your book the way you want, how would you ensure that your book is in the spotlight?

First of all, we’d reverse alphabetical order, so I’d be at the top of the shelf instead of down at ankle level. People used to ask me if Brad Thor was a pen name? I’d say, come on, if I were going to pick a pen name I’d pick something between Clancy and Coulter so I would be racked at eye level. Joking aside, we do a lot of this with the publisher. There is a co-op fund that gets spent at

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NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLING AUTHOR, BRAD THOR

bookstores. Everything important is to be on the front new releases table or the New York Times bestseller shelf, once your book hits the list. That's all important stuff. You want to stand out, and I think it's probably more important now than ever. It's important to be in any part of the store where your book can face out. In fact, one thing I have asked my publisher to start doing is to place a band on the spine that says #1 New York Times Best Seller. So if you get racked, you can still see the spine and say, Oh wow ok! This guy a #1 New York Times bestselling author. It's important. I'm reminded of a great thriller author, Vince Flynn, who passed away several years ago, worked for Kraft Foods setting up end caps at grocery stores and places like that. He used to talk about the importance of having your product some place that catches people's eye and so end caps are another place.

Read our interview with Brad Thor at:

www.TopShelfMagazine.net

TOPShelf Reviews

History

Paperback

$19.95

Thriller

Paperback

$9.49

Thriller

Paperback

$7.99

AN EDGE-OF-YOUR-SEAT GREAT BOOK! RIVETING, A ROARING THRILL-RIDE! RELENTLESS, AND IMPOSSIBLE JON LAND’S WRITING STYLE CRIME THRILLER… WHAT DARK SECRETS IS THE GIRL IS IMMACULATE. TO PUT DOWN! Sometimes truth is not only stranger than fiction, it's also more captivating, alluring, and thought-provoking. Shot Down, Steve Snyder's gut-wrenching World War II chronicle of his father's plane being shot down over enemy territory, and the struggle for survival that follows, proves that and more. This is not only a superb nonfiction narrative, it's also a testament to the endearing power of the human spirit and force of will. Riveting, relentless, and impossible to put down. ~Jon Land, TopShelf Reviews

A roaring thrill-ride spanning over a century of Strong family history in law enforcement.

Land's latest addition to his captivating Caitlin Strong series, Strong Cold Dead seesaws through the annals of Texas Ranger history and a maze of mysterious murders connected through time.

Something unthinkable happened over a hundred years ago near the Native American reservation, and a Texas ranger named Jack Strong was there to investigate.

Today, something similar is happening, and Strong’s ve-time great-granddaughter is there to take on his role. Caitlin Strong’s unconventional approach to Texas justice is as much a part of her as it is the land she protects. Ingrained with her family's own brand of bravery and bull-headedness, she dives head rst into trouble, guns blazing.

Only today, Caitlin is confronted by a new breed of terror, hellbent on destroying far more than just land. Jon Land jumps between the grittiness of the Old West to the hot intensity of our modern age with ease, and his writing style is immaculate. Strong Cold Dead is like a speeding freight train, packed with a variety of compelling characters, hurtling toward a destination that will forever change their world.

IN THE ICE HIDING?

The Girl in the Ice is an edge-of-your-seat crime thriller set in London where the body of a beautiful young socialite has been discovered beneath the ice of a pond.

Detective Erika Foster enters the case carrying plenty of her own baggage and her in-your-face attitude gets her into more than enough trouble with commanding of cers, and basically anyone she comes in contact with. The never-stop pacing will reel you in and grip you tight, and the ending will absolutely blow your mind. The Girl in the Ice is the rst in a three-part series. Erika Foster is a character I believe readers will enjoy, and Bryndza’s writing is a treat. ~Rosemary Fifield, TopShelf Reviews

~Carole P. Roman, TopShelf Reviews

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This crime/mystery from award winning author Peter S. Rush is the riveting story of Tommy Logan, a small time pot dealer, who is swept into the international smuggling scene by the cunning con man Harry Burr. Trying to extricate himself and his girl friend Sandy, he finds himself confronted

by the dilemma of saving Sandy or himself.

