Choices, choices — so much good reading ahead!

There’s always excitement surrounding the release of a friend’s new book. I’m not sure how one contains all the excitement when suddenly several friends have books hitting the shelves all at pretty much the same time, but that’s what’s happening this month.

In my daughter’s writing group, not one but THREE of the members have books published this month:

Kidlit author KRISTIN BUTCHER had a YA novel, ALIBI, published on October 1st by Orca Books.

• Fifteen-year-old Christine is visiting her eccentric great-aunt in historic Witcombe, where a pickpocket has been victimizing tourists. Aunt Maude owns an antique store and also runs the town’s ghost walk, which gives Christine the opportunity to meet local characters and visitors, including a mysterious young man who seems to know far too much about the crimes. When the pickpocket targets Aunt Maude’s store, Christine is determined to find out who is behind the thefts. Her search takes her through the nooks and crannies of the quaint town full of stories, and she unearths more than one surprise.

DIANA STEVAN‘s debut romantic mystery, A CRY FROM THE DEEP, was released October 15th.

• An underwater photographer about to cover the hunt for one of the lost ships of the Spanish Armada buys a Claddagh ring and begins to have nightmares and visions more compelling than the hunt itself.

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SHARI GREEN‘s debut YA novel, FOLLOWING CHELSEA, was released on October 17th by Evernight Teen.

• Walking in the footsteps of a dead girl isn’t easy.After her social life flatlines, seventeen-year-old Anna Richards wants nothing more than to lie low at her new school. But it seems Anna looks an awful lot like Chelsea, the sweet and popular girl who recently died, and Anna finds herself stepping into the void created by Chelsea’s absence.Anna is determined to make the awkward situation work in her favor, because Chelsea didn’t just leave a spot open with the in-crowd; she also left a gorgeous—and now available—boyfriend. But it turns out that following Chelsea might be a lot more complicated than Anna expected.

Then, there’s DENISE JADEN‘s newest YA release, FOREIGN EXCHANGE,  just out, too, (along with her non-fiction book for writers, FAST FICTION).

• Jamie Monroe has always played it safe. That is, until her live-for-the-moment best friend, Tristan, jets off to Italy on a student exchange program. Left alone with her part-time mother and her disabled brother, Jamie discovers that she is quite capable of taking her own risks, starting with her best friend’s hotter-than-hot older brother, Sawyer.Sawyer and Tristan have been neighbors for years, but as Jamie grows closer to the family she thought she knew, she discovers some pretty big secrets—not only from her, but from each other. As she sinks deeper into their web of pretense, she suspects that her best friend may not be on a safe exchange program at all. Jamie sets off to Europe on a class trip with plans to meet up with Tristan, but when Tristan stops all communication, suddenly no one seems trustworthy, least of all the one person she was starting to trust—Sawyer.

And, if that weren’t enough, CATHY ACE‘s fourth book in her Cait Morgan mystery series, THE CORPSE WITH THE PLATINUM HAIR, was released October 14th by TouchWood Editions.

• Welsh Canadian foodie and criminologist Cait Morgan takes off on a short break to the fabulous Tsar! Casino and Hotel in Las Vegas with her significant other, retired cop Bud Anderson. But before they can start celebrating Bud’s birthday in style at the casino owners’ exclusive private dining room, the death of Miss Shirley — a woman with a colorful background and the acknowledged Queen of the Strip — results in a security lockdown. Cait, Bud, a corpse, and ten possible murderers are trapped in the luxurious restaurant for twelve deadly hours. The bodies pile up, the tension mounts, the list of suspects dwindles — and Cait knows she has to work out who within the group is an audacious killer because there’s no telling who might be next to die.

RACHEL ELIZABETH COLE‘s newest kidlit, THE RABBIT ATE MY HOMEWORK, is available in paperback now, in addition to the Kindle edition, published by Tangled Oak Press.

• Eleven-year-old Drew Montgomery has not, does not, and will not ever want a stupid old rabbit. All they do is sit in their cages, eat carrots, and poop. Then his annoying little sister blackmails him into hiding a bunny in his closet. She knows what really happened to his “stolen” bike and she’s threatening to tell. Now Drew’s in a real jam. If his “No pets!” parents find the rabbit or, worse, his sister blabs the truth, he’ll be grounded till Grade Seven for sure.

  And if that’s not enough trouble, two girls at school drag him into a prank war that goes from bad to worse–and it’s all the rabbit’s fault. Plus, the weirdest girl in his class wants to be his science partner. If she tells him she wants to be his girlfriend, he just knows he’s gonna die.

  Drew must find a way to outwit the mean girls, wiggle out of the blackmail deal, and get rid of the rabbit before it destroys his bedroom and his life.

Another great new children’s story is from DARLENE FOSTER — AMANDA IN ALBERTA: THE WRITING ON THE STONE.

• Amanda is delighted to show Leah around Alberta during her visit from England. They take in the Calgary Stampede, go on a cattle drive, visit Head-Smashed-In Buffalo Jump, spend time with the dinosaurs at the Royal Tyrrell Museum and explore the crazy Hoodoos.
  When Amanda finds a stone with a unique mark on it, she doesn’t think it’s important until everyone seems to want it – including a very ornery cowboy. Is this stone worth ruining Leah’s holiday and placing them both in danger? Spend time with Amanda as she explores her own country while attempting to decipher the mysterious writing on the stone and keep it from those determined to take it from her.

There are even more! If you’re looking for stories to start getting into the mood for Christmas (you didn’t hear me suggest that, did you?), the HOPE FOR THE HOLIDAYS Contemporary Collection is out with inspirational novellas from Mary Connealy, Ruth Logan Herne, Audra Harders, Missy Tippens, Sandra Leesmith and Tina Radcliffe, with the HOPE FOR THE HOLIDAYS Historical Collection available for pre-order. The small town holiday romance, MIDNIGHT SPRINGS, Book 4 in the Springs series by Elena Aitken, is also available for pre-order!

I’ve probably forgotten to mention somebody’s book baby, so feel free to mention other new releases in the comments. But what an abundance of choices… something for everyone, and it totally boggles my mind. I don’t know where to start. Oh yes, I do! My daughter, Shari’s book, FOLLOWING CHELSEA, was the first one I reached for. You’d expect a mom to make that obvious choice, wouldn’t you?

 

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