Author Spotlight: Jeff Menapace
Today I bring you an Author Spotlight for Jeff Menapace. He has written twelve novels with more coming and today three novels will be featured, starting with his newest: Caleb which is a spinoff from his Bad Games series. He considers himself a Dark Fiction Author who is disturbing readers and loving it.
A native of the Philadelphia area, Jeff has published multiple works both fiction and non-fiction. His horror short story titled SUGAR DADDY earned him the 2011 Red Adept Reviews Indie Award for Horror.
With twelve novels under his belt, Jeff’s debut novel BAD GAMES was a #1 bestseller that spawned four acclaimed sequels. CALEB, his latest release, is a spin-off from the BAD GAMES series and readers are already pushing for another installment. Other popular series include WILDLIFE and NUMB, both of which have further installments planned. Although Jeff enjoys creating disturbing thrillers and horror stories loaded with suspense, he has also written novels in the paranormal mystery, crime fiction/FBI procedural, post-apocalyptic/dystopian genres.
Free time for Jeff is spent watching horror movies, The Three Stooges, and mixed martial arts. He loves steak and more steak, thinks the original 1974 Texas Chainsaw Massacre is the greatest movie ever, wants to pet a lion one day, and hates spiders.
He currently lives in Pennsylvania with his wife, Kelly, and their three cats, Sammy, Bear, and Baby Girl.
CALEB
Published: March 21, 2021
230 Pages
Vengeance is therapy.
Caleb Lambert kills people for a living. The money is nice, but it comes a distant second to his primary reason for choosing such a vocation: Caleb often calls it “scratching an itch.”
Here’s the thing, though: Caleb won’t just accept any contract. He and his team thoroughly vet each and every prospective mark to make sure they deserve to be punished.
And why not? If anyone knows about true evil in this world, it’s Caleb Lambert. Along with his family, Caleb endured hell at the hands of multiple serial killers throughout his childhood, twisting his young mind into the mess it is today. Forever installed that need to “scratch an itch.”
And Caleb is frequently itchy, and business is good. But when a new job comes across his desk, Caleb’s entire world is turned upside down. The job appears to hold so many similarities to his past that he finds it all but impossible to turn down. An impulsive decision that could cost him dearly.
Author’s note: Caleb is a spin-off of the Bad Games series; however it is a stand-alone novel, and it is not necessary to have read/listened to the Bad Games series to enjoy.
**Available from Amazon in paperback, e-book, audiobook, and free with Kindle Unlimited subscription.**
BAD GAMES – A Dark Psychological Thriller
(Bad Games Series Book 1)
Published: February 18, 2013
312 Pages
The terrifying bestseller that started it all, now optioned for feature film.
The Lambert Family is heading to Crescent Lake for an idyllic weekend getaway. Some fishing, some barbecue, some games…
The Fannelli brothers are heading to Crescent Lake too. Some stalking, some kidnapping, some murder, definitely some games…though certainly not the type of games the Lamberts had in mind.
But it doesn’t matter. The Lamberts are playing whether they like it or not. A dark and intense psychological thriller, Bad Games will keep you up all night as it delves into the evil in man, along with the will and determination an innocent family must summon to fight back against horrific odds.
**Available from Amazon in paperback, e-book, audiobook, and free with Kindle Unlimited subscription.**
The BAD GAMES SERIES (Books 1 – 5 ) is also available as a set in Kindle edition.
WILDLIFE – A Dark Thriller
(Wildlife Series Book 1)
Published: April 7, 2015
206 Pages
In the Everglades, some sights aren’t meant to be seen…
Deep in the Florida Everglades, a horrific accident ignites a deadly feud between two families.
Meanwhile, a vacationing family takes a boat ride into the isolated wilds of the Everglades, only to become unwitting witnesses to a brutal crime.
Now, as night falls, forced to travel on foot, they must flee through the treacherous wilderness while avoiding the dangerous wildlife…and the far more lethal human predators that are hunting them.
From the award-winning author of the bestselling Bad Games series comes a heart-stopping new foray into terror like nothing you’ve ever read.
**Available from Amazon in paperback, e-book, audiobook, and free with Kindle Unlimited subscription.**
UPCOMING FROM JEFF:
BOOKISH MERCHANDISE
Stay tuned for news on adding bookish merchandise! If you have favorite items like bookmarks, t-shirts, mugs, etc. please send a message. Be sure you are following on social media and signed up for email alerts at the links provided.
NEXT RELEASE
Reviewers have been loud and clear concerning the demand for another installment for the CALEB series. I aim to please, so it looks like we may see more of Caleb’s version of therapy coming up next.
I’m also working on a horror collaboration with three other authors (Jeff Strand, Iain Rob Wright, and William Malmborg). It will be four different novellas with a “slasher movie” theme. The title is Slice and Dice and was just released on May 30th!
