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Deadly Treasures: Second Chances
Price range: $20.99 through $27.99Forget diamonds! These Deadly Treasures wear camo, carry a rifle, protect the innocent, and are Hotter than Hades. Navy SEAL team Echo is sent to the most dangerous places on Earth to do the impossible. From the Dark Heart of Africa to the Frigid Tundra of Siberia, the SEALs must face hard choices with dangerous consequences. Failure is never an option, but when Echo gets a new member, they will face their greatest challenge yet. Th e UCMJ forbids fraternization, but she’s beautiful, curved in all the right places, and tantalizingly tempting. Protecting her from themselves might be an impossible mission.
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HYBRID
Price range: $3.99 through $25.99IN HYBRID, a sequel to BLUE FIRE, R.J. Mikelionis M.D. offers a riveting and even surpassing tale, in his unique, spare, hard-hitting style.
Dr. J. Cameron returns from his Blue Fire journeys to the Medical Wards, a superb clinician now adding research to his hectic schedule. Enormous implications of the research for patient care and longevity collide with cold, bureaucratic politico-economic realities, threatening to destroy him.
In one of many parallel battles, Max-Cameron’s buddy and Intern-becomes embroiled in a war reminiscent of the backstreets he’d left behind, in a quest to free his girlfriend from the mob.
The odds are stacked against the doctors, their friends, patients.
But in times of need, their ordinary lives accept extraordinary choices. Their lives lock into wars between life and death, and quests for the just vs. the shadow dragons of evil.
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Persephone: First Contact
Price range: $3.99 through $25.99Alien encounter story written from a Christian world view and influenced by the classic science fiction of the 20th Century. A survey ship exploring Intersections between regions of space discovers that alien ships are searching the same set of Intersections. The crew, and all of humanity behind them, must find a way to make a place for the human race in a galaxy already occupied by a number of more technologically-advanced races. Discovering an alien race also forces the programmer and the scientist who first discover the presence of actual alien life to discover the human race as well; they must find a way to survive other encounters and threats, such as officers, non-technical conversation with other crewmen, members of the opposite sex, physical exercise, publicity, and politicians.
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Any Way Out
Price range: $3.99 through $25.99A teenage Ashley Ames is painfully growing up in a rural area before the technology boom. Her parents are bitterly divorced and caught up in their own lives, too busy to care about what goes on with Ashley. However, she does find support with her stepmother Ruth.
Ashley bounces back and forth between her parents homes, with good reason. Either she moves because it’s gone bad or they throw her out.
Ashley’s behavior is erratic and self-destructive at home and at school. She gets selected to participate in a Scared Straight program, at a prison. It helps for a while.
A young man, Ryan doing a repair job at Ellen’s house, Ashley’s mother, notices Ashley. She has just moved back in with her. As Ashley goes through high school her escapades get her into trouble, while she deals with deep depression leading to a suicide attempt.
She has struggles but eventually finds her way out.
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The Dark Shines Bright
Price range: $3.99 through $23.99Human beings fall into three distinct groups. There are those who spend the better part of their life playing by the rules and trying to do good while contributing to the betterment of their fellow humans. There are those who spend the better part of their lives breaking the rules and taking whatever they can from their fellow humans, no matter what the cost. Finally there are those who are neither good or bad human beings. They just live day to day, come what may.
The question is where did the rules come from that define what is good and what is bad?
The only thing for sure is that no matter how a person lives his or her life, everyone has one thing in common. Everyone who is born, one day must die. How did human life begin and what happens after it ends?
“The Dark Shines Bright” answers both questions in a carefully crafted, page turning story.
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With Dangerous Aim
Price range: $3.99 through $22.99The Alexander Hamilton Foundation in Washington, D.C. needs someone to escort a Chinese defector from Shanghai, China to America. The defector has vital top-secret security information for America. Lieutenant Commander Pilar Marshall volunteers for this clandestine assignment. At the final pickup point off the coast of Shanghai, a submarine is to collect the defector. Suspense builds as they move through the city to the marina, followed by an unknown watcher. As they are ready to cast off from the dock, the watcher appears with a gun. They scuffle with the watcher who is knocked down. He fired one shot, which hit a member of her team. They escape to the pickup point. To avoid being caught by the Chinese patrol boat, they hide in the coastal fog. Little do they know, there is no submarine to pick them up. A zodiac picks up the group to a waiting U.S. destroyer. One member of the group is a Chinese sleeper spy. The spy accompanies the team to America. In a tense scene, the sleeper spy locates the defector. With dangerous aim, does the assassin accomplish her task?
