Buy NOW! Elaina Battista-Parsons’ CHOMP, PRESS, PULL fully immersed me into the life of someone whose senses go off like fireworks! The author talks about growing up in New Jersey with sensory dysfunction before anyone had a name for experiencing life in a hyper-vibrant sensory way. Though often not idyllic in a world where most people’s senses are calibrated toward the middle, her rich, often very funny descriptions left me wishing I could experience her dynamism of touch,

Buy NOW! I love strong, feisty, smart female protagonists. In THE MAESTRO'S DAUGHTER by Catherine Thrush (The Lady Blade Series Book 1), teen Francesca de DiCesare, daughter of the Maestro, a famous fencing master in 1716 Tuscany, Italy, is all that. A natural rebel, Francesca strongly objects to everything young ladies are supposed to learn in order to become the wives of nobles. Cooking, household management, gardening. No thanks! What she really wants to do is fence like

Read NOW! My thanks goes out to Barbara Bos of Women Writers, Women’s Books , which just published my essay, "Scattered Light": How Fiction Can Help Us Heal Our Own Past Trauma . I hope you take a read and let me know: Does fiction help you discover more about yourself, and in some cases, heal? ___ For updates about Martha’s forthcoming books, news and giveaways, subscribe to her website: MarthaEngber.com . SCATTERED LIGHT , a novel, sequel to WINTER LIGHT , (Nov. 2025) THE F

Jim Zervanos’ newest book, AMERICAN GYRO is a deeply immersive dive into the world of a Greek-American family in the Philadelphia area. When the book opens, we’re with teenager Johnny Demos’ as he and his family keep vigil at the deathbed of Johnny's grandfather, the patriarchal immigrant who established a restaurant on which the family continues to thrive. But Johnny wants to be free of the expectation he’ll remain in the area and work at the restaurant. He’s got his own dr

I joined the California Writers Club eons ago when I first moved to the state. I’m still involved years later because what an impressive organization! According to the Website history: The informal gatherings of Jack London, poet George Sterling and short story writer Herman Whitaker, among others, eventually formed the Press Club of Alameda. In 1909, a faction of the membership split off to form the California Writers Club with Austin Lewis, an English civil libertarian, as

Order NOW! I don’t know about you, but I was reared in a family of three girls. And while the careers back then were only just opening up...

While doing research for my next book, I found an article by the Los Angeles Urban League, “Remembering Onie B. Granville, Founder of...

Preorder NOW! I need quiet when I read, but I know a lot of you appreciate audiobooks that allow you to listen while you do something...

Seriously, folks! Over the years, the prose written by the winners of the Bulwer-Lytton Fiction Contest has never failed to crack me up....

by Doug Teschner, Beth Malow and Becky Robinson Coming in September 2025 You might not know that I’m the host of Vigilant Positivity , a...

I’m not a huge fan of having my photo taken, but I never liked my old photo and so decided to contact a few local photographers to...

In GROWING GREAT CHARACTERS , I write about how other writers can sow the seed of a character, and with tenderness and attention, grow...

In my upcoming book, SCATTERED LIGHT , which will be published Nov. 25, 2025 (sequel to my IPPY Gold Medal in YA Winner, WINTER LIGHT ),...

I saw this sign in downtown San Jose and had to laugh, because I agree, even though I sometimes write haikus , a Japanese form of 3-line...

I’ve never done an Instagram read-along, but have always wanted to try one. No better time than now, because I want others to read WINTER...

When I was a kid, there was no Pride Month, much less a day dedicated to gay members of the autistic community. Autism itself was not...

My dad generally liked to spend Father’s Day at home. We’d go to church and come home and my sisters and I would give him our homemade...

by Nina B. Lichtenstein Buy NOW! I’ve never read a memoir with a more unique and organic structure than BODY: MY LIFE IN PARTS . The...

I'm excited to announce that SCATTERED LIGHT , the sequel to WINTER LIGHT , my IPPY Gold Medal in YA book, will be published in less than...

by Janet Clare Buy NOW! Janet Clare ’s newest book, TRUE HOME , sings of love amid human imperfections of a kind we all know too well,...