Snapshots, Eliot Parker, Morgan James fiction - Eliot Parker grew up in Appalachia, so it is no surprise that his award winning collection of short stories Snapshots is rooted in the people, places and customs of the region. His stories have a dark, sometimes surreal edge, befitting the author, who also pens mystery novels.
The Wrong Kind of Woman, Sarah McCraw Crow, Harper Collins - An unexpected death and a wave of social upheaval collide in Sarah McCraw Crow’s The Wrong Kind of Woman (MIRA Books/HarperCollins).
Sybelia Drive, Karin Davidson, Braddock Avenue Books - In Sybelia Drive, author Karin Cecile Davidson offers a kaleidoscopic look at the lives of the residents of a small lake town in Florida amidst the tensions of the Vietnam War.
The All-Night Sun, Diane Zinna, Random House - Diane Zinna’s The All-Night Sun tells a story of grief, loss, and friendship between Lauren Cress, a 28-year-old English teacher from Washington, D.C., and Siri, an 18-year-old art student.
Three Ways to Disappear, Katy Yocom, Ashland Creek Press - In Three Ways to Disappear, Katy Yocom tells story of sisters Quinn and Sarah’s return to India, where they spent time as children and were marked by a family tragedy.
A Small Thing to Want, Cawood, Press 53 - A Small Thing to Want is a series of stories about the tricky nature of love and relationships. It chronicles how the choices we make are often influenced by the ghosts of failed relationships and lost love. Shuly Xóchitl Cawood discusses the creation of the collection, working across genres and how to stay motivated.
Lake Life, David James Poissant, Simon and Schuster - Lake Life, David James Poissant’s debut novel, begins with a tragic accident that brings up long buried family secrets and forces members of the Starling family to examine their relationships.
I Have the Answer, Kelly Fordon, Wayne State Univerity Press - Kelly Fordon’s latest collection of short stories deals with the unexpected losses that life hands out;
Writers & Lovers, Lily King, Grove Atlantic - Writer’s and Lovers is set in 1997 and narrated by Casey Peabody, a 31-year-old writer grieving the death of her mother as she struggles to write, make a living and rebound from a bad romance with a poet.
Carnegie Hill Looks at Love and Marriage at a Co-Op - Inspired by a friend’s experiences on the co-op board of building on New York’s Upper East Side, Jonathan Vatner wrote Carnegie Hill, a novel that uses the travails of residents of an exclusive building to look at the institution of marriage.