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THE MARRIAGE BED, Tommy Hays

A freak accident comes on the heels of a startling revelation—laying bare the foundation of a marriage, and a husband is left to grapple with the aftermath.

A poetry professor at a small college in Asheville, NC, Asa Flowers, comes home one stormy evening to find his wife Betsy inexplicably distraught. As the evening goes on, the couple end up in a heated argument that sends Asa to sleep out in their garage apartment for the first time in  twenty-five years of marriage. The next morning, he wakes to blue sky and an altered world.

Unfolding over a few tense weeks and told from multiple points of view, The Marriage Bed (Blair, March 2026)  explores how a tragedy can assume as many shapes as the people it touches. Asa finds himself reckoning with torn feelings about his marriage and confusion about how to proceed in his complicated relationships with his adult children. As he gradually absorbs revelations—so much he didn’t know or understand during his long marriage—he finds himself drawn uneasily toward a new world, one in which he must shed much of his old identity if he is to survive, and more important, rededicate himself to being a father.

Review

“In The Marriage Bed, truths long hidden are revealed, not only in Asa, the grieving husband, but others affected by the tragedy at the novel’s center. All are fully human in their flaws and strengths, including characters a lesser writer would depict as mere stereotypes. The Marriage Bed is an exceptional novel—perfectly paced, riveting, unrelentingly honest and wise in its depiction of what William Faulkner called ‘the human heart in conflict with itself.’ A remarkable achievement.”—Ron Rash, author of Serena and The Caretaker

“What a terrific novel this is. With scrupulous and warm honesty, it traces the intricacies of loyalty and betrayal in a long and loving marriage—and the shocks of life in a mortal body. A beautifully accurate book, with its own astute surprises.”—Joan Silber, author of Improvement, Winner of the National Book Critics Circle Award

“Tommy Hays has long been one of my favorite writers working today, and The Marriage Bed only deepens my love for his fiction. No one can tell the stories of old love and young love and the inherent complications of both as well as Hays, and there’s certainly no one who can tell them more poignantly.”—Wiley Cash, author of A Land More Kind Than Home and The Last Ballad

“Tommy Hays draws you into his fictional worlds like no other writer I know. In The Marriage Bed, Hays’s most powerful novel yet, a freak accident shatters lives in all directions, exposing hidden fault lines. But the miracle of Hays’s writing lies not in his description of the disaster—though the description is heart-stopping—but in the way he unearths a longing for connection from its ruins. Tommy Hays looks at our world with all its sense of shame and betrayal and wild hope and shows us how to love it. The Marriage Bed is a triumph.”—Abigail DeWitt, author of News of Our Loved Ones

“Tommy Hays has crafted a thoughtful novel that takes on troubling matters with his characteristic warmth and wit. The Marriage Bed is both heart-rending and life-affirming and treats all its characters with TLC. And it’s a page-turner, too! This story is quality fiction from a quality author, and a true pleasure to read.”—Therese Fowler, author of Z: A Novel of Zelda Fitzgerald

“Tommy Hays’s beautiful novel slyly leads us down circular tunnels and interstices of a family’s private life, where secrets lie waiting to erupt after tragedy hits. Asa Flowers has lost his wife in a freak accident and in his struggle to escape marital betrayal, personal failures, and misgivings as a parent, finds himself drifting down a kind of modern River Styx—where Asa’s adult son and daughter—at turns fierce and tender in their own grief—intercept and steer their father and themselves back toward the light.”—Jessica Keener, author of Strangers in Budapest

“Happy families are all alike—until misfortune strikes, things fall apart, and a story gets going. And what a story this is! Beautifully written, The Marriage Bed engages the reader’s interest on every page as this once-happy family navigates toward a new order.”—Josephine Humphreys, author of Rich in Love and Nowhere Else on Earth

