"Graham is a master at world building and her latest is a thrilling, dark, and deadly tale of romantic suspense." –Booklist, starred review, on Haunted Destiny
"Intricate, fast-paced, and intense, this riveting thriller blends romance and suspense in perfect combination and keeps readers guessing and the tension taut until the very end." -Library Journal on Flawless
"The Krewe is back! Graham excels at weaving history, finding the proper balance between past and present and keeping a story fresh and authentic... The chaos and camaraderie of the characters are captured with vivid detail, and the identity of the killer will keep you guessing until the very end." –RT Book Reviews on Haunted Destiny
"Graham is the queen of romantic suspense, and her latest is proof that she deserves the title. What makes this story more fun than most is the relationship between Kieran Finnegan, who wants nothing more than family harmony and a functioning restaurant, and FBI agent Craig Fraiser, who wants justice. Sparks fly, and it's electric." –RT Book Reviews on Flawless
"Each new book involving the Krewe of Hunters takes the reader on a dark adventure where speaking to the dead is an everyday occurrence, the past and present collide and compelling characters find a sense of belonging. Graham's skill for rendering her world in such vivid detail makes readers want to know more about the real-life locations she draws from." –RT Book Reviews
"Riveting... If you are in the market for a good mystery, interesting history, sweet romance with a second chance at love then Darkest Journey is the book you want to read." –Fresh Fiction
"Graham stands at the top of the romantic suspense category." -Publishers Weekly
"This chilling novel has everything: suspense, romance, intrigue and an ending that takes your breath away." -Suspense Magazine on The Betrayed
"Graham deftly weaves elements of mystery, the paranormal and romance into a tight plot that will keep the reader guessing at the true nature of the killer's evil." -Publishers Weekly on The Unseen
"An incredible storyteller." -Los Angeles Daily News
New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Heather Graham has written more than a hundred novels. She's a winner of the RWA's Lifetime Achievement Award, and the Thriller Writers' Silver Bullet. She is an active member of International Thriller Writers and Mystery Writers of America. For more information, check out her websites: TheOriginalHeatherGraham.com, eHeatherGraham.com, and HeatherGraham.tv. You can also find Heather on Facebook.
"Bunmi Laditan is that rare author who perfectly captures the gooey mess of panic, hilarity and love that is the essence motherhood. An honest, brilliantly funny novel about being good enough, Confessions of a Domestic Failure will make you cry with laughter and want Ashley for your best friend. The funniest novel I've read this year."-Kristan Higgins, New York Times bestselling author
"Freaking hilarious. This is the novel moms have been waiting for."-Jenny Lawson, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Let's Pretend This Never Happened
Bunmi Laditan is a regular contributor to Parenting.com, Mothering.com, iVillage.com, and the Huffington Post, and she has appeared on Good Morning America and CBS Sunday Morning. She lives with her family outside of Montreal.
Dr. Cris Beer holds qualifications in medicine, biomedical science, integrative and nutritional medicine, health coaching, as well as personal fitness training. She practices at The Medical Sanctuary in Australia, and is the author of Healthy Habits.
An Amazon Best Book of March 2016:The Nest is a debut novel about a dysfunctional New York family. That’s a pretty common subject for a novel and not very interesting in itself. But there’s magic that happens when you pick up a book, start reading and realize that what the author has chosen to write about—the places, the characters, the dialogue, the set pieces—they’re all just right. That’s how I felt reading this book. The Nest is not populated with characters who are entirely lovable, but I felt each was uniquely human and identifiable, and I especially wanted to know where life would take the four 40-something Plumb family siblings (particularly that rapscallion Leo). Some will take issue with the Plumbs and their upper middle class problems. Some will detest Leo and his family and find harsher descriptions than “rapscallion.” But for my money, The Nest is a great read. This book will be among my favorites of 2016, as I suspect it will be for many readers. --Chris Schluep
