New Book Release: Wrequiem at the Red Rocks: A Novel of Brutalist Satire and Futile Gestures - by Jason Makansi

 

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Bradley Maniopolos has Problems.

Sedona, Arizona Plays Host to Them.

When attendees at the “Neo-Anthropocentric Models of Retrospective Freedoms” colloquium arrive in spiritual Sedona, they become facilitator Bradley Maniopolos’s problem. Scholarly debate immediately devolves into who has freedom, who doesn’t, who’s getting it, who confers it, who assumes it, who guarantees it, and why the hell anyone cares. All the while, pontificating on stolen land.

But Bradley has problems of his own. Looming retirement. His identity. Personal issues of a private nature he’d rather not talk about. Too bad his best friend can’t keep his mouth shut, and the billionaire benefactors are keeping tabs through social media.

In the tradition of Catch-22, A Confederacy of Dunces, and The Sellout, Wrequiem at the Red Rocks makes you laugh until you see yourself. Then you cry. It’s not art that wins universal praise, but in the brutalist tradition, the satire is functional and effective exposing the hypocrisies we flawed humans depend on, and vociferously deny.

About the author:

Since launching a family newspaper in the 6th grade (it lasted two issues), Jason Makansi has considered himself a writer all his adult life. He wrote bad poetry in the 1980s and 1990s, a few published in vanity collections; short stories for fifteen years, a dozen of which were published in reputable (though now largely defunct) literary journals. His first novel, The Moment Before, came out in 2018 to a small but quite enthusiastic readership of about a hundred. Other publishing credits include several professional books, including the industry-acclaimed Lights Out: The Electricity Crisis, the Global Economy, and What It Means To You (John Wiley & Sons, 2007) and the 2016 IPPY Gold and Foreward Reviews Indie Silver winner, Painting By Numbers: How to Sharpen Your BS Detector and Smoke Out the "Experts," a layman's guide for strengthening numerical literacy. Makansi earned his BS in Chemical Engineering from Columbia University in New York in 1974, worked towards a higher degree in Sociology at the University of Missouri in the late 2000s, and attended the Sewanee Writers Conference in 2009. Other than the epigraph in the beginning, his favorite quote, from a long-ago Saturday morning cartoon, is "A pie in the face is worth two in the mouth. "Find out more about me and my work, including my music.

visit: kristinamakansi.com/jason-makansi
Instagram: @jasonmakansi

Substack: https: //jmakansi.substack.com/

New Book Release: A Diplomat, A Politcian, An Evangelist and A Warrior: Spotted Tail, Red Cloud, Sitting Bull and Crazy Horse : The Greatest Lakota Leaders - by Steve Lindstrom

 

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The story of the rise to power of Spotted Tail, Sitting Bull, Red Cloud and Crazy Horse and how they used that power to address the convoluted and inconsistent military, humanitarian and treaty policies presented by the U.S. Government, is a study in leadership styles. They were each the most prominent Indian in America for a time and their every action was closely followed by politicians, military leaders and the American public. The relationships between the four were complicated and they were sometimes allies, sometimes bitter enemies and always rivals. They had drastically different political beliefs, personalities and leadership styles, but were all focused on the preservation of the future of the Lakota people.

About the author:

After completing a career in South Dakota State Government and another as a Vice President in the corporate world, Steve started a new chapter in his life writing and teaching.

He grew up in Western South Dakota and now lives and writes in Minnesota. He received a Master of Arts Degree in English Studies from Minnesota State University Mankato and his debut novel The Last Ram was published by North Star Press in June 2013. His second novel Murder Trial of the Last Lakota Warrior was published in June of 2014. He published a book of short stories called Collections in 2024.

Steve has published short stories in the Lake Region Review, Arizona Literary Magazine and the Talking Stick Journal.

He retired from teaching English at Southwest Minnesota State University in 2021. He regularly attends the West Side Writers group sponsored by the St Paul Riverview Library.

Steve and his wife Steph live in St Paul MN.

New Book Release: Sunflower Yellow: Memories of a Latin Lover - by Rob Lezcano

 

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A true story of love, loss, and the beautiful mess in between.

