A comedic coming-of-age novel that takes a dark turn into the netherworld of state prison and a cauldron of toxic topics, from racism to rape, culminating in the emergence of an unlikely and unsung messiah. Imagine Huckleberry Finn in The Belly Of The Beast. $0.99 on Kindle.
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The Home I left
A journey home reveals more than John could ever have imagined secrets, loss, and the surprising power of redemption.
After years of service, John Furst settled into a low-key bureaucratic post within the US military, coordinating funeral arrangements for soldiers. With a loving woman in his corner, and a punchy work crew he enjoys, he could ride this thing out to retirement. Then a call comes in. His father’s cracking voice informs John that his disliked elder brother has suddenly died.
John must journey home to face the questions around his drug-addicted brother’s death, the conflicted family members who remain, and his own ghosts haunting through four generations of small-town minds. Drawing on patience, drinking, laughter, tears, and screams, John and his estranged family face tragic loss, and he learns that while before his life once seemed secure, it now appears held in place by stagnation.
While crossing a bridge to work one morning after the funeral, John decides to take a leap unforeseen.
Join John on his transformative journey as he navigates the complexities of family, love, and self-discovery. Discover the power of second chances and the resilience of the human spirit in a story that will tug at your heartstrings and leave you pondering the choices that define us all.
The Home I Left is a gripping tale that reminds us that, sometimes, it’s the journey back that leads us forward. $3.99 on Kindle.
100 Heartwarming Short Stories for Seniors
Are you searching for the perfect gift to brighten the lives of your beloved elderly women and men? Look no further and dive into a treasure trove of 100 heartwarming, easy-to-read short stories that will whisk you away on a nostalgic journey!
Yearning for the years gone by? Seeking a way to keep your mind and soul engaged and entertained? Longing to share stories with newfound friends?
Curious about the wisdom hidden within lifes simple moments?
Join us between the pages of 100 Heartwarming Short Stories for Seniors and rekindle the warmth of cherished memories and souls like a cup of tea on a chilly morning.
$0.99 on Kindle.
Fantastically Twisted: The Fairy Tales Book of Wickedly Entertaining Stories
Beloved classics? Yes. Same stories? Absolutely not.
Featuring 12 Short Stories where each one takes a well-known Fairy Tale and propels them into uncharted territories creating surprising perspectives that challenge the very essence of the original tales.
Note from Author:
These are NOT Grandma’s Bedtime Stories. $0.99 on Kindle.
Free: A Vengeful Realm: The Scales of Balance
Enslaved as a gladiator and thrust into a princes game of espionage, Zephyrus has only two clues to help unlock his shattered past: a prophecy foretelling destruction, and a letter to the enemy king, promising peace. Now Zephyrus must survive the dangers of the gladiatorial arena, the cunning fury of the Princes enemies, and the Gods torment if he is to find the truth of his identity and fulfill his fate. But to have any hope of breaking the cycle, first he must secure his freedom and not just from his slavers.
Within this vengeful realm, a queen protecting her kingdom, a prince defending his father, and a gladiator slave haunted by a prophecy each contend for their own brand of freedom. But the Gods have an agenda of their own, and they’ll use any vessel patrician, plebeian, or slave to see it done.
The scales must be balanced. By peace. Or by blood. Free on Kindle.
Shit that We Should Never Pass Along, And All That We Cannot Leave Behind
In late 1980s rural Kansas, Mara finds herself taking on more than she can chew. Mara’s mother is a woman arguably ahead of her own time when it comes to the investigative day job she holds, and her own progressive take and unwanted oversharing of her thoughts on the day’s larger social justice issues.
Mara’s story allows the reader to start their journey following her mother’s divorce from Mara’s abusive stepfather, and make the move with Mara, her two youngest sisters, and her mother from city life to the rural awakenings that seem to only exacerbate her mother’s own baby boomer inclination towards double standards. Sprinkle in three know-it-all rural town biddies to ensure that The Greatest Generation has their say, and it’s no wonder Xer children are now all referred to as “survivors.” Mara is determined to show her mother, and an entire town of rural Kansans, that the only parties in need of a clue are they themselves. As long as Mara remains convinced that she will win in the battle of wills against her seasoned mother, absolutely nothing at all will go sidewise in this book for any of the characters.
An authentic throwdown between the baby boomer and Xer generations, delving into everything from childhood abuse, racism, abortion, religion, higher education, and ensuring those familial elitists who we all believe we know (and either love or hate) are well set for the next generation of epic failure and loss. Sure to infuriate all comers, keep everyone laughing and crying in equal measures. Mara and her mother prove that simply being human, and a product of one’s own generational time, cultural norms, and familial expectations is more than sufficient to ensure offensiveness for generations to come. The challenge lies in learning to love and find the best in each other during times when the last thing in the world any of us wants to do is love or find the best in each other.
