The December Texas Books Preview holds the key to your holiday bookish adventures. Escape into worlds filled with mysteries, mythical creatures, and memoirs. Expand your mind with quality nonfiction or rousing romance. Enjoy a new gem with the little ones in your life. Whatever your plans, Lone Star Lit has the book to help you find calm within the chaos.
Chalk Dust: Reflections From a Teacher's First Year
Curby Alexander
This is the story of Curby traveling halfway across the country with nothing more than a diploma to begin his career as a teacher. From the moment he crossed the threshold into his empty classroom, through the process of learning to cope with feelings of isolation and incompetence, to the small victories of hope and laughter that kept him going, his story is an invitation into the heart and mind of a first-year teacher. These experiences were more than events; they became the connective tissue that gave his career form and meaning, and his memories are like chalk dust at the end of a long day of teaching, subtle reminders of purposeful hard work, the value of lifelong learning, and the power of human connection.
Christmas at Seagull Café, A Novelette
Tiffany Sunday
Standing outside the Seagull Cafe, Nicole recalls moving halfway across the country to Woods Hole, Massachusetts, to start her life over. She can't believe that she is the owner of the cafe, which consumes all of her time.
When Theo, a scientist from one of the marine labs, asks her out, Nicole is surprised. Unbelievably, Nicole finds herself falling for him. Their relationship triggers painful memories of her past and childhood. Nicole becomes immobilized by fear, which impacts the café and her relationship with Theo, causing concern among her friends.
Two weeks before Christmas, a mysterious woman visits the café, forcing Nicole to confront her past or risk losing the café and herself. Will Nicole overcome her fear and rediscover the joys of Christmas?
Ruthie Robinson
Racy Hightower, wedding and event planner, believes in love. Rio, her new business partner does not. Can they, will they, change each other's mind?
Fairy Tales, Fruitcake, Murder
Leanne Leeds
It’s Christmas in Tablerock, Texas! The cat-rescuing mother-daughter duo of Ellie and Evie Rockwell just wants to find some cats their forever homes for the holidays. Instead, they find themselves solving a real-life Christmas mystery straight out of a storybook.
Magic Lessons for Margo: A Follow-Up to the Adventures of Miss Vulpe
Maria Elena Sandovici
To survive her childhood, Margo takes refuge in science, order, and comforting rituals. She grows up to be shy, anxious, and in denial about her true identity. Reuniting with her estranged sister changes everything. At sixteen, Ana is rather worldly. She also has a dark secret, something connected to the men’s Rolex watch hidden in her bedside drawer. To learn Ana’s secret, Margo abandons her comfort zone and agrees to go on an epic road trip from New Orleans to Galveston in search of ghosts, culinary adventures, and ultimately healing.
Magic Lessons for Margo can be read on its own, or in conjunction with The Adventures of Miss Vulpe, a mystery novel written from the perspective of Margo’s sister, Ana.
Sonja Klein
Sonja Klein offers her saucy wit and wisdom through her personal way of telling stories about life, love, family, aging, and loss.
Colin Holmes
After 35 years of living on the Moon, cranky old oxygen farmer Millennium Harrison has stumbled onto a hidden facility in the shadows of the Slayton Ridge Exclusion Zone with a radiation leak and a deadly secret. Mil's discovery leads to the death of a young astronaut, sabotage, murder, and cover-ups that may go all the way to the Chief Administrator of the space agency. Unfortunately, she happens to be Mil's estranged daughter, busy trying to secure her own legacy—the first international mission to Mars.
With time ticking down to a limited launch window, enemies, friends, and even family may do anything to ensure the truth doesn't come out.
James R. Dennis
Songs of Seven Days is a reflection on the creation story of Genesis—from the separation of light and darkness to the divine time of rest and Shabbat. While often expressed in traditional poetic forms, the book unfolds as a sort of rabbinic midrash, or commentary, on each of the seven days of creation set out in the biblical narrative.
With a generous dose of humor, Songs of Seven Days takes us on a voyage of discovery, examining creation as we discover it in the fields of astronomy, archeology, architecture, biology, geography, history, physics, psychology, and spirituality. This book invites us to examine our world anew, in a light that Abraham Joshua Heschel called “radical amazement."
