Happy Holiday Reading!

I'm not a librarian and a writer for nothing. I love books. So it's only natural that I want to share the very best books with my friends and family. (That would be you!)

As I'm looking longingly at my TBR pile as the Christmas break approaches, I thought I'd share a few titles that would make excellent last minute holiday gifts for the readers in your life, or just good ones for you to cuddle up during these snowy days and nights.

One my absolute faves

First, I see that alternate realities are having a moment in both adult and YA fiction right now. I love alternate realities but nobody captured my imagination better than Michael Lawrence and his Withern Rise trilogy, beginning with A Crack in the Line. It's only available as a Kindle ebook now, but the entire trilogy is amazing and I can't recommend it enough. It tells the story of Alaric and Naia Underwood who discover alternate realities of their own lives, accidentally. Besides being a fun concept, it provides a lot of food for thought. You'll wonder about the power of your own decisions after reading this book. Seriously, do yourself a favor and look into it! These books can easily be enjoyed by teens and adults alike.

And this cover is just GORGEOUS!

It's Christmastime, so what better time to dive into a book that takes place during Christmastime, on a Christmas tree farm? Jay Asher's brand new book, What Light is an unusual and uplifting story about love, forgiveness, growth, and healing. It's a beautifully written story with moving characters in a setting you won't soon forget. Make yourself a mug of hot chocolate and curl up with this delightful book. Definitely geared toward teens, but adults can get something out of this book as well. And that cover!

This cover grabbed me first

Wandering through Barnes and Noble spending my end of the year budget for my library, I took a walk through the poetry section and my eye landed on a pink volume called The Universe of Us by Lang Leav. I liked the look of the cover and when I turned it over to see what the back said, I found this, and only this: "He and I collided like two predestined stars and in that brief moment I felt what it was like to be immortal." I was hooked! From the cover, the introduction, to the last page, this book completely blew me away. The poems look deceptively simple, but they are rich with deep emotion and raw truth. I read the library's copy and bought my own immediately. I'm not one to select a volume of poetry for my pleasure reading, but I will be coming back to this book again and again. This is another that should appeal to both teens and adults.





Another stand out is Beyond the Red by Ava Jae. The world building in this book is phenomenal. It takes place on another planet covered by scarlet red sand. There are alien beings, humans, and half bloods. Normally, that isn't my cup of tea, but this book sucked me right in from page one. It has political intrigue, action, romance, family dynamics, betrayal, and hope. I didn't expect to get sucked into the world as much as I was, which is a testament to the skill of the author. It's also the first book in a trilogy. The second book is coming out in Fall 2017. Another great crossover for teens and adults!

Finally, a book that came out this spring, Please Pardon My Dust, I'm Under Construction by Monica R. Sholar. This book is 100% pure inspiration. It details the struggles of 25 Michigan women who faced the lowest points in their lives and worked their way up to success. I love that this book doesn't define success the way our society does - fame and fortune. These women made personal goals and worked toward their own dreams. Whether those dreams were finding a way to provide for their families, start a clothing line, open a bakery, or write a book, these women share their stories to inspire and uplift us all. This is an excellent book to read before/during the new year to help motivate you to work toward your own goals this year.


I really loved each of these books and I hope at least one of them is calling out to you too. It's always fun to share the book love. If there's a title you're dying to recommend to everyone in sight, please add it in the comments. Also, if you agree with any of these recommends I've made, please say so too. I love to bond with readers over excellent books.

Happy holidays and best wishes for a happy and prosperous 2017!

Monica R. Sholar Interview

Well, hello there. It's been a while hasn't it? Only a year or so. But who needs an explanation of that? I have far more interesting information to share.

Who among you likes a good suspense thriller? Okay, I see some hands raised out there. Well, have you heard of Monica R. Sholar? You haven't? Then consider it my pleasure to introduce you. Monica is an all around beautiful, energetic, and inspiring woman that I've had the pleasure to meet and share this crazy writer journey with. She's written The 24th Letter and she literally JUST released her second book, Esoteric Truth. Take a look!

Me and Monica at the Brighton District Library
Local Author Showcase Sept. 2014 

The Restless Writer (RW) : When did you first get the spark of an idea for The 24th Letter? Do you remember what gave you that initial inspiration? 

Monica R. Sholar (MS): The idea for The 24th Letter 

came about because I had written two prior books and

 the genre's were different. I wanted to streamline 

everything since I felt that I was strongest in the 

Suspense-Thriller genre. So, The 24th Letter was 

essentially birthed from all of the best ideas from 

my prior works,as well as research I'd done on law 

enforcement and the X chromosome, which is the 

crux of the plot.

RW: How long did it take you to finish writing the first draft?

