A Phantom Cult

A Shattering Deception

A Powerful Prophecy

Lust, greed, destruction. Humanity has fallen into an inverted matrix. Menacing energy vampires are hunting Jo's best friends and siphoning the souls of StarSeeds. To save everyone she loves from extinction, Jo must collapse the false Phantom timeline using Stargate portals and time hops into the ancient Age of Lemuria.

Jo and Alicia reunite with Roma and legendary mythical Warriors. They trek through the enchanted Luminary Realms to fulfill the violet flame prophecy of the seven Eternal Archive Spheres. As the Plague of Chaos descends on innocence, the chosen Master Alchemist must embody Metatron's organic keys to resurrect the modern timeline.

We often end up living an "unexpected" life. Yet through it, glimmers of hope, faith, love, and peace find their way through.

After being married for forty years and serving the Catholic Church as a deacon for the last five years, leaving the diaconate was the last thing on my mind.

Life was good—wife, home, children, grandchildren, health, retirement, and an amazing ministry. Never did I expect to be a suicide survivor. Grieving the loss of my wife was difficult enough, but with suicide, the grieving process was much more intense. Being a deacon in the Catholic Church intensified that process even more.

The Catholic Church made it clear. I could not stay a deacon and pursue another loving relationship that could lead to marriage. I was aware of the rule, but after two years of discernment, I couldn't seem to make a decision. This battle put me into the hospital for open-heart surgery. Finally, with God's help, I made my decision.

Rick, a local reporter, wanted to interview me with regard to my diaconate experience and how I came to that decision. Rick turned out to be more than a reporter. This is my story. Through it, I hope glimmers of hope, faith, love and peace find their way through your clouds as well.

Proceeds go to Suicide Awareness

Author Bio:

Tom and his wife Dorothy live in Clarksboro, New Jersey. They met later in life after they lost their spouses. They truly feel that God and their late spouses brought them together. Tom is a retired systems engineer, a magician, a teacher, and an ex-deacon in the Catholic Church.

Nineteen-year-old Amelie Weathers wishes she could live like a normal girl, yet each day she is reminded of what will never be. In the world of Indivix Corp, powers dictate your entire life-from your job, to how people perceive you-and with Amelie's uniquely dangerous indiviym, she would be executed on the spot if her secret was revealed.

Still, it grows increasingly difficult to stay in the shadows. When she meets runaway scientist Kane Blackwell, forces beyond her control drive her into the limelight. An evil led by an Omniviym named Alexander Kord will stop at nothing to level and corrupt major cities across the country. Under Kane's guidance and instruction, Amelie must awaken the powerful indiviym within her to protect the world from the evils that are crawling to the surface.

Eleanor Brice Desmarais, she of the cracked glass slipper and unladylike intellectual propensities, has learned that happily-ever-after is as rare as a frozen dragon, even for a happenstance princess. She survived a plot against her life, but her marriage to the alcoholic, womanizing Prince Gregory of Cartheigh remains at best a sham, and at worse, a potential noose around her neck. Gregory is increasingly suspicious of Eleanor's unusually close relationship with his best friend, Dorian Finley, and with good reason. Ironically, Gregory seems to be engaged in his own scandalous love affair-- with Eleanor's scheming stepsister, no less. Eleanor understands the harsh realities of women's lives in her kingdom, so she turns her energies to a school for impoverished girls, until an evil magician's deception destroys the school and unleashes a festering plague. From the Fire-iron walls of Eclatant Palace to the slums of Meggett Fringe, no one, magical or mundane, is safe from the fever-induced delirium of the Great Burning. Not even Eleanor's children.

As Eleanor's happily-ever-after morphs from circumspect to heartbreaking to mortally dangerous, for both herself and Dorian, she faces her greatest losses and her harshest reckoning. No matter what life hands her, however, she finds the strength to do what she must. She stares down her challenges, protects her loved ones, and fights to change the world. Just like women everywhere, in her world, and ours.

About the Author
Alexander, Stephanie: - Stephanie Alexander is a writer and a family law attorney. She lives in Charleston, South Carolina, with her husband, their blended family of five children, and their miniature dachshund, Trinket.

“I loved this collection of thoughts…I would recommend this story for those who enjoy an emotional heartwarming story.” —Linda’s Book Obsession Blog

These six interrelated pieces tell the story of Maggie, a vibrant individual who is also Everywoman: daughter, dreamer, nurse, friend, wife, mother. Spanning over eighty-five years, they follow her from her youth in Depression-era Illinois to the time when she ventures forth to 1940's Hollywood and coastal California, and her return to the rural Midwest. Bittersweet and poignant, celebratory and inspiring, these stories portray the exuberance of youth, the delight of friendship, the adventure of going forth into the world, and the disappointment and heartache that are a part of life.

Author Bio: 
Linda Mahkovec is the author of World War II historical fiction, short stories, and contemporary novels.

Themes of love, family, and home dominate her stories, and though they may be set against the backdrop of war or deal with the disappointments in life, the overarching feel is uplifting and hopeful. Threads that run through her work are the search for beauty and meaning, and the artistic female character—whether she is a painter, a gardener, or simply someone who lives creatively and seeks connection.

Mahkovec was born and raised in a small town in Illinois. She then spent several years in the San Francisco Bay area and Seattle, and for the past thirty years has lived in New York City. She has a PhD in English, specializing in Victorian literature. She has previously published as Agnes Irene.

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"The author is a gifted storyteller, as this book engages the reader on several levels…Mahkovec has written a story that defies the reader to put it down before the end, and the end is impossible to guess. The Garden House is a slow-paced, insightful novel that I enjoyed very much, the sort of beautifully-written story I associate with literary fiction." —Readers' Favorite

“Mahkovec's prose is sharp and fluid…The premise is a fun one, and Miranda is a finely drawn character...An engrossing, if subdued, psychological tale." —Kirkus 

A story of love, family, and home set among the lush summer evenings of Seattle. Themes of gardens and buried secrets bring to mind the novels of Kate Morton, while the importance of home and family is reminiscent of Maeve Binchy.

When Miranda's two children leave home, her sense of loss is intensified by a void in her own life journey. She has set aside her dreams of becoming an artist for far too long. In an attempt to rekindle the beauty and passion of her youth, she fixes up the garden house as a studio—only to discover her husband has rented it out for the summer to a shy, somewhat mysterious young man.

Soon after his arrival, Miranda begins to have disturbing dreams. Her friends dismiss them. Her husband blames them on the teen shelter Miranda has recently visited. Is she simply experiencing a mid-life crisis? Perhaps empty-nest syndrome? But Miranda is convinced her dreams have meaning, especially when she notices her new tenant's increasingly suspicious behavior.

When her dreams become more urgent, Miranda can no longer ignore her fear that someone is in danger. Is something sinister lurking right outside in her beloved garden?

There's only one way to find out... 

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Author Bio: 

Linda Mahkovec is the author of World War II historical fiction, short stories, and contemporary novels.

Themes of love, family, and home dominate her stories, and though they may be set against the backdrop of war or deal with the disappointments in life, the overarching feel is uplifting and hopeful. Threads that run through her work are the search for beauty and meaning, and the artistic female character—whether she is a painter, a gardener, or simply someone who lives creatively and seeks connection.

Mahkovec was born and raised in a small town in Illinois. She then spent several years in the San Francisco Bay area and Seattle, and for the past thirty years has lived in New York City. She has a PhD in English, specializing in Victorian literature. She has previously published as Agnes Irene.

Book Excerpt:

Chapter 1

Miranda awoke to the darkness of early morning. A barely-there breeze softly swelled the curtains, causing the sheers to billow as if in slow motion. Before going to bed, she had opened the window and parted the curtains, to better hear the sounds of the night and the morning birdsong. But at this hour all was hushed, except for the rhythmic breathing of her husband. The troubling sense of yearning, that of late had kept her company, had awakened with her. She slipped off the comforter, and walked to the window.

She lightly rubbed her bare arms. In the garden below, only the white flowers were visible – cone-shaped hydrangeas, discs of Queen Anne’s lace, full-blossomed peonies – dream flowers of night. They appeared weightless, as if they hovered in timelessness, and would not attach to the stems and root until the fuller light of morning connected them. Further down, the garden house loomed out of the darkness – like the flowers, not yet anchored, still in silent communion with the night. As she rested her eyes on it, almost imperceptibly it shifted – from pale gray to the beginnings of white, gaining in shape and substance as dawn gave way to day. Now she could make out the blue trim, the window boxes. Soon it would stand firm in the bright light of morning.

Everything was right there – in the tenuous linking of night with dawn, in the garden house full of memories, in the flowers and paths of the garden, in the longing that spilled out into it all. It was as if she were looking at a puzzle, and almost had it pieced together while it lingered at the edge of night—but then it completely disappeared with the morning light, as if it had never existed.

Breakfast. She would make breakfast.

She dressed quietly, washed up, and went downstairs. As she got out the eggs, milk, and butter, she tried to brush away the webby sense of discontent that clung about her. A nudging that she should be doing something more now. That her old role had changed and she must also change, or risk slipping into vagueness.

Into a large blue bowl she cracked the eggs, and added milk, vanilla, a touch of sugar. Then she began dipping slices of bread into the mix and placing them in a pan sizzling with butter.

While they browned, she turned on the tea kettle. She reached for the coffee press, and opened the bag of coffee – lifting it to her nose and taking in the rich aroma before measuring it out. The scent alone warmed her to morning, made her eager to begin the day. She took out several oranges and began slicing them to squeeze for juice. While she prepared breakfast, she heard the shower running. She smiled. The scent must have drifted upstairs.

Cooking grounded her, rooted her, in the same way gardening did. And Ben. And the kids. She caught the spray of citrus mixing with the aroma of fresh coffee, and moved more briskly as she began to set the table.

She filled a few ramekins with jams and sour cream, and poured maple syrup into a small beaker. Then she took out a bowl and filled it with strawberries and blueberries. She looked at the table and wanted it to be fuller, richer. She lifted the bright pink kalanchoe from the window shelves, and set it on the table. Too bad the kids weren’t there to enjoy  it. Clara  would  love  the  way  the  flowering plant matched the quilted placemats. And Michael would appreciate the mound of French toast dusted with powdered sugar; he had his father’s love of big breakfasts.

With one hand on the counter, she gazed at the table, secure now in the routines of her kitchen, of good food, of color and light, a prettily laid table. She leaned her head to one side and studied the setting as if it were a painting, and briefly imagined herself sitting at the table, wearing a long kimono-like robe – peacock blue, or perhaps a pattern in pinks and orange.

She glanced down at her sweat pants and t-shirt. Well, they were more practical for cooking, she told herself. Still, she wished she blended more with the arrangement – the one of the table, as well as the one in her head.

Miranda smiled at Ben’s quickness of step coming downstairs. She could always count on his appetite.

“Smells wonderful!” Ben said, entering the kitchen and giving her a quick kiss. He stared at the table. “All this for us? On a weekday?”

Miranda lifted and dropped one shoulder. “I was up early so I thought I’d make breakfast.”

“I’m not complaining.” Ben took his seat at the table and poured the steaming coffee into their cups.