The four Plumb siblings are waiting for their inheritance (affectionately called the nest) to be dispersed once the youngest sister turns 40. The nest has been growing exponentially since their father's untimely death when they were all adolescents, and each one of the Plumbs has been making poor financial decisions in the hopes of being bailed out by the nest. Instead, the oldest brother is allowed to withdraw the majority of the money early to be used as a payoff for an unfortunate accident he causes. The story develops as the remaining siblings begin to navigate life and the consequences of their decisions without a safety net, but the plot is much more complex than a look at four dysfunctional and often selfish siblings. Teens will initially be pulled into the story by the shocking events in the prologue, but they will connect with the siblings as they recognize aspects of themselves in each of them. The epilogue goes beyond a typical happy ending, illustrating how the siblings have changed and learned more about themselves. YA readers will enjoy immersing themselves in the trendy side of life in New York, as well as coming to understand how adult life may not be all it seems on a well-crafted surface. VERDICT A strong choice for demonstrating how adulthood is as much of a discovering process as adolescence. Purchase where coming-of-age tales are needed.—April Sanders, Spring Hill College, Mobile, AL
“The Nest ambles along so beautifully, what a pleasure to read! It’s a wise, funny, compassionate family drama, full of irresistible surprises, witty conversations, and necessary emotional truths.” (Jami Attenberg, author of The Middlesteins)
“A masterfully constructed, darkly comic, and immensely captivating tale...not only clever, but emotionally astute. Cynthia D’Aprix Sweeney is a real talent.” (Elizabeth Gilbert)
“In her intoxicating first novel, Cynthia D’Aprix Sweeney has written an epic family story that unfolds in a deeply personal way. The Nest is a fast-moving train and Sweeney’s writing dares us to keep up. I couldn’t stop reading or caring about the juicy and dysfunctional Plumb family.” (Amy Poehler)
“Cynthia D’Aprix Sweeney delivers an acerbic satire of the leisure class while crafting an affecting human story that embroils us utterly in the fates of the Plumbs...This book keeps its blade sharp and its heart open.” (Matthew Thomas, author of We Are Not Ourselves)
“The Nest is a trenchant, darkly funny, and beautiful novel.” (Bret Anthony Johnston)
“Humor and delightful irony abound in this lively first novel.” (New York Times Book Review)
In her debut, Sweeney spins a fast-moving, often-humorous narrative, and her portrait of each sibling is compassionate even as she reveals their foibles with emotional clarity...assured, energetic, and adroitly plotted...an engrossing narrative that endears readers to the Plumb family for their essential humanity.” (Publishers Weekly)
“[A] generous, absorbing novel...Sweeney’s endearing characters are quirky New Yorkers all... [a] lively novel. A fetching debut from an author who knows her city, its people, and their heart.” (Kirkus Reviews (starred review))
This dysfunctional family novel, arriving in March, has best-seller potential written all over it. Scenes in The Nest, which follows four adult siblings and the inheritance shared between them, play out cinematically... certainly every bit as entertaining as a movie, too, and impossibly witty to boot. (Elle)
“As siblings struggle with money woes, their humble inheritance turns into a full-blown cash cow. There’s only one problem: the black sheep of the family.” (Cosmopolitan, Cosmo Reads)
“Nothing makes your dysfunctional clan look good like another’s-meet the Plumb siblings, caught up in a trust fund battle, in Cynthia D’Aprix Sweeney’s The Nest.” (Marie Claire)
Largehearted and witty, The Nest is a tender portrait of a family who must face their past choices and the consequences of their expected inheritance on their relationships and one another.” (Buzzfeed)
A compulsively readable novel that will keep you thinking about how expectations can shape our lives, and what happens when we can no longer rely on them.” (PopSugar)
“In this hilarious family saga, a group of adult siblings find their futures uncertain when they realize the shared inheritance they’ve been counting on might have been drained by their reckless older brother.” (Entertainment Weekly, 9 Books You Have to Read in March)
“A precise and deftly braided story...a breezier The Emperor’s Children, by turns winsome, biting, and addictive.” (New York magazine / Vulture)
“All it will take is a few pages of this book’s strikingly hypnotic prologue, and you’ll be sucked in... Better than reality TV, you won’t be able to stop reading this until you’ve sucked out all the juicy drama.” (Bustle, 15 of the Best Books of March 2016)
“Readers who devour quirky family dramas like Where’d You Go, Bernadette and Be Frank With Me won’t want to miss this anticipated debut about a dysfunctional New York City family.” (BookPage, 9 Women to Watch in 2016)
