New Book Release: 100 Western Women: The Bold, Brave, Gutsy Women of Arizona's Past - by Jan Cleere

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History books record scant contributions women made in settling and developing the new territory of Arizona. Yet women were an integral part of civilizing the rough, rowdy, often dangerous land. For more than ten years, Jan Cleere has written about the women who influenced the growth and development of Arizona in her column "Western Women" that appears monthly in the Arizona Daily Star newspaper. The famous, infamous and those not so well known are featured, each with a compelling story of surviving and thriving under less-than-ideal circumstances. Warriors, basket weavers, ranchers, artists, innkeepers, schoolteachers, politicians and entrepreneurs from a remarkable variety of backgrounds and cultures influenced the growth of Arizona.

Read about Larcena Pennington who had to crawl down a mountain to escape her Indian captors. Hopi artist Nampeyo continued to make exquisite pots even after she started losing her eyesight. Carmen Vasquez built a theater and brought in shows from as far away as Spain. Elizabeth Hudson Smith ran a successful hotel until the color of her skin turned a town against her. And Sarah Gorby allowed injured animals to live in her home until they could return to their desert habitats.

The 100 Western women featured between these pages are just a handful of those who came before and after them as the territory emerged and flourished into an amazing and diverse state unlike any other in the nation.

About the Author

Jan Cleere has been researching and writing about early Western women for over twenty-five years. Her work, including over a half-dozen books, has earned accolades from the writing industry including the Will Rogers Medallion awards, New Mexico/Arizona Book awards, Women Writing the West WILLA awards, Military Writers Society of America, National Federation of Press Women, Feathered Quill and Arizona Authors Association. The Arizona Newspapers Association recognized Jan for a series of historical profiles she wrote for Phoenix Woman Magazine, and the Nevada Women's History Project named her to its Roll of Honor for her significant contribution in the preservation of Nevada women's history. She is featured in several anthologies and her freelance work appears in national and regional publications.

New Book Release: Operation Tollbooth - by Kip Cassino

 

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There were plans for using nuclear weapons in Vietnam, and soldiers were actually trained for the mission. “Operation Tollbooth” depicts a nuclear strike on the Ho Chi Minh Trail that might have taken place, through the eyes of a young Army lieutenant caught up in the event.

About the author:

 Kip Cassino has worked construction, been a soldier, written for newspapers, performed market research, and accurately forecasted the future of several industries. His articles have appeared in publications as diverse as The New Times, Smithsonian Air & Space, Entrepreneur, and Ad Week. He has been interviewed by Meet the Press, BBC, and VICE. He has written science fiction for Analog and numerous marketing and political spending analyses. He was awarded the Research Award of Merit by the Newspaper Association of America in 2008. 

New Book Release: In The Line of Fire - by Michelle D. Bates

 

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Life in Chicago is turning out to be fantastic for Marie. She has a great job, a new close friend, and an exciting new relationship with David. As she enjoys her new life, all her past problems seem to disappear. Everything is going smoothly until a visiting attorney turns out to be her abusive ex-fiancé. Marie's world could be turned upside down in the blink of an eye. Will she manage to avoid him, or will she finally come face to face with her past?

About the author:

Michelle D. Bates is a freelance writer, fiction e-book author, and member of the Arizona Authors Association. The knowledge she has gained from the creative and fiction writing classes taken at Rio Salado College has helped her complete her first fiction novel. Her fiction e-book, Hidden Appearances, is published by On-Demand Publishing LLC (CreateSpace). Her second novel, In the Line of Fire, the second installment to Hidden Appearances, was published in 2015 and is now available on Amazon. Her latest project is in the works and will be released in Spring 2025.

Michelle is a native Chicagoan but currently resides in Arizona. She is a driven and motivated writer with a vivid imagination who believes in taking her readers on a journey through the characters of her book. She firmly believes that reading is a way of escaping the things around you and succumbing to the fantasy or other world that a story can create. Michelle has always turned to her dreams to escape times of sadness, frustration, and even boredom. She would always tell her friends and family that she has more fun and excitement in her dreams than in her actual life. It was that very sentiment that led her to writing her first fiction novel.

