Thanks to the members who shared their 2024 published works at our Year-end Celebration in December. Fifteen members showed off their recently published books and gave an elevator pitch to encourage others to read them. One member who planned to present wasn't able to attend. We've included her book in this post.
Reviews are the lifeblood of an author. We encourage members who read any of the below books to leave a review on Amazon, Good Reads, or any other platform where the books can be found.
Chris August —two books to the showcase which were published in 2024:
Planet Redshine Silly Farm by
Lily Tessie Lamb (pen name) and
Deadly Trouble by
Heartley Penna (pen name).
Redshine Trilogy II which is a compilation of three previous Silly Space Books.
Join the yuks at the Silly Farm with the arrival of Quintuplets Shasme, Rose, Jazzy, Pendo and Eldoor. Queen Rocksea and King Bup adopt rescue animals from Planet Goof-Up and the fun begins. Meet Pierre Poodarilla, Pinky the Cata-Dilly, Tiny the Croc-Maloon and more. See ya at the Silly Farm!
24-year-old Cookie Blonde lands a PI job with Raz Investigations and jumps into an ocean of trouble in sunny San Diego. Follow the addictive action from the Embarcadero to Little Italy as real estate mogul Thornton Peters and his family are targeted for disaster. Cookie and Raz take the case and become entangled inside a fishnet of murder.
This is a compilation of the following books:
*Honeymoon at Moon Splash Motel *Nile Noodles *Magical Muzzie Tinkerbot
Join the fun and enjoy the yuks on Planet Redshine!
Bert-Oliver Boehmer – Galacticide
Galacticide is the third and final novel about Kel Chaada’s journey through an epic inter-galactic conflict and its mind-bending consequences. The story follows the events from the award-winning novels Three Immortals and Dark Cascade.
No cause. No effect. Causality stops and reality shatters.
Kel Chaada believed to have beaten the extra-galactic menace when rigged AI cores blew the Võmémééř’s galactic realm apart. Sheltered from the explosions, the alien Brood Mother survived, mourning billions of her children, burning with vengeance.
One breeding couple is all it takes to re-build an army, but the Brood Mother’s target is neither Kel, nor space fleets: It is reality itself. No universe hostile to the Mother’s children shall remain.
Richard Carrico – Monsters on the Loose
In 1931, San Diego’s idyllic image as a beach town with peaceful suburbs concealed a harrowing reality: a series of unsolved crimes targeting women, fueling fear and vulnerability. MONSTERS ON THE LOOSE tells the tragic and true stories of three women murdered early that year: Virginia Brooks, Louise Teuber, and Hazel Bradshaw. Local law enforcement, out-of-town criminologists, and investigators from what would become the FBI pursued hundreds of leads. Statewide, newspapers covered every angle and clue and sometimes played a role in the investigations. Yet, the killer(s) were never identified and brought to justice. In MONSTERS ON THE LOOSE, award-winning author and historian Richard L. Carrico pieces fragments of evidence together for three cold cases, shedding light on a dark chapter in San Diego's history. More than ninety years after the murders, Carrico emerges as an advocate for the victims, meticulously reconstructing their stories. Immersed in dusty files, long-forgotten oral histories, and newly discovered investigation records, his primary objective remains unwavering: to seek justice for the three young women. With no witnesses to the crimes, the significance of circumstantial evidence and speculation, both then and now, became paramount. And he may have even solved one of the murders.
Larry Edwards - Chariot Canyon: A Rent Beacham Mystery
When investigative journalist Rent Beacham looks into reports of welfare fraud, he has no clue his investigation not only will take him into a remote, semi-lawless area of San Diego County, but that a twist of fate will give his probe a more personal—and deadly—nature than he ever imagined.
As Rent digs deeper, he suspects a sinister criminal enterprise lies behind the fraudulent activity. When horseback riders discover human remains at an abandoned gold mine in historic Chariot Canyon, a murder investigation increases the complexity—and danger—of Rent’s attempt to uncover the truth.
While this story is fiction, the fraud at the heart of this story is not. Join journalist Rent Beacham as his deep dive into welfare fraud drags him into the dark depths of Chariot Canyon.
Zoe Ghahremani - Memory Garden
A lively afternoon together in Nana’s garden is full of laughter, discovery, and connection. In lyrical text that blends past and present, Memory Garden takes us to the places we leave behind but never forget.
Written and illustrated by a loving mother daughter duo, the nostalgic text and vibrant illustrations invite us to enjoy the beauty of Iranian gardens – and culture - in an adventure that will resonate with readers of all backgrounds.
Robert Glick – Finding Your Quantum Sense, How to Enhance Mindfulness, Perception, and Creativity
We live in a quantum world. This book explores the effects of quantum fluctuations on your mind and body, where sensation and learning take place, and offers guidance to tap into your own quantum sense.
