Spotlight: The Hocus Pocus Handbook by Ann Aguirre

Publisher: Sourcebooks Casablanca

Pub date: September 1, 2026

From New York Times bestselling author Ann Aguirre comes a cozy fae fantasy romance featuring a sunshine-shadow slow burn, a grumpy-butsecretly-tender love interest, an unforgettable found family, and a world lush with wildcraft magic.  

Thea Winter didn't choose to be a changeling, stolen from the mortal world as a baby, raised in the wildlands by a hobgoblin named Mudge who taught her everything worth knowing. How to read the weather in a crow's wing. How to barter with brownies. How to stay alive in a world of capricious fae courts. What Mudge couldn't teach her was how to stay out of trouble. Which is why she's entangled in a objectionable marriage of convenience.

Or would be, but her spouse bolted. Now she has to hunt down Devan J. Fenelon, but she's been saddled with a taciturn, humorless hunter known as Winter's Hound. He answers only to his cousin, and she's not looking forward to this quest at all. 

Kerboros has survived the Winter Court by being exactly what they made him: relentless, invisible, and careful never to want anything at all. His life is an endless series of ceaseless commands from his reprehensible cousin, Lord Liskaal. Since his father's failed rebellion, Kerboros has been permitted to survive only as an example to others, an object lesson as to how far one may fall. But traveling with Thea―wild, warm, impossible Thea―is a glorious torment for an enforcer who has never known freedom. 

She is sunshine. He is shadow.

Their love is forbidden, but when irresistible force sweeps up an immovable object, the resulting reaction might be magical…

Buy on Amazon | Audible | Bookshop.org

About the Author

New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Ann Aguirre has been a clown, a clerk, a savior of stray kittens, and a voice actress, not necessarily in that order. She loves video games, Korean dramas, music, dogs and cats, and staring at the sea. Though she writes all kinds of genre fiction, she has a major soft spot for a happily ever after.

Spotlight: A Time of Witches by Madeline Martin

Two women, bound by blood and betrayal, must break silence across centuries—or be silenced forever, in the dazzling new novel by New York Times bestselling author Madeline Martin.

Lilith Legare’s life is unraveling. Since her mother’s death, strange things have been happening - plants turn toward her touch, animals linger in her path, and the birthmark on her arm has started tingling. Worse still is her recurring nightmare of being burned alive at the stake.

Her search for answers brings her from Savannah to England, to the decaying Brackenmere Manor where the past blurs with the present. There, Lilith discovers a legacy she never asked for and along with it, the threat of peril. History must be rewritten, or she too will die.

In 1645 Suffolk, Sybil Brantham stands accused as a witch. An educated, wealthy widow, she is branded a threat by men who fear her independence. As arrests begin and suspicion abounds, Sybil must protect her younger sister, even as betrayal takes root within her household.

Across centuries, Lilith and Sybil are bound by blood and by danger. To save themselves, and each other, they must confront the silence that has stolen women’s power for generations—and dare to claim their voices before it’s too late.

Buy on Amazon Kindle | Audible | Hardcover | Paperback | Bookshop.org

About the Author

Madeline Martin is a New York Times, USA Today, Publisher Weekly, and international bestselling author of historical fiction and historical romance with books that have been translated into over twenty different languages. She lives in St. Augustine, Florida with her family.

Visit Madeline online at madelinemartin.com, on Instagram and X @madelinemmartin, on Facebook at MadelineMartinAuthor.

Spotlight: Twin Moons of Eldradune by A.D. Solomon

When Lex Anders and Mara Thorne discover a mysterious ancient box, they’re pulled from Earth to the enigmatic world of Eldradune—a realm where magic thrives and ancient powers shape destinies. Stranded and disoriented, they search for a way home but soon realize Eldradune holds answers to questions they never knew to ask.

For Lex, the journey reveals something far deeper. Strange powers and visions of the past lead him down a path of discovery about his own origins and an unexpected connection to this ancient world.

