They say Hollywood runs on dreams and delusion—but K.R. Levin’s Great Exploitations: A Hollywood Fable reminds us it also runs on equal parts caffeine, chaos, and questionable morals. With razor-sharp wit and insider precision, Levin peels back the studio gloss to reveal the absurdity lurking beneath the “magic” of television. This isn’t your typical Tinseltown tale—it’s a biting, hilarious fable about ambition, burnout, and the cost of chasing relevance in a world that worships youth and ratings above all else.

Fiction / Satire

Publication Date ‏: ‎ April 19, 2025

Publisher ‏: ‎ BearManor Media

 

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About the Book

Hollywood is brutal, especially for an aging TV writer who is not connecting with her audience. Unemployed Charlotte DeBlane finds herself at precisely that moment until she turns her tragic youth into a sparkly tweenaged dramedy. 

The legendary Fable Studios snaps up her project as a vehicle for their newest hot starlet, Milary Stanton. Despite a tsunami of production nightmares, the show becomes a smash hit. 

When the disappearance of an essential crew member wreaks of corporate foul play, Charlotte finds her dream job turned into a nightmare. Ultimately, the inevitable forces of money, power, and talent collide, forcing Charlotte to choose where her future leads. 

K.R. has been working in Hollywood for more than four decades. Some of his early credits include special effects on Mystic Pizza, and Leadman on Breakin 2 is Electric Boogaloo. He also worked on the original Lizzie McGuire and went on to prop master many kids’ shows, from Ned’s Declassified School Survival Guide to Wizards of Waverly Place and Lab Rats. K.R. lives in California with his therapist/author wife.

 

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 About the Author

 

 I have been working in Hollywood for over four decades. After graduating from Hampshire College in 1981, I moved to Los Angeles. Some of my early credits include special effects work on Mystic Pizza and serving as a Leadman on Breakin' 2: Electric Boogaloo. I also worked on the original Lizzie McGuire and went on to serve as a prop master for many kid shows, including Ned’s Declassified School Survival Guide, Wizards of Waverly Place, and Lab Rats. I recently moved more into motion pictures, including Promising Young Woman and Lyle, Lyle Crocodile for Sony Pictures before officially retiring in 2024. I live in Camarillo, CA, with my therapist wife, Laura and two Bengal cats-Crouton and Bang Bang.

 

In addition to all that jazz, I am a licensed pilot since 1989. I served as crew chief on a privately-owned WWII bomber named Feeding Frenzy during the nineties. I have a 3d printing workshop and a large model train layout at my home. I regularly fly RC gliders and FPV aircraft out the back of my house.

 

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Date Published: November 11, 2025

What would you risk to uncover a secret buried for over 150 years?

From bestselling and multi–award-winning author David R. Leng comes the next pulse-pounding installment in the Echoes of Fortune series. 

His debut, Echoes of Fortune: The Search for Braddock’s Lost Gold, captivated readers and earned a 4.5-star rating on Goodreads. Now the adventure continues with a brand-new novella that plunges deeper into history’s deadliest secrets. 

When historian Jack Sullivan, Smithsonian curator Emma Wilson, and fellow former Navy SEAL Steve Johnson set out for a Thanksgiving dive off Cozumel, they expect nothing more than warm waters and forgotten wrecks. Instead, they uncover a Confederate ghost ship that vanished in 1865—along with a sealed brass tube containing secrets powerful enough to change history. 

But they’re not alone. Shadowy mercenaries and a black-hulled yacht stalk their every move, determined to silence them before the truth surfaces. From dazzling reefs to the back alleys of Veracruz, Jack and his team are forced into a deadly game where history isn’t past—it’s a weapon. 

Some secrets don’t want to be found. And some will kill to stay buried. 

Perfect for fans of Steve Berry, Clive Cussler, Dan Brown, and James Rollins, Shadows Over Cozumel delivers nonstop action, historical intrigue, and a mystery that spans centuries.

