“Square peg, round hole. That’s how Jaz has felt as far back as she can remember. Being the daughter of a black father and a white mother, her classmates singled her out as “different” from day one, and it stuck. Now her mother is engaged and pregnant, and Jaz would be happy for her if not for the terrible secret she knows about her soon-to-be stepfather. Because of this, Jaz isolates herself from her family and friends, turning to her music for answers and comfort. She finds both in Jackson, a new guy who may be the only one who has ever understood her. Gurtler unabashedly tackles several sensitive topics without sacrificing the story line and constructs a beautiful paradox by making the burden of carrying a secret the factor that enables Jaz to face her outcast fear. This novel also addresses the pressure students feel to fit in and encourages them to stay true to themselves. Sometimes we just need to hear that it’s OK to be different.” – Booklist

School Library Journal praises the mystery and suspense of USA Today bestselling author Charlee Ganny's first children's book!

“Paco is a Chihuahua with a big heart. Longing to catch the eye of Natasha, a large pedigree breed who only likes tough-guy dogs, he tries to turn himself into a werewolf. When a large, wild creature comes to town, however, Paco believes it is a real werewolf. Then Natasha disappears, and Paco overhears from his owner and her friends that she was last seen heading toward Mount Diablo with a large dog. When Paco finds out that the children are thinking of going there to find Natasha, he knows he has to stop them from becoming werewolf bait. With the help of Professor Pewmount, a skunk who’s been helping him release his wild side; Coco, his canine friend; and a group of wild animals, he risks everything to bring his love and his family back home safely. Will he succeed? The characters are a bit two-dimensional, but the mood of mystery and suspense is well sustained and does a good job holding readers’ interest. The interspersing of Spanish words and phrases is a fun addition. Each chapter opens with a small black-and-white illustration. A good addition to animal-adventure collections.” - School Library Journal

Author Jennifer Nielsen will be launching Elliot and the Pixie Plot, the second book in her Underworld Chronicles series, this weekend at The Kings English Bookshop in Salt Lake City. Leading up to that event, Deseret News has run a great review of Elliot and the Pixie Plot!

View the review online here:

http://www.deseretnews.com/article/705390601/Pixie-Plot-is-full-of-humor-puns.html?pg=1

The Well-Spoken Thesaurus by Tom Heehler is the main subject of an article written by syndicated Chicago Tribune columnist Heidi Stevens.

If language is one of your loves, you'll likely enjoy Heehler's unconventional collection. Regardless of its reception, though, the book has had a profound effect on Heehler, in ways that transcend mere oration."I wouldn't have had the confidence to talk to a reporter a year or two years ago," he says. "When you're well-spoken you're more confident. And confidence translates to everything in your life."

Read the entire article: http://www.chicagotribune.com/features/tribu/ct-tribu-words-work-wellspoken-20110907,0,1324710.story

The Chicago Tribune has a print circulation of 437,000 and an online monthly visitor rate of 2.8 million.

Bob Delaney, author of Surviving the Shadows: A Journey of Hope Into Post-Traumatic Stress, was interviewed by USA Today sports editor Reid Cherner for his Game On! column.

“The hope is that there is a recognition, a higher awareness and an education that takes place so it's not that secret in the closest. We talk about it and we make folks aware of it so that we are prepared for it to come. And if it does come they know that it is something that is manageable. It may not be a life-long sentence but it may be a life-long journey of healing.”

Read the entire article: http://content.usatoday.com/communities/gameon/post/2011/09/book-em-surving-the-shadows/1

The article and Q&A were featured on page 3C of today’s print edition (cir. 1.82 million) and online at USAToday.com, which receives 14.1 million unique visitors a month.

This week’s issue of Publishers Weekly features a great review of Genie Knows Best by Judi Fennell (November, ISBN 9781402241901):

Genie Knows Best
Judi Fennell. Sourcebooks Casablanca, $6.99 mass market (384p) ISBN 978-1-4022-4190-1

Fennell follows I Dream of Genies (Jan. 2011) with the charming story of heiress Samantha Blaine, whose life changes abruptly when she discovers a genie’s lamp inside her deceased father’s safe. Before you can say abracadabra, Samantha’s off to the land of Izaaz with genie Kal, launching a madcap romp through pop culture references, sparkly things, and general magical mayhem. Samantha struggles to cope with narcoleptic trolls, quarreling dragon spouses, and battling leprechauns and gnomes. When her former fiancé turns up with some magical items of his own, she must gain confidence in herself (with a little help from the seductive Kal, who makes even orange curly-toed slippers sexy) to thwart his ambitious schemes. Fennell’s light and lively writing is full of humor and cleverness, and the occasional tributes to fantasy classics add extra fun to the spicy story.

