The Nightingale Sings

On the Greek island of Lesbos, in the seventh century BCE, a young lyric poet hones her craft while navigating the world of love, loss, friendship and sex, after having suffered years of abuse by a member of her father’s household. After a series of attempts at a healthy relationship, all the while struggling with the effects of post-traumatic stress and profound grief, she is forced to leave her home for a faraway land across the sea. There she would make a name for herself as an artist that would spread all across the Mediterranean, continuing her search for love and friendship, and trying to raise her only child in a safe and nurturing environment – until her whole world is suddenly upended.

The Nightingale Sings is an imaginary tale of what might have been in the life of the historical Sappho of Lesbos, whose artistry would lead to her becoming one of the most revered poets of the ancient world, and would still be cherished today – more than two and a half thousand years after her death.

And so, the story begins with a simple celebration.

A birthday party for a nine-year-old girl…

The Clara Conjecture

The Clara Conjecture is a new interpretation of historical facts. In 1938 Germany occupied Austria. Professor Lise Meitner, no longer shielded by her Austrian passport from measures against Jews, was fired. An equal of Niels Bohr and Albert Einstein, she had led the world’s best theoretical physics institute for nearly 30 years. In Berlin she designed the experiment that would split the uranium atom to produce energy. Before it could be executed she fled to Sweden. Without the ability to continue her research, impoverished, fearing for her relatives in the Nazi Reich, she became depressed.

In the tiny community of women scientists in Stockholm she met a psychoanalyst, the Canadian Dr. Leone McGregor Hellstedt (alter ego “Clara”), who rescued Lise with psychotherapy and money. When her German colleagues performed Lise’s experiment, they asked her to explain the result: she did, in terms of Einstein’s E=mc², and called the new phenomenon “nuclear fission” in her article for Nature. Early in 1939 physicists everywhere grasped the menace of nuclear energy. From her former colleagues and students Lise received information about the Nazi atomic bomb program and relayed it to Clara, who then informed Allied spies including William Stephenson (“Intrepid”) of British Security Coordination and Ian Fleming of British Naval Intelligence.

Informed by this detailed knowledge of Nazi atomic bomb initiatives, the Allies were able to efficiently sabotage facilities, kill key personnel, deny resources, and thus cripple the German program that had begun more than two years before the Manhattan Project.

Full of Grace and Mischief

From the moment they meet at a Catholic summer camp in Savannah, Georgia, Mary Margaret and Theresa, polar opposites, become inseparable. Each summer, they embark on wild adventures, exploring waterways, pulling pranks, and challenging boys to daring contests. But one prank too many gets them banned from camp, and the nuns can’t shield them from the real world forever. As tragedy strikes, their friendship is forged in both joy and hardship.

The girls carry their bond to the beaches of Tybee and through the trials of a Catholic high school, where they face bullies, first romances, loss, and heartbreak. As their lives begin to diverge, Mary Margaret and Theresa struggle to hold onto the friendship that once seemed unbreakable. Can they find a way to salvage their connection as they enter the unpredictable world of adulthood?

The first in a generational trilogy, Full of Grace and Mischief vividly captures the coming-of-age experiences of two young women in the Deep South, celebrating their resilience and the enduring strength of friendship.

The Loura Lure – Book 2

Dr. Shamus Bergin and his former patient Erladoch Dunbar have leapt into a time portal hurtling them backwards 20,000 years to Loura, a time and place erased from history. Before the seas rose up to separate Ireland and the British Isles from the rest of Europe, the Kingdoms of Loura thrived in peace.

Much has changed since Erladoch’s departure four years earlier. Enilorac, the Evil King of Treborg has already begun his invasion. He has come looking for the last Angel’s Itavo stone. If found, Enilorac will use it to open the gates of Hell and usher in the end of times.

Having accepted that his parents were descended from the Sacred Order of Keepers, Shamus must find his place amongst this army of part-human, part-angel warriors in their struggle to repel the encroaching darkness. Can this man of science come to terms with a world filled with magic, or will he lose his sanity in the presence of so many emerging voices seeking to direct his Will? These voices, whispers from the past and echoes of future battles, threaten to overwhelm him.

Burdened with so much, the answers he seeks may lie in the hands of a woman he has never met. He doesn’t know her, but her call grows stronger in his mind with every passing danger. With the weight of obligation crushing down on him, he must have faith that his allegiances will hold and that not all paths laid before him will ultimately yield the same destiny.

Four Seasons – Book One

Mark Marteau thought he had retired from the FBI after Red Widow almost killed him in his own apartment, but Hector, his partner and best friend, shows up on his property near Glacier Park, Montana to inform him his godson Dylan may be in trouble. But before Mark goes, he first must go back to a time over 40 years before, when it all started at a wrecking and salvage yard in East Pasco, Washington, where he is witness to the murder of his friend. The next story shows how Mark meets Hector following his best friend’s Dave Baker’s assassination by the order of Che Lopez.

Human Adjacent

What makes someone human? What makes them inhuman? What do you do when those lines are much more blurred than they at first seem to be? How do you reconcile with realizing that you might have more in common with the monster of the story? What do you do when you realize that the monster probably isn’t a monster at all? That many of the things you were taught to you aren’t true at all?

Human Adjacent emphasizes human nature by telling the stories of things that are non-human, of shared experiences, and stories that resonate with what it means to be human without actually being so. Follow nine different stories as they all try to paint a wide picture of humanity in uncommon places, each one set in a unique world with diverse characters all trying to navigate their very different, outlandish circumstances that may or may not be similar to your own.

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.

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.