Miranda sat down and looked at the ceiling-to-floor shelves behind Ben, a sort of small green-house that jutted out into the garden. It always filled her with happiness – the photos of the kids among the flowering plants, painted boxes and vases and tiny candles scattered throughout. But this morning, as a backdrop to the breakfast table, it filled her with melancholy.

She took a slice of French toast and poured some maple syrup over it and added a few strawberries. “I don’t think I’ll ever get used to cooking for just two.”

“It’ll just take some time,” said Ben, as he drizzled syrup over his French toast.

“I suppose so.”

Ben looked over at Miranda, her tone at odds with the enthusiastic breakfast spread.

“I think I’ll get started on the cupboards and closets,” she said. “Paula has been asking me to hand over any of my old pieces that are gathering dust. I told her with the kids gone, I was going to clean house and get rid of things. She seems to think my old paintings and sculptures will sell at her stores. You know how she can make anything look good. I doubt if they’ll sell, but I guess it’s worth a try.”

“I’m sure she’s right. Your work is great. I always tell you that, but you never believe me.”

“That’s because you’re partial, Ben.”

“Can’t fault me for good taste.”

“Hmm,” Miranda responded with skepticism. “I guess I’ll show her my old stuff, but what I really want to do is set up the studio and get started on some new things.”

“Oh, that reminds me,” said Ben. “I think I found a renter for the garden house for the summer.”

Miranda put her fork down. “I thought we decided against it.”

Ben looked up. “We did? I thought the plan was to rent it out until we were ready to put up that wall, make some of those changes we talked about.”

“Ben, that was months ago. I told you just last week that I wanted to use it as a studio this summer. I want to finish that screen, for one thing. And I haven’t done any painting in years.”

“Miranda, I cut the boards for that screen two years ago.” Ben’s hand hesitated over the berries. Berries or jam? He decided on a few mixed berries and sprinkled them over another piece of French toast.

“I know. And now that I have some time, I can finally finish it.”

“So I’ll tell the guy it’s not available.” He lifted the coffee press and refilled his cup. “Oh, remember to set out Michael’s camping gear if you come across it. He wants us to take it to him the next time we’re down. Apparently, his new girlfriend – Casey? – is a hiker and camper.” He raised his eyebrows at Miranda and grinned. “He sounds pretty happy. Portland was definitely the right choice for him.”

“Caitlin,” said Miranda. She placed an elbow on the table and rested her chin in her hand, lightly tapping her lips with her knuckles. She took a deep breath and resumed eating. “No. Don’t tell him.”

Ben raised his head. “Tell who what?”

“The tenant. The guy.”

“Oh. You sure? I thought you just said – ”

“No. That can wait. The rent will help with the renovations.” She took another slice of French toast and spread on some sour cream and raspberry jam. “So who is he?”

“Somebody Doug knows. Or his wife, rather. A teacher or journalist or something.” He looked up, trying to remember if there was anything else he knew about him. “From out East. New York, I think,” he said, as if that summed it all up.

Miranda made a small sound of exasperation. “Is that all you know about him? How old is he? Is he married? Kids? What’s he like? What does he teach?”

Ben drew a blank at each question.

“What’s his name?”

“William. Something. Been teaching for thirty years. I don’t think he’s arriving until next week. I’ll find out more today and let you know.” He tried to read the expression on Miranda’s face—far-off look, slight frown. He had been sure that his news of a tenant would make her happy. “What?”

“Nothing. It’s just that – I thought that if we rented it out, it would be nice to have a woman. An artist. Maybe someone with a small child or two. Wouldn’t that be nice? To have kids down there? Just on a temporary basis.”

“You can always turn it into a daycare center if that’s what you want.” His suggestion, as he knew it would be, was met with a sharp glance from Miranda. “I mean it,” he continued. “The kids are gone, and now you finally have some time to do what you want to do. If it’s a daycare you want – ”

“I don’t want to run a daycare.”

“Well,  you  did  a  few  years  ago.  Don’t  you remember? You had plans to – ”

“Well, I  don’t  now. That’s  the  whole  point, Ben. I want to start doing some of the things I’ve been putting off for the last twenty-five years.” As soon  as  the  words  were  out, she  regretted  them. Ben  would  think  she  was  blaming  him  for  why she hadn’t pursued her dreams, even though it had been her idea to leave school when they got married and work while Ben finished his degree.

Ben looked down at his plate, and then up at Miranda. “I know. I’m behind you on that. Just – tell me what it is you want to do, and I’ll help you with it.”

Miranda’s eyes filled with worry. “That’s just it, Ben. I don’t know. I really don’t. How can I have gotten to this age and not know what I want to do?” She glanced about as she searched for an answer. “What if all those things they say about middle age are true? What if I get foggy-brained and too tired to accomplish anything ever again? And I just keep gaining weight and – ”

Ben laughed and leaned over to rub her shoulder. “Aw, c’mon. What are you so worried about? You just keep getting better and better. I never could keep up with you.”

“Ha!  You  haven’t  gained  a  pound.  While I – ” she shook her head at the unfinished thought. “Though  I  do  think  the  dry  cleaner  is  partly  to blame – everything comes back smaller. More coffee?” she asked, preventing any chance of a rebuttal.

Ben smiled and held up his cup. “Take your time and think about the tenant. You can always say no. It’s completely your call.”

She watched him fix another piece of French toast. “No. It’s a good idea. I’m not quite ready to paint or whatever, anyway. It’s going to take me weeks, maybe months, to really clean out closets and organize everything. A tenant makes sense. I’ll work on the garden house today, get it ready for him. It needs a few things.” She heard herself and almost cringed, as if another delay in her plans was exactly what she wanted.

Ben caught the wistful tone behind her words. “Hey – how about dinner tonight?” he asked. “At McMillans – watch the sun set on the lake. You’ll have your hands full today; this way you won’t have to think about cooking.”

“You know me well,” she said, stretching her legs and resting them on his lap. Miranda loved the restaurant’s seasonal menu and always looked forward to a new culinary experience – a fresh way of preparing a vegetable, an unusual combination of herbs or spices, or a completely new dish that she would later try to recreate.

Ben’s phone rang and he glanced at the number. “Sam.”

He chatted with his old friend, rubbing Miranda’s legs as he talked, stopping and starting in pace with the conversation.

Miranda picked a few berries from the bowl, eating them one at a time, and watched Ben, always so  animated  and  energetic. After  all  these  years, she thought, I’m still wild about him. He doesn’t even  have  to  do  anything. He  can  just  sit  there and eat and talk on the phone and laugh – and it all makes me love him so much. He was agreeing to something, raising his eyebrows at her at some good news. She just hoped it didn’t involve fishing.

Ben  speared  one  last  slice  and  shrugged  at Miranda, as if it was so delicious he couldn’t help himself. He poured out some syrup, gave a chuckle, and  nodded  again. “Sounds  good.  I’ll  tell  her – she’ll love it. See ya, buddy.” He slipped the phone into his pocket.

“What will I love?”

“He invited us to his new place on the peninsula.  Another  month  or  so  and  it’ll  be  ready. Doesn’t  that  sound  great?” He  cast  an  imaginary fishing line.

A weak smile formed on her lips.

“Hiking, fishing, sitting around the fire pit at night. He said he’s discovered a local berry farm that you’ll love.”

Miranda smiled at the cozy vision. “That does sound nice.” Dear ole Sam, she thought. Always sure to include something she would enjoy.

Ben took one last bite and scooted his chair from the table. Then he took his jacket from the hall tree and headed out the door.

Miranda followed him outside, rubbing her arms against the chill. “I’ll make a reservation. What time should I say?”

“Better make it 8:00. See you there.” He squeezed her goodbye, intensifying his embrace until he got the laugh he was looking for.

She walked out on the flagstones and watched him drive off. A trip to the peninsula might be a good idea, after all. It would be beautiful there. She loved the deep forest walks, the smell of wood fire at night. And Sam was always good company. Though only ten years older than Ben, Sam was in many ways his mentor. She would always be grateful to him for helping Ben through a tough time. The memory of those years, of the stress Ben was under, still filled her with pain. At one point she feared he was heading for a breakdown. Long hours, corporate politics, an ever-increasing work load. It was Sam who convinced him to leave the firm and work with a smaller architect company. And it had changed their lives.

A weekend with Sam would be good for them. She could walk along the shore while they fished. After all, she’d been wanting to exercise more, get back into shape. Here was her chance. Why did she always meet everything with such resistance? Like the idea of a tenant. That, too, might be a good thing. I used to be more open, more adventurous, she thought. When did that change?

Miranda lifted her face to the sun. She loved the way the garden smelled in the early morning, the earthy dampness from the light Seattle rain, the whiff of pine, the sun just beginning to release a hint of jasmine from the trellis. And if she leaned in close enough to the roses – she cupped her hands around the dewy pinkness, buried her face in the flower, and closed her eyes at such sweetness. She often wished they could move their bed out here, sleep under the stars, put up a little canopy against the rain –

“Hey, neighbor!”

There was Paula, waving to her.

“Good morning!” called Miranda, and crossed over to where Paula was planting flowers along her wooden fence.

Paula stood and held up a potted flower. “Just look at this clematis—it’s as big as a saucer.”

Miranda reached out to touch the pale purple flower. “It’s beautiful.”

“Just got it at the nursery yesterday. They still have some left.”

“I’ll go this morning. I need to get flowers for the window boxes,” she said, gesturing to the garden house. “I think we’ve found a renter for the summer.”

Paula inclined her head. “I thought you were going to use it as a studio.”

“We changed our minds. I want to organize the house first. Then think about what I want to do with the garden house.”

“I  hope  that  doesn’t  mean  you’re  going  to postpone  your  plans  again.  I  remember  a  time when you were always working on some painting or sculpture or something.”

“Yeah, well – that was ages ago.”

“What is it you’re afraid of? What’s stopping you?”

Miranda laughed at the ridiculous notion. “I’m  not  afraid  of  anything,  Paula. It’s  just –  I haven’t done anything for so long, and…”

Paula put a hand on her hip. “Does this have anything to do with turning fifty?”

“No, of course not. No. Not at all. It’s just – I’m not sure if I can tap into that part of myself again. I think it might be gone.”

“I don’t believe that for a moment. It’s in there. You just need to dig.” And with that, she knelt back down and shoved the trowel into the ground. “So who’s the tenant? A young painter with a five-year old child?”

Miranda laughed at the details of her earlier vision. “No, an older man. A teacher.”

“Well,  you  can  still  move  ahead  with  your plans. No reason you can’t paint outside or in the garage.”

“First I want to organize the house. Now that the kids are gone, I can clear out old stuff, get rid of things. And then think about painting or whatever.”

Paula gave a skeptical raise of her eyebrows.

Miranda pushed her foot at a clump of grass along the fence. “I think it will help me to focus, to start with a clean slate. I have so much stuff – old pieces I’ve held onto, half-finished projects. I want to lighten my load, and start fresh, you know? Then maybe by the fall or so I can be ready to really work.”

“Hmm.  Well,  don’t   throw   away   anything without letting me check it out first. The new shop opens  in  a  month. I  need  to  fill  it  up, and  your things would add just the right touch.”

“I doubt if there’s anything you can use, but I’ll start going through things.”

“You really should start on something new, as well. You’ll have the time now.”

“Yeah.” Miranda nodded and looked around. “Well, I better get started with everything. See you later.” She began to walk back to the house.