Permalink: http://www.publishersweekly.com/978-1-4022-4190-1

Great news for The New Science of Love by Dr. Frances Cohen Praver! Dr. Praver was recently interviewed by a syndicated columnist who writes for the Chicago Tribune. Her article on revitalizing marriages, heavily quoting Dr. Praver and talking about the book, is up on the Chicago Tribune website (2,871,170 visitors per month!), and also ran yesterday in the Orlando Sentinel (173,000 print circ., 2,240,800 visitors per month) and is up on the South Florida Sun-Sentinel website (1,148,790 visitors per month).

You can view the full article here. We can also expect to see this article pop up in other newspapers in the Tribune family in the coming weeks!

Library Journal’s Xpress Newsletter has given a great review to The Wedding Affair by Leigh Michaels (September, ISBN 9781402246). You can see the full list of this week’s Xpress Reviews at the link below, and the review of The Wedding Affair is below.

Xpress Reviews—First Look at New Books, September 2, 2011
http://www.libraryjournal.com/lj/home/891843-264/xpress_reviewsfirst_look_at_new.html.csp

Michaels, Leigh. The Wedding Affair. Sourcebooks Casablanca. Sept. 2011. 384p. ISBN 9781402244216. pap. $7.99. HISTORICAL ROMANCE
A wedding at the country seat of the Duke of Somervale causes quite a stir. Unfortunately, Lady Olivia Reyne can't pay her rent, so an improper proposition from her odious landlord puts her more in the mood for violence than a house party. She meets Simon, the Duke of Somervale, when her three-year-old daughter falls in front of his horse. Hoping to circumvent the members of his sister's bridal party bent on capturing a duke, Simon makes Olivia an offer that might solve both of their problems. Meanwhile, Olivia's friend Kate Blakely, the late vicar's daughter, finds her invitation to assist the duchess with the event as a chance to assess possible employment. Too bad Andrew Carlisle is on the guest list. Penelope Townsend sees the respite in the country as an opportunity to find common ground with her husband, the Earl of Townsend. He wed her for her father's money, but there must be more to marriage than the indifference they have shared thus far.
Verdict Michaels's (Just One Season in London) charming novel introduces three independent women fighting to protect what they hold dear and find the love that makes it all worthwhile. The simultaneous retelling of the story from each of their perspectives creates an intriguing and absorbing romantic tale. Recommended for all romance fans. [Library marketing.]—Bette-Lee Fox, Library Journal

The Wedding Affair received a 4 Star review in the September issue of RT Book Reviews: “Michaels’ forte is spinning not one or two tales, but three charming romances into one novel,” and I expect blog reviews to post throughout the month. More to come for this title!

For the THIRD week in a row, Awaken the Highland Warrior by Anita Clenney has hit the USA Today Bestseller list, this week at #129!! You can see the list here: http://books.usatoday.com/list/index?r=121-130.

Anita’s second book, Embrace the Highland Warrior, will be in stores in November!

AWAKEN THE HIGHLAND WARRIOR BY USA TODAY BESTELLING AUTHOR, ANITA CLENNEY
ISBN 9781402251238

Bestsellers Lists
08/18/2011 USA Today Bestseller List, #130
08/25/2011 USA Today Bestseller List, #118
09/01/2011 USA Today Bestseller List, #129

Clenney’s debut, beginning a new paranormal series, showcases her ability to create an alternative modern world peopled with interesting, exciting, and compelling characters. -Booklist

A romantic adventure that is hard to resist.  -RT Book Reviews

Full of twisty subplots and sexy, romantic fun. -Publishers Weekly

A riveting story full of mystery, demons and hot Scottish Highland Warriors! -Fresh Fiction

Oh My Gosh, I want more.  You get a series full of action, good vs. evil scenarios and romance -Night Owl Romance