About the Author

Tommy Hays is an acclaimed Southern writer, whose fiction grows out of his emotional connections to places he’s lived and known—Greenville, South Carolina; Asheville, North Carolina; and Atlanta. His novels are The Pleasure Was Mine (St. Martin’s Press 2005), In the Family Way (Random House, 1999), Sam’s Crossing (Atheneum 1992), and YA novel What I Came to Tell You (Egmont, USA 2013). He has published stories, profiles and book reviews in magazines, newspapers and literary journals such as Redbook, Our State, The Atlanta Constitution, The Charlotte Observer, Smoky Mountain Living, Still:  The Journal, The Chattahoochee Review, and storySouth. The winner of many literary awards, he is founder and former Executive Director of the Great Smokies Writing Program, UNC Asheville’s community writing program as well as Lecturer Emeritus in the Master of Liberal Arts program. He is based in Asheville, NC.

BENJAMIN, Ben H. Winters

IN ONE L.A. MOTEL ROOM, A COSMIC QUEST IS ABOUT TO BEGIN . . .

More than just a writer, more than just a science-fiction icon, Benjamin J. Carp was a cultural revolutionary. Over the course of 44 novels and hundreds of short stories—including the counterculture classic The Man They Couldn’t Erase—Carp pushed the boundaries of literary respectability for the sci-fi genre and his readers’ perception of reality itself . . . until decades of amphetamine abuse and Southern California excess finally ended a mind-bending career that always just escaped mainstream success. He died in 1982.

Until 2025 . . . when Benjamin J. Carp awakens, alive, in a burned-out motel on the fringes of Los Angeles. He remembers dying. He knows he shouldn’t exist. Is he a dream? A robot? A ghost? A clone? A simulation? In his own time, Carp pondered all of these scenarios through his fiction—and now, as he treks from Studio City to Venice Beach and onward into the paranoid sprawl of 21st-century Los Angeles, he will be called to investigate his greatest mystery yet: himself.

From Edgar Award nominee and Philip K. Dick Award winner Ben H. Winters (EC’s Cruel Universe, The Last Policeman trilogy) and rising star Leomacs (EC’s Epitaphs from the Abyss, Ghostlore) comes a uniquely fascinating and hilariously deranged excursion into the metatextual nexus where existence and oblivion, past and future, genius and madness, and glitter and grim reality all meet just beyond Hollywood Boulevard.  BENJAMIN was released by Oni Press in March 2026.

“Benjamin is cosmically brilliant. You have never been on a trip like this.” — Lev Grossman (The Magicians, The Bright Sword)

“A thoughtful and humorous psychedelic science-fiction romp, elevated by Winters’s sharp characterization. Recommended for readers interested in metafictional tales about the cost of artistic ambition.” ― Library Journal

“The premise is original and their various adventures are fascinating… Artist Leomacs certainly elevates the piece with perfectly tone-matched artwork in a vibrant palette and dynamic page layouts… An engaging, entertaining journey, especially for fans of classic sci-fi.” ― BOOKLIST

“A sci-fi mind-bender… For fans of cerebral high-concept science fiction, this series is quickly becoming essential reading. It is a true standout among the many latest comic releases… A must-read story. ― Comic Book Addicts

“[Benjamin‘s] got heart, laughs, and enough of that classic pulp fiction to easily keep readers around.” ― Comics Beat

“A vivid, thought-provoking debut that explores identity, friendship, and sci-fi legacy with a surreal wink and stellar artwork… Leomacs is putting in his best work yet. Known for his incredible horror books like Basketful of Heads, the art is highly detailed, expressive, and beautifully colored by Luca Bertele. … It’s safe to say comics like this don’t come around very often, and publishers like Oni Press are the scant few who would publish it.” ― AIPT

“Expect the unexpected is an understatement with Benjamin. Winters crafts a tale of defiance and delusion via the mind of Benjamin J. Carp. Leomacs, Bertelè and Carey give readers multiple exciting visions of an ever-evolving world. Buckle in for what is sure to be a one-of-a-kind experience.” ― Nerd Initiative

“The interior work [is] as close to the label of ‘masterpiece’ as possible in terms of quality.” ― Comicon.com

About the Author

Ben H. Winters is the New York Times best-selling, Edgar Award–winning, and Philip K. Dick Award–winning author of Big Time, The Quiet Boy, Golden State, Underground Airlines, the Last Policeman trilogy, and the mash-up novel Sense and Sensibility and Sea Monsters. Ben has also worked extensively in television. He is the creator of the smash-hit CBS show TRACKER and has served as a writer/producer on the FX cult hit Legion as well as Manhunt on Apple TV+, and he is the creator of the upcoming CBS drama Tracker. He lives in Los Angeles with his wife, three kids, and one large dog.