“Don’t wait too long, Miranda!”

Miranda turned and waited for a final word of reprimand.

But Paula was holding up the pale purple clematis. “They’re sure to go fast.”

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Four years have passed since Eleanor Brice Desmarais's darkest secret came to heartbreaking, perilous light. The princess with the cracked glass slipper still mourns unimaginable losses, including the deaths of her son and her best friend. Her lover, Dorian Finley, is in exile in a far northern kingdom. Eleanor and her husband, Crown Prince Gregory of Cartheigh, barely tolerate one another. Her two daughters are the bright stars in what feels like an existence of endless night.

Husband and wife travel north on an unexpected diplomatic mission, and Eleanor, Dorian, and Gregory resume their dangerous love triangle, with continued interference from Eleanor's wily stepsister. Eleanor's old nemesis, Ezra Oliver, forms a mysterious alliance with an army of vicious, bloodthirsty ogres, pushing Cartheigh to the brink of war. His magical finagling exposes strange connections between Eleanor's world and our own, and places her precocious, enigmatic daughter, Natalie, in terrible danger. When Gregory suddenly finds himself king, he leans on Dorian and Eleanor's counsel. With a fledgling monarch on the throne and the enemy amassing in the north, the unlikely triad must unite for the good of the kingdom. Their shared purpose forces Eleanor to rethink years of grudges, resentment, and animosity. As she truly embraces her own power, she finds herself learning to forgive, and asking for forgiveness.

The long-awaited conclusion to Stephanie Alexander's Cracked Slipper Series brings a satisfying resolution to a beloved fairytale. Eleanor's surprisingly relatable enchanted life is a testament to the power of personal evolution, and a reminder that there are no simple happy endings.

An early reader about friendship, telling the truth, and forgiveness. Young readers are pleasantly entertained, and not harmed, by the fact they may learn a subtle lesson about self-esteem and trust.



Perfect for fans of Peter Heller's The River and Karen Dionne's The Marsh King's Daughter.

"Fans of backwoods suspense will find this thriller strikes the perfect balance of tense excitement and opportunities for testing their deductive skills." -BookLife

"...a fabulous read. I'd love to see more of Richard Carlyle and will be watching this author for more works of this caliber. The Gorge is most highly recommended." -Readers' Favorite

It is not yet spring in the Adirondack Mountains of upstate New York. Whitewater rafting season has already begun, however. Streams filled with snowmelt are pouring into the Hudson Gorge, an almost inaccessible twelve-mile canyon. But someone who knows every foot of the backcountry is stalking those who are attempting to run the Gorge as the river reaches flood stage.

Richard Carlyle, a former raft guide and veteran criminologist working with state and local police, is desperately searching for the person who has murdered two people already. Tracking the killer to a remote cabin in the Gorge, Carlyle confronts an ecoterrorist with a grudge against anyone who dares to invade his territory.

“Braun uses the mountainous area and cabins to her advantage in telling the stories of her characters. An exceptional plot. Her character development is outstanding.” —Readers’ Favorite

After her father's death in 1923, when Ruth Ann Landry is just ten, she joins her mother as a maidservant for a wealthy Seattle family. The hours are long, the rules are strict, but she and her mother desperately need her wages to survive.

By the time she's seventeen, they've moved into the house, and she's become a mistress to her employer. While accompanying the family on vacation, she sees an opportunity to start a new life, and leaves. Ruth eventually finds solace in the mountain town of Lake Arrowhead, California, where she stays in one of the cabins owned by a man who becomes part of her future.

The Maidservant in Cabin Number One is the beginning of the story of The Guest Book Trilogy, and of Annie Parker who eventually comes to own the cabins where Ruth Landry stayed.

 

Author Bio:

Smart. Savvy. Retired. Bored.

The members of The Martini Club include a former CIA operative, a one-time Washington ad man, an ex-journalist, a retired brothel owner, an ex-airline pilot, and a non-practicing rabbi. This eclectic group assembles once a month to drink gin martinis, debate great issues and tell stories that may or may not be true. When an enigmatic financier offers them a chance to get “back in the game” and turn one-million dollars into untold riches, the retirees jump at the opportunity. But their plans are quickly stymied by the suspicious death of a local landowner, forcing The Martini Club to sober up and investigate potentially deadly hidden agendas. 

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Author Bio:
Alan Eysen wrote for many years about real-world financial and political corruption. At Newsday, he served as a prominent member of the investigative team that won the 1970 Pulitzer Prize for exposing misconduct involving Long Island public officials. After more than thirty years in journalism, he became a political consultant and experienced the other side of the story. Today, Eysen resides in the lowcountry of South Carolina, where he continues to write and be inspired by the colorful characters and harrowing situations he experienced firsthand as a reporter. He can often be found crafting his strong fictional characters with the help of an equally strong dry gin martini.

