This past February, I found myself at the 55th Annual California Antiquarian Book Fair (https://www.abaa.org/cabookfair) in Pasadena, CA. Rare booksellers from all over the world gathered at the Pasadena Convention Center to sell unpublished manuscripts, ephemera, and rare first editions that spanned six centuries and several continents. The event was well attended but not overly crowded, and it was a very pleasant way to spend a Sunday afternoon.
Among the incredible books at the fair were signed first editions of James Joyce’s Ulysses, signed Harry Potter first editions, and a partial first draft manuscript of Infinite Jest By David Foster Wallace. Prices for these artifacts ranged from what you might pay for a decent car to a significant down payment on a house, and I contemplated selling everything I owned for a rare book and switching careers entirely. Luckily, my partner pushed me along the path between displays, and I did not have a chance to start bartering.
In addition to all of the books, there were a number of displays that demonstrated how antique printing presses worked, and some that even offered to print things for you on the spot. Several attendees received custom printings and many stood around watching the process. On the outside edges of the convention center, there were a number of sellers who specialized in rare comic books and prints from the 1900s that represented various social and political movements. Some of them were scary, and some of them were inspiring. Other sellers specialized in pulp fiction and genre writing like science fiction and fantasy, and had a number of books with unique covers.
As an inexperienced visitor, I found the history of literature to be fascinating. I found myself enamored with everything from gruesome medical literature to authors as modern as George Saunders, and it felt like there was a real literary continuity, despite the differences in content. There was a sense that this was a community, and that books mattered to the sellers. Despite the lucrative nature of antiquarian bookselling, this was a collection of people who believed that books should be preserved.
My hope is that in the future, we’ll still have this community.
Hello, readers! My name is Beau Henry, and I am one of Beafort’s newest interns. As a new intern, I’m very excited to dig a bit deeper into Beaufort’s incredible list. Aside from the bestsellers like If I Did it and I Shall Live, I’m hoping to explore some frontlist titles in genres I’m not as familiar with. As someone who has mostly been interested in literary fiction, I’m hoping to get a better grasp on genres such as romance, mystery, and science fiction and to expand my reading habits. The following books are a few that I’m very excited to explore.
On top of an excellent title, the plot’s labyrinthine twists and turns look fascinating, and the sardonic humor in the narrative voice is endearing. The layers to the relationships within the novel and the warped Americana at the center of the novel are very much in line with my interests.
The tragedy of the plot is deeply layered, and the criminal conspiracy that pushes the narrative forward is appealing. I love when books have the capability to draw you in with carefully crafted narrative turns, and Hidden Falls certainly does that. The austerity of the main character’s voice adds additional weight to the themes in the novel.
As a huge grammar nerd, I am always on the lookout for new books about grammar and language. Grammar is fascinating because it allows you to view language as equations where there are right answers and wrong answers. While art is subjective, grammar is not, and I find that to be very reassuring.
As someone who finds expansive, maximalist novels to be very exciting, this historical fiction novel is intriguing. The parallels between family connections and lives marred by tragedy across decades is incredible, and I’m hoping to find out how Probert pulls off a narrative with such a vast scope.
While these four are at the top of my list, I’m looking forward to seeing the new titles that Beaufort has in store for this year!
New York, New York — Whether you’re trying to break into the film industry, or if you simply have a passion or curiosity for Hollywood, veteran entertainment producer Julian Schlossberg provides a tell-all in his new memoir, Try Not to Hold It Against Me (Beaufort Books; Hardcover & digital; $26.95; on sale January 31st, 2023).
“A LOVE LETTER TO SHOW BUSINESS! Try Not to Hold It Against Me is a must-read written by one of the best & funniest in the industry. Truly a fascinating memoir that will captivate & delight any reader!”
— Susan Stroman, five-time Tony Award-winning Director & Choreographer
From his nearly 60 years in show business, Schlossberg takes us through stories of a lifetime — the trials and triumphs of work and play, in every avenue of the business: negotiating with Al Pacino, Burt Reynolds, and Lillian Hellman; hosting the syndicated radio and television production “Movie Talk;” restoring Orson Welles’ masterly film adaptation of “Othello;” partying with Barbra Streisand; testifying in a lawsuit against The Beatles; and interviewing over 120 of the most influential figures for his series “Witnesses to the 20th Century.”