Leomacs is an Italian comic book artist based in Rome, Italy. In Italy, Leomacs has worked extensively for Sergio Bonelli Editore drawing Tex and Dylan Dog. For DC Comics, he has recently collaborated on Lucifer and the seven-part Hill House Comics thriller Basketful of Heads written by Joe Hill. He has drawn the French graphic novel The Invisible Mountain, written by Pierre Makyo and Frédéric Richaud, published by Delcourt. Leomacs and Riccardo La Bella collaborated on the graphic novel Apprendre à maîtriser son destin, Mémoire Vive written by Pierre Makyo for Glénat édition. Leomacs has collaborated as a storyboard artist with Colingwood & Co. for the animated series Horrid Henry. He has also realized storyboards and animated sequences for the film Nessuno mi troverá directed by Egidio Eronico.

BEYOND THE FRONT DOOR: Embracing Nature for a Happier and Healthier Family, Josee Bergeron

Bring your family together by taking them back to nature, wherever you are, with fun, creative activities and adventures.

Whether you live in a big city, in the suburbs, or out in the country, Josée Bergeron helps you find creative and simple ways to bring the rhythm of nature into your daily routine. Her new book, BEYOND THE FRONT DOOR: Embracing Nature for a Happier and Healthier Family (Morehead, February 2026) is an essential for parents of young children. Following the four seasons, she offers unique ways to bring your family closer to the outdoors, helping you enjoy time together and engage with the world around you. Bergeron encourages you to feel at home in nature, and she offers practical, fun ideas for connecting with it through curiosity and relatability. You can incorporate cultural traditions into your interactions with nature and honor the inherent qualities of the land you live on. Whether it’s welcoming spring by weaving a wildflower crown, celebrating summer by building a bug hotel, appreciating autumn by preserving leaves in beeswax, or creating a magical ice wreath in winter, you will learn how to embrace nature’s seasons and be more in tune with each other and your community.

“Beyond the Front Door is your cue to ditch the guilt, grab the kids, and head outside – no fancy gear or flawless plans required. Blending heartfelt storytelling, research, and Indigenous wisdom, Josée Bergeron offers creative ways to reconnect with nature and each other in every season, rain or shine. Refreshingly honest and judgment-free, it’s the parenting guide you’ve been waiting for.”  ― Linda Åkeson McGurk, author of There’s No Such Thing as Bad Weather and The Open-Air Life

“Beyond the Front Door stopped me in my tracks, made me think, cry, reconsider my choices, and take action to give my family more of the wild life they deserve. The book is honest, insightful, useful, readable, and relatable. This book is like a joyful, playful, practical friend, opening the door, taking us by the hand, and leading us back into the world.” ― John Muir Laws, Nature Stewardship through Science, Education, and Art, author of The Laws Guide to Nature Drawing and Journaling

“Children develop a love of nature not by looking at it, nor by walking through it, and certainly not by being lectured about it. They develop a love of nature by playing in it and with it. Josée Bergeron has provided us with a wonderful guide for enabling, encouraging, and enriching such play.” ― Peter Gray, Research Professor of Psychology and Neuroscience and author of Free to Learn

“This book is part rally cry, part plea, and all a big warm hug. It doesn’t matter if you’re a huge outdoor enthusiast or a person who thinks nature just isn’t your scene, there’s something for you in this book. Josée crafts her personal parenting struggles with science and data to pull us all towards nature and being outside more. She calls nature her co-parent and I think every parent needs to hear and embrace this. If you struggle with getting outside, she outlines baby steps to do as well as crafts and recipes to lure your children back to the land. This book is both a treasure and a must-read.”  Jamie Glowacki, author of Oh Crap! Potting Training

