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.
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.
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?
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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, TheWinds 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.
To combat Napoleon’s increasing interest in the Caribbean and help pressure France to sell New Orleans to America, Vice-President Thomas Jefferson enlists the aid of friend and naval hero Captain Jacob May. He asks Captain May to wage a clandestine war against the French in the Caribbean not as part of the US Navy, but as pirates.
To accomplish this, Captain May uses the cutting-edge technology of 1799: Girardoni air rifles, Fulton’s self-propelled torpedoes, a submarine, cannons with rifling, and Pandora, a specially modified ship. Pandora’s crew also holds a secret—two women masquerading as able-bodied seamen. Captain May molds his crew into the Brotherhood of Pandora and gives Jefferson chaos in the Caribbean.
David Nichols has published three books and a number of articles on building small wooden boats and traditional sails. He also taught wooden boat building at WoodenBoat School and Great Lakes Boatbuilding School. In addition, he wrote and directed an hour-long “how-to” video on wooden boat building and has written many scripts for industrial and commercial films. This background allows him to accurately portray the boats and ships of the late 18th century and weave a cohesive and compelling story. He earned a Bachelor of Science degree from the University of Texas, Austin.
In this collection, Jim looks into what it means to be human in this day and age. How do we cope with the loss of a loved one? What brings us joy? How important is friendship? Can Nature heal?
These are heavy questions, and Jim tackles them head-on with stories that are both intriguing and entertaining. He is not afraid to look deep into life’s challenges. He looks at love and loss, our hopes and dreams, and our own inner fears. Ultimately, his stories show us the strength of the human character.
Jim’s gentle stories are sensitively written and character-driven. The main character is often faced with a life issue many of us face: coping with life’s day-to-day annoyances, or finding a way to derive meaning in a complicated world. These stories are heartfelt and told with quiet passion and a gentle touch. In the end, they resonate with Jim’s appreciation for the challenges we all face and, ultimately, the beauty of what it means to be truly alive and to live in this world.
The main character is often faced with issues shared by us all such as coping with day-to-day annoyances or finding a way to derive meaning in a complicated world.
George and Ida Ferguson, my great-grandparents, were second-generation cattle ranchers in eastern Montana. Mom kept a framed picture of them on the fireplace mantel when I was a kid. It was taken in their parlor and you can just make out a piano behind Ida with a vase of cut wildflowers on it. They were dressed for the occasion, she in a calico dress, her long auburn hair wrapped around her head in a twirled braid, he in a white, snap button shirt, vest, and gray Stetson hat. The flat prairie land of the Yellowstone River valley can just barely be glimpsed through the billowing curtains of a window in the background.
I spent countless hours as a kid imagining what their life in nineteenth-century cattle country would have been like: herding longhorns, busting broncos, and mending fences. My tastes back then ran toward cowboys and Indians, so their romantic love was certainly not on my radar, but the true fact of the matter was that their love for each other was known far and wide.
“That’s right, Stevie,” Mom used to tell me, “They were hard workers and humble, salt of the earth people, busy with chores from dawn to dusk. But in the evenings they made time for making music. Ida played piano and sang while George accompanied her on fiddle. I’m told that their songs brought joy to even the crustiest cowhand’s heart.”
As a kid, that kind of talk was embarrassing to hear and often turned my ears red. But as I grew older, I started to imagine a different scenario, one in which they not only lived the hard life of cattle ranchers on the western frontier, but also found it within themselves to love deeply while creating beauty and harmony through their music in juxtaposition to that rugged land.
Years later I met Janie and we fell in love. While we were dating, I talked often about George and Ida. Did I idealize them? Maybe. But Janie told me she thought it was sweet they loved each other the way they did and that was good enough for me. It got me thinking that maybe she and I were kindred spirits like my great-grandparents were.
The summer after we married, Janie and I took a driving trip west to the great plains to see firsthand the land of my great-grandparents. We ended up parking our car outside the small town of Willow Creek, Montana, and spent the day hiking rolling pastureland amid pungent sage, prickly cactus, and golden fields of wildflowers, kept company by prairie dogs, meadowlarks, and a small herd of pronghorn antelope.
By sundown, we had made our way to the top of Buffalo Butte, the highest point of land in Stillwater County, and the overlook where George and Ida’s ashes had been scattered. The sun was low in the west, the sky exploding in a fiery orange from the last light of day, the land stretching out to the horizon where we could just barely make out the shadowy peaks of the Rocky Mountains.