About the Author

 David R. Leng, known for his expertise in risk management and insurance, now ventures into the world of fiction with his latest historical thriller, Echoes of Fortune. With a distinguished career spanning over 30 years, David is the author of International #1 Best Sellers including "Insured to Fail" and "The 10 Laws of Insurance Attraction," and has saved clients over $42 million in premiums and overcharges. As Executive Vice President and Partner of the Duncan Financial Group, David is celebrated for his innovative Risk Profile Improvement Process and has earned numerous accolades, including Advisor of the Year by the Institute of WorkComp Professionals. 

An avid contributor to industry publications, David’s passion extends beyond his professional achievements to include boating, skiing, woodworking, and supporting his local high school’s musical productions. His foray into historical thrillers reflects his deep storytelling skills and a lifelong commitment to engaging and captivating audiences.

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Sometimes the best kind of love stories aren’t about candlelight and roses—they’re about survival, second chances, and finding connection in the chaos. Today’s spotlight dives into that kind of intensity with Invisible Monster by Angela Knight, a sci-fi romance that pits two haunted Rangers against unseen enemies—and their own inner demons. If you’re drawn to stories that mix high-stakes adventure with undeniable chemistry, this one’s going to hit all the right notes. Let’s take a closer look at this pulse-pounding new release.

Date Published: November 14, 2025

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Earth civilians are obsessed with selfies and social media, but my life revolves around alien starships, superhuman strength, and A.I. implants. Too bad none of it helped when I was captured and tortured. Now I crave revenge, but as a genetically engineered Ranger, I must obey Mothership’s rules: protect humanity. Never kill.

When another alien ship sends monsters to invade Earth, Mothership’s Rangers must stop them. My new Ranger teammate is everything I shouldn’t crave: handsome, skilled, and haunted by his own dark past. He helped rescue me from torture, but it cost him his entire team. Now I’m the mess he’s got to clean up.

Battling invisible monsters may be the death of us, but our mutual attraction is undeniable. Can we stop an alien invasion despite our dangerous chemistry?

New York Times best-selling author Angela Knight has written and published more than sixty novels, novellas, and ebooks, including the Mageverse and Merlin’s Legacy series. With a career spanning more than two decades, Romantic Times Bookclub Magazine has awarded her their Career Achievement award in Paranormal Romance, as well as two Reviewers’ Choice awards for Best Erotic Romance and Best Werewolf Romance.

Angela is currently a writer, editor, and cover artist for Changeling Press LLC. She also teaches online writing courses. Besides her fiction work, Angela’s writing career includes a decade as an award-winning South Carolina newspaper reporter. She lives in South Carolina with her husband, Michael, a thirty-year police veteran and detective with a local police department.

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Sometimes a single dress can tell the story of an entire generation. In The Pink Dress, award-winning author Jane Little Botkin lifts the satin veil on 1970s beauty culture to reveal the grit, heartache, and awakening beneath the glitter. What begins as a whim—a college pageant entry in small-town Texas—unfolds into an unflinching memoir about identity, womanhood, and the power to rewrite one’s own story.

Told with honesty and grace, Botkin’s journey as the first Guyrex Girl captures a pivotal moment in American womanhood: when tradition clashed with liberation, and when beauty itself became a battleground for meaning.

🎧 Press play, settle in, and prepare to see beyond the sequins—this is one memoir that proves the truth behind the tiara is far more compelling than the crown.

Date Published: September 30, 2025

Publisher: She Writes Press/Tantor

Narrator: Ann Marie Gideon

Run Time: 8 hours and 4 minutes

Growing up in West Texas, Jane Little Botkin didn't have designs on becoming a beauty queen. But not long after joining a pageant on a whim in college, she became the first protégé of El Paso's Richard Guy and Rex Holt, known as the "Kings of Beauty"—just as the 1970's counterculture movement began to take off. 