Book Excerpt:
Chapter 1: Flying
Jay Corrigan flew lazy circles over the Parrot’s Caw subdivision. The sky was azure blue; the golf course below a winding strip of brilliant green. This was the time the retired airline pilot had been waiting for—no schedules, no responsibilities, just the pure joy of making lazy circles in the sky.
The tiny two-seat Cessna 152 responded instantly to Corrigan’s touch. He was hands-on flying in this little high winged bird. He and the plane were one body linked by touch. Corrigan no longer was managing a computer-driven commercial plane, responsible for hundreds of passengers. He was just having fun.
Oops, he thought, remembering he did have one responsibility today. He had promised the Parrot’s Caw Property Owners Association that he would take photographs of the fifteen-hundred-acre development, with its thirty miles of roads and drains, its seventy-five drainage ponds, its twenty-plus miles of walking and biking trails, and many acres of carefully trimmed flowers, bushes and trees. The association board had requested the photos as part of its preparation for negotiations with the property’s developer.
Yet he hesitated.
Instead of shooting photos, he climbed to thirty-five hundred feet to get a more panoramic view of the area. There was Parrot’s Caw, a complex of more than two thousand homes, town homes and condominiums. Its residents were upper middle class, mostly a mixture of successful businessmen and professionals—doctors, lawyers, accountants and engineers. Of course, he had met some offbeat souls, retired college professors, an ex-CIA operative, even a former journalist. Good folks to drink with.
The neighborhood’s manicured lawns, landscaped gardens and rolling golf course painted a sharp contrast to what Corrigan saw when he looked to the southeast. There, he spotted a distinctly different neighborhood. It was made up mostly of rundown shanties and mobile homes sitting on concrete blocks. Poor blacks lived there. He could make out several of them riding bikes on the slender, two-lane roads—not for the exercise, he thought, but because they can’t afford cars.
To the south lay the city of Stuarton, known to many as The Miracle City because the colonial seaport town had survived a British siege and blockade during the Revolutionary War by trickery as much as grim de­termination. Its militiamen intermixed real and artificial cannons on their ramparts to give a more formidable appearance and poked numerous unmanned rifles out of windows and over parapets to further the impression of a greater number of defenders. Some of their dead were propped up behind these weapons to add authenticity. After weeks of bombardment, the British fleet withdrew rather than test Stuarton’s defenses further by landing troops.
Today, Stuarton residents were largely middle class, earning their living from small businesses that catered either to the tourist trade or the sale of farm products. A small section was filled with venerable mansions, some still occupied by the heirs of their original builders. Most of these architectural jewels, however, were now in the hands of successful entrepreneurs and celebrities who enjoyed a certain anonymity among Stuarton’s polite, look-the-other-way citizenry.
Flying in a slow turn to the north, Corrigan was able to peer out his window far to the west. There he saw miles of farms and small ranches. Damn, he thought, I think I see some cattle and real cowboys down there. Now it’s time to play. With that, he pushed the throttle in to full power and pulled the control wheel into his gut. The Cessna’s engine roared as its nose pointed straight up to the sky. For a tantalizing moment, the plane remained motionless, stalled, as if hung on an invisible string. Then, its left wing dropped precipitously, and the plane began to spin— slowly at first, then more rapidly. It looked to Corrigan as if the earth, not the plane, was spinning more and more rapidly as it rose up toward him. He laughed, shoved the control wheel forward, leveled the wings, pressed hard on the right rudder and reduced power. As the spin stopped, he eased off the right rudder and gently pulled back on the control wheel, putting the plane back in level flight. Fun’s over. The altimeter indicated he had lost 150 feet.
He turned back to the southeast toward Parrot’s Caw and began a slow descent. He reached for his camera, an old German Leica, banked the plane over to a for­ty-five-degree angle, and began shooting. By the time he tied down the little rental plane, he was ready for a drink. Where the hell are Brady, Smyth and Ginsberg when you need them?
Chapter 2: In the Beginning
Many of Brody Brady’s personal daily rituals were the result of his creative imagination. There was, for example, his Tuesday and Thursday walking schedule. On those two days, Brady wore a towel around his neck and a headband that said FEDERER. He would start his walks at precisely 10:00 a.m., which allowed him to reach his halfway point, the development’s tennis courts, a half hour later. This coincided with the conclusion of the regular women’s doubles tennis matches. Brady would offer his towel to any attractive lady who seemed in need of such assistance. Soon the players expected Brady to arrive, and some struck up an acquaintance with “that charming man.”
On Wednesdays, Brady would borrow his neighbor’s Yorkshire Terrier for a walk. He had learned that women were attracted to small, fluffy dogs. Though the Yorkie was a male named Brute, on their walks Brady called him Lover Girl. A heavy coat of hair concealed the distinguishing male member until the dog was picked up to be cuddled. This made for lengthy conversations with women concerning male and female anatomy. After each walk, Brady returned the dog promptly to its owner, borrowing it off schedule only if a Yorkie-loving woman decided to pay him a personal visit.
Mondays and Fridays were set aside for what Brady called “conversation walks,” strolls with a special group of men more or less his age. He was seventy-eight. All the men invited on these walks were bright, well educated, mostly retired, and above all interesting. They also shared a kindred taste for martinis.
The Brady walkers, as they began calling themselves, met at the entrance to the Parrot’s Caw Clubhouse, an English Tudor structure that fed and lubricated golfers, pinochle players and those interested in spending a day away from their spouses. It was after one such conversation walk that The Martini Club was born. To say it was formally created would be an overstatement. Best to say it simply evolved from a discussion between Brady and Nathan Ginsberg on the merits of drinking, and their inability to do so while walking.
Ginsberg was slightly younger than Brady, and could discuss anything from philosophy to baseball scores with wit and wisdom. He was tall, nearly as tall as Brady. Unlike Brady, though, Ginsberg was broad shouldered and muscular with a perpetual three days growth of beard. He could have passed for one of those mature male mod­els featured in erectile dysfunction commercials.
“What I admire about you, Nathan,” Brady said, “is that you can hold your liquor so well. In my ethnic persuasion, that would be considered a badge of honor. In yours, probably not so much.”
“True, especially since I am a rabbi.”
“A rabbi?” Brady responded in disbelief. “During my days in Washington, I ran into lots of Jews who could drink with the best, but none of them was a rabbi.”
“A heavy drinking Jew is the quintessential assim­ilationist. If he can drink like a goy, he can pass for a goy, so deep is the Jewish inferiority complex,” Ginsberg replied. “But passing for a goy doesn’t work well in the rabbi business. Congregations want rabbis not only to be Jewish, but to look Jewish and smell Jewish. That means, horseradish on your breath…yes; liquor on your breath… no. Fortunately, I am retired. I took up drinking after my working years. All that being said, there is precedence for having a drunken leader in the Bible.”
“Is this going to be a sermon on the virtues of drinking?” Brady asked in expectation of some witty Talmudic offering. “Being of Irish heritage and having labored in some of the best bars in D.C., I can say I need no conversion.”
“In your case, no conversion, just a little Jewish perspective,” Ginsberg responded. “I think you already understand the sins and virtues of alcohol. In Genesis, God decides he doesn’t like the life He has created on earth with Adam and Eve, so He tries again. He floods the world, and drowns everybody except for one righteous man, his family and a bunch of animals—there is some dispute as to their number—but in the end, all are saved, and life begins again on this lonely planet.”
“Touching. So what’s the point?”
“The point is this: the one righteous man He picks to lead the little band of start-overs is a vintner named Noah. Immediately after he finds dry land, what does Noah do?”
“I know.” Brady responded with a wink. “He lets all those creatures off the ark to go copulate.”
“My question was rhetorical, smart guy. The Bible says, ‘And Noah, the farmer, began and planted a vineyard. And he drank of the wine and was drunken.’ Things get a little sloppy after that, but Noah lived nine hundred and fifty years and started a whole line of descendants, including you and me. My point is that if it weren’t for a drunken pre-Jew, none of us would be here.”
“Hallelujah,” replied Brady. “And that explains why Jesus turned water into wine. He just wanted to keep the party going.”
Before Ginsberg could reply, Gerald Smyth joined them with a healthy clap on both their backs. “So boys, what are we going to argue about today?”
It was then that Brady had an epiphany. “The three of us love to drink martinis, tell wild stories and argue about everything from politics to women. Why don’t we meet at each other’s homes instead of on the street, so we can imbibe while we altercate? The host will supply the martinis and some food. We can call it The Martini Club. Each of us can bring in an additional member as long as he is a kindred spirit.”
“There must be only one rule,” Ginsberg responded, “that there are no rules, no passwords, no secret handshakes or special number cards with our faces on them, nothing that will bring order out of the chaos we are seeking.”
“Agreed,” Smyth said.
“Whoa,” Brady objected. “You have suggested a rule that cannot be put in place unless there are rules for voting a rule in or out of place. Without such formative rules, there can be no way to adopt primal rules for barring rules.”
“I would suggest that does not have to be the case,” Ginsberg countered. “The religious and scientific laws that govern us did not require an a priori mechanism to put them in place. These laws are givens. They are inherent to the universe, like gravity and magnetism. God made them all out of nothing, a void.”
“Are you, rabbi, suggesting that God created gravity and magnetism?” asked Brady.
“Yes, exactly. Science can’t explain what set this all in motion. I am suggesting that God is our convenient name for the universality that put all these laws in place without benefit of outside jurisdiction or requirement of a majority vote. When Moses stood before the burning bush and asked God his name, God answered, ‘I am what I am,’ or as the Greeks translated it ‘I will be what I will be.’ How much more universal can you get? How can that be challenged?”
Smyth raised a large, hard hand, silencing the de­baters. “Enough,” he cried. “It is clear we are standing atop Mount Sinai at this very moment—though there isn’t a hill in sight—and we have just received revealed truth. The Martini Club has been called forth as a revelation. The first meeting will be held at my place within the week.”
The Martini Club was born and grew to ten mem­bers, each bringing a special personality and branch of knowledge to the assemblage—the theater arts and fine arts, politics, business, aviation, journalism, espionage, sex and psychology.
Chapter 3: Brody Brady
Sam Grieger’s first encounter with the manipulations of Brody Brady came as he was unpacking boxes and placing items where his wife Sheila had dictated—dishes in the cabinets near the refrigerator, toaster oven on the counter near the coffee maker, automatic can opener to be screwed into the base of the cabinet overhanging the dishwasher. If I let my mind go blank, he thought, I won’t remember that I failed shop in high school and that my teacher called me tool disadvantaged. I have twisted myself like a circus contortionist into the twenty-two inches between the dishwasher and the overhanging cabinet and am trying to rotate screws into remarkably hard wood.
Someone began aggressively banging on the front door.
“Who is it?” Grieger called.
“Your neighbor, Brody Brady. It’s an emergency.”
“Hold on a minute.”
“I don’t have a minute. It’s an emergency.”
“What’s the emergency?”
“I’m bleeding.”
“Hold on.” Grieger untwisted himself carefully off the dishwasher, mindful that his skull could be penetrated at any moment by partially driven steel screws.
He opened the door to see Brody Brady looking like a gaunt parody of the Statue of Liberty, right hand held high, wrapped in a towel sodden with blood. As a retired newspaper reporter, Grieger had seen his fill of bloody bodies, but Brody Brady looked different. Probably because he’s still alive. “I’ll call 911.”
“No time for 911,” Brady replied. “Do you have some large bandages?”
“Yes, somewhere in one of these boxes,” Grieger answered, pointing at a hallway filled with half-opened boxes. “My wife would know where, but she isn’t home.”
“Then you will have to do. Start going through the boxes,” Brady commanded.
Grieger began rummaging through them without success. He looked up to see Brady dripping blood. “You are bleeding on my boxes and on my new parquet floor,” Grieger shouted.
“I don’t want to bleed on your boxes and floor, so get me some bandages quickly,” Brady snapped back.
In desperation, Grieger grabbed Brady by his blood tipped arm and rushed him to the kitchen sink. At least now he won’t bleed to death on my new floor. He pulled away the blood soaked towel revealing a gash that ran from Brady’s middle finger, across his palm nearly up to his wrist. “This needs stitches. A bandage won’t do it,” Grieger said, trying to feign compassion.
Grieger recalled the cops slipping on plastic gloves and booties before touching the victims of mob hits. What if this guy has AIDs or hepatitis? Am I going to die from a horrible disease I haven’t even derived in some perverse pleasure? Aloud, he said, “Why don’t you go to the emergency room? There’s a hospital nearby. I’ll drive you.”
“I can’t go,” Brady replied. “See the 18-wheeler down at the end of the block. It’s full of my stuff. They’re unloading it into my place right now. I have to tell them where to put things.”
“I still think you should go to the emergency room. Just let them dump the furniture wherever. My wife will be home soon, and I’ll tell her to tell the movers where to put things. She knows that sort of stuff. She puts things in all the right places. Her mother taught her.”
“She doesn’t know where I want to put my things, nor does her mother,” Brady responded, agitation creeping into his voice.
“Sheila has great instincts about that kind of stuff,” Grieger replied knowingly. “It’s in women’s genes. When we lived in caves, they put all the rocks in all the right places. That’s how we learned to sit down. By the time we come back from the emergency room everything will be right where it should be.”
“No,” Brady replied resolutely. “I will stay with my furniture to the end, even if I bleed to death and it’s your fault.”
Grieger realized his situation was hopeless. Brady was prepared to die just to make sure his furniture was properly placed, and would blame him with his dying breaths. He rushed to the closet and grabbed a large beach towel emblazoned with the image of a very large crab. He twisted it around Brady’s wound and secured it with several turns of packing tape. The flow of blood was slowed but not stopped.
“You are still bleeding,” Grieger said hopelessly.
“I take Coumadin. It’s a blood thinner. You see, I have a bad heart,” Brady explained like some patient teacher. “It’s very hard to stop the bleeding.”
“I think we should go to the emergency room,” Grieger answered.
“I’m already scheduled to go in tomorrow for some minor heart surgery. I’ll have them stitch up my hand at the same time, a kind of two for one,” Brady countered, smiling.
“Heart surgery tomorrow?” Grieger questioned, no longer surprised at his neighbor’s answers. “I don’t think they combine such things.”
“I’ll talk to them,” Brady said confidently. “I can be quite persuasive. Besides, I have Medicare. It’s all covered.”
Grieger knew Brady had won. It was time to soldier on. Grieger marched him to the door. “Keep your arm elevated. As soon as my wife gets back we’ll find some real bandages and bring them over to your place,” he said. “By the way, how’d you get this cut?”
“They were bringing in a case of my very good wine, and they dropped it. I reached inside the case to check the damage and was stabbed by a bottle of Argentine Malbec,” Brady replied with a grin.
“What a waste of good wine,” Grieger sympathized, smiling back.
“I knew I’d like you,” Brady answered as he left, towel and hand held high.
And thus their friendship began. 
Chapter 4: The Chant
 The next time Sam Grieger saw Brody Brady was at the get-to-know you meeting of the newly formed Parrot’s Caw Condominium Owners Association, or PCCOWA, as it came to be known. The event was held in an all-purpose ballroom at the development’s central building, quaintly called The Domain. The ballroom itself was named The Dunk since it also served as a basketball court. The backboards were pulled up on this occasion, serving as anchors for the strings attached to large red, white and blue balloons that caromed off the coffee-colored ceiling. Periodically, they would snag on the folded hoops and make gaseous sounds as they pulled free. Their flat­ulence was overwhelmed now by the powerful voice of Chris Bideau, the property manager and developer’s son.
“I personally want to thank each of you for being the first settlers in a row of unique condominium structures that RB&S Homes hopes to fill with comfortable retirees from the north, just like yourselves.” Recalling his reli­gious education at Goodness of God College, he added, “You are on the frontier of the Promised Land. Thanks to RB&S Homes, you have at long last escaped the cold, the shoveling of snow, the driving on ice, the wearing of heavy winter coats, the chill of icy winds and the huge heating bills…and you deserve it.” Mixing his biblical ge­ography, Bideau went on to proclaim, “You are no longer East of Eden. You are in Eden. Amen, brothers and sisters!”
His audience responded to his revival meeting oratory with polite applause, but not a single Hallelujah.
Unshaken, Chris Bideau switched to a more down-to-earth approach. “Each table has bottles of wine and delicious chocolate chip cookies. And there is more to come. We have chicken wings waiting in the kitchen oven and ice cream in the freezer.”
Warming more to his master of ceremonies role, he added, “But before we get to the eating and drinking, RB&S Homes is going to treat you to something really special. We have created a Parrot’s Caw chant,” he shouted. “Chant it with me. It goes this way: PEE-SEE-SEE-OH-WHO-WAWA. The P not only stands for Parrot. It stands for perfect,” he yelled into a crackling microphone. “Remember, accent on the first PEE and the WHO.” He began rocking and rhythmically shouting:

