This morning, I am joining the book blitz for "Surviving Karma" by Mark Nistor, the second novel in the Karma series. If you're looking for a story that will keep you on the edge of your seat, add this book to your reading list. Stick around as we shine our spotlight on this exciting release and get to know more about the talented author behind it.

The Karma Series, Book 2

Literary Fiction, Mystery

Date Published: November 9, 2024

Officer Bella Streit's abduction has yet to make headlines. Her captor once again humiliates police by nabbing Captain Stark's protective detail from the precinct parking lot. Her predecessor, the third officer taken, adds to the comedic nature of embarrassing the police. Taken from the scene of an accident, Officer Tauron Sandoval's handling reflects the lengths at which Pin will go to feed his hunger. Now with Bella secured, Pin no longer needing Tauron leaves her to a fast moving hourglass of life. Her minimal sands flow as two other officers succumb.

Pin seeks revenge through torturing those he deems as old police. Detectives Rix and Jain work the case. They find a roadmap offering clues to the serial killer's endgame. The roadmap given to them by informants. However, unknown by the detectives is Pin also has informants feeding him information. Double agent informants play their roles as if trained spies. Both parties question the loyalties while traversing to the ultimate showdown.

Surviving Karma will require finding the common ingredient to their sandwiches of life.

  Buy the Series

The Karma Series

 Available on Amazon

Challenging Karma

The Karma Series, Book One

Surviving Karma

The Karma Series, Book Two

About the Author

Well, Mark’s just a guy who made a life-changing promise.

Mark prides himself on being a family man, entrepreneur and now, author. Trained to be a certified logistics professional, Mark got a certificate in video and television production. Script writing class helped expand a love for transforming ideas into stories. One of those first scripts would become a first novel, Challenging Karma.

The published author experience has always placed high on a list of dreams.

Mark’s late mother would be the one to give the push needed to make the dream a reality. After reading a first draft; she offered encouragement toward finishing a yet to be named story. The self-published Karma series is how he is keeping a promise to her.

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BookBuzz

Book Title:  THE SUN'S SHADOW by Sejal Badani
Category:  Adult Fiction (18+), 331 pages
Genre:  Literary
Publisher:  Lake Union
Release date:   January 28, 2025

​Sejal Badani is the Amazon Charts, USA Today, Washington Post, and Wall Street Journal bestselling author of The Storyteller’s Secret and Trail of Broken Wings. She is also a Goodreads Best Fiction award and ABC/Disney Writing Fellowship finalist whose work has been published in over fifteen languages.

 

Connect with the Author

Website  ~ Twitter ~ Facebook ​~ Pinterest  ​~ Instagram ~ Goodreads

 

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This morning, I have a literary piece to share! Check out The Black Leopard's Kiss & The Writer Remembers, read my thoughts on the novellas and learn about author Laury Egan.

Today, I have a literary fiction novel in our book spotlight.  Check out A Plague of Mercies, learn about author Adam Pelzman and enter for a chance to win a prize in the book tour giveaway at the end of this post.

Literary Fiction, Novel in Verse

Date Published: June 7th, 2023

Publisher: Jackson Heights Press

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A lethal plague sweeps the globe. Millions have died. Survivors are confined to their homes.

  Gabriel passes his time in a small New York apartment on the city's Upper West Side. During the plodding solitude of the lockdown, he observes several strangers in their nearby apartments. As he watches them struggle to survive a world at risk of extinction, he wonders about their lives—where they're from, what they value, how they're coping with a deadly contagion. All alone, he develops a vague yet important connection to these people, an affection for those who are struggling to survive isolation, fear and looming death.

Told in powerful, spellbinding free verse, Gabriel's observations grow deeper and more elaborate as the endless days pass. But when he and a woman from across the street begin to watch each other from afar, his imagination begins to collide with the bleak reality of the times.

