The Eye of Sicily

The year is 1895, and poverty is sweeping through Sicily, bringing a wave of la miseria to its people. Letters from America summon two Sicilian families to the shores of a distant land, but they soon discover that everything comes at a cost.

Time is running out for Giuseppe LoPinto, a victim of being in the wrong place at the wrong time. Out of options, his dire circumstances drive him to join the mass exodus of Sicilians from their beloved island. With a heavy heart, Giuseppe accepts an invitation to America. He embarks on an arduous journey, accompanied by his younger brother, Giacomo, to the bustling streets of Detroit.

A hundred miles away, on the eastern tip of Sicily, Vincenza Catalano blames a different letter from America for turning her life upside down. Forced to leave the scenic coastal city of Messina, she must put all her dreams for the future on hold. Aboard the steamship Giava, the Catalano family crosses paths with the LoPinto brothers from Termini Imerese. Vincenza, with her fiery spirit and determination, leaves a lasting impression on the younger brother, Giacomo. Defying her family’s wishes, she challenges the cultural limitations placed on women and confides her deepest secrets to him.

Arriving in Detroit during the dark era of the late nineteenth century, the Catalano and LoPinto families face ethnic prejudices, language barriers, and extortion threats from the notorious Black Hand. The bond between Giacomo and Vincenza grows stronger as they strive to find a sense of self in their new homeland, battling the perils of a dangerous time period. Inspired by true historical events, the young Sicilians soon realize that the luster of the American Dream is fading. Will they ultimately risk everything to achieve their dreams?

Shugart: The Candy-Eating Dragon

Too much candy

Won’t be fun,

And the holiday season

Has just begun.

‘What to do with the excess?’

Grown-ups might ask.

This book has the answer:

(hint): A dragon’s up to the task!

“‘Twas the night before Halloween and all through the house,

a creature was stirring, but it wasn’t a mouse…”

The Way It Ought to Be

The Way It Ought to Be is based on the idea that life does not always happen the way we want it to and that the only things that are important are the relationships we experience along the way – those we can’t get away from, those we want but can’t have, and the one we hold with ourselves.

Winifred Simone is in love with the life she had as a young girl and with the people from that life: her lone, childhood friend, Casey, and her ever-present mother, Maggie. Winifred and Casey spend their days in the small, rural town of Hickory in 1940s Pennsylvania; free to roam the nearby woods and isolating themselves from the rest of the world. But what seems idyllic to Winifred was anything but for Casey, a boy who always felt unloved and unlovable, despite Winifred’s boundless adoration.

Neither one could perceive the events that take away their innocent outlook and, without a word, Casey leaves Hickory, shattering their bond. This propels Winifred on a six-year search to find her friend and love far beyond the comfort of her hometown. As the story moves from the canopied safety of the Pennsylvania woods to the exposed rawness of the California desert, Winifred continually relies on the wrong people in an attempt to find the life she is convinced she is supposed to have.

That is, until she meets two very different families, the Hixsons and the Quinns. With their help, she learns to accept and be grateful for the life she is actually living.

Prince Mizar

Long ago, in the country of Romania, there lived a Count and a Countess who couldn’t have any children. However, when their son, Prince Mizael, was born, they were overjoyed. But their happiness was short-lived when their son gets cursed by an evil vampire count and was taken to be raised in his castle.

When the distraught parents discovered that their son was missing, they sent out search parties to find him. When these efforts failed, it fell to a brave young girl named Mina Westerna to take up the quest. Entering a forbidden wood, Mina hears a hauntingly beautiful singing voice and follows it, only to find that it belongs to a man named Mizar. The two quickly grow close and fall in love.

But Mina soon uncovers a shocking truth: Mizar is actually the missing Prince Mizael. As she and her friends Gabriel, Harker, and Abraham prepare to face three powerful vampires to rescue him, Mina realizes the stakes are higher than ever. Can Mina save Prince Mizael before it’s too late?

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!

Drinks with God

Drinks With God is what you might get if you blended the wit of George Carlin, the satire of Jonathan Swift, and the quirky imagination of Kurt Vonnegut. In this irreverent and humorous narrative, the Supreme Being himself confesses to being a celestial klutz, making cosmic blunders from the dawn of time to the present day. From accidentally creating an upright squirrel in a jockstrap in his attempt to make the first human, to sending a swarm of hummingbirds instead of locusts to plague the Egyptians, this God is far from the omnipotent figure we know from the Bible.

Within the pages of Drinks With God, the reader is treated to an unconventional take on familiar biblical figures. From his ‘weirdo’ son Jesus, the amorous Holy Ghost, and the entrepreneurial Noah, to the not-so-virginal Virgin Mary, a sassy Judas Iscariot, and a chef Satan who has a flair for spicy cuisine – these characters are reimagined in a way you’ve never seen before. And where does God divulge these surprising insights? Not in a heavenly realm, but in the more earthly locales of New York City’s bars, coffee houses, and parks, revealing a deity who enjoys a good drink.

