JULY TEXAS BOOK PREVIEW
Preview of Texas-connected books publishing in July, 2026
New books to put the sparkle in your July festivities
Texas authors will light up your summer reading list with this brilliant collection of new releases. We’re highlighting speculative and legal thrillers, historical fiction, a sports memoir, and much more. No matter where the summer takes you, we have just the book to brighten your beach reading or put the sparkle back into a rainy summer afternoon.
In the roaring heart of 1920s Chicago, two men from worlds apart share a common language: food. With their families in tow, Samson Sanders leaves the heat of segregated Texas for a new start, while Massimo ‘Mass’ Messina crosses an ocean from Sicily for better opportunities.
When the men meet working together at the Union Stock Yards, a simple lunch pail mix-up sparks a culinary sensation. By blending smoky Southern soul with Old World Sicilian tradition, they create a taste that has weary workers lining up for more.
A hard to resist saga of immigration, migration, ambition, and the transformative power of breaking bread.This is historical fiction at its most flavorful.
After designing Tidewater, an upscale resort, architect Sullivan Shepherd arrives on site to oversee construction and finds himself drawn to small-town life.
After a decade in a touring theatrical company, Piper Roberts returns to her hometown, ready to put down permanent roots.
The pair find much in common during their whirlwind romance and sparks continue to fly, even as Sullivan’s time in the Bay begins to wind down.
Will Sullivan ditch his white collar job in order to craft furniture and remain in Driftwood Bay, or will he let love slip through his fingers and return to New York?
When a pawn shop owner’s life collides with an extraordinary threat stemming from an archival myth, staying alive is only half the battle and knowing the true enemy may be impossible.
The Frequency navigates betrayal, deception and a larger conspiracy than imagined, while sustaining loyalty, resilience and bonds that form when everything else falls apart.
From one of the most influential officeholders in Texas and power brokers in Washington over the last seventy years, lifetime Democrat Ben Barnes, an intimate and unexpected look behind the corridors of power.
Ben Barnes started out as a whistleblower. He was only nineteen when he uncovered corruption in the Health Department in Austin, Texas, and testified against the culprits. He felt empowered—a guy like him could make a difference. Now at eighty-seven, despite his impressive career, he is trying to go more places and solve more problems than any other time in his life. Barnes is ready to share his decades of political experience and remind readers that there is a way to keep going and keep fighting, even in the golden years. The golden years are a fine time to get things done.
“In the heart of the deepest sea caverns, there is a stillness. Learn to surrender to it.”
Fifteen-year-old Condi Bloom knows the magic will happen again. The autumn equinox is looming. Strange currents are sweeping through her coastal town. Tides are turning wild, and a mercurial mist cloaks the lonely rock tower known as Windy Hollow, long believed to be haunted.
When a silent threat glides into the cove, altering the fragile ecosystem and drawing sharks close to shore, Condi ignores the danger. A fierce surfer, she insists on pushing her skills to the limit, hoping to heal a broken heart. Meanwhile, seventeen-year-old Firth Cristo, a bold free diver, is tormented by a past he cannot reveal. Guided by the Beachlings, the mystical women who teach the secrets of the deep, he dares to explore remote underwater sea caverns, navigating the pulsing tides of a shimmering enchantment.
Inspired by the certainty of wonder and the uncertain nature of time, Condi and Firth dive into their rawest places, discovering that healing—of nature, of others, and of themselves—is found in the bounty of a limitless sea.
When a high-powered medical recruiter exposes a culture of harassment, fraud, and corruption at one of the nation’s top staffing firms, she’s forced into a brutal spiral of lawsuits, betrayal, homelessness, and health collapse—only to rise again with unshakable resolve.
In Good Faith, real-life events and court cases that went unnoticed by the public eye for over a decade are now fictionalized, offering a thrilling ride through the tribulations of professional offices at their highest and lowest moments.
