Spotlight: Looking at Mexico / Mexico Looks Back by Janet Sternburg

The writer, photographer, and philosopher Janet Sternburg looks back at the land that spawned her love for photography; twenty-three years ago, she took her first photos in Mexico. In her new photo series, Sternburg looks at Mexico using low-tech cameras to create a poetic image of the country's multifaceted culture.

In 2022, Sternburg met Jose Alberto Romero Romano, a Mexican physical therapist. Accepting her invitation, both tell their stories of Mexican culture in the book. In addition to a deep cultural exchange, this book tells a story of two people with different backgrounds and memories seeking and finding a place of encounter through photography. Looking at Mexico / Mexico Looks Back is Sternburg's third monograph.

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About the Author

Janet Sternburg is a versatile artist, photographer, writer, filmmaker , and educator. Since 1998, her photography has been featured in Aperture, Art Journal, and The Utne Reader. She received acclaim as one of forty international artists and writers who challenge societal norms with their work. Her monographs, "Over spilling World" (2016-17) and "I've Been Walking" (2021), showcase her unique photographic vision. 

Her solo exhibitions have graced galleries in New York, Los Angeles, Berlin, Milan, Munich, Mexico, and Korea, where she created a full-building installation at Seoul Institute of the Arts. She' s known for using disposable cameras to create borderless, interpenetrating imagery . 

As a writer, she's authored seminal works like "The Writer on Her Work" (W.W. Norton, 1981 and 1991) and critically praised books such as "Phantom Limb" (2002) and "White Matter " (2016), blending memoir and essay forms. Her film "El Teatro Campesino" and documentary "Virginia Woolf The Moment Whole" garnered acclaim. 

Sternburg resides in San Miguel de Allende, Mexico, with a residence in Downtown Los Angeles’ Little Tokyo. She' s been honored with grants, fellowships, and artist residencies, including support f rom the National Endowment for the Humanities and MacDowell. She has al so contributed to academia, teaching at institutions like the New School University and the California Institute of the Arts. In 2016, she was co-recipient of the REDCAT AWARD, celebrating her creative leadership in contemporary culture. 

Spotlight: Golda’s Hutch by Robert Steven Goldstein

Craig Schumacher is not your typical executive. With a gentle spirit and a morning ritual that includes serene meditation alongside his cherished rabbit, Golda, Craig values connection over competition. Yet, beneath his calm, polished exterior lies a secret he’s worked hard to keep hidden—one that could change everything.

Enter Byron Dorn—Craig’s employee and chaos incarnate. Crude, impulsive, and driven by envy, Byron is elated when he and his wife stumble upon information that he believes could unravel Craig’s life. But when Byron ropes another couple into his schemes, things become a lot more complicated.

Because Craig isn’t the only one with a secret. And as the stakes rise, everyone will have to decide what they’re willing to sacrifice to get what they want—and when they’re willing to walk away.

About the Author

Robert Steven Goldstein is the author of five novels. His first, The Swami Deheftner, about problems that ensue when ancient magic and mysticism manifest in the twenty-first century, developed a small cult following in India. His second novel, Enemy Queen, a sexual comedy of manners set in a North Carolina college town, was a finalist in the category of cross genre fiction for the International Book Awards. Robert’s third novel, Cat’s Whisker, probes the perceived rift between science and spirituality; it was longlisted for the prestigious Chanticleer International 2021 SOMERSET Book Award for Literary and Contemporary Fiction. His fourth novel, Will’s Surreal Period, about the peripatetic machinations of a dysfunctional family, was longlisted for the Chanticleer International 2022 SOMERSET Book Award for Literary and Contemporary Fiction.

Golda’s Hutch is Robert’s fifth novel. He and his wife Sandy live in San Francisco; over their thirty-six years together, they’ve shared their home with an array of dogs, cats, rabbits, turtles, and parrots, each of whom has displayed a unique personality, startling intelligence, and a profound capacity for love. Robert has practiced yoga, meditation, and vegetarianism for over fifty years. Find out more about him at his website.

Spotlight: Playoff by Kat Mizera

Release Date: February 20

Turning thirty shouldn’t be a big deal—unless you’re a minor league hockey player starting to realize the big leagues might never call. It’s a tough pill to swallow.

