Call of the Raven

This true story takes readers on an unforgettable journey into the untouched wilderness of southern Prince of Wales Island in Southeast Alaska – a land of breathtaking beauty, where towering mountains meet the vast expanse of the North Pacific Ocean.

It offers a rare glimpse into Haida culture and the experiences of a young white couple from the Midwest as they navigate life in a Native American community. Arriving in Hydaburg as teachers, they soon realize that they are the ones being taught.

Through their experiences, they learn profound lessons – patience, the value of listening over speaking, what it truly means to be a minority, and how to let the word honkey roll off their backs like the ever-present rain. Most importantly, they come to understand the power of accepting people for who they are, rather than who we expect them to be.

You are invited to share in the trials and tribulations that changed their lives forever.

After the Flames Have Cooled

This magnificent novel is a fiction filled with passion, thrills, and adventures, and it includes a flair of religious beliefs—beliefs that demonstrate strong characteristics in the characters.

After over fifty-seven years of composition (intense meditation and creativity), the author brings to life a well-developed Beasley family saga (six generations) that relied on hard work, courage, dreams, and God to give them strength to escape impoverishment, deadly romances, triumphs, and tribulations. Female matrons paved the way as traditions molded passionate hearts. High expectations to rise above poverty with rewards (happiness and wealth) were driven via romance, strong family connectivity, and education. As they embarked upon new territory—internal and external to the Mississippi Delta—they survived floods and economic downfalls, wars and societal upheavals, untimely deaths, and heartfelt relationships resulting in pleasure and deep conflicts—even murder. The author was born in such an environment where only the strongest survived!

So be it as it was—mysteries unfold like unto “diamonds in the rough”—in this fictional publication. An in-depth creation of characters & events gives life to individuals trapped in an era of American history via which they are freed as readers are enlightened & entertained. A vivid imagination allows readers to peek into a “bittersweet,” mysterious realm where secrets are told—spreading like wildfire among tall cotton and catfish ponds.

An “Unclaimed Race” of people (Mulattos) created during slavery—survives enduring journeys in spite of many evils, triumphs, and tribulations. Before burials in soil from whence they’d risen (disappearing like unto dust whirling across a broad delta plain), four of life’s secrets to happiness became their golden treasures: (1) Eros Love; (2) Storge Love; (3) Philia Love; and (4) Agape Love—in “After The Flames Have Cooled.”

Isaiah Travels to the Great Water

The westward movement of Americans during the formation of the nation was one of adventure, great hardship, and ultimately, conflict with the native peoples who occupied the land.

Opportunity was the fuel that drove the westward migration. It began with the opportunity to farm the land, which had much fertile soil. At the same time the land was being harnessed for agricultural production, it was also being explored by trappers who harvested the abundance of animal life to feed a growing demand for fur products.

The westward expansion was populated mainly by people of European descent whose culture differed greatly from those of the native peoples, ultimately resulting in conflict.

The westward migration took many lives. The hardships were real, the dangers ever-present, and the necessity of self-sufficiency was a stark reality. There were no roads, only animal trails, and most travel was by foot.

This narrative opens a descriptive window onto the hardships of those travels.

Stories, Poems, and Secrets Beneath the Waterfall

Some call the Army Residence Community an “old soldiers’ home on steroids.” It is an unusual residence for veterans, spouses, and civil servants, some arriving here before they can draw social security. Most residents are active, referring to themselves as “inmates” (those who live in the Highrise) or “street people” (those living in Legacy cottages, or Lakeside homes). For the most part, they willingly revealed their secrets as did Count Rostov, “The Gentleman in Moscow,” living in The Metropol. Resident writers may have altered names and embellished some stories, creating a mixture of fact and fiction, but in truth ‘life is how we tell it.’ This is not a daily diary of events at a retirement home, as penned by Hendrik Groen in The Secret Diary of Hendrik Groen. Groen spoke of “weak tea and potted geraniums, exasperated by the indignities of aging…” and did not inspire this collection of stories.

