Indie Book of the Week Archive:
Into the Light by P. Wish
Indie Book of the Week 26/10/2015-01/11/2015
Into the Light is a versatile collection of nine short stories. The book is divided into three segments: science fiction, human interest and comedy. These enigmatic tales examine the relationship between technology, society and humanity.
From a website that can undo your mistakes to a mysterious survivor of a mental illness, the science fiction segment offers a meeting ground between imagination and humanity.
The human interest stories re-discover basic human emotions through the eyes of complex characters such as an ageing journalist who befriends a ghost, a woman who discovers the joy of giving and two ex lovers who meet after ten years.
The comedy section offers a comedic perspective of society through the stories of a young heir desperate to lose his fortune, a couple on the verge of divorce and a time travelling detective.
Into the Light offers a delicious buffet of nine stories with a twist.
Me & Mr. Jones by Lindsay Marie Miller
Indie Book of the Week 19/10/2015-26/10/2015
Finley O'Connell is a shy, reserved college student, who has no intention of ever trusting another man. At nineteen, Finley spends her Friday nights alone, studying clinical psychology to ease her mind of the abusive childhood she had yet to overcome. Her new professor, the young, charismatic Cabel Jones, begins to take an interest in Finley, whose first instinct is to run. But when an ordinary experiment turns to bloodshed, Finley must rely on Cabel, as the two hide away in a rustic, secluded cabin in the wilderness. Plagued by deception and fear, Finley soon finds herself in the arms of the one man on campus who can never truly be hers.
Schooled by Tali Nay
Indie Book of the Week 12/10/2015-18/10/2015
"Do you have to have sex to have a baby?" It's a question that ten-year-old Tali Nay asked the office assistant at her elementary school after the woman had done her best to explain how it all happened to a roomful of confused girls. Or maybe Tali was the only one who was confused. It's entirely possible, for if there's anything she knew at this point in her schooling, it was that she—without fail—was the last to know about anything interesting. Take her first day of kindergarten, where it turned out that every other kid already knew which letters were the vowels. Her first lesson as a student was consequently one of humiliation, and her second—only slightly less important—was that puking in a classroom tends to start a chain reaction. A refreshingly honest deep-dive into what we actually take away from a public education, this hilarious and heartfelt memoir captures the things we learn in school that are never part of any lesson plan yet somehow have the biggest impact upon the shaping of our perceptions over the years we spend in a classroom. Things like competition, failure, scandal, popularity, disillusionment, triumph, guilt, and, of course, throwing up in public. From the glorious to the gloriously awkward, this everyman tale is a story of growing up, one semester at a time.
The Tale of the Wulks by V. K. Green
Indie Book of the Week 05/10/2015-11/10/2015
When evil threatens to dominate earth and subjugate its citizens, a mixed band of humans and magical creatures must set forth to confront it. Among them, a unique autistic being discovers the depth of his courage and power as he steps forward to lead his small group of warriors as life and death hang in the balance. An action-packed journey in the ageless battle between good and evil, V. K. Green’s debut weaves fantasy-adventure with science fiction and thriller elements to stunning effect. Rilk Wulk is an autistic boy living among his people atop Mission Peak Regional Preserve in California, unknown to the humans a short distance away. A magical race, they are guardians of the earth and its citizens, ever vigilant, ever watchful, ever ready to take up arms against those who would attack our planet. One day when Rilk sees his grandfather Manfield leaving the country with the Dragon Prince Englar, he knows that danger is imminent and that he and his friends must join the quest—whatever the cost. Dark Lord Vanko is determined to dominate earth and make humankind his unwilling subjects. Now Rilk, Prince Englar, and their friends must destroy Vanko’s evil plans. To do so, however, they will need greater numbers. Joined by races of men, dwarfs, and elves, they face a foe far more powerful than their numbers combined. Narrowly escaping death and barely holding their fellowship together, Rilk steps forward to lead them as Lord Vanko prepares to kill all of them. A breathtaking vision of unbridled imagination, Green delivers a mind-expanding action-adventure that is filled with amazing creatures, edge-of-your-seat thrills, and jaw-dropping battles. Moving effortlessly forward, it portrays a character whose autism is neither a hindrance nor a special power—it is, as they say, simply what it is: a difference in how the brain functions. As thought provoking as it is entertaining, The Tale of the Wulks will change the way you think as it both entertains and captivates you.
Emerald Green by Lindsay Marie Miller
Indie Book of the Week 28/09/2015-04/10/2015
On a chilly December night in Savannah, Georgia, seventeen-year-old Addie Smith dreams of an alluring young man, too mysteriously handsome to be real. When spring semester commences the following week, at Maple Creek High, a new student, named Tom Sutton, arrives, bearing a striking resemblance to the beautiful stranger from Addie’s dream. Addie feels inextricably drawn to Tom, and his rare, unwavering resiliency, as the enchanting nature of first love takes hold. But when a cold-blooded criminal returns to Savannah, in pursuit of a long-forgotten possession, Addie must confront the darkest secrets of an elusive, hidden past that threaten to destroy her future.
