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.

Young Vincent

Young Vincent offers a sweeping and intimate exploration of the life and loves of poet Edna St. Vincent Millay, tracing her journey from a latchkey child to a defiant Vassar graduate and literary icon. In this compelling work, Hood masterfully blends fact with imagination to present a uniquely personal portrayal of Millay’s creative process, gritty personal struggles, extraordinary strokes of luck, and her complex bisexual romantic life. Drawing from first-hand interviews with her sister Norma, lover Catherine Filene Shouse, and other close friends, as well as the poet’s letters, journals, and poems, this book vividly captures the essence of Millay’s remarkable world.

Set against the backdrop of the early 20th century, Millay’s story resonates with the challenges of our own tenuous times. The forces that sought to stifle free expression, limit opportunities, and deny civil rights echo through history, allowing modern readers to better understand Millay’s transformative era of groundbreaking art and technology. Through her struggles to reconcile her bold nature with the rigid constraints of her society, Millay becomes a timeless companion, inspiring empathy and reflection in today’s rapidly changing world.

The Musician’s Brain

“As in his earlier novel, The Players Brain, Love and Soccer, Antonio exercises his natural gift of translating hermetic neuroscientific concepts into colloquial language without belittling them for the sake of simplicity. Readers will be taken to the edge where fiction meets reality, pointing to the infinite possibilities now within our reach to give life back to legions of people who have lost all hope and, worse, their dignity. The Musician’s Brain is an ode to music, faith, and creativity.”

– Dr. Ricardo de Oliveira.

Maestro João Carlos Martins demonstrates resilience and a deep love for music throughout his more than 70-year career as a successful musician, sharing his journey of overcoming Musician’s Dystonia.

A Journey of Finding the Light Through the Dark

Embark on a powerful journey of self-discovery with A Journey of Finding the Light Through the Dark. In this moving and introspective book, we follow a person’s path through the darkness as they struggle to find their way in a world filled with lies and deceit.

As they search for answers and meaning, they come to realize that the truth has always been there, hidden just beneath the surface. Along the way, they must confront their own fears and doubts and learn to let go of the past in order to embrace a brighter future.

Through this inspiring and heartfelt journey, readers will be uplifted and inspired to find their own light in the darkness. Whether you are searching for meaning in your own life or simply looking for a story of hope and redemption, A Journey of Finding the Light Through the Dark is a must-read.

Live a Great Story: Dancing Through the Rain

They were real people; you can read about them in the author’s first non-fiction novel titled A Boy And His Comet: Dancing Through the Rain. Eventually they would pass away. But with a love and a faith so strong, so committed, so undeniably right for each other, they find themselves together again. You will adore this love story between two people, the author’s dynamic writing style, and unique perspective on this fictional spinoff of a true-life story. An intriguing story that you will find yourself immersed and invested in between two worlds – the real story, and the next real story to come.

Everything Passing By

Sebastiane Bassett’s life in the French Foreign Legion is exactly what he needs to be in order to cope with what he is. Things change when a mission in Africa goes horribly wrong, and he loses his mentor and the anchor to his present reality. Unable to cope with another loss in his life, he seeks clarity from his grandfather, Maurice Renault. Understanding what he is and why, and how the Demon within, which overshadows the Renault family with its tyrannical quid pro quo, the answer Maurice has may not be the answer Sebastiane wants.

Sebastiane then makes his way to the jungles of South America. His new mission: training, illegal mining and drug interdiction patrols, and guarding one of France’s most prized possessions: the Guiana Space Centre. This task becomes more difficult when hubris, greed, and corporate infighting at The Slater Group, Inc., spills over into his world. While trying to save the Spaceport, Sebastiane learns of a secret so powerful it could reshape the world.

Blamed by his Commanders for his efforts and the outcome at the Spaceport, Sebastiane and his team are arrested and put on trial. As he awaits his fate, Sebastiane’s past and present collide. Now, with two futures laid out before him, he must choose: choose between the life he has, and the one he thought he should have. However, Sebastiane’s greatest fear is that the Demon within will come looking for its price no matter what path he chooses...

Meet Leon and Maggie Cobb

Most of us, as children, perceive our parents as perfect. Ah, the confusing age of innocence! Do you remember, as a child, thinking of your parents as though they were born as adults – parents, fully formed – and never considering that they, too, were once children? Now, as the shoe is on the other foot, how often do we reflect on our lives from childhood to adulthood? Can you recall the mistakes you made as you grew up, collecting them as “life’s lessons,” shaped by experiences that molded and defined who you are today? Some of those experiences may have been painful, even traumatic.

But such is life’s grand design. In hindsight, our parents – just as we – never were, aren’t, and never will be perfect, nor should we set such unrealistic expectations for ourselves. It is more than enough to be kind and loving. After all, no one escapes life’s moral challenges, whether they lead to good or bad outcomes. ‘Perfect’ – a word so overrated!