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Too Close to Call
Price range: $15.99 through $22.99Homicides are down in the cities, but accidental death rates are up. Why? Buf Collins investigates and gets embroiled in presidential re-election politics.
William Buford (Buf) Collins, VI is trying to help an old friend find out what happened to her husband who turned up dead in a hotel room. They are sure that he was murdered, but the city officials do not agree. There was no gunshot or knife wound. So, according to them it’s an accidental death.
It turns out there is a lot of this going around in all the major U. S. cities.
Someone in the FBI notices this and writes a report and the sitting president appoints a special prosecutor to look into the matter.
Buf Collins’ father-in-law is a very wealthy and powerful man and he gets the president to name Buf Collins as the special prosecutor. The opposing party suddenly loses its presumptive nominee for the presidential election and the old man somehow is able to get Buf nominated! Crazy!
The president is now in a classic political quandary: He appointed Collins to look into the possibility of corruption in the cities, but now his appointee is his opponent. He can’t dismiss him as this would look like he is using his power to his own advantage. And, as Collins is unable to get a continuance on the case, he is precluded from campaigning.
The judge on the case decides to let the media cameras into the courtroom. The president feels like he can’t compete with Collins who is fighting city hall on national t.v. and seeming is winning. So, he tries to undermine Collins’ case in order to ensure that he loses and thus will look bad to the public. He gets the charges to be upgraded from corruption to conspiracy. But, Collins is ready and handles the change seamlessly. Then, the president gets the Attorney General to upgrade the charges from conspiracy to cover up. And, Collins handles this as well.
All the time the election is getting closer, and closer . . .
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Wind
Price range: $3.99 through $22.99A female samurai warrior in 1333 is placed in the middle of the most male-dominated era in history. Her determination, skills, and disciplined fighting succeeded to the end, and her demise along with a curse placed upon her sword by the Shogun in which she and the sword would be entwined for eternity.
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SOS
Price range: $3.99 through $22.90SOS is a sequel to S.I.C.Q., which picks up after the alien, ADAM, projects his hologram in thousands of locations around the world and on the Moon and delivers his message to humanity. Tsirch and Richard, combine their efforts with Domestic Security Command, secret service and FBI agents as they take center stage in thwarting several potentially fatal attacks from Seger8 and Anti-Adam factions to stop all contact with the aliens. An elaborate scheme to destroy the Hat Creek SETI site is set into motion and the FBI and SETI security race to stop the attack. Personal attacks on two pivotal characters are also uncovered.
Romantic pairings are revealed that deepen the focus on several of the characters, while also making them a target. Eve continues to document the evolving events.
New characters are introduced to expand the understanding of alien technology and the reappearance of the reclusive Dr. ‘Gemo solidifies the scientific community. ADAM delivers more insight into his species’ capabilities and intent, and their standing in the universe. Dominique, Amir, Sal and Dr. ‘Gemo, combine their efforts in a joint venture with the aliens, that can have a permanent effect on humanity.
Tsirch, Richard, Sal and Dr. ‘Gemo and the full cast yet await another, “appearance” by ADAM, while Sal and Dr. ‘Gemo chew on unsettling news about ADAM.
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A Haunted Symphony
Price range: $12.99 through $22.29A stolen priceless Stradivarius violin, a poisoned dart, a haunted music library, and a jilted lover present a captivating mystery for the Palms Symphony Orchestra. Who has the motive and opportunity?
Join the Conductor to save the orchestra from thieves, ghosts, and recover the valuable instrument.
THE MOVING WORDS REVIEW
BOOK INFORMATION:
Title: A Haunted Symphony
Author: Michele Wallace Campanelli
Publisher: Author Reputation Press, LLC Publication
Date: November 16, 2023
Review date: November 24, 2023
Genre: Mystery, Supernatural Fiction, Drama
BOOK REVIEW:
Our story begins with Maria, a passionate and dedicated orchestra volunteer, who starts a new role filled with unexpected twists and turns. The symphony, a place of harmony and artistry, soon becomes the background for occurrences that hint at a supernatural presence. The other members and volunteers, each with unique personalities and stories, find themselves involved in secrets and past connections that slowly unravel as the story progresses.
