The Four Points of the Compass Society: Chapter 1

This is a story of hope for those lost in a world of pain. Four strangers find themselves drawn into a desperate search for an elderly, suicidal millionaire. Racing against time, they must uncover the man’s location before his inner darkness consumes him. With only four geographical clues to guide them, their journey begins.

Along the way, they join an organization called the Four Points of the Compass Society, a group dedicated to helping those in need. The Four Points of the Compass represent the mathematical meaning of life, offering direction and purpose.

Where do we turn: North, South, East, or West? Which path will guide us through life?

The compass not only points the way but serves as a symbol of helping one another along the journey.

The Loura Lure – Book 2

Dr. Shamus Bergin and his former patient Erladoch Dunbar have leapt into a time portal hurtling them backwards 20,000 years to Loura, a time and place erased from history. Before the seas rose up to separate Ireland and the British Isles from the rest of Europe, the Kingdoms of Loura thrived in peace.

Much has changed since Erladoch’s departure four years earlier. Enilorac, the Evil King of Treborg has already begun his invasion. He has come looking for the last Angel’s Itavo stone. If found, Enilorac will use it to open the gates of Hell and usher in the end of times.

Having accepted that his parents were descended from the Sacred Order of Keepers, Shamus must find his place amongst this army of part-human, part-angel warriors in their struggle to repel the encroaching darkness. Can this man of science come to terms with a world filled with magic, or will he lose his sanity in the presence of so many emerging voices seeking to direct his Will? These voices, whispers from the past and echoes of future battles, threaten to overwhelm him.

Burdened with so much, the answers he seeks may lie in the hands of a woman he has never met. He doesn’t know her, but her call grows stronger in his mind with every passing danger. With the weight of obligation crushing down on him, he must have faith that his allegiances will hold and that not all paths laid before him will ultimately yield the same destiny.

The Journey

High-schooler Jack wanted to escape his life at home, so he moved in with a caretaker in a quiet town in the middle of Pennsylvania. At first, everything seemed normal – he was living an ordinary school life and even made some friends. However, everything changes when Jack encounters a mysterious woman who awakens a latent power within him that he never knew he had.

Determined to fight the evil lurking inside people’s minds, Jack embarks on a journey across Pennsylvania, seeking allies and battling dangerous foes. He joins a secret organization dedicated to combating these evils, but he soon uncovers its dark and shady past.

As Jack’s mission intensifies, he finds himself facing the son of a powerful and malevolent organization. At the same time, he struggles to keep his double life hidden from his girlfriend, Audrey, who knows nothing about his secret battles. As relationships begin to crumble, Jack is torn between his growing responsibilities as a hero and the personal life he desperately wants to protect.

2024 In Poetry

This collection of poetry is anything but tedious. Accessible and lively, each poem invites readers with a friendly, approachable style, offering a reading experience that feels both effortless and deeply engaging. Without appearing complex or intimidating, these poems reveal layers of meaning beyond the words on the page, making it easy for readers to connect and find significance in each piece.

Featuring over 30 poems, this book offers an extra dimension that enhances its appeal, ensuring a rewarding experience for any poetry lover. Each verse is crafted with sharp poetic insight, bringing abstract ideas to life in just a few words. It’s a collection that promises no disappointments: only impressions that linger and truths that emerge as you read.

By Appointment Only

By Appointment Only marks the thrilling return of Grace, Sam, Maria-Teresa, and Margot—the fearless, wacky sleuths we’ve come to love. Thanks to Grace, the ladies can now proudly call themselves professional investigators. While three of them are content handling routine cases at the newly formed Liu Jones Group Investigations Agency, Grace Liu craves more to fuel her adrenaline.

Grace’s ambition leads her to pursue a high-profile murder case, one she hopes will cement the agency’s reputation as one of the best in Mesa, Arizona. But as the women soon discover, you should be careful what you wish for. They’re hired by an unusual client to solve the murder of local celebrity author Ainsley Chao.

The case pulls the team into a labyrinth of psychological and emotional motives behind Chao’s death. At the same time, Grace privately wrestles with unanswered questions about the reported death of Rhys, her long-time black ops handler and former lover.

Amid the twists, turns, and shocking revelations of the Chao murder, the women face personal growth, forge deeper bonds, and experience heart-pounding excitement that will keep you on the edge of your seat. This second installment masterfully continues the series’ signature blend of intricate mysteries, engaging character narratives, and unwavering honesty.

For All Our Relations

The book is in two parts, the first, The Nilgiri Elegies, document my experiences as a veterinarian at the animal refuge in the Nilgiris, S. India, India Project for Animals & Nature, founded and directed by my wife Deanna L. Krantz. We provided free care for the domestic animals kept by villagers and poor tribal communities, vital to their economy and health; and faced corruption and death threats in saving the last of the elephants and other wildlife.

The second part are poems written over several years from the deep heart’s core of empathy and reverence for all life in a world in need of compassion and spiritual inspiration for all creatures great and small.

The Beauty of Words

Life experience has a unique way of inspiring words and thoughts. It allows us to revisit moments, trends, and milestones that shape who we are. The sights we’ve seen, the people we’ve met – these complete our inner selves. A lifetime of such memories can spill out into beautiful words.

