Bywater Books is pleased to announce our Summer 2018 New Releases, featuring Book #2 of Cheryl A. Head’s Charlie Mack Motown Mystery Series, a new romantic comedy from Ann McMan, and a swashbuckling romantic adventure from debut author, Anna Burke.
Wake Me When It’s Over by Cheryl A. Head
“Extremely well written, the story flows along at a reckless pace without ever feeling forced. The characters are well drawn with foibles and flaws, friendships and mock enmities that make them a real team. The plot is complex; the detail and threads convoluted and elaborate, and while they weave together, fading in and out, at no point do you feel that they wont resolve into a comprehensive whole. Very well done and highly recommended.”—The Lesbian Reading Room
“Let me start with two facts about me. The first is that I do not remember ever having written a review that I entitled simply “Wow!”. The second is that I am not a mystery reader, so it is therefore safe to assume that there is something special bout Cheryl Head’s Wake Me When It’s Over.”—Reviews by Amos Lassen
Beowulf for Cretins: A Love Story by Ann McMan
Back home at St. Albans, the college rocks Grace’s world when it announces the appointment of a new president, the first woman in its 165-year history. Cue Abbie—and cue Grace’s collision course with a neurotic dog named Grendel, a fractious rival for tenure, and a woman called Ochre, in what very well might be Grace’s last real shot at happiness.
This full-length novel reimagines and expands on the short story, “Falling From Grace,” which was originally published in the award-winning story collection, Sidecar by Ann McMan.
“Ann McMan has this amazing ability to combine intellectual wordplay with the portrayal of sympathetic characters, charming romances and genuinely wonderful friendships. While our focus must be on the erudite and entertaining main characters and their somewhat tortuous path through the brambles of professional integrity, the ensemble is filled out with absolutely adorable secondary characters and relationships.Is hard to know where to stop with the praise. The writing is immaculate, the use of language and references to the arts and literature make for extremely scholarly characters, well apart from Dean and Grendel, although Grendel has some great lines, and any author who can use “floccinaucinihilipilification“ in a sensible sentence deserves genuine genuflection.”—The Lesbian Reading Room
“So here’s the thing, Beowulf for Cretins is possibly one of the best novels I have ever read”— Les Rêveur
Rose was born facing due north, with an inherent perception of cardinal points flowing through her veins. Her uncanny sense of direction earns her a coveted place among the Archipelago Fleet elite, but it also attracts the attention of Admiral Comita, who sends her on a secret mission deep into pirate territory. Accompanied by a ragtag crew of mercenaries and under the command of Miranda, a captain as alluring as she is bloodthirsty, Rose discovers the hard way that even the best sense of direction won’t be enough to keep her alive if she can’t learn to navigate something far more dangerous than the turbulent seas. Aboard the mercenary ship, Man o’ War, Rose learns quickly that trusting the wrong person can get you killed—and Miranda’s crew have no intention of making things easy for her—especially the Captain’s trusted first mate, Orca, who is as stubborn as she is brutal.
This swashbuckling 26th century romantic adventure is smart, colorful and quirky, yet it manages to deliver a healthy dose of heart, humor, and humility on every single page.
“A sparkling, impossible-to-put-down addition to the lesbian pirate genre, complete with underwater peril, brutal sailors, and a sexy but dangerous pirate named Miranda.” —Catherine Friend, author of A Pirate’s Heart and Spark
Available now from Bywater Books, Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and fabulous independent bookstores everywhere.
