A gust of new Texas-connected titles to take you through summer

While the Texas summer heat isn't going anywhere, hopefully you are, and we've got all the titles to keep you reading on the beach, in the mountains, or in the air -- or your air-conditioned digs!

 

A Time to Fly

Diann Floyd Boehm

A Time to Fly is a wonderful, heartwarming story that exemplifies love, patience, support, and acceptance. The story illustrates overcoming fear in such a soft and wonderful manner, that it is sure to be a favorite children’s book for many years to come!

 

Clive the Lonely Llama

Valerie Komkov Hill

Clive the Llama goes on an adventure and meets new friends along the way. Valerie Komkov Hill, an accomplished painter and artist, tells a little story about Clive, a lonely llama who decides to face adventures with the help of new friends. Clive has become a beloved character. This sweet book began as a gift for friends who were new to parents or grandparents and grew to be a cherished gift passed along to friends of others.

 

Cotton-Picking Folks

Preston Lewis

In Cotton-Picking Folks, award-winning author Preston Lewis explores one family’s experiences on dryland tenant farms during the Great Depression. As the grandson of a tenant farmer, Lewis in the 1970s collected the written and oral histories of his grandfather’s five daughters and two sons.  Born into a poverty that demanded their child labor, all seven siblings picked cotton before they could read and all faced a biscuit-and-gravy existence. Their coming-of-age recollections are enlightening and touching testaments to the enduring spirit and faith of the Greatest Generation, whose work in the cotton fields was little different than it had been the previous century.  Cotton-Picking Folks is a heartfelt tribute to a farm generation poor in material goods but rich in spirit.

 

Fancy

Linda Broday

Her baby stolen, Fancy Dalton will risk everything to get him back. Selling her belongings, she buys a one-way train ticket to Denver. In a mad dash to board the train, she collides with Jack Coltrain. Luck would have it, the rugged cowboy sits next to her. Experience has taught her to be wary of men. But when her bag is stolen, Jack gets it back and earns a small piece of her trust. As the iron wheels take her closer to her son, Fancy and Jack discover an orphan girl who needs their help and open their arms. They strike a deal—Fancy's help for his. This is a fight they have to win.

 

Hang on Every Word

Julie Cosgrove

Tom Jacob retires and leaves The Oakmont Gazette to his daughter and son-in-law. They decide to turn it into a bi-weekly online paper and hire Wanda Warner to design with the wordplay puzzles. But when they publish the clues to the Hangman puzzle each Tuesday and Friday, someone uses them to decide who to rob next in Scrub Oak and people begin to blame Wanda. Will Todd, her police officer nephew, be forced to arrest his own aunt?

 

Hog Wild

Jonathan Woods

Ray Puzo, ex-Special Forces sniper, is hired to rid the vast Cross cattle ranch in South Texas of its feral hog problem. Unbeknownst to Ray when he takes the job, because of radiation, and other pollution, the hogs have become super-brainy. Faced with extinction, the hogs organize and fight back. Humans and feral hogs face off in an epic battle between good and evil—but who is good and who is evil is an open question. Besides leading the charge against the hog uprising, Ray must navigate the Byzantine politics of the ranch’s eccentric aristocracy and peasantry, including the reptilian ranch matriarch, her queer son, her crackpot nympho daughter, and a supporting cast of cowpokes, vaqueros, schemers, ne’er-do-wells and slimeballs.

 

Love and the Dream Come True

Tammy L Gray

When Cameron Lee's music career takes a nose dive, he reluctantly returns home, where he falls fast for single mom Lexie Walters. But fantasies only last so long, and soon they have to face the real world, one fraught with heartbreak and disappointment and questions that can only be answered on your knees.

 

Marigold

Will Clark

Meet Marigold Sunshine Whitaker, "The Sword Arm of Heaven." Marigold is a down-on-her-luck massage therapist and former inmate who is determined to "vision board" her way to a better life. She talks to angels and has read The Elements of Abundance (the secret to The Secret) over thirty-five times, and yet, Marigold's dreams are left unfulfilled.

That is until one day when Krish McKinley, CEO of yoga wear giant, Wolf&Bees®, steps into her massage chair and offers to change her life. Enthralled by the billionaire's charm and his ambitions to save the world, Marigold is torn between listening to her better Angels and following Krish McKinley down an Instagram-worthy path of impossible luxury, corporate fraud, and even murder.

 

Tastes So Sweet

Kelly Cain

After losing her parents in high school, Ryan Landry grew up fast, solely focusing on supporting her younger twin sisters. With the twins now preparing for college, the financial stakes are raised so Ryan enters a restaurant manager of the year contest. Her chances for the grand prize are strong—after all, she’s the executive manager of Everheart Bar and Fine Dining. Ryan meets the restaurant’s Michelin star patriarch chef near-impossible challenges, except this creates another obstacle—increased temptation with her best friend and pastry chef Weston Everheart. She’s fought to keep Weston in the friend zone because romantic fraternization means immediate firing. But when she realizes Weston has also been in love with her for years, it becomes impossible to maintain business as usual.

