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Kindle First for April...


I Am Livia by Phyllis T. Smith (Historical Fiction)

Back in the mid-’70s, I was a HUGE fan of the PBS adaption of Robert Graves’ modern classic, I, Claudius. A delicious melding of highbrow history and political intrigue, sprinkled with steamy sex (well, for 1976, anyway)—man, I just ate it up. It also initiated a lifelong love of fiction with the milieu of ancient Rome. Which is why, almost forty years later, when a manuscript entitled I Am Livia (Livia is the grande dame of I, Claudius—think Katharine Hepburn in The Lion in Winter), crossed my desk, I knew I’d take a look. What I didn’t know was how much I’d love it, and how nothing else except reading was going to get done that day.

It turns out author Phyllis Smith felt the same way I did about the PBS series and Graves’ books. In fact, they led her to take a course on ancient Roman history—and a fascination with the period was born. One thing always bothered Phyllis, though: she thought the men who wrote the history books gave Livia a raw deal, so she wanted to offer her some historical justice. Was she the sociopathic monster of popular lore, or was there another side to the story?

The result of Phyllis’s inquiry is a highly polished and compelling tale of ancient Rome narrated by Livia Drusilla herself, wife of Caesar Octavianus, who defeated Marc Antony and Cleopatra in the Battle of Actium. OK, maybe she did make her first husband walk her down the aisle when she left him for Caesar, and a few children she knew might have met untimely deaths, but this Livia treats herself more kindly than history has. In fact, one of the things Phyllis is most proud of (and surprised by) is how writing the book in Livia’s voice gave her a certain empathy for her protagonist that many male historians have glossed over. The story becomes a fascinating study of a woman who learns to survive—not an easy task in her era, when all the “real” power was held by men.

I Am Livia is many things: a sweeping, sometimes shocking immersion in an intriguing period of history; a touching love story between two people who never really stood a chance; and, most important, the debut of a major new writing talent.

Killing Ruby Rose by Jessie Humphries (Young Adult)

There was a moment in the first season of Veronica Mars when I realized something important about the title character, something that turned me from an idle viewer into an obsessed nerd-girl fan. I suddenly grasped that there’s nothing special about Veronica, yet she’s extraordinary. Veronica is totally on her own: she doesn’t have Buffy’s Slayer skills, Clary’s Shadowhunter powers, or even Katniss’s talent with the bow. There’s something entrancing about figures like Veronica. They’re as human and as vulnerable as all of us, but they manage to get themselves into (and out of) superhuman situations with wits and luck alone.

Given my affinity for this type of character, it’s no surprise that I’m thoroughly excited about Killing Ruby Rose, the debut novel by Jessie Humphries. There’s nothing particularly exceptional about Ruby Rose: she’s a privileged seventeen-year-old who has the very unfortunate but very human experience of losing a parent. What is unique about Ruby, however, is her sharp-as-a-stiletto wit and her inimitable thirst for justice. And what keeps the pages turning is that Ruby doesn’t go about anything in the way you’d expect. Sure, she’s a teenage girl who loves Prada, but she also loves her .38 Smith & Wesson. She hates injustice as much as anybody, but she doesn’t fight it by holding fundraisers or attending protests. Ruby’s style is a bit more down-and-dirty vigilante bravura mixed with a quiet, unflinching confidence in herself.

As a writer, Jessie gives the reader a delectable indulgence: a heroine who is vulnerable and imperfect, but also surprising and unquantifiable. Jessie balances the real and the impossible in a way that maximizes my ability to escape into Ruby’s version of sunny SoCal. Since, as a humble editor, I don’t have the skills or dynamism to fight serial killers, there’s nothing more I can ask for than a good book that takes me into a world where the hero does exactly that.

Home to Stay by Terri Osburn (Romance)

As a romance reader, you might be used to losing yourself in the lives of beautiful, rich, and powerful people. I certainly have—countless times. Let’s face it, we all enjoy a good fantasy. But with Home to Stay, you get to experience a story that is grounded in reality yet still allows for escape. As I sit at work in Seattle, where it’s raining, I think about the idyllic island on the Outer Banks of North Carolina that Terri Osburn has created. Her writing brings warmth, depth, and a touch of laughter to obstacles that could challenge any one of us.

For Willow, bartending on Anchor Island is just the right refuge for hiding from her past. She certainly wasn’t looking for the complications of a relationship with Randy, the local fitness-club owner, to keep her there. But soon Randy becomes the anchor that holds Willow down (in a good way), and we get caught up in their sexy blossoming romance. I was also drawn to the tight island community that bands together and is willing to embrace an outsider as their own.

Terri was advised early in her career that romance books about everyday, ordinary people don’t sell. I’m glad she didn’t listen and instead stayed true to her path and her passion. A stroll on the beaches of Anchor Island is an escape I’d happily take. For your next break, immerse yourself in Terri’s charming small-town world, filled with characters who will walk straight into your heart.

Plaster City by Johnny Shaw (Thriller)

When I asked Johnny Shaw to describe his novel, he responded without missing a beat: two dumb guys with a very bad plan. Classic Johnny: down-to-earth, funny, and straight to the point. Thankfully, as his editor, I’m not expected to be so brief—so let me tell you why I love Johnny’s book.

Set against the rough landscape of the Mexican border and California desert, Plaster City overflows with beer, shotguns, and dusty outlaws. What elevates the story are the authenticity and black humor that remind me of Elmore Leonard. Sure, Johnny’s a guy’s guy. But the interesting thing is that some of his biggest fans are women, like me. Perhaps that’s because at the core of Plaster City, you’ll find a smart and tough but honest story about friendship and loyalty. His characters can be crude and violent, but in the end they value and seek what we all want: understanding and acceptance from the people we love. Don’t get me wrong, though. You’ll still see more than your fair share of fights, foul language, and Mexican biker gangs.

When we asked best-selling author Craig Johnson to describe his buddy’s book, he used a few more words than Johnny but still nailed it:

“You wanna know what reading a Johnny Shaw book is like? It’s like blistering the surface of the coastal road around the Salton Sea in a lipstick-red ’59 Cadillac Biarritz convertible with unregistered weapons under the seat, illegal substances in the glove box, a shoeless, unconscious city councilman in the cavernous trunk, with Bruce Springsteen blaring out of all six speakers—and just when you think the crazy can’t get any more out of control, Plaster City takes the cigar from its lips and hands you the fifth of Maker’s Mark, saying, ‘Hold this, I wanna try something I saw on a cartoon once.’”