A scantily dressed female, clearly wearing little or no underwear, jumped on the stage next to Bideau and began wiggling her bottom and waving pom-poms. She was slender, bosomy and pretty, but clearly years beyond her high-school cheerleading days.
“PEE-SEE-SEE-OH-WHO-WA-WA,” she cheered. “C’mon, folks,” she cried out. “Let’s all join in.”
Her low-cut top and mini skirt had awakened interest among the male condo owners. “Not since my high-school basketball days have I seen a wiggle like that,” shouted a recently retired Wall Street lawyer sitting close to the stage. “But I left the cheering to the cheerleaders. I just tried to score—one way or the other.” His remarks drew a round of applause and whistles from the men in the audience. His wife whacked his arm with her handbag.
Nobody joined in the chant. The pom-pom girl stopped wiggling.
“Ah, c’mon folks,” a frustrated Chris Bideau pleaded into the microphone. “We’re all on the same team here. We should have a cheer. We’ve got to have a cheer.”
“We’d rather have the chicken wings,” someone yelled from the back of the room.
Then Brody Brady jumped up. “In the meantime, why don’t you let the young lady play some music and do some singing. I understand she’s a got a great voice.”
“Okay, okay,” Chris Bideau responded, getting Brady’s message. “RB&S Homes wants you to have a good time tonight.” He signaled for the waiters to start bringing out the chicken wings. Turning to the pom-pom girl, he announced, “Get your other equipment on the stage, honey. It’s time for you to entertain us.” The girl quickly put two turntables, an amplifier and two speakers on the stage.
Bideau was about to hand her the microphone when a big man with a heavy beard walked in and shouted, “Hold it! She don’t sing. She don’t play music. She don’t strip. And she don’t wiggle, unless I say so. And I ain’t said so, so I’m taking her home.”
“Who are you?” Bideau asked.
“I’m her manager, her boss and her pimp,” the big man said as he walked passed tables of gawking condo owners on his way to the stage.
“What the hell is going on, Brody?” Chris asked. “I thought you paid her.”
“I did,” Brady answered from his seat only a few feet away. Some heads turned toward him with curiosity, but most remained fixated on the big man in the T-shirt, leather vest and large tattooed arms as he headed toward the girl.
“Just a moment, sir,” Bideau said as he stepped between the two. “If this is about money, we can straighten this out.”
The big man stopped and looked at Chris, who at six feet four inches stood two inches taller than the big man and at two hundred and forty pounds was twenty pounds heavier.
“This ain’t about money. The broad tried to go into business on her own. She needs to be taught a lesson,” he said. He attempted to move around Bideau, but Bideau moved with him.
“Out of my way before I bust your skull,” the big man said, pulling out a sharpened steel rod from a side pocket in his leather pants. Within seconds, Bideau smashed his knee into the thug’s groin. As the big man doubled over, Bideau brought his right fist down on the back of his head, seized his right wrist in an iron grip and spun him around. The steel rod went flying. The bearded man screamed as his shoulder snapped, and he collapsed in a moaning heap on the floor. This would be the last thing the big man remembered before waking up in the Stuarton Hospital emergency room.
Bideau seized the microphone. “This is all some kind of misunderstanding, folks. Just stay seated and we’ll go on with the evening. We still have ice cream sundaes coming.” The image of sundaes didn’t change the mood. The condo owners were streaming toward the doors.
The pom-pom girl was packing her equipment hastily and crying. “He’ll kill me!”
“If he comes near you, tell him he’ll answer to me,” Bideau responded.
He saw Brody Brady leaving with the crowd. “Brady, we have to talk, now!”
Brady stopped and turned to face Bideau, who was stepping over the big man.
“You sold me on the chant. You sold me on the girl. You sold me on the night, Mr. Public Relations Man. And look what’s happened. The condo owners are fleeing; some pimp tried to kill me, and I have to explain all this not only to the cops but also to my dad. I’m also out the five hundred bucks I paid you for your ideas and another two hundred and fifty for the cheerleader.”
“They would have come around to chant after a few more glasses of wine and some dancing,” Brady replied in a reassuring voice. As for the girl, I met her at a strip club downtown. She was pole dancing, playing music and singing. Seemed very talented, so I set her up with you. I didn’t know we were supposed to go through her manager. You’d better call 911,” Brady added as he headed for the door before Bideau decided to put him next to the big man.

 

A Martini Club search begins, almost casually with a marital dispute between a beautiful woman and her wandering husband. The quarrel evolves into sweeping questions about stolen art, undercover agents, religious conundrums, Fibonacci sequences, politics, and-of course-billionaires with billions to spend. Colorful locations, energetic personalities, and a chimpanzee named Chappie. All play a part in discovering the real object of the search: a find that bids fair to change how we think about our history, or faith, and our lives.



“Another winner from Alan Eysen. If you like interesting characters, all with their own stories, this second novel in the Martini Club series is for you." —Beverly Lawn, Author, Poet and English Professor Emerita Adelphi University

There they go again—a couple of them getting shot at—this time while flying over a dead-beat farm they were conned into buying for a million dollars. Smart, savvy, retired and bored, the Martini Club guys go looking for a little adventure and a bunch of their money back. What possibly could be valuable enough down there for somebody to shoot at them? The answer will take The Martini Club on a wild ride through space and time. But will they solve the mystery before someone gets killed?

Author Bio:
Alan Eysen wrote for many years about real-world financial and political corruption. At Newsday, he served as a prominent member of the investigative team that won the 1970 Pulitzer Prize for exposing misconduct involving Long Island public officials. After more than thirty years in journalism, he became a political consultant and experienced the other side of the story. Today, Eysen resides in the lowcountry of South Carolina, where he continues to write and be inspired by the colorful characters and harrowing situations he experienced firsthand as a reporter. He can often be found crafting his strong fictional characters with the help of an equally strong dry gin martini.

 

"Comic and suspenseful, The Trouble with Truffles is the third novel in Alan Eysen's Martini Club Mystery series. This time the lure is 100 acres of perfect white truffles. Irresistible." —Beverly Lawn, Author, Poet and English Professor at Emerita Adelphi University

The Martini Clubbers are at it again, seeking adventure as well as money. This time, both come knocking in the form of a beautiful woman who says she represents a company that can make them a fortune in white truffle production, if it is allowed to experiment on a farm owned by the Club. After all, white truffles sell for $4,000 a pound. The members go for it. The notoriously difficult to cultivate white truffle is suddenly easily available, which brings an unexpected problem.

Author Bio:
Alan Eysen wrote for many years about real-world financial and political corruption. At Newsday, he served as a prominent member of the investigative team that won the 1970 Pulitzer Prize for exposing misconduct involving Long Island public officials. After more than thirty years in journalism, he became a political consultant and experienced the other side of the story. Today, Eysen resides in the lowcountry of South Carolina, where he continues to write and be inspired by the colorful characters and harrowing situations he experienced firsthand as a reporter. He can often be found crafting his strong fictional characters with the help of an equally strong dry gin martini.

 

“The Milk Wagon is destined to be a classic...Highly recommend.” —Delta Magazine

The Milk Wagon is a coming-of-age thriller about friendship, redemption, and how the ties made during high school can last a lifetime.

Matt Frazier, Jason “Hop” Hopkins, and Mark Ragone have been close friends since elementary school. On the first day of their junior year of high school, a new kid named Nate Mayes arrives, and with him, a secret.

Nate appears to be polished, flush with cash, and a potential lady-killer. However, they soon discover that something terrible is going on at home with Nate’s father, Dr. Ford Mayes. 

FBI Special Agent Kathryn Cooper believes Dr. Mayes has personally had a hand in several deaths relating to  a money laundering scandal involving compounding pharmacies, dirty physicians, and the United States Government. Her attempts to arrest him, however, are foiled by an insider working both sides. With her career—and social life—in jeopardy, Agent Cooper turns to her new chief-of-police boyfriend for help, but is he truly the cure-all she needs?

When Nate stumbles upon a piece of evidence that ties his father not only to the money laundering investigation, but also to the death of his mother some fourteen years prior, he is devastated and filled with revenge. Enlisting Matt and his friends to help, Nate concocts a plan that will force them all to make unexpected and life-altering decisions. In the end, they will discover the shocking truth and finally understand the loyal bonds of family and friendship.

The trusty Milk Wagon was there through it all.

 

 

“Filled with FBI Investigations, scandal, and mysterious deaths, The Milk Wagon is a page-turning read.” —Mississippi Magazine

“It is hard to believe this book is fiction. I enjoyed it so much and will be recommending it to anyone and everyone I can.” —★★★★★ Reader Review

“When I started reading "The Milk Wagon" I was totally unprepared to be engaged in this FBI/coming of age thriller. I could not put it down, reading almost nonstop until the end. I thoroughly enjoyed this novel and would highly recommend it as a great entertaining read.” —NetGalley Reviewer

“If you love crime thrillers, if you loved the 80s, or if you just love a well written book, check this one out.” —NetGalley Reviewer

“The writing is exquisite; the storyline is awesome. Very relatable.” —★★★★★ Reader Review

“Datta's head-spinning, time-bending Time Corrector science-fiction/romance epic continues, after The Winding, with this follow-up that doubles down on the first book's already grand ambitions.” —BookLife (Publisher’s Weekly)

ACROSS TIME AND REALITY, THIS IS WHERE WE WILL FIND EACH OTHER.

In this mind-bending sequel, The Movement finds absolute genius and the prophesized time corrector living the life of his dream. His AI firm is booming, he's in better control of his powers, and Akane is with him after all this time. But, there are gaps in his memory and a new enemy, Vandal, is hell-bent on destroying everyone and everything in Vincent's life.

Vincent works frantically to stop him, but Vandal is always one step ahead with a sinister smile and blood on his hands. When Vandal comes after Akane, Vincent realizes there is only one way to protect her. Alter her reality so that she never meets Vincent.

To set things right, Vincent finds himself back at the core of time and reality, unveiling secrets from his past that reshaped his reality as he knew it. It only takes a moment to change everything. Alternate realities collide, and unfathomable powers and greeds unwind in this gripping new saga of the Time Corrector Series.

More Reviews:

“Avi Datta’s The Movement is just what you should be looking for if you love a science fiction novel with a touch of mystery, action, and romance.” —Keith Mbuya for Readers' Favorite

“This sequel has an excellent structure as it faithfully follows on from the events in the first book while still being readable as a standalone. Avi Datta never fails to sustain the intensity of the action and this time he raises the bar by way of the antagonist.” —Vincent Dubaldo for Readers' Favorite

“A highly complex middle-chapter installment of an intricate SF/fantasy that requires sharp attention.” —Kirkus

“Avi Datta has once again crafted a mesmerizing tale in The Movement.... It is a layered tale that will linger in conscious thoughts for some time.” —Steven Robson for Readers' Favorite

“There is a horde of exciting developments that keep readers on edge. Datta's prose is crisp and textured: his depiction of mythology and hard SF and cyberpunk elements is as compelling as his headlong dive into the characters' emotions.” —Prairies Book Review

“Datta's interspersing of SF aspects is seamless; the near-futuristic details are convincing; and the excitingly unpredictable action scenes have this emotional feel to them, as courageous, caring protagonists face mortal danger from truly sinister and evil antagonists.” —BookView Review

“The non-linear and multiple point-of-view format is handled in a way that never feels convoluted or confusing, and as a result, you find yourself breezing through the pages.... A stellar addition to the Time Corrector Series.” —Pikasho Deka for Readers' Favorite

“Avi Datta's The Movement continues Vincent's sci-fi adventure with an intricate, mind-opening depiction of love, time travel, artificial intelligence, and other thought-provoking sci-fi topics. You don't go into a book like this expecting to comprehend everything immediately. Its cleverly portrayed notions and conundrums of time travel and other sci-fi concepts reveal the writer's bright intellect.” —The Manhattan Book Review

“The Movement is another tense and thrill-packed installment in Datta's innovative science fiction series. The action is once again set in the very near future, which enhances the immediacy of the story and renders the technologies and innovations scarily plausible. Worldbuilding and plotting have always been Datta's strengths, and his character development and dialogue have now caught up with those aspects.” —San Francisco Book Review

”...the opening of the book will grab the attention of the reader. Science fiction fans would enjoy this book and I would recommend it.” —Samantha Gregory for Readers' Favorite

“A sequel just as lyrical, engaging, and beautiful as the original volume. The Movement is the rare sequel that not only matches but perhaps outshines the original. Avi Datta has proven to be an exceptionally skilled writer, able to handle both deep human connection and incredible action sequences. If you love books capable of telling a non-linear story but still wrapping things up perfectly, The Movement is the book for you.” —Adam Wright for Reedsy Discovery

“I loved the descriptive imagery used by the author while describing incidents in the book. He clearly describes scenes in the book, and I could clearly draw images of what was going on in my mind. I gave this book a perfect rating because of its exciting plot and well-explained events and occurrences. I can't wait to read the third book in the series.” —Online BookClub

Author Bio:

Dr. Avi Datta is the author of the genre-bending sci-fi series, Time Correctors. The Winding is his debut novel and the first one in the series. He is a Professor of Strategy and Entrepreneurship at Illinois State University. He is also the director of the University’s Center for Entrepreneurial studies. He researches and publishes in Radical Innovation, Management of Innovation, Technology Strategy, and Strategic Entrepreneurship. Outside his day job, he is a writer, an avid painter, a watch collector, and a coffee enthusiast who enjoys classic rock and western classical music.

