Synopsis

 

“Reading the 27 stories in Resilience, the collection of short stories by Jim Bates is like listening to one heartfelt tune after another being sung by 27 singers and never hearing an off-note. This is writing at its finest, where fiction is so well hidden in the life-affirming stories – a hallmark that almost defines Jim’s writing – that it’s easy to forget that the plots and characters aren’t real. In Resilience, relationships aren’t merely vehicles for moving a story forward; they are the raison d’ȇtre. These are stories about husbands and wives, parents and children, grandparents and their grandchildren, brothers, and friends, both young and old, and even a few animals. Not one of them in the entire collection feels fake or contrived, which is incredible. It’s hard not to think that each character isn’t someone Jim knew or knows. There’s no exaggerated soap opera or melodrama between the characters or in the stories. People live, die, are loved, missed, and mourned as if they stepped out of the photographs and obituaries in real family scrapbooks and photo albums. The tension and conflict in many of the stories hums just beneath the surface, but the focus is on the small moments in the lives of the characters, which perfectly mirror our own lives. The drama and tragedies that exist in some of the stories never overwhelm the plot and never wander into unrealistic territory.

Resilience is a mix of Thorton Wilder’s Our Town, Edgar Lee Masters’ Spoonriver Anthology, with just a touch of a subdued J.D. Salinger thrown in. I didn’t do a word count, of course, but I think there are at least three novelette-length stories included in the collection, the quasi-crime story “Sugarfoot” being my favorite among them. I can easily see Norman Rockwell doing the illustrations to Jim’s stories, which is particularly true of his stories about boys coming of age, especially in this collection as a companion to “The Last Time I Ran Away.” Jim knows the landscapes that serve both as backdrops and centerpieces to his stories; his descriptions of places in Minnesota and North Dakota are written art pieces all their own. I highly recommend Jim’s collection.” Steven Lester Carr, author of The Theory of Existence: 50 Short Stories, among other publications.

 

 

 

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Excerpt

 

Remembrance Day

 

They started walking again, her soft, small hand in his large, callused one. She was five years old, of average height, and was way too skinny in his estimation, even though she ate well at every meal. She was fun-loving and had a unique personality all her own. When they were together they talked and laughed and she was a true joy in his life.

The next house up ahead was his son’s home. He pointed, “Let’s go into your folk’s backyard and play.”

“Sure,” she agreed and ran off. The old man was eighty-six years old and followed as fast as he could. It took him a while.

A few minutes later his son Steve who was standing at the window and looking into the backyard called to his wife, “There he is, Emma, I see him. There’s Dad.”

“Finally,” she said, somewhat annoyed, “He’s lived with us for ten years. Today of all days he should know we’d be eating by six o’clock.”

Steve checked his wristwatch and said, “He still has a few minutes.”

“What’s he doing out there anyway?”

“Looks like he’s dancing.”

“What?”

“Dancing.” Steve shook his head grinned to himself. He liked that his father was a bit of an eccentric. It kept things interesting. Most of the time, anyway, but not today. Today was different. “Never mind. I’ll go get him.”

“Please hurry. I’m putting the food on the table.”

In the dining room sat Steve and Emma’s other four children. This was the family’s Remembrance Day. The day they set aside every year to remember the short life of Alisha Ann Drayton, Steve and Emma’s youngest daughter who fifteen years ago today had died at the age of five from acute lymphoblastic leukemia.

Steve went downstairs and out of the back door. “Hey Dad,” he called, “Come on in. Dinner’s on the table.”

Out in the yard, the old man stopped running around and playing tag with Allie. She was wearing him out and he was getting tired, even though he didn’t mind trying to keep up. He just wasn’t as young as he wanted to be.

He turned toward his son, “All right. Just give me a minute.”

“Sure, Dad,” Steve said, walking over. He put his arm affectionately around his father’s shoulder, “You doing okay?”

“Yeah, son, I am.” He was quiet for a moment, “I just miss her, you know. I miss being with her. Playing with her. We were close. She was one of the best things that ever happened to me.” He paused a moment and then added, “It’s not just today, son, but every day. Every day is Remembrance Day. At least it is for me.” His eyes suddenly became moist as tears formed.

Steve sighed and gave his dad a compassionate hug. “Me, too, Dad,” he said, “me, too.”

Then they walked slowly towards the back door. The old man didn’t want to go inside just yet but knew he had to. Emma had dinner ready and he didn’t want to be rude. After all, it was generous of his son and wife to have him live with them. More than generous.

Over his shoulder the old man turned and waved to Allie, standing in the middle of the yard. The wind blew through her hair and the sun caught her freckles just right, making them seem to sparkle. She smiled and waved back, locked forever in the old man’s memory.

“I’ll see you soon,” he said to his granddaughter as he turned and started for the door.

“What’d you say, Dad?” Steve asked.

“Nothing,” the old man said. “It must have been the wind.”

Then he turned and waved to Allie one more time before finally going inside.

