Learning How to Let It Go in the Shadow of the Belvedere

Sometimes it becomes difficult for us to recognize the beauty of the forest in its full splendour and diverse grandeur, even though it has always been right in front of us. Our view becomes obscured by the thick, opaque tangle of branches. To overcome this universal challenge for us all, we need to be able to adopt a new perspective. This can come from meeting new people and considering their point of view, or even by putting oneself in an entirely different time and place. In doing so, even the most stubborn and set-in-their ways can be jostled out of their slumber and comforting complacency.

The elements necessary for this process of self-transformation are already in our souls for those who allow them to surface, while for others who are more resistant, a more literal journey can be exactly what is required to shake us loose from our preconceived notions.

Kabaslot

Life for Allison Johnson, a young girl growing up in the heart of a thriving independent capital city, was good. Part of a well-to-do Krio family, she and her siblings had enjoyed the best of everything, and Allison was quick to share her life with their new adoptive sister, an orphan from the provinces.

Just as she starts to discover love with an unlikely suitor, tragedy strikes. The Republic is in crisis. As events spiral out of control, Allison’s life as she knows it is turned upside down. On the other side of a vicious civil war, she must give up everything she has known as home, to seek safety in the United States.

Navigating the turn of events and her new life as an immigrant, she finds strength and resilience she had only heard about in the stories of her ancestors.

She immerses herself in a quest for spiritual restoration until a sudden shift puts her at the center of a plot to bring the decayed Republic back from the brink. She’s intrigued by the opportunity but must contend with ghosts from a dark past.

Jason and Catalina

Once a successful fiction writer, Jason Morrison finds himself in a creative rut, disillusioned with his fast-paced life in Los Angeles. Seeking inspiration, he retreats to a solitary existence amongst the ponderosa pines of northern Arizona. But his quiet new life in Flagstaff soon takes an unexpected turn.

Jason’s breathtaking mountain home affords spectacular views, yet he finds himself drawn to the beautiful neighbor next door, a young woman named Catalina. As romance blossoms between Jason and Catalina, she introduces him to a new spiritual path that gives his life a sense of mission.

Just as Jason is rediscovering his creative passion, his newfound faith faces a grave threat. An ominous danger encroaches on Jason and Catalina, intent on preventing their message from reaching the wider world.

In this tense battle between good and evil, Jason must fight to protect his new community, his rediscovered creativity, and his burgeoning love. Will he and Catalina prevail? Or will sinister forces extinguish their light? As their commitment is put to the test, they discover the transformative power of love and faith.

Glendale County

In Glendale County, enter a close-knit world populated by lovable misfits, united by the irresistible currency of local gossip and the unique geography that binds them. The residents of Glendale County are experts at both pranks and shenanigans, but they also prove that the true glue of any community is more than just sharing juicy tidbits; it’s about knowing how to wield them.

Forever Our Sunrise in Saigon

With echoes of Tom Clancy and Jack Higgins, Forever Our Sunrise in Saigon is Patrick Greenwood’s first book in a new series about romance, love, and passion against the backdrop of the Post- Vietnam War. Forever Our Sunrise in Saigon is a romance novel about Jack Kendall and Linh Ng. After connecting online, Jack sets out on a cycling tour of Vietnam to meet Linh while keeping his intentions hidden. They both choose to leave their current relationships and share an unforgettable romance.

But like all good things, their time together is limited, and the sunrise in Saigon symbolizes their love that lasts a lifetime. Intrigued by the country of Vietnam since 11, Jack Kendall long remembered the fall of Saigon in 1975 and its painful aftermath.

After years of chatting online, Jack desires to follow his heart to meet Linh in person. Linh, wanting to feel Jack’s love, wanted nothing more than to be held by him. Trapped in a loveless marriage, Linh agrees to meet Jack in Saigon.

They both know they have found something special when they set eyes on each other. Despite their obstacles, they leap a faith and give their love a chance, even if it means giving up their current relationships. Experience the passion and romance that ignites between Jack and Linh as they explore Vietnam and each other.

