This is my annual holiday open call for Books By My Friends where you can tell my readers about your ADULT ROMANCE NOVEL IN THE COMMENTS BELOW. (Watch for other genres over the next few days.)

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*book title

*short blurb

*buy link if you have one

*special notes you think readers should be aware of.

One book and one comment only, please and thank you!

It would be super great if you would also share the LINK TO THIS POST ON YOUR SOCIAL MEDIA! Also take a hot minute to click the heart symbol with the comment to show your support of fellow authors.

Happy holidays, book friends!

~Joy

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This is my annual holiday open call for Books By My Friends where you can tell my readers about your ADULT SCIENCE FICTION book IN THE COMMENTS BELOW. (Watch for other genres over the next few days.)

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*buy link if you have one

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It would be super great if you would also share the LINK TO THIS POST ON YOUR SOCIAL MEDIA! Also take a hot minute to click the heart symbol with the comment to show your support of fellow authors.

Happy holidays, book friends!

~Joy

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This is my annual holiday open call for Books By My Friends where you can tell my readers about your ADULT FANTASY book IN THE COMMENTS BELOW. (Watch for other genres over the next few days.)

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*book title

*short blurb

*buy link if you have one

*special notes you think readers should be aware of.

One book and one comment only, please and thank you!

It would be super great if you would also share the LINK TO THIS POST ON YOUR SOCIAL MEDIA! Also take a hot minute to click the heart symbol with the comment to show your support of fellow authors.

Happy holidays, book friends!

~Joy

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This is my annual holiday open call for Books By My Friends where you can tell my readers about your ADULT NON FICTION book IN THE COMMENTS BELOW. (Watch for other genres over the next few days.)

Include the

*book title

*short blurb

*buy link if you have one

*special notes you think readers should be aware of.

One book and one comment only, please and thank you!

It would be super great if you would also share the LINK TO THIS POST ON YOUR SOCIAL MEDIA! Also take a hot minute to click the heart symbol with the comment to show your support of fellow authors.

Happy holidays, book friends!

~Joy

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This is my annual holiday open call for Books By My Friends where you can tell my readers about your ADULT MEMOIR book IN THE COMMENTS BELOW. (Watch for other genres over the next few days.)

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It would be super great if you would also share the LINK TO THIS POST ON YOUR SOCIAL MEDIA! Also take a hot minute to click the heart symbol with the comment to show your support of fellow authors.

Happy holidays, book friends!

~Joy

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This is my annual holiday open call for Books By My Friends where you can tell my readers about your ADULT MYSTERY NOVEL IN THE COMMENTS BELOW. (Watch for other genres over the next few days.)

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It would be super great if you would also share the LINK TO THIS POST ON YOUR SOCIAL MEDIA! Also take a hot minute to click the heart symbol with the comment to show your support of fellow authors.

Happy holidays, book friends!

~Joy

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This is my annual holiday open call for Books By My Friends where you can tell my readers about your ADULT SELF-HELP book IN THE COMMENTS BELOW. (Watch for other genres over the next few days.)

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It would be super great if you would also share the LINK TO THIS POST ON YOUR SOCIAL MEDIA! Also take a hot minute to click the heart symbol with the comment to show your support of fellow authors.

Happy holidays, book friends!

~Joy

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This is my annual holiday open call for Books By My Friends where you can tell my readers about your WOMEN’S FICTION book IN THE COMMENTS BELOW. (Watch for other genres over the next few days.)

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Happy holidays, book friends!

~Joy

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This is my annual holiday open call for Books By My Friends where you can tell my readers about your YOUNG ADULT GENERAL FICTION book IN THE COMMENTS BELOW. (Watch for other genres over the next few days.)

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It would be super great if you would also share the LINK TO THIS POST ON YOUR SOCIAL MEDIA! Also take a hot minute to click the heart symbol with the comment to show your support of fellow authors.

Happy holidays, book friends!

~Joy

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This is my annual holiday open call for Books By My Friends where you can tell my readers about your CHILDREN’S PICTURE book IN THE COMMENTS BELOW. (Watch for other genres over the next few days.)

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It would be super great if you would also share the LINK TO THIS POST ON YOUR SOCIAL MEDIA! Also take a hot minute to click the heart symbol with the comment to show your support of fellow authors.

Happy holidays, book friends!