Michelle is an author that writes with passion and has the ability to paint a vivid picture with her words that draws the readers into her stories. The characters in her stories are ones that everyone can relate to in some form or fashion. Being able to write stories that not only thoroughly entertain readers but cause readers to totally immerse themselves in her stories is an on-going goal that she plans to continually accomplish.

New Book Release: Hidden Appearances - by Michelle Bates

 

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After years of dealing with a bad situation, Marie Mason has finally found a way out. New to the Chicagoland area, she seeks to find peace of mind and maybe even love. The job she has landed at the prestigious law firm of Phillips Winston & Gavens has given her a new lease on life. Marie is enjoying living in Chicago and has even made a good friend. For once, she is finally happy, but how long will her happiness last before her past comes back to haunt her?

About the author:

Michelle D. Bates is a freelance writer, fiction e-book author, and member of the Arizona Authors Association. The knowledge she has gained from the creative and fiction writing classes taken at Rio Salado College has helped her complete her first fiction novel. Her fiction e-book, Hidden Appearances, is published by On-Demand Publishing LLC (CreateSpace). Her second novel, In the Line of Fire, the second installment to Hidden Appearances, was published in 2015 and is now available on Amazon. Her latest project is in the works and will be released in Spring 2025.

Michelle is a native Chicagoan but currently resides in Arizona. She is a driven and motivated writer with a vivid imagination who believes in taking her readers on a journey through the characters of her book. She firmly believes that reading is a way of escaping the things around you and succumbing to the fantasy or other world that a story can create. Michelle has always turned to her dreams to escape times of sadness, frustration, and even boredom. She would always tell her friends and family that she has more fun and excitement in her dreams than in her actual life. It was that very sentiment that led her to writing her first fiction novel.

Michelle is an author that writes with passion and has the ability to paint a vivid picture with her words that draws the readers into her stories. The characters in her stories are ones that everyone can relate to in some form or fashion. Being able to write stories that not only thoroughly entertain readers but cause readers to totally immerse themselves in her stories is an on-going goal that she plans to continually accomplish.

AI - Where is the intelligence? by Vijaya Schartz

  

This award-winning novel deals with an AI character.
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I recently noticed a slew of posts in my Facebook feed that are obviously AI-generated. Although I am not opposed to giving life to old portraits of historical figures, I draw the line at computer generated images of the Sphynx and other famous archeological treasures, that are inaccurate at best, if not completely made up and wrong. Other times, the picture has no connection whatsoever with the title, the text, or the information in the post. Why not use a real photograph relevant to the post?

As for the monotonous AI voice, completely devoid of emotion, I have come to hate it. How can anyone relate to information delivered in such a boring manner? I remember the passion in the voice of my teachers when I was in school. They were the ones who communicated to me their love for literature, history, science. All because they cared, and it showed in their voice, their body language, and on their faces. I could feel the energy coming from them and touching me deeply. They made me want to learn more.

AI-generated royalty-free image

Nowadays, we are witnessing the takeover of the machines. Not only the voice is devoid of emotion, but it also misreads the words because it doesn’t understand the meaning of the sentence, only the structure. It pauses in the wrong places, sometimes expressing the opposite of the intended meaning. In a recent post, the Egyptian goddess Sekhmet became a “segment” in the narrative. Worse, AI is also turning the voice into text for subtitles, and the subtitles also said “segment.”

And I don't need an AI detector to spot AI generated comments. Probably an attempt to start a debate, they are all similar in structure. Coming from different accounts, they start with an introduction, three bullet points, and a conclusion, as if directly copied from an online textbook. Who on Facebook comments like that? Who is AI trying to fool?

Now that AI will become the center of learning for many students, I shudder at the idea that future generations of intellectuals, philosophers, scientists, writers, explorers, and rulers will be groomed by non-emotional entities in the cold, detached style of what we call AI.

Royalty-free AI generated image

Isn’t intelligence supposed to be self-aware, with the ability to comprehend and relate emotionally? To me this new invasion is not AI, but dumb computers relying on search engines and limited logic. As we used to say in my days, “Erring is human, but to really mess things up, it takes a computer.”

