FOR NOTHING IS HIDDEN
FULL BOOK TITLE: For Nothing Is Hidden: Inspired by One of the Oldest Unsolved Missing Child Cases in U.S. History
AUTHOR NAME: John A. Valenti 3rd
PUBLISHER NAME: Bushwickborn Productions, Inc. / Pope Brothers Ink
LINK: https://books2read.com/u/491d80
There are mysteries that entertain, and then there are mysteries that sit with you—quietly, insistently—long after exposure. For Nothing Is Hidden belongs to the latter.
Set against the manicured calm of 1950s Long Island, John A. Valenti 3rd’s debut novel opens with a moment so ordinary it feels almost cruel in hindsight: a mother steps into a bakery, a child waits outside, and the world tilts off its axis. Bobby Goodson is gone. No scream, no witness, no trail. Just absence. From that void, Valenti constructs a narrative that is less about solving a crime than about tracing the long shadow it casts over a family and a town for more than fifty years.
That sense of authenticity is no accident. Valenti brings to fiction the instincts of a journalist who has spent four decades uncovering truths that others missed or preferred not to see. A national award–winning reporter for Newsday, whose investigative work helped expose everything from a massive sports-fraud scheme to systemic failures in public safety, Valenti understands how facts erode over time—and how persistence and patience matter more than spectacle. This is a novelist who knows when to press and when to wait, when to let silence speak louder than accusation.
What makes For Nothing Is Hidden so unsettling is precisely that restraint. Valenti resists the easy theatrics of modern true crime. There are no melodramatic flourishes, no indulgent cliffhangers. Instead, the prose moves with the patience of an investigator turning over evidence that has already been handled too many times. The result feels eerily authentic—like reading a case file that keeps reopening itself against your will.
At the emotional center of the novel is Colleen Goodson. She is not flattened into a symbol of motherhood or tragedy. She is impulsive, wounded, defensive, and enduring. In an era quick to assign blame—especially to working-class women—Colleen becomes both the object of suspicion and the vessel of grief. Valenti never asks to absolve her; instead, he asks us to understand the cost of living inside unanswered questions. Watching her age through the decades, you feel how loss adapts itself to new false hopes.
As someone who does not seek out crime fiction—and who reads this book through the lens of parenthood—the experience is harrowing. For Nothing Is Hidden has a way of making the mundane terrifying. It makes you scan crowds differently. It makes you hold your children’s hands a little tighter and linger just a second longer at the curb. This is not anxiety for shock value; it is the natural byproduct of a story written by someone who understands how easily truth can vanish—and how long it can take to bring it back.
By the time Valenti closes the book, he has not handed the reader a neat solution. Instead, he leaves us with something far more honest: the ache of unresolved truth, the quiet insistence that time does not erase questions, and the unsettling reminder—echoed in the novel’s biblical epigraph—that what is hidden is never truly gone.
Author Bio:
A national award-winning reporter for Newsday and author of the critically acclaimed Swee'pea and Other Playground Legends, about former All-American Lloyd (Swee'pea) Daniels and New York City playground basketball [Published by Michael Kesend Publishing, Ltd., 1990 / Reissued by Simon & Schuster imprint Atria Books, July 2016], John A. Valenti 3rd has appeared on hundreds of television and radio shows, including NPR and Good Morning America with Charles Gibson. He's had featured roles in The Legend of Swee'pea, an award-winning documentary by Benjamin May, and the Emmy-winning ESPN 30-for-30 Big Shot by Kevin Connolly - the latter the story of how John Spano fleeced Fleet Bank out of $80 million to buy the NHL New York Islanders while claiming to be a Dallas multimillionaire and how Valenti headed a team of Newsday reporters and uncovered the truth, leading to the federal conviction of Spano. A veteran of four decades with Newsday, Valenti has been honored with national first-places finishes in the prestigious Society of the Silurians, Associated Press Sports Editors and National Headliner Award competitions, including APSE Best Enterprise Reporting in 1996 as part of team that reported a ground-breaking series on concussions and for Best Investigative Reporting in 1997 for his investigation of Spano. He was the lead columnist on Newsday's "Death on the Roads" series that earned the esteemed Silurians Community Service Award in 2004, was part of a team that took first place in the 2007 Silurians competition for "Death of a Yankee," the reporting of the plane crash that killed New York Yankees pitcher Cory Lidle, and the 2012 First Place award by Silurians for Online Breaking News coverage of 2011 Tropical Storm Irene. He also was part of the Newsday team that won the 2024 National Headliner Award for breaking news coverage of the arrest of alleged Gilgo Beach serial killer Rex Heuermann. Valenti has covered Major League Baseball, the NBA, NHL, the 1994 World Cup Soccer Tournament, major-college sports and breaking news events and Newsday submitted his work for Pulitzer Prize consideration at least 10 times between 1987 and 2024. Among notable figures Valenti has interviewed include: Michael Jordan, Magic Johnson, Julius Erving, Billie Jean King, Mike Tyson, Evander Holyfield, Mario Andretti, Wayne Gretzky, Pele and the first two men to walk on the Moon - Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin. He was a candidate for the 1986 NASA-sponsored "Journalist in Space Project" and made his critically acclaimed debut as a poet in 13 Poets from Long Island in 2023. For Nothing is Hidden is his debut novel. Valenti lives in Elmhurst, Queens, with wife and longtime companion Elizabeth Eser Jose. He has one son, Jarek.
CHARLEY'S NEW FRIEND
FULL BOOK TITLE: Charley’s New Friend
AUTHOR NAME: Wendy B Wenger M.A. ILLUSTRATOR: Djacson Stvil
PUBLISHER NAME: Balboa Press
LINK: https://www.amazon.com/Charleys-New-Friend-Wendy-Wenger/dp/B0DCZVJTXQ/
At first glance, Charley’s New Friend appears to be a gentle woodland story—lush illustrations, a curious child, a talking animal companion. But beneath its soft colors and inviting tone lies a carefully constructed emotional framework, one that speaks as much to adults as it does to children.
Wendy B. Wenger, M.A., brings her background as a therapist and life coach directly into the DNA of this book, crafting a narrative that does not shy away from difficult emotions but instead invites young readers to name them, explore them, and ultimately grow from them. Rather than positioning hardship as something to avoid, Charley’s New Friend reframes challenge as a source of inner strength—a message delivered with warmth, patience, and respect for a child’s emotional intelligence.
The story follows Charley, a thoughtful and observant child, who ventures into a familiar wooded path while feeling lonely and disconnected. His chance encounter with Arthur, a wise and unusually colorful snake, becomes the heart of the narrative. Arthur’s multicolored rings serve as a powerful visual metaphor: each ring represents a life experience—joyful, painful, frightening, or transformative. The brighter the ring, the more difficult the experience that created it. This symbolic device is accessible and profound, allowing children to externalize their emotions and see them as meaningful rather than overwhelming.
