Nauvoo: A City Set on a Hill

Brigham Young was the American Moses who led pioneers into the Salt Lake Valley in 1847. Colonizing vast tracks of the arid West, they made the deserts bloom. Few know of the beginnings and the crucibles forced upon early Mormons. And what of the drivings in the east and Missouri? What of Joseph Smith and the Book of Mormon, and new revelations from God, spreading across two continents, energizing thousands to leave their homes to build Zion, gathering to Nauvoo for the end of times? 1842 was an axial year. In England, Queen Victoria oversaw the industrial revolution that enriched some but unemployed millions. In America, people wrestled with slavery, Manifest Destiny, relocation of Native Americans, and religious awakening. Principled men and women rose to proclaim their vision, sacrificing reputations, lives, and wealth on the altar of convenience. Milena Stuart and her brother Diomedes were captured in the net of dreams, choosing to immigrate for opposing reasons, witnessing for themselves the turbulence erupting on the broad frontier. Would God allow this Camp of Israel to be driven from the States or would divine protection be manifest? Would that providence come in a timely fashion or in the form of isolating rag-tag refugees from the growing inferno that would soon consume the nation in the Civil War? Nauvoo is a victorious tale of joy and hope, fear and despair, sinners and saints. And the story goes on.

Scribbles

Scribbles is a collection of poems written to express feelings that come with intense love, anger, betrayal, trauma, confusion, trust, and worry, and to help make sense of things. Its goal is to shine a light on some thoughts and feelings one may be having when experiencing the worry for a friend’s death, death of a lover, falling in love, or being betrayed, or being abused, trying to figure out one’s own mind, or feeling as though one has lost their mind. It is gritty and emotional, even lurid at times, but serves its purpose of letting out what cannot be contained.

The Natural Order

One of the world’s top scientists, Nigel Mitchell, is driven by a nagging fear: that life on Earth is a cosmic accident, a mistake the universe is trying to correct. This compels him to make the most of every day, dedicating himself to helping friends, family, and society. His research at the world’s largest laboratory provides him the resources to pursue this goal, searching for signs of life in distant galaxies and striving to understand the universe’s origins. But a mistake in his lab threatens to destroy everything. Obsessed with enhancing life, Nigel now faces the possibility of destroying the planet. His search for a remedy takes him from the depths of the Earth to the surface of the Moon, all while wrestling with his fear of a cosmic mistake. As the clock ticks down, and with the lives of his loved ones hanging in the balance, Nigel begins to suspect that the very error that threatens Earth might be the key to restoring the universe’s natural order.

The Panacea of Life

A tale of triumph that paradoxically spirals into sorrow, bewilderment, and desolation – not because of the accomplishments, but due to the invaluable losses endured in the chase of a misguided belief that success guarantees joy. Amidst a backdrop of a neglected history, forsaken love, and a fractured spirit, a fortuitous meeting occurs with a family and vineyard that have strayed from their roots. By a stroke of serendipity, their paths intertwine, navigating through a poignant tragedy towards a rediscovery of what is truly precious.

The Thin Liners

Don Cammond was a successful businessman and an excellent athlete who, as a result of pain caused by a sports injury, becomes trapped in OxyContin and alcohol addiction. He manages to regain his sobriety but loses everything and winds up living on the edge of society with what he calls ‘thin liners’. Thin liners are not criminals per se but are walking on the thin line between honesty and criminality. Despite his best intentions, as he lives with them, he is drawn further and further into their lifestyle. Finally, as with his sobriety, he must find a way out.

Two'fer

Noah and Kaleb are best friends growing up in hard times. They live on adjoining farms, and both families are suffering greatly. Kaleb's dad has died, leaving Kaleb to take on the role of the provider at just seventeen years of age; the weight of caring for his five siblings and his mom is staggering. Noah, at only fourteen, has witnessed the daily verbal and physical abuse of his mother at the hands of his drunken step-dad. They realize that life on the farm is not an option. They must go where the jobs are. They must reach a small coastal village and secure jobs as fishermen. Trouble is, they have no money, no supplies, and have never been past their own gates. Noah full of youthful exuberance and is eager to begin their adventure, while Kaleb has reservations. After danger and exhaustion threaten their progress, they finally arrive at the village and secure jobs on a boat. Their happiness is shattered when tragedy strikes. Their promise to stay together forever is tested, and they begin to drift apart. As their lives take drastically different paths, they seem to accept that time and circumstances may weaken their bond. They have no idea their paths will cross many years later. Following the lives of each boy, we are introduced to their families and life choices. As their paths twist and turn, their stories lead the reader to a stunning reunion that is unexpected and almost magical.

