News

Our Fall 2023 and Winter 2023/2024 Release Schedule

We are super excited to announce our inaugural lineup of new book release for this fall and winter. We fell in love with each of these books from the very first page, and we know you will too. We would like to take this opportunity to thank our author’s for sharing our vision for a new kind of inclusive and author centered publishing house, and for joining us in making this dream a reality.

When You Lose Control By Melissa Dorval (Women’s Fiction)

 Fall 2023

In the bustling City of New York, dreams are the currency of the ambitious. Marla Cameron, a thirty-six-year-old self-made writer, refuses to let anyone define her limits. Today marks the beginning of a transformative journey for Marla as she dives headfirst into the exhilarating world of Off-Broadway theater. But destiny takes an unexpected turn when charismatic fifty-five-year-old Billy Sweeney strides into the audition room, igniting a passion that threatens to consume them both.

As their connection deepens, a new threat looms on the horizon—an invisible force has brought the world to its knees.

The Covid pandemic casts an eerie shadow over their evolving romance, challenging Marla to confront the very core of her existence. Locked within the confines of their home and restricted by the rapidly tightening grip of the outside world, Marla realizes she must do better. In her pursuit of self-discovery, she peels back the layers of her privileged existence, exposing the cracks in her foundation. What if everything she thought she knew was a mere illusion? Who will she become when the world, as she knows it, crumbles? Through intimate prose that captures the essence of resilience, privilege, and the indomitable human spirit, Marla’s story compels us to question our own lives. In this tale of love, self-exploration, and the fragility of our reality, join Marla as she strives to make a difference—a journey that will linger in your heart long after you turn the final page.

Ele-Mental Vol. 1 and 2 By Hayley Lazzari (Poetry)

 Fall 2023 (Vol. 1) Winter 2023 (Vol. 2)

 Enter the world of Ele-Mental, a powerful collection of 165 poems that will take you on an emotional journey through the depths of human experiences. Through raw and vulnerable verses, author Lazzari delves into the realms of Neurodivergence, courageously sharing their unique perspective as a member of the LGBTQIA+ community.

Heartbreak, trauma, pain, and healing intertwine with each carefully chosen word, inviting you to connect with your own emotions and join Lazzari on their transformative path. These mesmerizing poems were crafted during a period of great personal struggle for Lazzari. “Every word was written over the course of the several months I spent in hospitals and psych wards. Poetry became the method through which I came to express myself most authentically and most honestly.”

 Lazzari’s exploration of heartbreak, trauma, pain, love, and healing have the power to evoke feelings which transcend the ordinary and provide a map for you to explore the intricate tapestry of human existence.

As you turn the pages of the two volumes of Ele-Mental, Lazzari’s hope is for her words to “…make you feel something–positive, negative, or somewhere in between. I leave my heart in your hands,” a heartfelt offering that will leave an indelible mark upon your soul.

The Crystal Hunter By Adam Rowan (New Adult/Adult Thriller)

Winter 2023/2024

Enter the thrilling world of Maxwell Jacobs, a 21-year-old with a spirit as wild as his dreams. Unconventional and utterly obsessed with knights, Tetris, and the perfect cheese sandwich, Max harbors a burning desire—to establish himself as the unrivaled master of treasure hunting.

 As whispers of the extraordinary Crystal Contest reach his eager ears, promising unimaginable wealth and secrets hidden within the world, Max’s heart skips a beat. Winning this unparalleled competition becomes an all-consuming mission—a chance to unlock an extraordinary destiny.

Yet, fate seems intent on testing Max’s resolve when he finds himself behind bars, arrested for a daring museum break-in. Confronted by his crippling fear of leaving the safety of his hometown and forever shackled by his perpetual clumsiness, Max is reminded of the insurmountable odds stacked against him. With only one true friend in his life—his math teacher, Rosie Shaw, who disapproves of his treasure-hunting aspirations—Max’s journey becomes ever more treacherous.

However, destiny has a peculiar way of pairing unlikely allies. Enter Khalil Ahmed, Max’s new coworker, a former drug dealer desperate to evade the clutches of his shadowy past. At first glance, they appear opposites—life circumstances and aspirations pulling them apart. Yet, driven by the shared hunger for financial security, Max and Khalil embark on an unexpected partnership, setting their sights on the coveted Crystal Contest. Together, they embark on a cross-country odyssey, their once separate lives intertwining in a thrilling saga of cryptic puzzles, hidden clues, and heart-racing adventures.

Prepare to be captivated as Max and Khalil race against time to decipher riddles, navigate treacherous events, and unlock the secrets of the Crystal Contest. The stakes have never been higher, and the allure of immeasurable riches beckons—mere steps away. Will they triumph over countless obstacles and secure their place in the annals of history? The answer lies within the pages of this unforgettable tale—an epic treasure hunt where only the bold prevail.

News

AI and Changes to Our Standard Contract

With the rise of books written by AI (see here for example), we feel we have an obligation to our reader’s to provide some assurances the book they are spending their hard earned cash on was written by a human brain, heart, and hand. To this end, we will be adding a new clause to our contracts wherein our author’s will affirm the manuscript they have submitted for publication was not machine generated. Violations of this clause will be considered breach of contract, and subject to the laws of the state of New Hampshire. We understand programs and apps such as Prowriting Aid, Grammarly, Autocrit and such are useful tools when checking for spelling, punctuation, or grammar errors, and as such will not be covered by this clause.