What makes this book especially effective is its restraint. Wenger does not lecture. She allows dialogue, reflection, and shared storytelling between Charley and Arthur to do the work. As Arthur recounts experiences of loss, teasing, grief, and resilience, Charley gradually recognizes parallels in his own life—missing siblings, navigating fear, and learning how to cope with embarrassment and anger.
The illustrations by Djacson Stvil deepen the book’s impact. His vibrant, expressive artwork mirrors the emotional spectrum of the story. Arthur’s rings—muted, radiant, or dazzling—visually reinforce the emotional lessons being shared.
The inclusion of a substantial “For Parents and Other Readers” section further distinguishes this book from standard children’s literature. Wenger provides practical, compassionate guidance on emotional regulation, boundaries, resilience, empathy, and self-esteem. This section makes the book a tool for families and caregivers seeking to foster emotional literacy in children.
This is a book that invites conversation, reflection, and repeated reading. It belongs on classroom shelves, in counseling offices, and in homes where emotional growth is valued as highly as academic success. Charley’s New Friend leaves readers with a simple but enduring truth: nothing we experience is wasted, and even the hardest moments can become badges of courage.
Author Bio:
Wendy B. Wenger, MA, had been working as a therapist and advocate for children and adults since earning her master’s degree in psychology from Pennsylvania State University. She worked with many local, state-wide, and international organizations throughout her career. Wendy employed both traditional and somatic therapeutic techniques to assist individuals, couples, and families with various important life issues. Now she is publishing the stories that she wrote for her adopted children. She has also created other resources to help children, parents and other readers to engage in a healthier experience.
Early in life Wendy knew that her purpose had to include helping others. This started in her early life as she, her sister and mother volunteered in different organizations helping those who were less fortunate. In addition, as with all experiences, Wendy learned that life is its best teacher. She calls it on-the-job training as a parent, along with healthy self-reflection which offered some of the best parenting skills she learned. And this was even after many college courses and parenting classes.
Wendy has done just that with her many years of helping others as a therapist and advocate. She has also written picture books and early readers for her children when they were young. The author wrote the stories to help her children better navigate life, complete with all of its successes and difficult moments.
Wendy is a member of the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators (SCBWI). Her writing has been published in local newsletters and newspapers, and her stories have been used in her son’s school district. Many children, professionals, and parents supported the author by listening to the stories and providing helpful comments. Two of her stories even won awards from a local council of the arts.
Djacson Stvil is a Newark-based illustrator working in digital media since 2010. Inspired by Yoji Shinkawa and his father Daniel, he brings emotional depth and subtle detail to every scene. Djacson began by sketching loved ones as characters from video games and anime, sparking a lifelong passion for capturing mood and meaning. His use of color, environment, and perspective helps stories come alive—and he loves helping others express their ideas visually.
DELAWARE AT CHRISTMAS
FULL BOOK TITLE: Delaware at Christmas: The First State in a Merry State
AUTHOR NAME: Dave Tabler
PUBLISHER NAME: Dave Tabler
LINK: https://www.amazon.com/Delaware-Christmas-First-State-Merry-ebook/dp/B0F4NJ2KTZ/
Delaware at Christmas is a quietly powerful book. Rather than treating the holiday as a single tradition, it looks at Christmas as something that has grown and changed along with the people of Delaware. Dave Tabler shows how the holiday reflects the state’s history, identity, and mix of cultures in a way that feels both thoughtful and sincere.
Instead of relying on nostalgia, Tabler builds the story through research and context. He traces Christmas in Delaware from its earliest settlers through the present day, highlighting the influences of Scandinavian, German, Irish, Italian, Polish, Orthodox Christian, and African American communities along the way. The result is a portrait of a holiday that has always been diverse and evolving.
Some of the most enjoyable moments in the book come from the small details — things like outdoor decorations, neighborhood house tours, and even mid-century punch-card wreaths. These glimpses of everyday creativity show how deeply Christmas has been woven into community life.
Tabler doesn’t shy away from harder history, either. His discussion of Christmas traditions among free and enslaved Black families before the Civil War adds real depth and honesty to the story, reminding readers that the season hasn’t always been experienced the same way by everyone.
Archival photographs throughout the book help bring the past to life, grounding the narrative in real homes, churches, and streets. You don’t just read about tradition — you see it.
In the end, Delaware at Christmas isn’t really about sentimentality. It’s about continuity — how traditions adapt, how communities pass meaning from one generation to the next, and how a place shapes the way its people celebrate. It works both as a historical reflection and as a reminder of how holidays connect us to the people who came before us.
Author Bio:
Ten year old Dave Tabler decided he was going to read the ‘R’ volume from the family’s World Book Encyclopedia set over summer vacation. He never made it from beginning to end. He did, however, become interested in Norman Rockwell, rare-earth elements, and Run for the Roses.
Tabler’s father encouraged him to try his hand at taking pictures with the family camera. With visions of Rockwell dancing in his head, Tabler press-ganged his younger brother into wearing a straw hat and sitting next to a stream barefoot with a homemade fishing pole in his hand. The resulting image was terrible.
Dave Tabler went on to earn degrees in art history and photojournalism despite being told he needed a ‘Plan B.'
Fresh out of college, Tabler contributed the photography for “The Illustrated History of American Civil War Relics,” which taught him how to work with museum curators, collectors, and white cotton gloves. He met a man in the Shenandoah Valley who played the musical saw, a Knoxville fellow who specialized in collecting barbed wire, and Tom Dickey, brother of the man who wrote ‘Deliverance.’
In 2006 Tabler circled back to these earlier encounters with Appalachian culture as an idea for a blog. AppalachianHistory.net today reaches 375,000 readers a year.
Dave Tabler moved to Delaware in 2010 and became smitten with its rich past. He no longer copies Norman Rockwell, but his experience working with curators and collectors came in handy when he got the urge to photograph a love letter to Delaware’s early heritage. This may be the start of something.
THE END?
FULL BOOK TITLE: THE END?: Hope Is The Enemy Evil Fears Most (Kachada Trilogy)
AUTHOR NAME: Don Sedei
PUBLISHER NAME: Blue-Eyed Falcon, LLC
LINK: https://www.amazon.com/END-Enemy-Fears-Kachada-Trilogy/dp/1734303476/
THE END? is a novel driven by velocity—of thought, of violence, of history itself. In the third installment of the Kachada Trilogy, Don Sedei delivers a story that reads less like conventional fiction and more like a classified dossier pried open under pressure. It is blunt, unfiltered, and unapologetically intense, pulling readers into a world where morality is fluid and survival depends on knowing which truths are worth exposing—and which are better buried.