 

 

About the Author

 

Jim’s stories and poems have appeared in nearly five hundred online and print publications. His collection of short stories, Resilience, is published by Bridge House Publishing. Short Stuff, a collection of flash fiction and drabbles is published by Chapeltown Books. Periodic Stories, Periodic Stories Volume Two, Periodic Stories Volume Three – A Novel, and Periodic Stories Volume Four are published by Impspired. Dreamers, a collection of short stories, is published by Clarendon House Publishing. Something Better, a dystopian adventure novella, and the novel, The Alien of Orchard Lake, are published by Dark Myth Publications. In the fall of 2022, his collection entitled Holiday Stories was published by Impspired as was his collection of poetry, Haiku Seasons. In February 2023, Periodic Stories Volume IV was published, as was his collection of poems, The Alchemy of Then, both by Impspired. In June 2023, a collection of flash fiction, Dancing With Butterflies, was published by Impspired.In July 2023, his YA novella The Battle of Marvel Wood was published by Impspired. His short story “Aliens” was nominated by The Zodiac Press for the 2020 Pushcart Prize. His story “The Maple Leaf” was voted 2021 Story of the Year for Spillwords. He was voted December 2022 Author of the Month for Spillwords. He also reads his stories for Talking Stories Radio and for Jim’s Storytime on his website. He lives in a small town west of Minneapolis, Minnesota.

 

Website

 

 

 

Synopsis

 

For fifty years, Ebar, an alien from planet Rykos, has lived in human form on Earth as Kyle Johnson. When Ebar gets into a fight at the sewage treatment plant where he works, he is put into jail. A jailer overhears Ebar trying to contact his home planet and tells the authorities. Ebar is sent to the psychiatric ward of the Buffalo County Hospital for evaluation, where he eventually comes under the care of Jeremy Slater.

Jeremy is a young mental health professional, and Ebar’s case is his first assignment. No one believes that Ebar is an alien. More to the point, everyone thinks he’s crazy. After working with his patient for a month, Jeremy begins to believe Ebar truly is who he says he is and concocts a plan. If Ebar will quit talking about being an alien and pretend he is human, Jeremy will work with him so he can get released from the hospital and go on living his life. Ebar agrees.

Jeremy’s egotistical boss, Doctor Richard Andrews, has other ideas. He and a friend at the Pentagon have come up with a plan of their own. Andrews will take over the case and announce to the world that Ebar really is an alien. Andrews figures it will make him famous. His plan is to keep Ebar locked up and study him for the rest of his life.

Jeremy is appalled. He and Ebar have become friends, and he can’t allow Andrews to take control of his friend’s life. Aided by co-worker Julie and her partner Wren, the four of them go on the run with thugs sent by the Pentagon in hot pursuit.

This is a story about good and evil and is a mirror held up to the times we live in. Ultimately, though, it is a story of friendship, a friendship that changes the lives of both Ebar and Jeremy forever.

 

 

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Excerpt

 

Jeremy took a deep breath and made a fateful decision, one that would change his life forever. Julie was right. He had been riding the fence, and he couldn’t have it both ways. It was time to decide. “Okay, let me tell you this, Ebar. I believe you.” He stood up and went to his patient and looked him square in the eyes. “I believe you. I really do. I believe you are an alien.”

Ebar felt weak in his knees. Jeremy caught him by the elbow and guided him to the chair at the desk by the window. Ebar sat down and looked gratefully at his counselor. “You really believe me?”

Jeremy fought an urge to ‘cross his heart’ like he and his friends used to do when they were kids. Instead, he looked Ebar with as sincere an expression as he could muster and said, “Yes, I do, Ebar. I believe you. I promise.”

Ebar sighed in relief and smiled. “You’re sure?”

“I am.”

A wide smile broke out on Ebar’s face, but it quickly faded. “But do you think you can help me? Really and truly? That big meeting’s coming up next week. That’s pretty fast.”

Jeremy wasn’t sure at all, because he had no idea what he was going to do. But that’s not what he told Ebar. Instead, what he said was, “Yes. I am very sure.” He took the stack of communiques and started spreading them out on the bed. “Let’s take a look at what we’ve got here.”

Jeremey’s mind was racing because there was something else he and Julie had talked about; something that was now painfully clear the more he thought about it. If Ebar was an alien, what exactly did Jeremy hope to accomplish by helping him? Integrate him back into civilian life so he could return to work as a sewage treatment employee? That seemed a little far-fetched. Once word of Ebar being an alien leaked out, the news media would go crazy for the story. Jeremy could just see it – the press would have a field day. Ebar’s picture would be plastered all over not only newspapers and cable news shows, but social media as well. His life would change forever, and probably not for the best.

Ebar didn’t need that. What he needed was to somehow establish communication with Commander Zenon and his home planet Rykos. That’s what would make him feel better and restore his mental health. But Jeremy’s boss, doctor Andrews, and the others like Wallace and Kucinen wouldn’t go for that. After all, treat some guy who believes one hundred percent that he’s an alien. No way. That’s what they’d be thinking. In fact, they’d probably think Jeremy was nuts himself. Andrews might even fire him, and maybe, just maybe, have him committed. He and Ebar could end up being patients together.

Enough! Jeremy shook his head to clear the garbage thoughts from his mind. Talk about a conundrum. He’d have to tread very carefully. And he’d have to make sure Ebar understood the issues they faced. If Ebar wanted people to accept him, they’d have to accept him as Kyle the sewage treatment employee, not Ebar, the refugee alien from another galaxy.

 

 

About the Author

 

Jim’s stories and poems have appeared in nearly five hundred online and print publications. His collection of short stories, Resilience, is published by Bridge House Publishing. Short Stuff, a collection of flash fiction and drabbles is published by Chapeltown Books. Periodic Stories, Periodic Stories Volume Two, Periodic Stories Volume Three – A Novel, and Periodic Stories Volume Four are published by Impspired. Dreamers, a collection of short stories, is published by Clarendon House Publishing. Something Better, a dystopian adventure novella, and the novel, The Alien of Orchard Lake, are published by Dark Myth Publications. In the fall of 2022, his collection entitled Holiday Stories was published by Impspired as was his collection of poetry, Haiku Seasons. In February 2023, Periodic Stories Volume IV was published, as was his collection of poems, The Alchemy of Then, both by Impspired. In June 2023, a collection of flash fiction, Dancing With Butterflies, was published by Impspired.In July 2023, his YA novella The Battle of Marvel Wood was published by Impspired. His short story “Aliens” was nominated by The Zodiac Press for the 2020 Pushcart Prize. His story “The Maple Leaf” was voted 2021 Story of the Year for Spillwords. He was voted December 2022 Author of the Month for Spillwords. He also reads his stories for Talking Stories Radio and for Jim’s Storytime on his website. He lives in a small town west of Minneapolis, Minnesota.