This book comes with every trigger warning known to mankind. If you are a survivor of childhood sexual or physical abuse and trauma, post-abortion trauma, or racial-related childhood or adult traumas, the author of this book cautions the reader. This book is intended for mature audiences over the age of twenty-five. Parents are not advised to purchase this book for young teenage readers. $9.99 on Kindle.
Song of Siao Wei
In a small fishing village in ancient China, the singing girl of Dongying captures the attention of the Prince’s Court with her unparalleled beauty. Siao Wei makes her choice, a life-changing decision that forever alters her fate.
Catapulted to a palace and bestowed with the title of Princess, Siao Wei realizes she has made a dreadful mistake. The longing for her childhood companion, now lost, haunts her every step. As delicate threads of her life unravel like silk, she finds herself stripped of her son, her sanity, and everything she holds dear.
Meanwhile, conflicting loyalties of her citizens boil over, and the delicate balance of the Princedom teeters on the precipice of anarchy. Armed with her passionate song and unwavering hope, Siao Wei must summon the strength to quell the imminent civil war and bring harmony back to the land. $3.99 on Kindle.
Free: NO ONE DIES FROM LOVE: A RAW EMOTIONAL ROLLERCOASTER OF LOVING AND LIVING LIFE
Have you ever looked back and wondered what went wrong?
From consuming love to instant heartbreak, we often dissect every aspect of a relationship to figure out where such a life-altering shift occurred. With a life turned upside down after her husband’s brutal betrayal, Chelsey Marie picks up her pen to discover her own truth.
In No One Dies From Love, she crafts a beautifully raw collection of poems as she journeys through love, betrayal, heartbreak, and renewal. She spirals through memories, lies, and possessions to find herself again and claim her new identity. As each poem reveals, she learns about an inner strength, long dormant, that allows her to forge a new trajectory for her future self, her future life, and her future happiness.
Through her eloquent and descriptive prose, Chelsey Marie shows us that we can be strong and flawed, vulnerable and deserving. Her poetry dissects the evolution of a failed relationship and all that was gained through its loss. Free on Kindle.
Free: The Watermelon King
After being laid off from his job at a prestigious consulting firm, Dean decides to embark on a journey across East Africa with his younger brother. Unknowingly, they travel into bandit territory where a medical emergency forces them to choose between their safety and their health.
Inspired by true events, The Watermelon King follows the journey of two brothers as they backpack across one of East Africa’s most inhospitable regions. As they endure endless days of difficult travel, a series of short stories written by their father begins to uncover their inherent desire for adventure and their connection to the past. Along the way they begin to understand the beauty and frustration of life in Africa. Free on Kindle.
Free: Sisyphus Wins
No Lifeguard on Duty
It’s July of 1970. The decaying beach town of Asbury Park, New Jersey erupts with racial unrest that propels three unlikely teenage friends into turmoil. Adam, Mollie, and Howard struggle with family conflicts and their racial, cultural and class identities in the midst of the chaos. Town and teens will never be the same. $0.99 on Kindle.
The Duzy House of Mourning
THE DUZY HOUSE OF MOURNING is the compelling story of a young woman who survived an unthinkable accident the night she was born, an accident that claimed the life of her father, and forever altered her mother who sustained a traumatic brain injury.
The book opens 22 years later. January Duzinski has been raised by her Polish paternal grandparents and works as an embalmer in their mortuary. She’s a bit of an introvert, completely comfortable with the dead, completely brilliant (like her mother was) at the piano. And she has a very conflicted relationship with her non-verbal, disabled mother, Claire.
But January’s life is about to veer off its course with the arrival of one Oscar Thibodeau—attorney for her maternal grandmother, Rose Winston, a woman January has never met, a woman who is suddenly deceased. It seems there is a Steinway concert grand piano up for grabs…and anything else that might interest January.
Thus begins January’s reluctant journey into the incredible life of her mother. Through Claire’s diaries January is introduced to a strong, savvy, confident, enormously talented girl who disinherited herself from the wealth and trappings of a life she did not want. January is also made privy to a firsthand account of her parents’ love story, and the price Claire paid to be with her Polish undertaker. For the first time, January meets the father she has only known through her Duzinski grandparents. $0.99 on Kindle.
Free: Haunt: A Novel (Loveletting Book 1)
Darkly romantic and wickedly twisted; a young woman who learns to become strong in the face of impossible circumstances, and a man who finds light in the midst of overwhelming darkness. Prepare yourself for the first book in a haunting new series…Loveletting.
