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September Virtual Tour: Maria La Divina by Jerome Charyn

“As he did in The Secret Life of Emily Dickinson, Charyn here reimagines the life of a complex and talented woman, this time the diva of divas, Maria Callas…A bravura performance that hits all the right notes and is sure to delight opera devotees and fans of strong women characters.” – Library Journal, starred review

“In the spirited biographical novel MARIA LA DIVINA, the allure of an opera legend is rendered with humanizing grit.” – Foreword Reviews

“Everyone in Callas’ world is drawn in depth, while this vivid portrait of the diva is compelling and dramatic without being idealistically flattering. An excellent choice for biographical fiction and opera fans.” – Booklist

“Charyn elicits sympathy for his complex lead through nuanced character work, and he manages to channel the excitement of Callas’s performances. This is a marvel.” – Publishers Weekly

“A deftly crafted work of historical biographical fiction, MARIA LA DIVINA once again showcases author Jerome Charyn as a novelist of extraordinary literary ability.” –Midwest Book Review

“Charyn impressively covers events, places, and people (even an older Winston Churchill) with a solid pace that never stalls…The complex genius of the Divine Diva will stay with any reader of this work.” – Historical Novels Review

Maria Callas, called La Divina, is widely recognized as the greatest diva who ever lived. In his new novel, MARIA LA DIVINA (Bellevue Literary Press; September 16, 2025), Jerome Charyn’s Callas springs to life as the headstrong, mercurial, and charismatic artist who captivated generations of fans, thrilling audiences with her brilliant performances and defiant personality.

Callas was one of the first divas to come from an impoverished background. As an outsider, she was shunned by the Italian opera houses, but through sheer force of will and the power and range of her voice, she broke through the invisible wall to sing at La Scala and headline at the Metropolitan Opera, forging an unforgettable career. Adored by celebrities and statesmen, the notable and notorious alike, her every movement was shadowed by both music critics and gossip columnists—until, having lost her voice, she died alone in an opulent, mausoleum-like Paris apartment.

In Charyn’s inimitable style, MARIA LA DIVINA humanizes the celebrated diva, revealing the mythical artist as a woman who survived hunger, war, and loneliness to reach the heights of acclaim.

To celebrate the release of MARIA LA DIVINA, we are hosting a pub week virtual book tour from September 14 – 22 featuring this stellar list of book influencers. Follow along for features, reviews, excerpts, and GIVEAWAYS:

Sunday, September 14 Suzy Approved Book Reviews

Sunday, September 14 Lexijava

Monday, September 15 We Love Big Books And We Cannot Lie

Monday, September 15 Books and Coffee MX

Tuesday, September 16 Nurse Bookie

Tuesday, September 16 What Is That Book About

Wednesday, September 17 Cassie’s Book Reviews

Wednesday, September 17 Nissa The Bookworm

Thursday, September 18 Sarah’s Bookish Reviews

Thursday, September 18 We Break For Books

Friday, September 19 Rozier Reads And Wine

Friday, September 19 Karen’s Library

Saturday, September 20 Kim Reads and Reads

Saturday, September 20 Red Reviews 4 You

Monday, September 22 The Maddie Hatter

Monday, September 22 Storeybook Reviews

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Aug-Sept. Virtual Tour: WHAT THE DEAD CAN DO by Peter Rosch

A young child’s fate is at stake in a deadly battle between his deceased parents in this gripping and profoundly original psychological thriller, perfect for fans of What Have You Done and Middle of the Night.

“Rosch has artfully flipped the story of every parent’s worst fear. With tension that burns like sudden fire, What the Dead Can Do is a heart-wrenchingly turbulent thriller that asks us to confront our deepest fears about love and loyalty.” – Elle Nash, author of Deliver Me

“An instant favorite. What the Dead Can Do is a bold novel that mines genuine emotion and thoughtfulness from a multilevel nightmare.” – Johnny Compton, author of Devils Kill Devils

“How do you heal from the loss of your child, of your family, of your own life? Peter Rosch tackles these questions in a compellingly original and beautiful way. But what starts as a brilliant spin grows into a vortex of grief and love that will pull you into its depths. His characters are messy and real, his take on the afterlife haunting and heartfelt and at times horrifying. I got mad, I cheered, I held my breath and white-knuckled through the end. What the Dead Can Do will possess you from its first page and not let go until it’s good and ready…” – KC Jones, author of Black Tide and White Line Fever

A decade ago, the pure power of parental love hit award-winning NYC advertising creative director Peter Rosch in ways he couldn’t have imagined—and as a former alcoholic/addict, he’d seen and lived through so much. The adoration for his son juxtaposed with his demons birthed a wildly original psychological horror debut, WHAT THE DEAD CAN DO (Crooked Lane Books; August 26, 2025).