The novel follows Kachada, a hardened operative whose past is inseparable from the global conflicts he navigates. From Texas motels to Moscow safe houses, from biker gangs to senators’ chambers, Sedei constructs a narrative that moves seamlessly between street-level brutality and geopolitical intrigue. The prose is sharp and confrontational, mirroring a protagonist who operates without illusions. Violence is not romanticized; it is transactional, sudden, and consequential.
What sets THE END? apart is its layering of history with fiction. Sedei weaves real-world events—intelligence failures, terrorism, political maneuvering—into the story’s spine, creating a sense that the plot is brushing dangerously close to reality. Conversations unfold like interrogations. Power is negotiated over breakfast tables and behind locked doors. Even moments of intimacy are tinged with threat, reminding the reader that nothing in Kachada’s world exists without cost.
The novel’s pacing is relentless, but beneath it lies a quieter meditation on loyalty and disillusionment. Kachada is not a hero in the traditional sense; he is a survivor shaped by betrayal, memory, and a code that predates modern politics. Sedei’s prose does not soften its edges for comfort. The dialogue is raw, often profane, and intentionally abrasive.
By the novel’s close, the title lingers as a question rather than a conclusion. THE END? refuses neat resolution, instead leaving readers with the unsettling recognition that history rarely ends—only reshapes itself through new players and familiar mistakes.
Author Bio:
Don is a contemporary writer and artist based in Dallas, Texas.
Raised in the Rust Belt in Johnstown, Pennsylvania, he studied at the prestigious La Roche University in Pittsburgh, graduating with a bachelor’s degree in advertising and design. After graduation, Don immersed himself into the world of advertising, creating original ideas for some of the world’s largest brands that opened many new doors, including the ones for his ad agency.
His commitment to fighting the disease of mediocrity earned him national and international awards, including the one he is most proud of, the induction into La Roche University Distinguished Alumni Circle for his excellence and lifetime achievements. Likewise, that background has exposed Don to a collection of unique experiences that informed his belief today’s audiences are adrenaline junkies looking for an original, entertaining, and unpredictable tale taking their emotions on a rollercoaster ride. Enter the emotional and moral struggle of an assassin’s tale, Kachada Trilogy, an action-packed thriller where the chilling ancestral traditions of the Comanche tribe, and the ruthless code of the Sicilian Mafia mysteriously intersect. On the lighter side, Tale of Bronco & The Wizard is based on a true story written as a lighthearted urban fantasy about friendship, football, and wizards. A magical ride that will leave readers with their hearts full.
TWO HEARTS, ONE QUEST FOR FREEDOM
FULL BOOK TITLE: Two Hearts, One Quest For Freedom
AUTHOR NAME: Sheri Lynne
PUBLISHER NAME: Christian Faith Publishing
LINK: https://www.amazon.com/Two-Hearts-One-Quest-Freedom/dp/B0GH9JKRCY/ref=sr_1_1
Sheri Lynne’s Two Hearts, One Quest for Freedomis a historical novel set in turn-of-the-century Hungary. With lyrical skill, Lynne tells a multigenerational story that blends romance with the immigrant experience while capturing the turbulence of a nation on the brink of change.
The novel centers around Marta, a young woman whose coming-of-age journey is shaped by the shifting political landscape and a growing hunger for freedom. Her relationship with the principled and loyal Captain Jonathon Bartholomew is both emotionally resonant and morally complex, given his service in the Austro-Hungarian military. Their love story, marked by quiet devotion and high stakes, unfolds with poignancy and authenticity.
Parallel to Marta’s journey is the romance of her parents, Susanah and Frank—a narrative thread that deepens the novel’s intergenerational scope and reflects the long arc of sacrifice and survival.
Lynne’s strength lies in her immersive depictions of Hungarian life. From village streets to secret tunnels, she paints a vivid portrait of a country on the brink of change. Her dedication to historical accuracy is clear, though at times the exposition can lean heavily into detail. Some moments blur the line between dialogue and narration, momentarily slowing the pace.
The story’s action crescendos in a dramatic and emotionally charged rescue sequence. With danger surrounding them, characters must make split-second decisions that reveal their loyalties and inner strength. The tension is high, but Lynne avoids melodrama, grounding the scene in personal stakes rather than spectacle. The aftermath—reunions, regrets, and quiet relief—carries genuine emotional weight. The love between Marta and Jonathon, tested by hardship and sacrifice, is sealed in a moment of intimate honesty.
In the end, Two Hearts, One Quest for Freedom is more than a historical romance. It is a tribute to cultural identity and is a reminder of what people are willing to risk for love and liberty. While the prose occasionally edges into over-explanation, the novel’s heart remains undeniable. It is a memorable story that will resonate with fans of heartfelt historical fiction and those who understand that the quest for freedom—like love—is never easy, but always worth it.
Author Bio:
Sheri Lynne is the owner of a small business in southern Michigan which keeps her busy along with caring for her special-needs son Bryan, who holds a very special place in her heart. Over the years, Lynne has been involved with Compassion International, a ministry aiding children in third-world countries, bringing them and their families out of poverty, providing them with food, education, and medical assistance, and teaching them the love of Christ. In her spare time, Lynne enjoys spending time with her daughter Wendy and her husband Joe and their daughter, her darling granddaughter Madilynne.
THAT'S NOT THE HELP I NEED
FULL BOOK TITLE: That’s Not the Help I Need: Real Talk for Women About Winning at Work
AUTHOR NAME: Tiffany G. Rosik
PUBLISHER NAME: Authors on Mission
LINK: https://www.amazon.com/Thats-Not-Help-Need-Winning/dp/B0DKJWQ81H/
Tiffany Rosik doesn’t just write a career guide—she kicks the door open, looks corporate culture dead in the eye, and says what every exhausted, overlooked, overqualified woman has been muttering under her breath in the parking lot for years. This isn’t a book that politely asks for a seat at the table; it rearranges the chairs, dims the fluorescent lights, and demands a workplace that actually makes sense.
Rosik’s book is part memoir, part manual, and part intervention. She brings receipts—real stories of what happens when talented women shrink themselves inside systems never designed for them. Her account of being micromanaged into daily 8 a.m. check-ins until she realized she didn’t need correction but advocacy is just one example. There’s an electric honesty to her storytelling. She owns what she didn’t know, what she tolerated for far too long, and what she now refuses outright.
What makes the book exceptional is Rosik’s ability to turn lived experience into tools. Concepts like the “4 Rs”—Risk, Rejection, Reset, Resilience—aren’t motivational fluff; they’re the backbone of her strategy for navigating toxic managers, corporate politics, motherhood bias, and performance-review optics. She never frames women as the problem—she frames the system as absurd and women as the only ones still trying to operate it with dignity.
A standout moment comes when she breaks down early salary negotiations, showing with surgical clarity how a $3,000 concession becomes a $54,000 loss over five years thanks to bonuses and percentage-based raises. It’s the kind of math that makes readers sit up straighter and rethink every “sure, that’s fine” they’ve ever said.
