"Her Eyes Underwater"
by Romona Simon

She's an unsuspecting university student. He's a stranger with a dark secret. Will she see past her infatuation before she becomes his next victim? During a chance encounter, Julia Strauss meets a captivating man. She is instantly attracted and pursues him obsessively. What she doesn't know is that behind all the charm, he has a secret agenda. 

Can Julia see beyond the haze of her infatuation before it's too late?

If you enjoy impassioned dark romance-thrillers full of suspense, then Her Eyes Underwater is for you. Set in the vast and pristine wilderness of 1970s Montana, this true-crime-inspired novel is a unique mix that will grab you from the first page. Purchase at https://amzn.to/31cyXbM. 

"Emergency Powers"
by James McCrone 

A ripped-from-the-headlines urgency: a fractious FBI, an undermined Attorney General, corruption, murder, and powerful people using all manner of treachery to maintain their hold on power.

The accidental president is no accident. When the president dies in office, FBI Agent Imogen Trager knows that the conspiracy she chased down a blind alley still has life- and she needs to get back in the hunt. The old case may be the key to stopping a brutal, false- flag terrorist attack meant to finalize the new puppet president's grip on power. Imogen doesn't know it yet, but she's running out of time. Purchase at https://amzn.to/2FtVvft. 

"Boop and Eve's Road Trip"
by Mary Helen Sheriff 

Eve is done - with college, with her mom, with guys, and with her dream of fashion design. But when her best friend goes MIA, Eve must gather the broken threads of her life and search for her.

When Eve's grandmother, Boop, a retiree with Southern charm, finds out about the trip, she hijacks her granddaughter's road trip. Boop knows healing Eve will require a lot. Nevertheless, Boop is frustrated when her efforts yield the same failure that her sulfur-laced sip from the Fountain of Youth wrought on her age. She knows sharing her 60-year secret might lessen Eve's depression - but at what cost? Purchase at https://amzn.to/2JMbncn. 

"Purple Lotus "
by Veena Rao 

Three years after her arranged marriage to tech executive Sanjay, Tara moves to the American South from Mangalore, India. Tara's memories of childhood abandonment and isolation mirror her present life of loneliness and escalating abuse at the hands of her husband.

Constantly pressured by her patriarchal family to make peace with her circumstances, Tara learns to confront the victim-shaming society she was raised within, finding strength, self-worth and support in kind-hearted strangers, new friends and her first love. Purchase at https://amzn.to/3flAv7i. 

NOTE: BookBites is a continuing series bringing readers information and ideas for their next read. For more reading ideas, visit BookTrib.com and subscribe to our weekly newsletter.

"Crepiness is a concern we address with many of our patients," says Dr. Melissa Kanchanapoomi Levin, board-certified New York dermatologist and founder of Entiere Dermatology. Proper exfoliation is key to improving the appearance of skin crepiness, and exfoliation also prepares the skin to receive the maximum benefits from moisturization.

"Exfoliation loosens and removes the top layers of dull dead skin cells and improves the skin's appearance," Dr. Levin says.

"Formulas that contain exfoliating acids, such as glycolic acid and lactic acid in combination with moisturizing ingredients, can be helpful. Since sun damage is the most common cause of crepey skin, wearing daily sunscreen and keeping the skin moisturized is a must," she emphasizes.

To help combat crepiness and foster a smoother, more youthful appearance, look for products that go beyond simply moisturizing, such as the Crepe Control line from StriVectin. The two-step skin care protocol includes Crepe Control Exfoliating Body Scrub and Crepe Control Tightening Body Cream.

- Smooth it Out. Crepe Control Exfoliating Body Scrub combines physical exfoliants such as rice powder with lactic and glycolic acids to help dissolve dead skin cells, promote skin brightening, and restore a softer appearance to the skin.

- Firm it Up. Crepe Control Tightening Body Cream is designed to improve the appearance of crepey skin and reduce the appearance of aging and environmental damage.

The cream includes not only murumuru seed butter as a key moisturizing ingredient, but also tripeptides to improve skin elasticity; caffeine and jojoba seed extract to facilitate firmer skin; and turmeric root extract to promote skin brightness and tone.

The scrub is designed for use on wet skin in the shower two to three times a week. And the cream can be used on areas of concern as often as twice a day.

Visit strivectin.com for more information about skin care and crepe control products.

"What's Not Said"
by Valerie Taylor 

Kirkus calls "What's Not Said" "snappy and contemporary…reads like a fun, romantic comedy despite the heavy subject matter." When Kassie discovers her emotionally abusive husband has chronic kidney disease, her plans to divorce him and move in with a younger man collapse - until she pokes around and realizes his illness is the least of his deceits.

