Will helping him at Christmas have her wishing for more?
After being left at the altar, Kirsten Petersheim needs a fresh start. This means making a success of her new cleaning business and definitely not falling in love. But when her handsome client Mark Yutzy asks for her help with his troubled teenage brother, Kirsten’s resolve is tested. As romance blossoms over the holidays, can Kirsten put her fear of heartbreak behind her and give love one more chance?
Publishers Weekly: Readers will fall in love with this one.
New York times bestseller Anne Bishop’s THE LADY IN GLASS and Other Stories, a collection including her short fiction to date, among which are some rare early pieces and an all new never before seen story, to Anne Sowards at Ace in an exclusive submission by Jennifer Jackson for publication in Spring 2024.
Congratulations to our DMLA authors on their 2022 Ignyte Awards!
BEST NOVEL: YOUNG ADULT
THE EMBER AWARD (for unsung contributions to genre)
Credit: Gracemarie Photography
Liz Alterman’s SAD SACKED, originally published by Audible Originals, a humorous, poignant memoir that chronicles the 17-month period after both the author and her husband, long-time media professionals, unexpectedly lost their jobs within six weeks of one another, to Jessica Bell at Vine Leaves, by Katie Shea Boutillier.
Library Journal: A charming, stand-alone workplace romance with a foodie bent…a must-have for library audiobook collections.
Library Journal: A solid debut . . . For fans of hardboiled PIs with hearts of gold.
Booklist: At just about six months old (in a nineteen-year-old body), Nona lives a full life. She recounts her dreams to her protectors and works as a teacher’s aide at a local school. She’s been grudgingly accepted by a gang of streetwise kids and is trusted to watch a beloved teacher’s dog. At the edges of Nona’s life, glimpses of other truths occasionally slip through: there’s a giant blue sphere hanging in the sky, for one thing. Zombies are a problem. Occasionally Nona and her family are kidnapped by a clandestine local cell and interrogated about her true identity, but she manages to find the best in even those situations. In this ancillary volume set between Harrow the Ninth (2020) and the forthcoming Alecto the Ninth, Muir takes the time to explore unfolding calamity through the eyes of a true innocent. The book is set over the course of five days in the prelude to an apocalyptic event, with chapters interspersed where the reader learns how the death and resurrection of the people of Earth came to pass. Muir fans will be even more eager for the imperial scope of Alecto once they’ve finished Nona’s quiet character study.
Publishers Weekly: World Fantasy Award winner Polk (The Midnight Bargain) does what they do best with this genre-bending fantasy noir novella that brings lofty magic to a grimy 1940s city and showcases queer love along the way. Ten years earlier, warlock and private investigator Elena Brandt made a deal with the devil, bargaining away her soul to save the most precious thing in the world to her. Now she has only three days left before her deal is up and she goes to Hell. She should be spending that precious time with Edith Jarosky, the love of her life, or Teddy, her estranged brother. Instead, her best client reveals herself to be a demon and makes Elena an offer she can’t refuse: if Elena can track down a serial killer, she can have her soul back and live out her days in comfort with Edith. Simple enough—except the murders are gruesome human sacrifices used to invoke an ancient, evil, and terribly powerful magic. Though readers will wish they had more time to explore this shadowy world, Polk’s focus on character development makes every interaction matter as they craft a layered exploration of love and power with genuine emotional stakes and a soaring, perfectly bittersweet payoff. It’s another winner.”
Library Journal: Marino demonstrates his skill as a storyteller, creating empathetic, fleshed-out characters who must fight through the madness that is bearing down on them….
VERDICT Marino is very willing to plumb the depths of human discomfort and nihilistic despair, revealing disturbing images that sear into the brain while showing how art, and sibling bonds, can both create and destroy.