So, here we are. We didn’t react when autocorrect changed the meaning of our texts, laughing because it was “cute.” And now we are letting the same computers take over control of our lives, influencing our ideas, thwarting our knowledge, trying to replace free thinking and real intelligence.

As a science-fiction author, I am appalled. There is no AI intervention whatsoever in my novels. They are pure passion, pure imagination and human intelligence, and I hope you’ll enjoy them.

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Vijaya Schartz, award-winning author

Strong Heroines, Brave Heroes, cats

https://www.vijayaschartz.com

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New Book Release: The Merchant of Texas - by Harald Lutz Bruckner

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Abramof, aged 106, relates the story of his turbulent life to his great-grandson, Daniel, an aspiring writer. Events shared with the reader commence on the morning of the second anniversary of the start of the Ukraine war. A tale of intrigue takes the reader through the fall and rise of a family in two worlds, the exciting account playing out in Austin, Texas, and Jerusalem, Israel. The author, Harald Lutz Bruckner, once again weaves a tapestry of life in The Merchant of Texas, its unlikely protagonists the old man and his precocious great-great-grandson, Zoltán Abramof III, lovingly named Little Z.

About the Author

I was born in Germany during turbulent times and ventured to the New World where I’ve spent most of my adult life. My work and educational adventures have taken me from merchandising/retailing, the teaching of German and World Literature, to an academic career in Audiology, and the challenges of working with hard-of-hearing and deaf children and adults. Among my favorite academic subjects to teach were offerings in sign language. In 1981, I discovered the magic of painting in transparent watercolors and have never stopped painting. Moving to sunny Arizona from the High Country of Colorado in 2003, caused a major shift in my subject matter, changing from a primarily realistic orientation to one of total abstraction. Since my retirement from Academia, I’ve pursued my passions for travel, art, music, and the enjoyment of writing. The Merchant of Texas is my thirteenth novel brought to publication in the last eight years.

New Book Release: Valentine’s Dinner at Wren and Wolf by Mary Specker Stone

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Valentine's Dinner at Wren & Wolf is a story of love: naïve and stubborn, stumbling, unforgiving, passionate, and, at times, disconsolate. Maddening love between neurodiverse partners who long to understand one another. Frayed love between divorced spouses trying to raise children amicably. Parental love, where generational wounds threaten to become dams that block life's fluid possibilities. Self-love is here, too, the spiritual labors of aligning heart and mind, and, love for the feverish world. Valentine's Dinner at Wren & Wolf is an off-road sojourn through landscapes and moments in one woman's life as she learns what love has to teach her.

About the Author

Mary Specker Stone's poems have appeared in Image Journal; The Healing Art of Writing, Vol.1; New Verse News; Gyroscope Review, and other journals. Her scholarly writing, focused on communication dynamics between patients and health care providers, was published in Technical Communications Quarterly and the American Medical Writers Association Journal. After an early career as a biomedical writer, Mary studied rhetoric and composition, earning her M.A. in English from Northern Arizona University. While teaching college English, Mary developed an interest in poetry, and more recently, in the way poetry contributes texture and depth to spiritual life. She's a certified Spiritual Director who leads poetry salons and serves writers, artists, and people in recovery. Mary lives in the greater Phoenix area.

New Book Release: Whispers in the Canyon by Gifford MacShane

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Damaged almost beyond hope, a young woman is offered safety—by the man who killed her brother.

1880s Arizona Territory: Shunned by the village for her outlaw brother's deeds, Jesse is not sorry to hear he's been killed while robbing a bank.

Strangely enough it's Adam Donovan, the man who shot him, who brings her the news. Even more strange is this newcomer's offer to help put her ranch back on solid footing.

Traumatized by years of abuse, Jesse doubts she can trust any man—especially this Irish immigrant with his volatile temper and gunfighter's reputation. But a profound love for her canyon home outweighs her trepidation, and she accepts his assistance.