Brooding City by Tom Shutt
Indie Book of the Week 21/09/2015-27/09/2015
Detective Brennan is confronted with his past crimes while on the trail of a violent drug lord…
Cursed with the supernatural ability to know when others are lying to him, Arthur Brennan, homicide detective with Odols Police Department, sees deception everywhere he looks.
Following a betrayal at the hands of fellow Sleepers several years ago, Brennan has left behind the life of a clandestine dream-stalking assassin and taken up a silver detective’s badge. The eyeless corpse of a dead pharmacist sets Brennan on the hunt for a ruthless madman, one whose product is leaving its own mounting body count.
Brooding City is the first installment in a series that promises to grip readers of all genres. With fast-paced action and touching emotional moments blended seamlessly together, Brooding City delivers unrelenting entertainment and intrigue as it delves into the darkest corners of a city full of nightmarish boogeymen and children who still believe in destiny.
The Thief and the Sacrifice by Kevin C. Bennett
Indie Book of the Week 14/09/2015-20/09/2015
If you could travel through time and space, what would that power do to you—to your soul?
Imprisoned and left to die during WWII, American G.I. Floyd Sandburg finds what could be deliverance in the form of an ancient artifact, the Lens, which allows him to traverse time and space. After catching the attention of the Organization, a mysterious group that may run governments from behind the scenes on Earth, Floyd uses the Lens and crash-lands in an incredibly strange world. Separated from the Lens, Floyd must evade capture and a gruesome death at the hands of hedonistic, bloodthirsty giants and the extra-dimensional entities who control them…the same who run the sinister Organization.
Floyd’s very soul hangs in the balance as he is thrown into the middle of a conflict spanning ages. He questions reality, convinced he is dreaming while suffering a slow death in that Nazi prison. Can his brother, Chase, convince him what is real and help him find the truth in time to save not only Earth, but his own soul? “What has been, will be...” Whichever path he takes, his choice will have consequences of Biblical proportion.
A Whisper in the Jungle by Robert Mwangi
Indie Book of the Week 07/09/2015-13/09/2015
Deep in the African jungle where even the bravest are afraid to venture, lies a truth that will propel James through his probable American journey, if he can come out alive. James an African lad has been awarded a soccer scholarship to go to America and becomes the envy of his village. His girlfriend Janny is however skeptical of what a long distance relationship can do to love. But when Janny vanishes, James plunges into the mysterious forest at the risk of his life and his American Dream. Love transcends all.
Casting Stones by Laurencia Hoffman
Indie Book of the Week 31/08/2015-06/09/2015
The act of revenge is short-lived. The feeling of regret lasts forever.
Avery Stone was a normal guy who never did anything important in his life. After a tragic childhood, he found a family ready and willing to take him in. Though he never really felt that he belonged there, he knew that it was better than being alone. When someone starts murdering random werewolf families Avery finds himself fighting to keep his loved ones safe.
Requiem for a Holy Island by Zecharia Plavin
Indie Book of the Week 24/08/2015-30/08/2015
There was a tiny island in the Far East populated by tall, gifted people plagued by malignant ideology and ruled by merciless leaders. However, a noble few were dedicated to peacefully rescuing their people from tyranny and death.
Dr. Solomon Jekavpils reads about this unfamiliar place in the diary of the late pianist Adelaide Fourangier. Meanwhile, Solomon's former classmate, Nelly, manipulates him to search for Illirio Mariafels, her lost love.
The story spans entire lifetimes in pre-war France, French Saigon, the island, and Paris in the late twentieth century; the diary reveals many crucial personalities.
After several setbacks in her life, Fourangier joins the leading liberal islander and devotes her life to teaching piano to children. Life on the island transforms her into a caring human being, inspired pianist, and master tutor.
Illirio, her heroic son, can inspire wonderful kindness with his chanting. Fourangier’s diary reveals her unusual family’s secrets and describes the tragic fate of the island and its people.
Thunder by Rich Wilkie
Indie Book of the Week 17/08/2015-23/08/2015
Playing God is all fun and games until your intern becomes a harpy.
Thunder is written for fans of Sci-fi Action Adventure Superhero Novels. The story chronicles the dreams of a prominent politician sentenced to Dream Therapy Rehabilitation, his superhero like alter ego, the employees managing the dreams and the computer who plots to control them all.
A prominent politician, Thor Kazan, is sentenced to Dream Rehabilitation. Trevor loves his job overseeing Thor’s dreams until an intern, Shyla, is foisted upon him. Initially, he enjoys teaching her how to monitor the dreams, how to move about in the dreams and how to manipulate the lives of the people living in the dreams (Playing God). Shyla contemplates her freewill, or fate, or if she lives in the dreams of a sadist – She unravels. Gabriella, the application that Trevor uses to manipulate Thor’s dreams, has been programmed to learn on the job and she learns more bad then good. Thor dreams about two boys who find a magic ring that gives them access to a superhero protector, Thunder, which is every boys dream until it becomes a nightmare. This book is not meant for children – the story contains mature language, and descriptions of sex and violence.