~Joy

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This is my annual holiday open call for Books By My Friends where you can tell my readers about your CHILDREN’S NON FICTION book IN THE COMMENTS BELOW. (Watch for other genres over the next few days.)

Include the

*book title

*short blurb

*buy link if you have one

*special notes you think readers should be aware of.

One book and one comment only, please and thank you!

It would be super great if you would also share the LINK TO THIS POST ON YOUR SOCIAL MEDIA! Also take a hot minute to click the heart symbol with the comment to show your support of fellow authors.

Happy holidays, book friends!

~Joy

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This is my annual holiday open call for Books By My Friends where you can tell my readers about your YOUNG ADULT SCIENCE FICTION book IN THE COMMENTS BELOW. (Watch for other genres over the next few days.)

Include the

*book title

*short blurb

*buy link if you have one

*special notes you think readers should be aware of.

One book and one comment only, please and thank you!

It would be super great if you would also share the LINK TO THIS POST ON YOUR SOCIAL MEDIA! Also take a hot minute to click the heart symbol with the comment to show your support of fellow authors.

Happy holidays, book friends!

~Joy

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This is my annual holiday open call for Books By My Friends where you can tell my readers about your CHILDREN’S FICTION book IN THE COMMENTS BELOW. (Watch for other genres over the next few days.)

Include the

*book title

*short blurb

*buy link if you have one

*special notes you think readers should be aware of.

One book and one comment only, please and thank you!

It would be super great if you would also share the LINK TO THIS POST ON YOUR SOCIAL MEDIA! Also take a hot minute to click the heart symbol with the comment to show your support of fellow authors.

Happy holidays, book friends!

~Joy

This article may contain affiliate links which may result in the author receiving a commission when readers purchase items through the links.

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This is my annual holiday open call for Books By My Friends where you can tell my readers about your YOUNG ADULT ROMANTASY book IN THE COMMENTS BELOW. (Watch for other genres over the next few days.)

Include the

*book title

*short blurb

*buy link if you have one

*special notes you think readers should be aware of.

One book and one comment only, please and thank you!

It would be super great if you would also share the LINK TO THIS POST ON YOUR SOCIAL MEDIA! Also take a hot minute to click the heart symbol with the comment to show your support of fellow authors.

Happy holidays, book friends!

~Joy

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This is my annual holiday open call for Books By My Friends where you can tell my readers about your MIDDLE GRADE non-FICTION book IN THE COMMENTS BELOW. (Watch for other genres over the next few days.)

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*buy link if you have one

*special notes you think readers should be aware of.

One book and one comment only, please and thank you!

It would be super great if you would also share the LINK TO THIS POST ON YOUR SOCIAL MEDIA! Also take a hot minute to click the heart symbol with the comment to show your support of fellow authors.

Happy holidays, book friends!

~Joy

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This is my annual holiday open call for Books By My Friends where you can tell my readers about your YOUNG ADULT FANTASY book IN THE COMMENTS BELOW. (Watch for other genres over the next few days.)

Include the

*book title

*short blurb

*buy link if you have one

*special notes you think readers should be aware of.

One book and one comment only, please and thank you!

It would be super great if you would also share the LINK TO THIS POST ON YOUR SOCIAL MEDIA! Also take a hot minute to click the heart symbol with the comment to show your support of fellow authors.

Happy holidays, book friends!

~Joy

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This is my annual holiday open call for Books By My Friends where you can tell my readers about your MIDDLE GRADE FICTION book IN THE COMMENTS BELOW. (Watch for other genres over the next few days.)

Include the

*book title

*short blurb

*buy link if you have one

*special notes you think readers should be aware of.

One book and one comment only, please and thank you!

It would be super great if you would also share the LINK TO THIS POST ON YOUR SOCIAL MEDIA! Also take a hot minute to click the heart symbol with the comment to show your support of fellow authors.

Happy holidays, book friends!

~Joy

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10 November 2025

Welcome to Books By My Friends!

Today we are featuring:

• DESTINEE BROOKE

• JANE CARY AND KAAREN CARY FORD

• MOLLY KENDALL

• BARBARA JEAN MILLER

• DAVID MOULD

This article may contain affiliate links which may result in the author receiving a commission when readers purchase items through the links.

You are receiving this message because you previously signed up for notifications or participated in a program/course with Joy. You may unsubscribe at any time.