As they work together to improve her ranch, Jesse comes to believe that Adam's true nature is far removed from his notoriety. She feels the first stirrings of love―an emotion she's never known before.

But her nascent dreams of romance turn to nightmares when she discovers that not all of her brother's evil deeds died with him.

Deceptively simple and poetic, this heartfelt western historical romance will tug at your emotions, make you laugh, cry, and even get a little angry, as it handles difficult topics with a sensitive touch.

 

Finalist: The Coffee Pot Book Club Historical Romance of the Year, 2019: "An emotionally evocative story... brilliantly written and fabulously executed."

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Gifford MacShane is the author of historical fiction that celebrates the resilience of the human spirit.

Her books feature a family of Irish immigrants who settle in the Arizona Territory in the late 1800s. With an accessible literary style, Macshane draws out her characters' hidden flaws and strengths as they grapple with both physical and emotional conflicts.

Singing almost before she could talk, MacShane has always loved folk music, whether it be Irish, Appalachian, spirituals, or the songs of the cowboys. Her love of the Old West goes back to childhood, when herfather introduced her to the works of Zane Grey. Later she became interested in the Irish diaspora, having realized her father's family must have lived through An Gorta Mor,the Great Irish Potato Famine of the mid-1800s. Writing allows her to combine her three great interests into a series of family stories, each including romance, traditional song lyrics, and a dash of Celtic mysticism. Having grown up in a large & often boisterous Irish-American family, she is intimately acquainted with the workings of such a clan and uses those experiences to good purpose (though no names will be named!) 

New Book Release: Just a Little Off ... by Rose Garlasco

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A Memoir: Growing Up First Generation American in an Ethnic German Family

 A must-read for all first-generation Americans!

What happens when the pieces of the puzzle don't fit or are missing altogether?

Despite being loved by her family, Rose spent much of her childhood and adolescence feeling disconnected from them. Something was missing, but what was it?

In her ethnic German family, Rose was the first to be born in the United States. Her family immigrated from Yugoslavia and Romania after World War II, leaving behind their home, family and friends. They kept silent about the trauma they endured, desperately protecting themselves and her form their past.

At age nine, Rose discovered a wedding picture of her much younger mother. This was not the framed wedding picture of her parents on their bedroom dresser. The moment gave rise to a wave of questions, not only about her mother, but also the rest of the family. Who were they and how did she fit in?

These short stories offer glimpses into Rose's youth, capturing her struggles, conflicts, and moments of confusion. They weave threads that connect her to her family members despite their lack of shared history. Her stories reveal not only the emotional turmoil she faced, but also the fierce protection, love and support her family provided.

New Book Release: Reunion in the Desert by L.A. Keller

 

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Home is the place you go to heal. Dani Fisher knows her family ranch is where she belongs right now. She doesn't know that there's a person from her past who may remind her of memories she wants to forget.

Clay Carson was a star - best in high school and best on the rodeo circuit - until the day a bull decided to take it all away. Now struggling to remember his life and care for his young daughter, the last thing he needs is more trouble.

Can two people forget their past and find a future?

About the author:

L. A. Keller used her experience in the restaurant business, and love of the Arizona desert, to create the characters for her cozy mysteries.

"Murder is a serious topic so my books blend in humor, toss in a few surprises and bake up a good mystery."

Menu for Murder, the escapades of Jayne Stanford, the less-than-stellar server at the Wild Bronco Steakhouse has received the Readers' Favorite Five Star Review, as well as five-star reviews on Amazon and Goodreads. Cocktails at Sunset continues Jayne's story and was also a Five Star Readers' Favorite recipient.

L. A. spends her limited free time hiking in the desert (when the temperatures in Arizona are below 110), savoring wine (regardless of the temperature) and spending time with family, friends and other writers. As a breast cancer survivor, she volunteers for EBeauty, a non-profit organization created to support women undergoing treatment for cancer.

New Book Release: Finding Zachariah In a Community Garden by Nancy Hicks Marshall

 

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Who knew a feral cat named Sebastian could observe and share so many different insights about human behavior- all within a formerly abandoned lot?