Written with engaging humor and self-deprecation, Try Not to Hold It Against Me gives readers a behind-the-scenes pass to Hollywood and its secrets. It’s a compelling read for entertainment-enthusiasts alike — and a one-of-a-kind autobiography by one of entertainment’s true insiders.
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Beaufort Books is an independent publisher based in New York City. Beaufort publishes a mix of non-fiction and fiction titles, with about 15–20 new titles each year. Since 2007, we’ve published four New York Times bestsellers.
For more information or to arrange an interview with Julian Schlossberg, please contact Emma St. John at emma@beaufortbooks.com
Hi, everyone. I am one of Beaufort Books Spring Interns.
I am so excited to be working at Beaufort Books this spring. I grew up in upstate New York, although my mom and I were constantly moving around. We spent so much time in the car traveling from one adventure to the next, and we would always pack a big bag of books to read while driving.
In December 2022, I graduated from Loyola University New Orleans with a B.S. in Psychology. For so long I thought my passion for stories would always just be relinquished to staying up too late to read just one more chapter. New Orleans, though, held so many opportunities, amazing mentors, and my passion for publishing became my main focus.
Discovering new novels that will take readers through a whirlwind of emotions is something I am looking forward to during my internship. Some of my favorite books are The Way I Used to Be by Amber Smith; Get a Life, Chloe Brown by Talia Hibbert; and my newest favorite How to Kill Your Family by Bella Mackie. Don’t worry, I promise my mom is safe and sound.
I can’t wait to see what my adventure at Beaufort Books holds!
NEW YORK, NY — The Resilient Life, the second inspirational book from Dr. Susan Biali Haas that helps to identify stress and restore a sense of control, will be published by Beaufort Books on October 25th, 2022.
The world is experiencing unprecedented levels of burnout, stress, and mental health challenges. This comes with the inevitable fallout: poorer health, chronic exhaustion, strained relationships, and decreased satisfaction and performance at work. You’re so tired of being stressed and tired, but how can you tell the difference between run-of-the-mill stress, burnout, and serious mental health issues like depression or anxiety? And what can you do about it? Throughout the pages of The Resilient Life, you’ll learn how to identify, address, and protect yourself from burnout; easy neuroscience-based techniques that can “rewire” your brain, reduce stress hormones, decrease anxiety, and help restore your sense of calm and control; and how to reconnect with and make time for what matters most, allowing you to reclaim meaning, purpose, and passion in your life.
Filled with easy-to-apply tips, straight-talking advice, practical wisdom, and stories from Dr. Susan Biali Haas’s life (and the lives of her clients), The Resilient Life can truly help you to finally break free from overwhelm, get unstuck, and move forward with renewed clarity, energy, well-being, and purpose.
Susan Biali Haas, M.D., is a medical doctor and executive coach, internationally recognized for her expertise in mental health, stress management, burnout prevention and resilience. She has provided education on these topics to a wide range of organizations including the United States Navy, Google, McKinsey & Company, Deloitte and MIT. In addition to her twenty years of primary care experience, she also coaches a broad range of clients — from senior executives to physicians and other health professionals — to take control of their mental and physical well-being.
Her popular Psychology Today blog has over 10 million views, and her opinions have been featured in media such as the Today Show, BBC World Service Radio, Forbes, Oprah.com and others.
Dr. Biali Haas overcame burnout and depression at the beginning of her medical career, quickly becoming an internationally recognized influencer in health and well-being. With over two decades spent studying wellness and resiliency, twenty years of clinical experience with thousands of patients, and more than ten years coaching high performance clients worldwide, she expertly applies her experience and skills to equip people to live better lives.
Beaufort Books is an independent publisher based in New York City. Beaufort publishes a mix of non-fiction and fiction titles, with about 15–20 new titles each year. Since 2007, we’ve published four New York Times bestsellers.
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For more information, to receive a review copy, or to arrange an interview with Dr. Susan Biali Haas, please contact Emma St. John at emma@beaufortbooks.com.
Tullan Holmqvist, one-half of the writing duo that brought you Lacie’s Secrets and The Woman in the Park, discusses the trials and triumphs of collaborating.
