The Unraveling of America's Suburbs

"Astonishingly important.” —Alex Kotlowitz, The Atlantic
Through the stories of five American families, a masterful and timely exploration of how hope, history, and racial denial collide in the suburbs and their schools

Outside Atlanta, a middle-class Black family faces off with a school system seemingly bent on punishing their teenage son. North of Dallas, a conservative white family relocates to an affluent suburban enclave, but can’t escape the changes sweeping the country. On Chicago’s North Shore, a multiracial mom joins an ultraprogressive challenge to the town’s liberal status quo. In Compton, California, whose suburban roots are now barely recognizable, undocumented Hispanic parents place their gifted son’s future in the hands of educators at a remarkable elementary school. And outside Pittsburgh, a Black mother moves to the same street where author Benjamin Herold grew up, then confronts the destructive legacy left behind by white families like his.

Disillusioned braids these human stories together with penetrating local and national history to reveal a vicious cycle undermining the dreams upon which American suburbia was built. For generations, upwardly mobile white families have extracted opportunity from the nation’s heavily subsidized suburbs, then moved on before the bills for maintenance and repair came due, leaving the mostly Black and Brown families who followed to clean up the ensuing mess. But now, sweeping demographic shifts and the dawning realization that endless expansion is no longer feasible are disrupting this pattern, forcing everyday families to confront a truth their communities were designed to avoid: The suburban lifestyle dream is a Ponzi scheme whose unraveling threatens us all.

How do we come to terms with this troubled history? How do we build a future in which all children can thrive? Drawing upon his decorated career as an education journalist, Herold explores these pressing debates with expertise and perspective. Then, alongside Bethany Smith—the mother from his old neighborhood, who contributes a powerful epilogue to the book—he offers a hopeful path toward renewal. The result is nothing short of a journalistic masterpiece.

Benjamin Herold explores America’s beautiful and busted public education system. His award-winning beat reporting, feature writing, and investigative exposés have appeared in Education Week, PBS NewsHour, NPR, the Hechinger Report, Huffington Post, and the Public School Notebook. Herold has a master’s degree in urban education from Temple University in Philadelphia, where he lives with his family.

Does Your Stress Need Resetting?

A clinical psychologist gives us 75 quick, scientifically proven techniques and exercises to manage stress and build resilience.

Here’s a promise that could not be more timely or needed: You can dial down your stress in just a few minutes, with no ponderous meditations, medications, or martinis required. Written by Dr. Jennifer L. Taitz, a clinical psychologist who specializes in teaching mindfulness-based behavioral skills to manage intense emotions and situations, Stress Resets provides 75 scientifically proven ways to improve how you respond to stress, both in the moment and in the long run.

There are accessible yet powerful exercises like dipping your face in ice water to quiet your body and mind; adopting a half smile to change your mood from the outside in; singing your irrational negative thoughts to reduce their believability; building a hope kit so you can remind yourself of what’s possible in tough moments; and making a pie chart of your life to gain perspective. By incorporating these into your days, you can stop the cycle of obsessing, panicking, and avoiding and instead effectively approach what matters to you most. You’ll also find stress buffers designed to build your resilience so you can navigate whatever comes your way.

Through personal anecdotes, expert interviews, cutting-edge studies, and practical tips, you’ll learn how to manage your emotions instead of the other way around. Stress Resets will not only change how you view your stress but also give you the hope and confidence you need to reset and ultimately change how you feel.

Jennifer L. Taitz, Psy.D, ABPP is board certified in cognitive behavioral therapy by the American Board of Professional Psychology and a Diplomate in the Academy of Cognitive Therapy. Dr. Taitz is one of the first psychologists to merit Linehan Board Certification in DBT. Dr. Taitz is a licensed clinical psychologist in New York and California. She graduated Magna Cum Laude from New York University and earned her doctorate in clinical psychology from Yeshiva University’s program at the Albert Einstein School of Medicine in New York. Dr. Taitz completed fellowships at Yale University School of Medicine and at the American Institute for Cognitive Therapy. Dr. Taitz served as the director of the DBT program and as a senior supervising psychologist at the American Institute for Cognitive Therapy in New York for close to a decade prior to her recent move to Los Angeles.

Heal Your Busy Brain and Burnout

*A National Bestseller*

Noted neurologist and Chief Wellness Officer Dr. Romie Mushtaq reveals the hidden connection between insomnia, anxiety, and adult ADD/ADHD – and gives you a science-backed plan to heal burnout and your Busy Brain in just 8 weeks.

Do racing thoughts keep you from falling asleep at night? Is it impossible to focus, even on tasks that used to stimulate you? Are you mindlessly stress-eating throughout the day?

These are signs that you have a “Busy Brain,” a term coined by triple-board certified physician Dr. Romie Mushtaq to describe a brain riddled with anxiety, insomnia, and ADD/ADHD.

