The Key

Memories unfold like scents carried on the wind—one breath of lilac, crisp bacon, coffee, or freshly toasted bread can transport us back in time.

For me, the scent of mothballs lingers strongest, forever tied to the narrow, enclosed staircase in my grandparents’ farmhouse. That dark passage, designed to keep the main floor warm, held the scent of stored goods, protected from tiny pests by the sharp odor of mothballs. It was a place of mystery, a gateway to adventure in a home that stood firm through the Great Depression and the harsh Dakotah winters.

Winters were so fierce that children, including my parents, were sent to stay with town families where school remained open. Meanwhile, my grandparents and other farmers kept their coal-heated homes running, waiting for the plows to carve paths through the deep snowdrifts.

Even in summer, the house carried its secrets. The coal cellar and hidden storage areas held the whispers of the past, each one an invitation to adventure.

Prooflike Morgan Silver Dollars

Delve into the first exhaustive monograph centered solely on Prooflike Morgan Silver Dollars. Explore date-by-date and mint-by-mint analyses of these unique coins struck between 1878 and 1904 and 1921 across five U.S. mints. Drawing from the most complete collection of Morgan prooflike dollars, including rare varieties, all in mint-state uncirculated condition, this volume enriches your understanding with over 500 high-quality photographs. This is an essential exploration into a captivating facet of numismatics.

An Accusing Finger

A man’s violent, early-morning death on the freezing pavement of a west-end convenience store parking lot in Canada’s capital city appears at first to be just another random act of gang violence. But is it?

The dead man has no identification, and his associate has mysteriously vanished. One of the victim’s fingerprints is linked to the unsolved murder of a young woman more than twenty years earlier. When Inspector Matt Armitage begins investigating the cold case, he uncovers a second, identical, unsolved murder. This one took place years later, in another city, in another country. As he works to close the case, Armitage discovers that cutting through red tape can cause serious, self-inflicted wounds.

Even if he were not a police officer, Inspector Matt Armitage of the Ottawa Police Service would be an imposing figure. He stands seventy-six inches tall in his dress socks, with a big-boned athletic frame, a thick shock of dark hair, and intense, piercing eyes the colour of Antarctic ice. He has an unblemished service record, but Armitage will probably never be promoted. His bosses believe he has one unforgivable flaw: he puts people first. He is a cop’s cop, operating in a milieu that rewards careerism and mediocrity, and punishes anyone who threatens the system’s status quo or the self-interest of the top brass.

An Accusing Finger was a Chanticleer Clue Awards finalist.

Joy and the Menagerie

A global adventure of bears, a bunny, a puppy and a working mom, how they all met, and how they interact.

From downtown Manhattan, to London, Paris, and Chicago, Joy met and adopted a wide range of characters who came to live with her and changed her life.

Red Warriors: Tushka Homma

History casts a long, bloody shadow. For Native women, violence is a devastating reality; murder rates are ten times the national average, making it the third leading cause of death for young women and girls. This brutal truth haunts the Chickamauga people, whose history includes a forgotten 1777 massacre near Nickajack where women and children were slaughtered. In 2024, the echoes of this past resurface as four Chickamauga women, the Tushka Homma (Red Warriors), find themselves linked by disturbing dreams of the massacre.

Their spiritual journey takes a dark turn when a Cheveyo (Spirit Warrior) calls upon them. This spirit is the restless soul of Pauline Adair Walker, a fellow tribal member murdered in 2017, another victim of the violence plaguing Native women. The Red Warriors must confront this legacy of violence, both past and present, to unmask Pauline’s killer and expose a truth buried for centuries.

The ancestors are watching. The Cheveyo has returned. Justice awaits.

Deception

Shapeshifters…

Blood Drinkers…

Demons…

The people of Shoyendo share an inhuman power. Survival and strength mean everything. Each moment of their lives is a test to prove themselves superior.

The people of Earth share an interest. Expansion and conquest are second nature. Each second is a competition to gain anything and everything within their grasp.

For untold millennia, demons and humans have crossed the boundary between their worlds, uncertain how to return. New cultures, new technologies, and new legends develop and spread: yet on Earth, legends are all that remain. Few humans remember Shoyendo’s existence, and they have taken charge of ensuring the rest of Earth remains ignorant.

But with knowledge comes opportunity.

Hands in the dark pull at the strings of fate, each moving for their own interests: demons blinded by pride, humans blinded by greed. Can there be peaceful coexistence, or will their differences prove too great?

Doketo: The 1960s Story of a Thoroughbred Racehorse

This story is about a thoroughbred racehorse named Doketo, who was owned and trained by the person telling the story. Doketo was a good racehorse, though not exceptional as he might have you believe. However, as the racetrack saying goes, he was better than an empty stall.

Life is like that. Friends and associates may not be exactly what you want, but in a very real sense, they can still be better than an empty stall. Doketo’s eventual owner learned this lesson as a 20-year-old boxer competing in the fiercely contested featherweight division of the 1954 Golden Gloves, where winners qualified for the Pan American Games.