I love questions. And I am usually the one asking them. It’s just my nature. I am curious and have always wanted to figure things out, why people do what they do, what makes them tick, and how things are done. So when I am asked a question, I usually have to take time to really think about it. When people ask about the writing collaboration in creating our thrillers The Woman in the Park and Lacie’s Secrets with Teresa Sorkin, I have to laugh a little.
When I was a kid, I hated having to collaborate. At school, I dreaded the group projects where you had to “find someone to work with.” If I could, I would just do them myself. I’m independent, I like quick solutions, less discussion, and more doing. As a child, my family and I moved every few years, and so I found myself in a new country, not knowing the language, the local ways, or the rules. Born in Sweden to two adventurous parents, I went to nursery school in Nigeria, elementary school in Austria, middle school in Italy, and high school at a French school back in Sweden. As a first grader in a new country and confronted with a language I didn’t speak, I had to find other ways to understand what was going on, picking up on body language, and visual, energetic clues.
When I was ten years old, I got my first sweet taste of the theater when I was cast as the lead in a school play in Rome. I experienced the spell of the stage, the thrill of getting a laugh or a tear from the audience, and, most of all, the warm embrace of the community created in the theater. I discovered that collaborating can be exhilarating and can add up to so much more than each individual. Magic can blossom from a creative coming together with a common purpose. And that’s what I try to keep in mind – the goal of creating a story that can be shared.
Stories often emerge out of curiosity and a wish to understand others. Our psychological thriller The Woman in the Park was born from an interesting character, a woman in a park we both had seen independently, and had piqued our interest. She was elegant and always alone, seemingly talking to herself, lost in her own world. We took aspects of that character, planted the seed of our story, and let it grow. We added more characters, worked through the story and its arcs, and took turns writing and editing.
Together, we discussed scene organization and character development, and then let the writing take over, giving each other space to create.
Our second collaborative thriller, Lacie’s Secrets, grew out of a “What if?” scenario, fantasizing an actual situation – a holiday week at an isolated villa with a group of friends where something goes horribly wrong – and letting our imaginations wander. In the actual creation, the excitement came from seeing where the story and the characters lead us. Lacie’s Secrets has been described as a “riveting thriller” reminiscent of classic suspense novels (by Publishers Weekly), and Big Little Lies meets The Haunting of Hill House at a seaside estate in Maine.
Collaborating takes openness in communication, active listening, and constant compromise. While muddling through the messy forest of details, collaboration requires keeping the goal of the story in mind, finding creative solutions, and abiding by the golden rule of improvisation – “Yes, and…”
Lacie’s Secrets and The Woman in the Park are published by Beaufort Books. www.tullanh.com
Dr. Janet Gilsdorf, author of June release Fever, provides an informative and reassuring outlook on the pandemic for parents with children returning to the classroom.
Epidemics of nasty new germs are upon us; COVID, monkeypox, and hepatitis in children from adenovirus are the latest. In addition, old germs have raised their ugly heads (or will soon): polio, measles, and maybe the causes of other vaccine-preventable diseases. That’s a lot of worry for parents, especially since it’s back-to-school season and children will begin doing what they do so well: sharing with others—their ideas, their food, their dreams, and their infections.
My novel Fever also deals with the outbreak of an infectious disease in young children. That one actually happened in Brazil in 1984, and Fever offers a fictional depiction of the outbreak and the efforts of Dr. Sidonie Royal, a young physician-scientist, to figure it all out.
The outbreak in Brazil, called Brazilian Purpuric Fever or BPF, differed in many important ways from the current outbreaks. With BPF, the epidemic eventually burned out. While that definitely won’t happen with COVID, it may, in odd ways, happen with adenovirus-associated hepatitis and monkeypox. With BPF, all the affected children died while most children affected with modern epidemic microbes survive. The most important difference between BPF and COVID is that we have the means to prevent transmission of the COVID virus to children, and to treat serious infections if they occur.
The fact that such valuable tools are available to us, less than three years after the first appearance of SARS CoV 2 (the virus that causes COVID) is a miracle. Not a Biblical-type miracle, but the miracle of modern science and the scientists who developed the technology for RNA-vaccines over twenty years ago and then applied it to COVID when it emerged, and who built upon previous treatments to develop new anti-viral drugs and anti-inflammatory agents. We are so very fortunate this time. The next epidemic or global pandemic may not work this way.
