Black Swan Impact

Creative, shocking, and constantly intriguing, Black Swan Impact is a taut geopolitical novel that features a bold but grim vision of a post-World War III future. The thrilling storyline never meanders, instead moving forward with purpose and keeping the reader in eager pursuit of it. Readers will enjoy this captivating, insightful, and detailed crisis that could only be created by an insider with many years of expertise in the subject matter.

A former government employee of the Department of Homeland Security, Helen Hynson Vettori delivers a credible and horrifying tale born from her consternation regarding the United States government’s suboptimal response to SARS CoV-2. Appalled that previous years of planning and preparation for biological incidents, to include pandemics, were overlooked, she wrote this sci-fi political thriller. As a result, readers will find unnerving truths woven throughout this terrifying fiction. Further, with her background as a Senior Medical Intelligence Analyst and paramedic, she provides graphic descriptions with visceral details that compel readers to turn each page with chilling captivation.

Blood Summer 1862

1862 was the second year of the Civil War and a year when hundreds of European immigrants and settlers from the eastern United States were building cabins and clearing farmland in Minnesota.

It was also the year when the Dakota Sioux were starving on their reservation because the annuity from the federal government was late, and the traders refused to sell them food on credit. In August the smoldering firestorm erupted, and the Dakota Sioux went on a rampage that shook the state and the nation.

This is the story  of a newly-arrived Swedish family who suffered through it, of a devout Dakota Sioux man who helped them and many others survive, and of the President of the United States, Abraham Lincoln, who sought justice for 303 condemned Dakota Sioux prisoners in the midst of the bloodiest battle of the Civil War.      

Bodotria

Step back into the first century C.E., a time when Caledonia was a windswept frontier on the fringes of Roman rule. Andreas, fleeing Roman persecution, joins the Roman army and embarks on a remarkable journey. Alongside fellow soldiers Isaac and Bergamus, they’re assigned a year-long intelligence mission in Caledonia.

This debut novel launches a trilogy, chronicling their years-long odyssey. Amidst forging friendships, love, and alliances with Caledonian tribes, they must contend with the militant Caledonii tribe of the Western Highlands. Andreas grapples with his faith and soldier’s duty, Isaac finds love in the midst of war, and Bergamus seeks one last mission before retiring from the Roman army.

Bodotria is an epic exploration of faith, duty, and destiny against the backdrop of an evolving land, a story of courage and camaraderie amidst the tumultuous birth of Scotland.

Bridge of Stones

In the simmering heat of August 1967, a kaleidoscopic minivan carrying a band of hippies – adorned with long hair, beards, beads, sandals, and granny dresses – pulls up at the gates of Ft. Gordon, Augusta, GA, then the heartland of the Military Police. Their mission is unconventional: to instruct the 25th Infantry Division, 60th Mine Scout Dog Platoon in harnessing the keen senses of dogs to detect landmines, trip wires, and hidden tunnels.

The air crackles with animosity as two worlds collide: the free-spirited and the regimented. Yet amidst the discord, Charlie Fasanaro, a young man with wisdom flowing through his veins, recognizes the crucial necessity of forging a bridge across the chasm of enmity that separates them. Their common cause is as clear as it is noble: saving lives in a theatre of war. Unbeknownst to Charlie, he is on the precipice of a spiritual catharsis that will redefine his very essence.

Volunteering to journey to the harsh landscapes of Vietnam alongside the 60th, Charlie is plunged into the visceral cruelties of war. Amidst the chaos, he witnesses acts of heroism and self-sacrifice that cast a new light on the soldiers he stands beside; a nobility and honor scarcely seen amidst the peace-loving circles of his civilian life. This revelation propels Charlie into a tumultuous voyage of self-discovery, as he grapples with his identity amidst a whirlwind of contrasting ideologies.

Bridge of Stones navigates through the turbulent waters of a time where ideologies clashed and the essence of humanity was put to the test. As Charlie endeavors to find his footing on the battlefield of conflicting beliefs, readers are ushered through a rich narrative that explores the profound essence of camaraderie, the unyielding spirit of sacrifice, and the indelible marks etched upon souls in times of war and peace.

Broken Designs

In the heart of the city’s art scene, a chilling series of murders unfolds, targeting accomplished women marked with macabre echoes of the three wise monkeys: see no evil, hear no evil, speak no evil. Despite differing backgrounds, a haunting connection draws each victim to the Vision Gallery.

As detectives delve into the metropolitan undercurrents, they unravel a tapestry of vice – art forgery, illicit drugs, and seduction – all roads leading back to the gallery, a nexus of dark dealings. With every victim, they piece together a puzzle that gradually reveals a sinister portrait of broken designs.

This is no ordinary thriller; it’s a sophisticated narrative of intrigue where every clue is a brushstroke, and each discovery paints a picture steeped in deception and corruption. The detectives navigate through chaos, inching closer to a revelation that promises to be as startling as the crimes themselves.

