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Stephanie Lavigne - Headlines, Deadlines, and Lies

As a single mom living in her hometown along Florida’s cozy Gulf Coast, Piper had all but given up on her dream of being a professional writer. So when a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity opens up at the small beach town paper where she works, she has to make a split-second decision: Go for it (even if it requires a little fib) or give up a shot at her lifelong goal.

To complicate things, in waltzes a worldly crime reporter who is easy to talk to and even easier on the eyes. Add in a demanding editor, alongside a theatrical best friend, a lively family, and co-workers who run the gamut from good-hearted to conniving, and things start getting tricky.

Scrambling for a topic that could keep readers hooked, Piper dives into the world of genealogy…something she knows absolutely nothing about. When her investigation turns up more questions than answers, her findings threaten to open up a Pandora’s box that can’t be closed.

All Piper has to do to learn more about her best friend’s long-lost father is get her to take an at-home DNA test, enter the results in the Family Found website, and whalaah! Answers gotten, and an article that will practically write itself!

Or not. Turns out there’s a missing branch of the family tree that does not want to be found. The question is, why?

Will she uncover the well-kept secrets of the past, or get caught up in a tangle of present-day deceptions?

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  • Joel Nedecky - The Broken Detective

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    Sam Wiebe’s Invisible Dead meets John McMahon’s The Good Detective in this gritty detective novel that centers around a man’s struggle to solve a crime that will guarantee the safety of his loved ones, while he faces life changing consequences of his family’s alcoholic past.  Private investigator Jake Joelsen is going to prison for assaulting his sick mom’s abusive boyfriend, but thanks to a suspended sentence, he has two weeks to earn as much money as possible so he can financially support his mom when he’s inside.Enter Nia Rowe, who hires Jake to find her troubled sister, Sadie, a member of a mega-church called Watershed Moments. Jake struggles to stay sober as he encounters old haunts he’s never come to terms with, while trying to rescue Sadie from the grip of powerful people willing to do anything to protect their place on the highest rungs of society.
  • Eli Frankel - Sisters in Death

    40:49|
    Who killed the Black Dahlia? In this eye-opening shocker, an award-winning producer, true-crime researcher, and Hollywood insider finally solves the greatest - and most gruesome - murder mystery of the twentieth century just before its 80th anniversary.In January 1947, the bisected body of Elizabeth Short, completely drained of blood, was discovered in an undeveloped lot in Los Angeles. Its gruesome mutilations led to a firestorm of publicity, city-wide panic, and an unprecedented number of investigative paths led by the LAPD—all dead ends. The Black Dahlia murder remained an unsolved mystery for over seventy years.Six years earlier and sixteen hundred miles away, another woman’s life had ended in a similarly horrific manner. Leila Welsh was an ambitious, educated, popular, and socially connected beauty. Though raised modestly on a prairie farm, she was heiress to her Kansas City family’s status and wealth. On a winter morning in 1941, Leila’s butchered body was found in her bedroom bearing the marks of unspeakable trauma.One victim faded into obscurity. The other became notorious. Both had in common a killer whose sadistic mind was a labyrinth of dark secrets.Eli Frankel reveals for the first time a key fact about the Black Dahlia crime scene, never before shared with the public, that leads inexorably to the stunning identification of a criminal who was at the same time amateurish and fiendish, skilled and lucky, sophisticated and brutish. Drawing on newly discovered documents, law enforcement files, interviews with the last surviving participants, the victims’ own letters, trial transcripts, military records, and more, this epic true-crime saga puts together the missing pieces of a legendary puzzle.In Sisters in Death, the Black Dahlia cold case is finally closed.
  • Chris McAuley - When the Stars Scream