So, as children return to school, we can be reassured that their COVID vaccinations will go a long way in protecting them from getting infected with SARS CoV 2. In addition, as that wily virus evolves and changes, we have additional tools to protect kids in school from newer, more transmissible SARS CoV2 variants. Children are very adaptable, and they manage masks much, much better than many adults do. Enlightened schools have updated their HVAC systems to maximize air-exchange in classrooms, thus diluting any viruses that find their way in. Newer vaccines are on the horizon.
Just as Dr. Sidonie Royal worked day and night to understand the BPF outbreak in Fever, physicians and scientists around the world are working day and night to more completely understand COVID and other contemporary epidemics, so that medical science can protect us and our precious children even better. We are indeed fortunate.
Author of The Mad. Mad Murders of Marigold Way (October 2022), Raymond Benson discusses the concept and writing process behind his timely and darkly comedic thriller.
When the Covid-19 pandemic began, there was much discussion on social media and the like among writers, especially those who write thrillers and mysteries, regarding whether or not we should include the coronavirus in our fiction. Should fictional characters who are investigating a murder be wearing masks? Do they practice social distancing? Should they be mindful of health and safety protocols? Or do we pretend the pandemic doesn’t exist and just write the book with no mention whatsoever of a global disease that has impacted every person on the planet?
When I wrote The Mad, Mad Murders of Marigold Way (Beaufort Books), it was very early in the pandemic. It didn’t even occur to me that writing a murder mystery with the pandemic in the background might be a concern. I came up with a darkly comic murder mystery that took place in the thick of it. In searching for the right tone for the story, I was likely inspired by Thornton Wilder’s Our Town and the works by the sardonic Coen Brothers.
It was May 2020 and my wife and I were in lockdown at home with Covid-19 raging outside. At that time, no one knew what the future would hold. There was no vaccine in sight, and there was still so much that was unknown about the virus. The geographical environment in the story mirrors where we were living (fictionalized, but yes, we live on a street not unlike “Marigold Way” and in a town very much like “Lincoln Grove”). As with most writers, my imagination, fueled by the fever dream of the paranoia and bizarre life we were leading during the lockdown, took off. The book was written over the next two to three months.
My existence at the time was pretty close to the protagonist’s (Scott Hatcher) daily life—staying home, going for walks, social distancing, wearing masks at the grocery store and such—but I certainly am not as stupid as he is! Being happily married, I was not in the rather shattered mental state that encourages him do the irrational and impulsive things that push the story forward. I had no reservations about the setting at all. History is history. Especially now, nearly three years later, the pandemic is a part of the world’s timeline and it can’t be ignored. I, for one, will have trouble buying into any novels, movies, or television shows that supposedly take place recently or “now” that do not acknowledge in some way that we’ve been through this experience.
Alas, my literary agent and I were rather shocked to receive some resistance from publishers, even though editors proclaimed how much they liked what I’d written. It took some time, but eventually we found a publisher. Luckily, the folks at Beaufort Books had no problem with the subject matter. That said, these attitudes seem to be lifting. I’m seeing more authors write tales set during the pandemic. I’m thinking of Michael Connelly and Jodi Picoult, among others.
Mind you, my book really isn’t about the pandemic. It’s merely the backdrop, the “special world” of the story that informs how the characters behave. When one is frightened, paranoid, and uncertain about the future, a person might do some crazy things. The Mad, Mad Murders of Marigold Way is about some of those crazy things. Or perhaps it’s more about the hidden underside of suburbia and the dark recesses of the human heart. There is a labyrinth of a mystery that is the backbone of the novel, but it is placed against the larger “Mystery of Life” itself, all with a touch of down-home humor.
One thing to always remember is that when opportunity comes, it never goes away. My time as a Beaufort Books intern may have reached its time, but I know that I have made a valuable connection with four amazing individuals throughout these three months and will continue to apply what I have been taught to whatever opportunity approaches next.
