Episode 130: *Special Episode* (June) Hot New Releases
In our last episode of this season, we feature four exciting new novels, all releases from our past guests.
We showcase new historical fiction from Erin Litteken and KD Allbaugh, set in Ukraine and rural Wisconsin.
Plus, two upcoming novels - new contemporary fiction in a poignant sister story from author Jamie Beck (coming in July) and a preview of an upcoming thriller from Maggie Giles, releasing in September (both available to pre-order now).
The Beauty of Rain by Jamie Beck (Bookshop.org / Amazon.com )
Jamie Beck is a Wall Street Journal and USA Today bestselling author of 15+ novels about love, family, self-discovery, and redemption. Her new release, The Beauty of Rain, releases in July (although you can preorder now). It’s a sisters story that already has amazing endorsements from authors I admire – past guests like Barbara O’Neal who calls it “heartbreaking, uplifting, and wise beyond measure”, and Sonali Dev says The Beauty of Rain is “an important and meaningful read about what makes life beautiful”.
The Lost Daughters of Ukraine by Erin Litteken (Bookshop.org / Amazon.com )
Erin Litteken joined Ashley Hasty last year to talk about The Memory Keeper of Kyiv, which was is a finalist for the WFWA Star Award by Women’s Fiction Writers Association, and won the She Reads Best of 2022 Historical Fiction award. Her new novel, The Lost Daughters of Ukraine is a story of the strength of the human spirit, the personal cost of conflict and how love can be found even in the darkest times. She explains why this novel, in particular, means so much to her.
Borgia Rose by KD Allbaugh (Bookshop.org / Amazon.com )
KD Allbaugh joined us last year to chat about her first novel, Face Down In Rising Sun, which was a 2021 finalist in Women’s Fiction Writers Association Star Award. Her second novel, Borgia Rose, explores the emergence of the suffragette movement amid the gender inequalities of the Gilded Age. Inspired by a true story, this tale of mystery and betrayal portrays a young woman accused of murder by the elite members of a small-town society and the one young attorney who comes to her defense.
Twisted by Maggie Giles (Bookshop.org / Amazon.com )
Maggie Giles joined our debuts episode last year, to talk about her novel, The Things We Lost. Her new novel, Twisted, switches genre to bring us a thriller. Ideal for fans of The Wife Between Us by Greer Hendricks and When You Find Me by P. J. Vernon, Twisted will have you questioning the motive behind the murders and how exactly one can be found guilty when the evidence doesn’t add up.
Author Social Media:
The Beauty of Rain by Jamie Beck (Bookshop.org / Amazon.com )
The Lost Daughters of Ukraine by Erin Litteken (Bookshop.org / Amazon.com )
Borgia Rose by KD Allbaugh (Bookshop.org / Amazon.com )
Twisted by Maggie Giles (Bookshop.org / Amazon.com )
Full Disclosure: We are part of the Amazon and bookshop.org affiliate programs, which means Lainey or Ashley get a tiny commission if you buy something after clicking through from link on this website.
Transcript:
** Transcript created using AI (so please forgive the typos!) **
Lainey Cameron
And welcome to our last episode of the season. This is a special episode like the intro said, where we introduce you to new books from past guests. In this episode we have four of our past guests new historical fiction from Erin Litteken and KD Allbaugh, set in Ukraine and rural Wisconsin, new contemporary fiction and a poignant sister story from author Jamie Beck, and a preview of an upcoming suspense from Maggie Giles, releasing in September but orderable note.
Lainey Cameron
Also, congrats to Kim Bakos, us our winner of our giveaway for women's fiction day last week, Kim was able to pick any book from the podcast and she chose Lisa Williamson Rosenberg's fabulous novel, Embers on the Wind, which is about a haunted stop on the Underground Railroad. Now, let's kick off with the latest release from Wall Street Journal and USA Today Best Selling Author Jamie Beck.
Lainey Cameron
Jamie Beck's new novel The beauty of Rain releases in July although you can pre order now. It's a sister story that already has amazing endorsements from authors I admire and have invited on the podcast in the past like Barbara O'Neal who calls it "heartbreaking, uplifting and wise beyond measure" and Sonali Dev who says "The Beauty of Rain is an important and meaningful read about what makes life beautiful." Let's hear from Jamie on what the book's about.
Jamie Beck
The Beauty of Rain is the story of two sisters, Amy who won the lottery but then lost her husband only child and her will to live, and Kristen, who brings Amy into her home to help her recover. While Amy's still considering whether she's got anything left to live for she's secretly giving away all her money and critiquing Kristen's priorities. Meanwhile, Kristen's exhaustion from trying to prevent her sister from tipping over the edge again is undermining her career, her marriage and her relationship with her own children. While the sisters help each other reimagine their futures. Life's unpredictability sends them to surprising places that test their love and resilience and drive home. The fact that today is all anyone really has.
Lainey Cameron
I asked Jamie who will especially appreciate the beauty of rain
Jamie Beck
The story which is really about taking a hard look at one's priorities before it's too late, was inspired by a health crisis of mine that ultimately caused me to rebalance my life. But even if you're not facing a health crisis, the pandemic, politics and technology have made everyone's life more hectic and less predictable. That combination has left many questioning whether they're living the life they really want. For this reason, I think this book should appeal to any reader who might be asking themselves big questions and needing a nudge to make the changes that may seem scary on the surface. The themes of what makes life meaningful should also resonate with everyone, too.