“Beyond [offering] a primer on getting outdoors, Josée has tapped into her deep bond with Mother Nature and given us a verdant path through the forest of modern parenting.”― Nicolette Sowder, author of Wilder Child

Josée Bergeron is the founder of Backwoods Mama and an outdoor-family educator who helps families get outside with confidence year-round. She has a Bachelor of Science in Nursing from the University of British Columbia and a Creative Writing Certificate from The Writer’s Studio at Simon Fraser University. She is Red River Métis and lives with her family in Kelowna, British Columbia.

THE GREEN SAHARA: Regaining Paradise in the Face of Climate Change, John Gaudet

A thoughtful exploration of how the Sahara Desert can be returned to its former glory as a green paradise while actively combating climate change. A green Sahara is something the world has not seen since 10,000 BC when the Sahara was a wet, lush region. By 3,000 BC though the climate changed, the rains stopped, and the ancient green Sahara dried into today’s desert. It was the victim of a phenomenon that reminds us today of global climate warming. But what if we could reverse the desertification of the Sahara, and bring back the green paradise of days passed? In THE GREEN SAHARA: Regaining Paradise in the Face of Climate Change (Bloomsbury, February 2026), John Gaudet explores the process by which climate change in ancient times converted a green paradise into an arid desert land, highlighting parallels to what is happening in our time. But he also illuminates how an intense effort to create green energy is being made by several Saharan countries to build and operate enormous solar and wind farms. As a result, a wave of green energy generated in the Sahara, the largest desert on earth, is about to swamp the world, and could lead to a regreening of the Sahara Desert. If a new green Sahara happens, how will the world benefit? Covering just 20% of the Sahara Desert with wind turbines and solar panels would generate almost five times more energy than is currently needed worldwide. Gaudet highlights further benefits of deploying climate technology to the desert such as sequestering large amounts of carbon from the atmosphere and eliminating negative health and ecosystem effects felt worldwide from desert dust. Gaudet’s manifesto demonstrates how, in this fascinating case, climate change induced by man actually has the power to save the world and restore a beautiful piece of ancient history.

“A compelling case for making the world’s largest desert lush.” ―Kirkus Reviews

“The Green Sahara is an entertaining and enlightening account of the Sahara as it went from a vast, verdant home to magnificent flora and fauna and human civilizations to the largest desert in the world, and of how innovative individuals not only coped with the Sahara’s desertification but came up with ideas to regreen it. Nearly every chapter tells of surprising discoveries, including how the green Sahara and its people affected Egyptian civilization and mythology, how the Sahara desert’s dust storms affect weather, people’s health, and agricultural productivity in the America’s, and how lessons gained from coping with desertification have world-wide relevance in dealing with the challenges of climatic changes.” ―Michael McGahuey, former natural resources management specialist, USAID, CARE (Chad) and the US Peace Corps (Niger)

“This book is what everyone working to solve the problem of climate change-from climate advocates to researchers to policy makers-needs right now: an optimistic inquiry into a potential solution, grounded in a data-backed, actionable vision and a genuine love for the people, places, and ecologies at stake. Gaudet’s enthusiasm for the Sahara, and the possibility of making it green once again, shines through on every page, making his well-researched offering an easy and enjoyable read.” ―Rebecca Pryor, executive director, Guardians of Flushing Bay

“The African continent has a unique place in human history. Gaudet shows here how it could also play an integral part in our future. The Green Sahara, released posthumously, provides a valuable insight into the management and conservation of aquatic resources, particularly in the context of human-induced changes and today’s environmental challenges. It is a must-read for anyone interested in the impact of climate change and how, even now, we could still make a difference.” ―Dean Allen, PhD, author and historian

“Instead of viewing the Sahara as forever desolate and forbidding, Gaudet inspires us to appreciate it as a source of hope for a greener future for all of us. Gaudet helped me learn that the Sahara can become green once again, not so much from huge infrastructure investments that have often failed, but from the people who actually live in the region-the innovators and adapters who know their land best and have already made impressive gains.” ―Andrew Sisson, professor of the practice, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

About the Author

John Gaudet, PhD, was a Fulbright Scholar who spent 17 years in Africa, first teaching at various universities and then as an environmental officer. He is the author of Papyrus and Pharaoh’s Treasure. His writing also appeared in National Geographic, The Washington Post, Salon, and HuffPost, among other publications.