Furthermore, to assure our author’s we will not allow their work to be used to train AI, we will add the following clause recommended by The Authors Guild:

No Generative AI Training Use.
For avoidance of doubt, Author reserves the rights, and [Publisher/Platform] has no rights to, reproduce and/or otherwise use the Work in any manner for purposes of training artificial intelligence technologies to generate text, including without limitation, technologies that are capable of generating works in the same style or genre as the Work, unless [Publisher/Platform] obtains Author’s specific and express permission to do so. Nor does [Publisher/Platform] have the right to sublicense others to reproduce and/or otherwise use the Work in any manner for purposes of training artificial intelligence technologies to generate text without Author’s specific and express permission.

We are also in the process of changing our standard contract to align with the guidelines suggested by The Authors Guild, though ours will have a higher royalty rate than suggested by the Guild.

Please rest assured we will do everything we can to combat machine generated books, and protect our readers, authors , and ourselves from charlatans and swindlers who see AI as a way to a quick buck or acclaim as a novelist

We thank you for your time, and for your passion for the written word.

Cheers,

David Lugo, Manager and the entire Spinning Monkey team

News

Exciting New Author Signing.

We are thrilled to announce Melissa Dorval, an enthralling and rising new author, has joined the Spinning Monkey family. Her first full length novel When You Lose Control, an upmarket women’s fiction title set during the pandemic, will be published in late spring/early summer of 2023.

Melissa Dorval has published in The Offering, The Lowell Connector, The Shirley Volunteer, The Creative Zine, and the inaugural issue of The Sixpence Society Literary Journal. She is also one of the founding members of The New Dawn Writers Group.


Melissa graduated magna cum laude from the University of Massachusetts – Lowell, where best-selling author, Andre Dubus III, served as her mentor.

She lives in central Massachusetts with her husband, Chris, and five cats, two dogs and a rabbit. She is a New England Patriots fan and likes to collect vintage clothing from the sixties and seventies. When she’s not writing, Dorval enjoys sewing, drawing, painting and being a nanny for two children.

News

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE 

Spinning Monkey Press

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE      

Contact: David Dean Lugo   

Email:   daviddeanlugo@daviddeanlugo.com or talent@spinningmonkeypress.com

Website:  https://daviddeanlugo.com/welcome/

Author’s thrilling YA dystopian novel has dark parallels to a conceivable future America.

It’s the near future, and a new fascist America is run by a CEO and The Corporation.

Keene, New Hampshire – April 20, 2022 — It’s been two years since the establishment of the brutal dictatorship The Incorporated Precincts of America and its governing Board, as well as the death of the old America. Sixteen-year-old Joey Cryer has two missions: to keep his six-year-old sister, Julia, safe, and to not die. Author David Dean Lugo brings an all-too-realistic charged YA dystopian novel with Year Zero, the debut title in The Revolution’s Children trilogy.

America first. America last. America always. This is the vow that the CEO leader of the IPA—The Incorporated Precincts of America—pledges to his suffering citizens. With violent protests breaking out in every city, attacks against immigrants, and the national crisis of the Capitol Event, young Joey must keep his vigilance in staying clear of the IPA’s ever-watching Sons of Liberty—its ruthless police force—to avoid becoming “disappeared” with his little sister. This means not maligning the governing body, The Corporation, with any thought, word, or action, or else suffer the consequence. 

Two years earlier, before the Second Revolution ended and before the election, Joey’s biggest concern was sitting at the right cafeteria table at his high school or if the girl he liked liked him back. Avoiding the school bully, Harlan Grundy, was always a plus in not getting pummeled. So, it was no big surprise that Harlan became a Son, loyal to The Corporation and carrying out their dirty deeds to keep citizens in check and in fear. The other thing keeping them in line? Fear, starvation, and the threat of death, turning citizen against citizen. And they best not speak any word of dispute on that. The only correct response to a Son? Everything is goodly.

Having lost everything in the revolution’s aftermath, Joey takes an unfathomable risk by helping the near-dead leader of the rebellion, John Doe. Having anything to do with Doe will skip one right past penalties and sanctions all the way to the death penalty, not only for them, but for anyone they love. And yet Joey’s sole mission is keep Julia safe until they can secretly escape to freedom. To do so, he finds he has an unlikely partner in a recently betrayed Harlan. Trusting his former enemy may be the only way to ensure their future—but is it worth the risk for Joey, Julia, and the community?

Lugo masterfully creates a darkly realistic version of a future America, woven with intriguing characters and an engrossing storyline. Inspired by exploring what if?, he says, “I think people are drifting too far away from one another. Putting each other in little boxes based on political party, or gender identity, or whatever instead of just people who are just trying to live the best they know how. We only have this one planet to live on so…we make it together or not at all.”

Year Zero brings together themes of loss and longing, good and evil, and destiny and survival that young adults will relate to. This first title in The Revolution’s Children trilogy will enthrall young adult and adult readers alike who are looking for the next enduring dystopian thriller.

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If you would like more information about author David Dean Lugo and Year Zero, book one in The Revolution’s Children trilogy, please contact daviddeanlugo@daviddeanlugo.com talent@spinningmonkeypress.com or visit https://daviddeanlugo.com/welcome/