Falling Through the Cracks

Depression, illness, pain, and loss can become private homes of isolation. It’s tempting to convince ourselves these homes of suffering are proof we suffer alone. Humanity falls through the cracks each time we are failed by a medical system, ignored by policy, and abandoned by those supposed to protect—to love us. May the reader find some commonality within these pages. It can be difficult to find home—know you’re not alone. May the reader experience ataraxia.

Firstlings of the Flock

As with the story of Cain and Abel, the two MacKenzie brothers, Duncan and Cameron, do not get along – never have. For years, there has been almost no communication between brothers until the death of their father, John Jay.Cam feels compelled to return for the funeral and the subsequent hearing of his father’s will, though he is uncertain what drives him. Although Cam expects nothing from the estate, surprisingly, the will decrees that he and Dun should travel to the High Uinta Wilderness (a special place for his father) to settle their differences.Needless to say, both brothers do not return from the wilderness, but unfortunately, that still does not resolve the matter. Now the will is being contested by a third party claiming to be a previously unknown daughter.Through DNA testing and some serious sleuthing, Cam discovers nothing is as he thought, and even he, Cameron MacKenzie, is not who he thought he was.

Government Girls

It’s 1942, and best friends Mary and Marge leave their teaching jobs behind in Iowa to move to Washington D.C. to work for the FBI. Excited yet apprehensive, neither of them could anticipate the rapid changes the war will bring into their lives.

Arriving at Union Station, they meet Dotty, a quick-witted woman who left her all-girl band in New York City in search of new opportunities. Despite rampant racism, Dotty manages to find a clerical job with the government, thanks to her prized possession - a typewriter.

The three women band together, renting rooms in a run-down mansion that operates as a restaurant and boarding house. Under the same roof lives Natalie, an eccentric artist trying desperately to sell her screenplays and achieve her Hollywood dreams.

As Mary and Marge begin their demanding fingerprint filing jobs at the FBI, they find themselves growing increasingly vulnerable, but also courageous, in the face of a world ruptured by war. The four women couldn’t be more different, yet they forge an unbreakable bond confronting rapidly shifting social conventions and opportunities for women.

It Comes In Tides

It Comes in Tides by Joseph Roccasalvo showcases a striking talent for the formal style in poetry. The collection is masterful for employing rhyme, meter, and the wordplay of puns and paradox.

In the celebration of the highs and lows of romance and abiding friendship, the poems are subtle and emotional, complex but always comprehensible. They are so rhythmic that the image of tides hitting a shoreline best describes them. They share the gift for point and counterpoint in their musical precision. The playful wit, conspicuous in the love poems, captivates the astute reader.

It Comes in Tides will inspire both poets and lovers who have a zest for romance in rhyme and meter.

Laughing Out of Context

Mia, mother of her six-year-old son, Cody, strives to balance care and volunteering at Cody’s school the only way she knows how: by recuperating nightly in what she calls her escape room. Meditation and a little bit of solitude at night can fix some hectic mothering days, but sometimes a glass of wine is just what is needed for those extra challenging kids-tell-all no-filter moments.

With the family Dalmatian, Caesar, right by Cody’s side in mischief, Mia works overtime to dodge embarrassing public incidents, hoping her imaginary hats will finally work in making her invisible at just the right time. By getting weekly advice from her mom’s group, Mia realizes she’s not alone in this crazy, funny, and loving motherhood journey.

The struggle is real, and finding a better motherhood routine is right at the top of her list of things to do, before she tips over to the other side of the sanity line.

Learning How to Let It Go in the Shadow of the Belvedere

Sometimes it becomes difficult for us to recognize the beauty of the forest in its full splendour and diverse grandeur, even though it has always been right in front of us. Our view becomes obscured by the thick, opaque tangle of branches. To overcome this universal challenge for us all, we need to be able to adopt a new perspective. This can come from meeting new people and considering their point of view, or even by putting oneself in an entirely different time and place. In doing so, even the most stubborn and set-in-their ways can be jostled out of their slumber and comforting complacency.

The elements necessary for this process of self-transformation are already in our souls for those who allow them to surface, while for others who are more resistant, a more literal journey can be exactly what is required to shake us loose from our preconceived notions.

Medicine Park

Medicine Park is a compelling small-town murder mystery that takes place in southwestern Oklahoma in the historically pivotal year of 1963.