But Kassie is no angel. As she struggles to justify her own indiscretions, their lives collide into a tangled web of sex, lies and DNA. Kassie commits to helping her husband find an organ donor. In the process, she uncovers a life-changing secret, forcing her to decide whose life to save. Purchase at https://amzn.to/2BO096C. 

"Hate's Recompense" 
by Joseph H. Gibson 

President Kahn faces a stiff re-election and moves to usurp the democratic process by executing cyber and bioterrorism attacks on his own country to stay in power. Kahn fabricates a lethal bio attack by Iran, which he plans to execute with the help of an Artificial Intelligence Agent called Athena.

Resistance leaders learn of Kahn's plans - and millions of lives are at stake. They organize an uprising. But as they lose the battle, their only hope is to free the creators of Athena from Kahn's captivity and allow them to reprogram their brainchild to end Kahn's deadly politics. But is the country ready to relinquish control to a machine? Purchase at https://amzn.to/2XhayiK. 

"Rootlines"
by Rikki West 

Rikki and her sister, Linda, had fallen out with one another. They are not speaking when Linda emails that she has lethal abdominal tumors, that her only hope is a total bone marrow replacement. Linda claims Rikki is too old to donate, and explains there's only a slight chance she is a good match - but Rikki refuses to accept that.

Linda's email ignites a wild aspiration in Rikki: She will become the perfect donor, with the most vigorous cells possible. She rises with intent to heal herself, her sister, and their rootlines, the patterns formed in their family of origin that have quietly shaped their lives. The sisters beat the lymphoma - and heal the intertwined roots of their family pain. Purchase at https://amzn.to/2zZgWCu. 

"Kill Chain"
by Dominic Martell 

Years ago, Pascual Rose put his life as a terrorist behind him. He sold out his colleagues for a new identity and low profile in Barcelona. All was quiet until he received a midnight text: Come join us on the terrace.

The stakes are high: if he fails, it will cost him his family; if he succeeds, $1 million will buy a lot more than translation piecework will. But the money-laundering scheme involves a nexus of diverted revenues, shell companies and cryptocurrencies peopled by shadowy benefactors, Russian mobsters, German intelligence agents, and a mysterious woman with a chilling warning: Get out before it's too late. Purchase at https://amzn.to/3ia7P33. 

NOTE: BookBites is a continuing series bringing readers information and ideas for their next read. For more reading ideas, visit BookTrib.com and subscribe to our weekly newsletter.

"Vanishing Girls"
by Lisa Regan 

When beautiful Isabelle Coleman goes missing, everyone in town joins the search. They find no trace of the town's darling, but detective Josie Quinn finds another girl they didn't even know was missing. Mute and unresponsive, it's clear this mysterious girl has been damaged beyond repair. All Josie can get from her is the name of a third girl and a flash of a neon tongue piercing that matches Isabelle's.

The race is on to find Isabelle alive, and Josie fears there may be other girls in terrible danger. Someone in this close-knit town is committing unspeakable crimes. Can Josie catch the killer before another victim loses his or her life? Purchase at https://amzn.to/318BuUk. 

"The Laureate: Mystery in Renaissance Italy"
by Ken Tentarelli 

Called "page-turning and suspenseful," Nico Argenti returns from the university with a law degree. He is eager to begin his career, but instead finds his city of Florence engulfed in turmoil. Power-hungry aristocrats are using the death of Cosimo de Medici as the perfect opportunity to seize control of the Republic.

The Florentine Chancellor recruits Nico to help defeat the conspirators before they can destabilize the government. Nico learns that the conspirators have hired an assassin to eliminate the opposition. He must thwart the plot before the assassin is turned against him. The intrigue is balanced by the warmth of Nico's friends and family. Purchase at https://amzn.to/2Q4XSYd. 

"Silver Wings, Iron Cross"
by Tom Young 

A tense, authentic, and emotionally powerful saga of two enemy combatants - an American pilot and German U-boat officer - united by fate in an epic fight for survival.

Near the end of WWII, when Karl's plane is shot down behind enemy lines, he's forced to make the hardest decision of his life: trusting the enemy. When Wilhelm's U-boat is attacked in an air raid, he abandons ship and finds an unlikely ally: the pilot who bombed him.

They must lie for the other, fight for the other, or die with the other. But their alliance won't be put to the test until they reach the end of the line. Purchase at https://amzn.to/2YcrV4K. 

"Love"
by Casey Rislov 

Love is Casey Rislov's sixth children's book. The award-winning author was inspired to create a board book for babies and toddlers as a way to give them words and pictures to understand the feeling of love.