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“Mahkovec weaves charm and originality into the fairy tales” —Kirkus

Not a love story—and yet a story of love. Love for a city, the artist’s way, and dreams.

When the indomitable, though introverted, Honora Gorman moves to New York City to pursue the writer’s path, she is both awed and overwhelmed by the city’s beauty and energy. Yet she’s convinced that this is the place where her true self will finally emerge. Her beloved notebooks will chronicle her at-long-last journey.

Over the course of several decades, her path often veers and detours as she stumbles over the obstacles of jobs, love, places to live, growing older, and the sense that time is running out. Yet pushing her ever forward is the exuberant persistence of storytelling—her “conversation with life”—and her do-or-die determination to stay true to her dreams. Will she triumph in the end? Are such dreams attainable?

The result is the fanciful story of Honora’s writing life woven together with fairytales, whimsy, and wonder.

Author Bio:

Linda Mahkovec is the author of World War II historical fiction, short stories, and contemporary novels.

Themes of love, family, and home dominate her stories, and though they may be set against the backdrop of war or deal with the disappointments in life, the overarching feel is uplifting and hopeful. Threads that run through her work are the search for beauty and meaning, and the artistic female character—whether she is a painter, a gardener, or simply someone who lives creatively and seeks connection.

Mahkovec was born and raised in a small town in Illinois. She then spent several years in the San Francisco Bay area and Seattle, and for the past thirty years has lived in New York City. She has a PhD in English, specializing in Victorian literature. She has previously published as Agnes Irene.

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[Hamilton] creates an effective and growing sense of mystery..." -Kirkus

The Portal: Only an Ocean Apart is a distinctly original journey into where life on Earth began and where we go after death. Based on scientific theory, combined with faith that humans can connect across alternate dimensions, Dean Hamilton's first novel reads more like reality than fiction.

After the tragic death of his parents at sea, wealthy socialite and playboy Cole Hollingsworth is set to take over his father's publishing empire, but when childhood schoolmate Lindsay Featherstone, now an accomplished researcher and oceanographer, reenters his life, Cole's world, along with everything he knew to be true about his life, love, and second chances, is about to be turned upside down.

Who is Lindsay, really? What does she want with Cole? And, perhaps most intriguing of all, has she found the key to all of life and death, and the mysteries of the afterlife, in the deepest reaches of the ocean's floor?

The pair embark on a journey to find out the truth about Cole's parents. What they discover along the way will not only transform them but will trigger the beginning of a global transformation humanity could not have possibly foreseen.

“An exceptional map for understanding the actions, decisions, market positioning and personal development that ultimately determine whether we have effectively managed our careers or fallen short." —John Koryl, President, Neiman Marcus Stores & Online

As a nationally respected executive recruiter, Chris Nadherny knows what it takes for professionals to get to the next level, and what holds them back. During his 30 years with Spencer Stuart—one of the world’s top executive recruiting firms—Nadherny conducted more than 700 search assignments for a wide-range of companies, assessed thousands of successful professionals and counseled many whose career paths have been disrupted or stalled.

More Reviews:

"Having read and prescribed many career books, this would be my absolute top choice. The author's perspective is unique in that his vast executive search experience provides insight both from a company's view as well as from the prospective executive. Together, they form a mosaic of what really defines exceptional talent and how this should guide one's career decisions. Chris Nadherny has created a career management reference guide that will prove invaluable for many aspiring executives in the years to come." —Fred Ley, SVP Corporate HR and Global Talent Management and Acquisition, Walmart, Inc.

"In Proactive Executive Chris Nadherny has consolidated his decades of learnings in the executive search business to create an invaluable blueprint for optimizing your career. His book is packed full of insights, practical how-to's and suggestions for aspiring C-suite professionals. The lessons that he shares are particularly relevant in today's ultra-competitive marketplace." —Jody Bilney, SVP and Chief Consumer Officer, Humana, Inc.

"Want help in improving your career? Then read this book before it's too late. Chris Nadherny turns 30 years of executive search experience into a reference guide that offers invaluable advice for executives at every stage of their careers." —Gian Fulgoni, ‎Co-Founder & CEO at comScore, Inc.

"Chris Nadherny shares his considerable experience as a national C-suite recruiter to capture the most critical, but often overlooked, elements of professional development and career planning in his book, The Proactive Executive. His book is full of proven and practical advice, insights, how-to's, action steps and real life case studies to guide your journey. A great read!" —Kimberly Williams, CEO, Consumer Safety Technologies

"Today as you move up an organization or change companies in a leadership position, you need the total package. Chris Nadherny outlines the steps needed to prepare yourself in advance for a significant career move, and to make sure it is the right one. Importantly, his approach makes these difficult steps achievable." —Roger Adams, Chief Marketing Officer, Fortune 500 diversified financial services company, Board Member, Association of National Advertisers.

"Read this book! No fluff here. Only practical tools and 'hard' career management skills that are guaranteed to result in positive career and personal growth. This is a 'go to' resource successful executives can pick up throughout their careers." —John Seebeck, VP and General Manager ECommerce, CDW, Inc.

"Physician heal thyself hasn't typically been relevant advice for business executives. Until now. Chris Nadherny's Proactive Executive does just that. This book reminds smart, strategic, and effective executives, who have mastered goal setting, planning, execution and monitoring, to apply these very talents to managing their own careers. Starting with the most important trait, self-awareness, Chris brings evidence in the form of examples and cases proving the qualities, and then the strategic actions that he's seen work over a stellar career of his own in executive search." —Tom Collinger, Executive Director Medill IMC/Spiegel Digital and Database Research Initiative, Northwestern University

"I have known Chris for nearly 20 years as a candidate, client and friend. This book powerfully distills career management insights from the thirty year career of someone I consider to be one of the world's most respected search executives. The detailed case studies, what-if scenarios, lessons learned and proactive action plans he lays out will be invaluable to executives at any stage in their career." —Love Goel, CEO, GVG Capital

"It's easy as an executive to be so focused on your job that you forget to manage your career. Nadherny's The Proactive Executive is filled with savvy observations and practical suggestions to help even the most successful executives improve the odds of building successful, long-term careers.  I loved the real-world examples, and I have already earmarked a bunch of pages that I'll be going back to. The Proactive Executive is a must read for any modern executive!" —David Spitz, CEO, ChannelAdvisor

"Today's business environment requires leaders to manage multiple, complex initiatives while reacting to new information on an ongoing basis. Good leaders almost always have a proactive plan to handle these challenges. Perhaps the toughest project any leader faces is the long-term management of his or her career through the series of changes in their personal situation and the rapidly evolving marketplace. In his new book, The Proactive Executive, Chris Nadherny provides an excellent roadmap for managing your most important business project—your career. The Proactive Executive provides a career's worth of practical perspective, insights, suggestions and "how to" tips designed to keep you ahead of the curve and achieving greater personal career success." —Michael Linton, Executive Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer, Farmers Group Insurance, Inc.

"I wish this book had been written sooner! There is lots of wisdom here that I could have used in my own career. I am overnighting The Proactive Executive to both my adult kids. Chris Nadherny's insight and advice is that important." —Bill Bass, Chairman, Black Wolf Group

 

 

Author Bio:
As a nationally recognized C-level recruiter, I spent 30 years with Spencer Stuart, a leading global executive search firm. My early career was in brand marketing after receiving a Wharton MBA. While at Spencer Stuart my executive search clients included leading Fortune 500 companies, private equity portfolio companies, and later stage start-ups. Along the way, I assessed the track records and backgrounds of over five thousand aspiring and C-suite executives. The insights and observations gained from these assessments provided me with unique perspective on how successful careers are formed. I also counseled many other executives whose careers had become derailed.

After many years in the recruiting trenches, I decided to leave Spencer Stuart with the goal of helping executives achieve greater professional success through proactive and thoughtful career planning and management. In my forthcoming book, The Proactive Executive: A C-Suite Recruiters 5-Step System for Achieving Greater Career Success, I share the best of my 30 years’ worth of observations, learnings and insights. The book provides practical, straightforward advice, action steps and how to’s for immediately improving your career prospects, job satisfaction and earnings potential. My hope is that this book will positively influence the careers of many executives, including yours.

"This is the most ambitious entry yet in this brain-twisting time-travel series."  —BookLife (Publishers Weekly)

WHEN THE WORLDS COLLIDE, THEIR LOVE WILL REWRITE THE FABRIC OF REALITY

In the shocking third installment of the Time Corrector series, super-genius Dr. Vincent Abajian finds himself in an even grander drama, and this time, the fate of his beloved daughter is on the line. The Reset is a culmination of worlds colliding, timelines interweaving, and relationships that seemed indestructible, reaching dire breaking points.

Vincent gets in the midst of an international political crisis forged by his adversary, Philip Nardin. As he tirelessly works to offset the impact, Philip kidnaps Nozomi, Vincent’s daughter. In an endgame decision, Vincent relinquishes his time-correcting powers to Philip while the world leaders launch a devastating arms race to weaponize Intreton—the purest energy source that can alter reality if mishandled. The two opponents, Vincent and Philip, unite against political and military forces to save reality from crumbling. Their plan reveals a mind-bending past and the identity of a time-twisted villain Philip calls the Lunatic. Such revelation leads to a dramatic conclusion and opens the possibility of a Reset. As someone close to Vincent shows their true self, Vincent discovers that Nozomi’s complex ties to Emika and Akane may hold the key to the Reset in this time-hopping clash of love, egos, and desires.

A story of love that transcends time and reality, and the sacrifices masquerading as selfish acts, the final book of the award-winning Time Corrector series is a whirlwind of unexpected events—many questions will finally be answered. And yet, new possibilities lay beyond this head-spinning conclusion.