DESTINEE BROOKE

BOOK: The Girl Who Lived: A True Story of a Resilient Heart

AUTHOR: Destinee Brooke

GENRE: Memoir

BLURB: Destinee was four years old when her mom tried to make her kill herself. The trajectory of her life was forever altered as the emotions associated with that night later became the foundation on which she would build her identity. After living with different families throughout the years, and conforming to fit in, she became desperate to find somewhere to belong and be loved for who she was – baggage and all. She struggled to find reasons to stay alive as the demons of her own past, and the demons which plagued her family for generations, threatened to crush her spirit. This is a story of one girl’s journey to overcome loss, search for love, and find redemption.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Destinee Brooke has always used writing as a therapeutic outlet, starting at a young age. She started writing The Girl Who Lived: The Story of a Resilient Heart during a creative writing class her senior year of college after realizing the healing power of writing about her trauma. Since then, she’s graduated with degrees in both English Education and Creative Writing. She’s made it her mission to help others, her students included, work through their trauma and bring awareness of how to overcome generational pain. She lives in West Virginia with her son.

JANE CARY, KAAREN CARY FORD, Editor

BOOK: Tuscawilla: Stories of a Farm

AUTHOR: F. Jane Cary, Kaaren Cary Ford, Editor

GENRE: Memoir; History

BLURB: Tuscawilla: Stories of a Farm is a collection of stories by the late F. Jane Cary about farm life in Greenbrier County, West Virginia, in the middle of the twentieth century. Cary lived her entire life on Tuscawilla Farm, eventually managing it after the deaths of her brothers. This fascinating account of the realities of post-war farm life features P.O.W.s, the ins and outs of hog butchering, how to make the perfect apple butter and much more. Cary’s unique personality and love of the world around her shines through, and takes the reader back to an America that can be hard to recognize.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR: F. Jane Cary (1923-1995) lived her entire life on Tuscawilla Farm, just outside of Lewisburg, West Virginia. She was the second daughter of the farm manager, and after the deaths of her father and two brothers, took on the position herself, managing all aspects of the farm from animal husbandry to gardening to cooking large meals for friends and family. In her youth, Cary had wanted to become a teacher, but ill health prevented her from finishing high school, and instead she instilled her love of West Virginia history and farming by instructing the many young people who worked for her. Well-known and well-liked, she rarely left home, and documented her experiences of the farm on many legal tablets, transcribed and edited by her niece, Kaaren Cary Ford, after her death.

MOLLY KENDALL

BOOK: Saving Ariel

AUTHOR: Molly Kendall

GENRE: New Adult Romance/Mystery

BLURB: Ariel Matthew enjoys escaping into the worlds and adventures of her favorite books, but she can’t escape her past, no matter how hard she tried to push it from her mind. Haunted by a traumatic event, Ariel struggles to find peace from her memories of what happened. When Axel Stone walks into the small coffee shop where she works, her world is changed forever, and she begins to believe that happiness might be possible. But neither one of them is ready for the devastation that ensues when both of their pasts come back with a vengeance.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Molly Kendall is quick-witted and quiet, and appreciates a dramatic story when she reads one, as well as crafting such tales of her own. She aims to inspire hope within her readers hearts as she shines light onto darker topics. When she doesn’t have her nose stuck in a book, you can find her at home with her husband, cats and bunnies.

https://authormollyk.com

BARBARA JEAN MILLER

BOOK: Last Ditch

AUTHOR: Barbara Jean Miller

GENRE: Regency Romance

BLURB: When a greedy, scheming relative drives Ellie Waltham and her mother from their home, her brother-in-law Gareth Delaney steps in, but safety is short-lived when Ellie is abducted in an attempt to force her to marry someone she knows intends to kill her so he can claim her inheritance. Only a last-ditch effort by Ellie will save her from certain death.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Barbara Jean Miller is an author, educator, and nature observer.

Barbara’s Newsletter

Learning Something New Every Day

By Barbara Jean Miller

DAVID MOULD

BOOK: Mission to Madagascar: The Sergeant, the Jing and the Slave Trade

AUTHOR: David H. Mould

GENRE: Historical Biography

BLURB: In 1817, James Hastie, a 30-year-old East India Company sergeant, travelled to the court of Radama, ruler of the most powerful kingdom in Madagascar, to convince him to stop the export of slaves. Radama manipulated the envoy to assert power over the nobility who profited from the trade. Hastie became the British agent, and a trusted advisor to the king. Mission to Madagascar is based on his unpublished journals, one recently discovered. This is the first biography of a man, whom Sir Mervyn Brown, a former UK ambassador and historian of Madagascar, described as “one of the most important figures in the history of Anglo-Malagasy relations.”

