Bywater Books is pleased to announce that three of our titles have been selected as finalists for the 29th Annual Lambda Literary Awards.
Bury Me When I’m Dead by Cheryl A. Head, Finalist Lesbian Mystery
Charlene “Charlie” Mack is a PI in Detroit. Born and raised in the city that America forgot, Charlie has built a highly respected private investigations firm through hard work, smart choices, and relentless ambition. Her team of investigators are highly skilled and trustworthy, but she secretly struggles with her sexual orientation and a mother with early-onset Alzheimer’s. When Charlie and her crack team head to Birmingham, Alabama following the trail of a missing person, what should be a routine case turns into a complex chase for answers. Shady locals and a southern patriarch with dark secrets dating back forty years obscure their path. It seems like everyone has something to hide, including Charlie. When the case turns deadly with a double murder, and Charlie is attacked on a quiet neighborhood street, everything suddenly becomes personal. Who can Charlie trust, and will she ever solve the riddles of the Magic City?
This is the first time Cheryl A. Head has been named a finalist for the Lambda Literary Award for Lesbian Mystery.
Perfect Pairing by Rachel Spangler, Finalist Lesbian Romance
“Spangler’s complex and likeable characters had me laughing out loud!”—Diane Gaidry, film and theatre actress
Hal Orion is an accomplished chef and food truck owner. She loves her life, her longtime sous chef and best friend, and the food she shares with the residents of her beloved city of Buffalo. Her life is exactly how she wants it: no strings, no commitments, and no roots—just great grilled cheese and a whole lot of freedom on the side.
Quinn Banning is an investment banker, and the dividend she seeks is a resurgence of the once-great city of Buffalo. Putting together her next business venture, she recognizes Hal’s talent and charm as necessary assets for success—her good looks don’t hurt, either. But Hal’s transient ways are in direct opposition to the stability Quinn craves. Relying on their shared love of Buffalo, Quinn makes Hal an offer she can’t refuse—a restaurant under her own name, complete creative control, and secure financial backing. It’s every chef’s dream. But Hal utters the one word Quinn can’t stand to hear, “No.”
Will their physical attraction grow cold as they argue over their ideals, or will they find that the most distinctive ingredients often make for the perfect pairing?
Rachel Spangler is a two-time finalist for the Lambda Literary Award for Lesbian Romance.
The Liberators of Willow Run by Marianne K. Martin, Finalist Lesbian Romance
1943.
America is the Arsenal of Democracy.
Ships. Tanks. Airplanes. Munitions. With nine million men away fighting in Europe and the south Pacific, it’s up to America’s women to produce the tools of war—and victory rests on the wings of America’s Liberator, the B-24 bomber.
Audrey throws herself into the war effort. Hard work and long hours are just what she needs to keep the past at bay. Nona joins Audrey’s crew at the Willow Run Bomber Plant outside Detroit. She’s left her home in Kentucky to do her bit, and buys all the war bonds she can afford—she has a plan for her life. Ruth seizes the opportunity to create a new life for herself—a life her mother would not recognize.
Set against the backdrop of a rapidly changing world, these women capture the spirit of the times through their determination, ingenuity, and enduring courage.
Marianne K. Martin is a five-time finalist for the Lambda Literary Award for Lesbian Romance.
Bywater Books congratulates all of the finalists of the 29th Annual Lambda Literary Awards!