The peace and quiet were immense, so quiet I swear I could hear both of our hearts beating. I said to Janie, my voice a whisper, “Legend has it that you can still hear my great grandparent’s music if the wind is right.”
Janie turned from viewing the scene spread out before us and took in a deep breath of fragrant prairie air. Then she took my hand, her smile as wide as the big sky above us, and said, “I’m so happy you brought me, Steve. I love you. I love being here with you.” Then she leaned in and kissed me.
“I love you, too, Janie,” I told her. “Forever and all time.” And we embraced, holding each other tight, our bodies molding into one.
Then, out of nowhere, we heard it. Faint strains from a piano, a fiddle, and then a soft voice singing. We stood together, our love growing stronger with every note we heard, listening to the heartfelt music played by my great grandparents, songs of love I somehow knew Janie and I would carry with us for the rest of our lives. Songs from my great-grandparents brought to us from them on that gentle prairie wind.
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.
In this collection of 101 stories, Jim Bates touches on the simple moments of life, sometimes memorable, sometimes nearly forgotten, but always meaningful. Memories abound: building model airplanes, learning to bake oatmeal cookies, walking in the woods, summers spent at an aunt and uncle’s cabin, graduating from college, raising a family, and dealing with the death of a loved one. All these stories are lovingly written. They bring to mind the importance of taking the time to consider what is truly meaningful in one’s life; what is truly important. Ultimately, though, they deal with love and relationships and what it means to be human in this day and age. The journey through life can be quite the ride. Join Jim on this one.
A stuffed animal? No, not to the young boy. More than a Christmas gift, she was soft, oh so soft, fluffy and white; a cuddly bundle of something he couldn’t name. Something he needed.
He called her Snowflake. Later that winter, sick in the hospital, bright lights glaring, monitors beeping, she kept him company. Thankfully. Especially in the deepest darkest night with long hours stretching endlessly to dawn. Snowflake stayed with him nestled softly in his arms, never leaving, keeping the unrelenting loneliness at bay. Always there through the fearful tests, the poking and prodding and the needles sticking. Magically purring she was right with him, the only companion he could count on.
Even after he got home. Amid all the anger and his parent’s fighting and the arguing, Snowflake stayed by his side. Especially even then. She was in it for the long haul. He could just tell. His constant furry companion. There was something about her. The way she looked at him. The way she never complained. The way she showed him how much she loved him. Like his parents used to do. It was the best feeling in the world.
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.
Nominated for The Pacific Northwest Booksellers Book Award, Alle C. Hall’s debut literary novel, As Far As You Can Go Before You Have to Come Back, is a-girl-and-her-backpack story with a #MeToo influence:
Carlie is not merely traveling. A child sexual abuse survivor, as a teen, she steals ten thousand dollars from her parents and runs away to Asia. There, the Lonely Planet path of hookups, heat, alcohol, and drugs takes on a terrifying reality. Landing in Tokyo in the late 1980s, Carlie falls in with an international crew of tai chi-practicing backpackers. With their help, Carlie has the chance at a journey she didn’t plan for: one to find the self-respect ripped from her as a child and the healthy sexuality she desires.
I feel honored that Leslie has entrusted me to write about this difficult topic. The great news is that once a person understands that her, his, or their coping skills are a result of unresolved trauma, the concept of healing becomes truly possible.
First, a somewhat clinical and probably depressing explanation:
Providing someone survives the initial trauma, which is not a given, the immediate (often long-lasting) consequences are: depression and/or anxiety, physical pain, and addiction/compulsive and obsessive behaviors. These sequela (states of disease that result from an initial incident or disorder) can rotate as if on a Lazy Susan: clear the physical pain, and your sex addiction goes through the roof. Get some recovery in AA, and a largely unresolvable depression or anxiety floods you.
Point of fact: if I hadn’t gotten treatment for childhood trauma, I would have been tagged with a diagnosis of bipolar disorder and spent my life pursuing medication that wouldn’t work for me because I am not bipolar. I am a trauma survivor.
The long-term consequences of untreated trauma—and therefore, untreated addiction, depression and/or anxiety, and physical pain—are straightforward and terrifying: death, incarceration, or hospitalization.
When people learn that I survived sexual trauma and that this trauma that defined my childhood, they usually ask, “How did you get through it?”
They mean the trauma.
I hear, “All those years following it.”