With unlikely allies and powerful forces, Lex and Mara are swept into a saga that will reshape both worlds. This is just the beginning of a legend that will echo across realms.

Book one in the seven-book Lex Anders Saga, Twin Moons of Eldradune is an epic tale of friendship, self-discovery, and the fate of two worlds intertwined.

Excerpt from Chapter One, Twin Moons of Eldradune 

The small house lay in a secluded valley, cradled deep between the towering, ancient peaks of the Peruvian Andes, where stone and sky had warred since the first age of the world. The sun, heavy and red with the labor of its descent, sank toward the western ridgeline, casting long, broken shadows across the land. They reached toward the house and gathered around its weathered walls, lending it a watchful, almost predatory aspect, less a place built by human hands than a presence that had waited there for years, patient and knowing. 

Lex stood upon the slope above it, still as one of the weathered stones scattered across the mountainside. He ran his fingers through his thick, sandy blond hair and let his gaze roam with  measured care. He had come to reconnoiter the house, to read its angles and silences, to learn what  it would not willingly tell. Yet even before his boots touched the valley floor, he knew the land itself  would be his first informant. 

The vegetation surrounding the house bore the unmistakable signs of violence. Young trees and saplings lay split along their length, their bark torn open and peeled back by a force too powerful and deliberate to belong to any natural storm. This was not the work of wind or rockfall, nor the careless hunger of grazing beasts. It was force applied with intent, leaving wounds that spoke of intrusion rather than accident. 

Lex moved among the broken growth and placed his hand upon one of the sundered saplings. The wood felt damp and warm beneath his palm. Frowning, he gripped the trunk and pulled. The fibers parted with a wet sound, surrendering as though the cedar tree had already been weakened from within. Thick sap welled up from the exposed wood and ran downward in glistening trails, gathering at the base like spilled blood. In the slanting light of dusk it shone with a sickly luster, too vivid, too alive for something that should have been dying. 

He circled the house, reading the ground as one might read a weathered page. The earth was uneven, scarred by old slides and newer disturbances. Stones lay turned where they should not have been, and patches of rot clung to rock and root alike. He crouched once to examine a dark smear upon a stone, finding it tacky and foul, reeking of fruit long sealed in a barrel and left to spoil. He  wiped his fingers clean in the grass and rose, his expression grim. 

Beneath the smell and the silence, Lex felt another sensation. A faint tremor moved through him, not through the air or the ground, but somewhere deeper, carried through bone and sinew. The nearer he came to the house, the stronger it became, tightening within him like the drawn string of an unseen instrument. He did not yet understand it, only that his instincts refused to ignore it. 

It was then that memory, unbidden yet vivid, rose in Lex’s mind, stirred by the broken trees  and wounded earth. Long ago, in a time he did not name and a place he did not offer freely to  thought, he had walked among those who called themselves keepers of the natural order. They were  scholars of root and stone, of leaf and breath, and they spoke in the careful cadence of people who  listened more than they declared. From them he had learned not merely survival, but understanding. 

The vibration strengthened, a quiet pressure gathering within him in recognition of what the  wounded land had revealed. Lex lifted his eyes once more to the front door. It hung crooked on its  hinges, swinging slightly in the mountain breeze. The splintered wood and deep gouges in the frame  told him the door hadn’t simply been broken; it had been forced outward by some unknown force.  He approached slowly, his rifle at the ready, and its mounted flashlight cut through the growing  darkness. The stench intensified as he neared the doorway, turning his stomach. It was a blend of  burnt flesh and something worse: a sour chemical tang that stung his throat. 

Lex crossed the threshold with measured care, drawing the door inward just enough to slip  through. He raised the flashlight and let its pale beam cut into the darkness. What it revealed stole  the breath from his lungs. 

Inside, the light fell upon a scene of absolute carnage. The first body lay sprawled just  beyond the entrance, the man seemingly cut down while trying to flee. His limbs were twisted at angles no living joint could endure, bones forced beyond their purpose and left where they broke. 

