Prince Mizar

Long ago, in the country of Romania, there lived a Count and a Countess who couldn’t have any children. However, when their son, Prince Mizael, was born, they were overjoyed. But their happiness was short-lived when their son gets cursed by an evil vampire count and was taken to be raised in his castle.

When the distraught parents discovered that their son was missing, they sent out search parties to find him. When these efforts failed, it fell to a brave young girl named Mina Westerna to take up the quest. Entering a forbidden wood, Mina hears a hauntingly beautiful singing voice and follows it, only to find that it belongs to a man named Mizar. The two quickly grow close and fall in love.

But Mina soon uncovers a shocking truth: Mizar is actually the missing Prince Mizael. As she and her friends Gabriel, Harker, and Abraham prepare to face three powerful vampires to rescue him, Mina realizes the stakes are higher than ever. Can Mina save Prince Mizael before it’s too late?

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.

Shugart: The Candy-Eating Dragon

Too much candy

Won’t be fun,

And the holiday season

Has just begun.

‘What to do with the excess?’

Grown-ups might ask.

This book has the answer:

(hint): A dragon’s up to the task!

“‘Twas the night before Halloween and all through the house,

a creature was stirring, but it wasn’t a mouse…”

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?

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.

Pondside Park

Step into the charming world of Pondside Park Stories, set in the idyllic expanse of Pondside Park, nestled in the heart of ‘Every Town USA.’ This beloved park is a hub of activity, where children converge after school for playtime and families unite for festive holiday gatherings. The surrounding community boasts a diverse array of residences, from single-family homes and apartments to a few condos.

The children of this town each have their own unique tales to tell, resonating with experiences that mirror our own. Meet characters like Anna with her extraordinary life, Francis grappling with his name, and Eddie, whose fun is dampened by rain. Discover Barack’s proud self-identity, and join Cari and Donna in their enduring friendship, among many others.

But the surprises of Pondside Park don’t end there. The local wildlife, including squirrels, goldfish, and ducks, not only share in similar challenges but also demonstrate remarkable problem-solving through reasoning, understanding, and acceptance. Delight in stories like ‘Sammy the Unhappy Duck,’ ‘Hazel and Harry’s New Home,’ and ‘Lisa and Louis’ Lesson in True Friendship.’ And don’t miss the intriguing tale of ‘The Trouble with Ginger,’ a companion dog.

Pondside Park is a collection brimming with heartwarming narratives, each as enjoyable and enlightening as the last.

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.

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.

I Know You Are, But What Am I?

I Know You Are, But What Am I? is a picture book to help teach children about diversity, identity, and the transient relationships we have with each other and the world around us. Through interactive role play, young children (ages 1–8) will learn, experience, and become empowered by choosing from the simple picture format of images and characters. Children of all backgrounds are given the unique opportunity to create their very own narrative, in a positive engaging educational format.

I Know You Are, But What Am I? engages children with “pick and choose” illustrations, from different genres upon each and every page. Children therefore have an opportunity to openly identify themselves and begin to appreciate, recognize, and relate to others in everyday life, regardless of geographical limitations. Encouraging freedom of expression through personal self-exploration, children safely observe a world of differing personas to engage with.

In a world full of mixed messages, stereotypes, media and cultural pressures, I Know You Are, But What Am I? enables children an opportunity to experience the priceless beauty of diversity, with the option of “being someone, or at someplace else,” on any given day.

How I Became Orange

How I Became Orange is a children’s book that is both enjoyable and informative. Designed for young readers aged five to eight, it gently explores common childhood experiences, including blended families, in a way that is easy to understand.

The story also lightly touches on themes of love, marriage, and even loss, offering a tender and reassuring perspective. At its heart, the book focuses on a child from a previous relationship adjusting to life in a blended family and the emotional impact of that transition. Through the guidance of Mama Yellow, young Orange learns to embrace her uniqueness and recognize her worth, ultimately finding her place in her new family.

Jerry and Selema

Jerry always trusted his friends, no matter how poorly they treated him. He’d do anything to make them happy, blindly believing in their goodness. But his naive loyalty leads him into a trap. A supposed friend lures him into a dark wood, a place of shadows and whispers, then abandons him with no escape. Now, alone and surrounded by unseen dangers, Jerry must confront the truth about his friendships and find a way to survive the night.