Follow their journey as they discover the true meaning of love and the courage it takes to pursue it. But like all good things, their time together is not forever. The sunrise in Saigon that brought them together becomes the emotional connection between them for the rest of their lives.

Don't Look Back

Trouble isn’t something the art ladies set out looking for, but sometimes it finds them anyway. Life happens and this merry band of artists from the small town of Calhoun, including Stubby who is the former governor of Texas, face problems and misfortunes head-on.

The daughter-in-law of one of the women deserts her family for reasons unknown in the beginning. This leaves art lady Shannon and the others in the group to pick up the pieces and help her eight-year-old twin grandchildren get on with life. The women are so committed to restoring happiness to these broken hearts that they participate in a mother-child softball game. Competing against mothers half their age, along with trying to corral a mischievous group of third graders, involves heart-warming and hilarious situations all at the same time. While this is going on, find out what Stubby, owner of the two-cow ranch, does to upset the apple cart by surprising the women and others in the community with a totally new endeavor that comes completely out of left field. Meanwhile, the missing daughter-in-law spins her own web of confusion and mystery that ties together the insecurities and formerly dead-end life of Lila, the homeless young mother introduced in It’s a New Day.

The attitudes of forgiveness, understanding, humor, and second chances are all brought to life in Don’t Look Back. Members of the art group make choices on how to live life as they embark on the vacation of a lifetime and the issues they leave behind. These women will make you laugh, cry, and, more than anything, cause you to search yourself for what values you deem most important.

Conflicting Emotions

Plagued by illness and haunted by the loss of her children, Olivia is driven by a fierce determination to heal. She suspects her ailments are tied to the heartache of her estrangement and sets out on a quest for wellness. As she grapples with her own health and remorse, she takes up residence in a modest apartment near a hospital, where she meets Jolene, a sometimes friend, sometimes burden, battling her own demons with alcohol.

As Olivia confronts her guilt, she also finds herself entangled in Jolene’s turbulent life, compelled to offer aid. Resolute in shedding the weight of her past sorrows and mending broken bridges, Olivia embarks on a poignant journey through the tapestry of her family’s history, her marriage, and the myriad ways she has sought love.

With each memory turned over, Olivia seeks answers and redemption. Can uncovering the roots of her estrangement also lead to her recovery, both bodily and of the bonds with her children?

Britain's First Black Headmaster of a Secondary School in Action

This is the ‘real life’ story of Britain’s first Black Headmaster of a large secondary school. In 1982 when the news first broke, all of Yorkshire where it happened, indeed, all the United Kingdom and beyond came alive with the media frenzy which attended the historical occasion. This was no fluke since that feat was repeated four years later by the same person, this time in the Midlands at one of Birmingham’s largest comprehensive schools.

Once the media frenzy, the seemingly glamour of his achievements, was over, Duncan, the Headmaster in question, had to face the reality of managing and leading the schools which he successively headed. These were not places of friendship but more like hostile gauntlets of racism and sabotage which Duncan must navigate daily whilst equally hostile external eyes watched his every move threateningly and, at times, abusively.

Navigating these obstacles successfully soon became a prominent aspect of the job description of this Headteacher.

Beyond school life, his journey was no less hazardous. It was littered or peppered throughout with difficulties such as police stops and searches, high speed police chase on the motorways, legal battles, romantic and marital discords leading to police lock-up, beatings by in-laws and hospitalization on his wedding day for daring to marrying a Sikh girl. With this Sikh girl, Duncan would make the headlines again in the same year as becoming Britain’s first Headmaster of a secondary school. In the August of 1982, Duncan’s Sikh wife gave birth to the world’s first black test-tube twins which opened the way for a whole new dimension in Duncan’s world.