FINDING ZACHARIAH allows you to capture the spirit of what is possible in a community garden. While this remarkable story is fiction, it is based on true events. Imagine a veteran with PTSD, who has fallen into homelessness and thinks alcohol is his only friend - only to find a true friend in a feral cat, Sebastian. Then, imagine a family suffering from losing their dad to violence.

Finally, imagine the possible healing and reconciliation that can occur when volunteers work their own "road map" to turn their lives around - with the help of compassionate humans, the feral cat, and a service dog.

Many things go on in a community garden - mulch-making, seed-planting, pollinating, irrigating, nurturing - both plants and people, and reaping a bountiful harvest.

All this can occur even in Phoenix, Arizona, where you can plant in October and January, but not in May, and where you need to add nutrients and water to the parched desert soil.

Nancy has volunteered in two community gardens. She has learned up close what makes a garden work. First, all who participate learn skills and provide nutritious food for families. Even more important, she has witnessed the rich bonds of friendship that form among the humans - and their companions - who make the community garden an integral part of their lives.

About the author

Nancy Marshall has been a resident of Phoenix, Arizona for 35 years and an active member of the community of social justice. Her work and writing have covered a span of social issues related to women’s sexuality and rights, as well as extensive involvement in the juvenile courts system. Nancy continues to advocate through her writing and participation in the peace and justice community.

Nancy has volunteered in two community gardens. She has learned up close to learn what makes a garden work. First, all who participate learn skills and provide nutritious food for families. Even more important, she has witnessed the rich bonds of friendship that form among the humans - and their companions - who make the community garden an integral part of their lives.

She has been an active member of book groups through the years, as well as teaching all ages.

Her passions include gardening, hiking, competitive squash and cookies. She is married, with two children, two very large dogs and a cat.

Breathe happy for energy and inspiration - by Vijaya Schartz

 

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I learned from Tai-Chi that proper breathing technique not only makes for a more enjoyable life, but it can also help you through stress, fatigue, and challenging emotions.

In today’s busy life, sitting at computers, driving to work, taking elevators, getting food delivered, not only don’t we get enough exercise, but it seems we have forgotten how to breathe.

Lung and breathing problems are the most common ailments among mature adults. Even for someone who never smoked, a lifetime of shallow breathing deprives the blood of much needed oxygen, which weakens the entire body, including the immune system.

But there is hope. Healthy breathing at any age increases serotonin levels (which makes us happy). It increases energy levels, boosts the brain power, and benefits the muscles, and all the organs in our body.

Most people breathe from the top of the lungs, lifting the shoulders, or worse, hunched over. Little do they know that the lungs are very narrow at the top, and wide at the bottom. If you only breathe from the top of the lungs, you only use 10% of your lung capacity. But if you breathe from the diaphragm, filling the bottom part of the lungs, you are using 90% of your lung capacity, significantly increasing the amount of oxygen going into your blood.

Simple exercise to train your body to breathe from the diaphragm: 

Lie down on your back (on the floor, a bed, a couch…). Place a hefty book on your stomach. As you inhale, try to make the book rise, and watch it fall when you exhale. If you do this at night before falling asleep, eventually your body will get into that healthy rhythm and keep it all night. In time, your body will relearn to breathe more deeply, and it will become your new normal.

Simple principles:

Breathe from the diaphragm. It provides more oxygen to your blood. If you are not used to it, it might make you dizzy at first. Just sit down. Your brain will quickly welcome the extra oxygen.

Always breathe through the nose. Mouth breathing doesn’t filter the air of impurities, nor does it change the air temperature before it reaches the lungs. And exhaling through the mouth might be too fast for your system.

Never completely empty your lungs. A small amount of carbon dioxide is still needed in the lungs to carry the oxygen to the blood. People who exhale too fast and too completely can go into panic attack mode. In that case, the doctor will tell you to breathe inside a bag. Guess what’s in the bag? The carbon dioxide you just exhaled.

Keep your back straight and shoulders down. You cannot fill the bottom of your lungs if you are hunched over.