 

Website

 

 

 

 

 

 

Synopsis

 

Sunny, Arianna and Molly are having three very different but equally terrible Christmases. Sunny is a newlywed with two new stepkids who want nothing to do with her; Arianna is newly divorced and hates having to send her daughter off to spend the holiday with her dad; for Molly, nothing is new, but her job at the post office is getting very, very old. The whole Christmas season has been a bust all around.

But Sunny and Arianna have a wild idea: What if they had a Christmas do-over in January? February? On Saint Patrick’s Day? Christmas all year long—what could that look like?

As these three determined women chase the perfect holiday through twelve months of cooking disasters, over-the-top festivity, and lots of laughter and tears, they’ll discover perfection is way overrated.

 

 

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Review

 

Sigh, this novel has all the feels – from joy to anger to sadness and love. This band of friends is there through thick and thin, the ups and downs, which is what all true friends do. That isn’t to say they don’t have their disagreements or misunderstandings, but this trio represents what friendship should look like.

Arianna, Ava, and Sunny are fast friends. They have been dealt with their own share of problems, but I like how they help one another through those times. Whether it is ex-husbands that are the scourge of the earth or stepchildren that make life crazy. There are also mothers who bring a fresh perspective to their world.

After a rotten Christmas, they decide to celebrate Christmas each month. There is a theme for the month, but they still bring in the joy of Christmas, from giving gifts to wearing stocking hats and more. As the year went on, I enjoyed seeing the ups and downs of each woman and their families. Not every day or celebration was perfect, but they made it balanced and stepped up to support one another during some dark and sad times. There are many moments where I shed a tear or two, but that is the sign of good writing when it tugs on the emotions.

I don’t know if I had a favorite character or not, but I think Molly might top the list. She is Ava’s mother and has worked as a postal worker for many years. She has her eyes set on retirement when she hits 60. Will she make it? There are many unhappy customers at the post office, which we may have all experienced in our own towns, but this monthly Christmas project puts a new spin on how she addresses these people. Perhaps there is more to them than just a transaction. I think I connected to her because of her age, and while I haven’t gone through what she has gone through, I can appreciate her struggles and successes.

And I would be remiss if I didn’t mention there is a dog in here, too, Buster. He is adorable, and how could anyone not love him?

I was sad to see the book end but happy knowing there were so many positives that came out of this book. Be kind to one another; you never know what someone else is going through.

We give this book 5 paws up.

 

 

 

 

Excerpt

 

Sunny Hollowell had planned a perfect day for her first Christ- mas as a wife and stepmom and it was a fail. Who was it that said something about the best-laid plans getting screwed up? Whoever it was, her mom liked to quote him a lot.

“The best-laid plans of mice and men,” her mom had begun when Sunny told her about the latest development as she and Dad walked in the door, presents in tow.

“And women,” Sunny had added before Mom could fin- ish. Women who were trying their best to be a good wife and mother, women who only wanted to bring two families to- gether for a memorable day.

The day was memorable all right, but not in the way Sunny had intended.

It all began at eight in the morning. Sunny had found a recipe online for a crescent roll breakfast pastry with a cherry filling shaped like a candy cane and, to her surprise and glee, it had actually turned out like the picture, ready for the kids to be dropped off by their mom at nine o’clock. She was laying it out on the family room coffee table for everyone to enjoy while they opened presents when the Weed called Travis to let him know that she wasn’t going to bring the kids over for the big day.

“What do you mean you’re still stuck in Spokane?” Travis had growled into his cell phone.

Sunny had watched the anger roll over his features like a breaking storm. Scratch two kids from the guest list. Tansy strikes again.

“You did this on purpose,” he’d accused.

Of course, Tansy would deny it. That was how she rolled. Mess with the ex and his new wife as much as possible but never let it look like you meant to. Was Tansy’s mother psychic when she named her daughter after a noxious weed?

“Well, thanks a lot,” Travis had growled. “Way to screw up Christmas for the kids.”

“Okay, what happened?” Sunny had asked after he ended the call and dumped his phone on the coffee table.

“She did it again, managed to screw us over,” he’d said, and slumped on the sofa. “She and Jared accidentally—” he held up exaggerated air quotes “—missed their flight home last night and are stuck at his parents’ place.”

“Can’t they get another flight out? There has to be something going out today.” Of course, by the time they got to Bremer- ton, Washington, breakfast and Christmas dinner would long be over.

“Not until tomorrow.”

Sunny had made a superhuman effort to blink back tears. Poor Travis was already upset about not getting to be with his kids. She didn’t need to make things worse by having a holi- day meltdown. But darn, she’d sure wanted to.

 

 

About the Author

 

USA Today and Publishers Weekly best-selling author Sheila Roberts has written over fifty books under various names, ranging from romance to self-improvement. Over three million books have been sold to date. Her humor and heart have won her a legion of fans, and her novels have been turned into movies for both the Lifetime and Hallmark channels. When she’s not out dancing with her husband or hanging out with her girlfriends, she can be found writing about those things near and dear to women’s hearts: family, friends, and chocolate.