Between the brogue and the body, these warriors are to die for! -The Romance Readers Connection

This book kept me glued to it page after page...  -Books and Quilts

If you love series like I love series, characters that have powerful abilities, a mystery not easily solved and a sigh worthy romance, then you’ll enjoy Awaken the Highland Warrior. -Heart to Heart: The B&N Romance Blog

A captivating debut...   -Romance Reviews Today

What an exciting first book in a series! -One Upon a Romance

Clenney has created a plot that remains strong throughout the book as the characters continue to develop as though you, in some way, actually know them.  -Dark Divas Reviews

Full of sexy kilted warriors... Sizzling! -Debbie’s Book Bag

It was fun, fast paced, had some great action, and the story line was one that kept me engaged.  -Life in the Thumb

An intriguing and sensual paranormal romance... A delectable read. -Romance Junkies

Awakening the Highland Warrior brought back memories of Karen Marie Monig’s Highlander series. -Aisle  B

Plenty of intrigue to keep the pages turning... a rewarding story -That’s What I’m Talking About

A good book with a hunky highlander warrior and the epic struggle to save mankind.  -Book Girl of Mur-Y-Castell

A heart-racingly fast-paced novel...  -Romance Reader at Heart

[The] action is enriched with passion and a twist of mystery. The story makes you want to jump into the pages...  -Bookloons.com

Debut time-travel romance author Anita Clenney introduces readers to a demon-fighting Scotland clan that looks good in their kilts and fights even better. -Romance Fiction on Suite101.com

Anita Clenney has written a book that is of the same caliber as Karen Marie Moning’s Highlander series. -PonyTails Book Reviews

The start of a very exciting new series. -Single Titles

Author Bio
Anita Clenney writes paranormal romance and romantic suspense. Before giving herself over to the writing bug, she worked in a pickle factory, at a preschool, booked shows for Aztec Fire Dancers, and was a secretary, executive assistant, and a realtor. She lives with her husband and two children in suburban Virginia where she is working on her next book, Embrace the Highland Warrior, which will be in stores in November 2011. For more information, please visit www.anitaclenney.com or follow her on Twitter, @anitaclenney.

Moms, do you think you should be friends with your daughter? Nationally recognized family and marriage psychotherapist Arden Greenspan-Goldberg, and author of What Do You Expect? She's a Teenager!: A Hope and Happiness Guide for Moms with Daughters Ages 11-19 explains that mothers should be "user-friendly" with their daughters. She believes mothers should be a benevolent and approachable authority figure vs. acting as a friend.

Join the debate and view the full interivew with WRAL-TV Noon News here.

Crazy Things Parents Text by Wayne and Stephen Miltz was recently featured on babble.com, a parent-focused website with 4,380,950 visitors per month! A great hit reaching the perfect audience!

You can check out the full post here:

http://blogs.babble.com/strollerderby/2011/08/27/crazy-things-parents-text-more-funny-silly-and-hilarious-messages-from-moms-and-dads/

Kirkus Reviews extols Dirty Little Secrets Breaking the Silence on Teenage Girls and Promiscuity by Kerry Cohen, calling it "an engaging catalyst for discussions about a taboo issue."

Read the full review below:

Cohen (Loose Girl, 2009) broadens her examination of promiscuity by sharing stories of women from varying backgrounds and experiences.

The author asserts that she wrote the book because many women "wanted answers, a formula, to get themselves to a new place, to stop harming themselves with their promiscuity." As in many works that explore women and self-image, Cohen discusses how media and society's distortion of women's roles starts early, often before we even realize what is happening. She relates how, despite careful parenting, she noticed that when her 3-year-old son put on a cape, the people he pretended to save were always female. With respect to technological advancements in society, Cohen includes a chapter titled "Brave New World," which tackles modern topics like sexting and online chatting. Young girls use these avenues to explore their sexuality; the author provides an example of Amelia, who uses "sexting and cyber sex to pick up boys she likes who she meets in school, but is too shy to speak to in person." Cohen goes on to say that Amelia admits that she uses this activity obsessively and gets insulted when rejected. The author offers tangible advice including how sharing stories and creating new habits, such as self-reflection and setting boundaries, can address this issue.

Largely anecdotal but serves as an engaging catalyst for discussions about a taboo issue.