I came across the internship out of the blue. I discovered a callout for submissions through a sponsored Spencer Hill Press Instagram story. I followed them with the hope that when I finally write a manuscript that I could possibly pitch it to SHP or work with them in some way. After a few days, I saw the job posting for Fall Editorial Interns. I applied with the hope that securing this position would truly make me an equal, if not a standout candidate for a future publishing career.
By the end of the summer, I was offered the position and I felt so proud of myself for shooting my shot and feeling like I was worthy enough to pursue this career that I have worked towards for what feels like only a short time. They tell you that a career in publishing is competitive and that is certainly true for many aspects of it. However, I find that when you look hard enough for chance opportunities (or sometimes even stumble upon them), the rewards will be so valuable and beneficial.
I learned that I have an ability to design graphics which I had never properly known how to do before. Outside of taking and editing pictures, I never thought that I had the eye to put an image together from scratch that would be appealing and marketable. I designed many graphics that I look forward to seeing on Amazon some day.
Beyond that, I read a manuscript that I felt very strongly about, and got a glimpse at what it felt like to fall in love with an unpublished piece of writing. I learned about contracts and how authors get paid. I even had the chance to assist in publicity research which further enforced how much I cherish that field of work.
This internship has given me more passion and knowledge for the publishing industry, and fostered a new level of confidence because of the experience and the people who helped me along the way. I am so grateful and excited for all that is ahead of me. I am even more excited to apply what I learned throughout this experience onto others because I only have one semester left before I am able to navigate true adult life. I am scared about so much beyond graduation, but one thing I am definitely confident in now is the career field I will be in.
Thank you to Beaufort Books for granting me a place here and for being such a bright spot as I get ready for everything that’s ahead of me.
My last blog post featured some of my favorite books in a variety of genres. This blog will be about one genre in particular and my favorite author, Veronica Roth. She is the author of Chosen Ones, the Carve the Mark sequel, and the Divergent series, also one of the first book series that I ever read. Fast forward six or seven years later, Veronica Roth is coming to my city to promote her new Dystopia/Mystery/Thriller, Poster Girl. To quickly summarize her latest novel: it takes place between the cities of Seattle and Portland after the main character, Sonya searches for a missing girl as a favor to free herself from imprisonment after their “perfect” society falls apart.
On October 26th, at Powell’s Books in Oregon, I met Veronica Roth on her book tour. The event was after hours in the store, so it was quiet and all attendees were just as anxiously waiting for her as I was. I went to the event alone, so I didn’t have a friend to get out all of my excited feelings to before she walked out — that would have definitely helped me with all of the tears I was fighting back when she did step out with her husband. I had expected there to be a whole team of people assisting her, but it was just Veronica and her husband, which was so nice and made things more intimate.
The audience had the opportunity to write down questions for her when we got closer to the event’s end, and this is the one thing that I wish I had spent more time on in advance. I asked three questions, and the best one I had asked was answered before it was time for audience questions. The question was whether or not she was working on trying to get away from being known as the author of the Divergent series by not further promoting the book on her social media. The short answer to this question was yes. Roth had written Divergent when she was 24 years old and for a debut novel to take off as Divergent did completes all of the goals an author often has before having to really work for them. She summarizes this question by stating that she was left with a goal void and wasn’t sure where to go after that, which raised the question for her, “What is next after your first book does all the things you’ve ever dreamed of as an author?”
All that being said Veronica did talk a little bit about what it was like being on the set of all three Divergent movies which I was happy to get some inside on. It was obvious in the conversation that both Veronica and her husband had some mixed feelings about how things went for the films. They both joked about how the movies were true to the spirit of her books, but as they continued filming they got further away from what she had originally written. When she was on set for the third film she remembered walking around the filming location and having no idea where she was and why the actors were wearing the outfits they had on. Her husband answered with a little more hostility stating that Roth was only able to be so patient during the process. She wraps up this segment by expressing her gratitude for the films and how she wouldn’t be so far into her career without them.
On the topic of her newly published title, Poster Girl, Veronica stated that she had intended on writing the sequel to her book Chosen Ones, she joked “I can’t be relied on,” after having instead found herself writing another dystopian novel. She talked about her love for her new main character Sonya and the joy she has in writing heroic figures with an attitude problem, which I happen to love reading because same. This led to a conversation about how a lot of the time women writers are accused of self-inserting themselves into their characters. Roth’s grandfather had constantly accused her of being her character Tris Prior from Divergent which she absolutely hated hearing.