 

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Synopsis

 

When the Gimmelmans lose all their money in the 1987 Stock Market Crash, Barry Gimmelman takes his family in their vacation RV for a wild ride through America that leads to them becoming the most notorious bank robbers of the era.

Middle child Aaron watches as his family goes from a mild-mannered reform Jewish clan to having over a million dollars of stolen money stuffed in their RV’s cabinets while being pursued by the FBI and loan sharks. But it wasn’t always like that. His father Barry made a killing as a stockbroker, his mother Judith loved her collection of expensive hats, his older sister Steph was obsessed with pop stars, and little sister Jenny loved her stuffed possum, Seymour.

At first, the family steals from convenience and liquor stores, but when they hit a bank, they realize the talent they possess. The money starts rolling in and brings the family closer together where back at home, no one had any time for bonding due to their busy schedules. But Barry’s desire for more, more, more will take its toll on the Gimmelmans, and Aaron is forced into an impossible choice: turn against his father or let his family fall apart.

From Jersey, down to an Orthodox Jewish community in Florida, where they hide out, and up to California, The Great Gimmelmans goes on a madcap ride through the 1980s. Filled with greed and love and the meaning of religion and tradition until the walls of the RV and the feds start closing in on the family, this literary tale mixes equal parts of humor and pathos with thrills.

 

 

 

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Review

 

This ride through the 80s is filled with memories of the music and the simplicity of life. Growing up in the 80s, I enjoyed the trip down memory lane with a family who is dysfunctional, from the parents down to the children. Even the extended family have their own issues. But despite this, the family comes together to commit the craziest crime, robbing a bank.

This tale is told from Aaron’s point of view. He is the middle child, 12, and trying to make his mark in the family. When the family loses everything during the stock market crash of 1987, he seeks out to prove himself on their journey to Florida. He isn’t a perfect child, but he does care about his sisters. The youngest, Jenny, is a bit of a wild child. Even at that time, it was obvious that her parents didn’t know how to take care of her or seek help for her. Steph is also a bit of a wild child but in a different way. It is her hormones that drive her actions. There is a situation that happened that wasn’t surprising to me. It would ruin a few things, so I won’t tell you what. But if you read the book, you will figure it out right away, too.

The parents, Barry and Judith, are an example of what happens when you have too much money and not enough time for each other. The stock market crash changes that, but is it for the better? They may reconnect on one level, but is it a lasting connection?

The story is filled with flawed characters, but ones that have heart and are seeking a better way, at least most of them. It may not always be the best or right way, but it is definitely a reflection of them and the times. I appreciated how the story started with Aaron as an adult and his troubled teen on a road trip. Aaron has his child listen to the book he wrote, which happens to be about his life. You don’t realize that at first, but as the book is ending, it will all make sense. Some of the storylines are predictable, and if you grew up in the 80s, you will enjoy the music references and the simplicity of life without cell phones and the internet.

Overall, this was an enjoyable read, and we give it 4 paws up.

 

 

 

 

 

 

About the Author

 

Lee Matthew Goldberg is the author of seven novels including THE ANCESTOR and THE MENTOR, currently in development as a film off his original script, and the YA series RUNAWAY TRAIN. He has been published in multiple languages and nominated for the Prix du Polar. After graduating with an MFA from the New School, his writing has also appeared in The Los Angeles Review of Books, The Millions, Vol. 1 Brooklyn, LitReactor, Monkeybicycle, Fiction Writers Review, Cagibi, Necessary Fiction, Hypertext, If My Book, Past Ten, the anthology Dirty Boulevard, The Montreal Review, The Adirondack Review, The New Plains Review, Underwood Press and others.

His pilots and screenplays have been finalists in Script Pipeline, Book Pipeline, Stage 32, We Screenplay, the New York Screenplay, Screencraft, and the Hollywood Screenplay contests. He is the co-curator of The Guerrilla Lit Reading Series and lives in New York City.

 

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Synopsis

 

Recent college graduate Holly Schlivnik dreams of being a writer, but fate has other plans. A family crisis throws her into an improbable situation and her life will never be the same. Determined to make her own luck when things don’t happen the way she plans, the irrepressible young woman takes a sledge hammer to the glass ceiling and shatters it to smithereens. The wise-cracking, irreverent transplanted Californian takes you on a raucous, rollicking rollercoaster ride of her hysterical adventures as a ladies’ apparel sales rep traveling in the deep South as she ends up finding herself along the way.

 

 

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This book releases tomorrow, November 15th. Pre-order today!

 

 

Excerpt

 

“To tell you the truth, the problem is, I kinda like Dad’s offer.” I squirmed in my chair. “But I don’t wanna make a mistake. I will screw my life up if I make the wrong choice. I’m trying to imagine myself doing the job Dad does. The adventuresome part of me says it’s cool. No school, no exams, no tedious papers to compose. I’d be experiencing life instead of reading about it. And getting paid to do it. But the realistic part of me says, are you nuts? Schlepping those heavy garment bags all over the place? And what kind of a life would I have traveling all the time? I don’t trust myself to make the right decision, and I’m driving myself crazy. I want someone else to decide, and tell me which way to go.”

Nana looked over her glasses and clucked her tongue. “Well, too bad, kiddo. Life doesn’t work that way. Let me tell you something. And the sooner you learn it, the easier your life will be. Man plans, and God laughs.”

I looked at Nana like she’d spoken in Sanskrit. “Meaning?”

