Spotlight of Hell's Heaven by Frank McKinney

 

PHOTO SOURCE:

TYPORAMA
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HELL'S HEAVEN

FRANK MCKINNEY

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ALL INFORMATION IN THIS POST IS COURTESY OF LESLIE BARRET | PUBLICIST.

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Along the lines of Truman Capote’s In Cold Blood and The Shack by William Paul Young, Hell’s Heaven is a non-fiction novel, and creates an entirely new genre; Psycho-Spiritual Thriller.

Author Frank McKinney is often referred to as a “pathological optimist;” and assures readers that the evocative, vivid, and deeply engaging journey in Hell’s Heaven is one of ultimate hope, faith, and promise.

Fun fact: McKinney gives readers the option to “choose the fate of the characters” with alternative endings!

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October 3, 2026

Caring House Books

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ABOUT HELL'S HEAVEN:

Once damned to Hell, it’s forever ... or is it?

Three “good and godly” people die in the same instant on December 19, 2037: 94-year-old Alexander in Germany, 29-year-old Carolina in Brazil, and 64-year-old Eddie in Butte, Montana.

Eagerly, they find themselves in line together outside the Pearly Gates, expecting to be recognized for their sanctified lives and then welcomed into Heaven. Instead, they are violently plucked out of line by angels-turned-demons and cast down into Hell, where they are met at one of the three fiery gates by Judas, Jesus’s betrayer.

Even as they are subjected to Satan’s diabolical and unrelenting mental and physical torments, Alexander, Carolina, and Eddie discover cryptic signs they believe are sent from their loved ones in the heavenly realm. Then when they witness rare bolts of brilliant light wherein a few condemned seemingly disappear, they start to wonder …could there be a way out of Hell?

No matter your religious beliefs, or lack thereof, Hell’s Heaven is a roller coaster ride of graphic imagery, angels, demons, fate, heaven, and hell that will have you questioning everything you’ve ever believed or imagined!

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Photo Credit: Nilsa McKinney

Frank McKinney is a modern-day Renaissance man:

● His early years were not very promising: upon attending his 4th high school in 4 years (he was asked to leave the first 3), and seven stints in juvenile detention, he earned his high school diploma with a 1.8 GPA.

● All of Frank’s book tours involve visiting homeless shelters. The Hell’s Heaven book tour is planned for summer 2027: visiting 100+ homeless shelters across the US!

● As a philanthro-capitalist, Frank’s Caring House Project has built 32 self-sustaining villages over the last 23 years in Haiti, providing 14,600+ children and their families with homes, schools, clinics, community centers, churches, renewable food, clean water, and means to support themselves.

● A best-selling author, actor and keynote speaker, Frank has written ten books in nine genres, starred in four movies, and keynoted before audiences of ten to ten thousand around the world.

● Physically, Frank has pushed the limits of his body by racing in the Badwater 135-mile Ultramarathon 13x in the scorching summer in Death Valley, CA, a race referred to by National Geographic as “the world’s toughest footrace.”

● Frank has captivated the media and public for nearly 30 years. His vision and risk-taking have been the subject of numerous broadcast, print, and digital features, including Oprah, ABC’s 20/20, the cover of USA Today, CBS, FOX, CNN, Discovery Channel, Travel Channel, HGTV, The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, Fortune, Barrons, and 2,900+ others.

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SOCIAL LINKS:

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Facebook

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Spotlight of The Christmas Competition by Zoe Allison

PHOTO SOURCE:

TYPORAMA

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THE CHRISTMAS COMPETITION

ZOE ALLISON

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ALL INFORMATION IN THIS POST IS COURTESY OF CHELSEA PASCOE | BERKLEY | SENIOR PUBLICIST AND SOME INFORMATION TAKEN FROM THE PUBLISHER'S WEBSITE AND THE AUTHOR’S GOODREADS WEBSITE.

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A rivals-to-lovers holiday romance set in a charming Scottish village, where two longtime neighbors’ feud escalates into an all-out Christmas decorating war—until unexpected chemistry begins to thaw the frost between them.

THE CHRISTMAS COMPETITION by Zoe Allison delivers cozy small-town charm, festive hijinks, and a satisfying emotional arc about second chances and starting over. With its enemies-to-lovers tension, holiday competition hook, and irresistible Scottish setting, it’s a feel-good seasonal romance perfect for fans of Jenny Bayliss and Christina Lauren.