MS: There have been countless first drafts, so that's a hard one to answer!
I'd written and re-written it many times. I read an article once about Steven Spielberg. 

He said he reads the Jaws manuscript, which is a cult classic film, and even to this day
there are things in the script he wants to change. That's exactly how I feel and it's why
there are so many "first" drafts.

RW: The book is set in a fictional city, Belle Isle Heights, but modeled after Detroit's 

Belle Isle. Why did you decide to use this for your location?

MS: I love my home town! I was born and raised in Detroit, Michigan, so my choosing to 

create the storyworld of Belle Isle Heights was sort of a nod of my cap to my hometown. I 

knew that my local readers would appreciate the subtle references I made to Michigan culture, 

such as Coney Dogs and pop, and I wanted to share that culture with my readers who aren't 

located here in the mitten or U.P.

RW: You sure know how to pack on the suspenseful situations for your characters! 

Was it ever difficult for you, as you wrote, to keep putting them in such hard 

situations?

MS: It was incredibly difficult to put the characters in such gut-wrenching positions. 

To me, they are people and it was very emotional to experience certain things like death 

with them. I cried a few times! But I knew that it needed to happen. As a reader of 

Suspense-Thrillers myself, I like to be transported to a world that allows me the thrill of 

feeling the danger--from the safety of my sofa! That's what I want to give my readers. I 

want them to walk on the wild side and have their pulses pound with anticipation. 

It keeps them turning the pages to find out how in the world the character will 

survive--if they even do. See what I did there; even my response had to have a little 

suspense. LOL.

RW: You have a new book in your Belle Isle Heights 

series coming out this month, what can readers expect from 

this new adventure?

MS: Esoteric Truth is the newest member of the Belle Isle Heights 

family, and it was released on March, 1st. It's my favorite, (but don't 

tell The 24th Letter!) I think that as I write each book, each will 

become my favorite, because I grow each time.The readers can expect to see not
only my growth as a writer, but also the growth of the characters. They have been
through a lot, so we'll get to see what they do with the lessons they've learned. Also, I
really wanted to amp up the action! So there are gunfights, hand-to-hand combat and
thrills at every turn. You'll definitely need a seatbelt and hard-hat on when you read this one!

RW: Would you say it was harder, or easier, to write a second book?

MS: Writing the second book was much harder! I felt immense pressure to best myself and 

to not be redundant. I also felt a need to stay true to the characters and make sure that their 

stories were advanced. What I don't like is reading books in a series which tell the same 

stories over and over in a different sequence. So, I worked really hard to make sure I wasn't 

doing that. My readers deserve the effort.

RW: Will we see any of the same characters in Esoteric Truth or is it an entirely new cast? 

MS: Esoteric Truth is a mixed cast of old and new. And the newbies surely do not disappoint!

RW: Are there any authors, in particular, who've inspired your own writing style?

MS: I am inspired by so many people, not just authors. Anyone who has a passion for their 

craft, inspires me. I'd have to say my biggest inspirations were James Patterson with his older 

works, Elmore Leonard, Terry McMillan, and Michael Jackson. He's not a writer but he's a 

phenomenal storyteller in song and in dance. I'd love to be the MJ of Suspense-Thrillers.

RW: Do you listen to music while you write? If so, are there any songs in particular 

you associate with The 24th Letter and Esoteric Truth? 

MS: No music while writing. It's too distracting. I grew up singing in the choir when I 

was little. My mom was the choir director and was very strict in making sure we sang the 

right notes. If I listened to music while writing, I'd be too busy critiquing the pitches, or 

harmonizing with the singers. LOL. Sometimes I leave the television on super low volume,
just to have a little background noise. But for the most part, I write in complete silence so that I can
hear the voices in my head. I'm not crazy, the voices are just the characters telling me their life stories.

RW: Did you have to do any sort of research in order to write these books? Any 

memorable moments from your research you'd care to share?

MS: Yes, lots of research. I wanted to make sure that my information was sound. 

So I've done interviews with federal agents, police officers, nurses, etc… to make 

sure that the procedures and processes that I describe are true. I'd hate to have an 

agent read my story only to say, "That's not how that would happen!" I did my best 

to not get that response. The most memorable moment was interviewing my family 

member, who happens to be a federal agent!

RW: How can readers can get in touch with you and stay informed of your appearances 

and writing projects? 

MS: I love keeping in contact with my readers! The best places to find me are on my 

Facebook fan page as Monica R. Sholar Author, on Twitter as monicasholar, and via my 

website at: www.monicasholar.com. The site is always up-to-date with the schedule of my 

appearances, photos of signings, and of course, purchase information for the books!

Thank you so much, Monica for stopping by and answering some questions. I hope you'll 

reach a ton of new fans!