An Authentic Derivative by Caleb Coy
Indie Book of the Week 10/08/2015-16/08/2015
Indie rocker Garrett Sedgwick is a reclusive artist struggling to assert his identity to a sectarian fan base. Cynical graphic artist Neil Oberlin is given the task of sketching Sedgwick's next album cover. However, proximity to the brooding musician begins to compound Neil's own anxieties about himself, his generation, and Sedgwick's great secret. Things are about to get awkward.
Latent Lives by Larry Parr
Indie Book of the Week 03/08/2015-09/08/2015
The first novel in the John Stauber & Linda Lavaque Murder Mystery Series - Something went terribly wrong that night in Duluth, Minnesota. The call came at 3:12 in the morning: The Mayor, her husband and son found brutally murdered in their lakeside mansion. The police have no motive that makes any sense. "This kind of thing just does not happen here," John Stauber kept thinking. The daughter of the murdered family was begging for his help. But he wasn't a cop anymore and this was strictly police business. Besides, as a recent mental patient he was in no shape to help anyone, not even himself.
The Zombie Chapters: Volume I by Daniel Fite
Indie Book of the Week 27/07/2015-02/08/2015
Earth is bombarded by a meteorite storm large enough to envelop the globe. Cities are devastated, satellites are knocked from the sky, and fires rage unchecked all over the world. In the midst of this apocalypse, a small country town, an Antarctic research station, and a group of stranded airline passengers struggle to survive, even as a new horror rises from the ashes…
Welcome to Serial Fiction—with Zombies! The Zombie Chapters is a new, monthly serial, and a fresh take on the zombie genre. Its focus is on deep character development and the exploration of truly unique settings and situations. Read along as the serial’s main characters attempt to understand, and cope with, the sudden shattering of their world, and a deadly virus that turns mankind against itself by animating the corpses of the fallen!
In Volume I, we meet four of the main characters as they fight to survive an otherworldly meteorite shower. Brad Thomas, a business development consultant, is in a commercial airliner when he first notices the green-tailed meteorites outside of his window. The next twenty minutes of his life are filled with unmitigated horror as he and his fellow passengers wait helplessly for the impact that will kill them all… Ramsey Claybourne, a military-trained virologist, tries to prepare a small country hospital for the worst, until the hospital itself is struck… Handicapped ten year old Emmy, and her huge, mentally-challenged brother Carter, stare in wonder at the beautiful display in the sky above them. When the “magical” meteorites turn deadly, however, Emmy must rely on her brother’s mobility, and might, to save her… Piotr Sayan and his girlfriend Maria, a brilliant Russian meteorite expert, are just starting their day when Mirnyy Station, Russia’s largest Antarctic base, is rocked by the devastation of the meteorite bombardment…
Pocket Full of Bleeding Posies by Marva Gregorio De Souza
Indie Book of the Week 20/07/2015-26/07/2015
Ring O' Ring O' Roses,
A Pocket Full O' Posies,
A-Tissue, A-Tissue,
We all fall down into a blood bath of short stories and expressions overflowing with rich characters, synchronized murder, complete desolation, thwarted love and comprehensible randomness. Straight from the author's head, these stories are snap shots in the characters' lives and small windows into the human heart, thoughts and motives. Dark, humorous and twisted - just what you need to get from A to B.
So They May Stand Alone by Magnus Edward
Indie Book of the Week 13/07/2015-19/07/2015
Being in Iraq is like being on another planet. Everyone that has been there has a story to tell. This story is a brief window into but one perspective of what Iraq was really like during Operation Iraqi Freedom. Training a foreign people to fight in their own country is an odd task that brings about strange events. Americans and Iraqis working together, their cultures could not have been more different.
“Quite some time has passed since the days that we sweated it out at the East Fallujah Iraqi Camp. This is a recollection of what happened out there. There were several Marines that helped to conduct the training that we did. I think that we all equally contributed in different ways. Each one of them should be proud of what they did. Although this story is told from my perspective, it is not my story, it is our story.”
Dwarves in Space by S. E. Zbasnik
Indie Book of the Week 06/07/2015-12/07/2015
In 2058 everything and everyone is connected. THEY ARE VULNERABLE. An EVIL intelligence lurks deep within the SIMOVA network, waiting for its time to strike. Only a few know it even exists. They will not risk others knowing. Once it begins, it cannot be stopped. Only one man can try. He is called THE SENTIENT COLLECTOR. Unfortunately, most think he is but a myth. Proving he is not could make the difference between war and peace. Thrust into action, GRAHAM DENEHEY must find this mysterious figure before it is too late. THE SENTIENT COLLECTOR is the first book in THE SENTIENT TRILOGY. This is the 2nd novel from the author of TRANSITORY. Readers said that TRANSITORY was: “A must-read for lovers of science fiction.” “Clever, complex science fiction.” “His characterisations were brilliant. They made me care about Nate.” “An Excellent Debut Sci-Fi Novel.”