Contact Jeff:
Website (and sign up for his newsletter!)
Amazon
Twitter @JeffMenapace
Instagram @JeffMenapace
Goodreads
Linkedin
Bookbub
Author Spotlight: Grace Mattioli
Today I bring you an Author Spotlight for Grace Mattioli. She has written several novels and three novels will be featured here today, starting with her newest: The Bird that Sang in Color. **All of her novels are available in ebook, paperback, and audiobook.**
Grace Mattioli is the author of three novels–Olive Branches Don’t Grow On Trees and Discovery of an Eagle, and a book of short stories, The Brightness Index. Her newest novel, The Bird that Sang in Color, was released on January 17, 2021.
Her fiction is filled with unforgettable characters, artful prose, humor, and insight about what it takes to be truly happy. She strongly believes that if people were happier, the world would be a better place.
She lives in Portland, Oregon with her husband and her cats. She worked as a librarian for over twenty years and has had various other job titles, including jewelry designer, food cart owner, shopkeeper, book seller, substitute teacher, art school model, natural grocery store clerk, short order cook, food server, street vendor, barista, and a giant Twinkie!
She has been writing creatively since she was a child and has participated in various writing workshops and classes. Her favorite book is Alice in Wonderland. Her favorite author is Flannery O’Connor. Her favorite line of literature comes from James Joyce’s novella, The Dead: “Better pass boldly into that other world, in the full glory of some passion, than fade and wither dismally with age.”
The Bird that Sang in Color
Published: January 17, 2021
217 Pages
Donna Greco subscribes to a conventional view of success in life, and she pushes her freewheeling, artistic brother, Vincent to do the same. However, he refuses to conform, and she harbors guilt for her supposed failure to ensure his happiness until she discovers a book of sketches he made of his life, which allows her to see his internal joy and to discover the secret to living free!
While this textured story combines serious issues such as alcoholism, death, and family conflict, it’s balanced with wit and humor and is filled with endearing, unforgettable characters. The story spans decades, beginning in 1970 and ending in the present. Readers will be immersed in this tale which poses an intriguing question: “What pictures will you have of yourself by the end of your life?”
“a refreshing family portrait about interpersonal evolution…presented with affection, humor, and insight…an inspiring slice of life blend of philosophy, psychology, and transformation that draws readers into a warm story and examines the wellsprings of creative force and legacies.” Midwest Book Review
“highly polished artistic prose…evolves fluidly; with great heart and humour…A consummate exponent in the art of storytelling and skilled in the imagery of words…Without exception, the characters are all emotionally complex…lyrical and lovingly written…profound and thought provoking,” Fiction Books Biz Book Reviews
“a heartfelt family story told with grace and humor,” Rose City Reader
“The periods and places are so well realised, with the kind of simple, yet revealing, strokes Donna admires in her brother’s drawings. This is writing of the highest quality…it is a book that makes you think, to question your assumptions. And that is something that the best literature sets out to do,” Rosie Amber Book Reviews
Olive Branches Don’t Grow On Trees
Published: July 9, 2012
266 Pages
23-year-old Silvia Greco is broke and living with her father in New Jersey when her mother asks her for help in gathering her family together for a celebration commemorating her brother’s high school graduation. Uniting her feuding family who haven’t been together in over six years and whose parents are newly separated will be a great challenge, but she can’t refuse her mother, with whom she sympathizes. She knows the core of all their fighting is her father’s alcoholism, so she attempts to sober him up while appealing to the sensibilities of her other family members. Her challenge takes on greater significance when she realizes that her own peace and happiness is linked to the state of disharmony in her family and that she must save them all from devolving into families like those of her parents—loveless with siblings who are estranged from each other. But the task of uniting her family may prove to be too huge for her. Can she do it? Buy this book and find out while immersing in a wonderful world of unforgettable characters, great humor and delicious food! Best of List, Suspense Magazine.
**Get your FREE copy at Amazon or all other major online booksellers today!**
Best of 2012, Suspense Magazine
“The author…manages to make us care about this family. All of the Grecos…are entertaining and their quirks are endearing. OLIVE BRANCHES DON’T GROW ON TREES is a very real drama that gets to the heart of the conflict within the Greco family.” Indie Reader Reviews (5 Stars)
“The author weaves a tale that is a moving and realistic portrayal of a dysfunctional family with enough drama and humorous family situations that will keep the reader engaged and entertained, while providing a witty sense of humor and subtle messages of life lessons to extend the olive branch and learn to live, love and forgive.” Jersey Girl Book Reviews
“The sequences of Silvia’s recollections into the past with her strong willed, born ahead of her time grandmother, the jobs she has held, and lost as it were, are nothing short of brilliant.” Chapters and Chats Book Reviews
Discovery of an Eagle
Published: April 30, 2014
276 Pages
28-year-old Cosmo Greco is perfectly content with his humdrum existence in Philadelphia until he realizes he has been joylessly sleepwalking through his life. This sequel to Olive Branches Don’t Grow On Trees begins when Cosmo gets laid off from his job, after which, he takes up his sister on her offer to drive with her to Portland. A near fatal car accident in the beginning of the trip wakes him up to the fragility of life and characters he meets along the way further open his eyes. But his pragmatic nature and his fears come into play and he’s conflicted about whether to go back to his old way of life or to go forward in his journey of self-discovery. His inner conflict grows when he learns that the lay-off is ending and he’s been invited to interview for a promotional job. What will he do? Buy this book and find out while going on a magical, spirited road trip filled with colorful characters and vividly painted landscape.