GOLD WINNER FOR GENERAL FICTION IN THE 2023 NEXT GENERATION INDIES AWARDS
GOLD WINNER FOR ROMANCE IN THE 2023 FEATHERED QUILL BOOK AWARDS
GOLD WINNER FOR ROMANCE IN THE 2023 BESTSELLERS WORLD AWARDS
GOLD WINNER FOR ADULT FICTION IN THE 2023 LITERARY TITAN BOOK AWARDS
ADULT FICTION FINALIST IN THE 2023 FEATHERED QUILL BOOK AWARDS
CATEGORY FINALIST IN THE 2023 ERIC HOFFER BOOK AWARDS
Fleeing from her home after escaping the murder of her mother, inexperienced and petrified by reality with her horse as her only companion – Charlotte is met by the most notorious serial killer of the nation. His dark past and her dark future collide, in a world filled with dangers far greater than him.
Set in the rugged Victorian west at the end of the 19th century with a myriad of complex characters, all intertwined in a brutal environment that examines the conflicting nature and morality of humanity. Charlotte may be innocent at heart, but the world she lives in is not. Filled with dangers from gangs to cults and a mysterious horror element that persists throughout – the overarching gothic love story fills this thrilling, dark adventure up until the haunting end…leaving the reader with an existential dread so deep that it must be read to be understood, yet craving for more.
This novel is definitely for an adult audience, as the content is very heavy and challenging. It will appeal to those interested in a gothic romance with undertones of psychological horror. Most importantly, this book is a form of literary fiction; as character development is the most crucial factor in telling this story and it does not follow the typical tropes of a genre book. Subtle hints to the dark machinations behind the scenes, and interweaving characters who gradually change and grow over time, all work together to create a living world – filled with the unexpected – in which to lose yourself within.
If you want something to read on autopilot, and wish for the plot to follow a certain expected pattern, this is not the book for you. This experience will challenge you; a gripping story that will invade you, heart and mind, long after reading. Free on Kindle.
Third Wheel
Las Vegas, 1982. Brady Wilks, a teenage transplant from the Midwest, navigates life in the dusty suburban outskirts of an aberrant 24-hour town built by the Mob. Outcast as a newcomer, Brady forges a brotherly bond with an older teenage neighbor, Mick, and his friend, Brett. But when Brett unexpectedly moves away, Mick invites a new kid into their pack, squeezing out the last remnants of their childhood in favor of a new world laced with cartel-supplied drugs and the deal of a lifetime.
Third Wheel is a powerful novel about belonging, betrayal, and breaking away from paths laid out by others, even when it means grasping at an uncertain future. It is the story of a boy trying to find his identity without the benefit of a role model by taking chances on random and fragile relationships forged in the predawn hours of a future boomtown.
Desolate and gritty, Third Wheel is a triumphant debut novel, and Brady Wilks is remarkable as a transformative protagonist. Four-time award-winning author Richard R. Becker shares his unique insight into the human condition. $2.99 on Kindle.
Motion of Intervals
Kenna is the daughter of a celebrity America loves (if only they knew…) Rachel was her surrogate mother and she’s now a grieving widow. Kenna needs help and needs it now, Rachel needs a reason to keep going. Together they’ll embrace an epic road trip toward new places and new lives. $2.99 on Kindle.
Free: Stories
Four remarkably unsuccessful stories by one remarkably unsuccessful author. Yet each has its moments.
All I Longed for Long Ago Was You – A story of love that echoes through time.
The romance in this book is gorgeous and the emotions expressed by the characters are very strong, especially the love and longing for each other.-Shaz-Goodreads
AMANDA – A story of forgiveness and second chances.
The plot tugs at the heart without guile, grown from a simple, touching seed-crystal: the author’s stumbling on a memorial plaque to a lost child. Moore’s prose, as direct and open-hearted, engages and drives a classic story-Lost in Romance Books.
The Christmas Story – How a Christmas Stocking helps keep precious memories alive.
I loved reading this book. It is short but powerful. Sad when we lose someone we love. Even sadder when we try not to remember them just so we don’t get emotional. This book made me cry. Happy tears of course! Robyn Micheals-Goodreads
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The Mist – How three friends conquer their fears and save an ancient civilization from extinction.
Three friends are connected to the past and have to deal with monsters, myths and mayhem to find a way to make things right. This book is a different tale than I was expecting, but is a good, short read that holds the reader’s imagination and attention. P.S. Winn-Goodreads
Free: The Chianti Chronicles Volume One: Fictional Tales of Vietnam Vets
The Vietnam War ended decades ago, but its heroes are still here. They are as diverse as America itself, but all of them have key things in common: love for their country, love for their families, and love for that greatest of vintages, Chianti.