When 16-year-old Jason Yancy collapsed and died during a 1999 Texas high school football game, his teammates faced an impossible question: How do you continue after losing your heart? This true story follows the Bremond Tigers as they honor their fallen friend’s memory with a simple motto: “Play Like He Would.”
Bestselling author Jade Morrow has spent her career reimagining the lives of famous women and the choices that changed everything. But when crippling panic attacks force her to leave New York behind for small-town Texas, Jade must confront the truth she’s long avoided: sometimes the hardest story to rewrite is your own. A heartfelt novel of healing, friendship, and second chances.
This narrative delves into the development of the character of Max Schilling as influenced by his former lover, Petra Rocha de los Santos, Josef, a Serb, a French communist World War 1 veteran Cecil Thibodeaux, and two ex-patriate Germans Wilbur Franz and Dieter Schlump.
It begins with a voyage from Toulon to Valencia in which he is smuggling machine guns to be sold once they arrived in Spain and continues through disastrous Ebro front retreat, the fall of the Republic, and joining Basque Separatists.
This is also a narrative of Petra Rocha de los Santos a hero machine gunner who defended Madrid against Franco’s fascists, a propaganda commissar in Madrid, and the leader of a small group of Basque Separatists after the Republic falls.
Old gods, new rules. New York Times bestselling author Katharine McGee puts a modern-day twist on ancient mythology in this bold reimagining of the Greek gods as a family of billionaires—with all the messy drama that entails.
When Julia Dodds meets Harry Adams, love hits her like a lightning bolt. He’s adventurous, charismatic, and impossibly handsome. Little does Julia know that her boyfriend has left out a few key details. His name isn’t Harry: it’s Ares, as in the ancient god of war. His mother is Hera, and his father is Zeus.
Soon, Julia is caught up in a world of wealth and privilege as she joins Harry at a lavish family reunion. Except these billionaires don’t just have wealth—they have divine powers. And the moment she steps onto their private island, Julia becomes their latest target.
BUT WAIT, THERE'S MORE!
There are so many Texas-connected books publishing this month that we couldn’t feature all of them. The following books also publish in July:
CHILDREN'S, MIDDLE GRADE, & YOUNG ADULT BOOKS
Artemis and the Garden Snake by Sandra LJ
Athletic As A Camel by Stan Leech
Charlie’s Lone Star Adventure – Texas by Corey Sader
Fredrick the One Legged Goose by Ryan Ritter
The Gilded Blade by Jennifer Lynn Barnes
Gizmo Goes to Germany by Heidi Heisel
Gizmo Goes to Ireland by Heidi Heisel
A Good Witch by Beth Christopherson
Goose Chase by Kendra E. Ardnek
Hope and Love’s Legacy by Lisa Dawn
I Can, I Can by Tracey D. Hill
Ottilie and the Patient Anole by Sandra LJ
Sally’s Journal by Mari Mancusi
A Taxi for Everyone by Debbie Zapata
Texas Has No Heart by Chase Harlech
FANTASY / SCI-FI
Billy’s and Johnny’s Interstellar Road Trip by Brian Yansky
Breakers by Kayla Frederick and William Alan Webb
Earth 7 by Deb Olin Unferth
My Wicked Plan by Bridget E. Baker
Forged by Heaven’s Light by Anastasia Collins
He Who Ate the Wild by G.J. Terral
Knight of the Spear by Cynthia Breeding
Make a Wish by Brian Lazarow
The New World Initiative by Tanya Steverding and S.E Moore
Non-Player Character by Tyler Lenz
The Saga of Nocturne VII – Mors Erit by JD Glasscock
Spellcast by Sophie Jordan
A Tangled Magic by Andrea Eames
This Machine Slays Dragons by W. Jefferson Smith
To Chase a Prophecy by Sterling M.Z.