Dr. Romie’s interest in the co-existence of these symptoms began while she was practicing neurology. It deepened after she was rushed into life-saving surgery and finally forced to acknowledge the toll that chronic stress had taken on her life.

Determined to heal after conventional medicine failed her, Dr. Romie embarked on a mission to unearth the truth about stress responses in our bodies and brains. The Busy Brain Cure is the culmination of 20+ years of clinical research as a brain doctor and experience in corporate wellness as a Chief Wellness Officer.

The book offers a practical, science-based approach to healing your Busy Brain through a straightforward 8-week protocol that anyone can implement.

The Busy Brain Cure will show you how to:

Improve focus and energy without coffee and stimulants
Fall asleep and stay asleep
Address the underlying cause of anxiety, insomnia, and adult ADD
Manage bloating and stress-eating without a diet or cleanse
Treat and heal chronic stress and burnout
Alleviate the burnout crisis in your workplace

With her characteristic wit and sass, Dr. Romie sheds light on the science of chronic stress and neuroinflammation through personal anecdotes and humor. Written for high-performing individuals who need a lasting cure for their Busy Brain, this book is changing the conversation around wellness, success, and performance.

Dr. Romie Mushtaq, M.D. is a board-certified physician and an award-winning speaker on leadership and workplace wellness. She brings over 20 years of authority in neurology, integrative medicine, and mindfulness to work with Fortune 500 companies, elite athletes, and global organizations. She serves as Chief Wellness Officer for Evolution Hospitality, where she scaled a mindfulness and wellness program to over 7000 employees. Her expertise has been featured on TED Talks, NPR, NBC, USA Today, Inc., and Forbes.

She completed her medical training at the Medical University of South Carolina, the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, and the University of Michigan, where she won numerous teaching and research awards.

She is the author of The Busy Brain Cure (pub date Jan 2024 Hanover Square Press).

Youn Gives Step-by-Step Guide to Reversing Effects of Aging!

 A NATIONAL BESTSELLER

From bestselling author and beloved social media star, Dr. Anthony Youn comes a revolutionary step-by-step guide to reversing the effects of aging at any stage in life.

Growing older is a blessing. However, the slow decline and the loss of functionality associated with aging has led us to treat the process like a disease. These negative effects of aging, however, are not inevitable. Rather, they’re largely the result of environmental and lifestyle factors that, when properly addressed, can be reversed through a process called Autojuvenation™.

Dr. Youn, one of America’s most trusted surgeons, offers a groundbreaking new approach to turning back the clock naturally. In this step-by-step guide, he shows us how, through simple changes in diet, activity, and skin care, we can look younger than ever before. Readers will learn:

How to reverse the aging process by combining intermittent fasting with autojuvenation-promoting foods.

How to develop a simple skincare routine to look younger for life.

Best practices for sleep, hygiene, yoga, exercise, mindset, and natural dental care


Everything you ever wanted to know about Botox, fillers, microneedling, chemical peels, fat-blasting treatments, and more.

A simple three-week program to jump-start the autojuvenation process to look and feel your best.

Packed with accessible, innovative tips and techniques, this must-read guide shows us the simple changes you can make to live longer, look better, stay healthier, and feel amazing—for life.

Known as America's Holistic Plastic Surgeon™, Dr. Anthony Youn is a Board Certified Plastic Surgeon, Award-Winning Author, and Anti-Aging Expert. He is the most followed plastic surgeon on social media, with over 14 million total followers on TikTok, YouTube, Instagram, and Facebook. He is the author of the best-selling and award-winning memoir IN STITCHES" and its follow-up, "PLAYING GOD: THE EVOLUTION OF A MODERN SURGEON."

He is one of the nation's best-known experts in looking younger with or without surgery. His USA Today and Wall Street Journal best-selling book, "THE AGE FIX: A LEADING PLASTIC SURGEON REVEALS HOW TO LOOK TEN YEARS YOUNGER" has spawned a television special of the same name, which currently airs on public television stations across the country, inspiring millions to make simple dietary changes that can profoundly improve their health and appearance. For the past dozen years, he has also shared his tips for holistic plastic surgery on such programs as "The Rachael Ray Show," "The Doctors," "The Doctor Oz Show," and many others. He is a strong advocate for responsible plastic surgery and recommends using actual surgery as a last resort for patients who want to look and feel younger and better.

His newest book, YOUNGER FOR LIFE: Feel Great, Look Your Best, and Extend Your Lifespan at Any Age, reveals his revolutionary plan for turning back the clock holistically using the principles of AUTOJUVENATION. It will be published January 2, 2024.

Named a "Top Plastic Surgeon" by U.S. News and World Report, Harper's Bazaar, and Town and Country, Dr. Youn is a member of the American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS), American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery (ASAPS), and a fellow of the American College of Surgeons.

