BOOKS BY MY FRIENDS
DEBBIE BURKE, KRISTINA ELYSE BUTKE, SUSAN CORYELL, JOY E. HELD & BARBARA JEAN MILLER
Thursday, 31 October 2024
Welcome to Books By My Friends! Today we are featuring
DEBBIE BURKE
KRISTINA ELYSE BUTKE
SUSAN CORYELL
JOY E. HELD
BARBARA JEAN MILLER
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DEBBIE BURKE
BOOK: Fruit of the Poisonous Tree, Tawny Lindholm Thriller Book 9
AUTHOR: Debbie Burke
GENRE: Mystery/suspense/thriller
BLURB: Jerome Kobayashi planted every cherry tree in his Flathead Lake orchard with his own hands. His wife's ashes are buried there. His roots go deep in the land. For years, he's turned down all offers to buy it.
But now someone won't take no for an answer.
When Mr. K's house is destroyed by arson, a body burned beyond recognition is found in the basement. Suspicion falls on Mr. K, who has secrets tracing back centuries to Japanese legend and lore.
His granddaughter begs for help from intrepid investigator Tawny Lindholm and her charismatic lawyer-husband Tillman Rosenbaum.
The truth is tangled in roots deeper and more twisted than the cherry tree.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Debbie Burke writes the award-winning Tawny Lindholm Thriller series set in Montana. She is a contributor to the popular crime-writing blog The Kill Zone, a magazine columnist, newspaper staff writer, and freelance editor. She lives within view of Glacier National Park in northwest Montana.
KRISTINA ELYSE BUTKE
BOOK: Son of the Siren
AUTHOR: Kristina Elyse Butke
GENRE: Young Adult Fantasy
BLURB: Sometimes love is a curse, a twisted, unnatural obsession.
Such is the dark magic of a siren's song, the power of which half-siren Lirien witnesses for himself as he watches his mother sing his father, the King of Ardeth, into the sea. In a fruitless attempt to reverse his father's fate, Lirien sings the siren song himself, not knowing its true power is seduction. Instead, he ensnares his stepmother, the Queen, with its hypnotic melody.
When Lirien refuses her desperate advances, she turns to forbidden magic to force her love on him. But wishing upon a havoc stone is an invitation to chaos. The queen's own son and daughters, Lirien's beloved siblings, are whisked away and transformed into animals. They flee the kingdom, and Lirien chases after them, his beautiful voice also gone.
Through elven mountains, fae forests, and siren waters, Lirien will stop at nothing to find and save his family. Threats come at him from all sides, but there are allies, too-Kitra, a shapeshifting fae fox who vows vengeance on the Queen for killing her brother, and Brandegil, an elf who can awaken the sacred sword Alibrandr to help break the spell on the children.
Together, they'll bring the stars raining down from the heavens if that's what it takes to save Lirien's family, but there's still the matter of breaking the spell on the Queen. And Lirien's own deadly curse haunts him should he stray too long from the sea.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Kristina Elyse Butke writes fantasy filled with magic, dark curses, and true love. Her time living abroad in Wales and Japan inspires her writing through the fantastical settings and creatures she creates. She has an MFA in Writing Popular Fiction from Seton Hill University and when she isn't writing, she indulges herself with reading manga and webtoons, watching anime, and cosplaying. She also enjoys spending time in forests, the more whimsical, the better.
SUSAN CORYELL
BOOK: Eaglebait
AUTHOR: Susan Coryell
GENRE: Young Adult novel
BLURB: Fourteen-year-old Wardy Spinks, overweight, unathletic and bespectacled, is bullied relentlessly at Evanstown High School. The protagonist of Susan Coryell’s young adult novel Eaglebait, is a multi-faceted character whose woes will resonate with teens and ‘tweens. The theme of building self-esteem is particularly apropos for YA readers. Brilliant, but awkward socially, and struggling with his own dysfunctional family, Wardy faces down school bullies with helpful advice from his grandmother, recognition from his teacher-mentor, and concentration on his love of science. Though he hates school and earns terrible grades in every class, Wardy labors to construct a laser in his secretive basement lab. Hoping for a romantic connection with his shy but pretty biology class lab partner, Wardy slowly works his way toward self-acceptance and the realization that he doesn’t have to be a loser for life. Fast-paced and filled with unexpected twists and turns, Eaglebait will appeal both to young adult readers and their parents, teachers and counselors.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Susan Coryell has been writing and publishing since EAGLEBAIT was first published in 1990 by Harcourt. A 30-year English teacher of grades 7 – 12, Susan loves to present book talks and writing workshops at schools, libraries and community functions for writers and readers of all ages. She has conducted panel discussions, writers’ conferences and anti-bully talks for youth groups.
Her professional associations include SCBWI (Society of Book Writers and Illustrators), South Carolina Writers Association, Authors Guild, and OLLI Writers at Clemson University. She has a BA degree from Carson Newman University and a graduate degree, MAIS, from George Mason University.
Susan is married to her high school sweetheart. They live in Clemson, South Carolina. She enjoys traveling to Hawaii, walking, water aerobics, yoga and anything to do with
grandchildren.
Susan is available for Zooms and interviews as well as in-person book talks and other programs locally. Her books may be ordered from her website: www.susancoryellauthor.com.
JOY E. HELD
BOOK: The Mermaid Riot
AUTHOR: Joy E. Held
GENRE: Young Adult Historical Fantasy
BLURB: Serena Robinson and Tobi Doyle have been friends for sixteen years. Living next door to each other along the Ainsley River in South Carolina, they built sandcastles, played pirate ship, and collected shells virtually every day until a freak accident at the Robinson Phosphate Mine Company takes away someone near and dear to Tobi’s heart. When Serena and Tobi witness the neighborhood apothecary lifting a limp body from his fishing boat, they don’t realize they will be forced together in a life-or-death effort to save a mermaid! Tobi never believed in mermaids until he held one in his arms.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Joy E. Held is an author, educator, book coach, yoga teacher, and founder and creator of My Writeday Subscription Box for writers. She is a member of The Authors Guild and The Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators. She lives in West Virginia with her husband.
BARBARA JEAN MILLER
BOOK: Good Likeness
AUTHOR: Barbara Jean Miller
GENRE: Regency Romance
BLURB: Portrait artist Ann Clayton has a secret. She is desperately trying to support her mother and little brother, while the world thinks her mother is dead. Brixton Tremont, a disillusioned war veteran, decides to rescue Ann and marry her. With his father’s aid he spirits her away to the family estate to paint portraits of everyone. When Ann learns his father is in love with her mother, she reveals Evelyn Clayton lives and has a young son who is heir to an estate. The happy future both couples hope for is shadowed by attempts on Ann’s life and the abduction of a child.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Barbara Jean Miller is an author, educator, and nature observer living in western Pennsylvania.
If you would like to be a featured author on a future BOOKS BY MY FRIENDS, please leave a comment, and I will be in touch.
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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.
I welcome the opportunity of having my novel "Dead Eyes in Late Summer" featured.
Joy, thanks so much for featuring my new thriller Fruit of the Poisonous Tree!
I appreciate learning about authors who are new to me in your regular features! Thanks!