Genre: Teen & YA Action & Adventure Price: $16.99

While Forrest goes to college, quick witted Annet works at the Keizer Manor, the museum where the oils from 19th century master painter Alexander Keizer are exhibited.After a ght, the couple strolls through the dunes to make up. When dark clouds roll in, the beautiful sunny weather turns into a thunderstorm so violent that they get separated.The next morning, Forrest nds himself alone. So does Annet.

Regaining consciousness in a monastery, Annet is convinced the nuns are playing a prank on her. It can't be the 1800’s!

She has zero friends . . . and is wary of men, living life as a recluse.His only friend is 90 and when she dies, he’s adrift.Can a dyslexic actor and a shy singersongwriter nd happiness together? Famous from the time she was fourteen, she lands the cover of Sports Illustrated to cap off her modeling career. Leaving the fashion world behind, she follows her dream of becoming a singer-songwriter. Thanks to an ex-boyfriend’s vicious attack on her, London becomes a recluse who turns out hits but never tours—and can’t trust a man. Her life changes course when she encounters a screenwriter…

Genre: Romantic Suspense Price: $10.99

Feminine energy has been used for centuries to heal the soul. It is a conduit for self-love to return back into your life and heal you through intuitive alignment. This book is a collection of intention-based poetry and prose that will align you with your own self-healing superpowers. By intuitively resonating with the nurturing qualities of the feminine psyche, you will be able to recalibrate your mind, body and soul back into a nourishing state of wholeness, from which even the deepest wounds can be healed.

Fifteen-year-old Matt Mitchell was having the worst summer imaginable. His misery started when his mother died in a senseless car accident. Unable to remain in the family's memoryfilled seaside cottage, Matt's grieving father moved Matt and his twin sister as far as possible from the ocean they loved. But their relocation to the small town of Hawthorne, Indiana only made Matt's life more difficult. Three bullies at his new high school dedicated themselves to making him miserable….

Genre: Poetry Price: $9.99

Genre: Teen & YA Fantasy Price: $16.99

REMINDER This is an interactive magazine. Click on a book cover to learn more or to purchase.

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Liz, Max, Nigel and Clarie sail for the colony of Virginia to deliver a letter that will impact Liz's assigned human: Patrick Henry. Liz must help young Patrick nd his true purpose in life--to become the Voice of the Revolution. She begins her quest when he is a seven year-old boy who cares more about shing and exploring the forest in Virginia than about school. Her task will take time, as Patrick Henry will fail at everything he tries…

Genre: Crime Thriller Price: $15.96

Genre: Time Travel Romance Price: $9.99

TOPShelf Spotlights

The skein of Hank Jensen's fate seemed xed, riddled with pain, deceit, and loneliness. Two monsters wrapped in human esh took everything he cared about, warping his life's tapestry with a dark curse, abducting his family in the dead of night.

Compelled by love, Hank must follow them across a shimmering portal into an unknown land.

Unprepared for what awaits him there, he ounders…until he meets a gure straight out of Norse mythology who o ers to help. His quest is simple: overcome all the obstacles in his path—his disability, his lack of knowledge, demons, dragons, and dark vengeful gods. If he succeeds, the war will have just begun. If he fails, he will never see his wife or son again.

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The Alaska Territory, 1925.

When Yura Noongwook’s husband abandons her and her thirteenyear-old son, she vows to win him back and destroy the woman who stole his heart. They embark on an epic cross-country quest that leads them to the Nevada desert, where they meet a man who has turned into the last thing anyone expected him to become … David Gold. Reno, 1930. A Bible-school dropout known as the Pummelin’ Preacher. His boxing career is fading, just like his faith. But then a former call girl shows up, tells him about the rag-tag congregation she’s part of…

Genre: Horror Price: $20.99

Genre: Contemporary Christian Fiction Price: $14.95

After a harrowing battle with the demon, Baphomet and his cultists at the Waystation bar, Brooklyn-based adventurers Marc Abbott and Steven Van Patten attempt to regroup at a Bed-Stuy tea shop. As they gather their wits, the owners confide in them of strange goingson within their establishment. This quickly turns into more than anyone expected. Eventually, mystic archer Kirk Johnson is called in to help as a vengeful abomination leads them all down a path of supernatural violence…

Are you having a bad hair day?

