Love Bites...Sometimes

Imagine a night out celebrating a friend’s birthday, hopping from bar to bar, when you bump into someone, and not just anyone. The moment you lock eyes, you’re convinced he’s the one. What happens next?

When you encounter him again, would you seize the opportunity, even after discovering he’s not what he seems? He has a secret, cleverly hidden in plain sight. Do you take the plunge into this uncertain romance, or cautiously test the waters?

Fairy-tale love stories are often fraught with obstacles before the ‘happily ever after.’ This is the beginning of my journey with Bryce, a mesmerizing dark brunette with piercing green eyes and a smile that can stop time. Love can bite, and sometimes you want to bite back. But every bite has its price. Are you willing to pay it?

Dive into a love story that’s as thrilling as it is mysterious. The question isn’t just whether love conquers all, but whether you’re willing to pay love’s toll.

Love Hurts

Thomas Pry High School is a place where only the children of the elite study and interact with each other. A place where all the guys and girls fawn over Luke Finnegan, a fencing champion in his third year. But to Jack Whyte, the popular fencer is just another student passing through the halls. All he wants is to make friends and keep out of trouble at his new school.

When their eyes finally meet, however, Luke can’t seem to want nothing more than to be around Jack. So much so, that what was supposed to be a tournament afterparty ends up putting Jack’s life in danger.

Follow the students of Thomas Pry as they begin to learn about each other, and their newfound friendship begins to draw some attention to those closest to them.

Love in a Casa de Carton

Living in a Casa de Carton means facing daily threats of starvation, violence, and predation from the cartels and others who exploit the vulnerable. Yet, within this harsh reality, there is also hope, courage, and triumph. This is the story of Marta Padilla, a strong mother raising two children alone in a home with a dirt floor and no running water. Despite the constant danger, she gets her kids to school and teaches them compassion by caring for a dying neighbor.

When a young girl is abducted by the cartels and a teenage boy endures brutal abuse in a Mexican prison, Marta’s resilience is tested. Unexpected twists and turns lead to moments of victory, as Marta’s determination – and the pivotal role of the dying neighbor – help her family rise above the brutality surrounding them. Though danger is ever-present, grit and love emerge as powerful forces that shape the outcome.

Love, Ruthie

Was the poet, William Wordsworth, right when he wrote “the child is the father of the man”? That is the question Jane Meyer asks Ruth Lucas in a letter. Best friends since high school, and now in their early thirties, Ruth and Jane keep in close touch through letters, phone calls, and when they can, visits.

When Ruth gets Jane’s letter with this question about Wordsworth’s line, she decides to review what stood out in her childhood and ask herself if those times informed and shaped the woman she became. This process takes her weeks and traverses early family memories, her college years, a job in Washington, her first lover, and other experiences on her way to becoming her own woman. Her answer to Jane’s question is Love, Ruthie.

Magda by the River

Angela Young’s novel, Magda by the River centers on the captivating journey of Magdalene, known affectionately as Magda. Feeling suffocated by the monotony of her small village life, weary of battling societal expectations, and yearning for acceptance, Magda longs for change. Her life takes an exciting turn when she joins a traveling troupe of performers, where she forges deep friendships that open her eyes to the possibilities and ‘more’ she has been seeking.

However, the most significant journey in Magda’s life is the introspective one. It’s a path that leads her to a profound understanding of her identity and self-acceptance, making Magda by the River not just a story of adventure, but also a tale of personal discovery and growth.

Magellan Point

Magellan Point is a novel about the lives of people living in the Western Pacific and their efforts to create political institutions that encompass many islands—efforts that resulted in states in Micronesia and the territory of the Northern Marianas Islands.

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

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 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.