As the town’s high-school history teacher reminds us: “People have lived here all their lives, but they have no idea what goes on beneath the surface.”

Medicine Park uniquely blends engaging characters, humor, romance, suspense, and Native American tribal culture – with a splash of metaphysics, a dash of the macabre, and an onslaught of surprising twists and turns.

Buckle up!

Mirrors

Mirrors is a collection of three stories that look beyond the surface of what reality appears to be. 

Mirrors

Katrina has worked the same job in the same small town her entire life. She has always considered herself and her existence nothing but commonplace and boring until a birthday present—one she promised herself never to use—changed everything. 

Each of us has a different version of ourselves. Some are better when left undiscovered. 

Deciduous

Daisy wakes up in a hospital bed with vague memories and broken images of her past. Her caretaker explains that she was the sole survivor of a tragic accident that left her parents dead.

They are all in a room, says a pressing voice that will soon lead her to discover the transience of seasons as they bring about death and form new life.

What’s On the Menu?

Chris Newberry has won the most coveted prize that one could win: a trip to What’s On the Menu?

In a society that relies solely on supplements for sustenance, What’s On the Menu? is the only chance to experience the long-lost sensation of eating.  

But in order to get there, you have to win the lottery. And if you do win, the trip is one you might never forget. 

Ogmond

When the problems with the Earth’s inhabitants’ civilities, humanity and care for the planet reached it limit…When pollution, greed, selfishness, and lawlessness created a universal problem…One man had answers and took necessary actions, applying his special skills, discoveries, and knowledge to save and restore the civilizations and the planet. This man’s name was Ogmond.

Playing Through the Break

In the early 1980s, young Chicago architect Phil Ashley and his live-in girlfriend, TV newscaster Alison Knight, find themselves locked in an unlikely love triangle with a neighboring temptress whose undraped window appearances trigger untimely, unfinished spiritual and emotional issues left over from the psychedelic sixties.

When Phil is offered an unusual architectural project set in the countercultural West Coast waterfront community of Samsara, the pair agree to temporarily part ways in hopes that a break will do them good.

Little did they suspect that their romantic recess would soon turn chaotic when Samsara’s pirate broadcast featuring aqua goddess Pearl explodes into international headlines. Could the untimely uproar help reunite the troubled couple… or bring a dramatic end to their relationship?

Redemption

Everett’s impossible choice sets off a chain reaction that alters everything. She has unwittingly provoked malevolent forces intent on exploiting human frailties, launching a bold assault on her family, her future, and the fate of humanity itself.

Sandra Steele cannot accept that her daughter has succumbed to a retributive protocol. Her suspicions are confirmed when she uncovers Everett’s link to Jacob Domanso and confronts his parents. Maureen Domanso, a top aide to Dr. Draeger – the notorious leader of the new administration – claims Everett’s death was due to the virus, just as her own son’s disappearance remains a mystery. Maureen is certain Draeger is behind it all, but how and why? United by the mysterious losses of their children, Sandra and Maureen join forces to take Draeger down.

In a frantic race against time, Everett saves Jake’s life, only to realize her return to the beginning is permanent. She grapples with the fallout of her decision as a volcanic eruption decimates the garden. From one crisis to another, it becomes clear that these events are far from natural, pushing them to the limits of their endurance.

The pair receives a glimmer of hope when Everett is sent back to rescue Pedro Ramon from Dr. Draeger’s clutches. Together, the three stand against the beast threatening to obliterate the beginning, while their families struggle to keep the Biodome intact under Draeger’s oppressive regime.

The power of love and hope are put to the ultimate test in this monumental clash between good and evil.

Rewind Ranch

What price would you pay to reclaim the vigor and allure of youth? Four spirited Southern seniors are about to find out. Tempted by the promise of Rewind Ranch, a paradise nestled in Hawaii’s enchanting Hana hills, they embark on a journey that promises unlimited cosmetic enhancements, captivating company, and indulgent escapades.

As the ladies dive into a world of luxury, laughter, and liaisons, they soon discover that the ranch offers more than just superficial pleasures. Beneath the veneer of hedonistic delights, a darker secret lurks. As doubts creep in and stakes rise, they realize their dream vacation might be a trap they need to escape to ensure their very survival.

Join these fearless women on a roller-coaster of suspense and camaraderie, where beauty is more than skin deep, and friendship is the ultimate savior.