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The Black Alabaster Box

by Franes Schoonmaker

It had been quiet along the Santa Fe Trail for more than a year when the Stokes Company set out for California, the Willis family among them. A reluctant traveler, young Grace Willis longs for her fortunate, safe, and comfortable life at home. Just as she is learning to negotiate life in a wagon-train, Grace is kidnapped by fellow travellers and taken into Oklahoma Territory. She must decide if she will cave in to despair or muster the courage to run away and search for her parents. Grace finds ... more

Once Upon a Cloud

by Salene Hill

Once Upon a Cloud is a collection of poetry. Each line brings a colorful and creative thought for everyday living, comical satire, and giving back to our beautiful world. The book will make you laugh, cry, and wish that you were in the event. I wrote the collection to remember my father, sister, grandmother, and aunt. Many people will inspire your life over a period of time.

The Unusual Penguin

by Madeleine MacRae

When you are different, it's not always easy to unlock your destiny This story captures the pain of being misjudged, the sorrow that can arise out of being atypical, and the transcendent joy that can be found when you discover who you truly are and learn to value yourself accordingly.

Desert Friends

by Linda Harkey

Animal friends in the Arizona Sonoran Desert are found in all sizes, shapes, and colors. Rodney, a Roadrunner and his best friend Quincy, a Gambel’s quail spend days racing each other through dry creek beds called arroyos. One day Rodney and Quincy meet two hunting dogs—Gator and his three-legged buddy Tripod. Danger surrounds the four friends as a thunderstorm sends tremendous amounts of muddy water down the arroyo. The force of water swept Tripod away. Who will come to his rescu... more

The Love That Haunts Us

by Laurie Berkshire

Most of us have a love from our past that haunts us. First love, unrequited love, forbidden love, star-crossed love, lost love, old love. Chronicling how the lives of two generations of three early twentieth-century Chicago families become intertwined, characters captivate and as the story unfolds, The Love That Haunts makes certain that the reader will not forget. Emilia Brauer, pregnant at sixteen and sent away from the only home she has ever known leaves behind her beloved Liam, give... more

13 by 11: short stories of life in diverse places and spaces

by Jay Allchin

An anthology spanning genres and places: 13 short stories by 11 award-winning and up-and-coming authors “A uniformly powerful collection where each piece shines.” – D. Donovan, senior reviewer Midwest Book Review In part ONE, we encounter life both within and outside of the earthly realm. Stories by Vincent Czyz and Derek McFadden ask us to consider the ties that bind and define us in our earthly existence, with tragic, yet hopeful, tales of loss and love. In part TWO, we visit characte... more

Zynab: The Inspirational Journey of an Afghan Girl Guided by Rumi's Wisdom

by Farid mostamand

This powerful, inspiring book tells the story of an ambitious Afghan girl who seeks to fulfill her promise to her mother, fight for the right to education, and empower girls. Zynab lives in a small village in Afghanistan where education is deemed unnecessary for girls and even frowned upon. But Zaynab's family and life are very different from those of other girls in her village. Her father is a teacher who began teaching her Rumi's poetry when she was only five. One poem, in particular, inspire... more

Kamaka, Kahuna at the Crossroads of Ancient Hawaii

by J. E. Cherry

From the first page of J. E. Cherry’s novel, the reader is enfolded in the fascinating history and unspoiled beauty of ancient Hawaii. This forms the backdrop of a compelling work—which feels more real than fiction. Here is a story truly worthy of its extraordinary main character, the Kahuna Kamaka. As we follow his development from young apprentice canoe builder to masterful healer, teacher and spiritual adept, the rich sights and sounds of his island home of Kauai fill our senses. The pre... more

Teeth & Crumpets: A Florilegium

by Joel Shoemaker

"...brimming with punchlines..." - Kirkus Reviews Florilegium: "a collection of literary extracts; an anthology." There are twenty-eight teeth in the adult human mouth, absent wisdom teeth. In this collection, there are twenty-eight stories. Similarly, absent any wisdom. All, at least vaguely, toothy.

The Sunshine Rock: A Story About Empathy

by Tahiya Cooper

The Sunshine Rock: A Story About Empathy tells the story of Alexis, who has just moved to Maryland with her mom and brother while her dad is away in the army. The book begins the night before Alexis’ first day at her new school, when her brother gives her a Sunshine Rock to use whenever she needs support. The rock is quickly put to the test as Alexis navigates her first day full of nerves. After an embarrassing moment leaves Alexis feeling sad, a lesson from the school counselor brings forth a p... more

CHEST OF SILVER BURROWS

by Francis Xavier

Set in a time of turbulent ruling forces, Master Smollet and his private crew led by an experienced seaman embark on an hazardous journey to recover a lost ancient treasure in order to protect it from falling into the wrong hands. Will they succeed in their grandeur or succumb to the horrific powers beyond their control which threatens their goal

River of Mercy

by Paula Scott

When she returns to her hometown, Maggie O’Leary’s secrets are right where she left them. There’s a car in the river with a body inside. An old flame wants her back. And her teenage son, Lane, wishes he could make it all go away. Lane joins the high school football team as an escape only to discover the head coach, Matthew Shear, could be his uncle. And the life they left unraveling back in San Francisco was his mother’s attempt to conceal his real father&rsq... more

Unicorn for a Day

by Golan Vaknin

In a hidden antique toy store, a young girl finds an old umbrella that sets her and her dad off on an imaginative journey through the park. Or is it a magical wood? Abigail's imagination introduces magical creatures to an otherwise ordinary walk home from school with her father—the "brave knight." When they discover someone in need, it's up to Abigail and her brave knight to save the day!

Steel Butterflies

by ELIZABETH B. SPLAINE

Deadly secrets & destructive, unintended consequences are unearthed in this coming-of-(s)age story of an unlikely friendship between a teenage girl and a former WWII spy. Some truths are best left unspoken.

True Feel

by Ted Bernal Guevara

TRUE FEEL is a buckled sidewalk on which paraplegic Marion Rafino wheels through. He is casing a lurid killing in Texas, and the main suspect is exotic dancer Credence, his love interest. In the beginning, Marion claims: "I am a reporter for a major newspaper, capable of doing practically anything in my life. When I stumble upon a person whose face resembles a photo tucked in our murder file, the first thing I do is make my affection valid...and my investigation relentless." Credence upon ... more

BEN'S BONES: Based on the True Story of 28 Bodies Buried in Benjamin Franklin’s Basement

by Joseph C. Gioconda

Crime is running rampant in turbulent 1760’s London. Pregnant women and children start vanishing from the city’s crowded streets and thieves are looting graves. Ramshackle police departments are unwilling—or unable—to stop the pillaging. Benjamin Franklin arrives in London as Pennsylvania’s colonial agent to the Crown. He rents rooms from a lonely widow and her bright daughter Polly, who become his surrogate family while he is away from home. Franklin and Polly develop a deep friendship as he... more

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