For more information, please visit: www.dryoun.com or listen to his podcast "THE HOLISTIC PLASTIC SURGERY SHOW" available on iTunes and Android.

What Will It Take To Mend Our Broken Hearts?

The national bestseller!

From one of our country’s most prominent rabbis, an inspiring book about the power of community-based on one of her most impactful sermons.

In a time of loneliness and isolation, social rupture and alienation, what will it take to mend our broken hearts and rebuild our society?

Sharon Brous—a leading American rabbi—makes the case that the spiritual work of our time, as instinctual as it is counter-cultural, is to find our way to one another in celebration, in sorrow, and in solidarity. To show up for each other in moments of joy and pain, vulnerability and possibility, to invest in relationships of shared purpose, and build communities of care.

Brous contends that it is through honoring our most basic human instinct-- the yearning for real connection-- that we reawaken our shared humanity and begin to heal. This kind of sacred presence is captured by the word amen, a powerful ancient idea that we affirm the fullness of one another’s experience by demonstrating, in body and word: “I see you. You are not alone.”

An acclaimed preacher and storyteller, Brous pairs heart-driven anecdotes from her experience building and pastoring to a leading-edge faith community over the past two decades with ancient Jewish wisdom and contemporary science. The result is a clarion call: the sense of belonging engendered by our genuine presence is not only a social and biological need, but a moral and spiritual necessity.

With original insights and practical tools, The Amen Effect translates foundational ideas into simple practices that connect us to our better angels, offering a blueprint for a more meaningful life and a more connected and caring world.

Sharon Brous is an American rabbi who currently serves as the senior rabbi of IKAR, a Jewish congregation in Los Angeles. She was one of the founders of IKAR in 2004, along with Melissa Balaban

Learning To Love Your Age

New York Times bestselling author and co-founder/CEO of The Modern Elder Academy inspires readers to embrace midlife as a time of joy in this “clear blueprint for creating the lives we want” (Gretchen Rubin)

The midlife crisis is the butt of so many jokes, but this long-derided life stage has an upside. What if we could reframe our thinking about the natural transition of midlife not as a crisis, but as a chrysalis—a time when something profound awakens in us, as we shed our skin, spread our wings, and pollinate our wisdom to the world?

In Learning to Love Midlife, Chip Conley offers an alternative narrative to the way we commonly think of our 40s, 50s, and 60s. Drawing on the latest social science research, inspiring stories, and timeless wisdom, he reveals 12 reasons why life gets better with age. 

They include:
The relief of “my body doesn’t define me:” We finally grow comfortable in our own skin

Stepping off the treadmill: We redefine what a successful life looks like

The “Great Midlife Edit:” We let go of our emotional baggage, mindsets, and obligations that no longer serve us

Growing whole: We begin to feel a part of something bigger than ourselves

No matter where you are in your midlife journey, this perspective‑shifting guide will inspire you to find joy, purpose, and success in the years that lie ahead—and how those years can be your best ones yet.

New York Times bestselling author Chip Conley is the hospitality maverick who helped Airbnb's founders turn their fast-growing tech start-up into a global hospitality brand. In Wisdom@Work: The Making of a Modern Elder he shares his unexpected journey at midlife — from CEO to intern — learning about technology as Airbnb’s Head of Global Hospitality and Strategy, while also mentoring CEO Brian Chesky. Chip is the founder of the Modern Elder Academy, where a new roadmap for midlife is offered at a beautiful oceanfront campus in Baja California Sur, Mexico. He serves on the board of Encore.org and the advisory board for the Stanford Center for Longevity. www.ChipConley.com

Becoming A Hero

 

Valentine defies the emperor and becomes a hero . . . and the most wanted man in the empire. Compelled by his faith, he has nothing to lose, until a chance encounter with the daughter of a Roman jailor changes everything.

Rome, AD 270. In the wake of the emperor’s marriage ban, rumors swirl that there is one man brave enough to perform wedding ceremonies in secret. A public notarius and leader of an underground church, Valentine believes the emperor’s edict unjust and risks his own life for the sake of his convictions. But as his fame grows, so do fears for his safety.

Iris, the daughter of a Roman jailor, believes regaining her sight will ease the mounting troubles at home. Her last hope rests in searching out Valentine and his church, but the danger of associating with people labeled a threat to the empire is great. Still, as Iris's new friends lead her to faith in God, Iris is drawn to Valentine and they both begin to hope for a future together beyond the treacherous empire.

But when a past debt and a staggering betrayal collide, Valentine, Iris, and everyone they love must fight for their lives . . . and wrestle with trusting a God who can restore sight yet does not always keep His followers from peril.

In Of Love and Treason (a retelling of the legend of St. Valentine), highlights the courage of the early church and the importance of doing what is right over what is safe or easy; illustrates the tension of experiencing God’s blessing and miracles as well as sharing in Christ’s suffering.