Whip out your whisk, snatch up your spoon, and prepare your palate. Inside the pages of this cookbook are recipes that will bring you good cheer.Enjoy 160+ tasty recipes from Nancy J. Cohen’s popular Bad Hair Day cozy mystery series. Included in this cookbook are excerpts, cooking tips, and anecdotes written by hairstylist and savvy sleuth Marla Vail. From appetizers to desserts, Marla o ers cooking tips and tricks along with commentary about the dishes she prepares for her family.

Genre: Horror Price: $3.49 (Kindle)

Genre: Quick and Easy Cooking Price: $15.99

Angel on Assignment follows the angels from the first Christmas to Easter-- from the playground to bedtime and explores the ways guardian angels look out for boys and girls today. With beautiful illustrations and rhyming verse, award winning Angel on Assignment encourages children to act as angels in disguise for friends who may need help.

Set in the lawless town of Deadwood, South Dakota, Hour Glass shares an intimate look at the woman behind the legend of Calamity Jane told through the eyes of twelve-year-old Jimmy Glass. In a place where life is fragile and families are ripped apart by disease, death, and desperation, a surprising collection of Deadwood’s inhabitants surround Jimmy, Hour, and Jane.

There, in the most unexpected of places, they find a family protecting them from the uncertainty and chaos that surrounds them all.

Genre: Children’s Price: $17.99

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Genre: Coming of Age Fiction Price: $14.99

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With a pitch like “Outlander meets art”, which is perfect to describe this book, what made you want to write Time Travel Romance as the genre of your first novel?

I wanted to write a lighthearted novel and was actually inspired by the Back to the Future trilogy with Michael J. Fox. Outlander is more dramatic, with a lot of details. The quote “Outlander meets art” emphasizes that difference perfectly.

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2019 TOPSHELF BOOK AWARD WINNER, RAMCY DIEK

You’ve said that your inspiration for Storm at Keizer Manor came from Dunedam in the Netherlands. Can you give us a deeper insight into what specifically inspired this novel?

I was born and raised in the Netherlands, in a town close to the dunes that I call Dunedam in my novel. In the town’s square is an old pump where centuries ago, people used to get their drinking water. I always wondered what life would have been like in those days, without all the modern conveniences we’re so used to, and how we would adjust if we all of a sudden had to live like that. I think I would probably have the same struggles as Annet, my heroine. Wouldn’t you?

Read our interview with Ramcy Diek at:

www.TopShelfMagazine.net

With his career on thin ice and fresh ink on his divorce papers, Sacramento PD Detective Connor Parks goes searching for solace at the bottom of a bottle…and winds up in the arms of a beautiful woman. By morning she’s gone, and the one clue she left behind sends Connor on a desperate mission to unravel a decade-old mystery —her abduction. Presumed dead for the last ten years, Claire Fletcher has been living her life as “Lynn,” a woman in the terrifying grip of her captor. After her unforgettable night with Connor, Claire clings to the hope that she’ll see him again, that he’ll follow her into the dark…

In a section of Los Angeles near Dodger Stadium, two rival gangs rule the streets. For the Alvarado Street Diablos, it’s been a year since the murder of one of their closest members at the hands of their sworn enemy, the North Rampart Lobos. A drive-by killing in his honor is planned, but things go wrong and an innocent bystander is the victim. Several hours later the one who pulled the trigger suffers a horrifying death caused by something never before seen in its uniqueness. Many more such cases follow, but all of them involving only these two gangs among the hundreds throughout the city. And each death occurs at the same time of day.

Genre: Kidnapping Thriller Price: $15.95

Genre: Crime Thriller Price: $15.99

Teddy is a dog in need of a new home after living at the animal shelter for so long. Lisa is on a quest to nd a home for Teddy.

When her plans to invite some friends over to meet the dog fail, she lets him stay at her house temporarily. but not forever.

Poor Teddy! Will he ever nd a family that will love him and make him their own?

On the highest point of an island, in a house clinging to the edge of a cli , live Mary Rose and Harold Grapes, a retired couple still mourning the death of their son thirty- ve years before.

Weighed down by decades of grief and memories, the Grapeses have never moved past the tragedy. Then, on the eve of eviction from the most beautiful and dangerously unstable perch in the area, they’re uprooted by a violent storm. The disbelieving Grapeses and their home take a free-fall slide into the whitecapped sea and oat away.

