Long Green

This book is about a New Yorker, Kob Hansen, whose parents were both born in Kentucky, though he had only visited as a child with his grandmother to bury them both after a tragic murder suicide. Yet, while teaching part-time at Columbia, he falls for a graduate student who is from Kentucky. They fall in love and decide to get married, and she talks him into returning to her hometown for the wedding and to live. There, things go awry as he learns about his own family and hers—his family poor Norwegian miners while hers rich Bluegrass elite.

Meanwhile, Kob encounters a man known simply as Long Green, an old hermit who did twenty years for murder who, after his release, is shunned by the people of the county. The man he murdered thirty years before, Kob soon comes to believe to be his own grandfather, or so he thinks, until he begins to believe Long Green (Labe Cornett) may be his real grandfather.

This changes his entire picture of his life and upbringing, all among the Southern culture and mindset of native Kentuckians.

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.

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.

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.

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?

Descent of the Mighty Beast

In the heart of Kwetu, where tradition holds firm, Bratha Mine’s world shatters. His hopes for a better future crumble when he is framed for a murder he didn’t commit – until vengeance becomes his purpose. He turns his fury on the Security Council, a ruthless cabal pulling the strings of power. But an even deadlier enemy lurks: Thanatos, a tech-savvy assassin who never misses his mark.

As the stakes soar, Bratha is thrust into a battle where truth is treason and survival itself is rebellion. Navigating courtroom showdowns, political intrigue, and deadly pursuits, he must outwit an empire built on deception. Alongside fierce allies like Madam Mboya and Simba Wanje, he unearths secrets that could topple the entire regime.

But will his defiance spark a movement, or will the weight of ambition crush everything in its path?

Descent of the Mighty Beast is a pulse-pounding political thriller steeped in African mythology – an electrifying saga of resilience, rebellion, and the unbreakable spirit of a man who refuses to kneel. A masterful tale of courage and destiny – one that will keep you riveted to the last page.

Young Vincent

Young Vincent offers a sweeping and intimate exploration of the life and loves of poet Edna St. Vincent Millay, tracing her journey from a latchkey child to a defiant Vassar graduate and literary icon. In this compelling work, Hood masterfully blends fact with imagination to present a uniquely personal portrayal of Millay’s creative process, gritty personal struggles, extraordinary strokes of luck, and her complex bisexual romantic life. Drawing from first-hand interviews with her sister Norma, lover Catherine Filene Shouse, and other close friends, as well as the poet’s letters, journals, and poems, this book vividly captures the essence of Millay’s remarkable world.

Set against the backdrop of the early 20th century, Millay’s story resonates with the challenges of our own tenuous times. The forces that sought to stifle free expression, limit opportunities, and deny civil rights echo through history, allowing modern readers to better understand Millay’s transformative era of groundbreaking art and technology. Through her struggles to reconcile her bold nature with the rigid constraints of her society, Millay becomes a timeless companion, inspiring empathy and reflection in today’s rapidly changing world.

The Musician’s Brain

“As in his earlier novel, The Players Brain, Love and Soccer, Antonio exercises his natural gift of translating hermetic neuroscientific concepts into colloquial language without belittling them for the sake of simplicity. Readers will be taken to the edge where fiction meets reality, pointing to the infinite possibilities now within our reach to give life back to legions of people who have lost all hope and, worse, their dignity. The Musician’s Brain is an ode to music, faith, and creativity.”

– Dr. Ricardo de Oliveira.

Maestro João Carlos Martins demonstrates resilience and a deep love for music throughout his more than 70-year career as a successful musician, sharing his journey of overcoming Musician’s Dystonia.

A Journey of Finding the Light Through the Dark

Embark on a powerful journey of self-discovery with A Journey of Finding the Light Through the Dark. In this moving and introspective book, we follow a person’s path through the darkness as they struggle to find their way in a world filled with lies and deceit.

As they search for answers and meaning, they come to realize that the truth has always been there, hidden just beneath the surface. Along the way, they must confront their own fears and doubts and learn to let go of the past in order to embrace a brighter future.

Through this inspiring and heartfelt journey, readers will be uplifted and inspired to find their own light in the darkness. Whether you are searching for meaning in your own life or simply looking for a story of hope and redemption, A Journey of Finding the Light Through the Dark is a must-read.

Nature’s Lawyer

Nature’s Lawyer follows the journey of Rafael, a 21-year-old law student at the Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul in Brazil. By morning, he studies law; by afternoon, he works as a cashier at a lottery agency. But his sharp mind is increasingly troubled by the dire warnings of rising global temperatures and the environmental destruction threatening the Amazon rainforest.

Instead of lush trees, Rafael discovers vast pastures carved out for the greedy expansion of cattle farming. As he grapples with doubt and fear, he uncovers unsettling truths that forever change his perspective on the world – and his own role in it.

In this thought-provoking and compelling novel, Ramiro Castilho Simon delivers a story that will make readers laugh, reflect, and hope. Can Rafael’s determination and creativity make a difference, or is the world already beyond saving?

Everything Passing By

Sebastiane Bassett’s life in the French Foreign Legion is exactly what he needs to be in order to cope with what he is. Things change when a mission in Africa goes horribly wrong, and he loses his mentor and the anchor to his present reality. Unable to cope with another loss in his life, he seeks clarity from his grandfather, Maurice Renault. Understanding what he is and why, and how the Demon within, which overshadows the Renault family with its tyrannical quid pro quo, the answer Maurice has may not be the answer Sebastiane wants.

Sebastiane then makes his way to the jungles of South America. His new mission: training, illegal mining and drug interdiction patrols, and guarding one of France’s most prized possessions: the Guiana Space Centre. This task becomes more difficult when hubris, greed, and corporate infighting at The Slater Group, Inc., spills over into his world. While trying to save the Spaceport, Sebastiane learns of a secret so powerful it could reshape the world.

Blamed by his Commanders for his efforts and the outcome at the Spaceport, Sebastiane and his team are arrested and put on trial. As he awaits his fate, Sebastiane’s past and present collide. Now, with two futures laid out before him, he must choose: choose between the life he has, and the one he thought he should have. However, Sebastiane’s greatest fear is that the Demon within will come looking for its price no matter what path he chooses...

The Image Maker

In 1860, just a year after Drake’s historic first oil well, photographer John Mather arrived in Titusville, Pennsylvania, determined to capture the burgeoning oilfields, one glass negative at a time. From his makeshift darkrooms – one on a creek barge, another strapped to his wagon – he risked life and limb to preserve the history of the nascent petroleum industry.

General Charles Miller, alongside his wife, Adelaide, tirelessly cultivated relationships with the titans of this new era, becoming a major player himself. Even Andrew Carnegie took notice, only to withdraw when Miller’s personal indiscretions threatened his reputation.

Former cavalryman Patrick Boyle, a natural storyteller, chronicled the region’s explosive growth as editor of the Oil City Derrick. His experience as a roustabout in the oil fields and later as a daring oil scout after the Civil War made him uniquely suited to report on this worldwide source of oil production statistics and news.

Through the eyes of John, Patrick, and Charles – their families and their stories – a vivid portrait emerges of the oil boom and life in late 19th-century America. This is the story of how a rough-and-tumble stretch of Oil Creek in rural Pennsylvania fueled the world’s oil lamps, machinery, trains, and, eventually, automobiles.