Stories From the Heart

Be it the sweetness of courtship, the fragility of flirtation or deep prevailing commitment, these are stories that bring a sigh and a smile as we glimpse love in all its iterations.

Set against the backdrop of Italy, whose very essence is romance, we spend time with a woman who flips the script on actors; a little boy and his beloved violin; a snowy-haired cupid and destined dance partners, all of whom are connected by the powerful theme of love.

Storm Across My Cherished Bamboo Bridge

Killer-Gangster Turns His Life Around

Fifteen-year-old Meiling has always sensed that her Dad, Douglas, has been keeping a secret which can shed light on why she grew up without a mother.  Now that he controls the largest laundry-supply business in the Northeast, USA, Douglas’ dark past as a feared gangster in Hong Kong is forcing him to face a future that clouds his relationship with his daughter.  There’s a new woman in her father’s life; will she come between Douglas and Meiling?  

“A story of enduring love, betrayal, and ultimately forgiveness, heartfeltly narrated.”   Tessie Abes

“An inspirational story that will not disappoint the reader.  It exudes the pursuit of high principle and purpose, easy to sympathize with. I have read Gene’s other books with much interest.”  Felix Alberto

“Enthralling & captivating work!  In its simplicity, author was able to refine a heartwarming story leading to a familial yearning.  Home to a dynamic plot, I would definitely recommend it.”  Christine Alexandra Carvajal    

“Thought provoking and relatable. Read how the characters use their tragedies to move their lives forward, yet never forget.  Anyone can benefit from reading this book.”  Victor T. Closa

“I love love stories and happy with happy endings. Gene’s novel has them both.  It is truly an enjoyable read.  Great job, Gene!”   Roberto M. Collantes

“Rich & spicy story of family love; even its secondary characters can ripen into enduring stories of their own.” Dinah M. Libang

Gene P. Del Carmen has written short stories for illustrated comics & television scripts in Manila, Philippines. Recently retired as a corporate accountant, he now works as a realtor in New Jersey where he lives with his wife, Arielita. He also holds an MA in Theology. This is his 1st novel and 4th book.

Cover design by: Olivia G. Mestidio

Story 1: The Delights of Sean Jr.

Sean Jr. had a tough life—as his mother told him, he had the ‘forbidden illness’: lusting for men. His uncle took him in, yet Sean lived a criminal lifestyle ingrained in the family business. Thug life meant trouble was Sean’s middle name; the drugs and jail did not help much either.

Now Sean had two loving parents. Yet his uncle was in conflict, wanting to protect Sean from the evils of their family’s work while disapproving of his player lifestyle. Meanwhile, the body count from their criminal exploits continued to rise.

Storyteller in Times Square

Storyteller in Times Square opens with a visit to New York and the ruins of the World Trade Center. Thus begins a poetry collection that reflects in subtle and surprising ways the post World War II history of the United States. Without being either “political” or “ideological,” the poet employs concise and often disciplined forms of language to touch upon deeper matters of destiny and feeling.  Our lives, our deeds, our ideas—all of these have consequences for how we treat our land and each other. The moments of lyricism and humor help us to keep our balance. And the perspective is important, for these poems are about paying attention to reality. Can we pay attention to the voices of history submerged in our wake, swirling behind us? Perhaps that question in essence is what these poems ask of us.

Stragaton - Warrior King

Stragaton is a sword fighting warrior who developed tremendous powers from God. The warrior king has the ability to rip open the mouth of a lion and pull out his tongue.

Stragaton is found to be an interesting story about good and evil. Clayton, the evil emperor, rules vast nations with an iron first. Azalea is determined to save her nations from Clayton’s vicious army.

Stragaton is an intriguing character, something of myth and legend. God sent him from heaven to help save humanity from the wicked bondage of Clayton. The wicked emperor who is half-man/half-serpent, has the world trembling to its knees. Will Stragaton make a difference?

Submission

This is a story about a marriage breakdown and the difficulties facing primarily women in protecting themselves and in collecting support payments under the Ontario justice system.

This is a story about justice delayed, justice denied, and how the justice system failed to level the playing field.

Every day a woman is demoralized in not being able to collect on support orders.

Every day in Canada a woman is subjected to ongoing abuse with her partner with minimal assistance through the legal system.

This story is typical of a woman’s plight going through a legal system where the parties have lost faith and face the dilemma of giving up or taking the law into their own hands.

Sun-Kissed Mountains of Home

Heiress Miranda Howarth-Dunn longs for the things money can’t buy. Orphaned and raised by servants, Miranda seeks comfort and companionship at a riding academy. Inspired by her friend whose disabled brother wished to ride, Miranda envisions creating an equine therapeutic program that gives patients and their families opportunities to ride together. All she needs is a genuine cattle ranch to make her dreams come true.

Ethan Baldwin, a fourth-generation of throw-back cowboys, values doing things the old way. He finds his family ranch and land of his ancestors, under constant threat. The unpredictable nature of the cattle industry tests the financial stability of all the ranches surrounding the small community of Rambletap Springs, MO, including the Baldwin’s ranch, Alma Soñada. Though it could secure the finances, the last thing Ethan wants is for his parents to bring tourists to the ranch for some riding program.

