In these stories that serve as short history lessons, read about the “Seven Little Indians” who fell into the hands of mountain men after a battle with Indians, or about the “Headless Horseman” who brought terror to Texas; learn of John Colter, a mountain man captured by Indians and forced to run six miles naked to escape them; and read the story of Quanah Parker, the Comanche Indian chief whose mother was a white woman. Available at stagecoachpublishing.com, amazon.com and Barnes & Noble

Get Back to Work: Smart & Savvy Real-World Strategies to Make Your Next Career Move by Melissa Washington, Lincoln

This no-frills book is designed with practical, straightforward and innovative tips to keep you ahead of the pack. Learn how to effectively use social media to set yourself apart, leverage and build a strong network, and find out how to tap into commonly overlooked employment outlets to up your game. Available at amazon.com, Barnes & Noble and The UPS Store in Lincoln

 Me & My Money Too…A Child’s Story with Diabetes by A.K. Buckroth, Carmichael

In this second book of a type 1 diabetes series, Kali and her dog, Money, continue to be courageous when dealing with diabetes. Kali uses an insulin pump to balance her disease while Money requires insulin injections. Challenges are many for both, as they grow, mature and learn together; and responsibilities are big, with daily planning to avoid consequences. Available at amazon.com and Placerville News Company

Jarrian Chronicles: The Search for the Gold Factory by Skip Michael, Auburn 

In the series’ second book, sixteen-year-old Robert Morgan and his fellow students have been enhanced again, giving them more powers—but why is still a mystery. College of the Hills has now solicited Robert and Tess to help keep a secret that threatens not only the college but the world, too. Having discovered bars of gold being manufactured by unknown technology, the government begins an investigation. Fearful of secret agents descending on the college, Robert, Tess and Dr. Zordenilla devise a plan to send the agents deep into the jungles of Brazil to find the gold factory. Available at amazon.com

 Abducted by T.R. Ragan, Granite Bay

Imprisoned and tormented for months by the maniac she came to know as Spiderman, Lizzy Gardner was 17 when she escaped—the only one of his victims to survive. But Spiderman escaped too, outwitting police and cursing Lizzy to spend her life looking over her shoulder. Fourteen years later, Lizzy is hard at work as a private investigator when she receives a call from her past. He’s back, and he’s made it clear that she will not escape him again. Available at amazon.com and Barnes & Noble

The Return of the Fallen Angels Book Club by R. Franklin James, Loomis/Granite Bay

This is the third novel in the Hollis Morgan Mystery series, in which a San Francisco Bay Area paralegal revels in her success as a probate attorney after receiving a pardon. As she builds up her clientele, she’s confronted with a murder that her book club of fellow ex-felons can’t ignore. Determined to find the killer, she must also work a case that gives new meaning to the definition of a dysfunctional family. Available at amazon.com, Barnes & Noble and Face in a Book in El Dorado Hills

 Fairy Tales for Life: A Collection of Fourteen Original Short Stories by Linda Champion, Citrus Heights

At first glance, these simple fairy tales appear like the classic stories of your childhood—but they are so much more! Hidden below the surface are discussions about a myriad of challenges we face in modern-day life. And, instead of frightening you, like the Grimms’ stories, these tales offer a more gentle approach to family story time—complete with beautiful drawings and a gilded fairy on the hardback cover. Available at championwritingcreations.com, amazon.com and Barnes & Noble

Semester Abroad by Joanne Jeffers Veeck, Rocklin

Based on a true story, this book is about the daughter of a top Walgreen’s executive, expected to “stay in line” and follow the rules—who does anything but that. She talks her way into going to a small, relatively unknown college in Switzerland, for one compelling reason, and then becomes entangled in a physical and emotional tug-of-war that takes a shocking turn. She and her college friends experience the full gamut of a semester abroad, including a near-death accident and many close calls. Available at amazon.com and Barnes & Noble

 House of Cuts: A Hillary Broome Novel by June Gillam, Auburn

When bodies of managers turn up as superstore displays, reporter Hillary Broome’s articles on the grisly murders catapult her into the national limelight and threaten to expose a shameful secret that could ruin her career—as well as bring her to the crazed killer’s attention. Hillary has to connect with lonely detective Ed Kiffin in a race to catch the killer before he tortures and kills a woman who’s begun to fill a void left by Hillary’s mother who abandoned her years ago. Available at amazon.com and Barnes & Noble

Flowers for Rosita: A John Rock Mystery by Ernest Y. Cox, Sacramento

In this second John Rock mystery, when bouquets of yellow chrysanthemums began arriving with a printed card, “Rosita from Cookie,” people began to wonder. The Border Café is not the kind of place where even beautiful singers like Rosita Montoya receive flowers. Only Rosita knew “Cookie,” and she wasn’t talking. Suddenly Rosita is murdered, and the identity of “Cookie” takes on new importance, especially to John Rock, publisher of the Hermano Weekly News. Available at amazon.com

 If Chocolate Were Purple by Jen Barton, Rocklin

In a world where chocolate is purple, roller skates grow on trees and all kinds of things turn topsy-turvy, one thing your little one can count on is your love. Full of delightful rhymes and whimsical imagery, this fun bedtime story will warm hearts and ignite imaginations. Available at amazon.com, Barnes & Noble and the Placer County Library

Fearless by Morgan L. Booth, Citrus Heights

When a mysterious white wolf-dog is suddenly released into their territory, the wolves of the island pack must find out who and what he is: friend or foe? This creature, being neither full wolf nor pure dog, causes havoc on the island, and even begins to attack men. How will the peaceful wolves deal with a threat they’ve never faced before…one that is completely and utterly fearless? Available at amazon.com and lulu.com

 The Six Rivers Killer by M. L. Edson, Citrus Heights

Based on a true crime in the 1970s in Northern California, this story has retained the facts of the case but the characters have been changed. A young man arrives in California with his sister for her new job, borrows the car to visit the redwoods, and is never seen again. His sister must now convince the area’s authorities that something ominous must have happened and that he didn’t just leave to be on his own. Available at amazon.com and [email protected]

-Tara Mendanha