A pink, rose-covered gown—a Guyrex creation—symbolizes the fairy tale life that young women in Jane's time imagined beauty queens had. Its near destruction exposes reality: the author's failed relationship with her mother, and her parents' failed relationship with one another. Weaving these narrative threads together is the Wild West notion that anything is possible, especially do-overs. 

The Pink Dress awakens nostalgia for the 1960s and 1970s, the era's conflicts and growth pains. A common expectation that women went to college to get "MRS" degrees—to find a husband and become a stay-at-home wife and mother—often prevailed. How does one swim upstream against this notion among feminist voices that protest "If You Want Meat, Go to a Butcher!" at beauty pageants, two flamboyant showmen, and a developing awareness of self? Torn between women's traditional roles and what women could be, Guyrex Girls evolved, as did the author.

About the Author

A NATIONAL AWARD-WINNING AUTHOR, JANE...

melds personal narratives of American families often with compelling stories of western women. Jane is a late bloomer as an author. After teaching for thirty years, she was honored by the Texas State Legislature by formal resolution for her work with local history and education in 2008. She edited and directed publishing fifteen volumes of Texas local history with her former students before she decided to write on her own. Jane's first book propelled her membership on the Western Writers of America board and later as its vice president. Jane continues to judge entries for the WWA's prestigious Spur Award; reviews new book releases; authors articles for various magazines; and speaks to groups in Arizona, Colorado, New Mexico, and Texas. 

JANE'S FIRST TWO WORKS HAVE WON NUMEROUS AWARDS IN HISTORICAL BIOGRAPHY AND WOMEN'S STUDIES... 

including two Spur Awards, two Caroline Bancroft History Prizes, the Texas Book Award, and the Barbara Sudler Award for the best book written on the West by a woman. Jane was also a finalist for the Oklahoma Book Award, High Plains Book Award, two Women Writing the West’s Willa Literary Awards, Independent Book Award, Foreword Indies Book Awards, and Sarton Book Award. 

Released in fall 2024, Jane’s third book—what she calls her Covid book—is The Pink Dress, A Memoir of a Reluctant Beauty Queen, a Foreword Indies Book Award winner in pop culture and Women Writing the West's Willa Literary Award finalist in creative nonfiction. The narrative brings far West Texas to life during the 1970s’ American Counterculture era. 

Jane's newest book, The Breath of a Buffalo, A Biography of Mary Ann Goodnight, will be released from the University of Oklahoma Press tentatively in fall 2026. 

Today Jane blissfully escapes into her literary world in the remote White Mountain Wilderness near Nogal, New Mexico, when she is not speaking at various events or preparing for her next nonfiction book.

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Author Julia Shovein channels her real-life sailing experience into sharp, sea-swept mystery Murder on the Squid Row Run — a blend of charm, chaos, and clever sleuthing that will make readers crave both the next clue and the next port.

⚓️ Drop anchor and dive in below for an exclusive peek at the voyage that’s making waves!

Mystery

Date Published: June 10, 2025

Publisher: MindStir Media

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In Murder on the Squid Row Run, oboist Georgiana Quilter is finally hitting her stride—with a dream orchestra job and a new apartment. But when she agrees to pose as a celebrity’s girlfriend during a glamorous international sailing rally, things take a dark and deadly turn.

A body turns up on board. A child disappears. A saboteur strikes. As the Squid Row Run heads from San Diego to Cabo San Lucas, Georgiana races to uncover secrets buried at sea—all while navigating a fake romance that’s becoming dangerously real. 

Perfect for fans of cozy mysteries, strong female sleuths, and nautical adventures, authentic maritime details inspired by the author’s own seven-year circumnavigation. Suspense, wit, and danger at every port

Love mystery series set on the water? This is your next great read.

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 Author Julia Shovein brings authenticity and edge to her mystery novels, drawn from a life spent at sea and in service. After a thirty-year career as a university professor of nursing (Professor Emeritus), Julia retired and embarked on a global sailing adventure with her husband, circumnavigating the globe over seven years. 