Lainey Cameron
Now let's transition to two historical fiction novels. Erin Litteken joined Ashley Hasty last year to talk about The Memory Keeper of Kyiv, which was a finalist for the Women's Fiction Writers Association STAR Award, and it won the She Reads Best of 2022 historical fiction award. Now her new novel The Lost Daughters of Ukraine is a story of the strength of the human spirit, the personal cost of conflict and how love can be found even in the darkest times. Let's have Erin tell us why this novel means so much to her.
Erin Litteken
The Lost Daughters of Ukraine is the book I've dreamed of writing since I was a little girl. It's loosely inspired by my family and what they endured under Nazi and Soviet occupation and Ukraine during World War Two, how they escaped and made their way to displaced persons camps after the war, and then finally how they emigrated to America.
So the book has three storylines. Vika is a mother battling to keep her family safe as her world falls apart around her children are being taken as slave laborers to Germany, villages are being burned. It's pure chaos, and she doesn't know how to protect the ones she loves. Should she stay in her village she tried to escape. Her niece Lilia loses her whole family in the war and is actually taken as a slave labor. So through her eyes, we see a bit of what life was like for those millions of people stolen from Ukraine and other countries to work on farms and in factories in Germany during the war. Halia who readers may remember as the baby from my first book, The Memory Keeper of Kyiv meets Lilia during her transport to Germany, and she too has been stolen from her family and together she and Lilia must find a way to survive the devastation of World War Two and try to reunite with their families.
Lainey Cameron
I asked Erin to tell us who will enjoy this book.
Erin Litteken
I hope this book will appeal to a lot of different readers, people looking for insight into Ukrainian history, people who enjoy new stories about World War Two. There aren't as many historical novels about the Eastern European experiences during the war and I hope to shed light on what Ukrainians endured, which is so relevant today as Ukraine is once again being invaded. On top of that I think the book will also appeal to readers who enjoy learning about family connections and survival stories, Mother children relationships, the sacrifice and heartache that comes from the tough choices parents have to make sometimes, especially in wartime situations. And if you read the Memory Keeper of Kyiv and ever wondered what happened to hire the baby from that book, you'll definitely want to read the Lost daughters Ukraine and find out how her story ends.
Lainey Cameron
That sounds so fascinating. And the Lost Daughters of Ukraine is out now. Next up an award winner you won't want to miss. I invited KD Allbaugh last year to chat about her first novel Facedown in Rising Sun, which was a 2021 finalist inWomen's Fiction Writers Association Star Award. Her second novel Berger Rose is inspired by a true story, a tale of mystery and betrayal set in rural Wisconsin. Let's hear more about it from KD.
KD Allbaugh
Borjia Rose is written and set in the 1890s in rural Wisconsin. Borgia Rose, a beautiful young woman was leaving a life of destitution, poverty and came to the small city of Richland Center. While there, rose met a wife of the local doctor. This wife of the doctor named Laura helped Rose and took her under her wing. But much of the town was still very prejudiced against Rose. And she had to face quite a few adversities at just due to the fact that she didn't have the money or power that many of the other people did.
KD Allbaugh
A few years into this story, there's a sudden death, and then subsequently, there's another sudden death of two young women and the town turns against Rose. They begin suspecting her of murdering both women. The title of the book, Borgia Rose is actually a reference a poisoning because the Borgia family in old Italy was known for murdering people that way, and the entire town began to call Rose Borgia Rose. The setting is again rural Wisconsin. This is how this main character overcomes a lot of adversity. With the help of a very small group of people. Rose continues to defend herself and finds a very young lawyer named Levi Bancroft, who believes that she's innocent, and sometimes it only takes one person. The story follows out and it has an ending that many people have described as surprising.
KD Allbaugh
As far as who might be interested in Borgia Rose, just about everyone. It is a great piece of women's fiction and has a very strong female character with wonderful female supporting characters, but it's also historical like my first novel. It is inspired by a true story. It is a bit of a mystery because one never knows who actually may have murdered those two people. So we have all of these different aspects all bound up into one story.
Lainey Cameron
Maggie Giles joined our debuts episode last year to talk about her novel The Things We Lost. Her new release, Twisted, switches genre to bring us a thriller.
Maggie Giles
Twisted is a thriller novel following three points of view, a detective, a madam and an heiress all intertwined in one deadly crime. As a detective trying to solve a jewelry theft stumbles on a high class escort service, nothing is as it seems, this wild, gritty thrill ride will take you through back alleys and fancy mansions while you contemplate how a mysterious new prescription medication ties into at all. It's a fast paced story that will have you trying to guess the many twists and turns and connections until the very end. And even better a sequel is in the works for October 2024.
Lainey Cameron
This thriller from Maggie is coming in September, but just so you know it's available now for preorder Let me wrap up by asking Maggie to tell you more about who might especially enjoy this one.
Maggie Giles
Twisted it is for the thriller and suspense lover that enjoys complex characters, surprising twists, and a detective who makes awkward dad jokes. Readers have described it as cutting edge with twists that will knock you for a loop and blow your mind for fans of The Wife Between Us and Verity. Twisted is a novel that will make you forget your chores or your to do list and have you rooted in place until the very end.
Lainey Cameron
And that's it for this episode and the season. We've so enjoyed bringing great new fiction to you. And if you missed any episodes, our season break is an opportunity to catch up. Until next time, this is Lanie Cameron. I am eternally grateful for my co host, Ashley Hasty, and I wish you happy summer reading