Awards:

2024 International Book Award Finalist in Science Fiction Category

1 Amazon Best Seller in Science Fiction History & Criticism

#1 Amazon Best Seller in Mystery & Detective

More Reviews:

“This latest series installment delivers an intricately recursive time-hopping tale of heartache and skulduggery. Indeed, readers will find that the narrative is more intricate than the inside of a complex pocket watch. If Back to the Future is elementary time travel, this is the stuff of doctoral theses.” —Kirkus

"Being the final installment in the Time Corrector Series, The Reset can be savored more by first reading the previous installments. This page-turner is an epic and captivating finale of an amazing series." —Keith Mbuya for Readers' Favorite

"Triple-stuffed with time-jumps, alt-reality doubles, chronological paradoxes, tense military showdowns, and other smart twists that bend existence like taffy, the third entry in Datta's Time Corrector series is relentless in its invention, relentlessly committed to big ideas and bigger surprises. This volume draws on a Marvel Universe's worth of complex, reality-crossing backstory." —BookLife (Publishers Weekly)

"With a non-linear structure and a sprawling story, Avi Datta takes readers through a maze of a plot, intricately weaving different threads that come together in the end like the perfect jigsaw puzzle for a soaring climax." —Pikasho Deka for Readers' Favorite

"A lavishly detailed, intricate, and addictive read.… well-stocked with hard SF elements. Datta’s vivid descriptions do an excellent job of bringing the Time Corrector Universe to life on the pages.... To say it is intricate would be an understatement.... The brilliance of this book lies in the way the author gradually reveals the mystery surrounding the Lunatic and his ties to Vincent and Philip. Every piece of information leads readers on a twisting journey that ends with an unexpected revelation.... Fans of mind-bending science fiction will find themselves enthralled by Datta’s expertly crafted narrative and clever twists” —Prairies Book Review

"Datta's attention to detail and pacing results in a complex plot that keeps readers on the edge from cover to cover with its exploration of love and sacrifice in the face of a time-twisted villain." —K.C. Finn for Readers' Favorite

“With each turn of the page, Datta deftly reveals subtle hints about Vincent’s true intentions, keeping readers on edge and tantalizing them with glimpses of a greater mystery. As disparate threads begin to converge, the stakes become higher and the consequences more dire.... Fans of dense, intricately detailed SF won’t want to miss this one.” —BookView Review

"The book continues Avi Datta's tradition of brilliant storytelling, non-linear plot making, and absolutely beautiful character development. Just when the reader thinks they have everything figured out, Datta will impress him or her with the most incredible twists and turns imaginable"  —Adam Wright for Reedsy Discovery

"The complex relationships between Emika, Akane, and the daughter they are technically both mothers to were interesting. They both love her, but they are struggling to deal with the fact that they were one person when she was conceived." —Samantha Gregory for Readers' Favorite

"Puzzle lovers and readers who love to contemplate intricate time conundrums will be fully engaged with the book's sophisticated plot." —The Manhattan Book Review

"The first-person narrative allows the reader to witness characters' inner dialogues and connect with them more easily, as we are given a deep understanding of their perspective." —Online Book Club

"The book weaves together multiple themes, including time travel, love, politics, intrigue, and high-stakes action." —San Francisco Book Review

Author Bio:

Dr. Avi Datta is the author of the genre-bending sci-fi series, Time Correctors. The Winding is his debut novel and the first one in the series. He is a Professor of Strategy and Entrepreneurship at Illinois State University. He is also the director of the University’s Center for Entrepreneurial studies. He researches and publishes in Radical Innovation, Management of Innovation, Technology Strategy, and Strategic Entrepreneurship. Outside his day job, he is a writer, an avid painter, a watch collector, and a coffee enthusiast who enjoys classic rock and western classical music.

Shop the Time Corrector series

It's 1820, and the physicians of London are on fire to unlock the secrets of human anatomy, some consorting with criminals to get their scalpels into a fresh body. Job Mowatt has become such a criminal-a body snatcher, a resurrectionist. The wages are just enough to keep his brilliant daughter, Ivy, clean and safe in London's worst slum. When anatomist Percival Quinn asks Job to dig up a rare specimen-the wife of a powerful and dangerous man-Job knows instantly he is inviting trouble, but knows, too, that the payment would allow Ivy to escape the brief, miserable existence that awaits women of her class. All it will take is a single night's work. A single night that will bring Job deeper into darkness and closer to death than he has ever been. Lords and ladies in their glittering mansions, six-bottle men and opium eaters in foul tenements, they all take their secrets to the grave...and sometimes the resurrectionist brings them back.

A modern day adventure as our protagonists search for Excalibur and the treasures it holds This is a must-read for Middle Graders keen on action, adventure, and Arthurian stories Continuing the adventure that began in Egypt a few months prior in The Secret of the Sacred Scarab, cousins Adam and Justin Sinclair are hot on the trail of the second Stone of Power, one of seven ancient stones lost centuries ago. This stone might be embedded in the hilt of a newly discovered sword that archeologists believe belonged to King Arthur: Excalibur. However, their long-standing enemy, Dr. Khalid, is following them as they travel to Scotland to investigate an old castle. Little do they know there is another deadly force, the Eaters of Poison, who have their own mission to complete. Time is running out as the confluence of the planets draws closer. Can Justin and Adam find the second Stone of Power and survive? And why did Aunt Isabel send a girl with them?

Join Justin and Adam as they search not only for the second Stone of Power, but also for the Scroll of the Ancients, a mysterious document that holds important clues to the Seven Stones of Power. As their adventure unfolds, they learn many things and face dangers that make even their perils in Egypt look tame. And how annoying for them that their tag-along companion, Kim, seems to have such good ideas when they are stumped.

Book extras include some historical background on King Arthur, the Dark Ages, warfare and weaponry during Arthur's time, and details on Excalibur. A fascinating peek into the life and times of the real King Arthur, perfect for young time travelers and budding archaeologists. For coloring-in enthusiasts, ten original black and white illustrations including 2 maps make for more enjoyment

About the Author
Ingram, Fiona: - Fiona Ingram's earliest story-telling talents came to the fore when, from the age of ten, she entertained her three younger brothers and their friends with serialised tales of children undertaking dangerous and exciting exploits, which they survived through courage and ingenuity. Haunted houses, vampires, and skeletons leaping out of coffins were hot favourites in the cast of characters. Although Fiona Ingram has been involved in the theatre and journalism, writing a children's book--The Secret of the Sacred Scarab--was an unexpected step, inspired by a family trip to Egypt. The tale of the sacred scarab began life as a little anecdotal tale for her two nephews (then 10 and 12), who had accompanied her on the Egyptian trip. This short story grew into a children's book, the first in the adventure series Chronicles of the Stone. The second book in the series--The Search for the Stone of Excalibur--a huge treat for young King Arthur fans, is now available with Book 3, The Temple of the Crystal Timekeeper, on the way. Although Fiona Ingram does not have children of her own, she has an adopted daughter, from an underprivileged background who has discovered the joys of reading for pleasure. Naturally, Fiona is a voracious reader and has been from early childhood. Her interests include literature, art, theatre, collecting antiques, animals, music, and films. She loves travel and has been fortunate to have lived in Europe (while studying) and America (for work). She has travelled widely and fulfilled many of her travel goals. *Book Award Nominations & Wins: *Finalist Children's Fiction USA Next Generation 2009 Indie Book Awards *Finalist Juvenile Fiction USA National Best Books 2009 Awards *Winner Pre-Teen USA 2009 Readers' Favorites Awards *Number 2 in the USA Children's & Teens Book Connection Top Ten Favourite Books of 2009 for Kids, Tweens & Teens *Winner Silver Medal Teen Fiction 2010 Nautilus Book Awards *Finalist Children's Fiction 2010 International Book Awards *Winner Bronze Medal Pre-Teen Fiction 2010 Moonbeam Book Awards *Finalist 2011 Rubery Book Awards *Winner Gold Award Mystery Pre-Teen 2011 Children's Literary Classics Awards *2nd Place in the 2011 YA Sharpwrit Book Awards * Gold Medal 2013 Wise Bear Book Awards

“A thrilling adventure for two young boys, whose fun trip to Egypt turns into a dangerously exciting quest to uncover an ancient and mysterious secret.” —Shelf Unbound (2016 Finalist for Best Independently Published Book)

In this exciting Middle Grade adventure set in Egypt, a 5000-year-old mystery comes to life. A scruffy peddler gives Adam and Justin Sinclair an old Egyptian scarab on their very first day in Egypt. Only when the evil Dr. Faisal Khalid shows a particular interest in the cousins and their scarab, do the boys realise they are in terrible danger. Dr. Khalid wants the relic at all costs. Justin and Adam embark upon the adventure of a lifetime, taking them down the Nile and across the harsh desert in their search for the legendary tomb of the Scarab King, an ancient Egyptian ruler. They are plunged into a whirlpool of hazardous and mysterious events when Dr. Khalid kidnaps them. They learn more about the ancient Seven Stones of Power and the mysterious Shemsu-Hor. They must translate the hieroglyphic clues on the underside of the scarab, as well as rescue the missing archaeologist James Kinnaird, and their friend, the Egyptologist Ebrahim Faza, before time runs out.

The Secret of the Sacred Scarab is the kind of adventure book boys and girls love The fast-paced action, the evil villain readers delight in hating, the secrets of the past, and the mysterious ancient setting make this novel a sure-hit favorite for all the young and adventurous at heart. Ingram's impeccable and fascinating research into Egyptian history illuminates the adventure and makes the secrets of Egypt's past as thrilling to the reader as the boys' dangerous encounters.

Awards:

2016 Shelf Unbound Competition Finalist for Best Independently Published Book

2013 Wise Bear Book Awards Gold Medal Winner

2011 Sharp Writ Book Awards (SWBA) Second Place Winner for Young Adult

2011 Children’s Literary Classics Awards Gold Award Winner for Preteen Mystery

2011 Rubery Book Awards Finalist

2010 Nautilus Book Awards Silver Medal Winner for Teen Fiction

2010 International Book Awards Finalist for Children’s Fiction

2010 Moonbeam Book Awards Bronze Medal Winner for Preteen Mystery Fiction

2009 Next Generation Indie Book Awards Finalist in Juvenile Fiction

2009 American Book Fest’s Best Book Awards Finalist for Children’s Fiction

2009 Readers’ Favorite Book Awards Honorable Mention for Preteen

Named Number 2 Favorite Book of 2009 in The Children’s and Teen’s Book Connection’s “Top 10 Favorite Books of 2009 for Kids, Tweens and Teens”

More Reviews:

“An action-packed children’s novel set in Egypt, featuring mysterious happenings, an intrepid granny and a sinister plot to gain absolute power.” —Rubery Book Awards 

“Adventure lovers will get the opportunity to become tourists on an exciting tour to Egypt through this magnificent novel…. This is an engrossing children’s mystery with non-stop action and interesting dialogue. I enjoyed the entertaining drama while learning about Egypt’s rich historical past…. Fiona Ingram impressed me immensely with her relaxed, eloquent storytelling that will delight both pre-teens and adults. I look forward to the continuing adventure...” —Readers’ Favorite