Jamie Ogle is a predawn writer, homeschool mom by day, and a reader by night. Inspired by her fascination with the storied history of faith, she writes historical fiction infused with hope, adventure, and courageous rebels. A Minnesota native, she now lives in Iowa with her husband and their three children, and she can usually be found gardening, beekeeping, and tromping through the woods. 

Learn more about Jamie at jamieogle.com.

A New Year~ A Healthy You

It's a new year! Thought we would look at ways to start the year eating healthy for our bodies.

From Melissa Ben-Ishay—the co-founder of Baked by Melissa and creator of the viral Green Goddess Salad—comes an irresistible, veggie-packed cookbook with over 100 flavorful, nourishing recipes to inspire you to eat delicious meals that make you feel great.

When Melissa Ben-Ishay, the co-founder and CEO of bite-size cupcake empire Baked by Melissa, posted her vegan Green Goddess Salad on TikTok, it became a viral sensation. The recipe exploded online, gaining over 25 million views, landing Melissa on the TODAY Show, and inspiring fans like Cardi B and Lizzo to make their own version of the salad.

After the success of the Green Goddess Salad, Melissa continued to share her finely chopped, vegetable-focused recipes and inspired millions of fans to eat more greens with her flavorful, fresh creations. The meals all highlight Melissa’s food philosophy: if you get your nourishment from mealtime, you can absolutely indulge in dessert every day, just like she does.

In Come Hungry, Melissa shares her favorite everyday recipes and tips for creating nourishing, delicious meals the whole family will love. With flavorful ingredients and easy-to-follow instructions, Melissa encourages home cooks of all levels to cook outside of their comfort zones and reveals her go-to techniques for creating the perfect bite.

Packed with colorful, crave-able recipes, Come Hungry offers a wide range of simple dishes for any diet, including Mediterranean Grain Salad, Coffee Shop Sesame Chicken Salad, Crunchy Ramen Slaw with Grilled Ribeye, Green Veggie Pizza, and Double Chocolate Zucchini Cake.

From her grandmother’s kitchen in the Catskills to her in-laws’ home on the Mediterranean, Melissa features recipes inspired by meals that have shaped her as a cook and promote a veggie-packed way of eating, from mouthwatering toasts topped with leftovers to filling a pita with flavorful small plates. Ultimately, each and every recipe encourages creativity in the kitchen and invites the reader—as Melissa’s family says to guests on their way for dinner—to come hungry.

Melissa Ben-Ishay is the co-founder and CEO of Baked by Melissa, a New York-based dessert company celebrated for its bite-size treats. Since it was founded in 2008, Baked by Melissa has opened 14 retail stores in the New York City metropolitan area and beyond, and ships its products nationwide. In 2020, Melissa gained popularity on TikTok with videos of her salads and everyday meals, each of which was developed to give you the perfect ratio of flavors in every bite—just like her namesake cupcakes. For recipes, follow her @bakedbymelissa or check out her blog at www.bakedbymelissa.com/blog.

The Legend of St. Valentine

 

Of Love and Treason centers on a historical figure. Where did your interest in the legend of St. Valentine come from?

I was never really a fan of Valentine's Day. I thought it was a dumb, commercialized holiday, and my research began as an attempt to justify how stupid I thought it all was. But the more I dug into Valentine, ancient Rome, and church history, I found myself falling in love with the story. As scenes and snippets of conversations popped into my head, I started to write them down, and soon I’d written the first draft of the novel.

This story touches on themes of surrender and sacrifice. How have your own life experiences shaped your exploration of these topics?

I’m a planner, a plotter, and a perfectionist—which are fine qualities for a writer, but sort of a detriment when it comes to things like trust and surrender. However, this whole writing and publishing journey has been one of constant surrender and trust that while I can do the work God has called me to, the results are not in my hands. It’s a lesson I am learning and relearning all the time.

This is your debut novel! What has the process of getting your first book published been like?

Like most authors who pursue traditional publishing, there were so many highs and lows (and a lot of rejections) along the way, but God was so faithful to lead, guide, and encourage me through it all. I didn't know if the result of the work would be a published novel or if it was going to be a journey where God would grow my faith—it turned out to be both! Getting to publish with Tyndale is a total dream come true!

What do you enjoy about historical fiction? What was it like writing a fictional retelling?

I love that historical fiction lets us explore the adventures of the past, while showing that the inner struggles and desires of people then are still similar and relatable to us today. It's a dichotomy of being both an escape and a mirror. Writing a historical retelling was an interesting challenge! The history of Saint Valentine has turned to stuff of legend over time, with each version of the story differing here and there. I had to operate under a mindset of "If these stories are true, how could they have happened based on what we know of the culture at that time?" After many edits and revisions, it was exciting to see it all fit together, even though there were a few things that I wish didn't have to be historically accurate.