Karen Wheeler, author of Tout Sweet: Hanging Up My High Heels for a New Life In France, reveals how she swapped Prada for paint brushes in order to renovate a house south-western France. While renovating her house she also learned some important style lessons that she has now shared with SheKnows.com.

Inspired by her rustic surroundings, click here to discover Karen's top five elements of le style fancais.

Lori Calabrese, Children's Books editor for Examiner.com, is a lover of books because "there's a book for everything," including Boomerang Kids: A Revealing Look at Why So Many of Our Children Are Failing on Their Own, and How Parents Can Help by Carl Pickhardt PhD, which "addresses a problem that's not widely discussed, but yet, so many families are experiencing."

Calabrese writes, "If you're a parent who has found your young adult back home, this book is a great resource to help you understand this period in your child's life and how to guide your child to success."

Read the full article here.

RT Book Reviews gives If I Tell by Janet Gurtler a great review saying “Gurtler handles complex issues of race, identity, friendship and fidelity with laugh-out-loud humor and engaging frankness.… once you’re in you won’t regret it…”

I'm Not Her also got a great review from RT Book Reviews back in July, where they called Janet's writing "reminiscent of Judy Blume." Booklist said, "Just right for fans of Sarah Dessen and Jodi Picoult." Check out the rest of the great things people are saying about Janet here.

AND if you visit the Barnes & Noble Must Read For Teens page, you'll see I'm Not Her yet again! Janet Gurtler is keeping some auspicious company and it is well deserved.

Great news! Awaken the Highland Warrior by Anita Clenney (ISBN 9781402251238) has hit the USA Today Bestseller List for the second week in a row, moving up to #118 (it was at #130 last week)! You can see the list here: http://books.usatoday.com/list/index?r=111-120. 

Awaken the Highland Warrior is Anita's debut novel, and received a lot of great praise when it hit stores in May.

PRAISE FOR AWAKEN THE HIGHLAND WARRIOR BY USA TODAY BESTELLING AUTHOR, ANITA CLENNEY
ISBN 9781402251238

Clenney's debut, beginning a new paranormal series, showcases her ability to create an alternative modern world peopled with interesting, exciting, and compelling characters. -Booklist

A romantic adventure that is hard to resist. -RT Book Reviews

Full of twisty subplots and sexy, romantic fun. -Publishers Weekly

A riveting story full of mystery, demons and hot Scottish Highland Warriors! -Fresh Fiction

Oh My Gosh, I want more. You get a series full of action, good vs. evil scenarios and romance -Night Owl Romance

Between the brogue and the body, these warriors are to die for! -The Romance Readers Connection

This book kept me glued to it page after page... -Books and Quilts

If you love series like I love series, characters that have powerful abilities, a mystery not easily solved and a sigh worthy romance, then you'll enjoy Awaken the Highland Warrior. -Heart to Heart: The B&N Romance Blog

A captivating debut... -Romance Reviews Today

What an exciting first book in a series! -One Upon a Romance

Clenney has created a plot that remains strong throughout the book as the characters continue to develop as though you, in some way, actually know them. -Dark Divas Reviews

Full of sexy kilted warriors... Sizzling! -Debbie's Book Bag

It was fun, fast paced, had some great action, and the story line was one that kept me engaged. -Life in the Thumb

An intriguing and sensual paranormal romance... A delectable read. -Romance Junkies

Awakening the Highland Warrior brought back memories of Karen Marie Monig's Highlander series. -Aisle B

Plenty of intrigue to keep the pages turning... a rewarding story -That's What I'm Talking About

A good book with a hunky highlander warrior and the epic struggle to save mankind. -Book Girl of Mur-Y-Castell

A heart-racingly fast-paced novel... -Romance Reader at Heart

[The] action is enriched with passion and a twist of mystery. The story makes you want to jump into the pages... -Bookloons.com

Debut time-travel romance author Anita Clenney introduces readers to a demon-fighting Scotland clan that looks good in their kilts and fights even better. -Romance Fiction on Suite101.com

Anita Clenney has written a book that is of the same caliber as Karen Marie Moning's Highlander series. -PonyTails Book Reviews

The start of a very exciting new series. -Single Titles

Bestsellers Lists

08/18/2011 USA Today - USA Today Bestseller List, #130

08/25/2011 USA Today - USA Today Bestseller List, #118

Author Bio

Anita Clenney writes paranormal romance and romantic suspense. Before giving herself over to the writing bug, she worked in a pickle factory, at a preschool, booked shows for Aztec Fire Dancers, and was a secretary, executive assistant, and a realtor. She lives with her husband and two children in suburban Virginia where she is working on her next book, Embrace the Highland Warrior, which will be in stores in November 2011. For more information, please visit www.anitaclenney.com or follow her on Twitter, @anitaclenney.

