[Manabi]

This month's Kindle First selections are out, they are:

Christmas in Good Hope (A Good Hope Novel Book 1) by Cindy Kirk [Genre: Romance]

Ami and Beck would rather forget the past, but this Christmas of love is one to remember.

Amaryllis “Ami” Bloom’s cheerful smile greets everyone in Good Hope, Wisconsin. But her merry facade hides a dark secret she won’t ever forget. Still, she throws herself into celebrating Christmas—and convinces her handsome, and stubborn, new neighbor to join her.

Beckett Cross, however, is determined not to celebrate the holidays. He moved to Good Hope to leave behind reminders of how he’d had it all…and lost everything. But it’s hard to resist adorable Ami, the designated keeper of the small town’s holiday traditions, when she asks for help with the Twelve Nights celebrations. And Ami has a hard time resisting Beck’s soft Southern drawl and gentle eyes. Will a Christmas miracle give them a second chance at love and the hope to heal both of their hearts for good?

From the Editor:

Spoiler:

There’s nothing like the magic of the Christmas season. As a kid, I experienced that magic watching the lights go up around the neighborhood, hearing the holiday music at bookstores, seeing the twinkle in my parents’ eyes as I asked them about Santa Claus. And as an adult, I find it when my family and extended family gather at my sister’s house in the Midwest, our laughter ringing off the gold-rimmed plates as “This Christmas” plays in the background and our kids stomp happily through the snow—all the little things that add up to a wondrous anticipation of joy and laughter.

Looking back, with the world-wise knowledge of an adult, I remember one small pinprick of loss and poignancy during Christmas: the morning I discovered beautifully wrapped presents under my parents’ bed, and my creeping suspicion about Santa Claus was heartbreakingly confirmed.

But poignancy only adds to the joy, and Christmas in Good Hope is no exception. Author Cindy Kirk’s story feels like a gift. Plot twists startled me with their unexpected take on forgiveness; the characters of Good Hope, Wisconsin, warmed my blood with their deep sense of community as they rally around one another and take new people into their fold; and main characters Ami and Beck simply made my heart beat faster. We don’t just see them fall for one another: we tsk-tsk as Beck initially rebuffs Ami’s attempts at Christmas cheer; we chuckle as Beck slowly lets go of his Grinchiness; we gasp when the secrets they hold close are revealed; and we marvel at their devotion to one another just when we think one will turn away for good. But most of all, we experience a rush of feel-good adrenaline as Ami and Beck discover they’ll be together from Christmas…until forever.

This Christmas, it’s not pinpricks I’m feeling but flickers of delicious satisfaction knowing this luminous love story and family story is in your good hands.

- Kelli Martin, Editor

Daughter of Sand and Stone by Libbie Hawker [Genre: Historical Fiction]

When Zenobia takes control of her own fate, will the gods punish her audacity?

Zenobia, the proud daughter of a Syrian sheikh, refuses to marry against her will. She won’t submit to a lifetime of subservience. When her father dies, she sets out on her own, pursuing the power she believes to be her birthright, dreaming of the Roman Empire’s downfall and her ascendance to the throne.

Defying her family, Zenobia arranges her own marriage to the most influential man in the city of Palmyra. But their union is anything but peaceful—his other wife begrudges the marriage and the birth of Zenobia’s son, and Zenobia finds herself ever more drawn to her guardsman, Zabdas. As war breaks out, she’s faced with terrible choices.

From the decadent halls of Rome to the golden sands of Egypt, Zenobia fights for power, for love, and for her son. But will her hubris draw the wrath of the gods? Will she learn a “woman’s place,” or can she finally stake her claim as Empress of the East?

From the Editor:

Spoiler:

What do the ancient gods have against bold, brave women? Historically, when a woman has ambitions, she’s taken to task for her hubris. Or, if the gods don’t strike her down, she’s driven to self-sacrifice in order to achieve her aim. Not so for Zenobia, the only woman to ever challenge the Roman Empire. Yes, the gods punished her. Yes, she paid a steep price for protecting her people. But she never backed down; she never gave up her cause.

When author Libbie Hawker delivered the manuscript to me, I finished the first chapter thinking, Man, this Zenobia is a piece of work. Even I wanted to take her down a notch. But as I read on, it became clear that her ambition was borne not of greed but of her loyalty to her city and her family. As the story developed, I softened toward Zenobia and even rallied to her cause. Here is a woman who knew what she was capable of. She knew that if she didn’t put her life on the line, her people would be enslaved by the Romans—and she wasn’t about to let that happen.