Nana answered in the same indulgent tone she used when I was a toddler. “It means plan all you want, but most of the time, your plans don’t mean a hill of beans. To use your vernacular, shit happens. You’re going along singing a song, confident life is a well-planned party. But the truth is, the road to life from birth to death isn’t paved in a straight line. It’s paved with hills and valleys, U-turns, and unexpected curves. And trust me. Nothing usually works out the way you think it will. To really live life and not merely exist taking up space, you must love a good mystery, love a good adventure, and love a good challenge. Kiddo, nothing in life is as constant as change. Keep your head on a swivel, and explore all your options. Look behind you for a sense of history, to the sides for a sense of proportion, and most important, remember God screwed our heads on facing forward for a reason. To look ahead to the future. To make good decisions, you can’t be afraid to make a mistake. You will learn more from your failures than from your successes. Regret is the worst human emotion because it is the one we can usually do nothing about. Always be yourself, don’t live your life for someone else, or in terms of someone else. Trust your gut, and believe in yourself.”

When she finished, I asked, “So, what should I do?”

Nana waved that gnarled index finger at me again and smiled. “Nice try, kiddo. It’s not important what I think. It’s only important what you think. So?”

In a moment of clarity, I looked Nana in the eye and made my decision.

 

 

About the Author

 

Named Best US Author of the Year by N. N. Lights Book Heaven, award-winning cozy mystery author Susie Black was born in the Big Apple but now calls sunny Southern California home. Like the protagonist in her Holly Swimsuit Mystery Series, Susie is a successful apparel sales executive. Susie began telling stories as soon as she learned to talk. Now she’s telling all the stories from her garment industry experiences in humorous mysteries.

She reads, writes, and speaks Spanish, albeit with an accent that sounds like Mildred from Michigan went on a Mexican vacation and is trying to fit in with the locals. Since life without pizza and ice cream as her core food groups wouldn’t be worth living, she’s a dedicated walker to keep her girlish figure. A voracious reader, she’s also an avid stamp collector. Susie lives with a highly intelligent man and has one incredibly brainy but smart-aleck adult son who inexplicably blames his sarcasm on an inherited genetic defect.

 

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THE THIRD DAWN:

 

FROM BETHLEHEM TO GOLGOTHA

 

by

 

Thomas J. Nichols

 

 

Inspirational Religious Fiction / Historical Fiction

Publisher: Nicholson Books

Page Count: 212 pages

Publication Date: September 14, 2023

Updated version with new dialogue and more detailed descriptions

 

Scroll down for a giveaway!

 

 

 

 

Nichols turns his award-winning writing career to the greatest mystery of all time in The Third Dawn: From Bethlehem to Golgotha.

Accompanied by His lifelong friend, Nur, the young Jesus ventures throughout the towns and villages of Israel, Palestine, and across the sea to the port city of Ephesus. With Nur always at His side, Jesus experiences the joys and hardships of humanity—Jews and gentiles, rich and poor, believers and nonbelievers, freemen and slaves.

Nichols’s gifted storytelling brings forth this unique perspective on the life of the Messiah, providing a rare insight into His personal joys and suffering. The reader will experience the emotions of His power and authority when, on a mountaintop above Capernaum, He pronounces the future, and a spectacular miracle occurs in the city below.

The Third Dawn was initially published in 2011 but is now updated with new dialogue and more detailed settings.

 

 

 

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Thomas J. (Tom) Nichols’s law enforcement career ranged from patrol, detective, Sergeant, Lieutenant, Captain, Deputy Chief, and Chief of Police. spanning the era of the growth of the Mexican drug cartels and war on drugs. He has written seven novels and three short stories with themes of the border wars, espionage, international intrigue, and the supernatural.

Tom’s latest work is The Third Dawn, an inspirational retelling of the early life of Jesus galvanized by his devotion to local and international church affairs. His ideas were brought to life while traveling with Gwen, his wife who also serves as his editor, to experience of the Holy Land—the Church of the Nativity, the Holy Sepulcher, The Annunciation, the Mount of Olives, the River Jordan, Capernaum, Tiberias, the Sea of Galilee, Jericho, and Ephesus.

 

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THREE WINNERS:

 

First Prize:

 

Signed copy of THE THIRD DAWN + $25 Amazon gift card

 

Second & Third Prizes: signed copy.

 

(US only; ends midnight, CST, 11/24/23)

 

 

 

 

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Synopsis

 

Did his book raise the dead? Outraged when The Post Gazette overlooks him for a well-deserved promotion, 43-year-old Sports Writer Christian Kane quits the Paper and moves to the country to write fiction. Inspiration flows from a lone grave he stumbles upon in the woods. He compiles “The Legend of Rachel Petersen,” a fascinating story revolving around the dead twelve-year-old girl laid to rest beneath the weathered tombstone. His book quickly becomes a Best Seller; then Hollywood turns it into a blockbuster movie. Kane becomes rich and famous. But then? Does an enraged Rachel become more than a figment of the writer’s imagination? Does she rise from her grave to seek revenge on Kane for slandering her name?

 

 

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Excerpt

 

He popped his head out of the hole and looked beyond the heaping piles of freshly dug dirt, making certain there were no intruders hiding in the bushes, waiting to rob him of his find. Satisfied there weren’t any, he reached down and grabbed the lid. Rusted solid, the tiny hinges creaked loudly as he tugged. He yanked harder and harder until they snapped.