Who is your favorite character in the novel?

I don't know why, but whether I'm reading or writing, I always find myself more attached to a secondary character over a main character. It just happens. Titus was that character for me in Of Love and Treason. In the original drafts, he was always there, doing his job as a secondary character, but when I realized we needed to hear his own side of the events in the story, he took on a whole new level of complexity and became my favorite character to explore.

How does faith play a role in this story?

Within the story, we find each of the characters putting their faith in different things. Some place their faith in God; others look to pagan gods, themselves, alcohol, peer acceptance, etc., in hopes that these things will satisfy and solve the problems they face. It’s so easy to look to other things to satisfy—I’ve done it in my own life over and over, and I’m so glad God continually calls us back to what will truly fill our longings (Himself). I think Augustine of Hippo said it best when he wrote, “You have made us for Yourself, and our hearts are restless til they find their rest in You.”

What do you hope readers take away from reading Love and Treason?

I hope readers are as captivated by this story as I was. Digging into the courageous stories of how our spiritual ancestors deemed God worthy of their worship and obedience no matter the cost changed me and challenged my own faith to go deeper. The thing I love most about history, and especially church history, is that in the darkest moments, when all seems lost, there’s always a spark of light rebelliously pushing back the dark. I find these stories incredibly hopeful, because if God could use ordinary people to do extraordinary things back then, He can do the same with us today. I hope readers come away from this story with that same knowledge.

Of Love and Treason releases January 23, 2024

Jamie Ogle is a predawn writer, a homeschool mom by day, and a reader by night. Inspired by her fascination with the storied history of faith, she writes historical fiction infused with hope, adventure, and courageous rebels. A Minnesota native, she now lives in Iowa with her husband and their three children, and she can usually be found gardening, beekeeping, and tromping through the woods.

jamieogle.com

The Queen of Southern Charm

From Tonya Kappes, the Queen of Southern Charm and Whimsical Whodunits...

Immerse yourself in the allure of the South, where the tea is sweet, the mysteries are deep, and the humor is downright sinful. Tonya Kappes, celebrated for her delightful mix of Southern charm, captivating mysteries, and wickedly funny humor, introduces a brand-new amateur sleuth bound to become a reader favorite.

Dive into the Maisie Doss Mysteries and prepare for a roller coaster of emotions, suspense, and laughter. If you've loved her previous series, this new addition promises all the signature Kappes charm and then some. Join Maisie as she dances on the edge of danger and digs deep into the heart of the South's most intriguing crimes. It's a journey you won't want to miss!

Sleight of Hand . . .Book, 1 of Maisie Doss Series

Maisie Doss knew the weight of secrets all too well. Once a troublemaker in her small Kentucky town near Cincinnati, she struck a dangerous bargain to become a confidential informant for the police. But when betrayal led her to send a family member behind bars, the lines between right and wrong blurred. Unable to bear the weight of her actions, she fled into the secluded heart of Appalachia, praying her past wouldn't catch up.

For a time, the hills kept her secrets. Determined to atone, she tried to lead a quiet life, but old habits die hard. When Maisie stumbles upon a mystery that begs her attention, she can't resist diving in. Yet, this isn't just any crime; it's tangled with threads from her concealed past. And as fate would have it, a detective from her old life discovers her hidden refuge.

Now, he presents her with a chilling ultimatum: Return to her role as a CI and face the ghosts of her past or find herself behind bars.
In a game of cat and mouse, where trust is a luxury Maisie can't afford, she must use every sleight of hand she knows to outwit the law, uncover the truth, and keep her freedom.

Southern Hospitality with a Smidgen of Homicide

Amazon All Star Author Tonya Kappes has written more than 175 southern cozy mysteries, all of which have graced numerous bestseller lists, including USA Today and Woman's World Book Club pick twice . Best known for stories charged with southern charm, emotion and humor and filled with flawed characters, her novels have garnered reader praise and glowing critical reviews. She lives with her husband in northern Kentucky. Now that her four boys have flown out of the nest, Tonya writes full-time in her camper!

You can find her all over social media and at Tonyakappes.com.

The Founder Who Secured Our Future

 

To Rescue the Constitution: George Washington and the Fragile American Experiment

Instant New York Times Bestseller

#1 New York Times bestselling author Bret Baier reveals how George Washington saved the Constitution–and the American experiment

"To Rescue The Constitution is a masterful exploration of the electrifying struggle to unite a young United States." —Jay Winik

A sweeping narrative ranging from the unsettled early American frontier and the battlefields of the Revolution to the history-making clashes within Philadelphia’s Independence Hall, Bret Baier’s To Rescue the Constitution dramatically illuminates the life of George Washington, the Founder who did more than perhaps any other individual to secure the future of the United States.