The late veteran boxing judge Billy Oaths believed the young fighter had a strong chance of winning his division. His confidence came from the boxer’s previous bout, a stunning televised victory over a top-ranked U.S. featherweight in the opponent’s hometown just three months earlier. As the young boxer climbed the steps to the ring for his first Golden Gloves match before a large crowd, Billy called out, ‘C’mon, let’s get the ball rolling!’ The boxer, full of confidence, shouted back, ‘Don’t worry, Billy. This won’t last long.’

And it didn’t.

The referee stopped the fight in the first round, awarding a TKO win to the boxer’s opponent. While disappointed, Billy would likely have summed it up with the same racetrack wisdom: his boxer and Doketo were both better than an empty stall.

Black Swan Shock

Marla Case, an elite Olympic-bound athlete, finds her devotion to competition fading and chooses to step away. She considers becoming a medical responder and learns about the profession from a paramedic friend. Before committing to the rescue service, Marla accompanies her mother on an academic tour that ends abruptly when a massive earthquake strikes. The athlete reacts to save victims with her physical skills and newly acquired understanding of some emergency medical actions. She becomes a beacon of hope for the citizens of St. Louis, Missouri. However, personal tragedy affects Marla, as well, and she struggles to find catharsis herself. Black Swan Shock is the second book in Vettori’s Black Swan trilogy, although each of the three books can be read independently.

The first novel, Black Swan Impact, is a sci-fi political thriller that takes place in 2113. Having recovered from the devastation of World War III and reaching new scientific advancements, people believe only prosperity lies ahead until an emerging deadly pandemic threatens all of humanity. Dr. Syia (Sī-yuh) Case, National Institutes of Health Director of Epidemiology, is invited to advise US President Daniel Piper and the White House Crisis Action Team to try to mitigate the threat. Actions required to protect US citizens from the lethal virus become increasingly challenging. However, when Piper steers the country toward questionable courses, Dr. Case and the strident voices on the task force find there is more than a virulent virus to fight.

Black Swan Terror will round out the series.

Every Bad Thing

This dark and deeply moving novel from Shannon Gill Burnett follows the life of Danielle Smith, a woman from Green Bay, Wisconsin. From her childhood through her college years at Northwestern, to marriage, motherhood, and eventually a suicide attempt, Danielle's story is both heart-wrenching and raw.

After her attempt to take her life fails, Danielle is faced with a powerful revelation. Why should she be the one to go, when she has done nothing wrong? Her husband of twenty years announces he is leaving her to start a new life with his pregnant paralegal. Danielle, who gave up her career, her dreams, her figure, and her identity for her family, is left with nothing but questions.

Every Bad Thing explores what happens when a woman, hanging on by a thread, finally reaches her breaking point. What happens to any of us when we simply cannot hold on any longer?

The novel takes an unflinching look at revenge, mania, and the final act of desperation. It explores the complexity of human decisions, asking who is right, who is wrong, and what truly drives people to the edge.

Written with compassion and psychological insight, Every Bad Thing delves into the debate of nature versus nurture and the origins of our darkest choices. Through Danielle’s unraveling and her unexpected path of violence, the story brings her full circle to a place she never imagined she could reach.

Take a gripping and emotional journey with Danielle Smith. You may be terrified in one moment and cheering for her in the next. Discover the brutal beauty and haunting truth at the heart of Every Bad Thing.

Molly the Unusual Flamingo

Molly’s first day of school is anything but smooth. Art class makes her want to disappear, lunch feels like she is on a deserted island, and being a tiny flamingo with green spots has her wondering where she truly belongs.

But when Molly crosses paths with a creative sea turtle, a sweet-smelling skunk, and a wide-awake owl, her journey takes a fascinating turn. Each new friend has something special to share, but will their wisdom help Molly find where she fits in?

The Grody Gang of Mosswoods

Adventuring out on a rescue mission, Fiorello, a garden gnome, quickly finds himself in a few pile ups and in need of his own rescue. Coming face to face with a Grody Gang Troll of Mosswoods will certainly test your courage!

The two fairy sisters, Marigold and Sweetpea, did give warning of the monstrous creatures. Wanting to help, the pair set out to find Poppy, the other garden gnome, who was patiently standing by.

A few surprises await the reader, who will learn that something bad can turn into something good.

The Grody Gang of Mosswoods is an adventurous story and a sequel to The Garden of Calilily.

A Time to Dream

Where do you go when you dream? Do you let your imagination have fun while you drift off to sleep? Or do you lie in bed and wonder?

This is a fantastical story filled to the brim with adventure. So snuggle up and get ready, as the night is your canvas and your thoughts are the brush that can paint a magical dream.

In this bedtime story, you will be engaged as it sets the stage for peaceful thoughts and a happy ending to the day. It’s a sweet story to inspire joyful dreams and a restful sleep.