A young boy learns the truth of his father’s service in Vietnam. An imposed tour in Vietnam separates two young lovers. A survivor of la Drang Valley contemplates ending his life right before Christmas. A charismatic, but troubled Vietnam vet longs for a woman he can never have. An Air Force Major, part of Operation Babylift, returns home to New York to bury her beloved brother. A “tunnel rat” saves a woman from her abusive boyfriend. A Silver Star recipient performs one last act of selfless courage and discovers what waits for him on the other side of life. A beloved community veteran suffers a senseless act of violence. A Special Forces operative pulls off the heist of a lifetime. Three old friends reminisce over the loss of a veteran and local legend.
Settle in with your beverage of choice and prepare for a collection of short stories that will touch your heart and remind you of the real people behind the history. Free on Kindle.
Free: Magnolia Song
Magnolia Song is the explosive saga of two Memphis families whose intertwined fates spiral out of control over four generations of heartbreak and renewal. It’s a rollicking gallop of a novel, a stampede over rough terrain, where the absurd leavens a yeasty mix of sin, sacrifice, and redemption, imbuing the least of the characters with an irrepressible dignity.
“It’s not often that a tale this breathtaking manages to sweep up in its headlong trajectory such a gallery of complex, authentic, and utterly mad characters. Nor is it often that such a swift, page-turning narrative can touch such depths and achieve such wisdom along the way. In J. Robert Towery’s Magnolia Song, the South is a carnival of comedy, danger, and heartbreak. The book is a flat-out wonder.” — Steve Stern
“The first comparison that came to mind when I read Magnolia Song was Balzac. We almost never see novels of whole societies anymore, but this is one on a grand scale. The full complexity of the new South isn’t well understood, even by the people who live there—it’s too new, too big. Yet here it is, widescreen. More than breadth, Magnolia Song has depth. Its interweaving stories are all rooted in a philosophic consciousness of history, particularly in its treatment of race relations. On that delicate subject this novel embodies both a cool distance and a compassionate intimacy. When hatred appears, as it must, it hits with a jolt. As for plain old story, this is one of those novels that grabs you and doesn’t let go.” — Thomas McNamee Free on Kindle.
Free: Crawford’s Affair (Act I): Family Portrait
The Dead-Honest Truth According to Tazz
Lavonne on the Job: The Hair Salon
Dead Letters
“If you want to find me, search within these pages.”
Bestselling author Richard Debden is missing. The only clue: a copy of his unpublished final novel delivered to his ex-girlfriend, Amy. When Richard’s closest reunite for his memorial, Amy turns to his former best friend, to help unravel the mystery. Can they unlock the secrets of Dead Letters, or will more sinister forces get there first?
$3.76 on Kindle.
When You Get Older
They call it custody, a term used for prisoners, but maybe it’s all one and the same with these unjust systems we’re forced to live with, vindictive mothers we’re forced to accept. When You Get Older is an emotional story told through poems of a bright young uncle and his relationship with his older brother and niece. Due to his parents’ absence throughout his life, he’s always looked up to his older brother like a father figure–and his niece is more like a little sister to him. He wouldn’t change this family dynamic for anything. But it’s not meant to last, and fate tears their family apart. After a period of separation where he questions himself and life, will he be able to find a way to bring back the family he never had? Or is his niece destined to repeat the same kind of childhood as him? $0.99 on Kindle.
Free: Juxtapositions from the Good Vibe Lounge
Set in Central New Jersey, the Good Vibe Trilogy is a coming-of-age story following the lives of two young people raised in diverse yet dysfunctional environments during the late 1970s. When their lives connect, it impacts the destinies of their friends and family over a forty-year span.
Volume One, The Paradise We Create, introduces Andrew ‘Drew’ Reubens. As a teen, he is a girl-crazy, self-involved kid at the center of a clique of performing arts geeks. One of the many females in his sphere is unfiltered and misunderstood Alyona ‘Yoyo’ Zalenkov, being raised in a rural cult environment with warped family values.
The result of their unlikely relationship is represented in the modern-day events of the story, as Andrew hosts a celebration at his Central Jersey establishment, The Good Vibe Lounge. When the younger generation of his family expresses a desire to understand more about their back story, Andrew pivots, between modern times and 1977, his climactic senior year of High School to weave the story of Drew and Yoyo… and a collection of characterful events and relationships along the way.
With the help of some of his oldest friends, Andrew takes a tour of the often comedic, sometimes tragic.. but all-so-typical journey of adolescents faced with the transition to life as adults in the real world.
The Good Vibe saga is a forty-year history of characters who navigate thru the wonders, challenges, and destiny of human interplay. Along the way, they take on these dynamics, with juxtaposed tales of adolescent frivolity, dysfunctional family, enduring friendship, the depth of romance and sensuous love, criminal behavior, deception, success, failure, the thrill of knowledge, personal progression, and… a good dose of recovering from regrets.
And ultimately seeking to balance ‘what might have been’ with everything happening at the place where reality meets up with all of it… for a reason. Free on Kindle.