The Sentient Collector by Ian Williams
Indie Book of the Week 28/06/2015-05/07/2015
Thousands of years after the jewelry’s destroyed, the sword reforged, the dragon ridden, and the indecipherable prophecy translated into a recipe for sugared biscuits, the dwarves turned to that final frontier: space. And along came the elves, orcs, gnomes, trolls, ogres, and those vermin-like upstarts, humans.
Dwarves in Space is Tolkien merged with Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy in a horrific transporter accident.
The Elation-Cru is not the flashiest ship, nor the newest, or even has all of its bolts attached; but she can fly. Well, sort of wade through space, and that’s when all the parts are working. She supports a sugar addicted dwarven pilot, an elven engineer, an orcish doctor, a silent djinn, and the lone human trying to hold the entire thing together with duct tape. Variel, the captain, has been hiding from a secret for the past five years and time’s finally run out.
When she goes against her common sense and fights to save her onboard assassin/renter from a job gone sour, she finds herself before an ex-colleague that knew her in her previous life as the Knight of the realm. The entire ship is sent on a mad dash across the universe — from a decaying space station, home to the wackiest species the galaxy has to offer, down to the Orc homeworld, which wouldn’t be so bad if Variel hadn’t spent most of her previous life fighting in the war against them. Chances of survival are nil and slipping fast.
Man vs Cat by David M. Brown
Indie Book of the Week 22/06/2015-28/06/2015
History has known many famous cats - Garfield, Mr Bigglesworth, Simon's Cat, the Aristocats, the Cheshire cat and the Keyboard Cat on YouTube. In recent years these feline things have replaced man's best friend as the most popular pet in the U.S. while the Ancient Egyptians once worshipped them as gods. This was a mistake and I'm here to tell you why. Man vs Cat is the story of one man, one woman and the six cats that changed their lives forever. To the woman they brought love and affection, to the man they brought sleepless nights, fear, paranoia and even ruined his jigsaw. Need I say more?
In the Blink of a Wicked Eye by Timothy C. Hobbs
Indie Book of the Week 15/06/2015-21/06/2015
The short stories and flash fiction pieces offered in this unique collection, In the Blink of a Wicked Eye, tell tales of dark humor, horror, and melancholy. In Fat, an overweight teenage boy will go to any length to lose weight for a cheerleader who is the apple-of-his-eye no matter how dangerous the consequences. Emissaries transports the reader to a far away planet whose inhabitants possess no souls and must harvest the lost and wandering spirits of others that pass by their corner of the universe. A woman discovers more than she would have hoped with a disfigured man in Constant Companion. The brutal post-nuclear world of desolate wandering survivors in Dissolution shows that even desperation for existence can have its moments of compassion amongst the horror of day-to-day existence. Take a pinch of terror, a dash of dread, and a spoonful of horror; mix them all together, and you’ll cook up a feast of dark fiction that is certain to bring shudders, contemplation, a bit of laughter, and a taste of the macabre to all who dare sample them In the Blink of a Wicked Eye.
Stun: A Didactic Play by Matti Paasio
Indie Book of the Week 08/06/2015-14/06/2015
"'It's a three-front war,' a U.S. official said of the FSA rebels' fight" - Nour Malas, WSJ 18 September, 2013 You ever thought about what the fundamentalists are really afraid of? The answer isn't guns. Look at them: almost begging to be shot... death in the battlefield delivers them to the gates of Heaven faster than you'll be able to say, "Dum." "We won't be intimidated by thugs," they answer from their moral higher ground. They believe in the Apocalypse and the Anti-Christ... and maybe that is exactly what they deserve. Let's give it to them. Patti Smith, having raised photographer Robert Mapplethorpe from the dead, wants to stage a performance of La Chasse spirituelle, the lost manuscript of Arthur Rimbaud's. She hasn't discovered it, of course, she's winging it. But Mapplethorpe has other interests - namely, Syria. A mysterious love interest of Smith's from the pharmacy joins the loony couple, who are in for special treats STUN was written out of respect for Russell Crowe in Gladiator, answering his call, "On my mark, unleash Mapplethorpe." ___ They came to see a rendition of that lost masterpiece, La Chasse spirituelle... What they got instead: That vile photographer, back from the dead. It is so depressing! And it won't sell! Luckily, there's a touching love story between Patti Smith and a boy from the pharmacy. It's unreal. Dead bodies just don't heal. Neither do souls full of holes.
Fifty/Fifty and Other Stories by Matthew W. McFarland
Indie Book of the Week 01/06/2015-07/06/2015
Fifty/Fifty and Other Stories is a collection of eleven outstanding short stories by Northern Irish author Matthew W. McFarland. In 'Fifty/Fifty', a policeman is called out to an attempted suicide on the iconic Forth Rail Bridge. His previous experience with 'jumpers' has led to one death and one life saved - his current record is fifty/fifty, but all that is about to change. In 'Defenestration', a man is thrown from the twelfth storey of a building in mysterious circumstances. As he falls towards almost certain death, he contemplates his fate, killer whales, flying cats, and the untapped potential of the human mind. In 'The Burning Bar', a man enters a burning building to rescue the love of his life, and becomes trapped, as the whole place collapses around him. Will he manage to escape before it is too late? 'What Have You Done?' deals with the legacy of the conflict in Northern Ireland, as a civil servant comes face to face with an ex-terrorist, leading him to discover how the previous generation coped with living through the worst of the Troubles. These, and seven other stories, touching on sport, fatherhood, arachnophobia, faith, and cannibalism, make up an exciting collection of short fiction which will leave readers wanting more.