QUANTUM SENSE is common sense, It is your spark of curiosity, adaptation and change found in the unravelling of the universe and the mutation of neural connections that give voice to consciousness. It kisses life and light, breath and death, language and thought, drama and emotion. It hides in green buds and black decay, in every face of creation and destruction. Resolute and beautiful, terrifying and inspiring, it is in your blood and heartbeat, your pulse and impulse.
Anne Hoiberg - Tears of War
Tears of War highlights the strength, courage, and resilience of thirty-seven refugee and asylee women originally from Africa, Asia, Europe, and the Middle East. Author Anne Hoiberg made contact with these women through her activism and promotion of women's rights. After interviewing each woman, she compiled their compelling stories into a book along with a brief history of each country from which they fled. The histories provide a backdrop for the intimate and emotional stories of these women, allowing us to feel connected to their journey towards justice and peace in their new homeland.
Jacob Hubbard – Sounds of Yesterday
For five years, Rob and Ana have been inseparable. They both have overcome career challenges, achieved emotional stability, and survived a global pandemic. Their future seems bright.
That is, until Ana abruptly ends their relationship. Rob's routine-driven world is shattered, reopening traumas and insecurities he thought were long put to rest. As he obsesses over what might have gone wrong and struggles for healing and self-acceptance, his memories put him on an imagined stage where he teeters between the habit of meeting outside expectations, and the pain of ripping masks away to reveal his true self.
Sounds of Yesterday dives into the complex interplay between love and loss on the autism spectrum, unpacking the diverse ways empathy and emotional agency interconnect inside a neurodivergent world.
Alex A. Kecske – Healer
It's 1888, and Rene Sakin, having tragically lost both parents, is expelled from a prestigious medical college for laudanum abuse. Facing ridicule from New York society and determined to move medicine into the 20th century, she heads west to a Tennessee mining town to seek out a mysterious healer--Charles Noble. After Charles restores a blind woman’s sight and saves a child from an incurable disease, Rene risks everything to learn Noble’s secret. Following a night of passion, Noble enlists Rene to help save lives on an Indian reservation while he eradicates typhus in a utopian town. United again, Charles and Rene race across the country to San Francisco, evading evil forces eager to steal Charles' closely guarded healing secret.
Erik Martin – The Case of the Zombie Ninjas and The Case of the Greensboro Gremlins
Gremlins and fashion don’t mix!
Summer vacation before seventh grade should be awesome. Instead, Dotty Morgan’s favorite clothes don’t fit; her mother constantly embarrasses her with bra-talk; and she’s growing in places she would rather not. She can’t even talk about it with her girlfriend, Hannah, who is tall and slender and has never had to stretch a shirt until threads popped to squeeze into it.
What is a twelve-year-old supernatural sleuth to do? Find a mystery, of course.
The Sato Corporation comes to Elderton.
The Sato Corporation built the new Crooked Creek Commons parking garage. They bought Blue Devil Castle for their new corporate retreat. They funded the Waverly Perchance Memorial Garden, a project organized by twelve-year-old Dotty Morgan. Now, Mr. Sato himself takes an interest in Dotty and her dream of owning and operating a legit Supernatural Sleuthing Agency. Mr. Sato’s interest comes with cash.
If Dotty lets Mr. Sato examine the Japanese sword and cup her dad recently acquired, then Mr. Sato will approve a generous small business grant. All Dotty’s dreams will come true. Simple, right?
Reina Menasche – Twice Begun and perhaps a sample of her latest novel.
It all begins in the closet.Paris Jablonski, wife, mother, social worker, and aspiring writer, is celebrating her seventh wedding anniversary when she uncovers a secret letter about her sexy French husband—and his girlfriend. The letter is in French, nearly incomprehensible, and so is the betrayal. How could she, an experienced mental health professional, have so misread her own life?
After traveling to France to confront her husband, Paris returns to face wildfires, evacuations, and a new job with recovering addicts. And she finds herself attracted to the most unlikely candidate: a recovering alcoholic who also happens to be a client.
In this heart-tugging story of love, loss and renewal, Paris Jablonski is a heroine whose street savvy must learn to take back seat to a wiser heart.
Pablo Sáinz-Ferretti — Desde Navolato añoro: testimonios navolatenses.
"Guía no autorizada para aprobar el examen de ciudadanía", publicada originalmente hace 15 años en 2009 bajo el título "Mica chueca", es una novela californiana y sinaloense a la vez. El lenguaje que utiliza es la confusa morada entre el inglés, el español y el sinaloense, donde habita la identidad de tantos inmigrantes (muchos de ellos de Navolato, Sinaloa) que viven en Huntington Park, una de las ciudades más mexicanas en Los Angeles.