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October 20, 2026

Berkley Trade Paperback Original

Contemporary Romance

Holiday

Enemies to Lovers

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ABOUT THE CHRISTMAS COMPETITION:

The story: The local rumor mill in Nisa Ansari's small highland town is swirling about the downfall of her marriage, and in desperate need of a distraction, she enters her town’s Christmas house-decorating competition. The competition comes with the added bonus of getting on neighbor Kerr Murdoch’s last nerve. It’s the least she could do, considering her ex-husband left Nisa for Kerr’s girlfriend. And maybe if Kerr smiled or cracked a joke—just once!—his girlfriend would’ve stayed, and Nisa wouldn’t find herself alone during the holidays.

 

Introverted Kerr has trouble feeling comfortable around people he doesn’t know well. Newly single, he decorates his house in remembrance of his mother, who always had a soft spot for Christmas lights. But when Nisa's and Kerr’s decorations end up nearly identical, he incurs Nisa’s wrath.

This means all-out war, complete with gaudy wreaths, twinkle lights, and too many reindeer to count. Never mind that Nisa can’t keep her eyes off Kerr’s toned forearms. Or ignore that he’s a pet-loving veterinarian with a heart of gold. After conceding to her husband’s wishes for years, Nisa is determined to get her way. But as Christmas draws near, Nisa must decide what she actually wants: the familiar rivalry she’s had for years with Kerr, or opening herself up to the chance to fall in love with someone new.

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Zoe Allison is a graduate of the RNA's New Writers' Scheme. Alongside her day jobs as a doctor and a writer, she started a TikTok account in 2021 where she regularly shares comedic sketches based on writing, and the romance genre in particular.

**AUTHOR PHOTO TAKEN FROM

THE AUTHOR'S WEB PAGE**

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FIND THE AUTHOR AT THE LINKS BELOW:

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Spotlight of The Farther Shore by Seth Fleisher

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TYPORAMA
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THE FARTHER SHORE

SETH FLEISHER

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ALL INFORMATION IN THIS POST IS COURTESY OF BRENNA EBNER AND JULIA BORCHERTS.

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A sweeping novel about fathers and sons, memory and race, and the dangerous fictions that shape us—inspired by the true story of Eugene Marais, one of history's most extraordinary and forgotten minds.

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October 20, 2026

Green City Books—distributed by 

Ingram/Publishers Group West

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PRAISE FOR THE FARTHER SHORE:

"In a rich and visceral style akin to Abraham Verghese’s Cutting for Stone, this novel asks profound questions about memory and instinct in a cross-continental tale of father and son that is deeply moving and unforgettable.” –Janet Benton, author of Lilli de Jong

astonishing...as intellectually daring as it is lushly immersive"–New York Times bestselling author JAMIE FORD

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ABOUT THE FARTHER SHORE:

Southern Africa, turn of the 20th century.

Marais is a brilliant naturalist and iconoclastic journalist whose evolving theories about memory, addiction, and the hive mind are decades ahead of their time.

But when tragedy strikes, he disappears into a remote African forest—leaving behind his newborn child and his conscience, and embarking on research that will haunt both their lives.

Thirty years later, his son Charles—now a professor of ancient Buddhist history at Harvard—discovers that the university’s most powerful faculty are mining his father’s research to bolster theories of racial hierarchy.

Accompanied by a mysterious Jewish graduate student whose fate has become entangled with his own, Charles must journey to South Africa to confront his father, heal his fractured past, and stop a sinister plot taking root at the world's most prestigious institution.

Set across two interlocking timelines—from the British concentration camps of the Boer War to the rising shadow of the Third Reich and WWII—THE FARTHER SHORE is a heart-breaking, exhilarating novel about memory, love, and identity, and about the vast distances we’ll travel to find our way

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Seth Fleisher is an American author whose work has appeared in the Bellevue Literary Review, Pearl, the Journal of Anthropological Research and elsewhere. Based in Berkeley, California, he has worked with the World Bank Group and other NGOs in South Africa, India, and more than 40 other countries, and co-founded a U.S.-based democracy initiative to counter the rising tide of authoritarianism.

A former Fulbright scholar in Sri Lanka, Seth did Ph.D. work at Harvard in Buddhist social history, and a fellowship at Harvard's Center for the Study of World Religions, and earned a B.A. in literature at Swarthmore, where he and his wife first met in a Chaucer seminar.

The Farther Shore is his first novel.

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FOLLOW THE AUTHOR ON SOCIAL MEDIA:

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Spotlight of Drama Drama Drama by Gerilyn Bass Greenberg

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TYPORAMA
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DRAMA DRAMA DRAMA

GERILYN BASS GREENBERG

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ALL INFORMATION IN THIS POST IS COURTESY OF | CORRINE P. LARRIVIERE | PUBLICIST AND DIGITAL MARKET MANAGER | BOOKS FORWARD

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A heartfelt and humorous debut novel that explores motherhood, friendship, self-worth and the pressure to fit in across three generations of women.