History hasn’t been kind to Zenobia. She’s long been portrayed as a power-grabbing warrior queen. In Daughter of Sand and Stone, Libbie Hawker has finally given Zenobia a chance to be much more than that. Here she is a devoted mother, a passionate lover, and a fierce defender of her people. If only she were alive today…I’m sure she’d waste no time punching through the glass ceiling.

- Jodi Warshaw, Editor

The Short Drop by Matthew FitzSimmons [Genre: Thriller]

A decade ago, fourteen-year-old Suzanne Lombard, the daughter of Benjamin Lombard—then a senator, now a powerful vice president running for the presidency—disappeared in the most sensational missing-person case in the nation’s history. Still unsolved, the mystery remains a national obsession.

For legendary hacker and marine Gibson Vaughn, the case is personal—Suzanne Lombard had been like a sister to him. On the tenth anniversary of her disappearance, the former head of Benjamin Lombard’s security asks for Gibson’s help in a covert investigation of the case, with new evidence in hand.

Haunted by tragic memories, he jumps at the chance to uncover what happened all those years ago. Using his military and technical prowess, he soon discovers multiple conspiracies surrounding the Lombard family—and he encounters powerful, ruthless political players who will do anything to silence him and his team. With new information surfacing that could threaten Lombard’s bid for the presidency, Gibson must stay one step ahead as he navigates a dangerous web to get to the truth.

From the Editor:

Spoiler:

I love the thrill of discovery—the spark that flashes through me when I find a new author whom I’m positive readers will love. It’s the spark that makes me press a book into people’s hands, grab them by the shirt, and say, “You’ve got to read this!”

That’s how I feel about The Short Drop—the most assured, gripping, and satisfying debut that I’ve read in recent memory. Matthew FitzSimmons hooked me with the book’s setup: What if the nation’s most notorious unsolved missing person case involves Suzanne Lombard, the daughter of a senator who—despite his family’s tragedy—is destined to become a powerful vice president? What if, ten years after her disappearance, new evidence surfaces in the case as Lombard runs for president?

The setup grabbed my attention, but what kept me riveted was how deeply I cared about the characters—especially the book’s hero, Gibson Vaughn, a legendary hacker-turned-marine offered a chance to solve the mystery of the disappearance of his best childhood friend. Gibson’s friendship with Suzanne comes to life in these pages and turns an action-packed thriller into something with surprising emotional depth that is richly rewarding.

It is rare to discover a book by a first-time author that feels like the work of a seasoned pro who has been churning out bestsellers for twenty years. The Short Drop is that rare book, and it is remarkable.

I won’t tell you more, other than to say: “You’ve got to read this!”

- Alan Turkus, Editor

Gateway to Fourline (The Fourline Trilogy Book 1) by Pam Brondos [Genre: Fantasy]

Years before, a gateway opened between their world and ours. Sending one young woman through may be the key to survival for the kingdom of Fourline.

Strapped for cash, college student Natalie Barns agrees to take a job at a costume shop. Sure, Estos—her classmate who works in the shop—is a little odd, but Nat needs the money for her tuition.

Then she stumbles through the mysterious door behind the shop—and her entire universe transforms.

Discovering there’s far more to Estos than she ever imagined, Nat gets swept up in an adventure to save his homeland, an incredible world filled with decaying magic, deadly creatures, and a noble resistance of exiled warriors battling dark forces. As she struggles with her role in an epic conflict and wrestles with her growing affection for a young rebel, Soris, Nat quickly learns that nothing may go as planned…and her biggest challenge may be surviving long enough to make it home.

From the Editor:

Spoiler:

Gateway to Fourline sits at a crossroads of our everyday world and a wholly different one—a world with fading echoes of magic, rife with vicious beings, and bursting with intoxicating adventure. What I first fell in love with is the book’s innocent honesty that harkens back to the tales I devoured as a young adult. Stories of the hero’s journey, of building the will to fight for what’s most important, and of the discovery of first love. As I read deeper, the story let me indulge in my most sought-after dreams of uncovering a world within a world—like the one discovered by Quentin in The Magicians or even the one Lucy found at the back of a wardrobe.

As Natalie, the protagonist, struggles with issues that we can all relate to—money, aspirations, family—she is thrust into a battle in Fourline, an unknown realm that she has no place in. But once there, Natalie discovers a will and spirit in herself that are nothing short of heroic. Her transformation from average college student to Warrior Sister made me wonder if I would find similar bravery and honor at my core if I were in her shoes. Of course, that’s what I’ve always hoped for whenever I’ve met characters like Natalie in my favorite adventure stories—that I, too, would rise above incomprehensible odds. Unlike Natalie, I’ve never had the chance to test my mettle, but perhaps that’s for the best, because as Natalie struggles in both our world and in Fourline, the path is anything but easy.