A Comedy of Pretzels

When tradition twists with popular culture and lands on “people’s oral humor,” idealistic Reuben Lamberth finds himself in a mess. He is a young, progressive, inspired scholar teaching at a prestigious northeastern university, but his other unique self has another foot planted secretly in the world of standup comedy as Josh Sandburg. His stage name is a composite of ‘joshing’ and the renowned American poet Carl Sandburg. Neither his fully tenured professor wife Byrra who is enmeshed in a cabal of women’s faculty; his tough minor gangster-hood father Solly; his staid sociology chairperson and conventional colleagues; nor his tyrannical University President Jeremiah Brittle have any idea that he performs in comedy clubs as Josh Sandburg. Should he be outed, there is considerable doubt that he will be upgraded to the coveted position of tenure, and his marriage may suffer as well. Reuben wonders, Is it worth giving up academia and taking a flyer in the world of comedy culture? The finale in this novel reveals tantalizing internecine connections that land squarely the realm of people’s oral humor.

Claudette Monet in America

This novel by widely published author, London Fell, centers on Claudette Monet, a pseudonym of Claude Monet, the famous French painter who never came to America. Her travels will take you through France to America in search of her long-lost father. There, she experiences many memorable adventures such to interest general readers, art lovers, and those searching for history and historical romance, as well as those who are, like her, in search of themselves.

Ozark Justice

The year is 1938, and it’s a beautiful Indian summer day in the Ozark Mountains. Yarnell Cates, his wife Thelma, and his father are returning home with a wagonload of stove wood when they discover the sheriff’s car in their front yard. Sheriff J. D. Hawkins is there to arrest Yarnell on trumped-up charges concocted by the prosecuting attorney and his brother, the circuit judge. The charge is part of an ongoing feud between their families and the Cates. In a twist of fate, Yarnell is forced to kill the sheriff in self-defense. This act incites the prosecuting attorney to form a posse with orders to burn down the Cates’ home, slaughter their livestock, and shoot Yarnell on sight. A bounty of five hundred dollars is placed on Yarnell’s head, later increased to fifteen hundred dollars, driving Yarnell and Thelma to seek refuge in a cave in the mountains. Throughout the winter, they endure harsh conditions while evading the men of Sycamore County in a desperate bid for survival.

Redemption in the Majella Mountains

Ken’s grandfather always inspired him, as a child, to respect and love the outdoors and to find in nature the introspection and refuge to allow every person to solve any of life’s vicissitudes. Recalling his grandfather’s philosophy, the author carries the reader through the mesmerizing beauty of the Majella mountains in the Abruzzi region of Central Italy. There Ken has the protagonist first find refuge, and ultimately, find redemption from the helter-skelter corporate life he left behind. These two existences, ambition and introspection, clash and confront each other so that the reader sees the unforgiving life of ambition lived by a grizzled corporate veteran pit itself against the newly-found introspective existence of a young man whose soul is forced to reawaken and leave behind the societal ladder to success in favor of the more simple, but much more satisfying, life of ethics and morality.

Hedonistic Propensities

From his darkest and most painful days to his bright and sunny days, this collection of poems embodies Issiac and the way he sees the world: painful and beautiful at the same time. 

Hedonistic Propensities takes a deeper look at what makes his soul shine. You can feel that he is most at home when he is writing.

This is Issiac’s first collection of poems, including the poems on his Instagram. He has been working on his craft.

Scare Record

In the 1970s, a comic book ad promised a chilling record: sold alongside Sea Monkeys and a towering “you control it” Monster Ghost. These novelty ads were often more thrilling than the cheap trinkets they sold, and wise parents spared their children the inevitable disappointment.

But this ad was different. Its eerie artwork hinted at something far more sinister, and for $1.25, buyers got more than they bargained for. The mysterious Gayle House, the company behind it, vanished without a trace. Was it just another gimmick, or something cursed?

For 50 years, parents’ skepticism may have saved us. Or did it?