The event is concluded with one last question from an audience member who asked for Veronica’s advice on how to get more teens to read and she joked that writers should keep getting their books adapted and make movies, but then defends teens, claiming it can be “hard for teens to read and let someone else’s words in,” so to give them some slack. The book signing portion is what wrapped everything up and I was practically shaking from nerves when I got up to the table trying to find something clever or funny to say. I first handed her my copy of Divergent and told her it is my old copy from 2012 which I don’t actually know to be true, but she was kind anyway and wrote “Be Brave” on the inside and then took my copy of Poster Girl to sign. All in all, a great night, and I am thrilled to say I can check meeting my favorite author off of my bucket list.
One of my favorite pastimes is to attend author events. I have gone to more events this year than ever before. The last time I attended a bookish event was when I attended the Boston Book Festival back in 2019. It was the first time I ever covered an event for my university’s newspaper and my first experience with journalism.
When COVID hit, bookstores had to figure something out. If these events could not continue in-person, what were the alternatives? I am sure that many of the questions asked were in line with how to bring together many people in one setting in order to hear an author speak. Then, online events came in full swing. It allowed for people with busy schedules or long commute times to be able to see an author from the comfort of wherever they were.
At the beginning of 2022, author events began to return to in-person, with an added bonus of hybrid events. Being able to meet authors face-to-face again and hear them discuss their works that they have spent time on, often in the hopes of giving an audience something to love or learn from, is utterly inspiring to me.
It has made me wonder what makes author events so appealing? On the one hand, author events are like celebrity meet-and-greets for readers. If one loves an author’s book, one may hope that they can meet the author in-person and pick their brains. On the other hand, readers just love to hear about books, but this is a step above a simple recommendation.
Another thing that I personally love about author discussions is that they are super inspiring and motivating. I never leave an author event without immediately yearning for my laptop to continue writing my own manuscript.
For introverts, author events can either be a completely solo experience or it can be a great opportunity to make bookish friends that may be hard to come by in a different environment.
For go-getters, these events are great ways to branch out and connect with people in various industries related to books. Sometimes author’s friends, publicists, editors, and/or agents tag along. If you can find a way to put yourself out there, author events are a great avenue for your career.
I love the excitement that author discussions bring. It feels so amazing to know that an author is just a regular person who found the time to put their imagination on a page and sought out the right people in order to give people a story to love. Since the majority of events I go to feature Young Adult writers, it reminds me that no matter how old I get, I was a teenager once who fell in love with reading, and I want nothing more than to share that same feeling with teens in the future.
When it comes to books, social media platforms such as Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram can serve as a marketing tool. Almost all users know to be careful on social media but a lot of people don’t know exactly why. Publishers should be cautious on which links they click on since they are representing their authors. Clicking on links will show audiences what the publisher has been looking at so publishers should be mindful. After all, publishers don’t want to be misrepresented so taking proper caution is key to success. When designing images for social media, publishers must first analyze the social media platform and fit images to proper sizes. Writing social media posts can be challenging but a good post can start with a question to engage readers in a book. Authors and publishers can work together to market their books through social media in addition to telling audiences about the book in person. Social media can be a tool to market book events such as launches, signings, and giveaways. Authors and publishers can take pictures of the physical book in natural environments, with readers, and after an event has occurred. This is a fun way to show audiences that this is a book they will want to read and that the author and publisher are dedicated to showing the world this story. When I write a social media post, I first consider the publisher I work for, and then the author. How do I want to represent the publisher and author? Is my post engaging? Does it fit the theme? When advertising fiction, a good social media post would be to design an image with a direct quote. Beaufort Books does this for many great titles but one recently posted was for the novel Buried Memories by Katie Beers. The image was designed in green and said “She needs to just be wrapped in love. The best thing for her right now is not be forced to talk about what happened, be able to discuss what happened in her own time.” When advertising books, it’s important to consider the audience and what they are interested in. With the publishing industry constantly changing, social media is just one important tool publishers can use. Beau Vader signing off!