These are stories of people who lived a life of service. There are more stories to be told by retirees and centenarians living among us, waiting to be discovered if only we listen.

Highway to Holiness

For God and country, after trying holiness in the seminary, I enlisted in the Navy. There, I protected others and my country while serving God. I discovered that both serving God in the seminary and serving my country in the military could lead me to heaven after my life here on earth. Both taught me about loyalty, courage, discipline, and putting the needs of others before oneself. At my old age, nothing stops me from finding my destiny with my Lord Jesus Christ as long as I follow my Highway to Holiness.

Season of Need

Some stories spring from pure imagination, mere reflections of an author’s perception of reality. Others, like this one, are forged in the mud and misery of actual conflict. In the decaying jungles and fetid rice paddies of South Vietnam, a diverse band of soldiers and civilians endures a harrowing year of combat that will continue to haunt them for more than three decades. Their season of need reveals not only the horror of war, but also the possibility of finding solace and purpose in the most unlikely of places.

In 1970, Captain Book arrives in Ba Xuyen Province of the Mekong Delta, supremely confident in his mission to help bring the Vietnam War to a swift conclusion. There, he meets his Vietnamese counterpart, Captain Nguyen Van Tranh, and a bond forms between them as they work side by side to restore public confidence in the South Vietnamese government. Surrounded by a unique cast of allies, they confront violence, heartbreak, and moments of profound humanity that lay bare the fragile fabric of human relationships. In the crucible of combat, their friendship becomes a testament to selflessness and sacrifice. Even in the darkest moments, solidarity and hope can rise from the ashes of war.

The Runaways

The Runaways is a humorous, philosophical, pre-apocalyptic tale told from the perspective of Jolson H. Kawasaki, a thirteen-year-old, West Virginian visionary from a broken home who longs for a life away from ‘the abhorrent horrors engendered by polite society.’

 Abandoned by his father, haunted by his mother's grief, and seething with his unquenchable desire for their mechanic's daughter, Addison Dixie, Jolson must confront his leviathan troubles as he plans to escape a life of poverty to lead an expedition west with his disciples, out of ‘The Gray World’ and into ‘a Paradise of Green.’

Is he a prophet? Is he delusional? Does Addison feel the same kind of crazy? What starts as a simple effort to evade responsibility turns into the inheritance of it all as Jolson – guided by fate and depended upon by many – contends with himself, the natural world, and his diabolical opposite on his unforgettable journey toward becoming a man – and perhaps something greater.

The Tribrid War

In a world on the edge of collapse, Vampires, Werewolves, and Humans stand poised for war. The fragile balance between the three races is crumbling, and the fate of all hangs in the balance.

As tensions rise and betrayals run deep, Werewolf Princess Ravenna Demarco must cross a battlefield of bloodshed and chaos in search of her destined mate.

Can love survive in a world driven by fear, vengeance, and war? Or will the Tribrid War destroy everything in its path, including the bond Ravenna is fighting to protect?

The Tribrid War is a gripping tale of forbidden love, fierce loyalty, and the desperate struggle for peace in a divided world. Prepare to be swept into a heart-racing adventure that will keep you breathless to the very last page.

El Paraiso Todavia es Posible

El Paraíso Todavía Es Posible narra la desgarradora experiencia de Mariali Cercado, secuestrada al final de una función de cine en Bogotá por un grupo de peligrosos delincuentes. Mientras lucha por recuperar su libertad, Mariali debe enfrentarse a los demonios de su pasado, al acoso de su captor y a un futuro lleno de sombras y vacíos.

Este relato va más allá del secuestro y sus atroces consecuencias; es una profunda reflexión sobre el poder del caos y el orden, un retrato íntimo de seres humanos atrapados en una compleja red de emociones y decisiones. A medida que la trama profundiza en la psique de sus protagonistas, atestiguamos sus temores y vulnerabilidades, cada uno con sus deudas y enredos, mientras intentan trascender hacia la justicia, la esperanza y la libertad mediante sigilosas estrategias.