The skin across his chest and face was charred black, split open in places to reveal glimpses of muscle beneath, cooked and rigid, its sheen dull and unnatural. 

Lex knelt beside the corpse, his expression tightening as he studied the damage. These were  not the burns of hearth fire or lamp oil. There was no pattern of spread, no scorching of the  surrounding floor or walls to match. The destruction began deep within the man’s chest cavity,  radiating outward, as though flame had been born inside him and torn its way free. Whatever had  done this had not burned the body. It had unmade it.

Copyright © 2025 by A.D. Solomon 

Buy on Amazon

About the Author

A.D. Solomon is a fantasy author hailing from a small town in the Tennessee River Valley. After serving in the military, he continued his career supporting Special Operations before founding his own consulting business upon completing his studies. Now a full-time writer, A.D. has previously ghostwritten books and short stories and has embarked on crafting his own series. When he’s not weaving tales of fantasy, he enjoys hiking, playing music, riding motorcycles, training dogs and helping with the Veteran community. He’s happily married to the love of his life, who continues to be his greatest support.

Spotlight: The Essential Ingredient: Remaking Ourselves in Times of Crisis by Keri Mangis

What if the crises of our time are not simply problems to solve—but invitations to transform?

In a world marked by climate catastrophe, political upheaval, social fragmentation, and the erosion of community, many people feel overwhelmed or powerless. We are told to remain hopeful, stay positive, and trust that solutions will emerge. But what if hope alone is not enough?

In The Essential Ingredient: Remaking Ourselves in Times of Crisis, author and TEDx speaker Keri Mangis argues that the real work of transformation begins elsewhere—within ourselves.

Drawing on Jungian psychology, shadow work, and decades of personal exploration, Mangis reframes crisis as a catalyst for profound personal and collective change. Rather than offering quick fixes or prescriptive formulas, she invites readers into a deeper process of self-reflection, healing, and discovery—one capable of reshaping both individual lives and the culture we inhabit.

Structured as a three-part journey through breakdown, reflection, and rebirth, the book guides readers through the psychological and spiritual terrain that genuine change requires. Along the way, Mangis explores the questions that arise when familiar structures collapse: Who are we when the old stories no longer hold? What does it mean to live awake in a time of cultural upheaval? And how might inner change contribute to rebuilding society itself?

Blending philosophy, psychological insight, and cultural reflection, this book speaks to anyone seeking meaning and direction in uncertain times—offering a clear-eyed look at the hidden patterns that shape our behavior, and the difficult but necessary work of confronting the shadows, both personal and collective, that influence our world.

The Essential Ingredient offers something rare: not a promise of easy answers, but an invitation to evolve. The true catalyst for remaking society may be the human being willing to do the inner work first, for we are the essential ingredient.

Buy on Amazon | Bookshop.org

About the Author

Keri Mangis is a provocative voice at the intersection of culture, consciousness, and personal transformation. As a TEDx speaker and multi award-winning author, she challenges the status quo and invites us to step into the radical work of remaking ourselves in times of crisis. Her writing and teaching move beyond self-help platitudes, calling instead for the clear-eyed courage it takes to face our collective moment, dismantle inner barriers, and reclaim the imagination and power needed to create a better world. For more than two decades, Keri has immersed herself in traditions of wisdom and transformation—from yoga, Ayurveda, and meditation to alchemy, Jungian psychology, archetypes, and rites of passage. She has studied with leading cultural voices including Sharon Blackie, Michael Meade, and the Center of Applied Jungian Studies. Her first book, Embodying Soul: A Return to Wholeness, received multiple awards, including the 2020 IPA Award for Mind, Body & Spirit and the 2020 Readers' Favorite Gold Medal in Non-Fiction Spiritual. Her forthcoming book, The Essential Ingredient: Remaking Ourselves in Times of Crisis (Spring 2026), is a bold exploration of how breakdown can serve as a portal to renewal—personally and collectively—and a rallying call for evolving human consciousness. Her essays have appeared in Spirituality & Health Magazine, the Star Tribune, Elephant Journal, and beyond.

