The Sound of Wings by Suzanne Simonetti (She Writes Press) and He Gets That From Me by Jacqueline Freidland (SparkPress) both hit the USA Today best seller list in early 2022. We’re so excited to celebrate these two incredible authors and stories!

Seventy-year-old Goldie Sparrows faces declining finances, questionable health, and a late husband who torments her from the beyond. She seeks refuge in her butterfly garden, which is filled with voices and memories from long ago.

Jocelyn Anderson is a struggling writer who finds escape from her custody battle in the journal of her late mother-in-law. As she gets pulled through the pages of time, Jocelyn discovers her own husband has a hidden history she knows nothing about. Is this secret now Jocelyn’s to keep?

Krystal Axelrod is living a life she never dreamed she could have. And yet the demons of a dysfunctional childhood and mean girl culture from her cheerleading days cast their shadow over her ability to feel whole, capable, and worthy. Does Goldie hold the key to Krystal’s path to freedom?

A masterfully crafted tale of love, friendship, betrayal, and the risks we take in the pursuit of justice.

“Simonetti’s stirring novel excels at creating characters that are fully fleshed out and deeply committed to their artistic careers and their interpersonal relationships. The three principal characters are thoughtful and conscientious, and the deep dives into their thoughts and memories give sharp illustrations of their motivations and fears up to the touching conclusion.”
—Kirkus Reviews

“A story world so completely alive with the characters so real, I can feel them breathing behind me.”
—Caroline Leavitt, New York Times best-selling author of Pictures of You and Is This Tomorrow

“The author wrote a tale that literally allowed me to move through time to cry, laugh, and feel the goosebumps grow as I read and waited for the next thing to be unveiled.”
—Reader Views Book Reviews

“Gardens are home to many things—plants, winged visitors, secrets, and sorrows. In The Sound of Wings, Suzanne Simonetti weaves a story of memories that float on the garden air, of people who carry the past with them, who struggle with the pull of memories and the wish to move on from them. She has created a small-town life and a cast of characters that will stay with the reader long after the last page is read.”
—Patti Davis, author of The Earth Breaks in Colors and The Wrong Side of Night

“Vividly written, with characters the reader will come to love as friends, The Sound of Wings is a compelling debut novel of great emotional depth. Highly recommended!”
—Loretta Nyhan, author of All the Good Parts and The Other Family

“Suzanne Simonetti has woven a tale of wonder and surprises. As the lives of her characters intertwine, secrets are shared and answers are revealed. Reminiscent of Alice Hoffman in its elegant unfolding, the sheer magic of its storytelling, this is a novel that will wrap you in its mystery and beauty.”
—Mary Morris, award-winning author of All the Way to the Tigers, Gateway To The Moon, and The Jazz Palace

“Grab a cup of tea, curl up on the couch, and get ready to get lost in Suzanne Simonetti’s charming and heartfelt debut. Can’t wait for the next book by this talented author!”
—Terry Lynn Thomas, USA TODAY best-selling author of The Betrayal

“A lyrical debut reminding us that behind every polished exte- rior there can be secrets and hidden truths. The women at the heart of this story transform as they battle demons, from the ones existing in real life to the ones they carry within. Through the passages of time and self-discovery, they form an unlikely alliance that brings them to a place of healing and growth.”
—Tammy Hetrick, author of Stella Rose

“In The Sound of Wings, Suzanne Simonetti weaves together the stories of three women and their unusual bonds, which grow as they each confront their pasts and the secrets they keep from the ones they treasure most. You don’t want to miss this heartfelt tale of love, sacrifice, and friendship! Beautifully written—and that cover! Put it on your list today.”
—Gina Heron, author of Buried Beneath the Lies and What’s Left Between Us

As a young mother with a toddler and a live-in boyfriend, Maggie Fisher’s job at a checkout counter in downtown Phoenix doesn’t afford her much financial flexibility. She dreams of going to college and becoming a teacher, options she squandered when she fled her family home as a teenager. When Maggie stumbles onto an ad offering thousands of dollars to women who are willing to gestate other people’s babies, she at first finds the concept laughable. Before long, however, she’s been seduced by all the ways the extra money could improve her life. Once she decides to go for it, it’s only a matter of months before she’s chosen as a gestational carrier by Chip and Donovan Rigsdale, a married couple from New York.

After delivering twin babies and proudly handing them off to the Rigsdales, Maggie finally gets her life on a positive trajectory: she earns her degree, lands a great job, and builds a family of her own. She can’t fathom why, ten years after the fact, the fertility clinic is calling to ask for a follow-up DNA test.

High-energy and immensely readable, He Gets That from Me explores what it really means to be part of a family.

“Friedland spins a web of intrigue, questioning the truest expression of parenthood. Fans of Nicola Marsh, Tana French, and Hannah Mary McKinnon will race through this thrilling exploration of nature versus nurture and the sacrifices needed to keep loved ones together.”

—Booklist

“It is hard to imagine a better novel for a book club discussion…A thoughtful and gripping family tale that will haunt readers long after finishing it.”
—Kirkus Reviews, STARRED

“A heartfelt exploration of what it means to be a family, He Gets That From Me is a fascinating story of strength, humanity, love, and perseverance. This is one you won’t stop thinking about.”
—Allison Winn Scotch, best-selling author of Cleo McDougal Regrets Nothing

“A piercing, mesmerizing look into the fragility and resiliency of the human experience . . . a bold page-turner that will leave you breathless with anticipation. With He Gets That From Me, Friedland invites you to ask yourself the questions you didn’t even know you needed to answer—about family, forgiveness, sacrifice, and love. An absolute home run.”
—Amy Impellizzeri, award-winning author of Lemongrass Hope and I Know How This Ends

“Compulsively readable and ferociously insightful . . . He Gets That From Me cuts to the core of what it means to be family. An unforgettable book of our times.”
—Jamie Brenner, author of The Forever Summer and Blush

“He Gets That from Me is a potent reminder that we can’t always choose what life hands us—but we can decide whether to rise to the occasion when faced with seemingly impossible choices. With expert plotting and unwavering empathy toward her characters, Jacqueline Friedland has written a novel as unexpected as it is riveting. I read it in a single sitting.”
—Camille Pagán, best-selling author of This Won’t End Well

“He Gets That from Me takes on timeless questions about parenthood and our presumptions about birth, biology, and family. Describing a modern-day arrangement between two dads and a surrogate, the story opens our eyes to the many ways a family can be created while also telling a suspenseful narrative full of unexpected thrills that keep the reader wanting more. A moving story throughout, it ends with a twist that will leave you thinking about the book long after you’ve finished reading it.”
—Melissa Brisman, Esq., reproductive attorney

“Friedland has written characters who are so compelling and so lovable, and then she put them in the middle of such a suspenseful, entirely believable story of what can happen when modern-day technology complicates the most basic relationships between parents and a child. My heart was pounding as I read, far into the night. It’s a must-read.”
—Maddie Dawson, best-selling author of Matchmaking for Beginners

“Jacqueline Friedland creates a host of complex characters in this nuanced, compelling exploration of what it really means to be a family, and why we should maybe think twice before heading to ancestry.com.”
—Laura Hankin, author of Happy & You Know It and A Special Place for Women

USA TODAY‘s Best-Selling Books list ranks the 150 top-selling book titles each week based on sales analysis from U.S. booksellers. Contributors represent a variety of outlets, including bookstore chains, independent bookstores, mass merchandisers and online retailers.