Touched By The Arcane by Lindsey N. Rhoden
Vexing Valmir by Ruby Dixon
Warborn by JD Glasscock
The Wolf and Hound by Drake Lawson
MYSTERY / HORROR
Back Track by Marc Cameron
Badlands Brawl by Jerry Fedora
Barn Raising to Die For by Jovie Grace
Beasts of 42nd Street by Preston Fassel
Biscuits and Bodies by Nova Walsh
Boots, BBQ, & Bloodshed Anthology (Sisters in Crime North Dallas)
Born for Magic by Sarah Noffke
The Brothers Shaughnessy by James Snyder
Chaos is Coming by Dani Donari
Chilled to the Bone by Liliana Hart
Clusterfuk by Merrill Davis
Crossroads by N.L. McLaughlin
Decorations, Danishes and Deception by Linda Carroll-Bradd
Eulogy for the Stripes by Michael McGehee
Fang Fatale by Matilda Martel
A Good Night for Revenge by Georgia B. Kimmey
Guilty as Zin by Marla Cooper
Hoofloose by Matilda Martel
Hot Girl Murder Club by Ashley Winstead
The House on Widow’s Hill by Cheryl Bradshaw
Killer Vibes by Jack Friday
The Lady and a Bank Robber by Brittany E. Brinegar
Life in Woke America by Joel Rakow
The Night Crew III: Hunting Ground by Brad Ricks
Prelude to War by Ralph Carlile
Pretty Dead Things by Kelsey Cox
A Recipe for a Stalker by L.B. Dayton
Rigged for Murder by Karen MacInerney
The Rude Bird by M.R. Dimond
Silent Lawyer by Ken Byford
Stitching Up Trouble by Susana Sage
Strange Attractors: Not Just Another One of Them Weird Texas Things by Nathan Klayman
Tainted Love by Lynessa Layne
Tanked by Bessie Barr
A Weekend Getaway Murder by Tam May
What the Ice Yields by Leslie A. Piggott
NONFICTION
AmeriCANS Who Made America! by Richard V. Battle
The Biggest Lie by Joseph Kelly
Brimstone and Butchery by Trevor P. Wardlaw
Brothers in the Corps: Unlikely Friends in Texas by Deborah Cruz
Bullets and Bluebonnets by Jim Knauss
Chaos Theory by Ayke Iyinagoro
Civil War Chaos in Texas by Lori Duran
Fight Like a Machine by Thomas M. Hunt
The Hidden Beauty of Tears by Travis Craver
Hope for Life’s Heartaches: Devotions & Prayers for Women by Janice Thompson
How to be an Older Woman for Beginners by Barbara Emodi
Joy to the World edited by Kathleen Davis Niendorff
Lone Star Beer: A History of Two Iconic San Antonio Breweries by Jeremy Banas
The Man, The Boy, The Monster by Dennis Denson
The Milk Can: When The Test Came Back Positive by Mary Johnston
Not By Bread by Deb Preston
One State Under God by Joseph L. Locke
The Straight Gate: Uncovering the Veil of an Alternative Lifestyle by Christopher Hunter
The Texas Fencing Riposte: Volume 8 by John Lee Baird
The Texas Rangers and Me: A Baseball Writer’s Thirty-Two Years in Arlington by T.R. Sullivan
Walk Into Your Future by Robert L. Byars
Won’t Get Fooled Again by Ramón Grado
Your Cosmic Kitchen: A Worldbuilding Wizardry Workbook for Speculative Fiction Romance Writers by Pat Hauldren
OTHER FICTION
Anniversary by Reavis Z. Wortham
Ashley’s Story: Enough by Erica J. Whelton
Barons of Greed by Mark Greathouse
The Beauty of the Days Gone By by Jason Stone
Beginning of Goodbye by AnaMarie DeLuna
Blood Bound by Jessica Lynn Sorenson
Creek by Tim G. Daniel
Good Morning Means I Love You by Kendra Allen
The Knapsack Road by JW Jones and Joann Miller