Praise for A Plague of Mercies

"... a captivatingly unconventional love story ... brilliantly observant poetry that captures a dark moment in our recent history." —Kirkus Reviews (Starred Review)

Praise for Adam Pelzman's The Boy and the Lake

"Pelzman excels at creating an intensely atmospheric setting and revealing how it shapes his characters' identities and worldviews … The narrative is full of rich, descriptive language … a well-developed vintage setting and classic but thought-provoking coming-of-age theme." —Kirkus Reviews

Runner up for 2021 Selfies Book Awards U.S.

Praise for Adam Pelzman's Troika (A Cuban Russian American Love Story)

"Riveting drama and sensuous prose make for an unforgettable love story … [a] beautifully rendered debut." —Kirkus Reviews (Starred Review)

"Pelzman's talent and vision are formidable …" —Publishers Weekly

"… transcendent, magnetic, intoxicating …" —Bookreporter

about the author

Adam Pelzman was born in Seattle, raised in northern New Jersey, and has spent most of his life in New York City. He studied Russian literature at the University of Pennsylvania and went to law school at UCLA. His first novel, Troika, was published by Penguin (Amy Einhorn Books) and later republished by Jackson Heights Press as A Cuban Russian American Love Story. He is also the author of The Papaya King (which Kirkus Reviews described as "entrancing" and "deeply memorable") and The Boy and the Lake (which is set in New Jersey during the late 1960s). His newest novel, A Plague of Mercies, is available for pre-order now.

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This morning, I have a literary novel in our book review spotlight.  Check out The Golden Manuscripts from the Between Two Worlds series, learn about author Evy Journey, read my thoughts on the novel and enter for a chance to win a prize in the book tour giveaway at the end of this post.

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Should you purchase an item via our links--we may receive slight compensation from an
affiliate partner.  

Clarissa Martinez, a biracial young woman, has lived in seven different countries by the time she turns twenty. She thinks it’s time to settle in a place she could call home. But where?

She joins a quest for the provenance of stolen illuminated manuscripts, a medieval art form that languished with the fifteenth century invention of the printing press. For her, these ancient manuscripts elicit cherished memories of children’s picture books her mother read to her, nourishing a passion for art.

Though immersed in art, she’s naïve about life. She’s disheartened and disillusioned by the machinations the quest reveals of an esoteric, sometimes unscrupulous art world. What compels individuals to steal artworks, and conquerors to plunder them from the vanquished? Why do collectors buy artworks for hundreds of millions of dollars? Who decides the value of an art piece and how?

And she wonders—will this quest reward her with a sense of belonging, a sense of home?

The Golden Manuscripts Crosses Time and Genres. This novel is a unique read. The book flows between historical fiction and coming of age with a bit of romance and a lot of self-discovery, reflection, and life introspection. The author takes readers on a quest to return looted Medieval manuscripts to their home and a quest to help a young woman find her own place and home in the world. As the main character, Clarissa searches for the lost manuscripts and ponders the value and significance of such treasures; she navigates her own path toward finding herself and a place to feel at home.

The Golden Manuscripts is a Stand Alone Novel. While part of a larger series, this novel is a stand-alone story with its own characters and storyline. I've read The Shade Under the Mango Tree from this series and enjoyed it. While it is similar in theme to The Golden Manuscripts--I felt much more drawn to Clarissa's character and the flow of this story. The story moves evenly and thoughtfully as Clarissa seeks a resolution to the quest at hand and to her life's path in general. 

Would I Recommend The Golden Manuscripts by Evy Journey? This story isn't an action-packed, adventurous thriller. It isn't (entirely) historical fiction. It isn't really a coming-of-age novel or contemporary romance novel, either. It is a story that takes readers on a discovery mission as the main character seeks insights from cultural elements, art, supporting characters, and the world around her to find her own place. I recommend this novel to fans of thoughtful literary fiction--and I will likely pick up a few more of the books from this series too.

Buy the Book 

Amazon: Goodreads

Meet the Author

Connect with the Author 

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Enter the Book Tour Giveaway