En esta novela ubicada en los 90, PABLO SÁINZ-FERRETTI, da forma a sus personajes (sinaloenses de origen vasco, como el mismo autor) y los pone en la balanza entre el sueño americano y la dura realidad que enfrentan. Con esta ágil muestra de espanglish y sinaloense, el autor logra llevarnos a la vida diaria de los jóvenes inmigrantes indocumentados. También es una sarcástica crítica a la narcocultura, alentando a los jóvenes a no dejarse deslumbrar por el dinero fácil.
The second one is a YA novel titled Guía no autorizada para aprobar el examen de ciudadanía: una novela de Huntington Park.
La nostalgia por un pasado mejor es común entre la gente.
En "Desde Navolato añoro: testimonios navolatenses", docenas de habitantes y personas originarias del Municipio de Navolato plasman sus voces acerca de ese pasado, cuando la vida era más sencilla, tranquila y (por lo menos en la memoria) preferible.
Este libro es una colección de testimonios, recuerdos, añoranzas, tradiciones, leyendas, historia oral, fotos y viñetas del Navolato del ayer.
Con este tomo se cierra la trilogía "Desde Navolato", que celebra 40 años de la municipalización de Navolato, luego de su independencia de Culiacán.
Ken Schafer – An Otherwise Perfect Plan
Join Gwen Pendergrass on an unpredictable and surprisingly funny journey that is "as amusing as it is engaging" (Booklife Prize). Whether you're currently a teen, or can barely remember being one, this is a coming-of-age story that will make you laugh, make you care, and take you on a ride you won't soon forget.
WINNER: BEST YA NOVEL IN THE 2024 KINDLE BOOK AWARDS
At sixteen, all Gwen knows about her dad stems from the fact that she was born, so she figures she must have had one. While her mom does confirm this (rather obvious) conclusion-and even shows Gwen a strip of photobooth pictures of the two of them from "the weekend Gwen was made" (ew...!)-she flatly refuses to elaborate further.
Still, Gwen is mostly okay with that. it's not like anyone had asked for her buy-in on the whole birth deal anyway, so she's just as happy to let it go and move on with life. That is, until Gwen kind of, accidentally, gets her mom an all-expenses paid scholarship to Yale.
There's only one tiny, little hitch. Her mom plans to turn it down because of what she calls "Parental Responsibilities." Or, in other words, because of Gwen.
Peter Shaw – Murder on the Way - A Camino de Santiago Mystery
A newly formed Camino family is on pilgrimage to Santiago de Compostela.
Among them is a hitman posing as a pilgrim while searching for his target who is on Camino after undergoing plastic surgery as a start to his new life.
As they traverse the Camino, it becomes apparent that the hitman is not the only one hiding secrets.
The impact that the Camino has on pilgrims will reveal all.
Wanjiru Warama – The Colonial Farm
The Colonial Farm is a remarkable, one-of-a-kind memoir told with honesty, clarity, and suspense. The book captures the opportunities gained and lost, terrors and successes of her family and the Gȋkũyũ community told through the eyes of Wanjirũ Warama, from when she turns twelve and a half years old, as she forges against the tide of her pre-designed farmhand lifestyle. Despite the odds of an African living in 1950s Kenya, where education for a girl is an afterthought, she's determined to stick to an escape route that she believes is her only ticket from the drudgery.
The book shows the resilience and endurance of the human spirit in overcoming adversity under the shadows of a lethal tug-of-war between the powerful and the powerless.
Sandra Yeaman – Whispers in the Shadows: An American’s Adventure Teaching in Romania Behind the Iron Curtain
American Fulbright lecturer, Sandra Wenner, taught English at the Alexandru Ioan Cuza University in the northeastern capital of the Romanian province of Moldova, Iași, Romania. She arrived in the fall of 1977. Nicolai Ceașescu was in power. An earthquake had flattened major portions of Bucharest the spring before. The shops had plenty of food, but very little variety. And it became quickly clear to her that her students either disliked her or were otherwise pressured into having nothing to do with her outside classes. In spite of these discouragements, she explored Romania with other foreigners, eventually established small inroads into her students' lives, and came to love the country and its population. Fifteen years later, she returned to the region, this time as a US diplomat assigned to the newly independent neighboring country of Moldova which allowed her to travel back to Iași and observe the changes in everyday living after the departure of Ceașescu.
The Guild is always willing to share our members' accomplishments through Tip of the Hat mentions in the newsletter and social media posts. Send news of your book completion, publication, book launch, and awards won to our newsletter editor by the 20th of the month in order to be included in the following month's newsletter. The address to use is community@sdwritersguild.org. Use "For the newsletter" as the subject line.