But then, out of nowhere, I get my shot. The L.A. Phantoms are in the playoffs for the first time in decades, and with their roster decimated by injuries, they call me up.

I’m ready to warm the bench, but with a solid season behind me, they’re willing to give me some ice time. This is the chance of a lifetime. Until she walks in.

My first love. The one I never forgot.

But dating her could risk everything we’ve both worked for.

How are we supposed to choose between the future we’ve dreamed of and the past we never let go of?

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Meet Kat Mizera

USA TODAY Bestselling Author Kat Mizera was born in Miami Beach with a healthy dose of Wanderlust. She's lived from coast to coast, and everywhere in between, but home is wherever her family is. A devoted mom and wife to her wonderful and supportive husband (Kevin) and two amazing boys (Nick and Max), Kat loves to travel the globe with her adventurous, hockey loving family. Greece is at the top of that list. She hopes to one day retire there, spending her days writing books on the beach.

Kat is former freelance sports writer who now writes steamy hockey romance about her favorite fictional teams, the Las Vegas Sidewinders and the Lauderdale Knights. The library of novels she's penned also include sexy contemporary stories about baseball stars, alpha sex club owners, bodyguards, rock stars, and royalty. Regardless of genre, her books about bad boys with hearts of gold will steal your breath, rock your world and melt your heart.

To find out about Kat Mizera’s upcoming releases and giveaways, sign up for her newsletter here

For more information on Kat Mizera and her books visit: https://katmizera.com/

Connect with Kat Mizera: https://katmizera.com/pages/contact-kat

Spotlight: My Mother in Havana: A Memoir of Magic & Miracle by Rebe Huntman

In this dazzling and lyrical debut memoir, Huntman reimagines the classic pilgrimage quest as she is drawn into the mysteries of the gods and saints of modern-day Cuba. Interweaving the story of her search to reconnect with her mother, 30 years after her death, with the search for the sacred feminine, Huntman leads us into a world of séance and sacrifice, pilgrimage and dance, which both resurrect her mother and bring Huntman face to face with a larger version of herself.

Drawing on years of study into Afro-Cuban dance, folklore, history, and religion, My Mother in Havana chronicles Huntman’s journey to Havana to immerse herself in the ritual dances that pay tribute to Ochún, a beloved goddess of the Santería religion, and follows Huntman’s pilgrimage to Our Lady of Charity, Ochún’s Catholic counterpart, in the mountain town of El Cobre. Huntman’s journey towards this trio of mothers—Ochún, Our Lady, and her own mother—propels her on a life-altering odyssey, filled with beauty and mystery.

A vibrant tribute to the dynamic culture of Cuba, where life and death are a continuum and the dead and the living are always in communication, My Mother in Havana is also a moving memorial to Huntman’s mother and a celebration of all mothers—and the creative principle that generates and animates us all.

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photo credit: Lac Hoang

About the Author

Rebe Huntman is a memoirist, essayist, dancer, teacher, and poet who writes at the intersections of feminism, world religion and spirituality. For over a decade she directed Chicago’s award-winning Danza Viva Center for World Dance, Art & Music and its dance company, One World Dance Theater. Huntman collaborates with native artists in Cuba and South America, has been featured in Latina Magazine, Chicago Magazine, and the Chicago Tribune, and has appeared on Fox and ABC. A Macondo fellow and recipient of an Ohio Individual Excellence award, Huntman has received support for her debut memoir, My Mother in Havana, from The Ohio State University, Virginia Center for Creative Arts, Ragdale Foundation, PLAYA Residency, Hambidge Center, and Brush Creek Foundation. She lives in Delaware, Ohio and San Miguel de Allende, Mexico.

Spotlight: What Was Lost by Melissa Connelly

Reminiscent of Hello Beautiful and The Lying Life of Adults, this powerful narrative delves into social changes from 1970 to 2000 and captures a woman’s journey in a pre-#MeToo era via the tale of a mother who returns to her hometown to face the perpetrator of her childhood abuse.

When a young girl feels complicit in her own abuse, how does that thwart her attempts to build a happy life as an adult woman?

