Literary Humor

Everyone knows that if Scarlett O'Hara had an unlimited text-and-data plan, she'd constantly try to tempt Ashley away from Melanie with suggestive messages. If Mr. Rochester could text Jane Eyre, his ardent missives would obviously be in all-caps. And Daisy Buchanan would not only text while driving, she'd text you to pick her up after she totaled her car.

Raised by vampyre relatives, Jane grows to resent the lifestyle's effect on her upbringing. No sunlight, nighttime hours, and a diet of bloody red meat is no way for a mortal girl to live. Things change for Jane when the ghost of her uncle visits her, imparts her parents' slayer history, and charges her with the responsibility of striking out to find others of her kind and learn the slayer ways.

LITERARY FAILS: Totally (sic!) has been a work in progress for several years. These handpicked 101 excerpts, selected from tens of thousands of actual query letters received by Martin Literary Management were sent by severely "misguided individuals" in their desire to become commercially published authors. Each section of the book and many individual letters are accompanied by fabulous original artwork in pen and ink. Every quoted letter in this book is verbatim, right down to the misspellings, the word spacing, and the typos. Only the responses represent wishful thinking. In other words-...

A year ago in the midst of his parent’s divorce Nate Handen surprised everyone in his extended family when he talked his father into leaving the family home and moving in with him and his friend and business partner. He also convinced him to go into business with the two of them. So far both ventures were working out better than anyone ever expected.His father was happy and despite the acrimonious divorce proceedings his parents were friends. The way he saw it they got along better now than he could ever remember when they were married. Now he was on his way to visit his mother. Livia ...

Who had left this in my mailbox? The attached note echoed the same puzzling message I had received the day before in a text: Who’s lying? Why send this thick journal to me? What was the motive? It didn’t matter, did it? Nosy as all get out, I untied the strap, to reveal a neatly penned old-school manuscript that began to chronicle a decades-old mystery, a cold case that was never solved, called Shadows of Doubt. It was filled with innuendo and suspicions from unnamed sources, mysterious characters, and an undeniable sense of foreboding that leapt off the pages as this anonymous author ...

In the idyllic backdrop of Ballycross, County Cork, Seren once reveled in the bliss of marriage to Frenchman André while managing their quaint wine shop. A perfect world, it seemed, until an unforeseen tragedy shattered everything. Determined not to be a mere pawn in the game of fate, Seren takes charge of her destiny. In this journey, she discovers the stark difference between fate and faith—realizing that control is a powerful force. The revelation of an enigmatic email destined for her husband propels Seren into a harrowing mystery. Abandoning the comforts of Ballycross, she ventures ...

Medical student Seth Levine faces escalating stress and gallows humor as he struggles with the collapse of his romantic relationships and all preconceived notions of what it means to be a doctor. It doesn’t take long before he realizes not getting frazzled is the least of his problems. Didn’t Get Frazzled captures with distressing accuracy the gauntlet idealistic college grads must face to secure an MD and, against the odds, come out of it a better human being.

A woman expects her boyfriend to pop the question at dinner, only it’s not the question she expected. A girl finds a game board with frightening results. A young woman must fight off an attacker who has a surprising motive for his crime. The painting of a mother's dead son haunts her. A young wife wants to surprise her husband but it doesn’t turn out as she hoped. Or does it? This book of stories, poems, and other writings by the author of the Twigs series and the Detective Tony Pantera series will delight and frighten as well as make the reader ponder life's way of throwing us a curve ...

A must-read for fans of Anna Jacobs, Dilly Court and Jennifer Donnelly Plans are nothing more than dust and life has a way of dangling happiness in front of you, only to snatch it away. Victoria Caldwell discovers it’s much easier to protect her children when decisions are made for them. Would her son, Sean, really have ended his life? Is her daughter, Bella, old enough to choose the right man? Will her stepdaughter, Kate, allow her insecurities to ruin her life? For Victoria, their pain is her torture. Sean’s life in America was a heady mix of work and pleasure until faced with ...

Victoria Caldwell expects one thing from her children – that they live a life that makes them happy. So why, whenever everyone is on the verge of happiness, do things always go wrong? Bella Caldwell has no intention of hiding away because her husband turned out to be a bigamist and their marriage a sham. Every day, she forces herself out of bed to keep up the pretence that she’s enjoying life. But will she allow George Bristow to manipulate her again and drag her into his murky world? How will this damaged young woman cope when she’s faced with evil at a level she’s never before ...

The unexpected buzz of my phone had caught me off guard as Barbara’s name flashed across its screen. She had moved to Boca Raton, Florida. Hearing from her so soon after she moved from Highlands, North Carolina following her husband’s passing was a complete surprise. Her urgent plea for help ignited a flurry of action, rekindling the almost dormant embers of our last mystery-solving, to move on to the next, which I now referred to us as; and what has become our trademark: the fast and curious. Plans were then swiftly implemented for us to leave my inherited and restored French Maison, ...