    48:54|
    Chris McAuley writes prose novels, magazine short stories, video and tabletop games, and audio dramas. Together with Bram Stoker’s Great-Grand nephew Dacre Stoker, he has created the StokerVerse franchise. He has penned the sequel to Dracula, which will be released by Scar Comics later this year. He also collaborated with Babylon 5 actress Claudia Christian to create a science fiction universe currently being fleshed out and coming along nicely as a series of games, novels, and comic books. In addition to this, Chris has worked on Doctor Who, Star Wars, and, most recently, the Terminator franchise.Accolades:Chris has earned the Reggie Bannister Award for excellence in Horror writing and is nominated for a similar science-fiction award. CMP will publish Blood & Verse – the collaboration with Jeff Oliver and Dan Verkys. This is his first foray into the world of Lovecraftian poetry.Other Credits Include:– Dracula The Return: Cult of the White Worm. This is the only official comic book sequel to Bram’s Stoker’s Dracula, co-written by Bram Stoker’s great-grandnephew Dacre Stoker.– Dracula: Dark Reign: A video game set in the StokerVerse franchise (co-owned by Chris McAuley and Dacre Stoker). Play Jonathan Harker as he escapes Castle Dracula and beyond the pages of Bram Stoker’s original novel-Star Trek: Encounters: Chris has worked with the legendary Star Trek actor Walter Koenig to craft an original story set in the Star Trek universe for Paramount’s Star Trek Encounters Magazine.– Dark Legacies: A comic book series co-created with Sci-Fi legend Claudia Christian (Babylon 5). Illustrated by 2000AD / Preacher / The Boys comic book artist, the Legendary Glenn Fabry.– Doctor Who: Chris has contributed stories in recent Doctor Who annuals and anthology books. He has also written audio dramas set in Doctor Who and now writes for The Doctor Who Magazine. Current series showrunner Russell T. Davis has recently congratulated him for his work.– The Terminator: Chris has written for the official Terminator and Terminator 2 RPGs. His stories are now considered canon in the universe by the franchise owners Studio Canal. He is also currently working on another ‘top secret’ Terminator project!Classic Monsters Audio Range: Chris has written several horror audios featuring classic monsters such as Dracula, The Phantom of the Opera, and the Wolfman and published by BBV, best known for their ‘Worlds of Doctor Who’ range.The StokerVerse RPG: A Tabletop RPG set in the massively successful world of the StokerVerse. It’s a gothic horror franchise based in Bram Stoker’s universe, co-owned and created by Chris and Dacre Stoker. This was published by Nightfall Games and illustrated by 2000AD / Warhammer legendary artist Clint Langley.Three Musketeers Vs. Cthulhu: Set in the Renaissance era and featuring Lovecraft’s famous monsters, this is a novel, comic book, and now Tabletop RPG series. Published by Chaosium Games – one of the largest role-playing game companies in the world – who also own the ‘Call of Cthulhu’ game rangeMan O War: Working with the legendary William Shatner, this comic book adventure boldly takes readers to Mars, where a wealthy industrialist attempts to unravel a conspiracy threatening to take down the Earth’s government.Along with all of this, Chris is a regular contributor to prestigious magazines and anthologies such as Lovecraftinia, Madame Grey’s Book of Horror, Schlock, Doctor Who: Cosmic Masque, Phantasmagoria, Time and Space Magazine and has also edited several books in the horror and science fiction genre. 
  • Rachel Corbett - The Monsters We Make: Murder, Obsession, and the Rise of Criminal Profiling

    27:32|
    Criminal profiling—the delicate art of collecting and deciphering the psychological “fingerprints” of the monsters among us—holds an almost mythological status in pop culture. But what exactly is it, does it work, and why is the American public so entranced by it? What do we gain, and endanger, from studying why people commit murder? In The Monsters We Make, author Rachel Corbett explores how criminal profiling became one of society’s most seductive and quixotic undertakings through five significant moments in its historCorbett follows Arthur Conan Doyle through the London alleyways where Jack the Ripper butchered his victims, depicts the tailgate outside of Ted Bundy’s execution, and visits the remote Montana cabin where Ted Kaczynski assembled his antiestablishment bombs. Along the way emerge the people who studied and unraveled these cases. We meet self-taught psychologist Henry Murray, who profiled Adolf Hitler at the request of the U.S. government and later profiled his own students—including the future Unabomber—by subjecting them to cruel humiliation experiments. We also meet the prominent Yale psychiatrist Dorothy Lewis, who ended up testifying that Bundy was too sick to stand trial. Finally, Corbett takes the story into our own time, explaining the rise of modern “predictive policing” policies through a study of one Florida family that the analytics targeted—to devastating effects.With narrative intrigue and deft research, Corbett delves deep into the mythology and reality of criminal profilers, revealing how thin the line can be separating those who do harm and those who claim to stop it.
  • Tara Hodgson - At Least I'm Trying

    20:46|
    When the volleyball hits the floor mere inches from Reese’s hands, her dreams of playingcollege ball shatter.After consecutive failures on the court, in the classroom, and in her relationships, she’s doneplaying the part of perfect daughter, perfect student, and perfect athlete. It’s time for a new life.Enter Cassie Brentwood.But when Liam’s behaviour grows darker, Reese’s new life begins to unravel. She ignores thewarnings. The red flags. The little voice screaming to her that something’s not right. Until she’sfar from home, trapped in a nightmare she can’t escape.With no one left to trust, Reese has to fight to reclaim the life she was so eager to leave behind.She wanted freedom. Now, she just wants to go home.At least she has to try.Told with searing honesty and lyrical depth, At Least I’m Trying is a poignant novel about mentalhealth, girlhood, and what happens when the version of yourself you’ve worked so hard tobecome starts to fall apart.Bold. Reckless. Free. Cassie is everything Reese isn’t yet longs to be. They quickly becomefriends and Cassie introduces her to Liam, a mysterious guy from Snapchat. Blinded by his lovebombing and the desperation to shed her perfect image, Reese plunges head first into their world.It feels instantly thrilling… until it’s not.Girls are disappearing from nearby towns, however no one in their quiet small town seemsconcerned.
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    A woman comes face to face with her rapist at his engagement party. A teen reluctantly celebrating the first Christmas after her mother’s death gets caught cutting her wrists by a stranger. A student hands in a box of Kraft Dinner as her final assignment, and a bipolar art teacher grieves her divorce by online shopping. The Beauty and the Hell of It & Other Stories is a collection of stories about women (and one man) who quietly resist and the resulting moments of transition, acceptance, and vindication. Whether they wrestle with grief, growth, trauma, or all three, these characters don’t give in to expectations about who or how they should be. These stories will appeal to readers who enjoyed the pivotal moments of ordinary life in Sophie Stocking’s Walking Leonard and Other Stories and those who want a slice of contemporary womanhood served up with dark humour as offered in Meghan Bell’s Erase and Rewind.
  • Peter Solomon - 100 Years to Extinction