“Once I started reading The Secret of the Sacred Scarab I never wanted to put it down, and I was ready to read it all over again as soon as I was done.  If the first book in The Chronicle of the Stone series by Fiona Ingram is this superb, I hold out high hopes for future installments.  I eagerly anticipate Book 2 in the series, The Search for the Stone of Excalibur!” —The Children’s and Teen’s Book Connection

"This is one of the most thrilling children's books that I have read in a long time. Author Fiona Ingram ... has combined an exciting story that is filled with adventure and suspenseful mystery to keep the reader turning the pages with a lot of interesting factual information about the history and geography of Egypt."  —Stories for Children Magazine 

"It is a rollicking tale, in which the young protagonists have to rely on their wits and their courage as they come up against influential crooks out to get their hands on some of Egypt's greatest archaeological treasures ... Pacy and lively, The Secret of the Sacred Scarab is the first in a projected series."  —The Witness 

"It's time to tell the other books on your bookshelf to make room for a classic in the making! Thrilling, riveting, and packed with action, adventure, and suspense, The Secret of the Sacred Scarab is destined for greatness. My 14-year-old son devoured this book with relish and is threatening to run away to Egypt if I don't get my hands on the sequels soon!"  —Phillipa Mitchell, Founder and CEO, Red Pepper Books 

"Fiona Ingram is the master of writing historical fiction for young adults. Her way with wording has you feeling as though you are part of the adventure. Each turn of the page delivers more action, adventure, and history. The Secret of the Sacred Scarab is a must-read for all young adults, especially young Egyptologists. Fiona Ingram has not only added a brilliant cast of characters but has also included Egypt as one of the characters instead of using it as just a backdrop for the story. Truly, a book I would recommend reading. An amazing start to what I'm sure is going to be a wonderful series, full of action and adventure."  —Angela Simmons for Review the Book

"What a great summer read for tween boys especially. This book has all of the elements that boys would find interesting: boys for the main characters, the adventure of Egypt, the mystery behind a sacred scarab, and the action of the chase and kidnapping. Girls will enjoy this book as well. A byproduct of this book may spark an interest in Egyptian culture and history and what a better way for kids to spend time than learning. Great book!" —Mindy Detweiler for Review the Book

Author Bio:

Fiona Ingram was born and educated in South Africa. Her interest in ancient history, mysteries, and legends, combined with her love of travel, has resulted in this award-winning first volume of her exciting children's adventure series, The Chronicles of the Stone.

Named a Kirkus “Best Indie Books of 2021”

The Smooth River is the remarkable story of how a well-known public relations expert and her husband met her stage 4 pancreatic cancer head-on. With vigor and strength, they deployed all they and medicine had to offer. But, in contrast to narrow conventional approaches, the couple developed a far more expansive view of what strength means in response to a crisis for which there are no medical cures. They called this the Smooth River.

This clear-eyed transcendent perspective was so vital that they wouldn't let anything disrupt it—not cancer's lethal march, not the strongest chemos and their failures to work, not the frequent episodes of severe pain, not how society expected them to think or act, not the process of dying itself.

The Smooth River demonstrates how to treat one's life as bigger—and far more important—than any medical condition, any tragedy, any setback of any kind. With effusive warmth, refreshing candor and practical detail, it describes how to personalize Medical and Life Plans that affirm the value of a patient's being and guide their loved ones. Its invaluable lessons show how to face the possibility of dying with sanctity and comfort, to view it as an opportunity for personal growth, finding inspiration and intense beauty in the experience—in life itself. There are lessons in the Smooth River approach for everyone.

The Smooth River amplifies the important messages of Dr. Atul Gawande in Being Mortal, Elizabeth Kubler-Ross in On Death and Dying, Paul Kalanithi in When Breath Becomes Air, and Julie Yip-Williams in The Unwinding of the Miracle: A Memoir of Life, Death, and Everything That Comes After.

Author Bio:

Trained as a corporate lawyer, Richard arranges mergers and acquisitions for medical technology companies. He is an expert in navigating complex transactions, developing grounded creative solutions, and managing many professionals and personalities during stressful conditions. All of these skills were put to work in finding sanctuary, beauty, humor, and spirituality within cancer's decay. Unencumbered by medical convention but having a deep respect for it and the clinicians who cared for her, Richard has translated his wife's ethos into a creative, personalized, and inspiring approach for dealing with terminal illness.

After thirteen years on the run, Violet McLaughlin returns to Carter's Crossing, South Carolina, in 1962, with her young daughter, Sassy. The Crossing is right outside of Beaufort and the turmoil of the Civil Rights movement will forever leave its scars on the young and impressionable girl.

As Sassy stands before the imposing white farmhouse for the first time, with no knowledge of her history but that the McLaughlin's are her kin, Sassy begins a journey that will tear her apart before it heals her.

Growing up among secrets that will forever damage her relationship with her mother, she attempts to make sense of her past. But will her passion for art and her love for Thomas Tierney be enough to sustain her future?

Will the journey she must take to discover the truth be worth it?

Join these young heroes on an adventure steeped in the mythology and legends of the ancient Aztec and Maya Continuing their thrilling adventures, cousins Adam and Justin Sinclair, with their friend Kim Maleka, are now hunting for the third Stone of Power, one of seven mysterious stones lost centuries ago. The third stone might be located in an ancient city, hidden in the depths of the Mexican jungle.

When their small plane crashes in the jungle, Adam, Justin, Kim, and James are rescued by an uncontacted tribe. James, who is wounded, must stay behind as the kids, with only a young boy, Tukum, as their guide, make their way through the dense and dangerous jungle to find the city. River rafting on a crocodile-infested river and evading predators are just part of this hazardous task.

Of course, their old adversary Dr. Khalid is close behind as the kids press on in search of the lost city of stone gods. But he is not the worst of their problems. This time Adam will clash with a terrible enemy who adopts the persona of an evil Aztec god, Tezcatlipoca, and is keen to revive the ancient tradition of human sacrifice. Adam, Justin, and Tukum must play a dreadful ball game of life and death and maybe survive. Will they emerge alive from the jungle? Will Dr. Khalid find the third Stone of Power before they do?

What does it mean to be told in your life's prime this time the cancer is terminal? For author Michele Wheeler—a gifted scientist, a born leader and intrepid environmentalist, and a caring mother, wife, sister, and daughter—it means you focus what strength, intelligence, and will you have remaining to offer the world yet one more extraordinary gift.

The Throbbing Moon and the Three Season Tango is a stunningly beautiful, viscerally penetrating, and unforgettable gift to us all, regardless of our backgrounds or beliefs and regardless of whether or not our lives have been touched by cancer.

The memoir of a magnificent woman who, at the end of a life that has changed so many lives for the better, asks us all to see the beauty in one another. And the memoir calls to a deeper belief in ourselves—that whatever disappointments, anguish, and uncertainty life brings—we have the strength and ability to summon gratitude, compassion, and acceptance to see our way through. Our better angels are already here.

Author Bio:
Michele Wheeler spent 25 years as an insightful and creative leader, an exacting scientist, and an intrepid fighter for clean rivers and water. As a community organizer, and fully work sentient being, Michele strived to shine light in the shadows, and to honor the soft spots that connect us and hold us up. Her work has been featured in SurvivorNet, Share Care Cancer Support and on her blog which was selected as one of Healthline.com's 2020 Blog of the Year awards. She died peacefully at home in Washburn, WI on June 23, 2020.

"An expansive, genre-bending story for readers craving romance combined with gripping sci-fi.… [T]he thrilling plot is as expansive as it is gripping..." —BookLife (Publisher’s Weekly)

Would you change reality for love?

Morally complex, orphan, and absolute genius Vincent Abajian is hellbent to uncover all he can on Artificial Intelligence. His relentless pursuit distracts him from a traumatic childhood loss-his childhood best friend Akane was engulfed in a time-turbulence, a random rift in space and time.

But when a beautiful, temperamental, post-doctoral scientist, Emika Amari, joins his Center, everything changes. Vincent is convinced that Akane is inside the irresistible Emika. As they begin a life together, Vincent's past and his connection with a time turbulence survivor challenge everything they've created and push them into a spiral of politics and conspiracy. Vincent's silence to protect Emika threatens to tear them apart. Unknowingly, Emika is torn between what she wants and what Akane wants from her. With his newfound power, Vincent struggles with whether or not he should create another time-turbulence to free Emika from the grasp of Akane once and for all. But will tinkering with time be more destructive than anything he has ever encountered before?

Awards:

2022 Global Book Awards Gold Medal Winner - Sci-Fi/Romance

2022 Readers' Favorite Awards Honorable Mention - Time Travel Fiction

More Reviews:

“An engaging SF [sic] tale whose cause-effect plotline takes a licking and keeps on ticking.” —Kirkus

This is the kind of sci-fi story that like-minded readers will talk about in their circles for its intelligent plotting, stunning imagery, and larger-than-life characters. And for that, The Winding is an absolute must-read.” —Vincent Dudlado for Readers’ Favorite

“An intelligent, transporting time-travel tale brimming with music, ideas, emotion, imagination, and possibility. This is a stunner.” —The BookView Review

“Avi Datta spins an intricate and inventive sci-fi narrative that engages the mind and merges several interesting themes...The Winding does a fantastic job of portraying the emotions and thoughts of the protagonist through comprehensive internal dialogue.” —The Manhattan Book Review

“The Winding captures you from the first page and keeps you hooked until the end...and you find yourself glued to the pages as the reveals keep churning out with each turn of the page.” —Pikasho Deka for Readers’ Favorite

“A compelling, extraordinarily readable book…Datta skillfully uses usual time-travel tropes mixed with the elements of an alternate reality, but where this book really shines is in its cleverly constructed plot and immaculately drawn characters...The cliffhanger ending will raise readers’ fervor for the next installment. Fans of morally serious hard SF will be greatly rewarded. Datta is an author to watch.” —The Prairies Book Review

“A story that pleasantly teases your ability to grasp and perceive information with every flip of the page… With a gripping and engrossing plot, Avi Datta adopts a complex style of writing, presenting his thoughts and ideas through random flashbacks and digging back and forth into the story…” —Keith Mbuya for Reader’s Favorite

"The Winding is an innovative science fiction tale that mixes action with deep introspection to create an engaging and sometimes surprising narrative. It'll be interesting to see what Datta has in store for readers in the next volume in the Time Corrector series.” —San Francisco Book Review

"The Winding is an intricately detailed story full of deep emotion. It also makes the improbable seem possible. However, what really stands out is not just how well the plot is constructed with all of its connections but how deeply the characters connect to one another. If you enjoy love stories with a bit of science fiction such as The Time Traveler's Wife or books like The Great Gatsby this book is an excellent read and well worth the time. If you just love great stories, this is a must read book. And the best part is this is only the first in the series. It will be exciting to see where it goes from here.” —Adam Wright of Reedsy Discovery

Author Bio:

Dr. Avi Datta is the author of the genre-bending sci-fi series, Time Correctors. The Winding is his debut novel and the first one in the series. He is a Professor of Strategy and Entrepreneurship at Illinois State University. He is also the director of the University’s Center for Entrepreneurial studies. He researches and publishes in Radical Innovation, Management of Innovation, Technology Strategy, and Strategic Entrepreneurship. Outside his day job, he is a writer, an avid painter, a watch collector, and a coffee enthusiast who enjoys classic rock and western classical music.

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