George Washington rescued the nation three times: first by leading the Continental Army to victory in the Revolutionary War, second by presiding over the Constitutional Convention that set the blueprint for the United States and ushering the Constitution through a fractious ratification process, and third by leading the nation as its first president. There is no doubt that the struggling new nation needed to be rescued—and that Washington was the only American who could bring them together.

After the victorious War of Independence, when a spirit of unity and patriotism might have been expected, instead the nation fractured. The states were no more than a loosely knit and contentious confederation, with no strong central union. It was an urgent matter that led to the calling of a Constitutional Convention to meet in Philadelphia during the summer of 1787.

Setting aside his plan to retire to Mount Vernon, Washington agreed to be a delegate at Philadelphia. There he was unanimously elected president of the convention. After successfully bringing the Constitution into being, Washington then sacrificed any hope of returning to private life by accepting the unanimous election to be the nation’s first president. Washington was not known for brilliant oratory or prose, but his quiet, steady leadership gave life to the Constitution by showing how it should be enacted.

In this vivid and moving portrait of America’s early struggles, Baier captures the critical moments when Washington’s leadership brought the nation from the brink of collapse. Baier exposes an early America that is grittier and far more divided than is often portrayed—one we can see reflected in today’s conflicts.

Bret Baier is the Chief Political Anchor for Fox News Channel and the Anchor and Executive Editor of Special Report with Bret Baier, seen five days a week on Fox News Channel. Before assuming the anchor role, Bret served as Chief White House Correspondent for Fox News Channel between 2006 and 2009. Prior to being named Chief White House Correspondent for Fox News Channel, Bret served as National Security Correspondent based at the Pentagon, reporting on military and national security affairs, as well as on defense, military policy and the intelligence community from 2001 to 2006. He reported from Iraq twelve times and Afghanistan thirteen times. In his career Bret has traveled the world with various administration dignitaries and military officials, reporting from seventy-four countries. His first book, Special Heart: A Journey of Faith, Hope, Courage and Love, became a top-ten New York Times bestseller upon its release in 2014. He is also the author of Three Days in January: Dwight Eisenhower’s Final Mission, Three Days in Moscow: Ronald Reagan and the Fall of the Soviet Empire, and To Rescue The Republic: Ulysses S. Grant, The Fragile Union and the Crisis of 1876 which made it to #1 on the NYT Bestseller list. Bret has two books set for release in 2023, To Rescue The Constitution: George Washington and the Fragile American Experiment, and a new graphic novel geared towards kids, The History Club: Duel Across Time. Follow him online at www.bretbaier.com.

Danger Is Growing!

Roxanne Rustand's Book 4 in her DEA Special Agents Series releases January 30: DEADLY EVIDENCE (a Christian romantic suspense) novel.

A single mom. A teenage daughter. A ranch to protect. And danger growing in the dark of night.

Grace Remington is determined to hold onto her Texas ranch. But with her hired hands disappearing and even greater threats looming, she finds herself faced with an impossible dilemma. Stay and fight, or lose everything she has worked for?

But then a stranger arrives at her door and asks for a job. He's lean, fit, and very, very capable. But who is he--and what does he really want?

Is he the answer to her prayers, or will his arrival lead to the loss of everything she and her daughter hold dear?

The books in this four-book Christian romantic suspense series can be read in any order.

Start reading now...and stay up all night!

Roxanne is the USA Today Bestselling, award-winning author of forty romantic suspense, mystery, and heart-warming, emotional relationship novels in the clean & wholesome and inspirational romance genres.

She got her first horse at the tender age of six, and grew up riding bareback with wild abandon throughout her small Minnesota town year around. It was like giving a child car keys! She has never been without a horse since. She showed horses for many years, and later, she and her husband raised quarter horses and thoroughbreds until their kids came along.

She's living her childhood dream, living on an acreage in the country with her husband, three horses (all elderly pasture ornaments now), a golden retriever rescue, and six fluffy barn cats--a much smaller menagerie than when their three kids were still at home. Ranches, animals, and small-town life frequently find their way into her books.

Happy trails!




https://www.roxannerustand.com

https://bookbub.com/authors/roxanne-rustand

https://amazon.com/author/roxannerustand

https://www.facebook.com/Roxanne.Rustand

Twitter: @roxannerustand

Can The Podcasters Find The Answers?

True Crime Junkies Series - Book Five

The awaited book in Christy Barritt's True Crime Junkies Series arrives January 30. 

USA Today has called Christy Barritt's books "scary, funny, passionate, and quirky."

A killer with a penchant for the dark is haunting Anchorage.

The parents of one of the victims asks Andi and the gang for help. The true crime podcasters jump on the chance to find answers before the killer strikes again. But other trouble is brewing, and more danger is closing in. Every turn leaves them in the dark . . . and the dark is the last place they want to be.