Perfect for fans of Clare Pooley and Marianne Cronin, “Drama Drama Drama” is a warm, insightful look at the ways women compare themselves to others, the roles society expects them to play and what happens when they're forced to start over.

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October 20, 2026

She Writes Press

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PRAISE FOR DRAMA DRAMA DRAMA:

“Readers will relate to the novel’s ultimate realization that it’s never too late for happiness at any age.”— Publisher’s Weekly Booklife Editor’s Pick

“What a warm, insightful, and empowering story. I loved witnessing the drama unfold across three generations of women, along with the moments of self-doubt we all face—sometimes daily. The reminder that bad behavior is often not personal, but a reflection of someone else’s struggle was especially resonant. Brava, brava, brava to Drama Drama Drama!”— Lindsey Salatka, author of Fish Heads and Duck Skin

“A relatable and compassionate family story that honestly captures three ordinary women facing familiar transitions as they navigate the push and pull of obligation, resentment, and love. It’s a heartwarming tale of letting go, leaning in, and making new choices.”— Catherine Drake, author of The Treehouse on Dog River Road

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ABOUT DRAMA DRAMA DRAMA:

A multi-generational women's fiction novel that proves the search for belonging doesn't end at any age.

Mona is living the dream until, at 38, her busy stay-at-home-mom life is upended. Her grandmother moves into assisted living, her teenager, Grace, doesn’t need her anymore, her charity work kicks her to the curb, and none of her friends are showing up for her.

Suddenly, Mona has no purpose, unless you count stress-eating. But she seems to be the only one struggling. Shy Grace, ignoring her mother’s dreams for her to join the “it kids” in drama club, is off finding her voice (and a new band) at Bubby’s retirement home. Bubby is busy fending off resident mean girls, and finding romance. Then, on top of it all, Mona’s twenty-year high school reunion goes viral for all the wrong reasons, leaving her convinced she’s wasted her life. 

But when tragedy strikes, she is forced to face the truth: the only person who can make you feel small is you, and sometimes you have to lose everything you thought defined you to find what truly matters.

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An Interview with

Gerilyn Bass Greenberg

1. Why did you write “Drama Drama Drama”? 

My kids were in high school and college and going through loads of drama. I thought, why isn’t anyone writing a book about this? There had to be other girls feeling the same pressures to fit in and I wanted my girls to know (and consequently others) that it was ok to be your own person and find your own way, while always being kind. I also thought it was important to show that the drama doesn’t go away as you age–but, hopefully, you learn to deal with it better. 

2. Your novel follows three generations of women. Why was it important to tell the story from multiple perspectives?

While I started writing from the perspective of a mother (myself), I thought that women of other ages are going through the same struggles. Young people, older people, universally we are all growing and changing even though we are different ages. I tried to show that although we are at different times in our lives, perhaps we go through similar situations, and the feelings of uncertainty and wanting to fit in persist.

3. You wrote this book nearly ten years before publication. Why publish it now?

I did sit on this for a time. I was insecure and vulnerable (still am!) but who isn’t at some time in their lives? So I took a leap. I feel that the messages of belonging, being true to yourself, and being kind, stay relevant no matter if this was published now or years ago. 

4. Mona's journey centers on losing the roles that once defined her. What drew you to that storyline?

I was lucky to be a stay-at-home mom–it’s the hardest job there is. I wanted to highlight

to others that this job is so important and shouldn’t be discounted by anyone. But if Mona wasn’t happy, she needed to realize it for herself and create her own self worth.

5. What do you hope readers take away from the novel?

I hope people can empathize with others-–a central theme is that you don’t know what is happening in someone else’s life.

6. How much of the story was inspired by your own experiences?

As a stay-at-home mom, I’ve felt some of Mona’s feelings. Also, I have been a teenage girl and know what Grace has been going through. Esther’s character was based more on my imagination, but I’ll get there soon! As a work of fiction, this story is just a story, but as the saying goes, write what you know.

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Gerilyn Bass Greenberg graduated Magna Cum Laude with Highest Distinction from the University of Illinois, but nothing could have prepared her for the rewards and challenges of being a stay-at-home mom.

She and her husband raised three daughters, now grown.

When she’s not traveling or playing racket sports, Gerilyn is chasing after Sammy, her spirited Wheaten Terrier, and dreaming up new stories.

She lives in suburban Chicago with her husband.

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FOLLOW THE AUTHOR ON SOCIAL MEDIA:

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Facebook

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