Author Tip by Gena Showalter + News

Author Tip by Gena Showalter + News ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌

NEWS

THE PLACE WHERE THEY BURIED YOUR HEART by Christina Henry was featured in Variety’s “Best Horror of November 2025” list, reviewed by Booklist as “a frightening possessed-house tale with a coming-of-age twist,” and included in TAG24’s “Most Anticipated Reads of November 2025”.

THE GUEST IN ROOM 120 by Sara Ackerman was reviewed by the Historical Novel Society, which praised it as “a poignant tale of pain and suffering, juxtaposed against a lush and verdant backdrop.”

THE BROKEN EARTH series by N.K. Jemisin and BLOOD LIKE MAGIC by Liselle Sambury were both included in Reader’s Digest’s “36 Best Fantasy Book Series, According to a Librarian”.

EMBER ETERNAL by Chloe Neill was included in We Are Bookish’s “10 Book Recommendations for Romantasy Readers”

SUCH A PERFECT FAMILY by Nalini Singh received a great review from Publishers Weekly, which described it as “an exhilarating standalone thriller…. Singh shrewdly toys with readers’ expectations en route to some truly bombshell revelations.”

AS LONG AS YOU’RE MINE by Nekesa Afia received multiple media spotlights, including a Bookwild podcast interview, a Fresh Fiction Q&A, and a Woman Around Town review.

ANGELS’ BLOOD by Nalini Singh was featured in The Mirror U.S. article “Sarah J. Maas’ 10 Favorite Fantasy Books That Inspired the ACOTAR Series,” where Sarah J. Maas listed it among the novels that influenced her writing.

THE FIFTH SEASON by N.K. Jemisin was featured in Winter Is Coming’s “13 Fantasy Books That Are Actually Horror—Perfect for Halloween”.

At the Goodreads Choice Awards 2025, THE HAUNTING OF PAYNES HOLLOW by Kelley Armstrong was nominated in the Horror category, and DATING AND DRAGONS by Kristy Boyce was nominated in the Young Adult Fiction category.

AUTHOR TIP OF THE MONTH

Gena Showalter is the New York Times and USA TODAY bestselling author of multiple series in paranormal, contemporary, romantasy, cozy mystery, and young adult romance. KINGDOM OF TODAY is her upcoming release.

Gena's Tip:
In the beginning, I tried to make every sentence perfect right from the start. A method that brought only stress and mental fatigue, causing me to get stuck over and over. I made little progress on the story itself. Everything changed when I gave myself permission to keep writing, no matter the mistakes I made. Once I finished the first draft, I finally saw the characters, arcs, world, and themes, and that’s when the meaningful edits began. No longer was it a chore to revise but a delight

RECENT DEALS

Lin Darrow's Flicker City Phantoms series, in which an underemployed ghost at a boarding house for the holographically resurrected dead must team up with her eccentric spectral housemates to stop a mysterious headless kidnapper, to Chelsea Villareal at Podium Publishing in a two-book deal, by Lucienne Diver

Former airline captain Dr. Jamie Cross's THIS IS YOUR CAPTAIN SPEAKING: AN INSIDER'S GUIDE TO WHAT REALLY HAPPENS WHEN YOU FLY, taking readers on a start-to-finish tour of the passenger journey, to David Legere at Globe Pequot in a nice deal, by Travis Pennington

Bram Stoker Award–winning author Jeff Strand's SUMMER CAMP, in which a slasher wearing a melted rubber mask hacks and slashes his way through a summer camp, to Rhett Bruno at Wicked House with Andrew Najberg editing, in a nice three-book deal, by Lucienne Diver

Kelley Armstrong's DEEPEST OF SECRETS, to MxM Bookmark (France), by Sarah Dray at Anna Jarota Agency on behalf of Lucienne Diver

Hailey Edwards's AMBER GAMBLER and MIDNIGHT AUTO PARTS, to MxM Bookmark (France) in a two-book deal, by Sarah Dray at Anna Jarota Agency on behalf of Lucienne Diver

NEW RELEASES

EMBER ETERNAL by Chloe Neill

AMAZON - B&N - BOOKSHOP

Fox is a thief with morals—she steals from those who can afford it and takes only a little at that. But she has no choice. Fox and her closest companion are indentured servants to an unscrupulous wealthy woman in the stronghold. Unable to pay off their debts with the work they’re given, they steal in the hopes of one day being free—truly free.

While searching for an easy mark, Fox identifies a would-be assassin with her rare magical ability, and then helps a royal bodyguard fend off his vicious attack on the prince. Soon that good deed embroils her in a vast and shimmering world of imperial politics, long-lost magic, and improbable romance. But Fox longs for freedom, and must decide if love is its own kind of cage.

THE PLACE WHERE THEY BURIED YOUR HEART by Christina Henry

AMAZON - B&N - BOOKSHOP

On an otherwise ordinary street in Chicago, there is a house. An abandoned house where, once upon a time, terrible things happened. The children who live on this block are told by their parents to stay away from that house. But of course, children don’t listen. Children think it’s fun to be scared, to dare each other to go inside.

Jessie Campanelli did what many older sisters do and dared her little brother Paul. But unlike all the other kids who went inside that abandoned house, Paul didn’t return. His two friends, Jake and Richie, said that the house ate Paul. Of course adults didn’t believe that. Adults never believe what kids say. They thought someone kidnapped Paul, or otherwise hurt him. They thought Paul had disappeared in a way that was ordinary, explainable.

THE BURNING QUEEN by Aparna Verma

AMAZON - B&N - BOOKSHOP

"So what will you become, Elena? Villain, hero, or conqueror?"

Ravence has fallen. Her enemies have ravaged her people. And now Elena Aadya Ravence must decide how far she will go to reap her revenge. As she is pulled into a bitter war that will decide the fate of her kingdom, a new tyrant rises to reclaim his home, and Elena finds that perhaps her hunger isn’t enough.

And his knows no bounds.

DAMNED by Genevieve Cogman (UK paperback)

AMAZON UK

Can a temporary game of pretend turn into lasting love?

Looking for a fresh start, widowed sheriff Dax Adams arrives in town—only to be confounded by his new neighbor, veterinarian Violet Spencer. When his family mistakes her for his girlfriend, he begs her to play along to convince them he’s open to new beginnings. And though he and Violet don’t initially see eye to eye, she agrees—if only to get her well-meaning sisters to stop matchmaking. But as they grow closer, it’s clear that even these two reluctant hearts can’t stop a fake relationship from turning into something real…

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