These principles only apply to everyday life, they do not apply to special breathing exercises, like prana-yoga, and various meditation methods using the breath to achieve a specific state of consciousness.

And if you need feel-good books to place on your stomach, don’t forget these epic science fiction fantasy series.

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Happy Reading!

Vijaya Schartz, award-winning author

Strong Heroines, Brave Heroes, cats

https://www.vijayaschartz.com

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New Book Release: The Alchemist of Aleppo by Marie K Savage

 

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We were young. You were dying. And I was desperate. So, I rearranged the world.

When Michael Samaan and Kat Musgrave meet by the display case of a fourteenth century glass goblet at the Victoria & Albert Museum in London, they know immediately that they are deeply connected—to each other and to the goblet. But neither one understands what that connection means. Through a series of uncovered books and recovered memories, Michael, a British art historian, and Kat, an American geneticist, work together to peel back the layers of history—and their past lives—to find answers. Ultimately, they discover that the goblet’s mysterious maker, known in the past as the Alchemist of Aleppo, infused the glass with the essence of his and his dying wife’s souls and with the magical promise of love renewed at some future date. But the two scholars aren’t the only ones enthralled by the museum piece and the goblet isn’t the only magical object created in the alchemist’s furnace.

Spanning centuries, THE ALCHEMIST OF ALEPPO bends the space-time continuum of souls forever bound together and embodies our fascination with what science can’t explain and money can’t buy.

About the author

Marie K. Savage is Kristina Makansi’s pen name. It’s her middle name, first initial, and her paternal great-grandmother’s maiden name. She grew up a Blank (her maiden name), but always wanted to be a Savage.

She is the author of ORACLES OF DELPHI (under the name Marie Savage, no K), as well as a co-author—along with her daughters Amira and Elena—of THE SEEDS TRILOGY, including THE SOWING, THE REAPING, and THE HARVEST, all written under the K. Makansi name.

She is a long-time editor and book interior and cover designer who has worked on 160+ book projects, many of which garnered awards from the Independent Book Publishers Association and the Independent Publisher Book Awards, among others. She is co-founder of Blank Slate Press, now an imprint of Amphorae Publishing Group, and has served as chief editor and designer since 2012.

New Book Release: The Trouble with Roommates by Kristina Makansi

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WHEN YOUR WORST ENEMY BECOMES YOUR PANDEMIC ROOMMATE

Three years after the kiss of a lifetime in a public parking lot followed by months of online and in-real-life stalking and misogynistic bullying from tech bro Gabriel Landon's fan boys, journalist Aria Turner returns home from a year abroad in London just as the world starts to shut down due to Covid-19. Problem is, her condo has been subleased to her arch nemesis: Gabriel Landon. And just when Gabriel is getting his feet back under him, mending fences with his sister, and starting a new business in New York City, a new unwanted roommate for his subleased condo shows up: Aria Turner.

So, the man who almost ruined Aria's life and the woman who nearly destroyed Gabriel's career are stuck together in a shared condo, watching in horror as the Covid-19 pandemic unfolds around them. But amidst the escalating case numbers and death tolls and despite the deep-rooted animosity, the connection between them only grows stronger leading both to re-evaluate their beliefs about love at first sight, the gift of second chances, and the power of forgiveness.

CONTENT WARNING: This is an adult contemporary romance in which characters express strong, politically charged opinions regarding responses to the Covid-19 pandemic and how the world was changing around them. It also includes subject matter related to online bullying, doxing, sexual assault, and suicide.

About the author: Marie K. Savage is Kristina Makansi’s pen name. It’s her middle name, first initial, and her paternal great-grandmother’s maiden name. She grew up a Blank (her maiden name), but always wanted to be a Savage.

She is the author of ORACLES OF DELPHI (under the name Marie Savage, no K), as well as a co-author—along with her daughters Amira and Elena—of THE SEEDS TRILOGY, including THE SOWING, THE REAPING, and THE HARVEST, all written under the K. Makansi name.

She is a long-time editor and book interior and cover designer who has worked on 160+ book projects, many of which garnered awards from the Independent Book Publishers Association and the Independent Publisher Book Awards, among others. She is co-founder of Blank Slate Press, now an imprint of Amphorae Publishing Group, and has served as chief editor and designer since 2012.

