Ollie Gets Lost in Manhattan

Ollie, the little pot-bellied pig with a heart on his nose, so enjoys being a part of six-year-old Suzie Jones’ family. Little Ollie lives with the Jones family in a high-rise Manhattan apartment. He is happy and New York City is an exciting place to be, until something frightening happens, which causes Ollie to be alone and lost in vast, busy, and sometimes scary, New York City.

What was the terrible event that caused Ollie to be lost?

Will Ollie ever find his way home?

Will Suzie Jones ever find him in a city of more than eight million people?

Will Ollie be lost forever?

What happens to the sweet, little pot-bellied pig who is afraid, alone and lost in big New York City?

Omar's Artichoke

What possible good can come from a 16-inch square of dry dirt in a big grey city? It’s just concrete dust and city dirt surrounded by sidewalk.

What happened next when Grampa gave a rumpled bag with a wilted spiky plant to Omar took the five year old’s life in a new direction, sparking a new interest, a daily conversation. That 16-inch square garden became the center of his and his grampa’s life.

That summer they spent watching over the grey-green spiked artichoke plant in its impossibly improbable garden surrounded by sidewalk.

Who knew that almost magical changes could happen to that scrap of dirt and stringy plant with just a bit of help from a little boy and an elderly man.

On a Pilgrimage with Augustine’s Confessions

In his ground-breaking work The Confessions, Augustine of Hippo (AD 343-430), a prominent theologian and philosopher of early Christianity, paved the way for self-disclosure and the art of writing one’s life story. In On a Pilgrimage with Augustine’s Confessions, Dr. Blom delves into Augustine’s role as both protagonist and reflective narrator, portraying him as Christianity’s original existential hero.

Blom draws parallels between Augustine’s journey and that of the wanton prodigal son, viewing Augustine’s address to God as the voice of an ‘everyday man’ struggling to find his way home – a spiritual homecoming. By masterfully weaving together Jungian archetypal psychology, mythology, biblical interpretations, and autobiography, Blom invites the reader to embark on a captivating journey that bridges the gap between Augustine’s musings and meditations from the fifth century and the present day.

On a Pilgrimage with Augustine’s Confessions offers a fresh perspective on a timeless classic, making it an essential read for anyone seeking to explore the depths of the human soul and the enduring relevance of Augustine’s wisdom.

On Call At the John

On a humid southern night in a busy inner-city hospital, an inexperienced white male intern and a strong black nurse with years of experience are faced with the daunting task of changing a little girl's life. Estelle's laceration is just the tip of the iceberg, leading to the discovery of the worst wounds she's ever endured. As they delve deeper, the intern, May, quickly learns that abuse of all kinds is a daily occurrence in the inner city, perpetrated by both ordinary people and community leaders. Poverty, addiction, racism, and lost hope have created a breeding ground for unimaginable suffering.

Little did May know that this journey would lead him to confront history and look into the eyes of the killer of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. As he grapples with this revelation, May realizes that his own transformation is just as crucial as Estelle's recovery.

On the Road to Exile and Other Short Stories

This book contains seven of the most unusual short stories ever written.

In On the Road to Exile, a woman travels a thousand miles on her donkey, returning to the family she left a year earlier to find the only thing that has changed is her.

In The Accidental Transvestite, a man wants only to get in his ex-girlfriend’s pants but once he has them on, he soon realizes he would do anything to get them off.

In How Much Further to Insanity?, a woman boards a train that takes her to the edge of madness, confronted by the strangest circumstances that begin with the insults of an Amish passenger and ends with the deprivations of a simeopath.

In She Fell to Sleep, a man ruminates over the question of whether his girlfriend fell asleep or faked it.

In Six Kittens, Six Victims, a man and his two children stand outside a grocery store, trying to find homes for their kittens.

In This is Your Life, a man’s perfect life turns complicated when his girlfriend finds him sharing a joint with two fatties, who were at his house due to unexplainable reasons.

In Ode to a Shitonion, a man wakes from a coma and recalls the circumstances that led to him being charged with “...exhibiting a flagrant disregard for the sanctity of life while satisfying unnatural sexual impulses...” and the brief courtroom drama that follows.

