LITTLE VOICES by Vanessa Lillie - Publishers Weekly Starred Review

PUBLISHERS WEEKLY | JULY 22, 2019

“At the start of Lillie’s impressive debut, seven months’ pregnant Devon Burges is rushed to a Providence, R.I. hospital with a ripped placenta, the survival of herself and her baby in doubt. Just before undergoing a C-section, Devon hears on the radio that her friend Belina Cabrala was found murdered in Swan Point Cemetery. Two months later, after leaving the hospital with her baby, Devon turns single-mindedly to finding Belina’s killer, especially after learning that a friend of Devon’s, Alec Mather, is the prime suspect. Jack, Devon’s husband, begs her not to pursue the matter. He’s concerned because while Devon was working as a prosecutor of sex crimes and domestic violence in Washington, D.C., she was nearly disbarred, having become so involved with her cases that she began hearing voices and blacking out. Jack and Devon moved to Providence precisely to escape that pressure. Some incident from Devon’s past may be triggering the stress Devon feels as she delves into the murder. Along the way to the shocking ending, Devon learns that Alec committed illegal acts and associated with disreputable people. This superb psychological thriller is hard to put down.”

Little Voices by Vanessa Lillie received a starred review in Publishers Weekly! Follow the link above for more.


Victoria Sanders
THE LAST WIDOW by Karin Slaughter - August 2019 LibraryReads Pick

LIBRARYREADS | JULY 15, 2019

“A fast-paced thriller in the Will Trent series has Will and Sara trying to prevent a deadly epidemic. The book tells the story of what is happening to three different people during the same short time periods, as they are unaware of the actions of the others. For readers who enjoy Tana French and John Sanford.”

The Last Widow by Karin Slaughter, forthcoming from William Morrow August 20, has been chosen as an August 2019 LibraryReads pick! Follow the link above to see the full list.


Victoria Sanders
KEEPING LUCY by T. Greenwood - Publishers Weekly Review

PUBLISHERS WEEKLY | JULY 12, 2019

“Greenwood (Rust & Stardust) delivers an unabashed heart-tugger. The year is 1969 when housewife Ginny Richardson, of Dover, Mass., gives birth to a baby girl named Lucy, who has Down syndrome. Her lawyer husband, Abbott Jr. , and his overbearing lawyer father, Abbott Sr., convince her to have the newborn institutionalized. But two years later, after the institute is exposed on TV as a hellhole of neglect and mistreatment, a guilt-ridden Ginny spirits Lucy out of the place and hits the road with her daughter, unaware that she gave up parental rights and could be wanted for kidnapping. Accompanied by her six-year-old son, Peyton, and best friend, Marsha, Ginny drives to Florida to hide out with Marsha’s sister, a mermaid performer at Weeki Wachee Springs. On the way, Ginny tries to make up for lost time with Lucy. But she knows a reckoning with Abbott Jr., Abbott Sr., and the law is inevitable. The author makes Ginny’s transformation from timid housewife to empowered guardian an affecting one. And in Ginny’s road trip from Massachusetts to Florida by way of Atlantic City and the Blue Ridge Mountains, Greenwood explores a country caught between traditional values and the societal changes of the 1960s and ’70s. This is a moving depiction of the primal power of a mother’s love.”

Keeping Lucy by T. Greenwood received a fantastic review in Publishers Weekly! Follow the link above for more.


Victoria Sanders
BITTERSWEET BROOKLYN and THE LAST WOMAN STANDING by Thelma Adams - Lilith "A Novelist Brings Jewish Women to the Forefront of Crime Stories"

THE LILITH BLOG | JULY 10, 2019

“A Jewish woman married to Wyatt Earp? A Jewish woman cleaning up after a murder committed by her brother, a criminal with ties to the Jewish mafia? These are the kinds of stories that novelist Thelma Adams loves to tell.”

Thelma Adams, author of Bittersweet Brooklyn and The Last Woman Standing, was interviewed by Lilith, a magazine that “charts Jewish women’s lives with exuberance, rigor, affection, subversion and style.” Follow the link above to read the full interview!


Victoria Sanders
LITTLE VOICES by Vanessa Lillie - The Miami News-Record "Former Miamian's Debut Novel to Publish Soon"

THE MIAMI NEWS-RECORD | JULY 8, 2019

“A Miami native has her haunting and gripping debut novel set to release Oct. 1st that will be followed by a second book in the series in the fall of 2020…Lillie’s debut novel, Little Voices, is a psychological suspense set in Rhode Island. Unpredictable and addictive, the book grabs you from the first chapter and takes you on a twisting, turning journey with a surprise ending that will leave you stunned and wanting more.”

The Miami News-Record wrote a wonderful article about Vanessa Lillie and her forthcoming book from Thomas & Mercer, Little Voices. Follow the link above to read the full article!


Victoria Sanders
LITTLE VOICES by Vanessa Lillie - The New York Times "What to Expect When You're Expecting Evil"

THE NEW YORK TIMES | JULY 6, 2019

“In Vanessa Lillie’s thriller, Little Voices, which Thomas & Mercer will publish this fall, a woman who nearly dies during childbirth from a detached placenta is unable to breastfeed her premature baby and has to pump milk constantly through the night. She begins hearing a menacing voice that makes her feel possessed: ‘She’ll never sit up or pull up or crawl or walk,’ it says. ‘You were never meant to be a mother.’”

Little Voices by Vanessa Lillie was featured in this New York Times article discussing the prevalent themes of fear and anxiety within literary fiction about modern motherhood. Follow the link above to read the full article!