New blogger coming at you under the pen name, The BEAUpire Diaries. I am one of three interns at Beaufort Books this Fall 2022 and I will be starting my first blog post off by talking about what’s trending, what I’m loving after reading what’s been trending, and what should have gotten more attention as trends have passed along.
Every few years, the book community seems to change what genre/theme of books is trending amongst readers. There is no predicting what those books will be, but once they’re trending they are suddenly everywhere until we’re all sick of them and onto the next “new” thing. In the early 2000s, vampire/supernatural books were the thing with Twilight, The Vampire Diaries, The Vampire Academy, Vampire Kisses, Eighth Grade Bites, and so many more. It then trends moved on to dystopian novels for a bit with some iconic movies following like The Hunger Games, Divergent, and The Maze Runner. As much as we would love to bring all those books back for the sake of nostalgia, they are (for now) meant to be left in the past.
What I am really seeing as a trend in books nowadays is the cheesy rom-com with bright and colorful cartoon covers that all kind of look the same. However, I like others have yet again fallen for the trends and am loving and buying all the romance.
Below you’ll find all books that I have loved reading, featuring a little bit of all the trendiest genres/themes — a few have done pretty well in the market, and there are some that deserve to do even better, but enjoy.
Lacie’s Secrets by Teresa Sorkin and Tullan Holmqvist
In no way am I biased by adding this book to what I’m loving, but one of our books, Lacie’s Secrets is one of the best spooky fall time reads to have on hand during these upcoming months of gloom. For readers and fans of Big Little Lies and The Haunting of Hill House, Lacie’s Secrets is a psychological thriller that takes place on the coast of Maine, when Kate’s sister disappears 18 years ago, and in the present time, her mother suddenly dies inheriting their estate motivating Kate’s return and the unraveling of secrets begins.
Somewhere after the boom of dystopian titles, the sci-fi genre attempted to be the next big trend. The 5th Wave did well, but the others that followed lagged behind. Alienated by Melissa Landers was a book that I loved years ago romanticizing life living alongside aliens when Cara Sweeney falls for the first alien exchange student, Aelyx.
With all of the swoon-worthy, new adult romance going around, I am surprised that this book hasn’t received its moment in the spotlight yet. This was the first adult romance book that I had read back when I was a senior in high school (six years ago) and I was so obsessed with it that I had my own fan cast. Bad Romeo follows the good girl meets bad boy trope when Cassie Taylor meets Ethan Holt while in acting school and they are cast to play Romeo and Juliet together.
One of the most recently published and trending books that I wanted to feature is Love on the Brain by Ali Hazelwood. This is also an example of one of those iconic cartoon romance covers, but I guess they beat the romance covers that have shirtless, hairy men. Ali Hazelwood is well-known for her book, The Love Hypothesis, and a few others. I have yet to read this book, but I did buy it when it came out to add to my neverending TBR stack. Love on the Brain follows the enemies-to-lovers trope when Bee is offered her dream position with NASA the only setback being she is partnered with Levi Ward who has made it clear in grad school his feelings toward Bee.
I am looking forward to continuing to work with Beaufort Books for the Fall 2022 term and writing more wildly interesting and creative blogs. The romance genre has always been a favorite of mine, so the blogs may lean heavier that way, but nevertheless.
Hello! My name is Beau Vader and I will be writing blog posts about the literary community. Let me first introduce myself. To start, I am currently a graduate student in the Book Publishing program at Portland State University. I currently live in Oregon with my husband and two daughters, Ambriel and Araceli. I earned a Bachelor of Science in Psychology. I decided to study Psychology because human behavior has always interested me.
At Beaufort Books, I am most excited to learn about the different departments in the book publishing industry and gain experience. What thrills me most about this internship is seeing the stories authors have created and shared. I am currently writing a psychological thriller myself to highlight mental illnesses and what they can do to a person. My goal in life is to continue to work in the literary community and write all the stories that live inside my head.