New Book Release: The Preacher Goes to Babylon by Jan V Bear

 

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A man wakes up on the beach with no memory of who he is or how he got there. He does know he’s afraid of people of the north. He sets out on a journey to discover not only where he is but also who he is and who are the monsters chasing him.

The Preacher Goes to Babylon is a Bronze Age spaghetti western about a man on a mission from God, as well as annoying requests from other gods, and he’s not happy about any of them. Any similarity to the Book of Jonah is mostly accidental.

About the author

Jan Bear is a writer, editor, and book designer. She writes novels and nonfiction and helps people on their path to publication, both nonfiction and fiction.

New Book Release: Misfᴉts Abroad by Martine Robinson Beachboard

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Experiences are unique. Responses are universal.

A new environment in the Old World broadened the author’s perspectives. This collection of essays introduces colorful people and places encountered in Europe. The stories center on a time spent living and working with military communities in Germany and traveling further abroad.

The author balances the appeal of an unusual circumstance with the resonance of universal human experience. The reader will identify with the Misfits and the missteps they make when immersed in a new culture. The Misfits may be learners on the bilingual continuum, civilians on an army base, sailors far from home, young people in the wrong marriage, Americans not blending in, or the occasional ones who do. There’s even a story about a man who had never been in his own country. The characters are quirky, compelling and memorable.

Misfits Abroad is affiliated with Livingwell Publishing.

About the author:

Martine Robinson Beachboard has loved words since she first learned about them. This occurred when, at the age of 2, she spent a week with her older brother in the hot, sticky backseat of the green Ford her parents drove from Washington, D.C. to Phoenix. She studied enough words to win a citywide spelling bee in seventh grade. Next thing you know, she was a newspaper editor in Arizona. Her weekly personal column developed a loyal following and evoked a range of reader responses and emotions.

When she moved to Europe she continued writing. She has lived or traveled in 40 countries, most recently serving as a Fulbright Scholar in Kosovo.

She was awarded first place in column writing from the Arizona Press Club. Her editing has been recognized with four first-place awards by Arizona Press Women. A Penney-Missouri Newspaper Awards competition named her a finalist in single-story reporting. A former professor, she is currently a teacher of English as a Second Language.

Early in her journalism career, she learned that everyone has a story. With increased interviewing experience, she realized that everyone is a story.

New Book Release: Your Undercover Brother by J. Salvatore Domino

 

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Able Body, the private investigator with the funny name, operates a small suburban detective agency. Struggling to make ends meet in a shady line of work, he pays his bills following cheating spouses and catching small-time criminals.

While he waits for his big score, Able lives an unglamorous lifestyle consisting of late-night stakeouts, cold coffee, and stale donuts.

His life takes a perilous turn when his former girlfriend, the wife of a prominent lawyer, and a woman he has tried for ten years to forget, asks him to help find her husband’s murderer. Against his better judgment, he takes the case and sets out to find the killer.

The investigation catapults him into a tangled web of deceit and intrigue that almost costs him his life. Warned by a hot-headed police detective to stay out of the investigation, Able walks a tightrope in his quest to solve the crime before the police arrest the wrong person.

Discovering the truth behind the killing destroys his naivety, forcing him to take a hard look at his life and his chosen profession. It sets him on a new course, leaving him to wonder if he can return to his former unpretentious self.

About the author

J. Salvatore Domino is an author and blogger based in Scottsdale, Arizona, U.S.A.

His journey from technical writing to the boundless realm of writing fiction is a testament to the power of transformation.

Demonstrating his storytelling prowess, he captivates the reader, inviting them into a world where the lines between the imagined and the real are artfully blurred. His tales span a spectrum from comforting to thrilling, while his characters are crafted to evoke strong reactions, mirroring the complexities of real-life individuals.

Whether your choice is a brief escape or an extended adventure you’re sure to enjoy a captivating reading experience. Why not join him for a few minutes or several hours of enjoyable leisure?