☼ A Place In The Spotlight ☼ with M.C.V. EGAN

Tuesday, November 10, 2026

Max & Ti – The Snake and the Tree

Middle Grade Portal Fantasy

Date Published: 10-27-2026

Publisher: Harmony Press

Seventh grader Max plots a brilliant way to forge friendships, dodge bullies, and cover up his limp by excelling at soccer. His plan flourishes splendidly until fate intervenes, and a freak accident sidelines him with a foot injury, grounding him from soccer indefinitely. In a moment of exasperation, he bats a baseball, and his neighbor’s window is shattered, which thrusts him into an unwanted alliance with the last person he ever wished to befriend: Ti. The boy who is a bully magnet!

Ti’s aunt presents Max with a daunting choice to either confess to his parents about the broken window or assist Ti in testing his invention, the Quantum Locator. Little does Max know that the Quantum Locator possesses the extraordinary ability to locate anyone, anywhere.

Together, with Max’s dog Ralphie, they stumble through a portal into a realm teeming with supernatural wonders. From a forest ruled by a colossal snake emperor to a mysterious Tree. Now, the boys must navigate their way through this enchanting land. Will they survive to get home?

In this captivating middle-grade thriller, Leslie Cole examines friendship, choices, and loyalty, maintaining suspense until the last page.

Excerpt

Prologue

Foliage. Fangs. Forsaken.

Two year old Maxwell Oswin Miller opened his eyes only to see green blocking his vision. He’d have rubbed his eyes, but try as he may, he could not free his arms. He seemed to be tangled, head to toe, with something brushy and wiry. Only his right heel was exposed, which stung from a piercing bite.

He had screamed for his parents until his throat burned. Unheard, he fell back into a fitful sleep, briefly escaping the nightmare of his situation.

A shout woke him up.

“Snake! What in the blue blazes of Georgia? Mr. Finch, kill it.”

“Mrs. Finch, I’ll grab my hoe.”

“Quick! It’s sneaking out from under the weeping willow in the Millers’ front yard.”

Hurried footsteps approached, then the hoe came down with a thwack, but little Max was too tired to make a sound.

“Mrs. Finch, the snake got away, but looky here. It’s a baby wrapped up like a suit of armor in the willow branches.”

“A baby?” Lighter footsteps came close. “My goodness, if he don’t look like the branches swaddled him, right here on the ground.”

“Or choked him,” said Mr. Finch.

“Here, take my shears and cut those things off. Careful now.”

A clip and another, and soon Max’s arms and legs were free.

“He’s alive, Mrs. Finch, but looks like he’s been layin’ here for hours.”

A snip and leaves fell from his eyes. He felt two arms lift him as two hands gently pulled branches from his body.

“Mrs. Finch, ain’t this the Millers’ boy?”

“Why, yes! It is the Millers’ boy. Why’d they go off and leave him under the tree like this?” She cradled the boy close.

“Look. His heel is bleeding. Is that a snake bite, Mrs. Finch?”

About the Author

Leslie Cole is the author of the Max & Ti series, including her latest book The Snake and the Tree. She writes wholesome, hearty, and humorous middle grade fiction for kids who wonder where they belong and feel too embarrassed to ask. She feels a passion for the kids, including the adult kids, who need a kind and encouraging voice of support. Her stories remind readers that our deepest wounds don’t define us and that no one must face life alone. Her publishing credits include publishing poetry in the Nashville paper “The Contributor;” reading her poetry as the “Poet of the Month” at the Scarritt-Bennett Poet’s Corner; having her poetry named “Critic’s Pick” in “The Nashville Scene;” publishing two nonfiction books as a physician in her fields of medicine; and publishing a research paper as first author in the field of addiction medicine. She lives in Nashville, Tennessee, with her husband Tim and their dog. They enjoy the company of their adult children, grandchildren, nieces, nephews, and extended family. She paints landscapes and still lifes, as well as drawing the occasional illustration for her books. She continues to work as an addiction medicine physician, where she witnesses the power of connection, repair, and humans overcoming unbelievable odds.

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Hunting the Cosmos

Poetry / Flash

Date Published: 11-10-2026

Publisher: Shanti Arts

The poems and prose of Hunting the Cosmos engage with and interrogate the art of midcentury Spanish-Mexican surreal artist Remedios Varo, expanding the absurd dreamwork, surprising realities, and meanings of paintings and text. The occult, technology, fairy tales, and religion all play roles. Transformation through alchemy, magic, and science is a significant theme, as well as the metamorphosis of art and experience into new art. Award-winning poet Luanne Castle brings Varo’s sensibilities to life on the page in this beautiful ekphrastic collection of prose poems, lyric poems, and microfiction.

About the Author

Hunting the Cosmos is Luanne Castle’s sixth book. She has published four award-winning poetry collections and Scrap: Salvaging a Family, a memoir in flash. Her poetry and prose have appeared in Copper Nickel, River Teeth, Your Impossible Voice, JMWW, Grist, Fourteen Hills, Verse Daily, One Art, Lunch Ticket, Saranac Review, Pleiades, The Ekphrastic Review, The Mackinaw, Thimble, Flash Boulevard, Cleaver, Moon City, Moon Park, Anti-Heroin Chic, Bending Genres, BULL, and more. Her mixed media collages have been published in many journals.