When a commercial flight crashes, all 184 people on board perish—with the singular exception of a two-year-old boy named Ethan, who’s entrusted to family friends Matthew and Nicole per his late parents’ wishes. From the afterlife, Ethan’s parents, Tag and Amanda, watch helplessly as Nicole’s secret addictions, the family’s financial struggles, and the public’s fascination with their story ignite events that threaten their son’s welfare. Soon, Amanda’s grief turns into an insidious obsession: Ethan belongs with herand no one else, and she sets out to reunite with her son by any means possible—including killing Ethan herself. After Amanda learns how to possess the living, only Tag stands in her way. He must protect his child, even if the consequences of his actions mean he may never see his wife or son again.

To celebrate the release of this dark, psychological, speculative thriller tinged with horror, we have gathered the best of the best book influencers to share reviews, excerpts, and features — AND book giveaways! — beginning in August and continuing throughout September. We hope you will follow along!

Tuesday, August 26: STACY 40 PAGES

Tuesday, August 26: ALYMA VERINO READS

Wednesday, August 27: BOOKS AND BIEWERS

Wednesday, August 27: BOOK GIRL BROWN REVIEWS

Thursday, August 28: FULL OF LIT

Thursday, August 28: WE BREAK FOR BOOKS

Friday, August 29: PAGES AND PUPS

Monday, September 1: KIM READS AND READS

Tuesday, September 2: SARAH’S BOOKISH REVIEWS

Tuesday, September 2: KERA’S ALWAYS READING

Wednesday, September 3: DIVE INTO A GOOD BOOK

Wednesday, September 3: SPEEDREADSTAGRAM

Thursday, September 4: BOOKED WITH JULIA

Friday, September 5: BRIANA’S BEST READS

Monday, September 8: LOVE MY BOOKS 2020

Tuesday, September 9: ELSIE LOVES LIT

Wednesday, September 10: GYM GIRL READS

Thursday, September 11: DANISH MUSTARD READS

Friday, September 12: NURSE BOOKIE

Saturday, September 13: MEOWSKINS BOOKSKINS

Monday, September 15: FISH GIRL LOVES BOOKS

Monday, September 15: JUST ANOTHER MOTHER WITH BOOKS

Tuesday, September 16: SHELLEY’S BOOK CORNER

Wednesday, September 17: LEXIJAVA

Wednesday, September 17: ATHENA NO ONE ASKED YOU

Thursday, September 18: DREAMING IN PAGES

Thursday, September 18: GRAYCIOUSLY GREY READER

Friday, September 19: CHAI TEA AND BOOKS ARE ALL I NEED

Monday, September 22: BOOKS AND COFFEE MX

Tuesday, September 23: ENJOYING BOOKS AGAIN

Wednesday, September 24: SUSPENSE IS THRILLING ME

Thursday, September 25: NISSA THE BOOKWORM

Friday, September 26: CANDICE READS

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September Virtual Tour: THE ROOM OF LOST STEPS by Simon Tolkien

“In epic fashion worthy of his namesake, Tolkien crafts a remarkable novel of an American boy swept up by love and circumstance and cast into the crucible of the Spanish Civil War. Intense, vivid, and moving.” ―Mark Sullivan, bestselling author of Beneath a Scarlet Sky and All the Glimmering Stars

“Tolkien includes real-life events and people to anchor the story. Through detailed descriptions of place and of Theo’s evolving perspective, Tolkien crystallizes the horrors of war, the toll it takes on those in the middle of it, and the importance of finding a place that feels like home.” ―Booklist

An American boy with impossible dreams is thrust into the cauldron of the Spanish Civil War in this arresting and thrilling historical coming-of-age epic and sequel to The Palace at the End of the Sea.

