Four Seasons – Book One

Mark Marteau thought he had retired from the FBI after Red Widow almost killed him in his own apartment, but Hector, his partner and best friend, shows up on his property near Glacier Park, Montana to inform him his godson Dylan may be in trouble. But before Mark goes, he first must go back to a time over 40 years before, when it all started at a wrecking and salvage yard in East Pasco, Washington, where he is witness to the murder of his friend. The next story shows how Mark meets Hector following his best friend’s Dave Baker’s assassination by the order of Che Lopez.

Human Adjacent

What makes someone human? What makes them inhuman? What do you do when those lines are much more blurred than they at first seem to be? How do you reconcile with realizing that you might have more in common with the monster of the story? What do you do when you realize that the monster probably isn’t a monster at all? That many of the things you were taught to you aren’t true at all?

Human Adjacent emphasizes human nature by telling the stories of things that are non-human, of shared experiences, and stories that resonate with what it means to be human without actually being so. Follow nine different stories as they all try to paint a wide picture of humanity in uncommon places, each one set in a unique world with diverse characters all trying to navigate their very different, outlandish circumstances that may or may not be similar to your own.

Elepa and the Magic Cloud

A jungle on a cloud – impossible!

Meet Elepa, an orphaned baby elephant who loves making up tunes and playing music, and a very naughty cadet dragon who causes chaos.

Join Elepa and his animal friends as they travel across the skies on their magic cloud. Follow their adventures as they create a musical band, evade capture by hunters in a helicopter who want to put them in a zoo, survive a raging storm, and journey from a jungle to the Arctic ice and back again.

Read on to discover their incredible story!

Diversities

This project was born from the illustrator’s own need. Passionate about coloring, painting, pencils, markers, and watercolors, she constantly came up against books designed either for children or drawn by excellent designers who weren’t passionate about coloring themselves. She was searching for suitable coloring books. Someone who truly appreciates the art of coloring likes large spaces to vary the shades. She also likes to use a wide variety of colors while maintaining harmony. Therefore, there need to be details, but not too many, to keep the artwork looking beautiful. It’s about finding the perfect balance between large and small spaces to color. Not finding this kind of product on the market, she grabbed her pencils and created the perfect drawings for coloring lovers.

Le projet est né d’un besoin rencontré par l’illustratrice elle-même. Étant une mordue de coloration; peinture, crayons de bois et d’encre, aquarelle; elle se butait constamment dans ses recherches à des albums à colorier pensés soit pour les enfants, soit dessinés par des gens qui sont d’excellents dessinateurs, mais non des passionnés de coloriage. Quelqu’un qui s'adonne véritablement à l’art de la coloration aime les grandes surfaces de coloriage afin de s'amuser avec les nuances. Aussi, il aime utiliser un maximum de couleurs différentes tout en créant une harmonie, c'est pourquoi il apprécie qu’il y ait aussi de petites surfaces, mais pas trop, pour ne pas perdre l’esthétisme de l’œuvre. Il exige donc un équilibre parfait de grands et petits espaces coloriables. Ne trouvant pas ce genre de produit sur le marché, l’instigatrice de ce projet s’est emparée de ses crayons et a créé des illustrations parfaites pour les amoureux du coloriage.

Descent of the Mighty Beast

In the heart of Kwetu, where tradition holds firm, Bratha Mine’s world shatters. His hopes for a better future crumble when he is framed for a murder he didn’t commit – until vengeance becomes his purpose. He turns his fury on the Security Council, a ruthless cabal pulling the strings of power. But an even deadlier enemy lurks: Thanatos, a tech-savvy assassin who never misses his mark.

As the stakes soar, Bratha is thrust into a battle where truth is treason and survival itself is rebellion. Navigating courtroom showdowns, political intrigue, and deadly pursuits, he must outwit an empire built on deception. Alongside fierce allies like Madam Mboya and Simba Wanje, he unearths secrets that could topple the entire regime.

But will his defiance spark a movement, or will the weight of ambition crush everything in its path?

Descent of the Mighty Beast is a pulse-pounding political thriller steeped in African mythology – an electrifying saga of resilience, rebellion, and the unbreakable spirit of a man who refuses to kneel. A masterful tale of courage and destiny – one that will keep you riveted to the last page.

A Tale of Prima Facie

Murder. Deception. Abandonment.

Mila Taylor is a commander in the Chicago Detective’s Bureau. The recent murder of Sullivan Maxwell, a local bookstore owner, leaves Mila with little detail and no obvious suspects. Mila’s initial investigation leads her to Davis Parks, the former partner of Sullivan, and a search for a woman that none of Sullivan’s family and friends have ever met.

Growing up on the outskirts of Chicago, in Sycamore, Mila’s family life was chaotic at best. Raised by her father, after her mother’s passing, Mila and her sister were left fending for themselves, until a disturbing event sent her on an unexpected path.

Through years of working on the police force and then the Detective’s Bureau, Mila built a credible career on solving cold cases. However, as her current case evolves, Mila is confronted with the twisted and terrifying secrets buried within the recesses of a merciless and sadistic mind.

When There Are Two Patients in One Body

In When There Are Two Patients in One Body, an experienced Labor and Delivery nurse shares a collection of birth stories, some joyful and others harrowing, that reveal profound life lessons from one of the most intense human experiences. While babies arrive either by vaginal delivery or caesarean section, each birth unfolds uniquely, whether as a momentous and thrilling event or an unexpected and life altering ordeal.