Lady of the House by E.W. Cole
A Lady’s Handbook to Gadgets and Guile by Angela Bell
The Last Ride of a Texas Ranger by Henry McConley
Leap of Faith by Kellie Coates Gilbert
Mercy Bend by C.P. Marshall
Mudlark by Mary Helen Specht
The Obsessed by Lizzie Buehler
Rabbit, Fox, Tar by P.C. Verrone
Ralphus Agustus Branton: Texas Ranger by J.S. Morelock
A Real Animal by Emeline Atwood
Rumors of Love by James Nathaniel Miller II
Sweet Dreams Are Made of This: Lyrics Brought to Life (Anthology)
Texas 1866: The Sonora Line by Robert Hanlon
Texas 1866: The Timber Barons by Robert Hanlon
Texas Trinity by S.P. Lee
Threads of Purpose by Douglas Bell
Twilight Kin Anthology by Jerid Watson
POETRY
Poems Of A New American Teenager-Surviving High School Far From Home by Sasha Dietze
ROMANCE
Alpha’s Bullied Arranged Bride by Mia Wolf
Amaretto Sour After Dark by JD Southwell
And Then There Was You by Kathryn Basham
Anything But a Lord by Kathleen Ayers
Bases Loaded by Kimberly Page
Beyond the Melody by Amanda Cabot
Caitlin: Home Is Where the Heart Is by Elle Martin
A Chance in Haven by Beth Gildersleeve
The Cowboy’s Claim by Hayley James
The Cowboy’s Comeback by Honey Dallas
Don’t Fool Yourself by Genny Carrick
Draco by Elle James
The Dragon’s Favorite Strays by Ruby Dixon
The Eighth Sin by Crystal Crist
The Ex-Best Thing by Kasey Stockton
Forced Sold Wolf Bride by Kayla Wolf
The Gullible Governess by Jennifer Branson
Hanging Around by Laura Finger
Her Fortune VIP by Michele Dunaway
Her Reluctant Amish Heart by Pamela Desmond Wright
Her Rodeo Rival’s Return by Rebecca Crowley
Her Texas Mail-Order Husband Bargain by Nora J. Callaway
His Faith by Kess Avalon
His Texas Home by Avery Snow
Honovi’s Briefs by Lucy Lennox
A Hope for her Hometown Hero by Ginny Sterling
How To Tell If Your K-9 Is A Demon by Trista Ricketts
July’s Cowboy Dallas by Eve London
Let Me Go by Kaylee Navarro
Little Shake of Salt by Clio Evans
Look At Me by J.J. Lynn
Loose Threads by Dianne Orem
Mail Order Moose by Kirsten Osbourne
Meant to Be by Liz Isaacson
Moonstruck in Storyville: Witches, Warlocks, and Wolves by KC Wilde
Off the Mound by Nicole Lenz
The Pain Trade Borrowed by Wayne Stroud
Pixels and Paws by Jen J Moss
Property of Slayer by Liberty Parker
Protected by Duval by Reina Torres
Protecting Elizabeth by Ellie M. Hudson
Second First Dates by Gabriella Gamez
The Secret by Ava Sutton
Seeds of Hope by Teresa Wells
Taking Flight by Laura Finger
Taming I Do by Dylann Crush
The Temporary Siren by Lexi Blake & Sophie Oak
That Old Yellow Light by Wayne Stroud
This Time Autumn by Kathryn Kaleigh
The Tomorrow Tree by Carolyn Brown
Tough Luck by Jill Sanders
Traded to the Alpha Wolf by Kayla Wolf
The Ultimate Pitch by Jamey Moody
Undone in Texas by Bridget Weir
Until it Gets Real by Carolyn Brown
Up Close and Personal by Stephanie Morris
Vera Stein is Fine by Julie Murphy
A Very Grumpy Doctor by Shaw Hart
The Weight of Us by Stephanie Morris
Westward by Carrie Ann Ryan
What To Do When Your K-9 Adopts Another Demon by Trista Ricketts
When God Listens to a Mother’s Prayer by Chloe Carley
Where We First Fell by M. Hartley
You. Again by Harper Dale