Rosik is refreshingly unromantic about corporate culture. She doesn’t pretend speaking up will always work, nor does she sell HR as a neutral refuge. She names the political machinery plainly—and the toxic leadership even more plainly. Her story of a manager who demanded constant updates and tried to control her personal time isn’t sensational; it’s painfully familiar for many women in male-dominated fields.
What elevates this book above standard leadership literature is its emotional intelligence. Rosik shows that workplace success—especially for women—is as much a psychological battle as it is a skill-based one. Her three key questions—“Why not me? If not me, then who? If not now, when?”—function less as slogans and more as invitations to finally dismantle the quiet, corrosive self-doubt society implants early on. By the end, That’s Not the Help I Need feels like a fierce professional companion for women who are done settling, done shrinking, and done accepting “maybe next year” as an answer. It’s not a book meant to sit quietly in the self-help aisle—it belongs with the disruptors, the strategists, and the leaders who are less interested in climbing the corporate ladder than in rebuilding it entirely.
A bold, necessary read—and exactly the kind of real talk the workplace has been needing.
Author Bio:
Tiffany Rosik, CEO of TGR Management Consulting and trusted advisor to Fortune 1000 companies, tackles complex projects by fostering high-performing teams that deliver results. Tiffany is passionate about helping women achieve their full workplace potential by serving as a Mentor, Coach, and Leader. Her book bridges the theory-practice gap, empowering women to thrive in the real world. Tiffany holds a Master's in Information Systems from Loyola University Chicago and a Bachelor of Science in Marketing from Millikin University, as well as numerous certifications.
SONG OF BELONGING
FULL BOOK TITLE: Song of Belonging
AUTHOR NAME: Michelle St. Romain
PUBLISHER NAME: She Writes Press
LINK: https://www.amazon.com/Song-Belonging-Michelle-St-Romain/dp/B0FDGSF5HR/
Reading Song of Belonging felt less like moving through a traditional novel and more like being gently invited into someone else’s memory. From the beginning, I felt that this was a story meant to be experienced slowly, with attention and care. It is about family. It is about inheritance. It is about the quiet ways the past continues to live inside us.
The story centers on Alice Clairvaux, a woman trying to keep her life orderly and focused on her career. She believes she has moved on from her past, but the novel makes it clear early on that the past has not moved on from her. When she opens a jewelry box passed down from her great-grandmother, something long dormant begins to wake up—memories, questions, and a sense that she is connected to something much larger than herself.
What struck me the most was the way the novel treats ancestry. The women who come before Alice do not feel distant or abstract. They feel present and deeply human. Their grief and strength ripple forward through generations. The chapters set in Louisiana, especially those focused on motherhood and loss, were especially moving.
St. Romain spends time on small moments—the smell of coffee, the sound of water, the feel of silk or stone—and those moments add up to something powerful. Nature is always nearby in this book, not just as a backdrop but as a guide and witness. Water, trees, animals, and wind all seem to hold memory and meaning.
I also appreciated that the novel does not rush to explain everything. Some experiences remain mysterious, and that feels intentional. The book seems less interested in answers than in listening—to intuition, to family stories, and to the natural world. It asks the reader to consider what it might mean to stop resisting those quiet inner signals.
Song of Belonging is not a book for someone looking for fast action or clear resolutions. It is for readers who enjoy reflective stories about identity, lineage, and the ways we inherit more than just names and objects. By the end, I felt that the novel was gently asking me the same question it asks Alice: what do we do with what has been passed down to us?
Author Bio:
Michelle St. Romain has loved writing and stories since she could hold a pencil. She completed a fellowship for the Bookgardan women’s writing program and was a writer-in-residence at Craigardan in the Adirondacks in the fall of 2023.
Co-author of two poetry collections, Promised Fruit and Water’s Edge, her debut novel, Song of Belonging, will be released in April 2026 by She Writes Press with distribution by Simon and Schuster.
She leads creative writing workshops for women and has taught English and creative writing to children and teens in California, Hawai’i, and Oregon. She holds a B.A. in English from Loyola University, New Orleans and an M.A. in English/ Creative Writing from California State University, Sacramento.
Her work has been featured in the Poetry Phone Line Project of the Oregon Humanities, The Rapids literary magazine, and on Jefferson Public Radio and Ashland Community Radio.
Michelle lives in Southern Oregon with her wife, two spaniels, and a wise, aging cat. They are enjoying watching their three creative young adults launch into the world.
ESCALA'S WISH
FULL BOOK TITLE: Escala’s Wish: Tales of Valla - Book One
AUTHOR NAME: David James
PUBLISHER NAME: Trash Panda Publishing
LINK: https://www.amazon.com/Escalas-Wish-action-adventure-romantasy-real-life/dp/B0G4M5XJKP/
Escala’s Wishis a fantasy novel that clearly loves stories—the telling of them, the performance of them, and the way they shape how people understand the world. From the opening pages, it feels intentionally theatrical, framed as a tale told by a bard to a tavern audience, and that choice sets the tone for everything that follows.
What struck me first was the voice. The narrator, Wigfrith Foreverbloom, speaks directly to the reader as if we are sitting among the crowd at The Stag and Hound. There is a knowing wink in the way he tells the story, but beneath that charm is a carefully constructed world with its own rules. The book is playful at times, but it is not light in the sense of being shallow.
At the heart of the story is Escala Winter, a pixie from the Court of Dreams whose impulsive act—driven by curiosity about love—sets off consequences far larger than she ever imagined. What I appreciated is that the novel does not treat her mistakes casually. Her actions lead to real loss, real grief, and real ethical questions about responsibility and intent. The concept of the True Cycle, and the harsh fey punishment known as the Wane, gives the story real gravity.
The world-building is delivered through story rather than exposition dumps. The explanations of fey law, the different courts, and the nature of fey existence are woven into the bard’s performance, often with humor or commentary that keeps things moving. At times, the book pauses to explain its mythology in detail, but these moments feel purposeful—like a storyteller making sure the audience understands what is at stake before continuing. Emotionally, the book balances several tones at once. There is whimsy and wit, especially in Wigfrith’s commentary, but there is also genuine darkness: betrayal within families, rigid systems of justice, and the cost of love when it collides with law. The scenes involving Escala’s trial and her relationship with her father stood out to me as especially effective.
Escala’s Wishis a book for readers who enjoy immersive fantasy worlds and don’t mind taking their time with a story. It rewards patience and attention, especially for those who appreciate layered lore and moral complexity. By the end, it felt less like I had simply read a fantasy novel and more like I had listened to a long, carefully crafted tale—one that understands both the joy and the danger of wishing for something without fully understanding its cost.