Critically acclaimed author Simon Tolkien, grandson of literary legend J.R.R. Tolkien, continues the beautifully written historical saga and coming of age story of Theo Sterling he began with The Palace At The End Of The Sea (Lake Union | June 1, 2025) with the second installment in this two-part series, THE ROOM OF LOST STEPS (Lake Union | September 16, 2025).

About this duology, Simon explains: “The kernel of the idea for Theo Sterling’s story came to me a long time ago when I read an article about the Abraham Lincoln Brigade – Americans who volunteered in the last years of the 1930s to fight for the democratically elected Spanish Republic, that was under attack from the Spanish army supported by Hitler and Mussolini. Thousands of them from many different walks of life – university graduates and mill hands, teachers and truck drivers, even a governor’s son – crossed the sea without any previous experience of soldiering and risked their lives to fight for their ideals; many never came back. I was astonished by their courage and sacrifice, and I thought that their story would make a wonderful subject for a novel.”

THE ROOM OF LOST STEPS is a remarkable story of belief and disillusionment, of hope and loss, and what is left of a man when his ideals are stripped away; it’s historical fiction at its best.

Barcelona 1936. Theo helps the Anarchist workers defeat the army that is trying to overthrow the democratically elected government, and he is reunited with his true love, Maria. But all too soon, his joy turns to terror as the Anarchists turn on him, led by a rival for Maria’s affection.

Lucky to escape with his life, Theo returns to England to study at Oxford. But his heart is in Spain, now torn apart by a bloody civil war, and he is quick to abandon his new life when his old schoolmate Esmond offers him the chance to fight the Fascists. He is unprepared for the nightmare of war that crushes his spirit and his hope until, back in Barcelona, Theo is confronted with a final terrible choice that will define his life forever.

As Theo’s tumultuous coming-of-age journey reaches its end, can his dream to change the world―so far from home―still hold true?

With a careful eye for historical detail and masterful storytelling, Tolkien completes the stunning and immersive coming of age story of Theo Sterling with THE ROOM OF LOST STEPS.

To celebrate the release of THE ROOM OF LOST STEPS, we are hosting a virtual book tour starting in September through the beginning of October featuring this outstanding list of book influencers. Follow along for features, reviews, excerpts, and GIVEAWAYS!

Tuesday, September 2 Books and Coffee MX

Wednesday, September 3 Dive Into A Good Book

Thursday, September 4 Love My Books 2020

Friday, September 5 Nissa The Bookworm

Monday, September 8 Cassie’s Book Reviews

Monday, September 8 What Is That Book About

Tuesday, September 9 The Maddie Hatter

Wednesday, September 10 Lexijava

Thursday, September 11 Gwnedalyn Books

Friday, September 12 Book Girl Brown Reviews

Sunday, September 14 Subakka Bookstuff

Monday, September 15 Armed With A Book

Tuesday, September 16 Enjoying Books Again

Wednesday, September 17 Sarah’s Bookish Reviews

Thursday, September 18 Suzy Approved Book Reviews

Friday, September 19 Linda’s Book Obsession

Monday, September 22 Athena Noone Asked You

Tuesday, September 23 Gloriana Wong

Wednesday, September 24 Danish Mustard Reads

Thursday, September 25 WBTB Book Reviews

Friday, September 26 Karen’s Library

Monday, September 29 Rebekah Dolmat

Tuesday, September 30 Kim Reads And Reads

Wednesday, October 1 Books and Biewers

Thursday, October 2 Book Notions

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August-September 2025 Virtual Book Tour: THE TRUTH IS IN THE DETOURS by Mara Williams

“Why does childhood sweethearts to estranged friends to lovers have to go SO HARD? I loved all the history between Ophelia and Beau in Mara Williams’ The Truth Is in the Detours, and I loved watching them fall for each other as adults with all the complications that come with having more life experience. By the time they finally hooked up, when I tell you I was dying for it to happen — these two were always meant for each other! Mara Williams is definitely a romance writer to watch.” —Alicia Thompson, USA Today bestselling author of Never Been Shipped

“Clever, funny, and wonderfully romantic, The Truth Is in the Detours tells the story of a woman who finally gets to know herself. It delivers all the best story elements: delicious banter, tension, a road trip, gorgeous California settings, and hot romance. I devoured this sharp story. Mara Williams is a talent.” —Sierra Godfrey, author of A Very Typical Family and The Second Chance Hotel

“A rare gem of a book that captures the beauty and pain of grief, love, and finding yourself, while still feeling like a hug. With sentences that sing and settings that feel like characters, The Truth Is in The Detours is the perfect blend of frenemies-to-lovers road trip romance that will steal your heart and set it racing, and a woman’s journey to finding herself as she searches for the truth about her family. An outstanding debut.” —Holly James, author of The Big Fix

In this sharp-witted and poignant novel, two former friends with a complicated history are thrown together on an unexpected road trip, where old lies unravel and new truths emerge with every mile marker.