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Monday, November 9, 2026

Land of Math

Children's Non-Fiction

Date Published: 11-09-2026

Publisher: Mission Point Press

Land of Math is a vibrant juvenile picture book that introduces early learners to the building blocks of mathematics through a whimsical narrative centered on the structured realms of Ones, Tens, and Hundreds. The story follows the diligent King Equation as he strives for stability in his kingdom, only to have his plans upended by the playful antics of Prince Addition and Prince Subtraction. When the princes’ magical meddling leads to an overflow of Ones, the king must consult the High Wizard of Ordinals. By utilizing the enchanted Carry-Over and Borrow Rivers, King Equation successfully manages the numerical surplus, teaching readers about place value and operational balance. This delightful adventure blends creative storytelling with academic fundamentals, providing an accessible and engaging way for children to master basic arithmetic and logic.

About the Author

After recently completing Stahno the Space Explorer, Lan H. Reilly, a self-taught artist, was inspired to write her next book, hoping to cultivate a love for mathematics among her young audience. She was born in Saigon, Vietnam, and spent most of her childhood there.

In 1975, she was evacuated with her family from the US Embassy and settled in Wisconsin.

She later earned her Engineering degree at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. She met her husband while working in Minneapolis, then relocated to Michigan to raise their three children.

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Thrift Books

Peanut Butter and Donner – The Wishing Tree

Children's Picture Book

Date Published: November 19, 2026

Free on Amazon – November 9-14

Peanut Butter the bunny isn’t sure he’s brave.

So when a magical wishing tree opens the door to a glowing forest, he must decide whether to follow his friends—Donner the parakeet and Annie the duck—into the unknown… or stay safely behind.

As Peanut Butter steps into the forest, everything feels new, exciting, and a little bit scary. With wobbly paws and a worried heart, he wonders if he made the right choice. But along the way, he meets a surprising new friend, Earl, and begins to discover something important: bravery doesn’t mean feeling fearless—it means taking small, steady steps forward, even when you feel unsure.

With gentle encouragement, teamwork, and moments of humor, Peanut Butter learns that courage can grow in quiet ways—and that being brave looks different for everyone.

Perfect for children ages 3–8, Peanut Butter and Donner: The Wishing Tree is a warm and reassuring story that helps young readers explore big feelings, face fears, and build confidence—one small step at a time.

About the Author

Erin Rosenblum is a licensed therapist, storyteller, and the creator of the Peanut Butter and Donner series. For more than 20 years, she has helped people navigate anxiety, life transitions, and the many emotions that shape our lives. Those same experiences inspire the stories she writes for children.

Erin believes some of life's biggest lessons are learned through gentle moments, meaningful conversations, and characters children grow to love. Her books combine playful rhyme, memorable adventures, and emotionally rich storytelling to help children build confidence, resilience, and compassion.

Peanut Butter and Donner: The Wishing Tree was inspired by a cherished family tradition in the redwood forests of California, where generations gathered around a hollowed redwood known as the Wishing Tree. Blending those memories with her experience as a therapist, Erin reminds young readers that bravery isn't about never feeling afraid—it's about taking the next small step, even when your knees feel a little wobbly.

When she's not writing or working with clients, Erin enjoys spending time with her family, friends, and her many rescued animals, including the real Peanut Butter the rabbit and Donner the parakeet, whose unique personalities and friendship inspired the beloved characters in the series.

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Free on Amazon 11/9 - 11/14

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Friday, November 6, 2026

Zombie Zoo Tour Base

Adventures in Tub (Felix & Ninja, Book 1)

Upper Middle Grade

Date Published: 09-15-2026

Publisher: Oculus Print

Two orphan loners. One supernatural plague. When wood-eating zombies threaten their island, mismatched investigators Felix and Ninja must combine science and instinct to save Spinachi-before they're next.

ZOMBIE ZOO is Book 1 in a five-book middle grade adventure series for readers ages 8-13, blending paranormal mystery, zombies, unlikely friendship, and STEAM-powered problem-solving.

When 13-year-old aspiring naturalist Felix Fizzystyxx discovers that orphans at Wayward Amok Orphanage are transforming into wood-eating zombies, his quiet tree-fort observations are no longer enough. Someone has deliberately unleashed a strange plague on Tub's island town of Spinachi-and they're still out there.

To find a cure, Felix must team up with Ninja, a shadow-dwelling orphan who trusts her instincts and never backs down. Intense and razor-sharp, she notices what others overlook and lives up to her name as the island's most mysterious sleuth. With their eccentric mentor Doc Brunne compromised and the town's water supply contaminated by a glowing bioluminescent substance, the two mismatched investigators must combine scientific observation with sharp intuition to stop the outbreak before their island home is devoured.

Set on the fictional island of Tub, this fast-paced, humorous adventure naturally weaves in STEAM concepts-biology, chemistry, bioluminescence, water systems, pattern recognition, and the scientific method-within an age-appropriate supernatural mystery. Themes include unlikely friendship, identity, trust across differences, courage, and finding your voice when adults won't listen.

Featuring diverse protagonists, quirky humor, spooky-but-fun scares, and strong female and male leads. ZOMBIE ZOO is ideal for reluctant readers and fans of Max Brallier's The Last Kids on Earth, B.B. Alston's Amari and the Night Brothers, and Goosebumps. Comprehensive educator resources-including discussion guides, vocabulary lists, STEAM extension activities, and printable maps-support classroom use, library programming, book clubs, and make this title ideal for cross-curricular lessons bridging ELA, STEAM, and SEL.

About the Author

Melanie Abed is a behavioral expert turned story weaver. She believes dragons are real but hiding, and finds thunderstorms equally delightful and terrifying. A tea-loving bookworm, she champions young minds and writes to help kids discover their superpowers are real.

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Instagram: @byMelanieAbed

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