Audiobook Spotlight: The Champagne Crush by Caroline O’ Connell

(Les Femmes Series)

Publication date: August 20th 2026

Genres: Adult, Contemporary, Romance

Perfect for fans of Emily in Paris—with the sophistication of the wine world and a slow-burn, opposites-attract love story. A glitzy PR expert and a traditional wine president clash on a high-stakes global launch—where rivalry, reinvention, and romance collide. 

Excerpt

Black Tie dinner at Plaza Hotel in NYC, fundraiser to benefit the California Sparkling Wine Producers in Napa, CA

While after-dinner coffee was offered, Doug stepped to the mic and introduced the head of the UC Davis Sparkling Winemaking Program, who thanked everyone for their support and described how the money raised would benefit their research and scholarships.

“Now it’s time to end the suspense and find out how much these rare bottles are worth,” Doug said. “Please welcome our celebrity auctioneer, Trevor Jones.” Trevor walked onstage to loud applause. Doug piped in, “You’re clapping now, but if you don’t bid generously, you could be on the receiving end of his jokes.” That drew guffaws. The crowd was getting rowdy after a few glasses of good wine, just the thing to bid up the prices.

Trevor took the microphone. “Good evening, folks.” He went into a short monologue recapping the day’s events and cracking jokes at the expense of high-profile guests. He closed with, “Let’s take the plunge. We have many exceptional bottles to auction off to reach our goal. Please open your wallets and bid with abandon.”

There were other things Chris wanted to pursue with abandon, starting with Catherine’s bare back. Her slinky dress was killing him. Unaware of his train of thought, she was in an animated conversation with Will.

The bidding became heated, and Chris directed his attention to the stage. As each lot was auctioned off, Chris and Ken jotted down notes in the margins of their programs and bantered back and forth about the prices they were fetching. Unlike the blind tasting, this process was highly visible. Chris assumed some buyers were making winning bids for the prestige and bragging rights, as much as for the unique bottles and contribution to the cause. In this case, glitz overrode substance. He said as much to Ken—not grasping he was about to fall into the same quest to be victorious.

Pleased with the competitive bidding, Trevor congratulated the crowd on their good taste. The lots were fetching higher prices than anticipated. After forty-five minutes, one final bottle remained. “Well folks, you’ve risen to the occasion. The California Sparkling Wine Producers thank you,” Trevor said. “And now we have a special surprise for our last bottle.” The crowd drew quiet. “The high bidder on this rare Trianon 1952 vintage jeroboam will also receive a two-night stay at romantic Les Crayères in Champagne and a gourmet dinner for two in their Michelin-starred restaurant, along with a private tour of the kitchen and toast with the chef.”

When Catherine stood up, Chris figured she was going to the ladies’ room, so he was taken off balance by Trevor’s next words. “Catherine Reynolds, representing Trianon, has agreed to join the winning bidder in a toast and to lead off the first dance of the evening.” He beckoned her to the stage.

Did I say I wanted a woman full of surprises? Uh-oh. He’d be damned if anyone else was getting this prize. He was feeling awfully possessive at the moment.

They were off and running. A number of attractive men participated in the early bidding, including Chris, Patrick Tournelle, Will Frost, and even Sean Dunlavy. When the dollar figure exceeded $4,000, the bidding contest narrowed to only two: Chris and Will. Trevor chided the combatants. “Looks like we have a horse race, ladies and gentlemen. Miss Reynolds, would you care to weigh in on the contest?”

All she murmured was, “I’m glad they’re supportive of the cause,” which prompted twitters.

When Chris made it clear he planned to bid whatever it took, his friend Will bowed out. Finally. Do I have to broadcast my interest any louder?

“Fair warning,” Trevor announced, indicating the bidding was about to stop, and the gavel came down. “Sold to Chris McDermott for $5,000.”

Amid applause, Chris walked onto the stage, shook hands with Trevor, and enfolded Catherine in a warm embrace that sent cameras flashing. Doug Barr joined the trio to pose for photos. A waiter materialized with four glasses of champagne that they sipped while the stage was being cleared.