Ophelia Dahl has just buried her beloved father when she finds among his personal effects a blindsiding document. The mother Ophelia thought died thirty years ago isn’t dead after all—she abandoned her. But how could she, and where is she now? With some neighborly help, Ophelia’s going to find out.

Beau Augustin is an acclaimed author and Ophelia’s childhood bestie turned teenage nemesis, still chafing after all these years. As luck would have it, Beau’s current project—family deceptions—is set to take him across the West Coast. Ophelia has a brilliant idea: Beau’s book. Her life. Win-win. In a Subaru filled with baggage, they hit the road.

Despite detours, dead ends, and old grudges, Ophelia is desperate to unravel a lifetime of lies. And Beau’s research is a little more personal than he’s letting on. Mile by mile, they’re getting closer to their truths—and to each other—than they ever thought possible.

To celebrate the release of Mara Williams’ wonderfully romantic debut, THE TRUTH IS IN THE DETOURS, we are hosting a virtual book tour from mid-August through mid-September. These marvelous book influencers will be sharing exclusive reviews, excerpts, Q&A, feature spotlights, and giveaways. Follow along for lots of fun!

Tuesday, August 12 – ASHLEY HASTY and BOOKS AND BIEWERS

Wednesday, August 13 – PAGES AND PUPS

Thursday, August 14 – NIKKI H. ROSE

Friday, August 15 – THE BOOK COVER LOVER and FISH GIRL LOVES BOOKS

Saturday, August 16 – JEN’S TOWERING TBR

Monday, August 18 – MEOWSKINS BOOKSKINS

Tuesday, August 19 – WORD NERD BOOK WORM

Wednesday, August 20 – DANISH MUSTARD READS and MARY MARY LIBRARY

Thursday, August 21 – MY BURSTING BOOK BAG and MELANN ROSENTHAL

Friday, August 22 – BOOKALONG

Monday, August 25 – LOVE MY DANE DOLLY

Tuesday, August 26 – DEA’S BOOKSHELF

Wednesday, August 27 – BRIANA’S BEST READS

Thursday, August 28 – AMY’S BOOKET LIST

Friday, August 29 – ARMED WITH A BOOK and A BLUE BOX FULL OF BOOKS

Tuesday, September 2 – ANDREA C. LOWRY READS

Wednesday, September 3 – BOOKS WITH COURTNEY

Thursday, September 4 – WUTHERING VINES and MEG’S BOOK CLUB

Friday, September 5 – BOOKPHILE BELLE

Sunday, September 7 – NISSA THE BOOKWORM

Monday, September 8 – ALI BOOKS OF PLENTY and BOOKS AND COFFEE MX

Tuesday, September 9 – THE UNWINED

Tuesday, September 9 – LEXIJAVA

Wednesday, September 10 – 2 MANY BOOKS 2 LITTLE TIME

Thursday, September 11 – AUDREY OAKS READS EVERYTHING

Friday, September 12 – CAROL DOSCHER READER and BIBLIOLAU 19

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August Virtual Tour: WE ARE THE MATCH by Mary E. Roach

Two women in love and in danger. Mob families at war. An explosive and enthralling contemporary reimagining of the Helen of Troy myth set against the splendor of the Grecian islands.

