Smitten: Beneath the Layers of the Holy Land

Beneath the layers of politics, religion, and history lies a social life often overlooked. Amidst the ongoing Israeli-Palestinian conflict, people continue living their lives beneath the tumultuous surface.

Saba Salim finds herself living with the man she loves. However, the man she chose to be her husband and protector becomes her tormentor. The house she thought would be her sanctuary becomes her personal prison, where she endures physical abuse and constant verbal attacks.

Saba struggles to prove her abuse, facing interrogation by various men. Ultimately, she stands alone, presenting her case to the deciding elders of East Jerusalem.

The walls of Jerusalem feel suffocating, but they expand little by little as Saba gains her freedom. A feminist without realizing it, Saba discovers her strength and identity, breaking free from the chains of her oppressor and becoming her own person.

Slow Dance in a Winter Garden

Following Nathaniel Hawthorne’s footsteps in Rome, a disillusioned middle-aged writer seeks meaning in things of little value while mistaking the needs of the soul as trivial, and of the heart as unreliable. Inspired in part by Hawthorne’s The Marble Faun, this tale is also a bit of a travelogue, as significant events often take place in sites of historical mystery. Though somewhat dark and serious, Slow Dance in a Winter Garden is a story of contemporary people who find themselves – like Nathaniel – torn between the persons they had hoped to be and those they have actually become.

Sheikh Al Jin

The fantasy of exploring a different, enchanting cosmetic world is a dream many humans long to experience. Imagine acknowledging the existence of different species that share some human values yet are unique in their nature. It’s not every day we have the thrill of diving into other worlds, but the mysterious and unknown realm of the Jinn is something many seek to explore. This book offers a glimpse into a world beyond our wildest imaginations. Throughout history, stories of such worlds have captivated the minds of people, whether believed to be true or mere myth. Readers are encouraged to open their minds before opening their eyes and let their imaginations soar beyond all boundaries.

Sessions

A reluctant Mason Bracher finds himself standing in Dr. Kimberly McKnight’s living room ready for a fight. This is not a physical fight, which he would easily win, but a battle of the minds. Over time, a deeper relationship begins to develop, and the commonalities they share with one another prove the power of healing on an individual level. Minute by minute and session by session, McKnight studies her client’s every move, every word. Mason, determined to stay guarded, quickly finds his reluctance eroding, and it is in these open moments that we learn the truth behind his broken past, his present heartbreak, and the implications his words and actions have on their shared future. Together, the two struggle through their journey, proving that seeking help has the power to change the course of lives.

Running from Paradise

Alicia endures a traumatic childhood of abuse and adversity that drives her to run away and spiral into addiction as a teen. At 16, she boards a plane to an unfamiliar place, where even more hardship awaits. There, she faces a painfully heartbreaking experience that pushes her pain deeper inside in order to survive. For years, Alicia suppresses the memories of her devastating past. But in her early thirties, the haunting trauma resurfaces with such vivid clarity that she can no longer distinguish reality. After losing herself, Alicia must find the hope to carry on even during her darkest hour. This is a resilient woman’s powerful story of wrestling with childhood demons and the struggle to overcome trauma.

Party on the Moon

Party on the Moon follows the rise and dominance of the world’s top event producer as she navigates a corrupt industry, its insidious players, and the malcontent clients upon whose riches her empire is built.

Our mercurial lead character’s success is fully intertwined with the deterioration of her moral code, fueled by copious amounts of sex, drugs, and malicious behavior that only seems to enable her success. As she grows older, she starts to fear that her life has passed her by in one big party blur and she is lacking any real connection to the outside world, as well as a legacy that could potentially continue on.

The book’s curious title foreshadows an ending fit for a provocative and intriguing character that burns the candle at both ends…just long enough to hopefully find salvation.

Outsiders

Elliot Porter is a young, ambitious newspaperman living in colonial New Zealand. When the death of a dear friend reveals long-held secrets, he sets out on a journey to discover the truth about his past.

Lana Hansen, a law school graduate relegated to a secretarial role by a male-dominated profession, has a life mapped out by her family’s social standing in the local community. Her future prohibits involvement with any man judged her inferior.

James Mackenzie comes to the colonies in search of a better life, but to his misfortune discovers greed, bigotry, and injustice have accompanied him to the new lands.

Three lives, three people marginalized, three outsiders.

No, No, Bad Dog

This book is three decades of my clinical work in one fictitious story. It is based on the marginalization of deaf individuals and is about Mary, a hearing child born to deaf parents. The difference however is that Mary is the outsider as the majority of the world is deaf. Her parents Ellen and Ben feel completely overwhelmed and her siblings react with anger and confusion that their sister is different. Mary’s life is set in a history of her grandmother’s life lived with love, sorrow, and mystery. Their stories will ask you to think outside of all you know and to imagine life as you never thought it.

No Lies Live Forever

No Lies Live Forever tells the captivating story of Sal Casalino. Seemingly successful and a family man, his long-hidden secrets begin to resurface and threaten to uproot his happy life. With the untimely death of a beloved family member, Sal must come back and face his own demons, make decisions that will forever change his family, and take them on a journey that they can never turn back from. No Lies Live Forever weaves family loyalty and corruption through twists and turns spanning forty years and two continents.

It shines a light on the immigrant experience as it explores the universal themes of family loyalty and love, and the cost of secrets—even those kept with the best of intentions.

My Name Is Yuri

Through the search for truth and the willingness to let herself be guided by ‘transcendental signs’, Valentina rediscovers the primordial meaning of life. The journey explores the importance of friendship and the search for truth in a squalid world.

An engrossing story that goes straight to the heart, endearing the reader to this boy named Yuri. He will leave a mark on you.

Malkin

Malkin tells the story of a small-town girl with big dreams, who believes her aspirations can only be realized in the big city, just a few hours away by train. Despite her humble beginnings, she seizes every opportunity, holding steadfast to her ambition of becoming a ‘Malkin’ in the bustling metropolis. She understands that achieving her dreams comes with a price: giving others what they want in order to attain what she desires.

With unwavering determination, she navigates the challenges and tribulations of her nuclear family and the struggles of her childhood friend. The narrative offers readers a vivid portrayal of how often her dream teetered on the edge of disaster.

Her journey is marked by indomitable courage and a positive mindset, fortified through meditation and gratitude. These elements guide her, acting as her talisman, and show her the path to success. She learns to see things in their true reality, overcoming self-deceptions born from her background, family, environment, and preconceived notions. Perhaps this is what it takes to dream and make that dream come true.

Gone by the C

When moving up the corporate ladder depends on the success to the second language proficiency test, an employee’s anxiety could reach a dramatic height.

“The funny part about Perdida’s cry was the tears. Normally, except for Black Africans, people’s tears run through their noses. Don’t ask me why. That really baffles me. On the other hand, African people’s tears come directly out of their eyes and quietly run through their cheeks before vanishing somewhere in the beard, for those who have one. Perdida’s tears were following the latter pattern. Was she some kind of a repressed Black African? Hard to say. But for sure, she didn’t look Black at all. With her blond hair, her blue eyes, and her shining light complexion, she must have been of Swedish descent. I ventured toward her classroom, wondering what was actually going on.”