Archive for August 29, 2026

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The Filbert Steps (The Telegraph Hill Mysteries)
by Lila Blake


The Filbert Steps (The Telegraph Hill Mysteries)
Cozy Mystery
1st in Series
Setting – California
Publisher ‏ : ‎ Sutro House Press
Publication date ‏ : ‎ August 31, 2026
Print length ‏ : ‎ 301 pages
Digital
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 979-8951746016
ASIN ‏ : ‎ B0H52YDTRG

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A body on the steps. A neighborhood that saw nothing.

Vivian Salvatore came back to Telegraph Hill with a cat, a divorce settlement, and a book she cannot seem to write.

At fifty-two, newly single and trying to rebuild her life, she has settled into the rhythms of San Francisco’s most beautiful staircase: coffee at the corner café, morning walks on the Filbert Steps, old neighbors on three corners, and the comforting illusion that everyone knows everyone.

Then, on a bright October morning, Vivian finds one of the city’s most ambitious developers dead on the third landing.

The police are ready to call it a fall. But Vivian spent twenty-seven years reading teenagers’ faces for a living, and she knows when a story does not fit. A coat buttoned wrong. A cigarette ground out where it should not be. Storefronts quietly sold to a post-office box in Delaware. And a neighborhood full of people who had reason to want one man gone.

As Vivian begins asking questions, she discovers that Telegraph Hill has been keeping secrets for years — about money, loyalty, grief, and who really gets to call a place home.

The Filbert Steps introduces Vivian Salvatore, a sharp-eyed, warm-hearted sleuth who notices everything and forgives almost as much.

Perfect for readers who love older women sleuths, atmospheric San Francisco mysteries, neighborhood secrets, found community, and fair-play cozy mysteries with literary depth.

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About Author Lila Blake 

Lila Blake writes San Francisco neighborhood mysteries about foggy stairways, old houses, found family, and the secrets people keep when a place begins to change. Her Telegraph Hill Mysteries begin with The Filbert Steps, a literary cozy mystery featuring Vivian Salvatore, a fifty-two-year-old former teacher rebuilding her life after divorce. Lila is published by Sutro House Press, an independent fiction imprint based in San Francisco.

Links: Website / Goodreads

Purchase Link: Amazon 

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TOUR PARTICIPANTS

August 24 – Guatemala Paula Loves to Read – SPOTLIGHT

August 24 – Socrates Book Reviews – SPOTLIGHT

August 24 – Books1987 – SPOTLIGHT

August 25 – Christy’s Cozy Corners – RECIPE

August 25 – @bibliophile_foodie – REVIEW 

August 25 – Sapphyria’s Book Reviews – SPOTLIGHT

August 26 – Storybook Lady – REVIEW, AUTHOR GUEST POST

August 26 – Sarandipity’s – AUTHOR INTERVIEW 

August 27 – Jody’s Bookish Haven – SPOTLIGHT

August 27 – Romance Novel Giveaways – AUTHOR GUEST POST

August 28 – Books, Ramblings, and Tea – SPOTLIGHT

August 28 – Elizabeth McKenna – Author – SPOTLIGHT

August 28 – Escape With Dollycas Into A Good Book – SPOTLIGHT

August 29 – Ruff Drafts – CHARACTER GUEST POST

August 29 – StoreyBook Reviews – SPOTLIGHT

August 29 – FUONLYKNEW – SPOTLIGHT

August 30 – Cozy Up With Kathy – REVIEW, AUTHOR INTERVIEW

August 30 – Book Hookup – REVIEW

August 31 – Sarah Can’t Stop Reading Books – REVIEW

August 31 – Sarcastically Yours, Jen – SPOTLIGHT

 

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Children’s Book

Date Published: March 30, 2026

Publisher: Trela Mela Press

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A brave little dragon. A forest in danger. A powerful story about
friendship, courage, and protecting the world we share.

 

Little Branko lives high above Dragonville in Zmajograd, a city of dragons
controlled by rules – the Dragons’ Code. Under this code, dragons cannot
put out fires and dragons cannot be friends with humans. But Branko has never
understood why. Unlike the other dragons, he does not want to start
fires—he wants to put them out.

When Branko questions the Dragons’ Code in school, he is told to
“learn” and not “think”. When he persists, he is
banished from his community. Determined to follow his heart, he travels to the
human town below and dreams of becoming a firefighter. But the humans are
afraid of him, too. Caught between two worlds that refuse to accept him,
Branko must decide whether to give up—or keep believing that kindness
can change everything.

When a dangerous wildfire threatens the forest shared by humans and dragons,
Branko finally gets his chance to prove that courage is not about following
old rules. It is about doing what is right.


Branko: Smokejumper Extraordinaire
is a heartwarming children’s picture
book about friendship, bravery, community, environmental responsibility, and
the importance of questioning division. With themes of inclusion, cooperation,
wildfire awareness, and respect for firefighters, this inspiring story
encourages young readers to look beyond fear, challenge unfair rules, and
discover the extraordinary power of helping others.

Perfect for children who love stories about dragons, firefighters, friendship,
nature, and unlikely heroes, this meaningful book is ideal for family reading,
classrooms, libraries, and conversations about courage, compassion, and caring
for our planet.

Great for readers interested in:

• Dragon picture books
• Firefighter books for kids

Children’s books about friendship and acceptance
• Stories
about courage, kindness, and standing up for what is right

Environmental books for children
• Climate books for children
• Wildfire awareness and forest
protection
• Social-emotional learning and community-building
stories

A beautifully imaginative tale for young readers who believe even the smallest
voice can spark big change.

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About Author Alexandra Arneri

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Alexandra Arneri is an author, attorney, producer, and human rights
advocate whose stories explore courage, connection, and the power of
questioning the rules that keep people apart.

Born in Belgrade, raised in Belgrade and Sydney, and shaped by formative years
in New York City, Alexandra brings a global perspective to her work. Her
writing often features unlikely characters—from mushrooms and fax
machines to thunder, lightning, flowers, Beeps, Honks, and dragons—who
discover that difference does not have to mean division.

Her debut children’s book, Branko: Smokejumper Extraordinaire,
introduces young readers to a brave little dragon who challenges tradition,
reaches across fear, and helps unite humans and dragons in the face of an
unprecedented and fierce wildfire. Inspired by themes of friendship,
environmental responsibility, community, and courage, the story reflects
Alexandra’s belief in the importance of compassion, cooperation, and
protecting the world we share.

Beyond children’s literature, Alexandra’s creative work spans
genres and platforms, including Gravity FM, a deep dive podcast exploring
planetary health and human rights, the satirical Degenerate Carrot cartoons,
and impactful storytelling through Apocryphal Pictures. She is also a
practicing attorney at Cittone Demers & Arneri LLP, where she maintains a
robust human rights practice, and serves as President of the Global Witness
Foundation
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Alexandra lives in San Francisco with her family. When she is not writing,
practicing law, producing stories, or advocating for human rights, she enjoys
painting, yoga, and creating imaginative tales about the courage it takes to
reach across what divides us.

 

 

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Thanks so much for visiting fuonlyknew!

For a list of my reviews go HERE.

To see all of my giveaways go HERE.