Unforced Errors: 15 Bad Decisions That Changed American History

Americans often use terms such as “To err is human,” or “nobody’s perfect,” or “we all make mistakes.” Of course, this is true, as it is for all of America’s leaders through the years.

This book is about decisions made in politics or public policy that may be considered unwise; bad decisions that had unintended negative consequences for the decision-maker. This will not include personal decisions like deciding who to marry or whether to get divorced but rather to look at those political and policy decisions that can be considered, at the very least, unwise. Similarly, Kennedy’s decision to visit Dallas in November 1963 led to his death but doesn’t really qualify as a decision of real political or policy calculation. Lincoln going to Ford’s theatre would be in that same category.

Instead, Unforced Errors lists 15 political calculations made by political figures, often at the pinnacle of their own success, which changed American history.

Concrete Flower

This memoir recounts a childhood marked by maternal abandonment, a mentally ill father’s emotional torment, and an alcoholic stepfather’s physical abuse. Left to raise younger siblings with scarce resources or adult guidance, the author navigated profound neglect. Despite these circumstances, relentless determination led to financial independence and homeownership by her early twenties, establishing a foundation built against difficult odds.

Yet, hardships persisted through challenging romantic and family relationships, resulting in several crises throughout her life. Faith and self-belief provided the strength to endure, even when faced with losing her home to her mother and an attempted physical attack by her father.

This account details a journey toward forgiveness, breaking cycles of abuse, and finding positivity, resilience, and love, embodying the author’s description of herself as a ‘concrete flower,’ finding light amidst difficult ground.

Path of the Guardian: Awakening

Fate calls. Mysteries awaken. Darkness rises.

Liam lived a simple life in the quiet village of Lindor, but everything changed on the day of the ceremony. His name was chosen and he is now the new Keeper. Fate takes him to the mysterious city of Ecarella, where the past is disguised as a mystery and the future is bound by ancient prophecies.

But the further he goes, the more questions arise. Who is he really? Why do his memories feel erased? What do the elders hide, trying to keep him from seeking truth?

In a world where magic is interwoven with shadows and friends can be pillars, Liam must find answers. But is he ready for what he will discover?

When darkness comes, only light inside can make way.

The Collegium Conspiracy

A U.S. congressman is found savagely murdered—his body bound to a navigational buoy just off the rocky coast of a quiet Maine town. The message is chilling. The motive? Unknown.

In response, the President assembles a covert task force led by former FBI agent Nick Taglio and his life partner, ex-CIA officer Francesca “Frankie” Paterson. Having walked away from high-stakes intelligence work for a quieter life in Boston, Nick and Frankie are pulled back into the shadows by a crime too dangerous to ignore.

What begins as a murder investigation soon unravels into a global conspiracy. The clues point to Collegium—a modern-day criminal syndicate modeled after an ancient Roman cabal. Their objective: hijack control of the global cryptocurrency market and destabilize the U.S. dollar, threatening the entire world economy.

Armed with cutting-edge AI and off-the-books tactics, Nick and Frankie race against time on a high-stakes mission from coastal Maine to Boston, New York, London, and Washington—until the trail leads them to the unlikeliest of doorsteps: a rival superpower.

Fast-paced and fiercely intelligent, The Collegium Conspiracy is a gripping thriller that fuses history, technology, and political intrigue into a chillingly plausible global threat.

Sharing Footprints

It is Christmas Eve, and this is Molly’s fifth Christmas. She does not remember all her Christmases, but she knows this one will be special. This year, Molly is old enough to walk home with her sisters, Marie, and Patty. Molly is attending her favorite holiday party with all her family at her Aunt Ella and Uncle Tim’s house. Her home is only three streets away, but there are a lot of houses to walk past, and the snow keeps piling up. It has been snowing all day and as she gets ready to leave, it starts to snow harder. Molly relies on her sisters, especially their footprints, to get home. One step after another, she follows their footprints in the snow, making it easier to get home. Once she is home, she has her chores to do, and then she can wait for Santa to arrive. This will be the best Christmas ever!

The Man Called Death

“And I looked, and behold a pale horse: and his name that sat on him was Death, and Hell followed with him.” (Revelations 6:8, KJV).