I am continually impressed by the story that debut author Pam Brondos has written. It is so supremely satisfying that it’s hard to imagine she could expand upon it further. But she’s done just that with the continuation of Natalie’s journey in the second and third books in the trilogy, both releasing in early 2016.

- Courtney Miller, Editor

The Burned Bridges of Ward, Nebraska by Eileen Curtright [Genre: Modern Fiction]

There are no secrets in a small town. For someone like Rebecca, that can get awkward.

Rebecca Meer’s hometown of Ward, Nebraska, is small—so small that she can’t even sneak home after a drunken girls’ night without running into at least three people she knows. But she has bigger problems than her reputation. The head doctor at her fertility clinic is losing his mind, and his wild behavior could cost them the business. Her supersuccessful ex-boyfriend has blown back into town and somehow become her son’s fifth-grade teacher—now her son is asking awkward questions about the end of their relationship. Rebecca can’t even run the PTA’s annual food drive without getting mixed up with criminals. In Eileen Curtright’s astute comedy, we see just how far a stressed-out single parent will go to be the “perfect” mother.

From the Editor:

Spoiler:

If you like novels that leave you happy, Eileen Curtright’s The Burned Bridges of Ward, Nebraska gets the job done in style. Single mom Rebecca Meer, the feisty heroine of this modern parenting comedy, lives in a small Midwest town where nothing is private or forgotten. Her job hangs by a thread, an ex-boyfriend returns, her son can’t keep up at school—and that’s just the beginning of her problems. How will she ever keep her life together, let alone make it better?

By the time I finished reading, I realized I’d covered Curtright’s manuscript with “LOLs” and exclamation points—I’d never seen parenting portrayed quite so comically before. But at the heart of this book, I also discovered a deeper story of small-town American life and a mother struggling to protect her son from the cruel forces that rule elementary school, and herself from the petty behaviors of her neighbors.

The author told me she wrote this book for the many funny women she knows—and for the many more she knows are out there. Eileen wanted to make those women smile the way mothers sometimes do at the end of a long day, when the children are finally asleep, and they can drop the carefully constructed facade of “Mom” and, in the company of a good book, relish and relive the true joys of motherhood.

- Carmen Johnson, Editor

Sleeping Embers of an Ordinary Mind by Anne Charnock [Genre: Experimental Fiction]

History is storytelling. But some stories remain untold.

In fifteenth-century Italy, Paolo Uccello recognizes the artistic talent of his young daughter, Antonia, and teaches her how to create a masterpiece. The girl composes a painting of her mother and inadvertently sparks an enduring mystery.

In the present day, a copyist painter receives a commission from a wealthy Chinese businessman to duplicate a Paolo Uccello painting. Together, the painter and his teenage daughter visit China, and in doing so they begin their escape from a tragic family past.

In the twenty-second century, a painting is discovered that’s rumored to be the work of Paolo Uccello’s daughter. This reawakens an art historian’s dream of elevating Antonia Uccello, an artist ignored by history because of her gender.

Stories untold. Secrets uncovered. But maybe some mysteries should remain shrouded.

From the Editor:

Spoiler:

Time to call your book club. Why? Sleeping Embers of an Ordinary Mind is an ambitious, profound, and multilayered novel that asks thoughtful questions about family, legacy, storytelling, and buried secrets—questions that beg to be discussed, and that I know I’ll be thinking and talking about with other readers for a long time.

The book contains three stories, those of two girls and one woman: one in fifteenth-century Italy, one in modern-day China, and one in an imagined twenty-second-century London. Though their lives span half the globe and more than six centuries, their fortunes are nevertheless entangled in ways that none of them understands. As readers we learn of the connections as we go, and the ensuing harmony across their stories sings with a quiet but persistent music that makes this book as memorable as any I’ve edited before.

Sleeping Embers of an Ordinary Mind resonates with a powerful insistence that our lives matter in ways that extend well beyond our immediate time and place. As with many novels whose ideas outlast the time we spend reading them, we’re ultimately better off—more empathetic, more aware of the vastness of which we’re a part—for having read them. This is one of those books.

Anne is a celebrated author—her debut novel, A Calculated Life, was a finalist for the Philip K. Dick and Kitschies Golden Tentacle Awards—and I’m deeply thankful for having had the chance to work with her on this book. My only regret is that I can never again read it for the first time.

- Jason Kirk, Editor