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Private Cummings

by Pete McGinty

A man and a boy whose lives unexpectedly connect are impacted in improbable ways. Private Hank Cummings didn’t ask for the fate that befell him during his service in WWll. Saving the lives of three men from the burning wreckage of a B-29 left him a hero, albeit scarred and disabled. But when his personal secret was revealed, he recoiled into a life of seclusion and solitude for much of his adulthood. Never losing his spirit and will to endure, he persevered through his hardships, finding... more

Gunmetal Ridge

by Jeffrey C Morris

A chance encounter between a young adult and an aged World War II veteran in a senior care center on the winter solstice in 2018 leads to an unusual friendship between the two men. The older man recounts his war memories to the younger man over the course of the next three days, and in the process, comes to grips with a memory of his service, and the ramifications that ensued, that has haunted the veteran for over seventy years.

Street

by Alyssa D. Metcalfe

1970s New York City is borderline bankrupt. Police departments, public schools and other municipalities are struggling under massive layoffs, buildings are abandoned, and the streets are rife with crime and drugs. For Johnny Alvarez, a precocious young runaway, the decay and lawlessness offer camouflage and opportunity. He squats in an empty apartment in a derelict Washington Heights tenement and gathers a gang of streetwise kids, most of whom struggle with their own issues. Johnny is haunted by... more

Raise the Wind

by Sarah Shaw

1772: Across the globe people struggle for freedom and justice against the stranglehold of entrenched wealth and power. New knowledge and inventions are changing the world at a breathtaking pace, upsetting the old order even as new notions of equality and human rights seize the public conscience. In this world turned upside down young bride Emily McFarland finds herself far from home and safety, living on disputed land in Colonial Georgia while Zoeth Sinclair struggles to keep his fledgling ... more

A China Farewell

by May Hsu

Born in China during a quiet space between Civil War clashes and the Second Sino-Japanese war, Tsai Zongshi was taught that the love and loyalty of family can overcome any conflict.

But when the Communist Party finally claims victory and rises to power at the same time that Zongshi reaches adulthood, he finds himself uncertain as to where he belongs in the new world order.

Assailed by the Party and distanced from his parents, Zongshi wonders whether he will surviv... more

Scorpius

by Monty Ryan

In the Roman Empire, where chariot racing reigns as the deadliest and most popular sport, an epic tale unfolds. Tethered to four horses, racing at breakneck speeds in fragile chariots, men risk everything for the hope of fame and glory. Orphaned young slave boys in the Empire like Scorpius have few other options to free themselves from bondage, and through a chance encounter the child enters the lucrative and perilous contests to gamble his life on victory. As he hones his skills, the stakes sky... more

The Cardinal and the Crook

by Sal Tocco

On a damp, dreary evening a young unwed mother abandons her two infant sons. The twin brothers, James and John, are adopted by a loving and nurturing father. As they grow older, their distinct personalities become more evident and each chooses a divergent path. Despite impassioned pleading from his brother, James makes a fateful choice which results in deadly consequences. John enters the priesthood and years later, upon learning of his elevation to cardinal, reflects—through a series o... more

To Unshakable Bliss: A Techie's Adventure

by Serene Rishi

We embark on life’s journeys, bursting with dreams and ambitions destined for greatness. With each hard-won peak, the expected bliss proves fleeting. New milestones pass, achievements accumulate, and yet, lasting happiness dangles just out of reach before the next desire hijacks its hope. How does anyone find enduring fulfillment impervious to life's unpredictable turbulences in our fast-paced modern times? This philosophical novel chronicles a Silicon Valley technologist, Qayum, whose tumult... more

Porgy & Bess in New York - The Sequel

by Denisha Hardeman, Harold Goldberg, Frada Goldberg

Our story tells how Porgy, a crippled Black beggar in Charleston's Catfish Row, learns that the love of his life, Bess, has been drugged and taken to New York by Sportin’ Life. Porgy is determined to rescue her, and must overcome immense obstacles to get to New York to find her. In her cocaine haze, Bess yearns for Porgy but feels helplessly dependent on Sportin' Life. From his illegal businesses Sportin’ Life has become a wealthy patron of the artists and writers of the Harlem Renaissance. W... more

Searching for Van Gogh

by Donald Lystra

Museum of Creativity and Inspiration for Writers (Prolific Writing for Everyone)

by Warren Brown

In this collection of stories, poems, articles, writing prompts, and tips on the art and craft of writing, you will discover some unique ways to release your imagination and creativity. Enter the “Museum of Creativity and Inspiration for Writers,” which will take you on a thrilling excursion into finding ideas that work for you and also discovering inspiration in the way the author has used simple ideas to create more complex stories, articles, and poems. The writer has used the most basic idea... more

Walk the Earth as Brothers

by Henry Rozycki

Two Jewish brothers plan futures full of achievement and maybe fame. But Warsaw in the summer of 1939 is no place for dreamers. Ian is thrown west to Paris. There, he unexpectedly falls in love with a mysterious Frenchwoman named Alicia, but then must leave her and race across France to safety in Casablanca. Daniel is consigned to the Siberian Gulag, where he faces endless blizzards, starvation, and the often-lethal cruelties of guards and fellow prisoners. He too finds someone, an exiled po... more

An Unlikely Arrangement: Brides of Biltmore

by Cindy Patterson

In 1902, Abigail Dupree is but a breath away from her grand societal failure. To save her family from humiliation and financial ruin, Abigail becomes a bargaining trade in her mother’s eyes. A bargain that will extinguish Abigail’s last hope of a happily-ever-after. If only she could return to the mountains of Asheville, North Carolina, she might have a chance to reunite with the only man who has the power to save her reputation. Garrett Barringer, arrives in Charlotte, North Carolina to esca... more

The Carlötta Beautox Chronicles: The 67% True Story of a 100% Fake Actress

by A.C. Sloan

CARLÖTTA BEAUTOX IS ON A MISSION: TO BECOME HOLLYWOOD’SNEXT BIG THING. She ditched Jersey for La La Land, created a sexy new name, and gave herself a year to become famous. The only problem? Carlötta has all the ambition but none of the talent needed to make it. No worries! What she lacks in skill, she makes up for with humor and heart. Together with her goofy, clueless talent manager/landlord Dave, Carlötta’s determined to nab the seemingly impossible--a shiny gold star on the Walk of Fame... more

Journey of Souls

by Rebecca Warner

When the brutal husband she believed dead returns from the Crusades, the Lady of Mirefoix turns to murder and magic to protect her people. But the spells do not work as intended; instead, they bring souls from distant lands and different centuries, souls with special gifts and diverse points of view. When war comes, the summoned souls flee to pursue their own destinies. They leave the Lady alone to face the invaders—and to question whether she can be redeemed from her sins. This multicultural fa... more

SOULSCAPES

by Lee Woodman

Soulscapes, the fifth volume in Lee Woodman’s “scapes” series, is an exploration of the way we reach to understand spirituality and soul in our lives and relations. The poems in this collection express Woodman’s dedication to considering both the scientific fact-based world and the magical, mysterious unknown as elements of an ever-growing faith in the oneness of the universe.

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