Altar Boy

In the chilly winter of 1981, Peter Brume, a budding 26-year-old reporter in Paris, finds his career abruptly halted due to budget cuts. This professional setback spirals him into a spiritual quandary, prompting him to delve deeper into the Catholic faith that has always perplexed him. As part of his exploration, he even commits to celibacy while interviewing priests and religious figures.

However, his journey takes an unexpected turn with the entrance of Evelyne, a captivating Parisian. She challenges Peter’s binary perception of women and ignites a passion within him. Seeking answers, Peter travels to Catholic Ireland, a land where divorce and abortion are taboo. From trailing a Jesuit up a mountain to enduring the austere rituals of Lough Derg, Peter’s journey is both enlightening and tumultuous. Along the way, he encounters priests whose intentions blur the lines between the sacred and the profane.

Torn between his spiritual calling and the allure of Evelyne, Peter’s quest culminates in Rome. There, amidst the sanctity of the Holy See and in the company of a priest, he faces a life-altering decision: to answer the divine call or to embrace the love that tugs at his heart.

After Words

Five friends embark on a cross-country train journey in America, unaware they are on the cusp of the COVID pandemic. Their voyage is marked by a captivating word game, where each draws a card corresponding to a letter and shares an experience inspired by an undisclosed word. The game, simple in its premise, becomes a gateway to unexpected memories and stories, evolving in real-time. As each friend takes their turn, readers are invited to guess the hidden word, immersing themselves in the narrative as if seated among the group.

This engaging game sets the stage for a tapestry of associations and reminiscences, pushing the boundaries of what can be spoken. The novel follows each character over three years, capturing their unique circumstances and experiences during the pandemic across various locales and moments. Readers get a new perspective through their lived challenges, joys, and dreams.

As the friends reunite for a second journey on a different route post-pandemic, the profound impacts of both the global event and the word game itself come to light. The narrative, divided into three parts, offers a looping portrayal of time: before, during, and after the pandemic.

Rich with atmospheric and lyrical passages, this novel invites its readers to delve into the intricate world of language, exploring the mysterious and transformative power of words.

A Time to Talk

Imagine being granted the extraordinary gift of one last conversation with a loved one, knowing it would be your final chance to connect. Would you use this precious time to pour out your heart, share stories of love and gratitude, and bid a proper farewell?

For most, such a divine opportunity would be treasured. But for Jolie, a middle-aged woman juggling the demands of her children, job, grieving father, and estranged sister, the conversation might take an unexpected turn. Why, for instance, did her mother choose to ignore the cancer ravaging her body, instead channeling her energy into hosting dance challenges from her hospital bed and teaching her grandchildren the joys of skinny dipping?

Since her mother’s passing, Jolie has been consumed by grief and regret, finding even the simplest tasks overwhelming. Despite knowing that hiding under the covers and napping won’t solve anything, she feels too drained to seek alternatives. As she contemplates the tempting escape of running away – a choice that hardly seems fitting for a woman nearing fifty – Jolie receives an extraordinary gift: one final conversation with her mother. With so much left unsaid, where does one begin when faced with this singular chance?

It isn’t until Jolie faces a heart-wrenching accident involving her own daughter that she finds her answer. You begin by acknowledging the importance of family, and the power of forgiveness and letting go.

Woven with wisdom, humor, and a touch of magic, A Time to Talk is an uplifting story that explores the unbreakable bonds of family, the profound impact of a mother’s love, and the ability to find light even in the darkest of times.

A Night in Monterrey

Young, naïve Jeananne Cameron is swept into a fantastic new life among Texas oil barons and their Hispanic staff of maids, cooks, bodyguards, and chauffeurs. Her fortunes spiral upward when she marries Geoff Wilkins, handsome playboy and heir to the family’s oil-patch business and wealth.

But nothing about this world is as it appears.

The charming Geoff Wilkins is a gambler and a cheat. The family patriarch is leading a double life. And, among the Hispanics are secrets that cause surprise and shock on both sides of the US/Mexico border.

In Monterrey the tensions caused by greed, hidden love, loyalty, lies, and ambition collide to create a story of adventure and romance.