Con un final inesperado y revelador, El Paraíso Todavía Es Posible desafía nuestras concepciones sobre el castigo y el perdón. ¿Podremos descubrir, aun bajo el sufrimiento más extremo, si la transformación y la redención siguen siendo posibles a pesar de nosotros mismos?

Nature, History, and the Fish Paradise of Anatolia – Türkiye

12,000 years ago, people living in the southeastern region of Türkiye developed a building system that was the first of its kind in the world. Today, scientists have made great efforts to make sense of this structure and the reliefs drawn on the stones that make up the structure. This is the Göbeklitepe archaeological site located within the borders of Şanlıurfa. The history known in the world is being rewritten with Göbeklitepe. Would you like to witness this historical event? This book offers you this suggestion.

I have compiled information about what happened in the mysterious geography where history began. I wanted to share my own feelings and thoughts. I wanted the readers to witness a moment in the common march of humanity by touching their hearts and souls.

Türkiye’s southeastern geographical region corresponds to the northern region of Mesopotamia, known in history. The Euphrates and Tigris rivers that make up the geography of Mesopotamia are rivers of Anatolian origin, and in this book, I have tried to tell you about the Euphrates River and the fish that inhabit it, as well as the historical and cultural assets created by the Euphrates.

To put it in the language of philosophy, which flourishes and develops in Anatolia, my primary goal is to invite people to friendship and brotherhood. And I say come, see, and feel what you are experiencing.

Would you like to fish for the god fish Enki from Sumerian mythology and the sacred Shabut fish from Hebrew mythology? Then I would like to invite you to my country.

Western Democracy: The First Mover Disadvantage

What happens when yesterday’s winning formula becomes today’s liability?

In this bold and thought-provoking book, Western Democracy: The First Mover Disadvantage, the triumphs of Western democracies are reexamined as the seeds of their current struggles. Once hailed as the pinnacle of governance, freedom, and prosperity, the West now faces mounting challenges: unsustainable welfare states, deindustrialization, entrenched interest groups, and a paralyzing inability to adapt to shifting global dynamics.

Meanwhile, China has risen as a global powerhouse by learning from—and improving upon—the West’s model. By blending state-led planning with market innovation, China has avoided the pitfalls of short-termism and systemic inertia. Its unparalleled adaptability and strategic foresight have propelled it to the forefront of technology, infrastructure, and economic development.

But this isn’t just a story about decline or rivalry. It’s a call to action. The book argues that for Western democracies to remain relevant, they must rediscover the innovative spirit and pragmatism that once defined their success. It also challenges long-held assumptions about U.S.–China relations, proposing a future of collaboration over confrontation in addressing global challenges like climate change, artificial intelligence, and economic inequality.

Compelling, provocative, and deeply insightful, Western Democracy: The First Mover Disadvantage will change how you think about the past, present, and future of global power. Will the West cling to its outdated playbook or dare to weave a new path forward? The answer may shape the 21st century.

The Mind Boggling Discovery of a Difference

In this little book, I hope to shed a little light on the shadowy subject of, having a relationship with someone with Asperger’s Syndrome. I won’t advise anyone, warn anyone, or provide any contingency plans. My life with Rosa was fascinating. She dragged me kicking and screaming out of my past and into my present. I had issues before meeting her and she allowed me to work some of them out.

Discovering Rosa was also a magical journey of self-discovery. It has been a privilege to know her and if I found the relationship difficult, it was because of us both. We both loved and we both wanted. And we both benefitted and suffered. I believe that any relationship with a lover, is a case of, ‘it takes two to tango.’ We grow and learn if we are wise. As a couple, we have run our race. Now we are friends and Bem’s mums. I am still me and Rosa is still she, but after five years of separation, she is still by my side and I am still learning to be with her.