Genre: Children’s Price: $19.95

Genre: Family Life Fiction Price: $14.95

A late-night cry for help from a teenage girl puts Tony Harrington and his colleagues at a small-town newspaper onto the trail of a ring of human traffickers. The girl's description of the horrors she and others have endured fuels the determination of Tony and fellow journalist Madeline Mueller to find and stop the wicked people who are enslaving and abusing children.

When one of the young victims is found buried in a shallow grave close to home, the chase escalates to a fever pitch with county, state, and federal investigators joining in the hunt.

Skyla Overland is proud to work for Overland Insurance, the company founded by her grandfather. Besides one nervewracking insurance fraud case in the past, her sheltered life is uneventful and just the way she likes it. Until one day, everything changes... Skyla and Troy, the manager at Overland Insurance, are the last ones to leave the o ce. In the empty parking lot, Troy takes her in his arms. Why would he ruin their easy-going friendship by kissing her, especially since he knows she’s dating Edmond? Left alone, Skyla hurries to her car, puts on her seatbelt, and glances in her rearview mirror.The face of a stranger grins at her from the backseat.

Genre: Crime Thriller Price: $29.95

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Genre: Kidnapping Thriller Price: $14.99

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Please explain a little about the wonderful children’s books you’ve written and what prompted you to write them.

The series was born because I was tired of my daughter thinking that reality TV stars and people who were famous for being famous were heroes. I tell my kids all the time: That’s fame. Fame is different than being a hero. I wanted my kids to see real heroes…and real people no different than themselves.

We started with I AM AMELIA EARHART and I AM ABRAHAM LINCOLN. But each book tells the story of the hero when THEY were a kid. We see them as children. So it’s not just

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NY TIMES BESTSELLING AUTHOR, BRAD MELTZER

Amelia Earhart and Abraham Lincoln being famous — it’s them being just like us. We’ve since done everyone from Rosa Parks, Albert Einstein, Jackie Robinson, Lucille Ball, Helen Keller, Martin Luther King, Jr., Gandhi, George Washington, Jane Goodall, Sacagawea, Harriet Tubman…and next is I am Neil Armstrong, out in September. We all need heroes today.

there’s always that one question that you wish would get asked, but never does. Well, we’d love to hear about it!

How does it feel to invent jet packs for the entire world and bring the future to all? What’s next? Flying cars! Naturally.

Also, increasing teacher, librarian and bookseller pay. C’mon, how hard is that?

Read our interview with Brad Meltzer at:

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TOPShelf Reviews

Thriller

Paperback

$16.99

Thriller

Paperback

$9.99

Teen & YA

Paperback

$9.99

PROFOUNDLY ENTRANCING AND WELL-WRITTEN, CHILLING A GRIPPING, WELL-WRITTEN, FAST PACED! THRILLER, EXCELLENT BOOK! DARK MYSTERY! Shelby Truman and Eddie Newcott grew up on Chicory Lane, in the quiet town of Limite, Texas. The beautiful boy across the street was Shelby's constant in life; a best friend––sometimes more. Over the years, their lives took very different paths.

Shelby became an international bestselling romance author, while Eddie currently sits on death row, awaiting execution for a heinous murder. Days before his execution, Eddie requests a final visit from Shelby after years of silence. As Shelby returns to her hometown, she begins reflecting on their five-decade friendship, and the evil that permeated their lives in the summer of 1966. Taking you from the past, through to the present of Shelby and Eddie's friendship, Raymond Benson pulls at the heartstrings in this tragic tale. Peppered with nostalgia, love, heartbreak, and melancholy, the narrative is profoundly entrancing and fast-paced. Part mystery, part reflective coming-of-age, The Secrets of Chicory Lane ensnares readers in its dense web, refusing to let go, even long after its jawdropping conclusion.

A well-written, chilling thriller that I nished in one night. Jean Taylor got everything she wanted except a child of her own. The perfect man who supported and adored her, enabling her to have the life she desired.