Then… Wooosh! A gigantic gale force wind blasted up and out from the coffin, violently ripping the lid from his hand. The plank door pinned his legs against the earthen side of the grave. Using his arms, he shielded his face as the tornado strength winds blew straight up past him. His hair was blown straight on end. The tree limbs above him thrashed and whipped wildly as the colossal, continuous gust of wind ripped through the leaves. Dust, dirt, and stones, tore at his arms and face as they were hurled from the hole. The rush of the air howled loudly with an eerie, awful sound, as though a thousand people were screaming at once. Thaddeus grimaced as the forceful wind would not allow him to catch his breath.

As fast as the howling wind had erupted from the coffin, it abruptly stopped. Then the lid slammed shut with a loud whack. The branches bounced and swayed to a peaceful rest as Thaddeus, trembling, cautiously began to wipe the dirt from his face and arms.

Being more cautious on his second attempt, he slowly lifted the lid while peeking over it through squinted eyes. No howling gust of wind greeted him as the mummified remains of the once very pretty and young Rachel Petersen, laid to rest in a plain floral print dress, came into view. A thin layer of dust covered her and everything else inside the tiny coffin.

But how could that be? After that violent windstorm, which just moments ago blasted forth from the coffin, no dust would have remained. That was just another curiosity that never crossed Thaddeus’s mind.

Staring back at him were two large empty eye sockets in a tiny skull, which rested on a satin pillow. Her facial skin, once having a flawless peaches and cream complexion, was now brown, deeply gouged with wrinkles, and drawn tight, exposing her baby teeth. Her nose was reduced to two narrow slits. Red hair, parted in the middle, covered her forehead before coming to rest in curls on her shoulders.

The bones and joints in her hands and arms were clearly visible. Her skin-tight hands lay folded on her chest, clutching a rosary. An artifact!

“She looks like a dried-out prune with red hair,” Thaddeus thought to himself. Then his pulse pounded faster and louder in his ears when he spotted the holy prayer beads.
He stared wide-eyed at the white beaded rosary that had a tiny silver crucifix attached, then the corners of his lips curled into a sly smile as he congratulated himself on the find, “I knew there would be something of value buried with her.”

Slowly he reached down for the treasure. “One more inch and it’s mine.”

Then he quickly jerked his hand back when Seth’s warning echoed through his mind, “Do you want someone like her to haunt you for the rest of your life?”

“Nonsense,” he reasoned to himself with a chuckle. “Ha! What does Seth know?”

Then his subconscious haunted him, “What about your dream? The curse in hieroglyphics?”

He answered himself out loud! “That’s nonsense too! Take the treasure and cover her back up!”

Nervously, he wiped the beads of sweat running down his brow; again, he reached for the holy rosary very slowly while staring at her ghastly, withered face. And those two empty eye sockets staring back! He was expecting her to move, or worse yet, holler, “Grave robber,” and grab at him with her boney hands. Nevertheless, he desired that rosary so badly, he was willing to take that risk.

Thaddeus delicately grasped the tiny cross. Firmly, but with a gentle touch, the young archaeologist raised it two inches until all the slack was out of the chain. Now taut, it would not come away from the corpse any further; the remaining beads of the rosary had been intertwined around those hideous looking hands.

Keeping a vigilant watch on her hollow eyes, he tugged a bit harder on the rosary. He did not see when the army of huge, dark orange centipedes scurried out from under her hands. Quickly, one after another, thousands of the ugly bugs crawled out from their hiding spot and ran up the chain. They raced across his hand and up his arm. “Oh!” Thaddeus hollered as he let go of the cross and flung his hand back.

Thousands more continued to pour out from their hiding spot, climbing over his shoes, up his pants, up his legs, under his shirt. “Oh! Oh! Oh!”

Moreover, they stunk. Like battery acid mixed with used motor oil and ammonia.

A part of his dream flashed through his mind, “Within these walls lie the remains of Rachel Petersen. Cursed will be all those who dare enter.”

In one bound, he jumped the four feet out of the grave. The hideous bugs poured out of the hole and chased him down. Chills ran the entire length of his spine as he danced about, flailing his arms, trying to shake the repulsive insects off as more and more covered him.

He ripped his shirt off and used it to swat the creepy crawlers off his back, chest, shoulders, and stomach. They were in his hair; he shook his head. One was halfway in his ear when he pulled it out. He kicked his feet into the air while grabbing and shaking his pant legs; he stomped on the vile and relentless hunnerd leggers that did fall to the ground. The ones he missed, turned and came after him again.

For ten awfully long minutes, they kept up their never-ending assault.

While jumping up and down, he tripped over the shovel’s handle and fell face first over the freshly dug dirt pile back into the grave, landing three inches from Rachel’s mummified face; he swore he saw Rachel smile at him!

 

 

 

 

 

Review

 

This book was amazing! I had a hard time putting it down, wondering how everything would play out for Christian. The story takes us down a path for Christian of fame and fortune. But is it real? Did he write this blockbuster? Was it Rachel guiding him to tell her story?

There is a story within a story, and we get to read this blockbuster that Christian writes. I loved how it jumped back and forth in time between the present, the 1950s, and the 1860s. I was drawn into the different time periods. I thought the way Thaddeus and Seth uncovered the truth about Rachel was engaging. Who knew that this grave in the middle of nowhere would cause so much trouble yet create a mystery that needed to be solved?

The story is spooky and suspenseful but not in the horror category. It did keep me on the edge of my seat as I watched the story unfold.

And that ending? I did NOT see that coming. I wonder what the future holds for Christian based on that information. We are left hanging, so it is up to our own imagination as to what might have happened next for him.

This is a revised novel, so I don’t know how much it differs from the original version. But this one is definitely a hit in my book.