I have worked in different departments in publishing but so far I have been most interested in developmental editing. I enjoy assisting authors with big picture themes such as finding plot holes, developing characters and scenes, assisting with dialogue, and developing the setting. Developmental editing is made to assist authors with the story’s development but never change their writer’s voice. When I perform a developmental edit, I make sure not to change what the author wants to write about but instead assist them. Edits are simply suggestions and it is our job as editors to have good communication with authors. Performing a developmental edit can assist authors with their stories in a professional manner and get them to see the reader’s point of view. When it comes to developmental editing, pointing out what authors do not always see in their first draft is important in assisting them in a story’s development. Since empathy is important, showing empathy toward authors is crucial. As editors, we have to remember that stories are a work of art and we should communicate our suggestions with empathy. My goals as an editor is to assist authors and build relationships.
Hello to you all! My name is Kaliisha. I have just begun my senior year of college. My school journey is almost at a close, but like most great books, the story is never truly over once you reach “The End.” A little bit more about me is that I adore Young Adult books of any genre. Some of my favorites are And They Lived by Steven Salvatore, Six Crimson Cranes by Elizabeth Lim, and Anger is a Gift by Mark Oshiro! However, my all time favorite book/ book series of all time is The School for Good and Evil by Soman Chainani! Fun fact: I actually got to meet the School Master in person this year (which you can see in the image)!
I thought that for my first post I would recommend some titles that are fairly similar to my favorite series!
Almost Magic by Kathleen Bullock (Spencer Hill Press)
Ever since she turned twelve, Apple Bramblewood’s life has been plagued by visits from weird creatures from the magical realms.
It seems she is a rare Attractor, a Wizard whose sole talent is solving the clamorous demands of very odd beings, usually in the most unorthodox, haphazard, and klutzy ways. Apple doesn’t want to be an Attractor; her most passionate goal is to attend the ordinary high school with ordinary kids where her perfect older sister, Cornelia, is allowed to go. Her parents have no doubts about Cornelia’s magical prowess, but Apple seems destined to be home-schooled forever if she can’t pass the entrance exam and perfect at least one magical enchantment.
Almost Magic is Apple’s first-person account of that magic summer between childhood and adolescence and, in Apple’s case, one filled with the most amazing, hilarious, and often dangerous events.
Hasani’s post-seventh-grade summer to-do list is pretty simple: get a bigger following for her makeup YouTube channel and figure out how to get her parents back together. What she does NOT expect is that an emotional outburst will spark a latent magical ability in her. Or that the magic will be strong enough to attract the attention of witches. Or that before she can say #BlackGirlMagic, she’ll be shipped off on a scholarship to a fancy finishing school for talented young ladies.
Les Belles Demoiselles is a literal charm school. Here, generations of young ladies from old-money witch families have learned to harness their magic, and alumnae grow to become some of the most powerful women across industries, including politicians, philanthropists, CEOs, entrepreneurs—and yes, even social media influencers. Needless to say, admission to the school is highly coveted, very exclusive . . . and Hasani sticks out like a weed in a rose bouquet.
While the other girls have always known they were destined to be witches, Hasani is a Wildseed––a stray witch from a family of non-witches, with no background knowledge, no way to control her magic, and a lot to catch up on. “Wildseed” may be an insult that the other girls throw at her, but Wildseeds are more powerful than they know. And Hasani will learn that there are ways to use magic and thrive that can never be taught in a classroom.
3. Kingston and The Magician’s Lost and Found by Rucker Moses and Theo Gangi (Penguin Random House)
Twelve-year-old Kingston has just moved from the suburbs back to Echo City, Brooklyn—the last place his father was seen alive. Kingston’s father was King Preston, one of the world’s greatest magicians. Until one trick went wrong and he disappeared. Now that Kingston is back in Echo City, he’s determined to find his father.
Somehow, though, when his father disappeared, he took all of Echo City’s magic with him. Now Echo City—a ghost of its past—is living up to its name. With no magic left, the magicians have packed up and left town and those who’ve stayed behind don’t look too kindly on any who reminds them of what they once had.
When Kingston finds a magic box his father left behind as a clue, Kingston knows there’s more to his father’s disappearance than meets the eye. He’ll have to keep it a secret—that is, until he can restore magic to Echo City. With his cousin Veronica and childhood friend Too Tall Eddie, Kingston works to solve the clues, but one wrong move and his father might not be the only one who goes missing.
I am so excited to be able to work with Beaufort Books and Spencer Hill Press for this fall season. I love books, but I also just love talking about them, too!