Jinx Schwartz
Blue Bonet, a renowned Texas watercolorist, looks forward to a peaceful summer of painting at her lakeside Hill Country home. Unfortunately, although her hometown Magnolia Bluff is small, it has an odd history of multiple murders, and this summer is no different.
A woman is murdered, a local drunk is suspected, and Blue and her lawyer friend must solve the case and prove poor old Fergus is innocent.
After all, their own lives may depend on it.
Dana Wayne
Jake Holloway learned of his wife’s infidelity as she lay in a coma, carrying a child that may not be his.
Four years later, his heart remains closed. Lexie Morgan’s dream of happily-ever-after ended the day she stood alone at the altar. The need to put distance between her and the pain places her in the middle of Jake Holloway’s life. Neither is prepared for the intense attraction.
When Lexie meets his four-year-old daughter, Katie, the timid child with downcast eyes steals her heart.
Forced to rely on Jake’s assistance, it’s impossible for Lexie to ignore the escalating pull. But the past never dies, and resurrected hurts threaten their fragile bond.
Can shifting Texas winds hold them together or reduce their love to dust?
180 Healing Prayers for the World
Janice Thompson
180 inspiring prayers will guide the girls in your life to pray for their families, their neighborhoods, their schools, their cities, their country, and beyond. With each turn of the page, girls will pray for positive, healing change in the world as they encounter the many ways they can make an impact through their conversations with God. Featured "Be the Change" sections after every prayer will encourage girls to "act" as they listen for God's voice and direction for their lives.
Scott Eubanks
The aging process is a sneaky son-of-a-gun. It begins by lurking around the edges of one’s life and occasionally darting into your person to take a bite out of your well-being. It then zips back into the shadows and waits for the next opportunity to reappear and take another bite out of your youth, your appearance, your confidence, and/or your already fragile self-concept. You’d like to grab it and strangle it, but it’s always out of sight and out of reach. Each bite it takes out of one’s existence leaves the victim a little less capable of ignoring the damage done by the attacks and a little less able to ignore their cumulative effects. Fighting against aging is a losing battle, but we do have a good shot at enjoying the many good parts of it. Aging Comes Without a Manual is a humorous look at aging and the notion that “seventy is the new fifty.”
A Change in Destiny: Dark Choices
Janet K. Shawgo
Charlie Edwards' once-perfect life is shattered when she discovers her husband's infidelity and his plans to kill her for an inheritance. Feeling helpless and in danger, Charlie turns to her mirror-image twin, Dani. They use their specialized skill sets to assure his plan does not succeed.
FBI agent Brian Dees is assigned to investigate Charlie's husband for bank fraud. When the possibility of his ex-fiancés' involvement arises in the case, will his feelings override his duty?
In this gripping tale of deception and danger, the twins will use an outhouse, a pig farm, and some very sharp knives to outmaneuver Jonathan and stay one step ahead of the FBI's investigation. Will they have what it takes to make the dark choices to change their destiny?
PG Forte
Being fully transparent is good for a relationship, right? Well, maybe not when it’s literal.
Christmas Angel is a second-chance, holiday romance with a celestial twist. Probationary angel Jake Hennessy has been sent back to earth to mend fences with his ex. Or has he? Certainly Tony doesn’t seem to think that's the case.
Tony DiCecco might have ninety-nine problems—and then some—between dealing with his meddlesome family AND running the family business (a Christmas tree farm in rural Texas), but he's pretty sure that playing catch-up with his ex-husband isn’t supposed to be one of them. And what would be the point? What kind of future could they have when one of them is alive and the other...isn't?
Heartwood Mountain (A Wilder Good Adventure)
S. J. Dahlstrom
The adventure continues with the newest book in the award-winning Wilder Good series. When thirteen-year-old Wilder and his friends Sunny and Corndog go down to the river for a horse ride, something panics Corndog into running away. Wilder and Sunny reluctantly return home without him, and the next day a strange man comes to Wilder’s house looking for Corndog. He seems to know an awful lot about the small, red-haired, foster kid's past. So Wilder, Sunny, and another friend, Big, set out to find Corndog before someone else does. If they succeed, can the group of friends convince Corndog to trust the world enough to rejoin it?