From sun-soaked streets in 1970s Miami to the turbulent path of early adulthood, Sunflower Yellow is the unforgettable memoir of a boy growing up with too much heart and not enough direction. Rob’s story is filled with first loves, locker room confessions, broken rules, and moments that define a lifetime, all told with raw honesty, humor, and the kind of nostalgia that stings a little.

But at its core, this is a love story, for his mother, for the girls who shaped him, and for the boy he used to be.

Set against the backdrop of a changing America, Sunflower Yellow is not just a coming-of-age story. It’s a coming-to-terms story, with grief, with guilt, and with what it means to truly grow up.

If you’ve ever loved hard, lost deeply, or wished you could go back... this book is for you.

About the author:

Rob Lezcano is a genre-bending author whose work explores memory, myth, legacy, and the thin veil between the ordinary world and the impossible one hiding just beneath it.

His writing moves freely between memoir, speculative fiction, magical realism, and myth-driven adventure, but each book is united by the same central question: What do we carry with us, and what refuses to let us go? Whether grounded in lived experience or wild invention, Rob’s stories examine identity, love, obsession, faith, and the quiet moments where truth reveals itself sideways.

New Book Release: O'Dooly's: Pub & Church - by Rob Lezcano

 

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Welcome to the only place in Ireland where you can sip a stout and save your soul.

Since 1870, O’Dooly’s Pub & Church has stood at the edge of Fisher Street in Doolin, Clare County, Ireland.

One building, one door, two eternal purposes.

On the left side of the room, a warm pub, full of music, stories, and the best pour in County Clare.

On the right: a humble church with stained glass and stubborn grace.

And just behind the bar, nestled between aged whiskey and imported gin, you’ll find the confessionals, carved alcoves in the wall of alcohol, where sins are shared as quietly as secrets and forgiven with a nod and maybe a nip.

Generations of the O’Dooly family have served this sacred and slightly sacrilegious space, pouring pints, offering blessings, and keeping the peace between the pulpit and the pint glass. And somewhere in the mix, a leprechaun named Laffy has been causing holy hell for over a century.

Told with heart, humor, and a splash of irreverence, this magical realist novel blends Irish family saga, religious satire, and Celtic folklore into one unforgettable tale. You’ll meet priests who pour whiskey, barkeeps who offer grace, and villagers who know the line between heaven and hangover is thinner than a communion wafer.

If you love The Hundred-Year-Old Man Who Climbed Out the Window, An Irish Country Doctor, or Good Omens, pull up a stool, or kneel, if you must.

O’Dooly’s Pub & Church is a literary toast to tradition, rebellion, and the holy art of carrying on.

About the author:

Rob Lezcano is a genre-bending author whose work explores memory, myth, legacy, and the thin veil between the ordinary world and the impossible one hiding just beneath it.

His writing moves freely between memoir, speculative fiction, magical realism, and myth-driven adventure, but each book is united by the same central question: What do we carry with us, and what refuses to let us go? Whether grounded in lived experience or wild invention, Rob’s stories examine identity, love, obsession, faith, and the quiet moments where truth reveals itself sideways.

New Book Release: Gary Greenbird A Baseball Adventure - by D.K. Wingerson

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Gary Greenbird is back and he’s taking flight on a whole new adventure!

When Gary’s big brother, Greg, swoops in with a surprise invitation, the Greenbird brothers fly off to discover a favorite pastime of people everywhere.

They are going to the ballpark, and not just one ballpark. From the cheering crowds, the players running around a diamond, to the real reason they’re on this journey, the ballpark food, Gary learns that courage, curiosity, and teamwork can take you farther than you ever dreamed.

Join the Greenbird brothers as they fly half way across the country, from one ballpark to the next, making new friends and priceless memories, in Gary Greenbird A Baseball Adventure.

About the author:

Wife, mom, grandma, beagle mom, and Cubs fan. Now I can add author to my list. Inspired by my grandson, who is on the autism spectrum, I decided to write a book about courage. My grandson gets more courageous every day, and so does the character in my book. Stay tuned to see what other adventures Gary Greenbird might decide to take.