This book follows the author’s career, presenting a chronological journey through a diverse array of births, from routine and uneventful to tragic, each story interwoven with her personal reflections. Readers are drawn into the delivery room to witness the intimate details and drama of the birthing process, revealing the complexities of patients’ lives and circumstances.

As these stories unfold, readers gain insight into how factors such as healthcare access, race, culture, socioeconomic status, and education profoundly shape each birth experience. Beyond the joys and challenges, the author reveals that being a Labor and Delivery nurse is far more than just ‘a great job where you get to cuddle babies.’ It is a vocation that demands resilience, empathy, and an unflinching dedication to supporting patients through life’s pivotal moments.

Endorsement:

“Twenty-six years ago I was a brand-new intern on labor and delivery. The nurses rightfully didn’t trust us newbies.

Over the next four years, I became an OB/GYN under the direction of the attending doctors and hands-on nurses. In our first two years as fledgling doctors, we quickly learned that the nurses knew more than we did, and could make or break our experience. As we became part of the team, we all supported one another through the best days and the worst, for our patients and for us. I still hear some of their voices and advice.

Steph’s is one of them. Her stories are written just as they would sound over a beer or cup of coffee.”

– Jeanette Thomas, MD. Author of the blog Healing Is Hard. (www.healingishard.net)

Raised by Children

Raised by Children is a story about the impact of childhood trauma and PTSD, and a young woman’s resilience as she finds her voice and carves her own path.

Stepping beyond the suffocating backyard of her factory town in Kentucky, she discovers just how vast the world can be.

Young Vincent

Young Vincent offers a sweeping and intimate exploration of the life and loves of poet Edna St. Vincent Millay, tracing her journey from a latchkey child to a defiant Vassar graduate and literary icon. In this compelling work, Hood masterfully blends fact with imagination to present a uniquely personal portrayal of Millay’s creative process, gritty personal struggles, extraordinary strokes of luck, and her complex bisexual romantic life. Drawing from first-hand interviews with her sister Norma, lover Catherine Filene Shouse, and other close friends, as well as the poet’s letters, journals, and poems, this book vividly captures the essence of Millay’s remarkable world.

Set against the backdrop of the early 20th century, Millay’s story resonates with the challenges of our own tenuous times. The forces that sought to stifle free expression, limit opportunities, and deny civil rights echo through history, allowing modern readers to better understand Millay’s transformative era of groundbreaking art and technology. Through her struggles to reconcile her bold nature with the rigid constraints of her society, Millay becomes a timeless companion, inspiring empathy and reflection in today’s rapidly changing world.

The Musician’s Brain

“As in his earlier novel, The Players Brain, Love and Soccer, Antonio exercises his natural gift of translating hermetic neuroscientific concepts into colloquial language without belittling them for the sake of simplicity. Readers will be taken to the edge where fiction meets reality, pointing to the infinite possibilities now within our reach to give life back to legions of people who have lost all hope and, worse, their dignity. The Musician’s Brain is an ode to music, faith, and creativity.”

– Dr. Ricardo de Oliveira.

Maestro João Carlos Martins demonstrates resilience and a deep love for music throughout his more than 70-year career as a successful musician, sharing his journey of overcoming Musician’s Dystonia.

Todor Todorov Karagochev

The pages of the novel resurrect before the reader the events of a hundred years ago from 1912 to 1925 in the Balkans, in particular, in Bulgaria during the two Balkan wars, the echo of which was the Great War, which drew all countries and continents into its orbit and gave birth to a lost generation.

Three wars led to dramatic events in Bulgaria: a coup d’état and the establishment of despotism, against which the heroes of the country rise to fight. Brave, fearless, daring, elusive, they defy the executioner’s power and prepare the people for the uprising to overthrow the junta. The noble at heart and free spirited, they wage a heroic battle for freedom, risking their lives to save the life of another.

It is a hymn to the beauty of nature of the Balkans. It is a wide panorama of life of the era and society. It is based on real events. It is dedicated to the memory of Alexander Stamboliysky, it is dedicated to the memory of all the freedom fighters of all the times and countries.

Sex

Sex is not just a biological drive; it’s a powerful force that has shaped human evolution, relationships, and social dynamics for millennia. From ensuring the survival of our species to influencing social norms and cultural beliefs, sexual behavior plays a crucial role in our lives. Darwin’s theory of sexual selection highlights how humans, driven by the need to choose the right mate, have shaped the course of evolution. But sexuality has always been a subject of conflict. Religious and regulatory institutions have worked tirelessly to control it, often turning sex into a “problem” rather than understanding its vital role in our development. These efforts have reached deep into our personal lives, attempting to regulate even the most private aspects of human existence.

This book delves into the complexities of sex, exploring its impact on human psychology, mental health, and social order. It looks at how centuries of influence and restriction have left an imprint on our collective unconscious, embedding themselves into the very fabric of our being. By understanding sex through the lens of science rather than restriction, we can uncover a deeper truth about its role in human life. Drawing from evolutionary psychology, sociology, history, and beyond, this book offers a fresh perspective on a subject that has been both celebrated and censored. The journey of understanding sexuality, and its place in human progress, is far from over. This book serves as a preface to the conversations and deeper research that must follow.