Making Waves by Tawna Fenske (August, ISBN 9781402257216) is featured in a Romance Review Round Up in The Chicago Tribune! You can fine the full article at the link below, but here is Tawna’s review:

Romance review round-up
Have a summer fling with these books
By John Charles Tribune staff reporter

"Making Waves" by Tawna Fenske Sourcebooks Casablanca, $6.99 With her freakishly high IQ and short attention span, Juli Flynn's employment history leaves a little something to be desired, but the advantage to being in-between jobs is that Juli can fulfill her uncle's deathbed wish that his ashes be sprinkled over the edge of a boat near St. Johns. When Juli arrives at the Virgin Islands, she mistakes Alex Bradshaw's boat for her charter boat. By the time everything is sorted out, Juli finds herself at sea with the incredibly sexy Alex and his cut-rate crew of corporate pirates. Fenske's wildly inventive plot and wonderfully quirky characters provide the perfect literary antidote to any romance reader's summer reading doldrums.

The Chicago Tribune has a daily circulation of 441,508 and www.ChicagoTribune.com receives 2,871,170 unique visitors per month.

Making Waves has received a lot of incredible praise—a 4 ½ Star Review from RT Book Reviews, a STARRED Library Journal Xpress Review, as well as a great review from Booklist and a lot of attention from the romance book blogging community (including a review from www.SmartBitchesTrashyBooks.com) which is pasted below. Tawna was also named a 2011 Notable Debut by Writers Digest Magazine.

Praise for Making Waves by Tawna Fenske, a 2011 Writers Digest Notable Debut
August 2011, ISBN 9781402257216

A zany caper... Fenske’s off-the-wall plotting is reminiscent of a tame Carl Hiaasen on Cupid juice. -Booklist

Fenske's wildly inventive plot and wonderfully quirky characters provide the perfect literary antidote to any romance reader's summer reading doldrums. –The Chicago Tribune

This delightfully witty debut will have readers laughing out loud... 4 1/2 Stars and Top Pick of the Month -RT Book Reviews

This book was the equivalent of eating whipped cream … sure it was light and airy, but it is also surprisingly rich. -Smart Bitches Trashy Books

I really had fun reading this quirky romance... an awesome debut novel. A Night Owl Reviewer Top Pick -Night Owl Reviews

Fresh and sassy...  -BookLoons.com

Hilariously funny... wacky and quirky.  -Sugarbeat’s Books

Entertaining and hilarious with quirky and very likable characters. A solid debut. -Under the Boardwalk

Utterly sensational and entirely unique. -Romance Fiction on Suite101.com

Pure wacky fun...  -Cheeky Reads

A light, enjoyable read.  -All About Romance

A laugh a minute adventure that is perfect for a reading escape...  -SOS Aloha

This story hits the spot for laugh out loud, fun reading! -Reviews by Martha’s Bookshelf

Quirky, sexy and funny...  -A Good Addiction

The October issue of RT Book Reviews will hit newsstands next week, and five Sourcebooks novels will be reviewed, including TWO Top Picks of the Month: The Rose Garden by Susanna Kearsley and Lady Sophie’s Christmas Wish by Grace Burrowes.  These are both the second top picks these authors have received from RT Book Reviews! All five reviews are listed below, with reviews of Darn Good Cowboy Christmas by Carolyn Brown, Utterly Charming by Kristine Grayson,  and The Popularity Rules by Abby McDonald, as well.

