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Welcome to the Mid-January edition of MWPA's Ex Libris Maine.
This edition offers new books by Maine authors in the categories of Fiction, Speculative Fiction, Memoir, Poetry, and Children's.
For more information on any title below, simply click on the book's cover.
Happy Reading!
Moral Injury
Mhairi Haarsager, M.D.
Luminare Press
In 1986, Lussi Sim, M.D, is the director of a newborn intensive care unit in Baltimore, having previously practiced in Oslo. She copes with the chronic stress of treating sick infants by entering the rescuer role she adopted as a child protecting her own mother. While her father’s stroke removed the physical threat to her mother and allowed Lussi the freedom to pursue her career, her fight v. flight response often still defaults to fight, and she fails to control her anger when negotiating with hospital managers she believes value profit over optimal patient care. Stumbling upon a deadly medical conspiracy evolving from a financial agreement between the US and Saudi governments, Lussi uses her fighting instincts to overcome lethal obstacles, rescue victims, and bring perpetrators to justice.
A Planet of Wrath and Tears: A Leif the Lucky Novel
A distant star is calling us. Will it end in tears? The signal arrives when Earth is only beginning to recover from an apocalyptic cyber and nuclear war. Could the first contact between humanity and an intelligent species from outer space have come at a worse time? Leif Grettison is an army ranger turned exoplanetary scout who has survived two interstellar missions. He thought he had finally found a home and a family to call his own when a rider appeared in town, looking for help with a message received from another star system—a message nobody understands. Can Leif reconnect humanity to the great beyond, or will he start a civil war? If we reach out to the stars, will we find the stuff of our dreams…or unleash Earth’s biggest nightmare?
Heart of Stone meets Knock at the Cabin in an edge of your seat exploration of Love & Torment.Captive is a gripping, supernatural thriller following the story of Tallyn O'Malley as her life takes an unexpected turn. Her husband returns from war, their son begins to open up, and they receive an invitation to a highly anticipated game show. However, a botched kidnapping attempt thrusts Tallyn into a hidden world she never knew existed. Now, pursued by a relentless and cunning supernatural force seeking revenge, Tallyn must rely on her fighting spirit to survive. As a spec-ops team is deployed to rescue her, she realizes that her captivity runs deeper than she initially thought. With time running out, Tallyn's only goal is to make it back to her family. With its heart-pounding pace and thought-provoking narrative, Captive delivers a thrilling and intense ride, blending elements of love and torment.
“Can you live in a moment?” This love letter to Maine from artist Blue Butterfield is a book of intimate essays illustrated with her evocative woodblock prints. Life isn’t easy on a farm outside Bar Harbor with her single mom, but they both find solace and joy in the beauty of Acadia National Park and in making art. This is a unique book about how you find inspiration and gratitude in attention: to nature, to loved ones, to ideas. From the peaks of Katahdin to the lakes of Mount Desert Island and the Casco Bay islands, her love of Maine shines through on every page.
S.A.I.L. Above the Clouds 2: How to Align your life
Carole D. Fontaine
Inspired Creations LLC
Let inspiration fill your sails! Carole Fontaine returns with more insights and salty tales from 20 unforgettable years of life on a sailboat. S.A.I.L. Above the Clouds 2 finds our familiar sea-bound heroine tackling the highs and lows of relationships in tight quarters. This means braving the unknown while surviving sea monsters, storms, sword encounters, and poop deck explosions. It means saving divers from certain death, developing her intuition, and diving mystical caves. It means reclaiming her life by conquering her fears, embracing her authenticity, and discovering what sets her soul on fire. This is the second title in a four-part series, with each book representing a unique aspect from the author’s signature program, S.A.I.L: Simplify, Align, Integrate, Let Go™. Embark on an inspiring journey of self-discovery and learn how to tap into the incredible power within, applying the life-changing tools provided at the end of each adventure. Get ready to Sail Above the Clouds, too!
Seeking Grace is a verse memoir narrated by the mother of a daughter in a cult. Based on a true experience in the 80’s, each poem reveals the choices and dilemmas of rescuing a child caught in an outpouring of words targeted to seduce, induce and ensnare. The narrator is both witness and participant. The poems brim with yearning, incongruity, heartache, surprise, fear and moments of true victory. Incisive in imagery, evocative in its varying forms, the use of myth making and fabrication to win the hearts and minds of followers is familiar and fitting in 2023.
When Dexxy the gray seal pup came ashore during a winter storm, a Facebook post shared by the local police garnered international attention. A Seal Named Sunshine tells the story of the lesser-known gray seal pup who was released with Dexxy three months later. In this first-hand account, accompanied by soulful, hand-drawn illustrations, Mitman tells Sunshine's story. Follow her from her quiet discovery just beyond the seawall, through her rescue and rehabilitation with around-the-clock care from Marine Mammals of Maine, to her eventual release back to the sea. Sunshine's heart-warming tale offers vital information about stranded seal care—especially what to do and what not to do if you should come across a seal in danger. The story concludes with a photo gallery of Sunshine and a section with more information about Marine Mammals of Maine. A Seal Named Sunshine is a reminder of the delicate balance, gritty resilience, and deep joy to be found and nurtured in the world we all share.
With a heart as big as the Boston skyline, Spencer gained worldwide fame as the beloved Boston Marathon dog. For eight years, the golden retriever cheered for thousands of runners in the cold, freezing rain, and even as he recovered from cancer. Spencer began rooting for Boston Marathon runners in 2015, two years after the bombing that injured hundreds and killed three people. At Mile 3, Spencer held his Boston Strong flags, inspiring athletes and fans to be brave and to never give up. Honored as the marathon’s official race dog in 2022, Spencer grew so famous that runners lined up to hug and photograph their loyal fan. Not long after Spencer turned 13, he was diagnosed with his second bout of cancer and died in February 2023. A few months later, before the 127th Boston Marathon, 200 golden retrievers walked the last mile of the marathon to honor Spencer.
SUBMISSIONS If you are a current Maine Writers & Publishers Alliance member, and you would like to announce your new book in ExLibris Maine, click HERE. If you are not a member, click HERE to learn more about our member benefits.
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