She, in turn, is the perfect wife for him, dressing and acting the way he desires.When he is killed in an accident, her response is not one of a doting wife or even grieving widow. Layers are peeled back expertly revealing things were not quite as they seemed. Excellent book, way more believable than Gone Girl about a woman stuck in a situation leaving the reader to wonder if she was the victim or architect of her nightmare. ~Carole P. Roman, TopShelf Reviews

Unfolding is a gripping, well-written novel following Jonah, a high school misfit suffering from debilitating scoliosis and chronic epilepsy, and his secret love, Stormi, a beautiful young lady who was literally dropped on the town as an infant by a tornado. Stormi is unique. She senses things before they happen. This makes her suspect in the small town where she’s already considered unnatural. So when tragedy strikes, the townsfolk blame her.

Stormi turns to Jonah for help, and he finds himself swept into a dark mystery, hidden away by the town for years. Feel the dry, gritty heat of the southern sun, and experience the restless spirits of the town’s abandoned maximum security prison as Jonah unfolds the truth about the town of Gullary, Oklahoma. ~Rosemary Fifield, TopShelf Reviews

~Kris Miller, TopShelf Reviews

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Quill and Ink is a podcast for book lovers where hosts Miranda Oh and Jenna Greene take you behind the scenes to see how stories are created.

LISTEN ON:

We are proud to be part of the Authors on the Air Global Radio Network.

In this contemporary tale detailing a two-week trip that explores inter-country adoption from South Korea, twin sisters naively travel to their birth city of Seoul in search of their Korean family. Little incidents along the way serve as a catalyst which leads them into a worldwide modern-day adoptee-rights movement seeking truth and transparency. If you have ever thought about looking for your birth family or simply curious about adoption, grab this book and gain insight into what happened to other adoptees as they travel back to their motherland to look for long lost relatives during their trip to Seoul, South Korea.

Twenty-one years after fleeing Earth due to a genetic plague that decimated the population, the Galileo Colony Ship Kutanga arrives at Gaia, an Earth-like world in the Alpha Centauri system. The ship carries the memories and DNA of 4,492 human survivors and Aneni, the ship’s AI commander, is on a mission to save them. But she has a problem —instead of finding an uninhabited world, devoid of intelligent life and ready to receive her precious cargo, she finds a planet populated by ten’s of millions of people…

Genre: International Adoption Price: $14.99

Genre: Science Fiction Price: $15.99

All passengers, please prepare for departure...An employee, a cop, and six passengers; a prisoner, a stowaway, and a madman.These are the people waiting at the Lawton bus terminal. Mostly late-night travelers who want nothing more than to get to their destinations, and employees who want nothing more than to get through the graveyard shift. But when a strange, otherworldly fog rolls in, the night changes to nightmare.

Because something hides in the fog. Something powerful.

Something strange. Something... inhuman…

Against an international landscape of power, a uence, and fear Truth Gives Strength to Wings, the creative memoir by child sex abuse prevention advocate, Katy Sudano, breathes life into the tormented soul of a young woman who de ed the odds and de ned what it means to dig deep for strength, passion, and love of life. Katy's refusal to allow the abuse of her past to interfere with an insatiable desire to nd happiness and break the vicious cycle of abandonment that nearly had destroyed her entire world, is a testament to her extraordinary determination.

Genre: Serial Killer Thriller Price: $8.99

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Genre: Memoir Price: $16.99

Th e ye a r i s 2 0 7 5 . Fo r m e r scientific visionary, Dr. Evan Feldman has just been restored to life after fifty-two years of nonexistence—and the world is nothing like he imagined it. The technology advancements he’d dreamt about are real, but they've resulted in global famine, a third world war, and the deaths of billions.

Worse yet, a mysterious plague has affected those that remain, and humanity is on the verge of extinction. The world's most powerful CEOs have a plan to save the human race, but they are going to have to break the law to do it…

What if you could time-travel back into the past to meet the man of your dreams for a steamy, fantasy romance at a time when it would be possible for him to fall in love with you? Susan does just that when she meets two ladies from Haiti while on a cruise with her childhood friend, Lynn. Mika, the elderly of the two ladies claims she can see into Susan’s soul, and that if she sends her back in time to meet James, the man who Susan has dreamed of for fifty years, Susan will learn something important about him and about herself.