THE ROSE GARDEN, ISBN 9781402258589
by Susanna Kearsley
Genre: Historical Romance, Historical Fiction, Paranormal, Time Travel
Sensuality: HOT
Setting: Present-day & 18th-century England
RT Rating: 4 1/2 Stars, Top Pick of the Month

REVIEW: Like Anya Seton’s Green Darkness and Daphne du Maurier’s House on the Strand, Kearsley brilliantly brings together past and present as her heroine slips back and forth through time, a challenge handled brilliantly and believably, as readers are encouraged to keep turning the pages. Her realistic characters and wondrous descriptions turn this into a magical, not to be missed read.

Eva returns to her childhood home in Cornwall with her sister’s ashes. She revisits memories and family friends the Halletts. But when she is suddenly swept back 300 years in the past, when the area was a smugglers’ haven and rebellion was in the air, she feels as if this is where she belongs. Eva learns she can see and talk to those in the past, where she meets Daniel Butler. Daniel is the man of Eva’s dreams; the man she could love in any time. Caught between mourning for her sister and the magical love she has found, Eva must make a critical choice as to where she truly belongs. (SOURCEBOOKS, Oct., 448 pp., id="mce_marker"6.99)

LADY SOPHIE'S CHRISTMAS WISH, ISBN 9781402261541
by Grace Burrowes
Genre: Regency Period, Historical Romance, England
Sensuality: HOT
Setting: Regency England
RT Rating: 4 1/2 Stars, Top Pick of the Month

REVIEW: Burrowes is an unconventional storyteller who knows exactly how to touch a reader’s heart and reach deeply into the soul. She’s pulled out all the stops in an extraordinary, precious, unforgettable holiday story.

Lady Sophie Windham wants some peace and quiet before the family get-together. She’s on her way to London when her maid sneaks off, abandoning her 6-month-old infant. Vim Charpentier has problems of his own, but when he spies a young woman holding a crying infant, he offers his help. Vim knows a lot about babies, having raised his siblings. Arriving safely, Vim expects to stay a day or two to teach Sophie how to care for “Lord” Kit. He doesn’t expect to fall in love.

Sophie has been taking in strays all her life, but this baby is a miracle. Vim watches her fall in love with Kit and then with him. In the snowbound house they form a family, built on care, trust and love. Their idyll lasts until her brothers arrive to escort Sophie home. Each dreams of making the other’s Christmas wish come true, but ‘tis is the season for miracles. (SOURCEBOOKS, Oct., 418 pp., $7.99)

DARN GOOD COWBOY CHRISTMAS, ISBN 9781402261572
by Carolyn Brown
Genre: Contemporary Romance, General Contemporary Romance
Sensuality: HOT
RT Rating: 3 Stars

REVIEW: Brown’s latest novel is a feel-good read. The vast amount of characters and plotlines can be a distraction from the main love story, but Brown still manages to write a romance worth reading.

Lizelle Hanson is thrilled to be putting down roots after living and working the carnival life. Her neighbor is none other than Raylen O’Donnell, an old childhood sweetheart and one of the hottest cowboys in Texas. Lizelle becomes torn between her old, gypsy-like lifestyle and settling down, but she just cannot stay away from the irresistibly sexy cowboy. (SOURCEBOOKS, Oct., 384 pp., $7.99)

UTTERLY CHARMING, ISBN 9781402248511
by Kristine Grayson
Genre: Paranormal/Urban Fantasy, Paranormal Romance
Sensuality: MILD
RT Rating: 4 Stars

REVIEW: Toss out all your preconceived notions of a romance novel, and you’ll be completely charmed by Utterly Charming. When a beautiful woman is placed under a spell for 1,000 years, the first thing she needs isn’t a handsome prince, but a lawyer. No ID, no Social Security number, no money. That’s the kind of creativity the author uses in this modern-day retelling of Sleeping Beauty. Dynamic characters and an atypical story will have you flipping through pages.

When Sleeping Beauty awakens, she wants nothing to do with her “Prince Charming,” but has to find a way to survive. Thankfully, Prince Charming has thought ahead and has hired a beautiful lawyer, Nora Barr, to help them through this challenging time. Failing to charm his Sleeping Beauty, Alex Blackstone becomes attracted to the modern career woman, Nora. Can they all find their happily ever after? (SOURCEBOOKS, Oct., 320 pp., $6.99)

THE POPULARITY RULES, ISBN 9781402256684
by Abby McDonald
Genre: Mainstream, General Mainstream Fiction
RT Rating: 4 Stars

REVIEW: With a hip London setting, details about the music scene and a plot with Pygmalion-like elements, The Popularity Rules is sure to please readers far and wide. Fans of Helen Fielding’s chick lit classic Bridget Jones’s Diary and Sophie Kinsella’s Shopaholic series will adore this one.