Author Bio:
David James (DJ) is an attorney and lives in Northborough, Massachusetts, with his wife, Tonya, who has somehow endured thirty years of his endless parade of ridiculous character voices echoing through the house. Together they’ve raised three wonderful children, now off conquering the world through college, law school, and Boston courtrooms.
When he’s not writing fantasy novels, designing campaigns, or crafting multi-page backstories, DJ records and publishes Christian hip-hop under the stage name “DJ the Not So Ordinary.” His music is available on all major streaming platforms.
DJ is the creator of his homebrew fantasy world Valla™.
He is already hard at work on his second novel set in Valla, because, apparently, sleep is optional when your imagination won’t shut up.
BEYOND SUPERHERO SCHOOL
FULL BOOK TITLE: Beyond Superhero School: Let the Games Begin
AUTHOR NAME: Gracie Dix
PUBLISHER NAME: Toast Industries
LINK: https://www.amazon.com/Beyond-Superhero-School-Games-Begin/dp/B0F4Y6ZCBY/
Beyond Superhero School: Let the Games Begin! by Gracie Dix whisks readers back into a world of teenage heroes, boundless energy, and heart. Team HOPE takes center stage this time as contestants on Unleash Your Wild Side, a televised competition that promises fun and glory—but quickly turns into something far more dangerous when familiar villains and hidden forces begin to meddle behind the scenes. What starts as a game becomes a test of courage, teamwork, and trust.
Dix writes with an energy that’s as bright as her heroes’ powers. Her dialogue sparkles, full of humor and the kind of quick-fire banter that feels true to teenage friendship. Each member of Team HOPE stands out—Nick with his quiet worry, Spencer with his lingering guilt, and Teddy with his steady confidence—and together they form a team readers can root for. Beneath the action and humor runs a sincere current about loyalty, self-discovery, and learning to rely on others.
The story’s dialogue-driven pace gives it a lively, cinematic rhythm, making it easy to imagine as an animated series or superhero show. At times, this energy races ahead of the setting, leaving readers wishing for a few more sensory details to ground them in each scene. A deeper pause now and then—to let the tension breathe or the emotion land—would only make the book’s high points shine brighter.
Still, Beyond Superhero School: Let the Games Begin! is a joyful, fast-moving adventure filled with warmth and imagination. Dix has created a world that celebrates friendship, bravery, and hope, and her enthusiasm leaps off every page. For readers who love stories like Percy Jackson or My Hero Academia, this series continues to offer the perfect blend of action, heart, and humor.
Lively, heartfelt, and full of spirit—Gracie Dix delivers another heroic chapter in her growing universe of young heroes.
Author Bio:
Award-winning writer Gracie Dix is a college student and the author of two previous books set in the VORK world. She has been creating stories since she could hold a pencil. When Gracie isn’t writing, she is most likely with animals. She can also be found singing, baking, creating art, and volunteering. She loves travel, her family, and is a loyal friend. When she’s not in school, Gracie lives in Dallas, Texas with her beloved dogs, Sandy and Lily, and her sassy cat, Ruthie. To keep up with her life and writing adventures, follow her on Instagram: @gracie.dix.author.
Gracie’s Superhero School series, The VORK Chronicles, explores powerful themes that resonate with readers of all ages — embracing your differences, discovering inner strength, and learning to work as a team. Each book highlights how unique abilities and diverse backgrounds can come together to create something truly heroic. At its heart, the series celebrates the importance of family, friendship, and believing in yourself, even when the odds feel impossible. Through moments of bravery, resilience, and self-discovery, the characters learn not only who they are, but also the purpose behind their powers. As their stories unfold, whether they’re navigating school, facing their fears, or battling villains, they show us that real strength comes from connection, courage, and the choice to stand together for something greater than themselves.
BIOLOGY OF TRAUMA
FULL BOOK TITLE: Biology of Trauma: How the Body Holds Fear, Pain, and Overwhelm, and How to Heal It
AUTHOR NAME: Aimie Apigian, MD
PUBLISHER NAME: Ben Bella Books
LINK: https://www.amazon.com/Biology-Trauma-Body-Holds-Overwhelm/dp/1637746237/
In this ambitious and compassionate guide, physician Aimie Apigian reframes trauma not as a psychological label but as a biological process that shapes the body at every level.
Drawing from her experiences as a foster parent, surgeon, and patient, Apigian builds a case that unresolved trauma is not merely “in the mind” but embedded in nervous systems, mitochondria, and immune responses. Through accessible science and personal narrative, she introduces a “universal trauma response” of five sequential stages—startle, stress, wall, freeze, shutdown—and shows how these adaptations, once protective, can become sources of chronic illness, fatigue, or emotional disconnection. Stories of patients like Elena, whose car accident triggered autoimmunity, and Claire, whose relentless fatigue masked long-standing overwhelm, illustrate the theory with clarity and empathy.
The book is great at making complex neuroscience approachable. Apigian translates polyvagal theory, psychoneuroimmunology, and functional medicine into language that clinicians and lay readers alike can grasp. The structure is logical, moving from how trauma is experienced, to why it becomes stored, to how healing occurs.
At times, the narrative risks overwhelming readers with repetition or extended explanations of biology, and the audience is not always clear—oscillating between professional practitioners and general readers. Still, Apigian grounds even her densest passages in story and metaphor, keeping the text accessible. Some readers may wish for more practical, step-by-step healing exercises beyond the “art narrative” process, but the book consistently emphasizes safety, pacing, and respect for the body’s wisdom.
A scientifically rigorous and deeply compassionate guide that reframes trauma and offers a map toward genuine healing.
Author Bio:
Dr. Aimie Apigian is a double Board-Certified Physician in Preventive and Addiction Medicine, with Masters degrees in Biochemistry, Public Health, and specialized training in Functional Medicine. She is the founder of The Mind-Body-Biology Institute and trains practitioners in The Biology of Trauma®, a lens that addresses how the body holds fear, pain and overwhelm that makes one sick and stuck. Dr. Aimie’s unique integration of multiple modalities from medicine to neuroscience to therapy modalities has helped thousands of people and practitioners around the world to be in their best health and their best authentic selves.
Her recent book, The Biology of Trauma, is groundbreaking exploring the science of how the body experiences trauma, why it holds on, and what it needs for healing. The book is endorsed by Dr. Gabor Maté, a renowned expert in trauma and addiction, who has written the foreword. Inspired by her experience as a foster and adoptive mother, Dr. Aimie’s work blends her rigorous medical training with a deep understanding of the emotional and psychological impacts of trauma, offering a practical, integrative, holistic approach to healing focused on addressing the 3 levels needed for true healing: mind, body and biology.