ABOUT THE AUTHOR: David Mould, Ph.D., Professor Emeritus of Media Arts and Studies at Ohio University, has published books and articles on a range of historical topics, including news and documentary film in World War One, canals and railroads in the 19th century in the US Midwest, television coverage of the first Gulf War, post-Soviet media in Central Asia, and oral history. Born in the UK, he worked as a newspaper and TV journalist before moving to the US. His essays and articles have been published in Newsweek, Christian Science Monitor, Times Higher Education, History Ireland, History News Network and other print and online outlets. He has published three books on travel, history and culture. He is a frequent presenter at libraries and for adult learning classes.

https://davidhmould.com/

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JOY E. HELD is an author, educator, editor, book coach, entrepreneur, and literary citizen responsible for this site and its contents. She is the author of

Writer Wellness: A Writer’s Path to Health and Creativity (Headline Books, Inc., 2020)

Writer Wellness Workbook: A Guided Workbook and Journal to Accompany Writer Wellness: A Writer’s Path to Health and Creativity (Headline Books, Inc., 2023)

The Mermaid Riot (Fire and Ice YA, 2024) Young Adult Historical Fantasy

She writes spicy historical fiction under a pen name.

She is the winner of multiple writing and book awards:

West Virginia Writers, Inc. Annual Writing Contest, Honorable Mention, Novel, 1998.

New York Book Festival, Honorable Mention, Writer Wellness, 2020.

Next Generation Indie Book Awards, Finalist, Writer Wellness, 2021.

Northeast Ohio Romance Writers of America, Member of the Year, 2020.

Northeast Ohio Romance Writers of America, First Book Award, 2020.

She is an adjunct faculty member in the Southern New Hampshire University Online MFA Creative Writing.

She is a proud graduate of Seton Hill University in Greensburg, PA with an MFA in Writing Popular Fiction.

She is a member of The Authors Guild and the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators.

Joy is the founder and CEO of My WRITEDAY Subscription Box for writers and readers.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

28 September 2025

Welcome to Books By My Friends!

Today we are featuring:

• JANE BUEHLER

• JOY E. HELD

• JAN THORNTON JONES

• BARBARA JEAN MILLER

This article may contain affiliate links which may result in the author receiving a commission when readers purchase items through the links. You are receiving this message because you previously signed up for notifications or participated in a program/course with Joy. You may unsubscribe at any time. My ideas are not ever meant as a substitute for consulting with a qualified health professional.

JANE BUEHLER

BOOK The Fire Apprentice: A Fairy Tale with Benefits

AUTHOR Jane Buehler

GENRE Cozy romantasy

BLURB He’s the blacksmith. But she’s the one playing with fire.

After a fairy seduced her, fathered her child, and tried to take that child, Jane swore she’d never trust one again. Surely she can find a suitable human man to be a companion for herself and a father for little Elle, right? So when her housemate mentions a new apprentice blacksmith, Jane leaves Elle playing in the yard and heads to the smithy.

Rowan is rugged and handsome but clearly not interested. Disappointed, Jane has just left the smithy when a sudden shadow swoops over the village. Jane races home to see a dragon snatching Elle. Jane is distraught. Then Rowan mysteriously appears and offers to rescue the child. He insists the dragon won’t hurt Elle—apparently fairy children apprentice with dragons to learn fire magic. How does Rowan know so much about fairies? Turns out, he is one.

Jane will do anything to rescue Elle, even if it involves the F word—a fairy. But climbing into the mountains with Rowan is risky. His reticence keeps Jane guessing, but she can’t keep her mind off him: he’s even more handsome out in the moonlit woods, with that deep voice and those capable hands. When Jane and Rowan run into trouble, Jane must take charge. Because it turns out, Rowan needs rescuing too.