The High House, 25th Anniversary Edition
James Stoddard
The Victorian mansion, Evenmere, is the mechanism that runs the universe. The lamps must be lit or stars die. The clocks must be wound or Time ceases. The Balance between Order and Chaos must be preserved or Existence crumbles. When Carter Anderson finds himself Steward of Evenmere, he must learn the strange rules of the house; he must travel its winding corridors and secret passages to the myriad countries within its walls.
He has little time to act; the anarchists have stolen the Master Keys and are seizing control of the house, the Black River is rising, and the Eternity Clock is running down. What Carter does will determine the fate of Reality. But his enemies are strong, and the Room of Horrors is never far from him.
Porter and Midge: Paws and Playtime
Jennie Chen and Giselle Nevada
Discover the enchanting world of Porter and Midge: Paws and Playtime – a rhyming children’s book that follows the heartwarming bond between two furry friends, Mastiff Porter and Greater Swiss Mountain Dog Midge, and their devoted companions, CJ and Lora. On a sunny day, CJ’s thoughtful idea sets the stage for a joyful exploration of new ways to make Porter and Midge’s days even brighter. Through rhythmic verses, follow their journey as they uncover imaginative games, sensory adventures, and thrilling dog sports, all while strengthening their unbreakable connection.
C.D. Britt
She loves death.
He is Death.
Thanatos took a fifty-year vacation from his duties as Death, psychopomp of the Underworld. Returning to Halcyon, he meets Lira, a professor of Thanatology with the ability to see souls . . .and him.
Intrigued, he finds himself obsessed with learning about the woman who studies, and sees, death.
As he finds himself growing closer to the woman who has fascinated him for the first time in centuries, a devastating problem arises in both the mortal world and the Underworld. People are no longer dying.
Thanatos and Lira now have a choice to make: each other or death itself.
Evangaline Pierce
When the skyrocketing crime hits close to home, Alle suspects demons are to blame. Upon further investigation, she discovers cracks in the barrier that threaten to bring it all down. Without the barrier, the demons will take over the natural world.
Despite the rise of robberies and injuries, angels haven’t returned, but her personal demon, Narcisse, makes daily visits with offers she can’t refuse. Can she repair what is broken before it’s too late? Or will she have to make a deal with the devil?
Timeless Vision: Understanding God's Creation through the Lens of Science
Jim Johnson
Timeless Vision: Understanding God's Creation through the Lens of Science walks readers on the line that bridges science and faith. From examining the first seven biblical days alongside the natural progression of the earth's creation to analyzing humanity's interaction with scientific studies over the years, the extremism that permeates our society today is all for naught. Johnson's reflection and research, filled with facts and faith, makes the relationship between the two clear: God instilled us with a capacity for science and faith as tools for humanity to discover Him more fully and completely than with only one.
BUT WAIT, THERE'S MORE!