GIRL BAIT
FULL BOOK TITLE: Girl Bait
AUTHOR NAME: BK Pruitt
PUBLISHER NAME: BookBaby
LINK: https://www.amazon.com/Girl-Bait-BK-Pruitt/dp/B0F9NDVSKV/
In Girl Bait, BK Pruitt delivers a multi-layered thriller that blends historical intrigue with contemporary suspense, creating a story that is chilling. The novel opens with a harrowing scene in 1837 Illinois, where Presbyterian minister Elijah Lovejoy is caught in the crossfire of a violent mob of pro-slavery activists. His death, tied to a mysterious bloody frock, links the past to the future, propelling the story forward into a world of international intrigue.
The novel leaps forward nearly two centuries to Alton West, a war hero returning from Afghanistan, seeking peace and normalcy in the aftermath of personal tragedy. His quiet life is disrupted when fate brings him together with Odessa, a powerful woman driven by a quest for redemption. Together, they embark on a high-stakes mission to confront a ruthless international tyrant who profits from the abduction of children. As Alton and Odessa follow a trail of dark clues, they uncover secrets that tie back to the 1837 murder, forcing them to reckon with the ghosts of the past and their own moral dilemmas.
Pruitt’s storytelling is taut. The parallel narratives—spanning from the violent events of 1837 to Alton and Odessa’s race against time in the present—are woven together in a way that keeps the reader on edge. The historical backdrop, marked by the abolitionist struggle and Lovejoy’s tragic death, is a huge part of the storyline.
Alton, as a character, is a classic example of a tortured hero—his experiences in Afghanistan have left him scarred, and he seeks solace in solitude. His connection with Odessa, a woman whose past is as complicated as his own, provides an emotional anchor to the story. Odessa is a formidable figure. Their evolving relationship is at the heart of the novel, offering moments of vulnerability amid the relentless suspense.
Pruitt excels in crafting scenes that draw the reader in. From the quiet moments of reflection to the heart-pounding chases, every scene has tension. The action sequences are vivid, while the psychological complexity of the characters’ decisions provides a framework that questions the true cost of revenge.
Pruitt’s ability to weave a historical event into a contemporary thriller is impressive. With unexpected twists and a heart-pounding pace, Girl Bait is a recommended read. However, I will mention, readers should be prepared for the intense themes of stalking, emotional manipulation, and child abduction, which may be triggering for some.
Author Bio:
BK Pruitt is an author. But during the day, he’s a mild-mannered college professor teaching registered nursing and critical patient care at a private university. At night, he feasts on an extensive collection of antique books that surround him and lend their ancient aromas as he writes gritty, suspense-filled hero dramas involving strong women and their male counterparts.
In his previous life, he wrote award-winning journalism in the Oakland Tribune, the Sacramento Bee, the Contra Costa Times, and other news, political, and health publications. His voice reverberated on one of the nation’s top five news radio stations, Newstalk 93.1 KFBK, in Sacramento. He holds multiple college degrees in journalism, government, screenwriting, and registered nursing, as well as a master’s degree in education.
To keep things interesting, he is also a commercially rated aircraft pilot.
KEYS TO THE EMPIRE
FULL BOOK TITLE: Keys to the Empire: The Prototype Trilogy Book 3
AUTHOR NAME: Sam Mitani
PUBLISHER NAME: Carrara Media
LINK: https://www.amazon.com/Keys-Empire-Prototype-Trilogy-Mitani/dp/B0DHT63B1W/
Sam Mitani’s Keys to the Empire is a sophisticated thriller that moves with confidence through worlds of espionage and moral compromise. Written with precision and cinematic detail, it binds global politics, personal redemption, and the quiet tension of a man forever living in the shadows.
The novel follows Dr. Linghu Ning and Charles Qiang Hu—two men bound by science, secrecy, and survival—through a story that begins in the steamy chaos of Southeast Asia and expands into a far-reaching web of intelligence operations. Mitani handles complex geopolitics with a deft touch, grounding the intrigue in deeply human motivations.
Keys to the Empire has balance of intelligence and heart. Mitani understands that espionage is not just about codes and cover identities—it’s about the cost of living a double life. His protagonist’s transformation from government asset to quiet restaurateur in Los Angeles adds emotional texture. The tension is constant but never forced; each scene feels earned and meticulously constructed.
Mitani’s prose is elegant but unpretentious. His dialogue rings true, his settings—from the Mekong River to California’s suburban calm—are alive with sensory precision, and his pacing is deliberate, letting the suspense unfold naturally rather than rely on spectacle. By the time the narrative reaches its final revelations, Keys to the Empire has evolved from a spy story into something deeper: a meditation on trust, identity, and the invisible lines between nations and people.
Author Bio:
Sam Mitani was born in Tokyo, Japan and moved to Southern California at the age of two. He became the first Asian-American senior staff member of an English language major automobile publication and is best known for his work as International Editor for Road & Track magazine, where he was a staff editor for 22 years. Sam was a member of the first American motorcycle tour of Vietnam since the war and holds a 6th-degree black belt in judo. His debut novel, The Prototype, was published in 2018 and the complete trilogy released in 2024.
LAYERED LEADERSHIP
FULL BOOK TITLE: Layered Leadership: Drive Double-Digit Growth and Dominate Your Competition with Creative Strategies and Execution
AUTHOR NAME: Lawrence R. Armstrong
PUBLISHER NAME: Matt Holt Books
LINK: https://www.amazon.com/Layered-Leadership-Double-Digit-Competition-Strategies/dp/1637746350/
Drawing on his decades-long journey at Ware Malcomb, Lawrence Armstrong blends memoir, business strategy, leadership philosophy, and artistic perspective into a cohesive framework he calls “layered leadership”—a model rooted in the idea that great leaders synthesize diverse influences, cultivate the whole person, and build organizations that thrive across generations.
From the opening chapters, Armstrong ground his teachings in lived experience. His early fascinations with how houses, landscapes, and natural systems are composed in layers become a powerful metaphor for how leaders grow. These personal reflections—of childhood construction sites, early-career risks, and the pivotal opportunities that shaped his professional trajectory—give the book an unusually human dimension, reinforcing his central idea that leadership is not a position but a practice of continual learning and creative integration.
Armstrong’s use of Leonardo da Vinci as an archetype of the whole-brain leader gives the book intellectual weight and distinctiveness. Leonardo’s curiosity, physical discipline, interpersonal skill, and boundless imagination provide a model for modern leaders seeking balance and expansion in their own capabilities. Armstrong weaves Leonardo’s habits—his anatomical studies, mechanical designs, artistic innovations, and problem-solving for patrons—into a compelling case for leaders to develop formal skills, creative habits, interpersonal awareness, and personal well-being all at once.
As Layered Leadership progresses, it becomes a practical guide grounded in organizational success. Armstrong outlines actionable strategies for developing vision, designing sustainable growth plans, building mentoring cultures, identifying “blue ocean” opportunities, and constructing succession plans that work. His chapters on diversified growth, leadership pipelines, and the Visible Light Spectrum of market expansion provide clear methodologies backed by Ware Malcomb’s own rise to becoming a top-ranked global firm.