We give this book 5 paws up.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

About the Author

 

Living in Western Pennsylvania all my life, I’ve been an avid Whitetail hunter since old enough to tote a rifle, which is also about as long as I’ve had a fondness for word games and literature.

While hunting last year, I actually did stumble upon a weathered tombstone in the middle of the woods.

While waiting patiently for that big buck to cross my path, I had plenty of time to ponder the dead girl’s fate, which I was then driven to write.

Eerily enough, this is the premise of The Legend of Rachel Petersen, my first novel published in 2012, which I recently revised.

I refer to Johnstown, Pennsylvania, a small town outside of Pittsburgh, home.

My wife Becky and I share our home with two retrievers – Piper, and Remmy.

 

 

 

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Synopsis

 

Mess Hopkins, proprietor of the seen-better-days Fairfax Manor Inn, never met a person in need who couldn’t use a helping hand—his helping hand. So he’s thrown open the doors of the motel to the homeless, victims of abuse, or anyone else who could benefit from a comfy bed with clean sheets and a roof overhead.

When a mother and her teenage boy seek refuge from an abusive husband, Mess takes them in. Shortly after arriving, the mom goes missing and some very bad people come sniffing around, searching for money they claim belongs to them. Mess tries to pump the boy for helpful information, but he’s in full uncooperative teen mode—grunts, shrugs, and monosyllabic answers. It’s not long before the boy vanishes too. Abducted? Run away? Something worse? And who took the missing money? Mess, friend Vell Jackson, and local news reporter Lia Katsaros take to the streets to locate the missing mother and son—and the elusive, abusive husband—before the kneecapping loansharks find them first.

 

 

 

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Review

 

Mess is one big mess, but a lovable one with a huge heart.

This book is a combination of a mystery/suspense novel with heart. Mess runs his family’s motel but tends to rent rooms to those who need a hand up in life. This doesn’t make a few people happy, primarily the manager and his Uncle Phillip. His parents are traveling the world, and we don’t see them, but his Uncle has inserted himself into the motel and Mess’ life. Let’s just say the uncle is a busybody, and while he might have good intentions, he certainly doesn’t know how to insert himself into Mess’ life so that he is appreciated versus scorned.

I enjoyed this book immensely. I liked Mess’ desire to help those who needed help, the characters that were developed and had some depth to them, and the potential for future installments in a series. I think with time, Mess could be a really good social worker, but he needs to work on some of his skills, like creating rapport with teenagers. He forges a relationship with Kevin, but it takes the whole book for it to finally click for these two. Of course, Kevin is your typical teenager (15) and makes some decisions that are not wise for him or those around him.

Mess’ friend Vell and his grandmother, Mama, are adorable. I wanted to join them at Mama’s house for lunch and conversation. She is the one that sends many of those that Mess helps his way. I’m not sure who has the bigger heart! I don’t think Mess could have worked things out in the end without their help. Or help from Lia, a reporter doing a story on the motel. Mess and Lia are attracted to one another, and I enjoyed watching their relationship develop. There is more to come for these two.

The mystery/suspense portion of the book is very light. I would almost consider this general fiction, but there are some portions of the book that are filled with action and a bit of mystery about where a certain item disappeared.

There are multiple facets to this story, and they all blend well together. I am looking forward to more from this author and this series…or at least hoping there is another story because there are some unanswered questions, at least for me.

We give this book 5 paws up.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

About the Author

 

Alan Orloff has published ten novels and more than forty short stories. His work has won an Anthony, an Agatha, a Derringer, and two ITW Thriller Awards. He’s also been a finalist for the Shamus Award and has had a story selected for THE BEST AMERICAN MYSTERY STORIES anthology. His novel, SANCTUARY MOTEL, will be released in October from Level Best Books. He’s past president of the Florida Chapter of Mystery Writers of America. He loves cake and arugula, but not together. Never together.

 

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Synopsis

 

Phishing: When hackers send malicious emails designed to trick people into falling for a scam.

Phishing test: When organizations send deceptive emails to their own staff to test their response to phishing attacks.

It all started with a cat video. A video that Tess Miller, a sassy and talented greeting card writer, shouldn’t have clicked on. But cat videos are her kryptonite. And how was she to know the video embedded in the email was a phishing test designed to take down the company she works for?

The infuriating man who tricked and humiliated her? Aaron Sinclair, cybersecurity consultant brought on by her paranoid boss to whip their company into peak security shape. A dark-haired man with a dark past, and an unrelenting thorn in her side.

Buried beneath their mutual animosity, however, is an attraction they both have reasons to fight. Thanks to Aaron, Tess’s boss has labeled her a high security risk and her professional reputation is at stake. A fierce battle of wits ensues as Tess uses every trick not to fall for Aaron’s random phishing tests.

With the end of Aaron’s six-month contract fast approaching, Tess is faced with the looming risk of losing not only her job but also her heart to the man who has tested her in every way possible.

Perfect for fans of Christina Lauren and Katherine Center, Phishing for Love is a swoony, laugh-out-loud, enemies-to-lovers, workplace romance.

 

 

 

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This book will be released on February 1, 2024….Preorder it today

 

 

About the Author

 

Lara Martin writes books about imperfect people living messy lives, falling in love and getting their perfect happily-ever-after. She’s lived in South Africa and Australia and now calls a cozy village in England her home. She’s tried a variety of amazing and awful jobs: video game reviewer, graphic designer, insurance claims agent (she has no idea how she landed this one), proof reader, feature writer, and magazine editor. She lives with her husband (always the first reader of her novels), two slightly terrifying teenagers, and the requisite psychotic cat. When she’s not writing, she can be found haunting local coffee shops.