“Fans of dark comedy are sure to appreciate the twisted humor and compassion found in this novel, which explores the ever-binding relationship between brothers and sisters. The Nest is gripping family drama at its best.” (Refinery 29, 5 Brand-New Books to Read in March)
“The dynamics and foibles of family take center stage here, interweaving four characters’ tumultuous journeys to paint a rich picture of domestic drama.” (B&N Reads, The Best New Fiction of the Month)
“[A] closely observed, charming novel.” (O, the Oprah Magazine)
“[S]cenes both witty and tragic... that glow with the confidence of an experienced comic writer... [Sweeney] maintains a refreshing balance of tenderness. Rather than skewering the Plumbs to death, she pokes them, as though probing to find the humanity beneath their cynical crust.” (Washington Post)
“The Nest is an addictive, poignant read with an enticing premise.” (Los Angeles Times)
“Hilarious and big-hearted, The Nest is a stellar debut.” (People, Book of the Week)
“Her writing is like really good dark chocolate: sharper and more bittersweet than the cheap stuff, but also too delicious not to finish in one sitting.” (Entertainment Weekly)
“It’s rare to find a novel as guiltily entertaining as it is profound, but The Nest, Cynthia D’Aprix Sweeney’s engrossing debut, is one such book.” (Elle.com)
“Fans of Salinger’s fictional Glass family will take to the Plumbs: Four wealthy Manhattan-born-and-bred siblings whose inheritance (aka “The Nest”) is threatened when one of them gets in a drunk driving accident and subsequently checks into rehab.” (InStyle, 8 Buzzy New Books to Read During Spring Break)
“A witty, tender portrait of a very peculiar family, The Nest is a testament to the consequences of our past choices and the ways in which expected inheritance can intimately change relationships.” (Buzzfeed, 19 Incredible New Books You Need To Read This Spring)
“It’s funny and it’s deep. And you’ll hate-love them all.” (The Skimm Reads)
“Frequently funny, sometimes sad and highly relatable for anyone with a sibling or three, The Nest is a breeze to read and hugely entertaining.” (PureWow)
“Sweeney’s family saga balances not only comedy and tragedy, but scandal and achievement, trust and betrayal, belonging and isolation and the complex nature of a family’s love, both at its harshest and most tender.” (Paste Magazine)
“Few things are more compelling than looking into the interiors of other people’s lives-and finding a truth or two about our own. In Cynthia D’Aprix Sweeney’s wickedly funny novel THE NEST, four midlife siblings squabble over their inheritance; universal questions about love, trust, ambition, and rivalry roil.” (More magazine)
“D’Aprix gives each of the characters a distinct and true personality, and she has a flair for realistic and funny dialogue-readers will feel as though they’re sitting right next to the clan as they bicker and barter. Fans of Jonathan Tropper will adore D’Aprix’s debut.” (Booklist (starred review))
“[A] smartly executed tale of two brothers and two sisters in New York City who are trying hard to ruin what could have been comfortable lives.” (St. Louis Post-Dispatch)
“[I]mmensely enjoyable...The Nest is like a love letter to old New York, with scores of lush details that root the story in time and place.” (San Francisco Chronicle)
“The Nest is all about families, how we let each other down, and more importantly, how we raise each other up.” (Bustle, 12 Spring Break Reads To Help You Escape Normal Life)
“Sweeney writes like a pro.” (New York Times)
“[A]promising start for this writer.” (Seattle Times)
“When the playboy older brother of a grown fam lands himself in rehab, he puts the group trust fund at risk. Cue his dysfunctional siblings scheming to get it all back. You’ll hate-love them all.” (The Skimm)
“[A] wry, irresistible debut” (Entertainment Weekly, Best Books of 2016...So Far)
“Cynthia D’Aprix Sweeney’s characters...come to life on the page. Fans of dark humor will get a kick out of this family drama.” (Real Simple, "Best Books of 2016")
Timothy Zahn is the author of more than forty novels, nearly ninety short stories and novellas, and four short-fiction collections. In 1984, he won the Hugo Award for Best Novella. Zahn is best known for his Star Wars novels (Heir to the Empire, Dark Force Rising, The Last Command, Specter of the Past, Vision of the Future, Survivor’s Quest, Outbound Flight, Allegiance,Choices of One, and Scoundrels), with more than four million copies of his books in print. Other books include the Cobra series, the Quadrail series, and the young adult Dragonback series. Zahn has a B.S. in physics from Michigan State University and an M.S. from the University of Illinois. He lives with his family on the Oregon coast.