There are so many Texas-connected books publishing this month that we couldn’t feature all of them. The following books also publish in December:
BOOKS FOR YOUNG READERS
Gryphon Rider Academy: Year 4: Wild Flight by Elise Hennessey
Paws in the Park by GraceAnn Skidmore
She Persisted: Opal Lee by Shelia P. Moses & Chelsea Clinton
The Wake (The Thirteen Origins) by Jasminne Mendez & Lupe Mendez
NONFICTION
Black Feminist Constellations edited by Christen A. Smith and Lorraine Leu
Color Me Texas
The Cowboy Ike Rude by Sammie Rude Compton
Dinner Tonight by Alex Snodgrass
Minor Prophets for Living by Mark Lanier
The Miracle Morning by Hal Elrod
The Other Side of Nowhere by Ron Morey
Tommy Bowman: Answering the Call by Chad S. Conine
Unburied Lives by Laurie A. Wilkie
An Uncommon Love: The Early Life of Sudha and Narayana Murthy by Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni
Zero at the Bone by Christian Wiman
MYSTERY / THRILLER
Beneath the Surface by Melanie Snitker
Case of the Concho River Convict by Kailin Gow & Rachel Angel
Case of the Fort Concho Ghost by Kailin Gow & Rachel Angel
Death in a Harsh Land by Shannon Work
God Rest Ye Murdered Gentleman by Melissa Bourbon
Hometown Murder by Brittany E. Brinegar
Last Dance by AJ Llewellyn & DJ Manly
Last Patient of the Night by Gary Gerlacher
Not This Way by Blake Pierce
Shadow of Doubt by Brittany E. Brinegar
Shrouded Past by Mary Alford
Terror Crossing by James Peyton
The Tonkawa Falls Affair by G. Reading Powell
ROMANCE
All I Want for Christmas by Sylvia McDaniel
Capturing His Attention by Jenna Brandt
The Care of a Cowboy by Elsie Davis
Cloudy with a Chance of Sizzle by Olivia Sands
Colton's Yuletide Manhunt by Kacy Cross
Come Home to the Lawmen by Lacey Davis
Cowboy Grumpy Boss for Christmas by Jo Grafford
Cowboy Rides Alone by Tamie Dearen
The Crush by Kelly Fox
Dirty Boy by Sapphire Knight
Dragon's Treasure by Liberty Parker
Eggnog, Spice and Everything Nice by Carolina Jax
Falling for Your Brother's Best Friend by Emma St. Clair
Fearghas by Kirsten Osbourne
Heart Like a Cowboy by Delores Fossen
Hill Country Home by Kit Hawthorne
Honey Ever After by Sasha Summers
Jingles' Belle by Darlene Tallman
Just a One Night Stand by Michelle Donn
Just One Chance by Chris Keniston
Kiss Me, February by Bokerah Brumley
The Knotted Ring by Myra Hargrave McIlvain
Looking for a Cowboy by Tami Dearen
Mail Order Millionaire by Kirsten Osbourne
Mail Order Noelle by Charlotte Dearing
Malone's Pride by Laylah Roberts
A Merry Little Christmas by Kathryn Kayleigh
Minted by B.E. Baker
The Moon and the Stars at Christmas by Kathryn Kayleigh
My Rowdy Texan by Dakota Lacoy
My Spirited Texan by Dakota Lacoy
No Mistletoe Kiss for a Cowboy by Alexa Verde
On the Way Home to Christmas by Kathryn Kayleigh
On the Way to Us by Carolyn Brown
Paternity Payback by Sophia Singh Sasson
Perfectly Mismatched by Kathryn Kayleigh
Ranger's Dilemma by Sofia Aves
Redemption in Amish Country by Cathy Liggett & Pamela Desmond Wright
Santa's Baby by Sylvia McDaniel
The Secret of Shutter Lake by Amanda Stevens
Sipping Seduction by Dylann Crush
Snowbound Hearts by Kathleen Ball
A Sweet Paradise Holiday Reunion by Hope August
A Temporary Texas Arrangement by Cathy Gillen Thacker
The Texan's Secrets by Barbara Dunlop
An Uptown Girl's Cowboy by Sasha Summers
Whispers in the Moonlight by Kirsten Osbourne
Whispers in the Wind by Kirsten Osbourne
Whispers of Shadows by Kirsten Osbourne
White Christmas by Sylvia McDaniel
The Winter Prince by Constance Lopez
Your Heart & Mine by Dallas Ryan
OTHER FICTION
Brothers in Service by Lindy Bell
Burial Grounds by Mark A. Daniel
Driving the Tide by Lee Jackson
Fire on Fire by Kyrstie Nickles
Gatling 8: Texas Renegade by Jack Slade
Ghost Coach by Robert Vaughn
Protector of the Snow by Jonathan E. Smith
Riding with the Pack anthology
Strike of the Sailfish by Stephen L. Moore
Timber: U.S. Marshal: Outlaw Showdown In The Lone Star by Robert Hanlon
Without The Star by Donald L. Robertson
The Worst Rescuers in the Republic by Skyler Ramirez
The Year of Goodbyes and Hellos by Kelly Irvin
Want to make sure your forthcoming Texas-connected titles are included in our feature? Email us at Publicity@LoneStarLiterary.