From a special friendship to the birth of a child, or a love you never expected, these are the things that stir the heart and deserve to be written about. I hope to evoke genuine emotions in those who read my work. Writing wasn’t something I planned; it unfolded in a way that even I found surprising, revealing truths I didn’t know I had to share.

Within these pages are smiles and tears, crafted to make you think, reminisce on days gone by, or dream of what’s yet to come.

I do not seek to make history or gain fame. My words are simple, yet thoughtful, with meaning to uncover. So, enjoy the rhymes, reflect on the truths, and immerse yourself in the heartfelt works within.

Four Seasons – Book One

Mark Marteau thought he had retired from the FBI after Red Widow almost killed him in his own apartment, but Hector, his partner and best friend, shows up on his property near Glacier Park, Montana to inform him his godson Dylan may be in trouble. But before Mark goes, he first must go back to a time over 40 years before, when it all started at a wrecking and salvage yard in East Pasco, Washington, where he is witness to the murder of his friend. The next story shows how Mark meets Hector following his best friend’s Dave Baker’s assassination by the order of Che Lopez.

Pancho the Parrot Reviews the Year 2020

Pancho the Parrot Reviews the Year 2020 stars Pancho, an Amazon parrot just purchased by Noramius Dumas, an average guy living a mundane bachelor life. However, Pancho never tolerates the status quo. Pancho is demanding and obnoxious, energetic, and mischievous, immediately testing the nerves of Noramius from day one. Pancho stirs Noramius to question his own existence and the meaning of life.

Pandemonium ensues. Both Pancho and Noramius find themselves escaping natural disasters and meeting new friends in a land yet unchartered by humans. Pancho encourages interpersonal relationships to solve catastrophic problems. Pancho and Noramius have their enemies, too. Both Pancho and Noramius overcome all odds to save the day.

Pancho the Parrot Reviews the Year 2020 is about a quirky little parrot who always says yes to comical mayhem and high exploits of fun, adventure, and a little mystery. This fairy tale is sure to arouse everyone’s expectations that life is as crazy as Pancho’s.

Human Adjacent

What makes someone human? What makes them inhuman? What do you do when those lines are much more blurred than they at first seem to be? How do you reconcile with realizing that you might have more in common with the monster of the story? What do you do when you realize that the monster probably isn’t a monster at all? That many of the things you were taught to you aren’t true at all?

Human Adjacent emphasizes human nature by telling the stories of things that are non-human, of shared experiences, and stories that resonate with what it means to be human without actually being so. Follow nine different stories as they all try to paint a wide picture of humanity in uncommon places, each one set in a unique world with diverse characters all trying to navigate their very different, outlandish circumstances that may or may not be similar to your own.

The Eye of Sicily

The year is 1895, and poverty is sweeping through Sicily, bringing a wave of la miseria to its people. Letters from America summon two Sicilian families to the shores of a distant land, but they soon discover that everything comes at a cost.

Time is running out for Giuseppe LoPinto, a victim of being in the wrong place at the wrong time. Out of options, his dire circumstances drive him to join the mass exodus of Sicilians from their beloved island. With a heavy heart, Giuseppe accepts an invitation to America. He embarks on an arduous journey, accompanied by his younger brother, Giacomo, to the bustling streets of Detroit.

A hundred miles away, on the eastern tip of Sicily, Vincenza Catalano blames a different letter from America for turning her life upside down. Forced to leave the scenic coastal city of Messina, she must put all her dreams for the future on hold. Aboard the steamship Giava, the Catalano family crosses paths with the LoPinto brothers from Termini Imerese. Vincenza, with her fiery spirit and determination, leaves a lasting impression on the younger brother, Giacomo. Defying her family’s wishes, she challenges the cultural limitations placed on women and confides her deepest secrets to him.

Arriving in Detroit during the dark era of the late nineteenth century, the Catalano and LoPinto families face ethnic prejudices, language barriers, and extortion threats from the notorious Black Hand. The bond between Giacomo and Vincenza grows stronger as they strive to find a sense of self in their new homeland, battling the perils of a dangerous time period. Inspired by true historical events, the young Sicilians soon realize that the luster of the American Dream is fading. Will they ultimately risk everything to achieve their dreams?

The Way It Ought to Be

The Way It Ought to Be is based on the idea that life does not always happen the way we want it to and that the only things that are important are the relationships we experience along the way – those we can’t get away from, those we want but can’t have, and the one we hold with ourselves.

Winifred Simone is in love with the life she had as a young girl and with the people from that life: her lone, childhood friend, Casey, and her ever-present mother, Maggie. Winifred and Casey spend their days in the small, rural town of Hickory in 1940s Pennsylvania; free to roam the nearby woods and isolating themselves from the rest of the world. But what seems idyllic to Winifred was anything but for Casey, a boy who always felt unloved and unlovable, despite Winifred’s boundless adoration.

Neither one could perceive the events that take away their innocent outlook and, without a word, Casey leaves Hickory, shattering their bond. This propels Winifred on a six-year search to find her friend and love far beyond the comfort of her hometown. As the story moves from the canopied safety of the Pennsylvania woods to the exposed rawness of the California desert, Winifred continually relies on the wrong people in an attempt to find the life she is convinced she is supposed to have.

That is, until she meets two very different families, the Hixsons and the Quinns. With their help, she learns to accept and be grateful for the life she is actually living.