Maria and her colleagues discover that their beloved symphony hall is haunted by more than just the echoes of music past. Strange sounds, unexplained events, and ghostly apparitions begin to stir, bringing to light old legends and tales long thought to be mere folklore. Amidst this, the characters deal with their personal challenges and relationships, adding breadth to the story.
What are the hidden secrets of the symphony’s past, and how are they connected to the mysterious occurrences within its walls? This was the start of a book that promises to keep one fascinated until the very end.
Set against the backdrop of an orchestra, the story peeks into the lives of its characters, including their relationships, secrets, and past events. Michele Wallace Campanelli truly shines in her storytelling in A Haunted Symphony. She created a vivid and attention-grabbing world. For example, the descriptions of the symphony, its music, and the characters’ interactions with their tools and environment are so detailed that readers can almost hear the music and feel the emotions (e.g., Donnie losing a limb).
Campanelli’s characters are well-developed-each with their individual backstory and motivations. How she intertwines their lives and reveals their connections and secrets as the story advances is satisfying. As the pages flip, readers can appreciate the seamless integration of supernatural elements into the tale-the ghostly aspects are handled with a deft touch, ensuring that they enhance rather than overpower the plot.
Overall, A Haunted Symphony is well-paced, balancing moments of tension and mystery. Building suspense is one of its strongest suits, keeping readers guessing and on the edge of their seats. The twists and turns of the story are well-executed, with surprising yet believable revelations. It’s a novel that will appeal to fans of mystery and the supernatural, as well as those who appreciate well-crafted, character-driven stories.
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The Black Phoenix Selah Chronicles
Price range: $3.99 through $20.99Who am I and why should you read my story? My name is Max Faraday. Nobody is going to believe me, but here I am putting it all down on paper. I am a man of two time periods. Forgive me, this sci-fi stuff is new to me.
A week or more ago, in July 2002, I came home for my 1982 high school class reunion. I was staying with my friend Jamie Scott and his family. On the way home from the reunion, we picked up his kids at the babysitter. Their little girl comes out and bounces a ball that tumbles out of her hands into the street.
Just as we arrived, a car speeds up and my instincts take over. I picked her up and get her out of the way, but I was then hit by the speeding car! Stunned, I wake up in September 1978! I am a thirty-eight-year-old man in a fourteen-old’s body! I can’t tell anyone, or they would lock me up, thinking I’m crazy! I know I would.
So here I am in the eighth grade all over again. When I went to bed in 1978, I woke up in a coma in 2002, wondering about the driver who ran me over.
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Never Yours
Price range: $3.99 through $20.99This is about the story of a family who lived on a sheep ranch between 1910 and 1926. Times were hard for most people who lived at that time, but there were still “good honest morals” practiced, which were handed down from one generation to another. This is one family’s story of their world of love, problems and promises.
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PIE GRANDE: MONSTRUO DEL HIELO
Price range: $3.99 through $20.99Frenético por la desaparición de su esposa, Adam Reese viaja a una pequeña isla frente a la costa de Canadá con su hijo de trece años, Sean. Allí, los dos se enteran de que se hizo un nuevo e importante descubrimiento animal mientras Mary estaba filmando un documental sobre los osos polares para el Planeta X. Ahora los miembros de ese equipo de filmación están desapareciendo, uno por uno. ¿Será porque el documental vale ahora millones? No es ninguna cantidad de dinero ni ningún descubrimiento de nuevos animales lo que motiva a Adam. Adam no dejará de encontrar el amor de su vida, Mary, especialmente por el bien de su hijo. De alguna manera, Adam debe rescatar a Mary de la criatura con colmillos que la arrebató de la fría y helada nieve. Debe salvarla del Bigfoot de pelo blanco, el Yeti… el monstruo del hielo.
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A Siren’s Call
Price range: $4.99 through $20.99Tess is a thief of the highest caliber. Years of expertise and the support of her criminal family have led her to the biggest job of their lives. But when her life is shattered by a bullet of betrayal, only revenge will sate her raging bloodlust.
Paige on the other hand, is a romantic, filled with a shy adventurous side that wishes to stay by the man she loves, and care for nothing else in this world. When her facade begins to crack under the pressure though, who will she be in the end?
These two personas clash in the ring of love and bloodlust, with only a winner, and the other who must disappear forever. Through the combat of dodging cameras and living double lives can they decide who will be who in the end.