“In Mary E. Roach’s smoldering novel, WE ARE THE MATCH, a modern retelling of the Trojan War, star-crossed lovers maneuver against a powerful crime family for revenge…The book teems with gripping subterfuge and duplicity that’s rendered in eloquent prose…Resplendent and sensuous images also abound…A passionate dark romance, WE ARE THE MATCH is about family, vengeance, love, and freedom.” – Foreword Reviews

“We Are the Match is an intense, emotionally charged story that mixes raw action with beautiful writing. With its vivid descriptions, complex characters, and a world full of danger and desire, this book keeps you hooked from start to finish. The journey of Paris and Helen—driven by pain, power, and an unexpected connection—sticks with you long after you’ve turned the last page. It’s a powerful story about survival, taking control, and transformation. I couldn’t put it down, and I won’t be forgetting it anytime soon. If you’re into stories with high stakes, slow-burn tension, and lots of emotional depth, this one’s definitely worth a read.” – The Lesbian Review

In 2024, Mary E. Roach wowed critics with Better Left Buried, her debut YA mystery. “A groundbreaking thriller that is as heart pounding as it is heartfelt. No one writes like Mary E. Roach. Fan for life,” raved J. Elle, New York Times bestselling author of House of Marionne. And USA Today bestselling author Meryl Wilsner cheered, “Roach’s sapphic characters are messy, complex, and intensely readable in this page-turning thriller.” Now, Mary E. Roach is poised to turn the romance genre on its head with her explosive and enthralling sapphic adult novel debut, WE ARE THE MATCH (Montlake; July 29, 2025). Set against the decadence and splendor of modern-day mobster Greece, Roach reimagines Helen of Troy and Paris as you’ve never seen them before. Helen is the daughter of a powerful crime lord, and Paris is the woman hellbent on destroying her—if they don’t fall for each other first. 

When a bomb goes off at Helen’s party, Paris volunteers to investigate—a ploy to get close enough to take revenge on the family she blames for the death of her own. Paris and Helen are thrown together in an opulent world of privilege, power, and cover-ups. As their unexpected bond deepens, the fragile balance of power of the crime lords begins to fray.

Helen wants nothing more than to abandon the violent world in which she was raised―and worse, an arranged marriage to a man she barely knows. In Paris, Helen sees the perfect tool to help her escape. And in Helen, Paris sees a desperate woman who will be the perfect revenge. When murder sends them fleeing to Troy, danger only brings Paris and Helen closer together―in love, in fury, and in the will to survive. If Helen’s father wants a war, Paris and Helen might just be ready to ignite it. Wildly imaginative, action-packed, and simmering with sexual tension, WE ARE THE MATCH is sure to be on everyone’s must-read lists this summer. 

To celebrate the release of WE ARE THE MATCH, we are hosting a virtual book tour starting in late July through the end of August featuring this outstanding list of book influencers. Follow along for features, reviews, excerpts, and GIVEAWAYS!

Tuesday, July 29 – BRIANA’S BEST READS and DAISY AND ME BOOKS

Wednesday, July 30 – CASSIE’S BOOKS REVIEWS

Thursday, July 31 – SUE THE BOOKIE

Friday, August 1 – 2 MANY BOOKS 2 LITTLE TIME

Saturday, August 2 – KIM READS AND READS

Monday, August 4 – A BLUE BOX FULL OF BOOKS

Tuesday, August 5 – RED REVIEWS 4 YOU and THE BOHO BLOGGER

Wednesday, August 6 – DANISH MUSTARD READS and FISH GIRL LOVES BOOKS

Thursday, August 7 – SARAH’S BOOKISH REVIEWS and DREAMING IN PAGES

Friday, August 8 – ALWAYS READING CO

Saturday, August 9 – PURRFECT PAGES

Monday, August 11 – SPEEDREADSTAGRAM and FOREVER IN A STORY

Tuesday, August 12 – BOOKS AND COFFEE MX

Wednesday, August 13 – ELSIE LOVES LIT

Thursday, August 14 – BOOKED WITH JULIA

Friday, August 15 – MICHELLE LOVES BOOKS

Saturday, August 16 – SUBAKKA BOOKSTUFF

Monday, August 18 – NISSA THE BOOKWORM

Tuesday, August 19 – LOVE MY DANE DOLLY

Wednesday, August 20 – GRAYCIOUSLY GREY READER

Thursday, August 21 – BETHANY BURIED IN BOOKS

Friday, August 22 – MEGAN IS MY NAME OHH

Monday, August 25 – BOOKS CATS TRAVEL FOOD

Tuesday, August 26 – LEXIJAVA

Wednesday, August 27 – CAROL DOSCHER READER

Thursday, August 28 – WE BREAK FOR BOOKS

Friday, August 29 – JEN’S TOWERING TBR

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