A USA Today and Publishers Weekly best-seller, Christy writes both mystery and romantic suspense novels that are clean with underlying messages of faith. Her books have sold more than three million copies, one has been made into a TV movie, and another is being developed for a TV series.

Christy's books have won the Daphne du Maurier Award for Excellence in Suspense and Mystery, have been twice nominated for the Romantic Times Reviewers Choice Award, and have finaled for both a Carol Award and Foreword Magazine's Book of the Year.

She's married to her prince charming, a man who thinks she's hilarious--but only when she's not trying to be. Christy's a self-proclaimed klutz, an avid music lover who's known for spontaneously bursting into song, and a road trip aficionado.

Christy currently splits her time between the Virginia suburbs and Hatteras Island, North Carolina. She loves spending time with her husband, her two sons, and her four dogs.

For more information, visit her website: www.christybarritt.com.

Panama Canal~The Unsung People

Coming in March, 2024

A powerful novel about the construction of the Panama Canal, casting light on the unsung people who lived, loved, and labored there

It is said that the canal will be the greatest feat of engineering in history. But first, it must be built. For Francisco, a local fisherman who resents the foreign powers clamoring for a slice of his country, nothing is more upsetting than the decision of his son, Omar, to work as a digger in the excavation zone. But for Omar, whose upbringing was quiet and lonely, this job offers a chance to finally find connection.

Ada Bunting is a bold sixteen-year-old from Barbados who arrives in Panama as a stowaway alongside thousands of other West Indians seeking work. Alone and with no resources, she is determined to find a job that will earn enough money for her ailing sister’s surgery. When she sees a young man—Omar—who has collapsed after a grueling shift, she is the only one who rushes to his aid.

John Oswald has dedicated his life to scientific research and has journeyed to Panama in single-minded pursuit of one goal: eliminating malaria. But now, his wife, Marian, has fallen ill herself, and when he witnesses Ada’s bravery and compassion, he hires her on the spot as a caregiver. This fateful decision sets in motion a sweeping tale of ambition, loyalty, and sacrifice.

Searing and empathetic,The Great Divide explores the intersecting lives of activists, fishmongers, laborers, journalists, neighbors, doctors, and soothsayers—those rarely acknowledged by history even as they carved out its course.

Cristina Henríquez is the author of four books, including The Book of Unknown Americans, which was a New York Times Notable Book of 2014 and one of Amazon’s Top 10 Books of the Year. It was the Daily Beast Novel of the Year, a Washington Post Notable Book, an NPR Great Read, a Target Book of the Month selection, and was chosen one of the best books of the year by BookPage, Oprah.com, and School Library Journal. It was longlisted for the Andrew Carnegie Medal for Excellence in Fiction and was a finalist for the Dayton Literary Peace Prize.

Henriquez is also the author of The Great Divide, The World In Half, and Come Together, Fall Apart: A Novella and Stories.

Her work has been published in The New Yorker, The New York Times Magazine, The Wall Street Journal, The Atlantic, Real Simple, and more, as well as in the anthologies State by State: A Panoramic Portrait of America and Thirty Ways of Looking at Hillary: Women Writers Reflect on the Candidate and What Her Campaign Meant.

She has been a guest on National Public Radio, and is a recipient of the Alfredo Cisneros Del Moral Foundation Award, a grant started by Sandra Cisneros in honor of her father.

Matt Haig is the internationally bestselling author of the novels The Midnight Library, How to Stop Time, The Humans, The Radleys, children's novel A Boy Called Christmas, and memoir Reasons to Stay Alive. His latest novel is The Life Impossible, which will be published in summer 2024. His work has been translated into over fifty languages.@matthaig1 | matthaig.coMatt Haig is the internationally bestselling author of the novels The Midnight Library, How to Stop Time, The Humans, The Radleys, children's novel A Boy Called Christmas, and memoir Reasons to Stay Alive. His latest novel is The Life Impossible, which will be published in summer 2024. His work has been translated into over fifty languages.@matthaig1 | matthaig.com

Avalanche of Conspiracies

Fans of Allison Brennan: Book 5 of A QUINN & COSTA NOVEL (THE MISSING WITNESS) releases January 23.

Booklist ––"This latest installment will likely satisfy Quinn and Costa’s loyal followers and attract those curious about the interplay between public policy, law enforcement, and politics."

If you've read these books in this series then you are waiting for her newest The Missing Witness:

Book 1: The Third to Die

Book2: Tell No Lies
Book 3: The Wrong Victim
Book 4: Seven Girls Gone

When a key witness goes missing, Quinn & Costa must find her before a killer silences her for good…

Detective Kara Quinn is back in Los Angeles to testify against a notorious human trafficker, finally moving past the case that upended her life. But when the accused is shot in broad daylight, the chaotic scene of the crime turns up few reliable bystanders. And one witness—a whistleblower who might be the key to everything—has disappeared.