    25:03|
    What if Stephen Hawking was right—and we have less than a century to avoid extinction?When EMT Liz Arvad is shot while saving a life, her recovery sparks a deeper awakening. Maybe the world isn’t just chaotic, it’s unraveling. Alongside her genius sister, Aster, and politically charged cousin, Milo, Liz makes a vow—do something, anything, to help save humanity. It starts with a promise in a sunlit room, and becomes a mission that could change everything.In 100 Years to Extinction, physicist and award-winning STEM author Peter Solomon, Ph.D., blends heart-pounding fiction with scientific foresight. Inspired by Hawking’s dire warning that humans may face extinction by 2117, this gripping novel explores the runaway threats we can no longer ignore: climate collapse, pandemics, war, gene editing, AI, disinformation, and more.But this story isn’t just about what’s going wrong—it’s about what we can still do. Backed by decades of experience founding clean-tech companies, leading multimillion-dollar government research, and writing 300+ scientific papers, Solomon brings unmatched clarity and urgency to the question: Can we still save ourselves?With characters who feel heartbreakingly real and science that hits close to home, 100 Years to Extinction is both a wake-up call and a rallying cry. It dares readers to imagine a better future ... and to fight for it.
  • Crime Ink: Iconic ( Greg Herren, Robyn Gigl, & Marco Carocari)

    41:10|
    Prepare for intrigue, suspense, and unforgettable twists in this groundbreaking anthology of queer crime fiction.In 2023, crime fiction anthologies featured 517 stories across 30 titles—but shockingly, fewer than 1 percent were penned by LGBTQ+ writers. Crime Ink: Iconic (An Anthology of Crime Fiction Inspired by Famous Queer Icons) is a resounding response to this glaring disparity, offering a vibrant collection of stories by and about queer authors and characters.Drawing inspiration from queer icons—James Baldwin, Oscar Wilde, Candy Darling, Radclyffe Hall, Babadook, Megan Rapinoe, Laverne Cox, Dolly Parton, Vita Sackville-West, and many more—these tales span the rich spectrum of crime fiction, from cozy mysteries and whodunits to noir, psychological thrillers, and police procedurals. Each story is a testament to the depth, ingenuity, and thrilling originality of queer voices in the genre.This anthology showcases an incredible array of talent, including New York Times Best Crime Novels of 2024 honorees Margot Douaihy, Robyn Gigl, John Copenhaver, and Katrina Carrasco; Lambda Literary winners Ann Aptaker, Greg Herren, Ann McMan, and J.M. Redmann; and other celebrated writers like Cheryl Head, Penny Mickelbury, Christa Faust, and Kelly J. Ford. But that’s not all—this collection also includes many more decorated and emerging voices, ensuring a dynamic reading experience as inclusive as it is entertaining.With a foreword by Ellen Hart and an afterword by Katherine V. Forrest, two luminaries of queer crime fiction, this anthology is more than a collection of stories—it’s a movement. Bursting with intrigue, twists, and unforgettable characters, Crime Ink: Iconic is essential reading for crime fiction fans and anyone who craves representation in the stories they love.Includes stories by:Jeffrey Marks • Ann Aptaker • Ann McMan • Cheryl Head • Meredith Doench • Kelly J. Ford • Margot Douaihy • Christa Faust • Robyn Gigl • Greg Herren • Anne Laughlin • Kristen Lepionka • Katrina Carrasco • Mia Manansala • Renee James • Penny Mickelbury • Diana DiGangi • Baxter Clare Trautman • JM Redmann • Katherine V. Forrest • Stephanie Gayle• Marco Carocari • Jeffrey Round• David Pederson • Christopher Bollen • John CopenhaverEdited by:John Copenhaver • Salem West
  • David McCloskey - The Persian

    35:22|
    From former CIA analyst and best-selling author David McCloskey, a novel that takes readers deep into the shadow war between Iran and Israel.Kamran Esfahani, a dentist living out a dreary existence in Stockholm, agrees to spy for the Mossad after he’s recruited by Arik Glitzman, the chief of a clandestine unit tasked with running targeted assassinations and sabotage inside Iran. At Glitzman’s direction, Kam returns to his native Tehran and opens a dental practice there, using it as a cover for the Israeli intelligence agency. Kam proves to be a skillful asset, quietly earning money helping Glitzman smuggle weapons, run surveillance, and conduct kidnappings. But when Kam tries to recruit an Iranian widow seeking to avenge the death of her husband at the hands of the Mossad, the operation goes terribly wrong, landing him in prison under the watchful eye of a sadistic officer whom he knows only as the “General.”

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