Genre: Science Fiction Price: $15.99

Genre: Time Travel Romance Price: $.99 (Kindle)

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35

Paperback

$38.60

CIVILITY IS THE SOLUTION

Grady Harp is an Amazon Top 50 Reviewer and has collaborated with Creative Edge Media to provide quality book reviews. Creative Edge is a publicity rm specializing in arranging events such as book signings, library or school presentations, online and print media opportunities, and many other related events.

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Non-Fiction

Canadian author Lew (Lewena) Bayer is internationally recognized as the leading expert on Civility at Work in North America. Referencing a study that proves the majority of Americans believe that incivility is a critical factor in the increase in violence in the workplace as well as being the primary factor for dissatisfaction with a job. Careful examination of the causes of incivility in the workplace turns on a light bulb for all of us. The author knows the territory and discusses every aspect of how civility in business is the primary goal for a business to achieve success. ‘Civility is the solution.’ Following her erudite examination of workplace problems, the author offers an exceptionally wellconsidered method for applying civility in action in business, adding helpful Assignments for implementing her advice and a series of keys and tools the reader can incorporate into the full incorporation of her book’s content.

This is a book to absorb, not scan. Every reader will bene t from the wise guidance of this superb coach. ~Grady Harp

Sci-Fy

Paperback

$18.99

Sci-Fy

Paperback

$15.99

Fantasy

Paperback

$20.00

I WANT TO SEE YOUR WORLD USING SPECIAL POWERS TO HELP I WASN’T ABDUCTED BY ALIENS, - A PLUS FORTE MAGICAL OTHERS - THE COMPLICATIONS OF I WAS SUMMONED BY A UNICORN! ONE FINE THRILLER! TIME TRAVEL ODYSSEY! A FULL MOON… WL Hawkin’s interest in prehistory, archeology, myths, and magic is evident in her Hollystone mysteries – Hollystone is the name of a coven of witches who use their wits and ritual magic to solve murders! Adding time travel to To Kill a King of that series makes this fourth volume irresistible - a ight of fancy built so solidly that the odyssey to Ireland of the Iron Age period becomes a credible adventure. She graciously supplies a glossary and pronunciation guide of terms and places to enhance the readers’ experience.

Hawkin writes with such uid prose that the stage upon which she places her magical tale becomes visual and near cinematic. Superb characters and a keen sense of history and mythology blend with romance in this involving galaxy of a novel.

~Grady Harp

In 2016 Mark Leslie introduced the primary character of his Canadian Werewolf Series, of which Fear And Longing In Los Angeles is Book 3, outlining him as ‘Michael Andrews seems to have it all. He's a successful author and a minor celebrity living in Manhattan. It's a pretty big step up from his humble Canadian upbringing. Of course, his lycanthropy poses a bit of a challenge.’ For those in doubt, a lycanthrope is a human with the ability to shape shift into a wolf – aka ‘werewolf.’ Mark adds that Michael Andrews is ‘a meek and mild-mannered person, not cut out for the hero life – an Alpha Wolf who is a Beta Human.’ Mark Leslie’s tongue-in-cheek wit shines through his tale, giving a bonding sense of pleasure in getting to know – and follow his central character through his antics. This is a gratifying story on many levels, one that deserves a wide audience. Highly recommended. ~Grady Harp

Canadian author Chris Humphreys (aka C.C. Humphreys) continues his magical Tapestry Trilogy with this second volume – The Hunt Of The Dragon. His ability to comfortably transport the reader in time travel, his exceptional mixture of fantasy and reality, is an aspect of his writing skills that is apparent as he adroitly paints time present, grounded in Manhattan, to enter Volume 2 as primary character Elayne enters on a new adventure, this time dealing with dragons as opposed to Volume 1’s unicorns, as she pursues her valiant attempt to save the land of Goliath. If Elayne is to have any hope of saving Goliath from destruction, she must bring back the unicorns. Summoned by a dragon, attacked by a griffin, betrayed by pirates, forced to fight—Elayne will need every ounce of courage to rescue her father, keep her best friend alive, and unite a realm … all while trying not to fall in love with the former tyrantking!’ Humphreys’ expansion of his fantasy allows characters from each volume to grow into our psyches – a guarantee the reader will eagerly await the final volume of The Tapestry Trilogy. Superb fantasy writing! ~Grady Harp

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