 

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Synopsis

 

Rich with history, the geriatric romance in Two Rivers entertains and educates. Without fear of causing “discomfort” to some, Two Rivers takes us deep into the lives of two peoples—Africans and Europeans—in 1854 near Charleston, South Carolina.

In Two Rivers, the parallel courtships of enslaved widow Ella wooing 84-year-old widower Posey and Tiffany Plantation manager James’ pursuit of Jacqueline, daughter of a bank president, reveals the side-by-side lifestyles of enslavers and the enslaved.

Attorney James’ dream was to join the elite planter-banker class by any means necessary. Rebuffed by Congressman William Aiken’s daughter, James turned to Jacqueline. Meanwhile, Angolan Ella was determined to marry Posey, whose ancestry was Igbo.

Though enemies from the day James arrived, both Posey and James respected Senator John C. Calhoun—but for vastly different reasons. For James, Calhoun represented the “rule-maker class” he wanted to join. Posey welcomed Calhoun’s prediction of war between white people.

By 1854, the Tiffany family had enslaved over 300 Africans for more than a century on the 1,100-acre slave labor camp that they called the Tiffany Plantation. The Tiffanys were the largest rice producer in South Carolina’s Colleton District. While the toil of enslaved Africans earned untold riches for the Tiffanys, the Africans endured violence inflicted to force increased rice production and profits followed by the indignity of the bodies of loved ones being stolen from their graves and delivered to a medical school.

Rich with history and a cast of unforgettable characters, Two Rivers is a sweeping saga of two peoples—European immigrants and African abductees. Together, they experience courtships, infanticide, homicide, rape, rebellions, revenge, sabotage, storms, high-stakes gambling, grave-robbing, counterfeiting, slave mortgage-backed securities, and more.

“De troubles Posey be sees” in Two Rivers reminds one of Southern Gothic storytelling.

 

 

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Interview with Bob

 

SBR: Where can readers find out more about you and your books?

Bob: Readers can learn more about me than a body needs to know on the “Team” page on my website. I displayed all my books on this page, which includes links to individual book pages for more information. For example, the Two Rivers page includes an “About the Book” message, trailer, free download button for chapters 1-3, and purchase links to retailers in Australia, Canada, the United Kingdom, and the United States.

SBR: Tell us about the process for coming up with the cover.

Bob: The Two Rivers cover is a photo of a rice harvest painting commissioned by The Rice Museum in Georgetown, South Carolina. I discovered the painting while on a field research trip in 1995 for another book. Twenty-five years later, when I was well into writing the Two Rivers story set on a rice farm, I realized that the painting would make a splendid cover. The cover was produced by a collaboration between the museum’s executive director, museum photographer, my cover designer, and me. The largest rice farms in 1854 were on tidal rivers, hence the title.

SBR: If your book was to be made into a movie, who are the celebrities that would star in it?

Bob: That’s a brilliant question. Let’s see. These are the actors that come to mind: Posey would be played by Morgan Freeman, Ella by Viola Davis, James by Tom Cruise, and Penny by Hailey Kilgore.

SBR: Do you have a library membership?

Bob: Yes. Though I have used many public libraries while doing field research, I am a member of only two libraries. I maintain membership in the public library in my former home city of Charlotte, North Carolina, and my current home city of Merida, Yucatan.

SBR: Who is your favorite author and why?

Bob: The late historical novelist Herman Wouk is my favorite author. I remain impressed and inspired by his dedication to thorough field research and authenticity. His work ethic is clear in his companion novels, The Winds of War and War and Remembrance. I have done my best to follow his example.

SBR: Who are your heroes?

Bob: Some of my heroes date back to my childhood. So, here’s my list, warts and all: Don Newcombe, Albert Einstein, Herman Wouk, Billie Jean King, Ludwig Van Beethoven, Nina Simone, August Wilson, Ray Charles, Alexandre Dumas, and Barbara Lee. They, like me, had, or have, feet of clay.

SBR: If you could invite one person to dinner, who would it be, and what would you cook?

Bob: I would invite Denzel Washington. I would cook salmon and garlic shrimp, stir-fried mixed veggies, and miniature red potatoes. My garlic shrimp includes diced white onion, real bacon bits, diced white mushrooms, olive oil, butter, Old Bay, black pepper, cayenne pepper, and, of course, garlic.

SBR: oh my, that sounds delicious!  Thank you for taking the time to answer a few questions so we could learn more about you.

 

 

 

 

 

About the Author

 

Bob Rogers is the author of the historical novels First Dark and The Laced Chameleon, which earned critical acclaim from Kirkus Reviews, San Francisco Review, and Baltimore Examiner. Bob is a meticulous researcher, known to spend extra time, magnifying glass in hand, deciphering 18th and 19th-century handwriting for “just the facts, ma’am.” Bob, a former U.S. Army captain and combat leader during the Vietnam War in Troop A, 1/10 Cavalry, finds his topographic experiences useful in field research. If not closeted in libraries or museums, you are likely to find him walking centuries-old rice fields, battlefields, or in a canoe following the river trails of his characters.

He studied at South Carolina State University and the University of Maryland.

Bob tends his flowers, okra, and tomato plants in Mérida, Yucatán, México.

 

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Giveaway

 

Win hardback copy of Two Rivers: De Trouble I Be See, courtesy of the author (one winner)

USA only

ends Nov 17

 

Two Rivers: De Trouble I Be See by Bob Rogers Book Tour Giveaway