Reading Drinks With God might not sway your religious beliefs, but it’s guaranteed to leave you in stitches. Prepare for a hilarious, blasphemous, and utterly unique exploration of divinity like no other.

“Drinks With God has reopened my eyes to the truth that humor, maybe even blasphemous humor, is the only way to make sense of this distracted, click-happy, self-infatuated world.”
– Cornelius Walters, author of Fairy Snow.

“OMG! Millman’s latest book is divine – a heaven-sent blessing for atheists, unbelievers, heretics, and anyone who still has a fully-functioning funny bone.”
– Gary Allen, author of Galloping Gourmand.

“A round of hilarious irreverence from a unique writer!”
– Jim Christy, author of The Rough Road to the North and Scalawags.

Bounty of Beauty

The Bounty of Beauty explores the societal differences between the families of Mackuel, the cattle keeper, and Maluaac, the fisherman. When their sons, Nguac and Nguoi, both fell in love with an elegant Atuot girl, each proposing to marry her, a rare traditional marriage competition sparked a fierce rivalry and divided the community in two. Mackuel’s family, with their staggering wealth in cattle, won the race by arranging to marry a daughter from their rivals, Maluaac’s family.

Beyond his large family of 17 sons and daughters, Mackuel’s immense wealth in cattle was a symbol of great influence and fame. He arrogantly proclaimed that no one in the community had the power to challenge his son Nguac in marriage. Stubbornly, he declared, ‘A hatchling is no match for a calf,’ comparing himself to a calf and Maluaac to a hatchling. By this, Mackuel meant that fishermen held no social, economic, or political standing to win a marriage competition within the Atuot community or beyond.

Unfortunately, Mackuel’s extreme remarks became public, generating negative sentiment toward his family. Fearing the damage these sentiments might cause, Mackuel’s wife grew anxious and believed something must be done to change the public’s perception. She called a meeting with elders and her family members, proposing an extravagant dowry of 250 cows to be paid to Maluaac’s family for their daughter, Monica Ichut. She presented this as a way of retracting her husband’s harsh words during the intense competition between their sons, Nguac and Nguoi.

The elders from both families agreed to the marriage of Maluaac’s daughter Monica Ichut, and soon the community, once divided, witnessed a vibrant traditional wedding celebration.

My Grandpa

With meticulous detail, the author paints a vivid portrait of an intellectual family grappling with the complexities of modernization, globalization, and the clash of ideologies. As the narrative unfolds, you are invited to ponder the universal truths about family, education, life, and death, that transcend time and borders. You can also see the influence of Western culture, especially the U.S. culture in China during the early 21st century, while gaining insights into China’s miraculous rise and the forces that shape its destiny.

What did the heart and mind of an ordinary CCP member, a physics teacher, look like? How would a political dissident growing up in his family think of the government? What did Shanghai look like in the late 1990s and early 2000s, and how was it different from Shanghai in the 1930s? Why did the country embracing globalization and democracy collapse back to autocracy and totalitarianism in less than fifteen years, under Xi Jinping’s rule?

You can also witness the transformation of China from the 1920s to the early 21st century, as is seen through the lens of a CCP member’s experiences, as well as a political dissident’s narratives. Prepare to be swept away on an unforgettable voyage of discovery, as you uncover the hidden truths that lie at the intersection of family, culture, and history.

The Way of Undoing

The Way of Undoing: Capitalism, Trauma, and the Return of Wonder is an intimate personal exploration of possibility and discovery through stories and adventures great and small.

The author’s search for reconciliation with a war-traumatised father traces the origins of transgenerational trauma from capitalist roots to today’s internet, where data, information, and misinformation streams have taken the place of dialogue and storytelling. Climate change and pandemics have thrust Western culture upon an emotionally stuck world and challenge the collective human story that we, and the author, are writing as we live.

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.

The Sea of Stars Beneath Our Eyes

Beneath a sea of stars, a journey of love and heartbreak unfolds. This is a story of finding oneself amidst life’s challenges, where a path of flowers and thorns leads to self-discovery. These pages give voice to the unspoken feelings that battle within, revealing the beauty in every emotion. And through the healing scars, a path home finally emerges.

“At its birth and to its fall, we are all connected to each of them.” She pointed at the sky. “Do you know… we could find them in our eyes when they’re lost?” She paused and smiled. “For they are us and we are them.” She tilted her to the side.

The stars.

Suddenly, the whole sky breathed above her eyes. They sang and danced gracefully that it stole his breath away.

So ethereal.

They were as if—
A whole universe
Eagerly waiting with open arms
To welcome who she is becoming.