Matthew Lloyd Garrison returns in the much-anticipated second instalment of the Legend of the Pale Rider trilogy. Leaving death and destruction in his wake, Garrison flees south, deeper into Texas. Hot on his trail is the one man who may be able to match him: his brother, Joshua Wayne Garrison.

Garrison presses on, determined to outrun his brother and leave his past behind him. But Joshua won’t give up and the past won’t die. Matthew’s headlong flight is soon interrupted as he finds himself embroiled in a bitter land dispute between the greedy Bryce Tillman and the beautiful Abigail Williams. Despite his best intentions, Garrison finds himself falling for this woman, from whom he hides a dark secret. Tragedy looms and before all is said and done, Garrison will be one step closer to becoming a legend: The Man Called Death.

The Adventures of Lucky and Bud: The Olympics

Join Lucky and Bud, two gifted young squirrel athletes, as they pursue their dream of participating in the Squirrel Olympics. Coached by Lucky’s grandpa, himself a former Olympic champion, they train every day before and after school for nearly a year to qualify for the big games, realizing that only by hard work and unwavering dedication to their goal will they succeed. They also know that there are no shortcuts to success, something they come to learn may not necessarily be shared by all their competitors. In fact, over time, they begin to wonder if some of the athletes are benefitting from an unfair advantage. So, drawing on their crime-solving skills practiced in The Adventures of Lucky and Bud: The Pursuit, the boys decide to investigate while continuing to prepare for and then participate in the Olympic games. What will they find? Are there cheaters in the Olympics? And in the end, can they stay focused to overcome these challenges and become Olympic champions?

Farewell to Ordinary

Say goodbye to Ordinary in John Gentry’s second volume of the ‘X-Legged Table’ series. Too bad if you missed Victims and Perpetrators. What is ordinary? Well, ordinarily it’s, well… on the wall, instead of off.

What could rouse your interest less than something titled, ‘Minutes of the Meeting’? Pretty ordinary, huh? It depends on the meeting, don’t you think? Or (in “Quick Change”), Man of Steel not quite ready for action! What? And one more, farewell-to-ordinary caper: “Intimate Moments,” extra-ordinary for the porno geeks. Read on.

The Web

If you think you’re too small to make a difference, you haven’t spent a night with a mosquito.

Mr Solomon had once heard this proverb, but to truly understand it, he had to hear something else: her buzzing.

The relentless sound of a mosquito's wings that mercilessly filled his nights.

Night after night, buzz after buzz, he found himself caught in an unusual battle. Forced to stay awake, he spent his nights chasing the unbearable, high-pitched whistles in the darkness.

She was determined to suck his blood. He refused to surrender.

She did not give up. He did not yield.

Until one night…

Shoes to Kill

Shoes to Kill is about the case of a media mogul found murdered at the home of one of the nation’s leading college basketball coaches during a nationally televised game. It plays on the State’s and South’s obsession with college sports, particularly basketball and football.The protagonist, Detective Hatchell Breeze, seeking retribution for a previously botched and forgotten case involving the university football team, enthusiastically takes on the investigation and an inevitable confrontation with the powerful players of the state university once again.This leads him to prostitution, illegal drugs, errant boosters, big business, university stonewalling, and the prominent men and women of college sports. As he tries to connect the two cases, he is reminded of his own bitter history with the university, forever embedded in his mind as his own life spins out of control.

Possibility Pig and the Roller Skates

Possibility’s birthday gift was a pair of skates

And he put them on with uncontrollable haste

But do you think pigs can skate like you and me?

Who knows? You will just have to wait and see

He skated into the bathroom and down the hall

Past the kitchen and into a wall

So his mom sent him outside to roller skate

Where he would find nothing to break

But was she right or was she wrong?

You can find out if you follow along

Little Bird Park

In this age of artificial intelligence and handheld devices, we can lose touch with the natural world, and yet nature is an essential source of quiet comfort, beauty, and serenity. We can easily fail to hear the charm of a bird’s song or the calmness of a babbling brook. Much can be said for seeking a gentler life. We need look no further than to nature. It is our home.

Connecting with nature can be as spontaneous and simple as a chance encounter with an inquisitive chickadee in a neighborhood park. In this short story, young readers may see themselves in Kevin as he discovers nature’s wonder and the way home.