Malkin

Malkin tells the story of a small-town girl with big dreams, who believes her aspirations can only be realized in the big city, just a few hours away by train. Despite her humble beginnings, she seizes every opportunity, holding steadfast to her ambition of becoming a ‘Malkin’ in the bustling metropolis. She understands that achieving her dreams comes with a price: giving others what they want in order to attain what she desires.

With unwavering determination, she navigates the challenges and tribulations of her nuclear family and the struggles of her childhood friend. The narrative offers readers a vivid portrayal of how often her dream teetered on the edge of disaster.

Her journey is marked by indomitable courage and a positive mindset, fortified through meditation and gratitude. These elements guide her, acting as her talisman, and show her the path to success. She learns to see things in their true reality, overcoming self-deceptions born from her background, family, environment, and preconceived notions. Perhaps this is what it takes to dream and make that dream come true.

Man

Delve into the thought-provoking world of Man, the captivating first installment of the groundbreaking trilogy, Man, Wife, and Death. In this gripping tale, the reader is introduced to a man and his intricately crafted religion, forged in collaboration with his mother. Together, they navigate the complexities of society, grappling with moral dilemmas and striving to uphold what they perceive as righteous.

Within the pages of this compelling narrative, the line between fact and fable blurs as the protagonist delves into the very nature of religion itself. Contemplating profound questions, such as the fairness of sacrificing a sheep and the need for justice in society, the reader embarks on a journey of self-discovery, seeking answers to these thought-provoking quandaries and many more.

Embark on an immersive reading experience, delving into the journal of a restless wolf who rebels against the confines of society. Through his unfiltered musings, you will encounter a fusion of imagination and occasional violence, provoking both fascination and contemplation. As you gradually unravel the complexities of the wolf’s mind, you, too, will be compelled to confront a critical question: Will you align yourself with the audacious wolf or remain part of the passive herd?

Manifesting Memories

What does a memory look like? Often it will appear personal and sacred because we have created it ourselves with every sensual focus we brought to our experience. Then, we sprinkle our thoughts and perspectives on it. A memory will reconnect us to the past for a  reimagining, a review, and a reframing. It will end up looking very much like who we are.

I hope the stories on these pages will entice you to return home to your own memories. Will you be stirred by how your memories have shaped you? Do they help reveal to you how unique you are? How have you chosen to be in life because of your memories? Reflecting on our memories may reveal how we truly belong to ourselves and to one another.

Enjoy the journey,

 Darlene

Marchetti's Inferno

Imagine the thrill of witnessing your 11-year-old meningitis patient suddenly regaining consciousness after coming close to losing his life. Or the satisfaction diagnosing a rare cardiac complication in a middle-aged man whose only symptom was persistent hiccupping.

Introducing Dr. Dan Marchetti, a brilliant and promising first-year intern with remarkable clinical instincts, a rising star if you will. However, Dan finds his confidence beginning to shatter after his patients periodically succumb to their illnesses due to a series of medical ‘mishaps’ that cast doubt on the care he provided. The besieged intern is subsequently charged with the homicides of some of his own patients, deaths clearly perpetrated by a hospital insider with keen knowledge of how to manipulate medical devices in order to expedite a patient’s demise. The list of victims includes Trey Hartmann, a rookie star pitcher for the Pittsburgh Pirates. Marchetti must find a way to keep his love for the profession intact, while confronting this invisible character.

Marco\'s Journey and Other Stories

Hints of S.P. Peredo’s Mexican American upbringing appear in Marco's Journey and Other Stories as he draws from personal experiences to present rich characters in diverse geographical settings: the scientist traveling through the majestic mountains of southeastern Mexico befriends an unlikely group of strangers, thus starting his own personal journey of self-discovery;; a young traveler who in 1970 ventures behind the iron curtain finding love—and danger; the girl with recurring dreams about a spider’s web struggles for her sanity; the boy with a poet’s heart growing up in America during the Vietnam War fears he is running out of time; a lover left behind during the war writes her heartfelt letter of farewell’ the caricaturesque Mexican musician who, through his performance, gives his listeners a reprieve from their sadness. 