The Fire Apprentice is a grumpy/sunshine romance—or maybe more of a brooding/effusive romance—that’s perfect for fans of Throne in the Dark or Jenna Wolfhart’s Falling for Fables cozy romantasy series. Each book in the Sylvania series can be read on its own but might contain spoilers for previous books. The Fire Apprentice contains love scenes and a heroine with pelvic floor pain.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR Emily Jane Buehler published two nonfiction books—one on the science and craft of baking bread, the other a memoir of a bicycle trip from New Jersey to Oregon—before venturing into fiction. She currently writes cozy fantasy romances where everyday people (and fairies) have adventures and fall in love. They are lighthearted stories with action and adventure, love and magic, where protagonists learn to believe in themselves and find their courage. And yes, they are kissing books!

Emily Jane believes that by portraying positive relationships with good communication, romance novels can help readers envision such relationships for themselves, serve as a model of proper consent for young people, and portray diverse types of relationships and people. They can be a fun escape while still having depth and contributing to a better society.

Emily Jane lives in North Carolina. Her favorite things include letters sent through the mail, her fair-trade wool leg warmers, and chocolate cake with frosting. She is passionate about living waste free and usually has one or more cats.

AUTHOR’S WEBSITE

https://janebuehler.com/

JOY E. HELD

BOOK The Mermaid Riot

AUTHOR Joy E. Held

GENRE Young Adult Historical Romantasy

BLURB When Serena Robinson and Tobi Doyle witness the neighborhood apothecary lifting a limp body from his fishing boat, they don’t realize they will be swept up into a life-or-death race to save a mermaid from the doctor’s greedy plans.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR Joy E. Held is an award-winning author, editor, book coach, educator, and yoga instructor living with her husband in West Virginia.

AUTHOR WEBSITE

https://www.joyeheld.com

JOY E. HELD

BOOK Writer Wellness Workbook

AUTHOR Joy E. Held

GENRE Self-help, creativity, writing

BLURB Writer Wellness Workbook is a companion book to Writer Wellness: A Writer’s Path to Health and Creativity designed to offer hands-on practice in the five key concepts of journaling, fitness, relaxation, nutrition, and creative play.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR Joy E. Held is an award-winning author, editor, book coach, educator, and yoga instructor living with her husband in West Virginia.

AUTHOR WEBSITE

https://www.joyeheld.com

JAN THORNTON JONES

BOOK Autumn Is Calling

AUTHOR Jan Thornton Jones

GENRE Early childhood fiction

BLURB It is a crisp fall day in Appalachia and Katie is learning about the season of fall as she and her mother walked to the local autumn festival. She sees squirrels and other animals putting away food for the cold winter months and compares it to the canning of fruits and vegetables that she and her mother did the day before. at the autumn festival, she experiences Appalachian music while admiring the beautiful fall mums and pumpkins. Katie sees and learns about many other traditional Appalachian customs, like making apple butter, quilting, folk, toys, and pumpkin patches. The colorful illustrations make this a book for the entire family as they go with Katie on an autumn adventure!

ABOUT THE AUTHOR I am a former early childhood teacher who is now the author of six books for children.

AUTHOR WEBSITE

https://www.Janjonesbooks.com

BARBARA JEAN MILLER

BOOK Last Ditch

AUTHOR Barbara Jean Miller

GENRE Regency romance

BLURB Ellie Waltham and her mother have been driven from their home by her grasping cousin. As they run out of resources, her young niece and nephew appear, needing care. But their uncle Gareth Delaney magically moves all of them to safety and returns to Belgium to search for the children’s wounded father and their mother.

Once all are safe in England, Ellie’s scheming relative tries to steal their land. Though she thinks she lacks courage, Ellie takes action to protect her family. Abducted in an effort to force her to wed the villain, she knows she will be killed so he can claim what she has inherited. While sure Gareth is riding to save her, Ellie must still rescue herself…and him.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR Barbara Jean Miller is an author, educator, and nature observer.

AUTHOR’S WEBSITE

https://www.barbarajeanmiller.substack.com

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JOY E. HELD is an author, educator, editor, book coach, entrepreneur, and literary citizen responsible for this site and its contents. She is the author of

Writer Wellness: A Writer’s Path to Health and Creativity (Headline Books, Inc., 2020)

Writer Wellness Workbook: A Guided Workbook and Journal to Accompany Writer Wellness: A Writer’s Path to Health and Creativity (Headline Books, Inc., 2023)

The Mermaid Riot (Fire and Ice YA, 2024) Young Adult Historical Fantasy

She writes spicy historical fiction under a pen name.

She is the winner of multiple writing and book awards:

West Virginia Writers, Inc. Annual Writing Contest, Honorable Mention, Novel, 1998.