Dear Men, What I Really Wanted to Say... by Georganne Bickle
Indie Book of the Week 25/05/2015-31/05/2015
A true story written in the form of letters to the men in her life. The author takes us on a journey filled with twists and turns through both dramatic and humorous events. She reveals the thoughts and feelings she has buried deep within her soul for decades.
The final chapter focusing on healing and recovery, includes sections on Alcoholism, Bipolar, Sexual Trauma/Abuse, Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and Spirituality. Anyone who has experienced any type of personal trauma or difficult circumstances will find hope, encouragement and support for their own healing process.
Break Ground Without Breaking Up by Sandy Berendes & Laura Longville
Indie Book of the Week 18/05/2015-24/05/2015
Break Ground Without Breaking Up – Seven Keys to Securing a Strong Relationship while Building or Remodeling Your Home gives you a relational floor plan, and a set of keys to help you navigate the journey of home construction with as little stress and conflict as possible.
The most significant truth we have found is that a couple's relationship will be remodeled along with their home. Accepting and working with the reality radically decreases the stress, and results in more mutual satisfaction in the home construction process.
The book is full of solutions, ideas and resources to help you productively reach two significant goals:
1. Build your dream home or remodel your castle to be its best and
2. Keep the stress to a minmum and love at the core of your relationship.
In each chapter you will find reflections, questions or activities you can complete that will help you apply what you are reading to your personal life.
Through stories and real life examples of working with people we share many experiences with you. The stories are real. You may find yourself in these stories, experience relief, and find courage and hope.
Watching the End of the World by Eric T. Knight
Indie Book of the Week 11/05/2015-17/05/2015
They are the lucky ones, chosen to be contestants on the latest reality show. A private jet whisks them away to Africa, heading for the exotic island of Madagascar, where fame and fortune await. But while flying there they receive news that terrorists have released a biological agent in the world’s busiest airports. Every airport is shut down. With their fuel running out, they are forced to crash land on a jungle airfield in the war-torn nation of Mwinda. But they soon learn that the airfield – complete with a warehouse, solar power, food and water, even satellite TV – comes with a price. Armed men attack them. The flight crew is killed, the jet destroyed by a rocket. When they find a cache of drugs and guns in the warehouse, they realize the airfield belongs to a war lord. Life becomes a battle for survival against a ruthless enemy, while every day the TV delivers news that grows worse and worse. The terrorist virus is sweeping across the world, killing millions of people. There will be no rescue from the outside, but they are not alone. They are being watched…
The Dead of August by Panayotis Cacoyannis
Indie Book of the Week 04/05/2015-10/05/2015
A self-styled ‘Bigger Picture’ man, James has his head in the clouds, and the ‘fairy-tale’ celebrity obituaries he writes for a tabloid are currently all the rage. Conversely very practical and matter-of-fact, June is a respected and uncompromising author of violent and sexually explicit Radical Feminist fiction. In their late thirties, with a precocious teenage son, they are a talented, thoroughly contemporary London couple.
In spite of conflicting perspectives and a deep-rooted loathing of each other’s work, for seventeen years they’ve managed to live with their differences happily, but recently their arguments are coming to a head. Even as her latest collection of lurid short stories fast becomes an unlikely bestseller, if June isn’t crabby she’s glum, and she’s never in the mood to have sex any more.
When James begins to suspect that she’s having an affair, his whole world is threatened with mid-life collapse. Over three successive Augusts, and distracted by scandals and colourful deaths, he drifts in unlikely directions while he tries to decide whether June can be trusted or his marriage has finally fallen apart.
Reconquest: Mother Earth by Carl Alves
Indie Book of the Week 27/04/2015-03/05/2015
SEAL Mitch Grace was among the first humans to see the aliens when they landed at the naval base where he was stationed, but like the rest of humanity, he was powerless to stop them. Five years later, Mitch awakens from a coma under the care of an alien physician to find that aliens control the planet. Starting alone, as a one man army, he rallies the surviving humans to build a resistance movement to take the planet back from the alien conquerors. After his capture by the aliens, Mitch is forced into intergalactic slavery to become a gladiator, fighting as the sole representative of the human species. Against all odds, and far from home, he lays the plans for the reconquest of his homeland.
One Freeman's War by Mark Emery
Indie Book of the Week 20/04/2015-26/04/2015
This story is an adventure of discovery. It involves an evolutionary metamorphosis of knowledge and the power it can bring. You will find political intrigue and a high stakes power chess game as one individual confronts the entire political and financial power structure of the USA. Through relentless study and inquisition, the character, Rex Freeman and others put the legal and financial system in America under the microscope with knowledge, history, and some amazing insights.
