Shelter Us by Laura Nicole Diamond

Although Laura Nicole Diamond intended her debut novel, Shelter Us, to focus on homelessness for women and children, the story was hijacked by the main character. Sarah Shaw’s own issues, including her obsession with a homeless woman, become the primary focus in...

The Cake Therapist by Judith Fertig

It was the cover of Judith Fertig’s novel, The Cake Therapist, that first attracted me. When I found out it was a debut by an author who writes cookbooks, I was hooked. And, I wasn’t disappointed. Fertig not only writes cookbooks, she creates memorable...

The Bookseller by Cynthia Swanson

Cynthia Swanson’s novel, The Bookseller, is a remarkable debut. The unusual story takes readers back to the early 1960s in a story that can’t be called time travel. Dream travel sounds too gimmicky, which this story is not. At times, it reminded me of...