Equally compelling is Armstrong’s insistence that leadership is creative work. He dismantles the myth that creativity belongs only to artists, arguing instead that innovation emerges from disciplined curiosity and the synthesis of diverse experiences. His “flashes of light”—the breakthrough moments that shape strategic and personal direction—become a powerful motif throughout the text.
When it all boils down, Layered Leadership is a comprehensive, human-centered guide to developing leaders who think broadly and act boldly. It serves executives, team leaders, entrepreneurs, and rising professionals equally well, earning its place among truly impactful leadership literature.
Author Bio:
Lawrence Armstrong is a New York Times best-selling author whose debut work, Layered Leadership (2025), offers a compelling exploration of leadership as both an art and a discipline. Drawing on decades of experience as Chairman of the global design firm Ware Malcomb, Armstrong distills the complexities of organizational growth, personal development, and visionary strategy into a nuanced, multi-dimensional framework. His writing is informed by a deep commitment to innovation, creativity, and human potential—values shaping his work as an architect, business leader, and artist. Armstrong brings a rare blend of intellect, empathy, and aesthetic sensibility to each page.
THE GIRL FROM THE RAIN
FULL BOOK TITLE: The Girl from the Rain
AUTHOR NAME: Mike Toros
PUBLISHER NAME: Mike Toros
LINK: https://www.amazon.com/Girl-Rain-Mike-Toros/dp/B0FXMGDPGP/
In this meditative and haunting novel, Mike Toros explores silence, loneliness, and the fragile intersections of love and human connection.
A solitary writer living in a rain-soaked city finds his world quietly upended when a mysterious young girl named Miriam appears at his door seeking shelter from a storm. What begins as an innocent encounter deepens into a lyrical exploration. Through a series of delicate, rain-drenched “rituals,” Miriam awakens something dormant in Michael—the ability to see, listen, and feel again. As her presence fills the gray corners of his life, her words become lessons in empathy and mindfulness, rendered in prose that often reads like poetry.
Toros writes with painterly precision, turning the mundane—a cup of tea, a child’s drawing, the whisper of rain—into acts of revelation. Beneath the novel’s quiet surface lies emotional depth and philosophical weight. When Miriam’s mother, Jessie, enters the story, the narrative expands into an intimate study of parenthood, grief, and renewal. The storm that connects their lives becomes both literal and symbolic—an external echo of their inner turbulence and longing for peace.
Toros’s style is quiet and assured, capturing reflection and emotion with subtlety and control. The tone is consistent and measured, never tipping into sentimentality. Though the pacing is deliberate, each scene builds meaning and depth for readers willing to stay with it.
A gorgeously written, emotionally intelligent novel about silence, connection, and the small miracles that arrive uninvited—like rain.
Author Bio:
Mike Toros (Mikhail Torosov) is an American writer who was born in Siberian city of Abakan, Republic of Khakassia (Russia) and raised in Severodonetsk (Ukraine), where the rhythms of a post-Soviet industrial city shaped his early worldview.
He immigrated to the United States, taking with him memories of his two homelands. When he is not writing, he can be found in dimly lit cafes, bookstores, or on long walks through rain-soaked streets, where he collects stories, silence, small wonders of everyday life, and the quiet beauty of human relationships.
LOSING AUSTIN
FULL BOOK TITLE: Losing Austin
AUTHOR NAME: Michael Bowler
PUBLISHER NAME: Michael Bowler
LINK: https://www.amazon.com/LOSING-AUSTIN-Michael-J-Bowler-ebook/dp/B0DYZ9FSGV/
Through the troubled perspective of Colton Bowman, a teenager haunted by the disappearance of his nonverbal younger brother, Austin, Bowler crafts a hauntingly atmospheric narrative that is as suspenseful as it is heartfelt.
Colton is not only the protagonist but also an unreliable narrator, grappling with his own fragmented memories and the weight of suspicion that falls squarely on his shoulders. When Austin vanishes during a storm, the mystery takes on an eerie, almost otherworldly quality. As Colton embarks on a desperate search for the truth, the novel masterfully weaves psychological tension with speculative elements, drawing readers into a world where perception and reality blur.
Bowler’s ability to balance intricate plotting with deep character introspection is one of the novel’s greatest strengths. Each chapter peels back layers of Colton’s psyche, revealing his resentment, guilt, and unwavering love for his brother.
Beyond its narrative, Losing Austin excels in its portrayal of familial relationships. Bowler does not shy away from the painful intricacies of grief, particularly in the depiction of Colton’s mother. Her quiet fear, drained energy, and the unspoken terror that she might lose another son add layers of realism and emotional gravity. Colton’s interactions with those around him—his father, his peers, and the figures he encounters in his search—further ground the story, making the stakes feel all the more real.
However, while the dialogue is largely natural and compelling, certain sections could benefit from tighter execution. Some conversations, particularly those surrounding theories of alien abductions, lean toward heavy exposition, momentarily slowing the otherwise taut pacing. Integrating these details more organically—through action or fragmented recollections—could heighten the tension and maintain narrative momentum.
Losing Austin brings an emotional climax that ties together the book’s themes of sacrifice and understanding. Colton has a final moment with Austin that is both sweet and sad, filled with gratitude. Their last exchange is simple yet meaningful, capturing the love they share. Bowler’s writing in these moments is touching, leaving Colton with only a memory and a promise….quietly powerful and unforgettable.
Author Bio:
Michael J. Bowler is an award-winning author who grew up in Northern California. He majored in English/Theatre at Santa Clara University, earned a master’s in film production from Loyola Marymount University, a teaching credential in English from LMU, and a master’s in Special Education from Cal State University Dominguez Hills. Michael taught high school in Hawthorne, California, both in general education and to students with disabilities. When Michael is not writing, he serves as a youth mentor with the Big Brothers Big Sisters program and a volunteer within the juvenile justice system in Los Angeles, but mostly he takes care of his recently adopted son. He is a passionate advocate for the fair treatment of children and teens in California and hopes that his books can show young people they are not alone in their struggles.
OUR BROOKLYN
FULL BOOK TITLE: Our Brooklyn
AUTHOR NAME: Ed McBride
PUBLISHER NAME: MindStir Media
LINK: https://www.amazon.com/Our-Brooklyn-Ed-McBride/dp/1966799209/
An evocative, sharply observed coming-of-age story set against the fading stoops of 1960s Crown Heights.
In Our Brooklyn, Ed McBride revisits the borough of his youth with a novelist’s precision and a poet’s heart. Told through the eyes of Bobby McDermott, a track-star-in-training whose boyhood loyalty to his best friend Butch will come to define his life, McBride’s story moves fluidly between two eras: the golden summers of adolescence and the reckoning decades later when a phone call threatens to reopen old wounds.