When disturbing memories begin to surface, Marti returns to the small Vermont town she ran away from thirty years ago to face her demons. She drags her unwitting teenage daughter along on the journey—heightening already existing tension between mother and daughter. But Marti is determined to achieve what she’s returned home for: forgiveness for lies told, and revenge for secrets held.

Exploring the vast social changes that took place between 1970 and 2000 and turning a critical eye on times before language such as #MeToo helped give voice to these all-too-common occurrences, What Was Lost is a raw, powerful tale of one woman confronting the ghosts of her past.

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About the Author

Melissa Connelly dropped out of high school at age fifteen. Despite this, she went on to receive a BSN in nursing, an MA in special education, and an MFA in creative writing. She’s had a long career working with children in various roles in schools, hospitals, psychiatric clinics, and daycares. Her work has been published in American Heritage Magazine, Ruminate Magazine and the anthology It’s All About Shoes, and she was a finalist for the 2019 Montana Prize. Connelly has a home in the mountains of Western North Carolina but lives most of the year in Brooklyn, New York. Find out more: https://melissaconnelly.com/

Follow Melissa Connelly: Website: https://melissaconnelly.com Facebook: @melissaconnellywriter | Instagram: @melissaconnellywriter

Spotlight: When Doves Lament by Katie Eagan Schenck

The Love Birds Book 3

Genre: Women’s Fiction, Contemporary Romance

Neither expected to fall in love again. But together they might just discover that the love of their lives came later.

Max McAllister swore off love before the ink was even dry on his divorce papers. Between his attempts to salvage the strained relationship with his daughter and rekindling his passion for woodworking, he doesn’t have time for the drama that romance brings.

Carissa Owens has finally found her footing again after losing her husband five years ago. Her wedding business is thriving and she has her sights set on expanding to corporate events—if she can secure a meeting with a lucrative new client.

But when Max’s daughter hires Carissa to plan her wedding, he insists on being involved in every aspect of the process, ruffling Carissa’s feathers. As they spend more time together, an unexpected attraction sprouts wings. That is, until Max reveals a surprise for his daughter that puts Carissa’s professional reputation at risk. Can they find a way to dovetail their plans or will their budding romance have a crash landing?

Excerpt

“Carissa! Thank you for fitting us in on such short notice.” She pulled Carissa into a hug.

Nate stood and shook her hand, but Max didn’t move. His expression had changed from one of genuine surprise to a cold fury, the warmth in his deep-brown eyes frosted over like a window on a snowy winter day. The feeling was mutual.

“Max.” Carissa tried to keep her tone even.

Unfortunately, he didn’t repay the favor. “What are you doing here?”

She opened her mouth to respond, but Lanie beat her to it. “Dad! You said you were going to behave.”

“I didn’t know she was coming,” he replied without a bit of remorse.

Nate pulled out a chair for Carissa, and she gave him an appreciative smile, choosing to ignore Max’s less-than-welcoming reception. You’re not here for him, she reminded herself. It was a mantra she’d developed for the more difficult family members of her clients, but somehow, it had never worked with Max. Something about that man got under her skin.

“It’s nice to see you too,” Carissa said, surprised by how calm she sounded.

Before Max could insult her further, Nate cleared his throat. “We’ve been looking over the menu, and we have some ideas of what we want to serve at the reception.”

Grateful for his intervention, Carissa nodded. “That’s great! Tell me what you envision, and we can look at how it works with your overall theme.”

“It’s food,” Max said, his eyes narrowing at her. “Food doesn’t need a theme.”

Carissa was tempted to laugh. How little people understood the way weddings worked. From the venue to the decor to the meal, everything needed to fit in with the overall theme of the wedding. Most food was versatile enough to work with any theme, but there were certain ways to finagle dishes to support the overall vision.

But that would be lost on someone like Max McAllister. She’d learned that lesson while planning his son’s wedding. Instead of engaging Max, Carissa decided to do what she’d done the last time she’d had to deal with him: ignore him entirely.

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About the Author

Katie Eagan Schenck writes sweet romance and women’s fiction that warms the heart and gives all the feels. She has an MFA in creative writing from Queens University of Charlotte and her debut novel, A Home for Christmas, was released in October of 2022. When she's not writing she's either drafting regulations for the federal government, baking delicious treats, or binging Hallmark movies. She lives in Maryland with her husband, daughter, and their three cats.

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