New York Book Festival, Honorable Mention, Writer Wellness, 2020.

Next Generation Indie Book Awards, Finalist, Writer Wellness, 2021.

Northeast Ohio Romance Writers of America, Member of the Year, 2020.

Northeast Ohio Romance Writers of America, First Book Award, 2020.

She is an adjunct faculty member in the Southern New Hampshire University Online MFA Creative Writing.

She is a proud graduate of Seton Hill University in Greensburg, PA with an MFA in Writing Popular Fiction.

She is a member of The Authors Guild and the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators.

Joy is the founder and CEO of My WRITEDAY Subscription Box for writers and readers.

Subscribe now

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Thursday, 27 February 2025

Welcome to Books By My Friends! Today we are featuring

• LIZ ALTERMAN

• LIZ ARNOLD

• BARBARA JEAN MILLER

• LYNN SLAUGHTER

• GERRY WILSON

This article may contain affiliate links which may result in the author receiving a commission when readers purchase items through the links.

You are receiving this message because you previously signed up for notifications or participated in a program/course with Joy. You may unsubscribe at any time.

BOOK: The House on Cold Creek Lane (hardcover, the paperback comes out April 29)

AUTHOR: Liz Alterman

GENRE: Suspense

BLURB: An unflinching examination of motherhood and the dark side of domesticity set against a suburban backdrop that's anything but blissful. This twisty tale invites readers to a slow motion unravelling that culminates in a devastating finale!

Who was I? What had I become?
Breathe, I commanded. You're doing this for your family.

When Laurel and Rob West move into their new home in New Jersey, it seems too good to be true. But Laurel can't shake off her old feelings of anxiety. The neighbor who pays far too much attention to the Wests' two young children . . . Rob watching her every misstep . . . and there's something people aren't telling her about this house

I promised myself I wouldn't go to that neighborhood again. Not that street. Not so soon.
But I couldn't help it. They made it too easy.

Corey Sutton is trying to outrun her past. Recently divorced and reeling from a devastating loss, she moves into her widowed mother's retirement condo in Florida. Everyone says she just needs some time to recover and rebuild . . . but is Corey beyond saving? She wants answers. And there's very little she won't do to get them.

Though Laurel and Corey have never met, the women have something in common, and if they're not careful, it may just destroy them both . . .

ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Liz Alterman is the author of the memoir Sad Sacked, the young adult thriller He’ll Be Waiting, a finalist for the Dante Rossetti Young Adult Fiction award, and the domestic suspense novels The Perfect Neighborhood and The House on Cold Creek Lane. Her work has been published by The New York Times, The Washington Post, McSweeney's Internet Tendency, and numerous other outlets. She lives in New Jersey with her husband, three sons, and two cats, and spends most days microwaving the same cup of coffee and looking up synonyms. When she isn’t writing, she’s reading and attempting to join as many book clubs as time will allow.

BOOK: A Healing Touch

AUTHOR: Liz Arnold

GENRE: Historical Romance

BLURB: In post-revolutionary America, Molly Hilliard wants to be more than an herbal healer, and she answers the lure of adventure on the Ohio River and journeys to the Northwest Territory seeking the freedom to set up a medical practice. Along the way, she tries to hire Romney Applewood as a guide, but he is going the opposite direction. After ten years as a captive of the Delaware Indians, Romney wants to get as far east as possible to forget his past and avoid the bounty on his head for taking part in raids upon settlers’ homes. Something about the way she sacrifices herself to heal others, and something about the way he endures the difficulties he encounters because of his tormented past, links them in more than their quest as they blaze new trails in their lives and in America’s frontier.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Liz Arnold writes spicy historical romance and lives in the Mid-Ohio Valley.