“The characters the two siblings meet along the way-whether delightfully crazy or attractive or lost-serve as foils for a kind of personal growth particular to a road-trip scenario, and the landscape of the vast space between the East and West coasts acts as a catalyst for emotional and spiritual change. Author Mattioli (Olive Branches Don’t Grow on Trees, 2012) writes in an assured voice that carries the story through its potentially sentimental passages, and…by the end, (readers) may be surprised find that they, too, have undergone an emotional odyssey…poignant and well-drawn.” Kirkus Reviews
“A warm blend of travel and observation, family interrelationships, and reflections that ultimately captures the meaning and purpose of getting away and journeying to new places…a soaring story of one man’s exploration of new possibilities, new worlds, and ultimately, a newfound purpose to life.” Midwest Book Review
“The book isn’t just about Cosmo’s journey. It takes a hard look at the lives we live, the monotony we assume is a part of adulthood and the mediocrity we’re content to settle for. Through Cosmo’s shoes, the reader’s perspectives are quietly opened to new possibilities.” The Lit Room Reviews
Get a free copy of “Olive Branches Don’t Grow On Trees” from any major online book seller.
When you sign up for Grace Mattioli’s monthly newsletter, you will get a free copy of “Discovery of an Eagle.” Purchase the latest novel featuring the Greco Family for only $0.99 from your favorite eBook store! You can sign up for her newsletter from her website.
Buy Grace’s Books Here:
https://www.amazon.com/Grace-Mattioli/e/B008K6DYGS
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/s/%22Grace%20Mattioli%22
https://www.kobo.com/us/en/search?query=grace%20mattioli
https://www.annieblooms.com/book/9780990575191
https://www.audible.com/author/Grace-Mattioli/B008K6DYGS?
https://books.apple.com/gb/author/grace-mattioli/id899423478
https://play.google.com/store/search?q=grace%20mattioli
https://www.chirpbooks.com/search?q=grace%20mattioli
Contact Grace:
Website
Instagram @fiction4change
Twitter @fixion4change
Book Spotlight: Blood and Silver by Vali Benson
Today I am bringing you a book spotlight for the novel Blood and Silver by Vali Benson. Blood and Silver was recently named as a finalist in the 2020 Indies Today Awards. It is also a 3 time Readers’ Favorite Five Star Review. Bravo!
About Blood and Silver:
Author: Vali Benson
Publication Date: April 3, 2020
142 Pages
Book Description:
What is a twelve year old girl to do when she finds herself in the silver boom town of Tombstone, Arizona, in 1880, and her only home is a brothel and her only parent is a drug-addicted mother? If she is Carissa Beaumont, she outsmarts the evil madam and figures a way out.
After tricking the madam, Miss Lucille, into summoning a doctor for her mother, Lisette, she discovers that Miss Lucille has been drugging her. She and the kind doctor make a plan to try to save Lisette by dosing her down on the drug.
Doctor Henderson tells Carissa that the only source for the drug is a Chinese immigrant named China Mary, who lives in Hoptown, at the other end of Tombstone. Carissa has no choice but to go to the powerful woman for help. Many say that China Mary is the one who really controls Tombstone.
China Mary admires Carissa’s brave spirit, and uses her influence to get her a job at the new Grand Hotel, which will free Carissa from her many duties at Miss Lucille’s. She will work along with Mary’s twelve year old niece, Mai-Lin. The two girls become fast friends.
Then, disaster strikes, and the two girls must work together to stay alive.
With a host of colorful characters and meticulous attention to period detail, Blood and Silver is a story of the best and worst of human nature, the passion for survival and the beauty of true friendship.
Purchase Links:
Amazon US
Amazon UK
Barnes and Noble
About the Author:
Vali grew up in the Midwest. She now lives in Tucson with her husband, two sons and grandchildren.
After graduating from the University of Illinois, Vali started and sold two successful businesses before she decided to pursue her real passion of writing. She published several articles in a variety of periodicals, including History Magazine before she decided to try her hand at fiction.
In April of 2020, Vali published her first novel, “Blood and Silver”. That same month, she was also made a member of the Western Writers of America.
Contact Vali:
Twitter: @BensonVali
Facebook