Broken Tusk

Broken Tusk is a heart-wrenching tale that follows the trials and tribulations of a family of African elephants, narrated by the hero, a young male named Broken Tusk. From daily encounters with natural disasters to the cruel and devastating effects of human actions, Broken Tusk guides readers through the soulful journey of his family’s incalculable suffering. Alongside the hardships, readers also witness moments of joy, including playful games, mud baths, and even a bit of romance for Broken Tusk. With simple writing and short sentences, this absorbing story serves as an eye-opener for readers of all ages and provides an educational insight into the lives of African elephants.

Buddies and the American Dream

Buddies are well-organized groups of teen hackers from Ivory Coast, West Africa. They can hack anything they want. They scam international institutions, credit and debit cards, international humanitarian organizations, armies, transport companies and more.

They work hand-in-hand with bank workers, law enforcement officers and men in power of different countries so that they can safely blow thousands of dollars in one night to have fun in nightclubs in the best cities around the world and scam the next day again for fun. They come with the mission of hacking to the west for vengeance and go back to Africa. Will they ever be caught?

Cherry Blossom Blues

Delve into a lyrical love story shared between two Afro-American men living in the District of Columbia during the ethos of the roaring 1920s and the Harlem Renaissance. In spite of their class differences, their clandestine affairs thrive among their respective travels, marriages, careers, and time itself. Experience exhilaration as the main characters intertwine with real-life figures: Al Capone, Marcus Garvey, Herbert Hoover, Stephanie St. Clair and Albert Khan in Harlem, Macon, Georgia and Paris, France. Get goosebumps observing the living commune with the dead during ritualistic and mysterious séances. Observe how history often repeats itself by encountering the ramifications of the Spanish Influenza, World War I, Prohibition, and the threat of rising fascism foreshadowing the Jewish Holocaust. Most importantly, glean the profundity of our interconnections with everything in the universe in order to achieve authentic bliss.

Christina's War

Growing up on a poor farm in Missouri and learning how to sing opera from her war-scarred father, young Christina Cross has no idea the powerful forces of good and evil, of music and war, will one day pull her into the maelstrom of the Second World War, compelling her to make life-or-death-decisions about who she is fighting for and the price she is willing to pay.

Like a masterful opera, Christina’s War deftly transports the reader to early 1940s Paris where Christina and her sister, Nicollet, are sent by their father to live a better life with their Grandfather, Philippe Pétain. Philippe, eager to please the Nazi regime, envisions Christina’s exquisite voice as a means to entertain Hitler and his officers. Yet, unbeknownst to him, Christina’s heart belongs not just to music but to Laurent Gauvion Saint-Cyr, the charismatic leader of the French Underground who had recruited her into the resistance.

When she defiantly refuses to sing, setting Hitler’s fury aflame, Nicollet becomes a pawn in a dangerous game of power and retribution. Now, Laurent must not only fight for their country’s freedom but race against time to save the two sisters from the clutches of a malevolent Nazi officer who revels in torture.

Circle of Stone

In Depression-era Arkansas, a group of Black individuals, weary of enduring relentless brutality and disrespect from white communities, form a covert alliance known as ‘The Circle.’ United by a vow to clandestinely resist racist oppression, they employ ingenious tactics to combat the injustices inflicted upon their town. As they skillfully orchestrate retribution, ‘The Circle’ begins to shift the power dynamics, much to the chagrin of their white oppressors. This stirring tale reveals the resilience and ingenuity of a community determined to fight back in the face of adversity.

Collections of a Filthy Heart

I have a filthy heart.

It’s been bruised,

and broken,

and houses secrets best left in the dark.

These are its collections.

Courtney Jones lives in downtown Toronto, working in content creation and digital strategy. An avid lover of the written word, she prefers to pass her free time reading a good book while enjoying a glass of even better red wine.

Columbus, Slave Trader

Columbus, Slave Trader delves into an eye-opening exploration of history as it uncovers a seldom-told truth: the initial transatlantic slave ships did not traverse from Africa to America with captive Africans. Instead, the journey took a different, darker turn. The very first slave ships embarked from the New World to Europe, carrying a harrowing cargo of 500 captured Native Americans. Their enslaver? Christopher Columbus himself.

As the narrative unfolds, we confront the chilling reality of this early chapter in the slave trade, where these Native Americans, originally destined for Seville’s slave auction, endured unimaginable hardships. Only 80 would emerge as survivors, highlighting the heart-wrenching toll of this historic voyage.

Columbus, Slave Trader is a stark, essential and accurate historical fiction account that challenges prevailing narratives, shedding light on a pivotal moment in history and reevaluating our understanding of Columbus as not just an explorer but also a slave trader.