McBride’s Brooklyn is not the manicured borough of coffee shops and brownstone chic; it’s a living, breathing neighborhood of stoops, pool halls, corner stores, and the constant hum of a city in flux. Through unvarnished dialogue and perfectly tuned street language, he resurrects a vanished world—the swagger of teenage boys testing manhood, the quiet power of neighborhood mothers, and the deep, unspoken bonds that both hold and haunt the men they become.
The novel’s first half, rooted in the late 1960s, captures the raw immediacy of a community perched between innocence and upheaval—Vietnam, racial tension, and economic decay pressing ever closer. Yet the book’s emotional gravity lies in its quieter scenes: two friends navigating loyalty, betrayal, and the impossibility of returning to who they once were.
McBride writes with humor, nostalgia, and clear-eyed compassion. His dialogue rings true to the rhythm of Brooklynese, and his characters—Butch, Penny, Drew, Joe, and even the elusive Fat Tommy—feel lived-in, shaped by both circumstance and choice. While the narrative occasionally lingers in anecdote, its cumulative impact is deeply affecting. By the final pages, Our Brooklyn feels less like a story remembered than a life relived.
A gritty, tender, and deeply human portrait of friendship, forgiveness, and the streets that raised us.
Author Bio:
Edward J. McBride (San Fernando Valley) is an award-winning author of the best-selling textbook series Downtown: English for Work and Life. After a successful career in teaching and academic writing, McBride left academia in 2020 to return to fiction writing full time. In addition to Downtown, McBride has published numerous stories, both fiction and non-fiction, in a wide variety of magazines, literary journals and anthologies, and holds an MFA from UCLA in screenwriting. His collection of linked short stories, That Thing We Call Love, was a finalist for the 2025 Iowa Short Fiction Award. His debut novel, Our Brooklyn, was published in March, 2025. Born and raised in Brooklyn, he lives now in Los Angeles.
PUNDEMONIUM! VOL. 8
FULL BOOK TITLE: PUNDEMONIUM! VOL. 8
AUTHOR NAME: James E. Larson
PUBLISHER NAME: Lefse Press
LINK: https://www.amazon.com/Pundemonium-Vol-8-James-Larson/dp/B0DVWG6W3J/
James Larson’s Pundemonium! Vol. 8 is a glorious explosion of wordplay that delivers exactly what the title promises—an all-out pun-filled frenzy that spans professions, places, and everyday peculiarities with precision and glee. This latest volume continues Larson’s tradition of delivering groan-worthy and gloriously clever puns that are as imaginative as they are hilariously offbeat.
From clever riffs on medicine, religion, and academia to unexpected twists involving sea urchins and fireplace mantels, Larson leaves no corner of life unpunctuated. Each pun is served with a side of storytelling, pulling you into miniature worlds where dentists gripe about assistants ("like pulling teeth"), playwrights moonlight as breakfast chefs ("Omelette!"), and med students confuse numb feet with “coma-toes.”
Larson’s genius lies in how seamlessly he pairs humor with insight, transforming simple jokes into miniature narratives. Who else could connect Shakespeare and brunch in a way that leaves readers asking, “Did you egg-pect any other ending?” Or turn a routine business transaction into a full-blown “oar deal”? Even a misplaced newspaper ad becomes a cause for committee-level action—after all, it’s important to “add Hock” where it belongs.
Fans of classic wordplay will appreciate the timelessness of these setups, while lovers of modern wit will enjoy puns that poke at everyday frustrations with charm and good humor. There's a dentist, a pawn shop, a peace rally (“Peace Day Resistance,” naturally), and even a college student’s dry quip about earning the “third degree.” These aren’t just puns—they’re punchlines woven into snapshots of absurd reality.
Pundemonium! Vol. 8 is the kind of book you keep by your nightstand, on your coffee table, or tucked into your bag for moments when you need a clever chuckle. James Larson doesn’t just make you laugh—he makes you think twice about every word you say, and then groan in delight when he flips it upside down. Highly recommended for word lovers, joke collectors, and anyone who believes humor is best served pun-first.
SCARS OF SAND AND SOIL
FULL BOOK TITLE: Scars of Sand and Soil
AUTHOR NAME: Jean K. Kravitz
PUBLISHER NAME: Acorn Publishing
LINK: https://www.amazon.com/Scars-Sand-Soil-Jean-Kravitz/dp/B0FC64CNSV/
Scars of Sand and Soil is not an easy book to sit with, but it is a compelling one. From the beginning, it is clear that this novel is interested in telling the truth about war and its aftermath rather than offering comfort or nostalgia. It asks the reader to look directly at violence, loss, and the long shadows they cast over people’s lives.
The story follows Gabriel Cooper, a man whose life has been shaped by punishment, deprivation, and anger. When we first meet him, he is surviving a brutal chain gang in the Okefenokee Swamp. His existence is reduced to endurance—heat, hunger, and cruelty with little hope of relief. When he is pulled into the Civil War, it does not feel like an escape so much as a continuation of the same struggle under a different name.
This novel is filled with complex characters. Gabriel is not written to be sympathetic in an obvious way, nor is he framed as a hero. Instead, he is shaped by what has been done to him, and the book allows the reader to see how violence can harden a person without fully erasing their humanity. There are moments when his behavior is unsettling, but they feel honest rather than exaggerated.
The writing is direct and sensory. The swamp, the camps, and the battlefields are vividly rendered, and the physical discomfort of these spaces is ever-present. Jean K. Kravitz does not soften the realities of war or imprisonment. At the same time, small moments—brief friendships, shared labor, fleeting loyalty—stand out precisely because they occur in such harsh conditions. These moments do not redeem the violence, but they remind the reader that connection can still exist even in the bleakest circumstances.
What I appreciated most about Scars of Sand and Soil is that it resists easy moral conclusions. This is not a story about right and wrong neatly divided along sides of a war. Instead, it explores how people justify their actions and how survival can distort values. The scars in the title feel both literal and emotional, marking the land and the people who move through it.
This is a novel for readers willing to engage with difficult material and morally complex characters. It does not offer comfort, but it does offer clarity. When I finished the book, I was left thinking not just about the Civil War itself, but about how violence lingers—long after the fighting stops—in bodies, memories, and choices.
Author Bio:
As the quintessential queen of "what if," Jean Kravitz channeled her active imagination to pen her debut novel, Scars of Sand and Soil. However, achieving her childhood dream of being a published writer was not a straightforward path. Jean earned a bachelor's degree in psychology and a master's degree in human development and aging from the University of California, San Francisco. She went into clinical research in pharmaceuticals, but left her career when her children were born. Then, she picked up writing again, honed her craft, published articles in a small newspaper, and passionately immersed herself in historical research.Jean has many interests, including reading, gardening, needlepoint, and learning new languages. She lives in Southern California and has a husband, two daughters, and two cats, Lenny and Penny.