Were all those rumors of hidden secrets, hauntings, tragedy, etc... true about the Maison? What else had Marie, F.R. LLC’s rep really hired Sam to find besides that manuscript? Why had Marie mysteriously taken off for 2 weeks, leaving it all up to Sam and crew? What did Marie mean when she tasked Sam to find the secrets within?

VINE VOICE: "This is an excellent title from one of today's finest writers!" VINE VOICE: "A cozy mystery that will make you laugh and keep you entertained." VINE VOICE: "A real page turner, so get cozy!" VINE VOICE: "Her stories never fail on entertainment, suspense, thrill, and humor." "I have nothing but praise for Peggy's writing style." "Samantha & her investigating crew pack a wallop in this great read!" "A mystery to get caught up in!" "A wonderful mystery!" "This current adventure of Sam Jamison is a full-page turner, showing lots of plot twists, mystery." Samantha Jamison has a ...

VINE VOICE: "An enthralling & suspenseful narrative!" VINE VOICE: "Gripping & exciting!" VINE VOICE: "Peggy did it again, a great mystery story" VINE VOICE: "Favorite one yet" VINE VOICE: "Great mystery novel" "Boost your spirit for this thriller concoction!" "Sam strikes again! Have been absolutely loving these" "A mystery that captured my attention from the very beginning" "Amazing plot" "You know what they say, right? Keep them guessing" "Loved it!" "Amazing book, read it now!" "Great mystery book!" "What a story!" "Thrilling read!" "Another installment is a good series!" This mystery ...

In the quaint town of Amblewood, Booked Bliss is the heart of the community—a cozy bookstore where neighbors gather, stories come to life, and mysteries are best kept on the shelves. But when famed author Samuel Rowley dies suddenly during the weekly book club meeting, the quiet comfort of the store is shattered. The town’s beloved barista, Eliza Harrington, can’t help but suspect there’s more to Samuel’s death than meets the eye—especially when the police suggest foul play. With her trusty orange tabby, Agatha, by her side, and her sharp intuition honed by years of reading ...

Aaron thinks genre fiction is an affront to the fiction-writing craft. He often quotes the essayist Arthur Krystal, who says literary fiction "melts the frozen sea inside of us". Ironically Aaron doesn't seem to realize that he's emotionally frozen. The vivacious Laurie, lover of flamingo-patterned attire and all things hot pink, is the one person who might be capable of melting him.

"Arrested for what?" It’s been ages since the Stone Sisters have gone away together for a vacation, and all three are in desperate need of a road trip. When Maude Cooper reads about Graceland finally opening up to the public, she knows that is an event they must be at. Ruby Montgomery is exhausted. Between raising her toddler granddaughter and worrying about her wayward daughter across the country, she barely has any time for herself. When Maude proposes a spur of the moment trip to Memphis, Ruby is initially hesitant to go. Opal Tyler is on the cusp of fulfilling her lifelong dream of ...

In 1962, Jackie Hart moved to Naples, Florida, from Boston with her husband and children. Wanting something personally fulfilling to do with her time, she starts a reading club and anonymously hosts a radio show, calling herself Miss Dreamsville. The racially segregated town falls in love with Miss Dreamsville, but doesn't know what to make of Jackie, who welcomes everyone into her book club, including a woman who did prison time for allegedly killing her husband....

VINE VOICE: "Peggy A. Edelheit couldn't have chosen a better title." VINE VOICE: "A journey to uncover mysteries, begat more mysteries." "A gripping mystery!" "This engaging cozy mystery, ingeniously weaves layers of clever lies, laced with wit & style; grips readers from page one to a startling end." "The author has a gift for veiling characters with a subtle but lingering suspicion. I wish I could say I figured it out, but the hallmark of a great mystery is to be kept guessing until the last page, and that's what happened here." "I loved it!" "Well done!" Not satisfied by the authorities'...

VINE VOICE: "Another winner!" VINE VOICE: "Strongly recommend!" "Laugh out loud funny!" "Another great mystery thriller!" "Another fun, fast read from Peggy Edelheit." "Hilarious and intriguing." "Cleverly planned, a pleasure to read." "This funny, romantic, mysterious rendezvous to New Hope was too convenient. They’re staying with whom? No B&B? In spite of Sam’s cagey, fine-looking gumshoe, Clay, this unexpected invite from his friends, has Sam skeptical, and leads to another great mystery thriller, and another fun, fast read from Peggy Edelheit." Of course, Sam’s suspicious of just ...