Sun-Kissed Mountains of Home brings together two adversaries who, despite their opposite goals and different backgrounds, find mutual understanding as they work together around horses. Learning to communicate using animals as an example, Miranda and Ethan travel on parallel paths seeking a way to bridge the gap created by their differences. Forced into a dangerous situation, they rely on their spiritual connections to the energies around them to cope. Can the ghosts of legends and lore with whom Miranda and Ethan feel a connection be their common ground? Will they discover they might be kindred spirits after all?

Sunset Silhouettes

The sun will close its books on a day like any other

round up its warmth and retracts the lights to feed another

in degrees it recedes, slipping in, out, and about

the flaming orangey clouds half-dipped in the horizon

a dazzling hopelessness courts the night

The sun will close its books on a day like any other

but can it account for the slumped lone silhouette

faceless beauty that hovers in its foreground

matching its sadness with the splendid sunset

a dazzling hopelessness encamps the soul

the final charm of a dying day.

Sunset Silhouettes is Linda Adede Ongola’s debut poetry anthology which features a hundred poems written mostly in free verse and of the confessional genre. It covers themes of mental health, theodicy, love, betrayal, and corruption among other social concerns.

Supernaturalis Mortem

In the year A.D. 390, magic is both omnipresent and feared in newly Christian Rome. In an effort to revive their faith, three witches cast a curse on local leaders of the Empire’s new religion, subjecting them to demonic hauntings, possessions, and eventual death. Will the Iracundus family be able to survive the witches’ curse? Can the witches succeed in their quest for revenge?

Medea has always cherished her witch heritage, despite her family’s mistreatment of her. When her mother and grandmother decide to take action against the town’s mistreatment of them and their fellow believers, Medea initially supports their cause. However, when they unveil their plan for vengeance, Medea begins to question the morality of their actions.

As Medea attempts to convince her family to see reason and find a way to satisfy their desire for justice without resorting to revenge, she must navigate a difficult path that will affect not only herself but also her family, enemies, and the entire town.

Swan’s War

After Swan Samson’s oldest brother, Isaac, is murdered, Swan, a twenty-year-old Georgian, goes to war to find his brother’s killer and exact the revenge required by his notions of duty and honor. Swan’s War is the story of Swan’s internal struggle, in which the suffering of war and the slavery of revenge transform him completely. Swan easily convinces his two younger brothers to go to war with him. However, his twin brother, Jacob, is not as easily swayed. Jacob is in love with a slave girl and has no interest in fighting for the Confederacy. He also disdains Swan’s judgments about duty and honor.

Nevertheless, Swan persuades his twin brother to join the war and search for Isaac’s murderer by appealing to Jacob’s close relationship with their slain brother. Jacob will search for Isaac’s killer, while Swan seeks glory and revenge to repair his sullied reputation, which was compromised when he accidentally killed his best friend at the age of thirteen. During the war, Swan watches his younger brothers die, loses his fiancée, suffers grievous wounds, endures a year in a POW camp, and pursues, fights, and kills the man he thought had murdered his brother – only to find out that the real killer is someone he had known his whole life.

While Swan’s War is set during the Civil War and written by a historian, it is not really about that conflict. Rather, it is a character-driven story of the protagonist’s war within himself. The story includes strong female and enslaved characters, as well as family disputes. The protagonist and several of the main characters are based on the author’s ancestors.

Sweet Debris

Discover the poignant journey of one man’s passage through solitude and emotional isolation. On the surface, he appears ordinary, blending into the streetscape. Yet, within him lies a profound empathy for the overlooked fragments of life: the homeless, abandoned houses, desolate railroad sidings, and forgotten freight tracks. These elements, along with the haunting memories of a bygone era, shape his existence. His childhood whispers to him, filled with voices now lost to the earth, offering wisdom and counsel. Through it all, he persists with a quiet determination, moving forward despite the weight of the past.

SweetSpot: Now and Then

Spring 1999, California.

Call it middle-age madness or a midlife crisis, but SweetSpot: Now and Then chronicles one pivotal year in the life of Darlene Robinson, a woman grappling with hot flashes and the weight of being raised as a God-fearing good girl. She followed the rules… until she couldn’t anymore.

Just days before leaving for her first writers’ conference, Darlene makes a bold declaration to the man she married as a teenager: she wants out. Concerned for her mental health, she can no longer pretend to be the dutiful wife of a man who seems indifferent to her presence. Little did she know that the conference, her mother’s sudden illness, and meeting Clive Charles would all play a part in reshaping her life.

Back then, Darlene chronicled her transformative year shortly after living through it. Now, with time and experience, her "other self" offers a new perspective, adding depth to the story as only time can.

Call it what you will, but shifting one’s life in midlife is a journey many face, and Darlene believes SweetSpot: Now and Then will resonate deeply with readers.