After another person close to the case is killed, it’s clear that anyone who knows too much is in danger, and tracking down the witness becomes a matter of life-and-death. But as explosive secrets surface within the LAPD and FBI, Kara questions everything she thought she knew about the case, her colleagues and the life she left behind months ago.

Now with FBI special agent Matt Costa’s help, she must race to find the missing witness and get to the bottom of the avalanche of conspiracies that has rocked LA to its core…before it's too late.

Allison Brennan is the New York Times and USA Today bestselling and award winning author of three dozen thrillers and numerous short stories. She was nominated for Best Paperback Original Thriller by International Thriller Writers, had multiple nominations and two Daphne du Maurier Awards, and is a five-time RITA finalist for Best Romantic Suspense. Allison believes life is too short to be bored, so she had five kids and spends all her non-writing time as a sports spectator, chauffeur, and short-order cook for her munchkins. She has a dog, two cats, and three chickens.

https://www.allisonbrennan.com/

Life Is Turned Upside Down

 

In this new romantic comedy series by #1 Bestseller Fiona Grace, life gets turned upside down for April Faith when her daughter leaves for college, her corporate job jades her, and her husband abruptly walks out. April realizes she has lived life too long for others, and she needs a major change. She remembers Dune Island, her childhood summer home off the coast of Georgia, a place where nothing could go wrong in the world—and she needs to revisit what remains of her family’s historic beach house and see if she can restore it, turn it into an inn, open the door for a new life—and maybe, even, a new love…

Reviews

A CHANCE ROMANCE is book #3 in a new romance series by #1 bestselling author Fiona Grace, whose books have received over 10,000 five-star reviews and ratings.

A sweet romance series filled with twists at every turn, THE INN AT DUNE ISLAND will make you laugh and cry as it transports you to a magical place. A page-turner packed with jaw-dropping twists, impossible to put down, it will make you fall in love with romance all over again.

Author:

Fiona Grace is author of the LACEY DOYLE COZY MYSTERY series, comprising nine books; of the TUSCAN VINEYARD COZY MYSTERY series, comprising six books; of the DUBIOUS WITCH COZY MYSTERY series, comprising three books; of the BEACHFRONT BAKERY COZY MYSTERY series, comprising six books; of the CATS AND DOGS COZY MYSTERY series, comprising six books; of the ELIZA MONTAGU COZY MYSTERY series, comprising nine books; of the ENDLESS HARBOR romance series, comprising nine books; and THE INN AT DUNE ISLAND romance series, comprising five books (and counting).

Do You Play Games With Romance?

Kristy Boyce is a lover of sleepy cats, hot tea, and a great book. She writes for children and teens.

When it comes to romance, sometimes it doesn't hurt to play games. A fun YA romcom full of fake dating hijinks!

Musical lover Riley has big aspirations to become a director on Broadway. Crucial to this plan is to bring back her high school’s spring musical, but when Riley takes her mom’s car without permission, she's grounded and stuck with the worst punishment: spending her after-school hours working at her dad’s game shop.

Riley can't waste her time working when she has a musical to save, so she convinces Nathan—a nerdy teen employee—to cover her shifts and, in exchange, she’ll flirt with him to make his gamer-girl crush jealous.

But Riley didn’t realize that meant joining Nathan's Dungeons & Dragons game…or that role playing would be so fun. Soon, Riley starts to think that flirting with Nathan doesn't require as much acting as she would've thought...

Kristy Boyce lives in Pickerington, OH and teaches psychology as a senior lecturer at The Ohio State University. When she’s not spending time with her husband and son, she’s usually writing, reading, putting together fairy gardens, or planning her next trip back to Europe.

I have been writing since I was a young girl. My very first story was called The Dreams of Isabella, and it was about a young girl who visits magical places in her dreams. I continued writing stories about magical worlds throughout childhood, though I was much better at starting new books then finishing them!

Although I dreamed of becoming an author, that felt like a fantasy from one of my stories. Nonetheless, I kept writing through junior high, high school, and college. I was also obsessed with ballet, making scrapbooks, and playing with my cats! I took a break from writing to pursue my PhD in social psychology, but as soon as I had a minute of free time my mind immediately returned to my stories.

In 2008 I began to write seriously with the hopes of being published. Since then I’ve become a board member of SCBWI and attended writing conferences and workshops around the country. I’m always on the lookout for an adorable unicorn, fairy, or narwhal and I’ll always be a teen girl at heart!

https://www.kristyboyceauthor.com/

Happy New Year!

Happy New Year to all!

May 2024 be full of love and joy.

May you be healthy and safe.

May each day there be peace in your heart.

May God pour His blessings on you.

May you share your smile.

May you receive their smile back.

May you appreciate each day you have

May you use it to love others.

Blessings to All