BOOK: Likely Suspects

AUTHOR: Barbara Jean Miller

GENRE: Regency Suspense

BLURB: To protect her destitute sister and niece, Roslyn Clary must appeal to the new lord of the manor, Mark St John. A temporary role if her sister delivers a boy child to assume the title. Roslyn is suspicious of Mark’s generosity, and vows never to fall in love with him no matter how heroic he seems. Reeling with attraction for Roslyn, Mark carries all of them to his mother’s house in London. He desperately wants to court Roslyn, but first must determine if the family is in danger since it appears his brother was murdered. There’s a long list of suspects, and it seems Mark has put himself in the queue of potential victims along with Roslyn.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Barbara Jean Miller is an author, educator, and nature observer

BOOK: Missing Mom

AUTHOR: Lynn Slaughter

GENRE: Young Adult Coming-of-age romantic mystery

BLURB: Never mind the circumstantial evidence. Seventeen-year-old Noelle, an aspiring ballet dancer, doesn’t believe her missing mother would ever have committed suicide and launches her own investigation. Meantime, she’s dealing with growing romantic feelings toward Ravi, her best friend and fellow dancer, as well as worries about why her little sister is so reluctant to visit their dad. Threaded throughout the novel is the story of a young woman nearly twenty years earlier whose escape from an abusive marriage turns out to be related to Noelle’s investigation.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Lynn Slaughter is addicted to the arts, chocolate, and her husband’s cooking. After a long career as a professional dancer and dance educator, Lynn earned her MFA in Writing Popular Fiction from Seton Hill University. She is the award-winning author of five young adult romantic mysteries: MISSING MOM, DEADLY SETUP, LEISHA’S SONG, IT SHOULD HAVEBEEN YOU, AND WHILE I DANCED, as well as an adult mystery, MISSEDCUE. She lives in Louisville, Kentucky, where she’s at work on her next novel and serves on the board of Derby Rotten Scoundrels, the Ohio River Valley chapter of Sisters in Crime.

BOOK: That Pinson Girl

AUTHOR: Gerry Wilson

GENRE: Literary Historical Fiction

BLURB: In a bleak MS farmhouse in 1918, Leona Pinson gives birth to an illegitimate son whose father she refuses to name, but who will, she believes, return from the war to rescue her from a hardscrabble life with a distant mother, a dangerous brother, and a dwarf aunt. When instead her lover returns with a wife in tow, her dreams are shattered. As her brother’s violence escalates and her aunt flees, Leona must rely on the help of Luther Biggs, the son of her grandfather and one of his former slaves, to protect her child. Told against the backdrop of the deprivation of World War I, the tragedies of the influenza epidemic, and the burden of generations of betrayal, That Pinson Girl unfolds in lyrical, unflinching prose, engaging timeless issues of racism, sexism, and poverty.

CONGRATULATIONS ON BEING RECENTLY NOMINATED FOR THE MISSISSIPPI INSTITUTE OF ARTS AND LETTERS FICTION AWARD!

ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Debut novelist at 82! 7th generation Mississippian. Former high school English teacher.

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The wealthy Kate Hamilton must marry the wounded viscount she is sheltering in her London townhouse since saving his life has ruined her. But he is a perfect candidate since he needs to marry well. When he seems reluctant, Kate proposes hiring him as her husband to disguise her love for him.

Hugh Bartram, Viscount of Dancy, has never met anyone like levelheaded Kate, thrusting herself into a scandal to save his sister from gossip. He resents Kate trying to solve everything with money, even as he admits her heart is in the right place.

Just as they wed, his sister elopes, and Dancy is captivated by the unconventional Kate as they ride across England together to prevent another scandal.

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JOY E. HELD is an author, educator, editor, entrepreneur, and literary citizen responsible for this site and its contents. She is the author of

Writer Wellness: A Writer’s Path to Health and Creativity (Headline Books, Inc., 2020)

Writer Wellness Workbook: A Guided Workbook and Journal to Accompany Writer Wellness: A Writer’s Path to Health and Creativity (Headline Books, Inc., 2023)

The Mermaid Riot (Fire and Ice YA, 2024) Young Adult Historical Fantasy

She writes spicy historical fiction under a pen name.

She is the winner of multiple writing and book awards:

West Virginia Writers, Inc. Annual Writing Contest, Honorable Mention, Novel, 1998.

New York Book Festival, Honorable Mention, Writer Wellness, 2020.

Next Generation Indie Book Awards, Finalist, Writer Wellness, 2021.

Northeast Ohio Romance Writers of America, Member of the Year, 2020.

Northeast Ohio Romance Writers of America, First Book Award, 2020.

She is an adjunct faculty member in the Southern New Hampshire University Online MFA Creative Writing.

She is a proud graduate of Seton Hill University in Greensburg, PA with an MFA in Writing Popular Fiction.

She is a member of The Authors Guild and the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators.

Joy is the founder and CEO of My WRITEDAY Subscription Box for writers and readers.