Love is inspired by the much-loved and well-known passage from the Bible (1 Corinthians 13:4-8): "Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil, but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails." Purchase at https://amzn.to/31aoVYF.

NOTE: BookBites is a continuing series bringing readers information and ideas for their next read. For more reading ideas, visit BookTrib.com and subscribe to our weekly newsletter.

In 1661 Madrid, Ana's young niece Juliana suddenly vanishes. Ana searches the girl's room and finds a diary. After a futile search in Spain, she comes to Juliana's final entries, and, discovering the horrifying reason for the girl's flight, abandons her search.

In 1992 Missouri, in her deceased mother's home, Rachel finds a diary by a woman named Juliana. Rachel recognizes the names Ana and Juliana: her mother uttered them on her deathbed. As she learns the truth about Juliana's tragic family history, Rachel seeks to understand her connection to the writings - hoping that in finding those answers, she will heal the wounds caused by her mother's lifelong reticence. Purchase at https://amzn.to/2Rajwv8. 

"The Best Part of Us"
by Sally Cole-Misch

Beth cherished her childhood family summers on a pristine northern Canadian lake. Theirs was an unshakeable bond with nature, family, and friends. But that bond was torn apart, first as rights to their island were questioned and then by nature itself, and the family was forced to leave.

Fourteen years later, Beth has created a new life in urban Chicago. There, she's erected a barrier between the past and present, no matter how much it costs - until her grandfather asks her to return to the island to determine its fate. Will she choose to preserve whom she has become, or risk everything to discover if what was lost still remains? Purchase at https://amzn.to/2wTaSuh. 

"A Wife in Bangkok"
by Iris Mitlin Lav

Crystal's husband, Brian, is being sent to manage his company's Bangkok office and he expects her and their children to come along. She reluctantly acquiesces. She doesn't want to leave everything familiar in their small Oklahoma town; it's 1975, however, and Crystal, a woman with traditional values, feels she has to be a good wife.

Crystal finds beauty in Thailand, but also isolation and betrayal. Fighting intense loneliness and buffeted by a series of shocking events, she struggles to adapt to a different culture and battle a severe depression and, ultimately, decide whether her broken relationship with her husband is worth saving. Purchase at https://amzn.to/2XFh9mE. 

"A Place Called Zamora"
by LB Gschwandtner

Niko and El are trapped in a politically corrupt dystopian city where brutality rules. After winning a cynical race where only one rider can survive, Niko tosses aside his chance to join the city's corrupt inner circle by choosing lovely El as his prize - thus upsetting the ruling order and placing them both in danger.

With the Regime hunting them and the children of the city fomenting a guerrilla revolt, they attempt a daring escape to the possibly mythical utopia of Zamora. But as events unfold, the stirrings of love El once felt for Niko begin to morph into mistrust. If they reach Zamora, will Niko ever claim his secret birthright? And what will the future hold if he loses El? Purchase at https://amzn.to/2Aovg7z. 

NOTE: BookBites is a continuing series, bringing readers information and ideas for their next read. For more reading ideas, visit BookTrib.com and subscribe to our weekly newsletter.

Even during the COVID-19 era, falls remain the leading cause of fatal and non-fatal injuries for older adults. Falls can significantly impact an older adult's quality of life. A fall can cause older persons to become socially isolated or fearful of leaving home and can lead to costly medical expenses.

One important first step toward staying safe is learning what aspects of your life can put you at greater risk of falling. The National Council on Aging (NCOA), a trusted national leader working to ensure that every person can age well, has created a free online survey to help you identify your falls risks - and offers practical steps to address them.

It's called the Falls Free CheckUp, and it's being launched as part of NCOA's annual Falls Prevention Awareness Week, Sept. 21-25.

"We want older adults to be their own agents of change in ensuring they age well," says Kathleen Cameron, senior director of NCOA's Center for Healthy Aging. "The Falls Free CheckUp provides an easy-to-use and confidential screen of falls risks as a first step in preventing falls. NCOA also offers practical and proven ways to address those risks."

The Falls Free CheckUp is available in both English and Spanish. It features 12 statements about reasons that are known to increase falls risk. Older adults answer yes or no to each statement and then see an explanation of why that reason matters. For example, "Sometimes I feel unsteady when I am walking," is followed by the statement: "Unsteadiness or needing support while walking are signs of poor balance."

After completing the self-directed survey, older adults receive a personalized risk score, along with practical steps they can take to prevent falls. They can share this information with their caregivers and health care providers to discuss how to reduce their falls risk and take action.