 

The Wishing Quilt (anthology)

Jodi Thomas, Lori Wilde and Patience Griffin

Texas is about to be wrapped up in love and homespun perfection with this new, uplifting contemporary romance anthology featuring novellas from three legendary, best-selling authors that weave together tales of women whose quilting craft ultimately leads them down the path to love.

 

Branded

Jon Armour

Branded is based on the true story detailing the outrageous events and exciting, colorful and humorous antics of cowboy Bob Harold Leach, aka “The Most Notorious Cattle Rustler of Our Time,” and the nicest guy you’d ever meet. A man who has managed millions of dollars of illegal cash, most of it said to be buried under his north Texas ranch in 55-gallon drums. He has survived 19 stabbings, poisonous hamburgers, prison tear gas attacks, and being thrown over a third story railing while in jail. A tough hombre for sure. But also, a man generous to a fault, often showering those he knew with gifts and financial help.

 

Cavern of the Veil Queen

Michael Scott Clifton

Then a way is found through the magical partition. An invasion is launched to defeat the Dark Queen. But she’s had centuries to plot treachery. Is the open portal real or a misdirection, another of her evil schemes? Alexandria’s new husband, Prince Tal, has wielded his formidable magic repeatedly in the struggle. But the key to victory may not lie with his power, but with Alex’s wild and unpredictable magic. If she can discover a way to control it, they have a chance to end the war and destroy the Veil. It requires only two things. Find the Veil Queen…and kill her.

 

Dying to Donate

Lauren Cassel Brownell

When Harper Fox’s father, suffering from dementia, disappears into the night, she knows she has no choice but to return to her hometown of Shepperton, Texas and help her mother make the difficult decision to admit him to a memory care facility – Castle Woods Retirement Village. At first, Harper thinks balancing her writing career and impending deadline with caring for her elderly parents is the biggest mystery she will solve, but when residents of Castle Woods Retirement Village begin to die at an alarming rate, the mystery becomes far more complicated. Can Harper uncover what connects these mysterious deaths in time to keep her own father from becoming the next victim?

 

Firestorm

Taylor Moore

Special Agent Garrett Kohl has just taken down a dangerous and deadly cartel boss when he finds trouble brewing back on his family’s homestead. A powerful energy consortium, Talon Corporation, has started an aggressive mining operation that threatens to destroy Garrett’s land, his family’s way of life, and everything they hold dear. To achieve its goals, Talon is flouting the law, bribing public officials, and meeting anyone who challenges it with physical violence. When the Kohls themselves are attacked by Talon guards, Garrett goes on the offensive, embarking on an investigation that he hopes will rid the Texas High Plains of the intruders once and for all.

 

Hello, Goodbye

Kate Stollenwerck

Fifteen-year-old Hailey Rogers is sure her summer is ruined when her parents tell her she has to spend a few days a week, every week, helping her grandmother, Gigi. But Gigi is full of surprises—and family secrets. Throw in the gorgeous boy down the street, and Hailey’s ruined summer might just be the best of her life. Then tragedy strikes, lies are uncovered, and Hailey’s life suddenly falls apart. After unearthing clues in an old letter written by her great-grandfather, she takes off on a road trip to solve the family mystery with the only person she can trust. In a forgotten Texas town, the past and the present collide—and Hailey is forced to choose what she truly values in life.

 

Laura's Shadow

Allison Pittman

De Smet, South Dakota—1890 
Young women growing up in DeSmet live by two rules: don’t go out in a snowstorm and don’t give your heart to Cap Garland. Young Mariah Patterson only managed to obey one. Mariah is certain her love for Cap will be strong enough to break both bonds, and she’s willing to risk everything to prove it. 
 
De Smet, South Dakota—1974  

Trixie Gowan is the fourth generation of living Gowan women residing in the sprawling farmhouse on the outskirts of De Smet. But when her great-grandmother Mariah’s declining health brings Trixie home for a visit, two things might just keep her there: the bedside manner of Dr. Campbell Carter and the family secret that seems to be spilling from GG’s lips one conversation at a time. 

 

Teeny Tiny Dot and Her Great Dane Dog Named Spot

Paul Bullock

Teeny Tiny Dot goes on a grand adventure with her Great Dane dog named Spot. Paul Bullock's poetry will inspire young readers while the whimsical illustrations of Nina Broen will captivate their imaginations.

 

The Devil Takes You Home

Gabino Iglesias

In this bracing crime odyssey across Texas, the border, and back, a father journeys into the criminal underworld for venerable reasons, but soon begins to lose sight of what he set out to do and himself.

 

The Flower Enigma

Charles Breakfield & Rox Burkey

A romantic vacation turns into a hunt for a cyber-attacker threatening people – to back off. Evangelizing gossips inadvertently expose more than illegal gunfire becoming targets. The truth is deeper than a ruined podcast.