One Heart

Vivian believed she had found love with Donovan, her partner with whom she renovated and shared a home, envisioning a future together. However, her dreams are shattered when Donovan abruptly ends their relationship. Refusing to drown in sorrow, Vivian sets out to find a new beginning and inadvertently stumbles upon a real estate office that would change her life forever.

There, she meets Andre, an irresistibly charming and strikingly handsome man who captures her attention like no one ever has. Andre is not just any real estate agent; he is one-half of the dynamic duo behind the popular home improvement show, House2Home. Just when Vivian thinks her luck couldn’t get any better, she encounters Sean, Andre’s equally captivating twin brother, adding an unexpected twist to her new venture.

To her astonishment, Vivian discovers she’s been selected to appear on their show. The twins are not only interested in transforming her living space but also, it seems, in winning her heart. As Vivian navigates this unexpected turn of events, she finds herself in a thrilling predicament: caught between two desires, each as alluring as the other.

Ooops!

Excited to own a brand-new pair of white sneakers, Turtle wondered if he should be careful with them. Will he able to run fast? Will he be able to jump high? Will his friends like them? Turtle just wants to test out and show his friends how special his new sneakers are!

Squirrel is busy climbing a tree, Rabbit is hopping around the carrot patch, Bee is buzzing through the garden, and Firefly is glowing his twinkling light.

Will Turtle get a chance to use his new sneakers? Will they be as good as he imagines them to be?

Opelika Opiate

“Opiate” – to induce sleep; to stupefy; to hijack the brain and change its normal function.

Opelika, Alabama – where cars, men, and race collide to unhinge the life of a young woman. Piecing it back together will require figuring out the role she played, and who she really is – or wants to be.  

Ordained to Die

They are coming! Run!

The governors now rule the territories, finalizing and strategizing as they have been preparing for eons against an immortal enemy. Panacia seeks to strengthen its power and makes deals. Janacia seeks peace and prepares in fear of what is to come. Yet, as hostility steadily grows between the powerful continents, the secret to saving it all might lie in the hands of one desert tribe-woman kidnapped from her home by the king in the mountains. Will she make it out alive?

Ordinary Kate

Kate, an ordinary woman, finds her world turned upside down when she becomes a widow and loses the comfortable life she’s always known. Suddenly, she’s faced with questions she never imagined: Did her husband have a second wife? Where did the money in his account come from? Is it hers? And who stole her identity?

As Kate searches for answers, she is befriended by a handsome US Customs Officer and an unorthodox neighbor. Her adventure takes unexpected twists and turns, leading her to a final choice that challenges her honor and integrity.

Orphan's Bond

Thirteen-year-old John Robert O’Neill, better known as Robbie, is a precocious young man with an old soul. Robbie, the younger of two brothers, delights in his special relationship with his grandfather, for whom he is named. Henry, seven years older than Robbie, is completely opposite in demeanor and manner from his younger brother.

The tension between Robbie and Henry is palpable when they first encounter each other in the hospital corridor, where they await news of their grandfather’s stroke.

Indeed, the untimely stroke and resulting loss of speech occur the night before Robbie was to come over after school to learn of a secret Grandpa had never shared with anyone in the family.

Grandpa’s struggle to communicate since the stroke leaves Robbie with few clues and harrowing choices. The puzzle pieces come together with unanticipated twists and turns. Robbie discovers a brother he never quite knew before. Grandpa learns to forgive himself and others. That which is genuinely to be treasured is revealed, not in its price, but its unbreakable bond.

Our Forgotten Cultures

In the 1980s, Sasi finds herself playing the role of involuntary trailblazer, as the first Nepali woman to immigrate to her small community in Eastern Canada.

There is no guidebook on how to navigate life, identity, and motherhood in this strange new place. Nor is she prepared for the triple whammy of racism, sexism, and ageism that confronts her as she seeks to gain a footing in the workplace and society.

Weaving together personal recollections with those of family members, Sasi takes the reader on a journey that is strikingly honest, emotional, and ultimately hopeful.