Next steps could include better use of a cane or walker, adjusting medications, getting a hearing or eye checkup, or adding strength and balance exercises with a doctor's approval.

In addition to launching the Falls Free CheckUp, NCOA will be hosting free English (Sept. 23 at 6:30 pm EST) and Spanish (Sept. 24 at 6:30 pm EST) Facebook Live events during Fall Prevention Awareness Week to highlight this important health topic.

For more information, visit www.ncoa.org/FallsWeek.

The Botanic Garden collection from Portmeirion brings vibrant color and traditional British charm to any table. The collection, designed by Susan Williams-Ellis in 1972, is based on early-19th-century floral illustrations. The realistic flowers are accented with butterflies and dragonflies and bordered with the iconic triple leaf design.

The Botanic Garden Collection allows you to create your own garden table with more than 23 floral motifs highlighted in the 30-piece dinnerware set. The set offers service for six, and includes six of each dinner plate, side plate, cereal bowl, pasta bowl, and tankard mug. Each piece has multiple uses; the side plate is ideal for appetizers, snacks, or desserts, and the cereal bowls work for ice cream or salad. The pasta bowl is perfect not only for pasta, but for soup or salad as well.

Each piece is made with care and attention, passing through 22 hands in the Portmeirion factory in Stoke-on-Trent, England, which is considered the birthplace of English pottery.

The Botanic Garden tableware is designed for everyday living. The items are dishwasher, microwave, freezer, and oven safe to provide maximum flexibility in meal preparation, cooking, and cleanup.

Here are a few tips to get the most from your tableware:

* Tableware items such as plates, bowls, and mugs can be placed in a warm oven (225 degrees Fahrenheit or lower), but should not be used for cooking.

* Cookware items including roasters, casseroles, and ramekins are designed to be used for cooking up to temperatures of 425 degrees Fahrenheit.

* When microwaving, "remember that ceramics will pick up some of the heat created in the microwave, so use care in holding handles or picking up plates," according to the company's website.

* Cleaning is easy in the dishwasher; the company recommends liquid detergents instead of the powdered variety to help preserve the design and color.

For more information about the Botanic Garden collection, visit Buybotanicgarden.com

To raise awareness and promote the value of financial planning for everyone, the Financial Planning Standards Board (FPSB) is hosting the fourth annual World Financial Planning Day on October 7.

The FPSB Network represents nearly 190,000 certified financial planning professionals across 27 territories worldwide, and the World Financial Planning Day activities include a range of programs and events to educate consumers about improving their financial status and developing a plan to stay on track.

"As we continue to deal with a global pandemic, more people are feeling life and financial stress, looking to an uncertain future while dealing with a volatile present," according to Noel Maye, CEO of FPSB.

"Recognizing that the pandemic requires near-term adjustments which might overshadow long-term plans, our global campaign theme - Live Your Today. Plan Your Tomorrow - demonstrates how financial planning can help us make financial decisions that keep us on track for the future we envision," he emphasizes.

A key goal of World Financial Planning Day is to improve financial literacy across all populations, according to the FPSB.

Data from S&P Global suggest that only about one third of adults worldwide are financially literate, particularly women and young adults. Programs and events include topics for a range of life stages such as strategies for saving, debt management, home ownership, and retirement planning.

World Financial Planning Day also includes a video contest to encourage consumers to explore financial planning. To enter, participants submit a video of 30 seconds or less on the World Financial Planning Day website, worldfpday.org, with an answer to the question, "How could meeting with a CFP® professional help you plan your tomorrow?" Five entrants will win a session with a local CFP, plus $1,000 to be used to pay off debt, save for education, prepare for retirement, or put towards other financial goals. Entrants must be 18 years of age or older, and reside in an FPSB affiliate territory.

In addition, World Financial Planning Day includes a live global event for financial professionals on the topic of The Future of Financial Planning in the New Normal.

Visit worldfpday.org for more information and resources, and to find a certified financial planner near you.

You can participate in World Financial Planning Day on social media using by using the hashtag #WFPD2020 on Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn.

A dying wish. A secret world. Can this grieving investigator stay on the right track? PI Kelly Pruett is determined to make it on her own. It's a good sign when a letter left by her late father at his detective agency ties into an unsolved case of a young woman struck by a train.

Hunting down the person who can prove the mysterious death was not just a drunken accident. Kelly discovers this witness is in no condition to talk. And the closer she gets to the truth, the longer her list of sleazy suspects with murderous motives grows.

Can Kelly pinpoint the murderer? Purchase at https://amzn.to/30gAIE1. 