They pull up to the picturesque building only to discover a crowd of citizens anxiously awaiting a special podcast, created by a group of local women, to start. Flower B&B is the sponsor of today’s show in this multi-day series. The couple works through the human log jam. As they check in, they learn that a cyber-attack may prevent the show from airing.

 

 

Trouble in Tumbleweed Mystery Series 

Diane Kelly, Melissa Bourbon, Christie Craig, & Lawrence Kelter

Four authors. Four stories. One Town. And a whole lot of trouble … The small town of Tumbleweed might sit in the remote desert of west Texas, but trouble still seems to find it. Someone’s always trying to kill someone else for one darn reason or another, and things get as tangled and twisted as a tumbleweed. The Trouble in Tumbleweed series is an entertaining and interrelated collection of mystery novellas from some of the genre’s most popular and bestselling authors.

 

BUT WAIT, THERE'S MORE!

There are so many Texas-connected books publishing this month that we couldn’t feature all of them. The following books also publish in August:

 

CHILDREN AND YOUNG READERS

A Taste of Magic by J. Elle

Empty Smiles by Katherine Arden

Gemstone Dragons 1: Opal’s Time To Shine by Samantha Clark

Gemstone Dragons 2: Ruby’s Fiery Mishap by Samantha Clark

¡Hola, Lola! Series (books 1-4) by Keka Novales 

Mr. Thatcher's House by Kristin Wauson

Palomita's Cravings/Los Antojitos de Palomita by Vanessa Salinas-Diaz 

Saltwater and Driftwood by Anna Walner

Texas Baby! by Feather Flores

This Is Why They Hate Us by Aaron H. Aceves

To Change a Planet by Christine Soontornvat

 

ESSAY, SHORT STORY, AND POETRY

Flare Stacks in Full Bloom: Poems by Katherine Hoerth

Our Sister Who Will Not Die: Stories by Rebecca Bernard

Taste: A Book of Small Bites by Jehanne Debro

 

NONFICTION

An Encounter with the Healer by Ken Chinn

Animals in the American Classics : How Natural History Inspired Great Fiction by John Gruesser

Battle for the Heart of Texas by Mark Owens, Ken Wink And Kenneth Bryant

Bitter Heat by Roger Phelps

Deer Creek Drive: A Reckoning of Memory and Murder in the Mississippi Delta by Beverly Lowry

Dugouts and Diamonds: Heartaches and Triumphs With the Texas Rangers by Jim Reeves

Flip Flops and Fortunes by Brady Johns

Fruit Punch by Kendra Allen

Lethal Tides by Catherine Musemeche

Memories of Two Generations by Alexander Z. Gurwitz

Phyllis Frye and the Fight for Transgender Rights by Michael G. Long, Shea Tuttle

Preaching and Teaching, Collected Writings of Paul G. Wassenich  

Remember the Alamo Bowl by Jim Reeves

Stories, Dice, and Rocks that Think by Byron Reese

We've Got To Try by Beto O'Rourke

 

MYSTERY AND THRILLER

A Wordless Death by Tam May

Die Around Sundown by Mark Pryor

Heat 2 by Meg Gardiner & Michael Mann

Just Cause by Jinx Schwartz

The Last Housewife by Ashley Winstead

Overkill by Sandra Brown

Swamp Spirits by Jana DeLeon

Traitor's Dance by Jeff Abbott

Vision of Murder by Bruce Hammack

 

ROMANCE

A Charming Christmas Arrangement by Heatherly Bell

A Path to Forgiveness by Carrie Lighte & Vannetta Chapman

Alpha and Omega by Anna Walner

Barefoot, Pregnant & A Small-Town Girl by Madison McCall

Colton's Baby Motive by Lara Lacombe

The Cowgirl's Redemption by Mindy Oberhaus

Cut to the Chase by Amy Kathryn Jones

Eloise and the Grump Next Door by Emma St. Clair and Jenny Proctor

Escape Route by Tanya Stowe

Gentry: Texas Hill Country Mail Order Brides by Caroline Clemmons

Home is Where You Are by Natalie Cline Bright and Denise F. McAllister

The Hookup Plan by Farrah Rochon

Kiss Me Now Cowboy by Dylann Crush

Secret Lives After Hours by Cynthia St. Aubin

Storm of Secrets by Jo Grafford

Strawberry Sundae Afternoon by L.M. Gonzalez

Tracking A Killer by Elizabeth Goddard

Two for the Texan by Sasha Summers & Trish Milburn

Vacation Crush by Yahrah St. John

 

OTHER FICTION 

The Beach Escape by Rachel Magee

Eternals of Shalistar: The Scourge of Baelor by Stephen Early

The Fisherman and the Dragon by Kirk Wallace Johnson

The Last Karankawas by Kimberly Garza

My Thirty-First Year by Emily Wolf

Perish by LaToya Watkins

Ruby Fever by Ilona Andrews

With Neighbors Like This by Tracy Goodwin

 

Watch for our September 2022 Texas Books Preview on 9/3/2022. Want to make sure your forthcoming Texas-connected titles are included in our feature? Email us at Publicity@LoneStarLiterary.com with the details!

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