LET’S TALK ABOUT MONEY: Low-Conflict Conversations About Money for Couples, Terry Gaspard

What if the biggest threat to your relationship isn’t infidelity, but instead is your next credit card bill? You can stop arguing and learn how to talk about money.
Disagreements about money can quietly erode trust and connection in a relationship, often becoming a major source of stress and even separation. When partners bring different histories, attitudes, and beliefs about money to the table, conflict can escalate quickly. If couples stay stuck in an “us against each other” mindset instead of shifting to “us against the problem,” tension can become chronic. Author, Terry Gaspard shows readers how to break this cycle by teaching practical strategies for having calm, constructive conversations about finances. Her approach helps partners communicate effectively, reduce conflict, and build a stronger, more harmonious relationship.

LET’S TALK ABOUT MONEY: Low Conflict Conversations About Money for Couples (Bloomsbury, January 2026) in a rare guide to financial issues for partners written by a psychologist, not a financial planner.  It’s focus is on communication.

Reviews

“Let’s Talk about Money is a well-researched and needed guidebook for couples, more than half of whom consider themselves financially incompatible. Money problems often lead to breakups and divorce. Talking about money is laden with negative emotions and beliefs. Terry’s newest book will help couples overcome these obstacles, learn to understand themselves and each other, and better communicate about managing money.” ―Darlene Lancer, LMFT, Author of Codependency for Dummies; Dating, Loving, and Leaving a Narcissist, and Conquering Shame and Codependency

“If you’re putting off talking about money, I guarantee it’s because you know that you have different attitudes about finances and that’s going to end in recriminations, upset and strife. But you’re not alone, most couples fall into the ‘spender’ and ‘saver’ dynamic and it’s easy to think there is no middle ground. Fortunately, Terry Gaspard has lots of practical tools from her years working with couples which will help you find an ‘us against the problem’ mindset.” ―Andrew G. Marshall, Marital therapist, author of I Love You But I’m Not In Love With You, and host of “The Meaningful Life” podcast

“Let’s Talk about Money is a practical, well written book that gives couples the tools they need to have lower conflict and less tension about money. Financial issues can take a toll on relationships and money is one of the leading sources of arguments among couples. Using examples from interviews, Terry Gaspard helps couples learn to communicate more effectively and troubleshoot the challenges of finances. I highly recommend it!” ―Dr. Terri Orbuch (PhD), Distinguished Professor, Therapist, and author of 5 Simple Steps to Take Your Marriage from Good to Great

“As a couples therapist, I know firsthand how often money becomes the silent third partner in a relationship-shaping choices, fueling arguments, and straining intimacy. In Let’s Talk About Money, Terry Gaspard brings compassion, clinical wisdom, and practical strategies to one of the most emotionally charged topics couples face. With relatable stories, clear tools, and a deep understanding of the beliefs and histories that drive financial conflict, this book helps partners move from blame and avoidance to collaboration and trust. Whether you’re struggling with debt, different spending styles, or simply avoiding money talks altogether, this book is an invaluable guide to building financial intimacy and strengthening your relationship. Every couple should read it.” ―Joshua Coleman, PhD, Psychologist and author of Rules of Estrangement: Why Adult Children Cut Ties and How to Heal the Conflict

“You can hire a financial advisor and you can seek marriage therapy. But getting effective financial guidance from an expert who truly “gets” why couples argue about money, and what they can do to break free of hurtful, dysfunctional fights, now this is a Godsend! As someone who has specialized in working with couples on the brink for decades, I can vouch for the fact that disagreements about finances are one of the leading causes of divorce. This book will help you and your mate find money solutions that work for both of you. Want some financial advice? Invest in this book.” ―Michele Weiner-Davis, Author of Healing from Infidelity: Sanity-Saving, Expert Advice for Ending the Affair’s Grip on Your Marriage NOW!