She lived and wrote in exotic locations like New Zealand, Turkey, and London’s St. Katherine Dock. Upon returning home to Paradise, California, Julia and her husband narrowly escaped the devastating Campfire wildfire. These life-altering experiences shaped her writing—and her heroine, Georgiana Quilter. 

Now living in Bremerton, Washington, with her husband Horst and husky Blue, Julia is a proud member of the Poulsbo Yacht Club. She’s truly, as Cruising World puts it, “the real thing.”

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There’s something magical about rediscovering a familiar story from a new angle — especially when it shines a light on someone who’s always lingered at the edge of history’s frame. Carrie Ingalls – The Forgotten Sister invites readers to step beyond the pages of Little House on the Prairie and see the frontier through the eyes of a quieter pioneer: one whose courage was often overshadowed, but never absent. Clarissa Willis brings empathy and insight to a young woman who found her own voice in the windswept heart of the American West — not as a character in someone else’s story, but as the author of her own.

Take a few minutes to learn about the book and author--and order the book today!

Non-fiction Chapter Book Juvenile Fiction

Date Published: 10-30-2025

Publisher: Solander Press

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While her sister Laura chronicles their life on the frontier, Carrie Ingalls forges her own path. This is the story of the “forgotten” sister, a frail child who grows into a resilient woman of the American West. From the hardships of pioneer life, Carrie emerges as an independent journalist, newspaper editor, and landowner, quietly shaping the futures of fellow homesteaders and proving that strength comes in many forms.

Chapter Six A Single Bag of Wheat

On October 15, 1880, a fierce blizzard struck the Dakota Territory. It soon became clear that the Ingalls family could not survive the coming winter in a one-room shanty.

First, Charles took his haystacks to town in the wagon. Then he returned to the shanty, and he and Caroline packed the wagon with their few pieces of furniture, bedding, and clothes. They returned to town and moved back into the rooms above the small store Charles had built. The good news was that Laura and Carrie could go to school.

A lot had changed over the summer while they lived in the shanty. The school had been completed and opened on November 1, 1880. Laura and Carrie were two of the first fifteen students to attend De Smet School. When another blizzard hit during a school day, Laura and Carrie struggled to find their way back to where they lived.

Settlers depended on the train for their supplies. Not only did they get food delivered daily by train, but they also received mail and, most importantly, coal for fuel. Charles and the other men from town often shoveled snow from the tracks so the train could reach the station.

As the blizzards continued into January 1881, the railroad made a decision that significantly affected Carrie and her family. They would not deliver more supplies until spring and would cease operations for the winter.

The school was shut down because there wasn’t enough coal to keep the children warm, and soon food became scarce in the town. Food prices rose sharply, with flour costing $50 a pound, and the last few pounds of sugar selling for $1 a pound. Without coal, the Ingalls burned hay twisted into bundles. As their kerosene ran low, they burned the oil lamps less and less at night. But a good deed by Charles may have saved the family.

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 Award-winning author Clarissa Willis writes children's books. She has authored four picture books and one chapter book. Bloomers on Pike’s Peak, the story of Julia Archibald Holmes, received a Will Rogers Medallion Award and was a finalist for the Women Writing the West 2025 WILLA Literary Award in Children's Picture Books. Her book Fast as the Wind: The Story of Johnny Fry Pony Express Rider won a Will Rogers Medallion in 2023. The Three Little Pigs and the Not So Big Bad Wolf, released in early 2025. It tells a familiar story with a new twist. She believes childhood is a journey and strives to make it joyful through her books and public speaking.

Clarissa loves traveling and has a special connection to the American West. She finds inspiration in the red rocks of Sedona, Arizona, and the Rocky Mountains of Colorado. In fact, her next book, Not from Around Here, is set in Sedona and chronicles an unusual friendship between a young cowboy and his friend from far away.

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