Victoria Sanders
THE LAST WIDOW by Karin Slaughter - Publishers Weekly Review

PUBLISHERS WEEKLY | JUNE 24, 2019

“In bestseller Slaughter’s harrowing seventh novel featuring Sara Linton and her boyfriend, Georgia Bureau of Investigation agent Will Trent (after 2016’s The Kept Woman), Sara and Will are visiting her family in the Atlanta suburbs when explosions rock nearby Emory University. As the couple heads toward campus, they encounter a multiple-car accident. Sara stops to offer medical assistance and discovers that one vehicle contains several armed men—two with gunshot wounds—and a traumatized woman she recognizes as missing CDC epidemiologist Michelle Spivey. After a brutal fight that injures Will, the men take Sara and flee. Will is certain that Sara’s kidnappers bombed Emory, and intelligence suggests the men are part of a paramilitary group that’s planning something catastrophic. With the clock ticking, Will and his partner, Faith Mitchell, scramble to follow bread crumbs left by a terrified but determined Sara. Vivid characters and rapidly escalating stakes complement the riveting, adrenaline-fueled plot. Along the way, Slaughter examines such topics as misogyny, white nationalism, and the politicization of law enforcement. Thriller fans will devour this visceral, gratifying entry.”

The Last Widow received a fantastic review in Publishers Weekly. Follow the link above for more!


Victoria Sanders
Barbara Bourland, author of FAKE LIKE ME, shares her 10 Essential Books about Artists on Publishers Weekly

PUBLISHERS WEEKLY | JUNE 21, 2019

“Barbara Bourland’s second novel, Fake Like Me, is an exquisitely crafted literary work that reads, irresistibly, like a thriller. Set in the New York art scene of the 1990s, the novel is narrated by an ambitious young painter whose idol, a wild, rebellious female sculptor and performance artist named Carey Logan, died by suicide under mysterious circumstances. When the painter’s studio goes up in flames, she has to salvage her work, and her career, at all costs—and finds herself slowly, insidiously, taking over both the studio and the life that Carey left behind. Bourland picks 10 essential books about artists.”

Fake Like Me author Barbara Bourland shares her top picks of books about artists on Publishers Weekly. Follow the link above to read her picks!


Victoria Sanders
ZORA AND ME: THE CURSED GROUND by T.R. Simon selected for the CBC Showcase "Family Heritage"

THE CHILDREN’S BOOK COUNCIL | JUNE 20, 2019

“One way we honor our ancestors, families, and children is to use the knowledge of our heritage to shape our identities. To remind us of the historical ties we take with us into the future, we will showcase books about the legacies and traditions of families in all their forms and meanings.”

Zora and Me: The Cursed Ground has been selected for the CBC Showcase Family Heritage. Follow the link above for more!




Victoria Sanders
Karin Slaughter to be featured in the September 2019 edition of Writer's Digest

WRITER’S DIGEST | JUNE 20, 2019

“In this exclusive cut of the WD Interview with Karin Slaughter, the author talks about what led to her Save the Libraries nonprofit, social media for authors, and what the future holds for her beloved characters. Read the full WD Interview with Slaughter in the September 2019 issue of Writer’s Digest.”

Karin Slaughter, internationally bestselling author of The Last Widow, forthcoming in the U.S. August 20th, will be featured in the September 2019 edition of Writer’s Digest. Follow the link above to read an excerpt from her featured interview!


Victoria Sanders
Karin Slaughter wins the Georgia Author of the Year Award in the Detective/Mystery category for PIECES OF HER

GEORGIA AUTHOR OF THE YEAR | JUNE 18, 2019

Read what the judges had to say about Pieces Of Her:

Pieces of Her is one of Karin Slaughter’s most satisfying novels yet. At its heart, it’s about a mother and daughter—a talented but directionless millennial daughter, a mother with too many secrets. An intricate plot follows the adventures of both women, reaching back in time to trace the mother’s involvement in a cult-like radical organization while decades later the daughter gets caught up in a dangerous search for the truth about her parents—and herself. The suspense never lets up, but ultimately it’s the psychological complexity of these characters that makes this novel so riveting.”

Follow the link above for more!



Victoria Sanders
PUMPKINHEADS illustrated by Faith Erin Hicks - Kirkus Starred Review

KIRKUS | JUNE 18, 2019

“Autumn loving, they had a blast; autumn loving, it happened too fast.

Having worked together in the Succotash Hut at the pumpkin patch for years, best friends and co-workers Deja and Josiah, who goes by Josie, ditch work and find love on their last night, heading out in search of Josie’s unrequited love, the girl who works in the Fudge Shoppe. Deja, a witty and outgoing girl who attracts—and is attracted to—boys and girls alike, is set on helping the shy, rule-following Josie move out of his comfort zone before they part ways for college. Deja encourages Josie to take a chance and talk to the girl of his dreams instead of pining for her from afar. Not to be dissuaded by his reticence, Deja leads Josie to multiple stops in the Patch in search of the almost-impossible-to-find Fudge Girl, with every stop taking them in a new direction and providing a new treat. As they journey through the Patch—chasing a snack-stealing rascal, dodging a runaway goat, and snacking their way through treats from fudge to Freeto pie—they explore the boundaries of their friendship. Visually bright and appealing in autumnal reds, oranges, and yellows, the art enhances this endearing picture of teenage love. Deja is a beautiful, plus-sized black girl, and Josie is a handsome, blond white boy.

A heartwarming, funny story filled with richness and complexity.”

Pumpkinheads received a starred review on Kirkus! Follow the link above for more.


Victoria Sanders