Terry Gaspard, MSW, LICSW, is a therapist in private practice and a popular blogger at gottman.com, the website for John Gottman’s institute. Gaspard is the coauthor, with her daughter, of the highly praised Daughters of Divorce. Gaspard is also a regular contributor to patheos.com, marriage.com, The Good Men Project, and other outlets. She lives in Rhode Island with her second husband and can be found online at movingpastdivorce.com. For more: https://movingpastdivorce.com/lets-talk-about-money/

Here are links to order:

Order on Amazon:
Link from the publisher, Bloomsbury:

 

Publishers Weekly Celebrates Princeton University Press “Ancient Wisdom for Modern Times” Series

Thanks to Rob Tempio, editor extraordinaire, who first acquired Philip Freeman’s HOW TO WIN AN ELECTION, launching a series of gems from the great ancient philosophers in small precious volumes in translation with commentary. Thanks to Philip’s concept and Rob’s visionary packaging, the series now includes scores of books in beautiful hard cases that have been distributed and translated all over the world. Philip has gone on to contribute a number of books for the series, including HOW TO THINK ABOUT GOD, HOW TO BE A FRIEND, HOW TO COPE, and HOW TO TELL A STORY.  Agency client M.D. Usher has also written for the series, including HOW TO BE A FARMER and HOW TO CARE ABOUT ANIMALS.

Ancient Words for Wising Up Now

HOW TO COPE: An Ancient Guide to Enduring Hardship, Boethius, Philip Freeman Editor & Translator

A vivid and accessible new translation of essential selections from Boethius’s Consolation of Philosophy—a moving classic about facing life’s worst events with courage and hope–HOW TO COPE: An Ancient Guide to Enduring Hardship, Boethius, Philip Freeman Editor (Ancient Wisdom for Modern Readers, Princeton University Press, September 2025)

What do you do when your life has fallen apart? Fifteen hundred years ago, a Roman nobleman named Boethius (ca. 480–524 CE) asked this question as he was sitting in a prison cell waiting to die, accused—probably unjustly—of treason. Boethius had been a rich and powerful man with all a person could want in life, but now he had lost everything. Shaken, he wondered how such terrible misfortune could have happened to him and why life was so unfair. When Philosophy herself appears in his cell and confronts Boethius, the conversation that follows between the two on the nature of evil and why humans suffer is as powerful and inspiring today as it was to its first readers. In How to Cope, Philip Freeman presents a lively modern translation of essential selections from Boethius’s classic, complete with an introduction and the original Latin on facing pages.

This translation vividly captures Boethius’s journey from bitterness and anger to reconciliation and peace, showing how ancient philosophy, especially Stoicism, can help readers deal with adversity in their own lives. The book reveals the qualities that have made The Consolation of Philosophy one of the most popular and influential works of classical and world literature, and an inspiration to countless writers, including Thomas Aquinas, Dante, and Chaucer.

“Wisdom for the ages. . . . [and] a clear introduction to a way of finding faith in cosmic concord during times of strife.” ― Kirkus Reviews

“A very welcome new selection of a philosophical must-read in an excellent new English translation. Gentle and amazingly relevant today, this is a handy volume to keep by the bedside.”—Tom Hodgkinson, founder and editor of The Idler

“It is commonplace to say that philosophy is one of the most useless of human activities. This new translation of Boethius by Philip Freeman gives the lie to such nonsense. Read it, reflect on it, practice it. It will change your life for the better.”—Massimo Pigliucci, author of How to Be a Stoic: Using Ancient Philosophy to Live a Modern Life

Philip Freeman earned his PhD at Harvard University and has taught at colleges and universities in the US. He has written over thirty books on ancient and medieval history and literature. His books have been reviewed in the New York Times, Wall Street Journal, and other national publications.