These well-crafted stories, imbued with vivid imagery, lead readers through their own journey to discover the meaning of success, love, and living life to its fullest potential.

McKenna Goes Home

The Civil War has ended, and McKenna is drawn back to Charleston, the cradle of her childhood and the echoes of a tumultuous past. As she steps into the post-war remnants of her once-beloved city, questions haunt her—does her home endure, or has it succumbed to the ruin? Are the ghosts of her youth lurking in the shadows of devastation, or will the rubble reveal secrets long buried? Returning to the city of her youth, now marred by the tragedy of conflict, McKenna must summon her resilience to confront the Charleston that awaits her, forever altered by the War’s relentless tide.

McKenna's Return - Unfair Contempt

In McKenna’s Return – Unfair Contempt, the second book in the McKenna Trilogy, McKenna is determined to reunite with her father in Washington D.C. after the end of the Civil War. However, her journey is not without its challenges as the post-war citizens of D.C. are quick to condemn her for the cause of the war and its devastating effects. Despite facing these tough encounters, McKenna uses her quick wit, cleverness, and strong faith to navigate through these difficult situations. Follow McKenna on her journey of resilience and determination as she tries to make a new life for herself in the aftermath of the war.

Me

Choices: Free will or destiny what do you think changes the outcome?

A descendent of Nova Scotian parents of mixed heritage Afro-Canadian, First Nations and Irish. Born in Montreal, Quebec and raised by a single mother in the neighborhood of Cote des Neiges (also known as Uptown), the second youngest of six siblings.

Follow her from a child on a young girl’s journey through molestation to a woman dealing with addiction and abuse. A single mother of two raising her children in a rough neighborhood, struggling to provide and keep them safe, where crime, violence and police harassment are an everyday occurrence. Delve into the mystery and uncover the secrets. Meet her friends, magical relationships forged for a lifetime.

Join Melanie on the roller coaster ride of life see the choices: love what you do, or do what you love? Different paths, detours, or dead ends.

Free will or destiny, see where it will take her.

Me and You - You and I

Madison Dorsay loves to put on paper the ongoing thoughts, conversations, sights and sentiments that surround us every day. In particular, Madison is drawn into the meanderings of wandering spirits and their intertwined relationships in an eternal love of life and each other, interrupted by the occasional interlude. The poems collected here reflect collective thoughts and considerations made during the COVID-19 pandemic and the impact they had on love, togetherness and the realization that we are never alone.

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!

Meghan and Beth Discover, It's a Men's World

Intrigued by whispers of a community connection, Beth picks up the book chronicling Meghan’s life after graduate school. As both women navigate careers amid outdated attitudes about women’s place, they discover the persisting barriers of a man’s world.

While Meghan conducts research into the decline of family farms, her work conjures Beth’s own rural upbringing and current reality as a farm wife straddling tradition and technology. Their parallel sexual awakenings underscore the universality of women’s experience.

An insider’s glimpse of Meghan’s faculty position reveals to Beth the complex machinery underlying campus life. As Beth reflects on the roads untaken, Meghan’s bold choices highlight the excitement missing from Beth’s more traditional path.

Ultimately, their interwoven stories surface timeless questions about agency, destiny, and the feminine struggle to balance fierce independence with enduring community. Do we ever really choose our fate, or does life choose for us?

Memories in Poetry

This book of poetry, in two parts, is by widely published author, London Fell, whose previous publications include 12 academic volumes and three novels. This poetry book centers on the state of New Jersey and its many historical sights and scenic views and the town and campus of Princeton, New Jersey.

Part I focuses on many historical places and many beautiful sights throughout the state and Part II also focuses on the sights, views and structures in the town of Princeton as well as the Princeton campus.

The many accompanying illustrations are designed to entice the readers into the worlds and words of history as well as the poetic scenes appropriate to the subject. Many of the structures in the state and the campus have voices in the poetry. Can you hear your voice in the poetry? Whose memories in the poems are being depicted and what central symbols of the Jersey shore are recognizable? What voices do you hear and can you as the reader visualize your own memories in this poetry? The many mysteries of poetry can give extra flights of imagination.