There is a reason the diagnosis is post-traumatic stress disorder. Until the healing begins, every element of your life is defined not only by what happened but also by what didn’t: no one taught you how to love or be loved. No one even taught you how to like, as in “friends.” Your best friends always seem to be better friends with someone else. How can you be a good friend—a good lover, partner, parent—when you have no idea how to share healthfully of yourself, how to trust, how to be dependable or self-effacing or straightforward or sometimes, just silent?
I found the “normal” human abilities that I was never taught in much the way that my main character does in my debut novel, As Far as You Can Go Before You Have to Come Back.
Carlie bumbles through as many addictions as I could throw at her: alcoholism, smoking, sex and love, and food. Ö
Kind people introduce her to Tai Chi. Ö
Thing improve. Ö
In my experience, spirituality is a critical element when addressing the sequela of abuse. Certainly, we often need psychiatric medication. We definitely need therapy and support groups. However, that element that makes recovery last, Joy, traces directly to my spiritual growth.
Tai chi became the bedrock of my spirituality.
Tai chi offers me a spirituality with legs. I don’t think about my spiritual growth; I do it. I set up a practice that brings me to face myself every day. Tai chi is a Taoist practice. In Taoism, there is no difference between the body and the mind. Damage one, damage the other. Luckily, as you heal one, you heal the other.
Thank you, Alle, for writing a beautiful entry to share with us today. I hope it strikes a chord with many.
About the Author
Nominated for The Pacific Northwest Booksellers Book Award and—tis just in—winner of The PenCraft Book Award for Fiction – Adventure,Alle C. Hall’s debut literary novel, As Far as You Can Go Before You Have to Come Back was winning prizes before its publication, including the National League of American Pen Women’s Mary Kennedy Eastham Prize. Her short stories and essays appear in journals, including Dale Peck’s Evergreen Review,Tupelo Quarterly,New World Writing,Litro, Creative Nonfiction, and Another Chicago. She has written for The Seattle Times and Seattle Weekly and was a contributing writer at The Stranger. She is the former senior nonfiction editor at jmww journal and the former associate editor of Vestal Review. Hall lived in Asia, traveled there extensively, speaks what she calls “clunky” Japanese, and has a tai chi practice of 35 years running.
Socially awkward, anxiety-riddled Beverly Bonnefinche only loves three things in life: her parents, books, and a homeless man named Bill. Without them, the only way Beverly manages to get by each day is with the help of a peculiar coping mechanism that allows her to dissolve her feelings. Yet everything changes for Beverly when she meets Henry, a persistent, friendly man who sees something in Beverly most people have missed. As their relationship develops, despite her best intentions, Beverly soon finds herself stepping outside of her carefully controlled life and forging new friendships.
It’s only when a series of twists and turns threatens to unravel her new life, and her mind, that Beverly must determine if she’s got it in her to stop trudging through life—and finally start living it.
Emotional, witty, and uplifting, Beverly Bonnefinche Is Dead is an unforgettable story of love, loss, friendship, and what it means to ultimately find the courage to be who you are.
Lover of books, Kristen spends her time overly caffeinated in front of her computer in the Tampa Bay area with her husband and four children.
Kristen’s debut novel, Beverly Bonnefinche is Dead was selected by Barnes & Noble as a Top Indie Favorites August/September 2023 Kristen Seeley is the pen name of Marie Still (which she writes suspense/thrillers under)
Nichols turns his award-winning writing career to the greatest mystery of all time in The Third Dawn: From Bethlehem to Golgotha.
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.
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.
To combat Napoleon’s increasing interest in the Caribbean and help pressure France to sell New Orleans to America, Vice-President Thomas Jefferson enlists the aid of friend and naval hero Captain Jacob May. He asks Captain May to wage a clandestine war against the French in the Caribbean not as part of the US Navy, but as pirates.
David Nichols has published three books and a number of articles on building small wooden boats and traditional sails. He also taught wooden boat building at WoodenBoat School and Great Lakes Boatbuilding School. In addition, he wrote and directed an hour-long “how-to” video on wooden boat building and has written many scripts for industrial and commercial films. This background allows him to accurately portray the boats and ships of the late 18th century and weave a cohesive and compelling story. He earned a Bachelor of Science degree from the University of Texas, Austin.
Lover of books, Kristen spends her time overly caffeinated in front of her computer in the Tampa Bay area with her husband and four children.