Guided by guts and faith they come up with some simply amazing revelations. The result is to turn everything in ‘the system’, as we know it, on its ear. Not only were discoveries made which could change life as we know it if given the light of day, but the remedies and applications of what was learned provide us all with some hope to correct what is ultimately the biggest fraud in history.
This story is an exposé unlike anything previously published. It is entertaining, gripping and uplifting. From an educational standpoint, this is a MUST READ for all Americans and Freedom Lovers worldwide. It reads like a spy novel and, like a well laid out treasure map, it delivers the goods! Enjoy!
The Unfading Lands by Katharine E. Hamilton
Indie Book of the Week 13/04/2015-19/04/2015
A selfish betrayal. Goodness long forgotten. A land with terrifying power. Something sinister is at work in the Land of Unfading Beauty, a land that promises eternal youth and splendor. Something evil. Under the façade of charismatic leader, Lancer, an enemy stalks--taking life and power in the most devious of ways.
Prince Edward, the heir to the Northern Kingdom, abandons his family in pursuit of a beautiful woman by venturing into the Land of Unfading Beauty, never to return home. Has Prince Edward been swept away by love, or was it part of a strategic plan?
Lancer has high ambitions of destroying the Northern Kingdom and will stop at nothing to acquire its power and strength. A desperate attempt to save the Realm forces Edward's father, King Granton, to call upon the rulers from neighboring kingdoms for help. As the kings and their children unite, relationships are strengthened and loyalties tested, and Edward's younger sister, Elizabeth, rises as a force to be reckoned with. Headstrong, yet pure of heart, this young princess breaks the barriers of her role in order to fight for the safety of her Kingdom. Fierce battles emerge between good and evil and unexpected heroes arise. But it will take courage, unity, and strength to overcome the temptation of darkness.
A darkness, invisible to the eye, threatens the safety of them all.
Can it be overcome?
Can Edward be trusted?
Who is the real enemy?
What Elizabeth discovers within herself, her kingdom, and her brother, will change the course for the entire Realm and leave one question:
Where does your allegiance lie?
Courage Comes by Daniel Thomas McDonald
Indie Book of the Week 06/04/2015-12/04/2015
Creeping out of their sleepy little village on an idyllic summer morning, all Mort and his best friend Nihlus wanted to do was play games of heroes and villains, clashing swords in imaginary worlds fraught with danger. Though on this fateful morning, their play is interrupted when they see smoke on the horizon.
When the men of Hamlet vanish without a trace in the wake of an unlikely attack, those who remain are left with far more questions than answers. As the hours turn to days a shadow of fear creeps over their village and the boys realise that someone has to act, someone has to do something - that they must answer the call.
Accompanied by their young friend Tesa, and the allies they make along the way, the pair embark upon a dangerous journey that takes them beneath the perilous canopy of Goldleaf Forest and beyond - quickly realising that there is a larger world beyond their quiet village and there are far worse monsters out there than anything their vivid imaginations can conjure.
On a quest for answers, to find their missing loved ones, and to discover their place in the world - Mort Nihlus and Tesa learn that danger must be met with determination, fear with hope and loss with love.
A tale of friendship and bravery in the face of adversity. The discovery that no matter how afraid you are, if you persevere and fight onwards - ultimately Courage Comes
Secrets of the Porch by Sue Ann Sellon
Indie Book of the Week 30/03/2015-05/04/2015
How long can a person hold their secret safe? The agony alone is unbearable. This porch has a story, a life. It breathes with memories of love;and secrets.
Sixteen-year-old Sophie Mae Randolph, caught robbing a gas station with her boyfriend Gabe, avoids the juvenile detention center by accepting the Judge's alternative: that she spend a year on a Nebraska farm with her grandmother, Lila, whom she has never met. None too happy at first, Sophie eventually settles into farm life and opens up to the love of her grandmother, a dog named Hunner, and a new boyfriend named Blake.
Along the way, Sophie realizes that not only does she have her secrets, but Lila does too.
When Gabe reappears, Sophie's very life may be in danger. Will Sophie and her grandma share their deepest secrets, or will they hide in the shells they've created for so many year? Discover the transforming power of love and the Secrets of the Porch.
The Hester Street Kids by Armando Minutoli
Indie Book of the Week 23/03/2015-29/03/2015
"The feisty daughter of a Little Italy pharmacist learns of her father's
secret prominence in the New York Mob. Her discovery unravels lies and
treachery that stir her very existence and risk her search for love."
Author Armando Minutoli's first work of fiction provides a backstory of
the power of Sicilian Mob in 1950's New York: The Hester Street Kids
(460 pp., tpb, $26.95 hard cover, $17.95 Softcover along with a $8.99 US
for an EBook), a saga, one that talks to the plight of Italian American
immigrants striving for a living in the new world under the thumbs of
the mafia. Armando is the author of a non-fiction book about the
Apparitions of the Blessed Virgin Mary in a small Bosnian village,
titled: "Medjugorje, A Pilgrims Journey." with the forward by and
collaboration with Author John Westermann, "Exit Wounds." The Second
Edition was released in 2010. Also, the book is in the process of its
Spanish language translation due for completion in late 2014. The Hester
Street Kid's although written with an underlying message of moral
choices, evokes a range of emotions through first hand encounters of
Mobster gang life in the 50s, lust for territory and control, serial
plotting and murder, the family code and secrets, sinful lust and love.
