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Success In the Press: Girl, Unemployed by Desiree Prieto Groft

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#1 in New Releases for Single Women's Fiction ★ #3 in New Releases for Humor ★ #4 in New Releases for Women’s Humorous Fiction ★ #5 in Travel Humor

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#1 in New Releases for Single Women's Fiction ★ #3 in New Releases for Humor ★ #4 in New Releases for Women’s Humorous Fiction ★ #5 in Travel Humor ★

From the Author: Entitled, politically incorrect Jessica Puente goes from princess to pauper overnight when she loses her fabulous jet-setting job in the Great Recession. Jess must come of age again, find a job, and overcome her hubris.

Jess crash-lands in her old-fashioned Spanish-speaking hometown of San Antonio, where she fights with old frenemies and her family. Bailing with partner-in-crime millennial Missy for New York City, Jess is sure that the Big Apple will provide the way back to the glamorous lifestyle she deserves. But in the new upside-down “gig” economy, Jess must compete for jobs, grad school, and a 115-square-foot guest room with the types of kids she used to babysit.

Settling into the historic hotel for women, Jess is shocked that World War I behavioral codes still rule. Her adventures don't quite measure up to her dreams as she resentfully grapples with choosing between what she wants and what she can afford.

Bragging Rights: Girl, Unemployed hit several Amazon Bestseller categories.

#1 in New Releases for Single Women’s Fiction

#3 in New Releases for Humor

#4 in New Releases for Women’s Humorous Fiction

#5 in Travel Humor

#51 in City Life Fiction

Our Take: Wry, sharp, and full of millennial chaos, Girl, Unemployed captures the disorienting freefall from glamor to grit with biting humor and cultural commentary. The book skewers job-hunting in the gig economy, intergenerational tensions, and the sobering realities of post-recession ambition—all while dragging a reluctant protagonist through self-inflicted disasters and unexpected moments of clarity. It’s a smart, witty coming-of-age-again story that will resonate with anyone who’s ever chased big dreams on a small budget.

From a Reader:

“Girl, Unemployed is a brilliant, witty, and refreshingly raw exploration of reinvention in a world that no longer plays by the old rules […] Groft delivers a mirror to our times—where the ones who thrive aren’t those who cling to the past, but those who dare to forge a new path, rooted in community and positive relationships.”

Amazon | Goodreads | Author Site

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Shifting the Narrative: Writing from Unconventional Perspectives

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If these walls could talk what would they say? What does your goldfish think about that? The eyes through which we see a story can change the story that we see. Writers often sink into POV comfort zones, but every once in a while changing up a POV choice can be a fun exercise or literary choice. Here are some fun new ways to switch up your perspective while writing.

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Success In the Press: Dirty Suburbia by Sara Hosey

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“Distinguished, engrossing, splendidly entertaining.” - Kirkus Reviews

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“Distinguished, engrossing, splendidly entertaining.” - Kirkus Reviews ★

From the Author: Dirty suburbias are working-class neighborhoods in which girls who are left to fend for themselves sometimes become predators, as well as affluent communities in which women discover that money is no protection against sexism, both their own and others'.

One young woman sets up her abusive, cheating boyfriend, hoping he'll get arrested so that she can rescue him and win him back. A teenager arranges to meet up with an older man she's met online playing video games; she brings a knife with her, just in case. A middle-aged divorcee attempts to rekindle a romantic relationship with her high school English teacher, who happens to be a former nun. A struggling academic falls in love with a Henry David Thoreau impersonator, and a well-adjusted grad student goes home for Christmas only to be repulsed by her family's casual cruelty.

Despite the ugliness and injustice, they face, as well as the failures of their families and communities, these characters often find relief in friendship and connection, and sometimes, even discover meaning and cause for hope.

““Distinguished, engrossing, splendidly entertaining.””
— Kirkus Reviews

Our Take: Gritty, intimate, and unflinching, Dirty Suburbia is a collection that lingers. These stories examine the quiet violence and fierce resilience of girls and women navigating spaces that should protect them—but often don’t. Sara Hosey writes with empathy and edge, offering a mirror to suburbia that’s cracked but deeply reflective. It’s a bold, clear-eyed exploration of power, survival, and the complicated ways women come of ageand come undone. Perfect for readers who love short fiction that’s sharp and bracingly real.

From a Reader: “The characters are devastating and wonderful and so familiar. […] The writing is mesmerizing, poetic, and gritty. It’s literary without ever being boring. Every story in this collection stomped on my heart and then picked it up and handed it back to me.”

Amazon | Goodreads | Author Site

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Success In the Press: Article 9 by Daniel Holub

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Featured in CALIFORNIA BOOKWATCH June 2025 & MIDWEST BOOK REVIEWS

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Featured in CALIFORNIA BOOKWATCH June 2025 & MIDWEST BOOK REVIEWS ★

From the Author: On Thanksgiving, the first high-profile abduction and assassination by ISIS operatives is broadcast online. As the world watches in horror, American agencies struggle to respond. The best intelligence organizations cannot predict (much less protect) the next victim.

Deep in the heart of Texas, Brooks Davis is thrust into this drama. He started the day at a construction site, then is drugged and trafficked across the Mexican border. Brooks must battle his way across the Mexican wilderness, determined to reach the demarcation line between life and death. As he uses his wits to evade Mexican cartels and military forces, Brooks’ wife, Molly, and their sons are coping with FBI surveillance and protection.

From the Oval Office to the Mexican presidential palace, a battle is unfolding over Article 9 in the US/Mexican extradition treaty. Geopolitics weave a new net that threatens to ensnare him. How can Brooks escape and atone for the harm he has done to the love of his life?

Our Take: Fast-paced and high-stakes, Article 9 is part survival thriller and part geopolitical drama, with a strong sense of place and immediacy. The novel moves quickly from borderland violence to international tension, blending action sequences with questions of policy, loyalty, and personal redemption. For readers drawn to modern-day thrillers with a patriotic edge, this one reads like a movie—gritty, tense, and unrelenting.

From a Reader:

"An extraordinary tale of the new west in which mortal peril is met with fearless resolve. The book's opening paragraph grabs your attention and doesn't relinquish it until the end. It is an intense and gripping hybrid of physical courage and political intrigue."

"Holub's debut novel grabs you from the beginning, shakes you in the middle, and doesn't let go. This political thriller is a fast-paced, character-driven saga you'll want to finish in one sitting. Hold on and buckle your seat belt for a supersonic ride that will not disappoint."

Amazon | Goodreads | Author Site

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Smells of the Lamp: Debloating Your Writing

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As writers we try hard to not look like we’re trying hard. We want to keep readers from smelling all of that midnight oil that we burned, so sometimes we’ve got to kill our darlings. In revision, there are some elements we can turn to immediately to let the air out of our writing.