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 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.

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.

Conundrum Murders

Detective George McCraken is on a dangerous mission to solve the murder of Hampton socialite Rosalie Stevens, who has been found slumped over the steering wheel of her BMW with roses in her hand and a bullet in her head. McCraken must outsmart a Russian mob henchman while navigating the complex motives behind the murder, which remains a mystery as Rosalie had no enemies and no involvement in criminal activities. The investigation heats up with the potential for a romantic entanglement for McCraken and a connection to a money laundering scheme in the family’s real estate business. The Conundrum Murders will test McCraken’s detective skills as he races to uncover the truth.

Daisy

Have you ever wondered what happened to Daisy Buchanan after the Great Gatsby was murdered in his swimming pool on Long Island in the summer of 1922? She and Tom Buchanan fled to Europe where they met almost everybody worth knowing in the roaring twenties: the Hemingways, the Fitzgeralds, Pablo Picasso, who painted her portrait, Gerald and Sara Murphy, as well as the Prince of Wales.

After years of interviews and with the help of Daisy’s diaries, her daughter, Pamela, has reconstructed Daisy’s life in Paris, in England, and in Spain where Daisy left the privileged life she had known to become involved on the loyalist side of the Spanish Civil War.

Dancing with the Devil

In a desolate stretch of highway on the southwest side of Chicago, a young blonde woman known only as ‘Mary’ has been haunting the living for decades. From police officers to cab drivers, and from airline pilots to curious teens, many have reported chilling encounters with her. But there’s a twist: Mary has been dead and buried since 1936. Why does her restless spirit persist in making such frequent appearances even nearly a century later? Trapped in a web of dangerous political intrigue in life, what is it that Mary so desperately seeks in the afterlife? Why can’t she find eternal peace? As the sightings continue to unfold, this gripping tale unravels the mystery behind Mary’s ceaseless wanderings on this lonely, otherworldly expanse of Chicago roadway.

Darla

In Cat on a Black Moon, television anchorwoman Garner Olsen found herself ensnared in a deadly game when deranged ex-flower child Darla Dare targeted her. Darla’s vendetta was sparked when Garner’s husband, a federal prosecutor, moved to take Darla’s lover, Carlo, to trial for drug trafficking. After enduring stalking, kidnapping, and murder, Garner vowed to bring down the woman who shattered her life.

Now, in the thrilling sequel, Darla – an escaped felon with nothing to lose – leaves a trail of death across two states. But when she steals a truck, she unwittingly picks up an unexpected passenger: an 11-year-old runaway. Will the boy become her next victim, her accomplice, or the key to her downfall?

Darwin's Progress

What would a future traveler discover in an America that has taken its money-based society to the extreme? Michael Brown, our hero from the first book of the trilogy, is now 35 and sets out to explore this new world. In America, he encounters ‘pecuniocracy,’ a system where the rationality of money governs all aspects of life: contract marriages, commercial families, custody battles with financial stakes, and other bizarre phenomena stemming from the belief that money is the cornerstone of humanity and society. Through a series of thrilling adventures and unexpected twists, Michael must navigate and ultimately escape from this dystopian future America.

“A monumentally amazing story…”

– Ellen Balthazor, University of Wisconsin.