Kelly Ames for the Stars

  THE PINK DRESS: A Memoir of a Reluctant Beauty Queen By Janet Little Botkin Memoir Publisher: She Writes Press Pages: 304 Publication Date: 9/10/24 SYNOPSIS Growing up in West Texas, Jane Little Botkin didn’t have designs on becoming a beauty queen. But not long after joining a pageant on a whim in college, she became the first protégé of El Paso’s Richard Guy and Rex Holt, known as the “Kings of Beauty”—just as the 1970’s counterculture movement began to take off. A pink, rose-covered gown—a Guyrex creation—symbolizes the fairy tale life that young women in Jane’s time imagined beauty queens had. Its near destruction exposes reality: the author’s failed relationship with her mother, and her parents’ failed relationship with one another. Weaving these narrative threads together is the Wild West notion that anything is possible, especially do-overs. The Pink Dress awakens nostalgia for the 1960s and 1970s, the era’s conflicts and growth pains. A common expectation that women went t

The Barber, The Astronaut,  and The Golf Ball By Barbara Radnofsky and Ed Supkis Biography / Golf / Space Travel Publisher: Stoney Creek Publishing Pages: 202 Publication Date: September 17, 2024   SYNOPSIS In 1971, famed astronaut Alan Shepard returned from the moon and went to get a haircut. Before settling into the barber’s chair in Webster, Texas, near NASA’s Mission Control, Shepard gave his longtime barber and friend, Carlos Villagomez, an autographed golf ball. During his Apollo 14 moonwalk, Shepard had conducted a world-famous demonstration of gravity by hitting a golf ball in an out-of-this-world sand trap. It took him two tries. Carlos, a Navy combat veteran and barber for numerous astronauts, says Shepard gave him the ball immediately after he returned to earth and was released from quarantine. Had Shepard taken a third ball to the moon? And did he give it to his barber as a token of their long friendship? The debate provides a backdrop for The Barber, The Astron

The Duchess of Kokora By Nikhil Prabala LGBTQ+ / YA / Humorous Fantasy / Romantasy Publisher: Grand Press Pages: 442 Publication Date: August 8, 2024 SYNOPSIS The Duchess of Kokora, Phera Ylir Mdana, has entered the marriage games of the neighboring kingdom of Ryene. But she’s not there to woo the dashing Prince Dominic. Her true objective? To win back one of the other contestants, Lady Rocelle Virae—Phera’s true love and ex-fiancée. Love proves to be a game like any other when Phera must not only mend matters with her childhood sweetheart, but conceal her true intentions in order to earn votes and stay in the competition. And as long-brewing political tensions simmer beneath the surface, the playful veneer of the competition begins to crack. In the end, Phera, Dominic, and Rocelle find themselves united in a desperate bid to prevent a duel that threatens the integrity of the kingdom, the stability of the continent, and any hope for a happily ever after. This novel is the first in a

  HOLLOW OUT THE DARK By James Wade Literary Fiction / Southern Gothic / Rural Fiction Publisher: Blackstone Publishing Pages: 328 Publication Date: August 20, 2024 SYNOPSIS Award-winning author James Wade blends atmospheric prose with soul-stirring themes in Hollow Out the Dark , a gothic adventure set against a Depression-era landscape where a whiskey war threatens to decimate a small Texas town. A veteran of the Great War, Jesse Cole is grateful for the quiet life he now leads. But when his closest friend runs afoul of local criminals Frog and Squirrel Fenley, Jesse is forced to spin his moral compass and enter a violent and volatile underworld. There he encounters corrupt lawmen, hired assassins, and a dark family secret that will upend all he once knew. Complicating matters are Texas Ranger Amon Atkins—who arrives to investigate the Fenleys just as their empire is threatened by a deadly new competitor—and the green-eyed, raven-haired Adaline, a love Jesse thought he’d lost forever

THE ONE WHO UNDID ME Austin Heat, Book #1 By Amari Nylix Contemporary Romance / Comedy / Football Publisher: Temair Media Pages: 390 Publication Date: September 14, 2023 SYNOPSIS Rumor has it that Texas just got a little hotter! Fans of Tessa Bailey and K. Bromberg will fall for this sexy story of mistaken identity, electric attraction, and irresistible romance in the first installment of the addictive new series, Austin Heat. Jake is desperate to rewrite his past with women and leave behind the media storm surrounding his off-the-field antics that cloud his potential. He’s done with the stream of models, actresses, and NFL cheerleaders that have warmed his bed since he made a name for himself as starting quarterback for the University of Texas. He desperately wants to meet a normal girl in his hometown of Austin. After moving to Austin to be the hired girlfriend of one of her long-term escort clients, Rakell finds herself wishing she could live a normal life with an average guy. Tur

  LETHAL STANDOFF By DiAnn Mills Contemporary Fiction / Christian Mystery & Suspense / Christian Romance Publisher: Tyndale House Publishers Pages: 368 Publication Date: September 3, 2024 SYNOPSIS Hostage negotiator Carrington Reed faces her most dangerous challenge yet in Lethal Standoff. Called to a tense situation in South Texas, Carrington must save fifteen hostages held by the armed Kendrix brothers, who demand justice for their father's unsolved murder.  Teaming up with investigative reporter Levi Ehrlich, Carrington delves into a web of secrets and lies. As they uncover startling truths, the stakes soar, and so does their undeniable attraction.  Can Carrington solve the mystery and prevent a deadly outcome? A riveting blend of romance and suspense, this is a must-read for fans of high-stakes thrillers. CLICK TO PURCHASE BOOK TRAILER Watch on YouTube ABOUT THE AUTHOR Award-winning author DiAnn Mills is known for her gripping romantic suspense novels where readers can Exp