Its richly portrayed environment and settings reveals a historic glimpse
into the postwar time of the economic growth of the 50's. The author
gives realistic encounters modeled after his own personal experiences as
a youth growing up in New York in the intense 1950's economic upsurge.
Another Vanishing Act by Pat Russo & Pete Conner
Indie Book of the Week 16/03/2015-22/03/2015
Another Vanishing Act is a humorous look at how one man's trouble plays out in a senior living community amid a mature cast of oddballs. It shows that even your grandparents can be both funny and surprising.
The quirky residents at the Excelsior Senior Apartments keep Dan too busy to do his job. And with a large gambling debt past due, he's forced to focus on coming up with the cash. Getting involved in a risky scam seems the only solution – even though he knows that it betrays the residents he wants to help.
If his secret gets out, more than his thumbs will be broken. The best girlfriend he’s ever had will leave him. And if he fails, he’ll either be occupying a pine box or wearing prison orange.
Theo and the Forbidden Language by Melanie Ansley
Indie Book of the Week 09/03/2015-15/03/2015
In the isolated rabbit village of Willago, introverted Theo has a secret. Even though reading and writing were long ago outlawed as sorcery, Theo can’t resist the books hidden in the family cupboard. When a mysterious owl arrives with a priceless collar, Theo is the only one to realize it’s a word puzzle, and secretly rearranges the collar’s stones to form a sentence. Learning that Theo has broken the law yet again, the village elders imprison him, threatening him with exile.
In the dead of night he is freed by Brune, an axe-wielding bear who believes Theo has a different destiny. They escape to Mankahar, a land where the human empire is robbing animals of speech using a poison called “pacification.” The empire will march to the furthest corners of the land, enslaving all animals to use on their farms, including the rabbits of Willago. The only thing standing in the empire’s way is the Order, a society of free animals determined to defend their way of life. Brune, a member of the Order, convinces Theo to join him in their fight.
But Brune’s cause proves dangerous. Whom can Theo trust, when the empire punishes those who read or write with death? Worse, his fellow animals view the written word as sacrilegious. As the battle for Mankahar’s fate looms, Theo must risk everything—including love—to learn the full power of the forbidden language, or be silenced forever.
Blue Sun, Yellow Sky by Jamie Hoang
Indie Book of the Week 02/03/2015-08/03/2015
Hailed as “One of the best technical painters of our time” by an L.A. Times critic, 27-year-old Aubrey Johnson is finally gaining traction with her work. But as she weaves through what should be a celebration of her art, a single nagging echo of her doctor’s words refuses to stay silent—there is no cure. In less than eight weeks Aubrey is going blind.
Traveling on a one-way ticket around the world with childhood friend Jeff Anderson, Aubrey is in complete denial. But a blindfolded game of tasting foreign foods in China jolts her into confronting the reality of her situation. So begins her quest.
In this adult coming-of-age story, Aubrey struggles to make sense of her crippling diagnosis. But on her journey she finds a deeper understanding of herself and her life—sometimes fragmented and complex, but always with relentless truth.
Incarnadine by S. M. Guariento
Indie Book of the Week 23/02/2015-01/03/2015
“The ridiculous, in particular, has the right to exist.” The time: an alternative present still ruled by Imperial Rome. Over half the world's people have vanished overnight, in a forgotten catastrophe known only as the Amnesis. The survivors share a common affliction: a pervasive sense of déjà vu, making the faces of strangers seem oddly familiar... Stranger still is the Paradigma: a formula devised by elusive magus Zerkalo Incarnadine, and delivered to Caesar in his underground fortress. Before long, the true power of the Paradigma begins to reveal itself. It can turn the written word into a force for creation – or destruction. When alchemist, intriguer and full-time rogue Andreas Stahlherz learns of the Paradigma, he is catapulted into an adventure that will soon see him fighting for his life. Darkly obsessed with the sister he has lost, and resolved to see her live again, Stahlherz must track down Incarnadine to find the answers he needs. His search will take him beyond the limits of the known cosmos – and further still, towards his own forgotten heart of darkness... A wildly original and gripping debut, INCARNADINE is a novel of murder, obsession – and transformation.
Skin in the Game by Tomas Byrne
Skin in the Game is an intricately woven story of international political and corporate wrangling that takes readers on a fast-paced journey across Europe and the Middle East.
When Joe Hawkins left the US State Department, he left international intrigue behind and took a prestigious position as a professor at Oxford University. His younger brother’s disappearance upends his tranquil academic life and plunges him into a world where covert government intelligence meets international high finance. His search for Sam will uncover his brother’s ties to a shadowy London investment firm and an insidious network of international corruption.