"Boats Against the Current"
by Richard Webb 

The Great Gatsby may be one of America's essential novels. Boats Against the Current is essential for anyone who has read the book and wondered at the fantastical world whose story it tells. Scott and Zelda Fitzgerald honeymooned for five months in the summer of 1920 in a modest house in Westport, CT, living a wild life of drinking, driving and endless partying after being kicked out of New York's finest hotels.

Boats Against the Current tells the real story behind the famous novel and its tragic hero, and debunks many long-held beliefs. Purchase at https://amzn.to/2D70Fxd.

"The Vessels"
by Anna Elias 

What if you could help those who've passed on to get a second chance - but at the risk of your own life? Four broken strangers volunteer to become the first humans to join the international Vessels program. Their bodies will host the Spirits who seek to right past wrongs.

Disguised inside a homeless shelter, the program is facilitated by a retired Army officer, former ER doctor, and tech-savvy teen who tracks the Spirits merged with their Vessels through an ancient ritual. The Vessels have seven days to succeed. But when the vengeful spirit of a serial killer enters one of them, they learn not all Spirits are here for redemption. Purchase at https://amzn.to/3hY2hrI. 

"Between These Walls"
by Michael Newman 

In the dying days of WW II, U.S. Army Medical Corps Colonel Samuel Singer comes upon the shot-up wreck of an SS Staff car, with a badly injured driver, nearby a dead German Army officer carrying the ID of a Nazi war criminal, and a young blonde woman, also dead in the back seat.

Forty years later, Daniel Singer, adopted son of Colonel Singer, receives a mysterious package from West Berlin. Daniel's quest to learn about its contents leads him on a voyage of discovery about his own roots. He unlocks the secrets of three families through tumultuous times and will be faced with a life-altering choice and the opportunity to right the most heinous of wrongs. Purchase at https://amzn.to/2DenoYt. 

NOTE: For more reading ideas, visit BookTrib.com.

"Ballast Point Breakdown"
by Corey Lynn Fayman 

A speedboat hurtles across San Diego Bay and crashes into the Admiral's Club, where a farewell party for the Navy's top-secret Dolphin Divers program is underway. As guests flee the ensuing fire, a woman named Janis Withers crawls from the inferno and screams her last words - "Arion has returned!"

Eccentric guitar-playing private detective Rolly Waters is pulled into the case when he connects Janis to a pair of dog tags left behind by Butch Fleetwood, a member of the Dolphin Divers who disappeared 20 years earlier. As Rolly races against the authorities to uncover Arion's true identity, his investigation begins to reverberate with his own painful history. Purchase at https://amzn.to/2EzNW6x. 

"Jersig"
by J.B. Whitehouse 

Quentin Dettweiler is a young man living a sordid, robotic life. Directionless and achingly comfortable in a complacency beckoning him to dive in, Q is on the edge when he encounters a man unlike any other: Jersig.

Jersig is a man with airs about him who seems to hold the key to the secrets of life. A wealthy, "self-made" Californian who prides himself on being able to spot talent hidden below the surface, Jersig sees something in Q that piques his interest. As a friendship is forged, Q actualizes what he believed always to be true: he possesses greatness inside him. Perhaps Jersig holds the key to the secrets of life ... or perhaps potentially dangerous ones. Buy at https://amzn.to/30htIHb. 

"The Edge of Belonging"
by Amanda Cox 

"A beautiful story about broken people coming together to find healing." When Ivy Rose returns to her hometown to oversee an estate sale, she discovers her grandmother left behind more than trinkets - she provided a path to the truth behind Ivy's adoption. Shocked, Ivy seeks clues to her past, but a key piece is missing.

Twenty-four years earlier, Harvey James finds an abandoned newborn who gives him a sense of human connection. His desire to care for the baby is complicated by the fact that he is homeless. In this dual-time story, the truth takes center stage as Ivy and Harvey grapple with love, loss, and letting go. Purchase at https://amzn.to/2CZ2IDE. 

"Life is Big"
by Kiki Denis 

"This innovative and witty novel will delight logophiles and puzzle-solvers," says Publishers Weekly. Alma-Jane, a happy 11-year-old girl, is about to die due to a rare mutation. Ayrton, Alma-Jane's older brother and a math prodigy, declares war against Death, and leaves New York for Oxford, UK, to examine Albert Einstein's brain.

Meanwhile, Death and his brother, O.M. (Obituary Man), are in need of a short vacation. At the heart of all this, a motley crew of "Minor & Major Immortals" mingle. What connects them is the belief that "wise-thinking" leads to a longer and happier future, and that it's the only way to guarantee a "Life bigger than Death." Purchase at https://amzn.to/3hUigqZ.

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