The band took their places. Vanessa stepped up to the microphone and started performing her signature version of “Knocks Me Off My Feet.”

“I believe this dance is mine,” Chris whispered in Catherine’s ear, before he whisked her onto the dance floor.

“You sure know how to make a splash,” Catherine said. “Hope this doesn’t appear like we’re fraternizing.”

“All for the cause,” Chris murmured, holding her possessively close. She felt so good in his arms while they moved in time to the music. Vanessa sang the refrain, and he caught the message of the song—a love so strong it made you weak.

Other couples joined them on the dance floor, and Chris steered Catherine to a less conspicuous spot in an alcove behind one of the pillars. “About that bare back,” he murmured and pulled her closer in his embrace.

Excerpt from The Champagne Crush by Caroline O’Connell, courtesy of SparkPress, an imprint of The Stable Book Group. 

Audio Sample: ChampagneCrush

AUDIOBOOK PRODUCTION DETAILS:

• Format: Unabridged Audiobook

• Performance: Single Narration by acclaimed British stage actress Karen Gundersen

• Audio Features: Fully voiced character accents and deep emotional range

• Primary Tropes: Workplace Romance, Opposites Attract, Slow-Burn

• Audiobook Vibe: High-tension with a romantic, high-heat fade-to-black intimacy level (the intense build-up is on the page, but the camera pulls away before explicit details)

Buy on Amazon | Audible | Bookshop.org

About the Author

Caroline O'Connell is the author of numerous travel guides, including Affordable Paris Hotels. The Champagne Crush is the first novel in the Les Femmes Series. In conjunction with the launch of the audiobook version, the ebook is discounted to $1.99 (from $9.99) on all platforms. Her website is 

https://carolinestraveltips.com/.  

The Champagne Crush Blitz

Spotlight: The English Bookstore in Bologna by Boo Walker

Against the sunlit backdrop of Italy, five expats discover each other—and rediscover themselves—in a charmingly funny and poignant novel by the author of An Unfinished Story and A Spanish Sunrise.

Tucked away on a cobblestone street in enchanting Bologna, Italy, is the only English bookstore in the city. It’s owned by prickly Sandy Cooke, who keeps love, and even romantic fiction, at a distance. Her employee, timid and hopelessly optimistic Moira, dreams of transforming the struggling shop into a vibrant community hub. Against the odds, one Bolognese summer, it becomes a haven for fellow expats at their own crossroads.

Bianca is a psychotherapist escaping both a breakdown and withering reviews of her new self-help book. On her heels is her father, George, wrestling with retirement—and regrets. He’s had a few, but the light of his life has always been his daughter. Then there’s Harold, a young and awkward barista from Denver recovering from his first belly-flopping high dive into love. Maybe it’s time for reinvention.

At the only English bookstore in Bologna, paths converge for five damaged souls who discover that healing doesn’t require much—just honest connection and an open heart.

Buy on Amazon | Audible | Bookshop.org

About the Author

Boo Walker is the bestselling author of Before We Say Goodbye, The Secrets of Good People, An Echo in Time, The Stars Don’t Lie, A Spanish Sunrise, The Singing Trees, An Unfinished Story, and the Red Mountain Chronicles, among other novels. Boo tapped his creative muse as a songwriter and banjoist in Nashville before working his way west to Washington state, where he bought a gentleman’s farm on the Yakima River. It was there, among the grapevines and wine barrels, that he fell in love with telling high-impact stories that now resonate with book clubs around the world. Rich with colorful characters and boundless soul, his novels will leave you with an open heart and a lifted spirit. Always a wanderer, Boo currently lives in Cape Elizabeth, Maine, with his wife and son. He also writes thrillers under the pen name Benjamin Blackmore. For more information, visit www.boowalker.com.

Giveaway

Enter to win a copy of The English Bookstore in Bologna by Boo Walker. Open to all readers in the US and Canada until 8/31.