MI6 psychiatrist Kate Farrow has cracked some tough cases, but when faced with a suspected terrorist suffering from torture-induced amnesia, she knows she’s in over her head. The clock is ticking, and Kate must unlock the secrets in his battered psyche to prevent the loss of innocent life. Only by discovering what lies at the core of her own identity will Kate find a way to separate the truth from a shell game of greed and exploitation.
In the follow-up to his critically lauded debut An End To All Things, Jared Yates Sexton presents twenty-three new stories that pick up where his first book left off. Whether they're set in a sweat-saturated sparring ring, the backroom of a gas station speakeasy, or in the kitchen of the house down the street, these are glimpses into an America that too-often goes unseen. Witness here the untold tales of the losers and the should've-beens, the dreamers and the hustlers, all of them just spoiling for their turn at glory or the inevitable one-two punch that puts them down for good.
Failed surgeon David McBride is in exile from the surgical community after making a costly error in judgment. Down but not out, he perseveres and is given a second chance to establish a career in surgery. But, as McBride stands on the threshold of a new life, the malignant underside of his fellow man intervenes. Under the threat of violence, David is forced to perform illegal organ harvests in a makeshift operating room hidden in a dilapidated meatpacking warehouse in lower Manhattan. Unable to resolve the excruciating moral dilemma faced each time he invades the body of an unwilling victim, David McBride fights to free himself from the situation and in the process, loses everything. When he finally loses the last shred of his humanity, he seeks revenge with surgical precision ... and instrumentation.
Is the life of a stranger worth risking your own life and the lives of
your family? As a troubled child raised on the rough side of Baltimore,
Joshua Broady thought he'd never need ponder such a question. Yet twice
Joshua is forced to determine another’s fate.
Joshua Broady enjoys a happy, successful life, loved by his family
and celebrated by his peers. But as a young teenager Joshua appeared a
certain prison candidate. Fortunately the inspiration found from an
unlikely friend altered his path, but not his destiny.
Joshua returns to the place that symbolizes a time in his past that
has purposely been forgotten. Here he discovers a man on death row, whom
he knows is innocent. Risking his own life, and the safety of his
family, Joshua entrusts his account of events to a local detective, and
through him discovers a community fraught with prejudice and deceit.
A conspiracy deeper than anyone could have imagined exposes itself.
Only the forces urging him to stay silent match local cop, Billy
Hamilton’s desire to see justice. His choices could very well determine
if the truth will ever have a voice, if indeed he survives long enough
to allow it.
Joshua soon finds himself unable to delineate his allies from his
foes. All the evidence points to Joshua - but after twenty years lies
still remain and Joshua still finds himself behind bars.
Not the best of scenarios for a black man in the deep south of white America.
Orryn ran away from home as a young teenager. After years spent trying to forget, she is forced to face the memories she’s been hiding from. Thea never understood why her sister left. Her childhood was happy and she lives her adult life surrounded by people she loves, but she never stopped wondering. When the two sisters meet again, a struggle to mend the bond they once shared, and reconcile their differing memories of their childhood, begins. In a world where blending in is valued above everything else, scars can be a dangerous thing to show. After years of drifting and hiding, Orryn returns to her homeland and must choose between baring her scars and losing her sister a second time.
When sixteen-year-old Christina Jacobs comes to school one day and
discovers that life will never be the same again, she soon finds herself
sinking away into self-doubt, haunted by her troubled thoughts and
experiences and striving for acceptance and equality.
Fate was never easy on her, having given her an appearance far from
desirable and a family situation far from the norm, but when she is
forced to face it all on her own, forced to battle her inner demons, she
knows she needs to give all she’s got to fight her way back to the
surface and get her life back on track.
“Just Perfect” is a grippingly honest account of love and
friendship, betrayal and trust, and inner demons and the fight for a
better tomorrow.
An outcast rogue must break a curse on his fate, or die by his next birthday. A tale of magic, mischief, and the triumph of tricksters.
Harric, an outcast rogue, must break a curse put on his fate, or die on his nineteenth birthday. As the day approaches, nightmares from the spirit world stalk him and tear at his sanity; sorcery eats at his soul.
To survive, he’ll need more than his usual tricks. He’ll need help—and a lot of it—but on the kingdom’s lawless frontier, his only allies are other outcasts. One of these outcasts is Caris, a mysterious, horse-whispering runaway, intent upon becoming the Queen’s first female knight. The other is Sir Willard—ex-immortal, ex-champion, now addicted to pain-killing herbs and banished from the court.
With their help, Harric might keep his curse at bay. But for how long?
And both companions bring perils and secrets of their own: Caris bears the scars of a troubled past that still hunts her; Willard is at war with the Old Ones, an order of insane immortal knights who once enslaved the kingdom. The Old Ones have returned to murder Willard and seize the throne from his queen. Willard is both on the run from them, and on one final, desperate quest to save her.
Together, Harric and his companions must overcome fanatical armies, murderous sorcerers, and powerful supernatural foes.
Alone, Harric must face the temptation of a forbidden magic that could break his curse, but cost him the only woman he’s ever loved.