“Amoda Maa is a fresh, clear voice of the grounded feminine who speaks directly to the heart of anyone hungering for lasting peace in a turbulent and uncertain world. The clarity of her realization shines forth through her words, as she calls for us all to consciously embody the living truth in our ordinary human existence.” —Shanti Einolander, founder of ONE The Magazine
“Embodied Enlightenment eloquently challenges us to honestly and intimately meet our experience just as it is, and to awaken out of the trance of the perpetually seeking separate self. This is a deeply illuminating description of how an awakened life transmutes the ordinary arenas of relationships, work, sex, money, the body, and life purpose. A beautifully written, inspiring, and distinctly feminine call to consciously embody the unfolding edge of evolution. I highly recommend it!” —John J.Prendergast, PhD, author of In Touch, adjunct professor of psychology at California Institute of Integral Studies, and psychotherapist
“Amoda Maa reminds us that enlightenment is not simply a transcendent spiritual orgasm into knowing ourselves as unchanging awareness; it invites us ever more deeply into our humanity, into the paradoxes of life, with an unconditional embrace. Her voice is a breath of fresh air in its precision and breadth, as well as its depth and down-to-earth parlance. I am sure Embodied Enlightenment will become a true companion to those willing to walk an integrated spiritual path.” —Miranda Macpherson, author of Boundless Love
“With diamond-like clarity, a cup of compassion, and an almost poetic intensity, Amoda Maa debunks the myth of enlightenment, addressing many commonly held concerns and questions about the process of awakening. No topic is off limits in this conversation as she dismantles the scaffolding of our defenses, our beliefs—the very mechanism of seeking itself. I highly recommend this beautifully written and insightful book to anyone at any stage in their spiritual evolution. You are invited to dive in, face your personal wounds with ‘courage and tender honesty,’ challenge your assumptions, and root the full flowering of your consciousness in the very belly of your humanity.” —Kirtana, singer, songwriter, and recording artist of songs for awakening
“Amoda Maa is a gracious and powerful guide who steers a clear and honest path through the mist of confusion and misunderstanding about the awakened state to hold a new, revelatory light to all that was previously unclear or speculated on. Here, the old, outmoded ways of viewing liberation are cast aside for a more informed, enriching vision of enlightenment—one that embraces our twenty-first-century sensibilities and shies away from nothing.” —Stephen Gawtry, managing editor of Watkins Mind Body Spirit Magazine
“As the invitation to awaken from the dream of separation is being felt more strongly, both on a collective and individual level, so too arises the need for skillful guides familiar with this paradoxical new landscape. Amoda Maa is one such friend on the path; a gentle but rigorous companion on the journey of unfolding to being both fully awake and fully human. Embodied Enlightenment is a beautiful and precious gift to an emerging new humanity.” —Julian Noyce, founder of Non-Duality Press
“Enlightenment has long been associated with an austere, recluse lifestyle. But today, people fully engaged in worldly responsibilities are waking up. Ancient traditions may not adequately support their awakening in the midst of ‘real-world’ concerns such as health, finances, relationships, et cetera. Amoda Maa is one of the brightest of a new generation of spiritual teachers who are meeting that need. She has been prepared for this role in a crucible of personal transformation, and is now fulfilling it admirably.” —Rick Archer, creator and host of Buddha at the Gas Pump
Amoda Maa is a contemporary spiritual teacher, author, and speaker. After years of spiritual seeking, meditation, and immersion in psychospiritual practices, an experience of the dark night of the soul led her to a profound inner awakening. Then, after a long period of integration, she began speaking from silence in small gatherings. She offers meetings and retreats, and is a frequent speaker at conferences and events, attracting spiritual seekers and people looking for peace and fulfillment in an increasingly chaotic world. Her teachings are free of religion and tradition, and she brings to them a deep understanding of the human journey, born out of her own experience.
Amoda Maa is author of Radical Awakening (formerly How to Find God in Everything) and Change Your Life, Change Your World, both of which arose out of a mystical vision around the time of her awakening. In this vision, she was shown the key to humanity’s suffering and the potential for the birth of a new consciousness and world. Embodied Enlightenment is based on both her vision for humanity and the conversations on the cutting edge of spiritual inquiry in her meetings with people from all around the world. She lives with her husband and beloved, Kavi, in California. To learn more, visit http://www.amodamaa.com.
Foreword writer John Welwood, PhD, is a psychotherapist, author, and teacher specializing in the integration of Eastern spiritual wisdom and Western psychology. His books include Journey of the Heart, Perfect Love, Imperfect Relationships, and Toward a Psychology of Awakening.