Now, as you reflect on your own life, you may find yourself wondering what unspeakable deeds your parents may have hidden, and who they truly are. For many, it may be too late to ask; for others, it may be fear or respect that keeps those questions unasked.

Meet Leon and Maggie Cobb in this tell-all story!

Shift

Sean is a modern-day hero in the year 2087 – but in his own time, few would recognize it. Most of his work takes place in the past. As a time-traveling agent, he corrects historical wrongs. However, when his latest mission fails to take hold, he and his team are tasked with uncovering why. What they discover goes far beyond fixing the company’s accounting books. They begin to unravel a shift of power that threatens their present.

How far back in time will Sean have to go to set things right? The rules of time travel are designed to protect the agents themselves, but when the past holds what Sean cherishes most, what rules will he break to protect it?

Mars Trek

Mars Trek chronicles the first human mission to Mars in the year 2076, a joint endeavour between the United States and Russia. The American team travels aboard a rotating spacecraft that simulates gravity, while the Russian team opts for a zero-gravity vessel.

Although a work of science fiction, Mars Trek offers broad appeal to general readers, much like Andy Weir’s The Martian. It combines visionary technology and scientifically grounded detail with a compelling portrayal of the human side of space exploration. From the journey through deep space to life on the Martian surface, the novel captures both the excitement and the emotional weight of such a mission.

With its unique approach and thoughtful execution, Mars Trek is especially timely in light of current discussions surrounding the feasibility of human travel to Mars, including Elon Musk’s highly ambitious timelines.

Blending technical accuracy with vivid storytelling, the novel presents thrilling moments as the crew faces unexpected emergencies, while also exploring the personal challenges and triumphs of the individuals on board.

Love Comes More Than Once

Grace Wallace found herself a single mother, left to raise two daughters on her own. She poured her energy into becoming an extraordinary jewelry designer and gemologist, sought after by royalty, celebrities, and wealthy patrons for her talents. When a famous fashion designer requests that Grace create some extraordinary jewelry pieces, she eagerly accepts, hungry for the next challenge. Her search for rare and fabulous gems to incorporate into her designs takes her deep into the mountains of Colombia, where she suddenly finds herself kidnapped. Her partner and benefactor Charles Winslow desperately seeks help from a friend to find Grace. What follows is a thrilling and perilous journey to locate Grace and uncover why she was taken. Through resourcefulness, courage, and the enduring power of human connection, Grace must fight to take back her freedom as those who care for her refuse to give up the search.

An Accusing Finger

A man’s violent, early-morning death on the freezing pavement of a west-end convenience store parking lot in Canada’s capital city appears at first to be just another random act of gang violence. But is it?

The dead man has no identification, and his associate has mysteriously vanished. One of the victim’s fingerprints is linked to the unsolved murder of a young woman more than twenty years earlier. When Inspector Matt Armitage begins investigating the cold case, he uncovers a second, identical, unsolved murder. This one took place years later, in another city, in another country. As he works to close the case, Armitage discovers that cutting through red tape can cause serious, self-inflicted wounds.

Even if he were not a police officer, Inspector Matt Armitage of the Ottawa Police Service would be an imposing figure. He stands seventy-six inches tall in his dress socks, with a big-boned athletic frame, a thick shock of dark hair, and intense, piercing eyes the colour of Antarctic ice. He has an unblemished service record, but Armitage will probably never be promoted. His bosses believe he has one unforgivable flaw: he puts people first. He is a cop’s cop, operating in a milieu that rewards careerism and mediocrity, and punishes anyone who threatens the system’s status quo or the self-interest of the top brass.

An Accusing Finger was a Chanticleer Clue Awards finalist.

Black Swan Shock

Marla Case, an elite Olympic-bound athlete, finds her devotion to competition fading and chooses to step away. She considers becoming a medical responder and learns about the profession from a paramedic friend. Before committing to the rescue service, Marla accompanies her mother on an academic tour that ends abruptly when a massive earthquake strikes. The athlete reacts to save victims with her physical skills and newly acquired understanding of some emergency medical actions. She becomes a beacon of hope for the citizens of St. Louis, Missouri. However, personal tragedy affects Marla, as well, and she struggles to find catharsis herself. Black Swan Shock is the second book in Vettori’s Black Swan trilogy, although each of the three books can be read independently.

The first novel, Black Swan Impact, is a sci-fi political thriller that takes place in 2113. Having recovered from the devastation of World War III and reaching new scientific advancements, people believe only prosperity lies ahead until an emerging deadly pandemic threatens all of humanity. Dr. Syia (Sī-yuh) Case, National Institutes of Health Director of Epidemiology, is invited to advise US President Daniel Piper and the White House Crisis Action Team to try to mitigate the threat. Actions required to protect US citizens from the lethal virus become increasingly challenging. However, when Piper steers the country toward questionable courses, Dr. Case and the strident voices on the task force find there is more than a virulent virus to fight.

Black Swan Terror will round out the series.