Kat Eliot has spent her post-college years working for very little money at small yet dignified Think Louder magazine. Kat has always rebelled against being fake to get ahead and is disgusted by all the pretentious hipsters populating the London music scene she writes about. However, when Kat begins experiencing difficulties at work she begins second-guessing her professional and personal philosophies.

Enter Lauren, Kat’s ex- best friend from high school. Lauren mysteriously quit being friends with Kat back in high school and after a makeover, seemed to become popular overnight. Now, Lauren wants to share with Kat the secret to her popularity all those years ago: a secret book called The Popularity Rules. Kat is faced with a difficult decision — should she use the Popularity Rules to her advantage professionally, or stand her ground and keep her existing values intact? (SOURCEBOOKS, Oct., 480 pp., id="mce_marker"4.99)

The following review of Plain Fear: Forsaken by Leanna Ellis appeared in the August issue of Library Journal, in a special vampire fiction column:

Ellis, Leanna. Plain Fear: Forsaken.
Sourcebooks. Aug. 2011. C.432p.
ISBN 9781402255403. Pap. $4.99 FANTASY

Rumpsringa allows Jacob, an Amish youth, to visit New Orleans. Jacob loves his family, but he needs to explore the world he has read about in books. He also loves Hanna and promises to come back to her. HE does return by dies, only to arise as a vampire. A Murder in New Orleans leads a detective to investigate another one in Lancaster County, PA, where Hannah lives and mourns Jacob. Incorporating poetry and scripture, popular CF author Ellis (Facelift) weaves an engrossing, dark romantic tale about love, sacrifice, and faith. This series debut will appeal to both urban fantasy fans and readers who enjoy Christian Fiction.

Praise for Plain Fear: Forsaken by Leanna Ellis
August 2011; ISBN 9781402255403

Ellis creates characters with depth... The story keeps you enthralled from page one. —Shelf Awareness

Beautifully-written. A vampire love story you won't forget. —Fresh Fiction

Ellis gets the Amish details right...  a fairly straightforward, sweet romance novel. —RT Book Reviews

This story takes the reader on an emotional rollercoaster that keeps you guessing until the end... —A Night Owl Reviews Top Pick

The tension in the story just keeps building... You can’t stop reading —The Long and Short of It Reviews

A wonderfully gothic feel... —Anna’s Book Blog

A mesmerizing tale... Every single line was put together with such creativity and grace. —Martha Ramirez Book Reviews

An exquisite read... —Jenny Loves to Read

The novel was well written, the characters skillfully spun, the plot well-developed... —The Borrowed  Book

The August issue of Library Journal features an awesome review of Everything I Know About Love I Learned from Romance Novels  by Sarah Wendell (October, ISBN 9781402254499)!

Wendell, Sarah. Everything I Know About Love I Learned from Romance Novels.
Sourcebooks. Oct. 2011. C.256p. bibliog.
ISBN 9781402254499. Pap. $4.99. PSYCH

Wendell (coauthor, Beyond Heaving Bosoms: The Smart Bitches Guide to Romance Novels), cofounder of the romance blog Smart Bitches, Trashy Books, has convinced this reviewer: romance novels are not mere frivolities designed to convey guilty pleasure to their devoted readers. Rather, they serve an important educational function, i.e., to teach readers about the vagaries and realities of love and romance. According to Wendell, “Romance novels are both the story of the characters finding each other, and the story of finding themselves deserving of the effort to creating a happy ever after requires.” She solicits the opinions of romance aficionados regarding the various lessons they have drawn from their favorite romance novels and argues that, among other uses, romance novels can be effective in teaching adolescents about the nature of love and relationships, enabling such readers to fend off disastrous expectations in their inexperience with romantic partners. VERDICT Readers of romance novels will especially enjoy this engaging book; general readers will appreciate its reflective nature; and it may even cause those who have dismissed romance novels as worthless pabulum to think again. —Lynn F. Maxwell, Villanova Univ. Sch. Of Law Lin., PA