Tim Wolfe is a growing author from the San Diego area who has been inspired by the concepts of society, and a deep yearning to convey those beliefs through his writings of romance and the adventure that is life. Tim enjoys spending time with his family, learning about history and science, and strives for a peaceful, carefree tomorrow.
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Big Foot: Monster of The Ice
Price range: $3.99 through $20.99Frantic about his missing wife, Adam Reese travels to a small island off the coast of Canada with their thirteen-year-old son, Sean. There the two learn that a major new animal discovery was made while Mary was filming a documentary on polar bears for Planet X. Now members of that film crew are disappearing, one by one. Is it because the documentary is now worth millions? Not any amount of money or new animal discovery drives Adam on. Adam won’t give up finding the love of his life, Mary, especially for the sake of their son. Somehow, Adam must rescue Mary from the fanged creature that has snatched her out of the cold, freezing snow. He must save her from the white-haired Bigfoot, the Yeti…the monster of the ice.
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Black Widow
Price range: $3.99 through $20.99Romeo Maroni, incensed that an ancient Egyptian belt disappeared from his museum, vows to capture the beautiful thief, Blackie Widow, a woman rumored by the FBI to be as dangerous as she is seductive. Teaming up with private investigator Martin, Romeo discovers millions of dollars’ worth of diamonds she has stolen, fashioned into a giant spider web. Uncovering her lair, he becomes prey for the gorgeous and poisonous Blackie Widow. Join in
the hunt for stolen treasure and get entangled in Romeo’s unrelenting desire to find his true love caught in a web of trouble.
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Taker of The Shroud
Price range: $3.99 through $20.99Bleeding severely from battle, Prince Louis returns to Valtearea Castle to warn his kingdom that King Lightenwood’s army is coming to steal the burial shroud of Jesus Christ. However, it wasn’t only the bloodstained cloth that wicked King Lightenwood sought to take but also the beautiful Princess Bella. Now pitted against this brave young Prince, King Lightenwood did not expect the battle nor the intrigue from a valiant Prince willing to risk everything to rescue his wife and to become the new Keeper of the Shroud.
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Trump Tower
Price range: $3.99 through $20.99The book is the continuation of “Operation Sandstorm.” The President and Vice-President of the United States as well as Special Force Team Leader Walker and his female Sergeant are scheduled to address the United Nations over the evidence the Special Force team found in Iran. However, before they can address the United Nations, robbers attack Trump Tower while they are there. The would-be robbers hold the Vice-President hostage sending Walker and his team into action to not only save the life of the Vice-President but to also stop the would be-be robbery.
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A Roof Over Our Heads and Food on the Table
Price range: $3.99 through $19.99Pat Kavanaugh wanted to major in English at Nutmeg State University. His parents persuaded him to major in accounting because it would be more practical than being a writer. At NSU, he met his roommate named Sean Donnelly. Both Irish-Americans, they became friends despite Sean’s troubling secret. Pat then becomes a cashier at Delacroix’s Grocery Store. After graduation, Pat continued working at Delacroix’s, but the chances of advancement are rather slim.
Pat then began a job search. Along the way, he moved to his own apartment, attended Sunday Masses at All Saints Church, became friends with another parishioner, and met a young woman. He also invested in a business that his parents felt was unethical. In the end, Sean was always there for him. -
Education Of A Native Son
Price range: $3.99 through $19.99Education of a Native Son begins where the novel, Native Son, by Richard Wright ends.
Thomas, a Black young man who grew up in Harlem is accepted to a prestigious Ivy League university in New England. While in college Little, as he is known, will be confronted with the pressures of the everyday college student, being Black at an all-white university and being Black in America. In addition to adjusting to college life, he will soon learn the secret of his parent’s past, a past the could lead to the destruction of his family, friendships and ultimately his life. What takes him from a proud feeling of triumph when entering the university to feelings of betrayal, abandonment, self-hatred and the brink of self-destruction.
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Chronicles of the Ancient Future
Price range: $3.99 through $19.99I was a successful businessman who was always looking for a new adventure to invest in to make my legacy greater. I should have known my next adventure was going beyond anything previously encountered. Despite my disturbing dream, I was not aware of what was to ensue.
At the onset, this adventure appeared to be quite lucrative. However, as the adventure progresses, in its unfoldment, it led me to some other unsettling paradigms. I found myself in other time zones and even on other planets.
Initially, the pattern of these events seemed obscure. After a few shocking revelations, I realized that there was a purpose to the pattern. The purpose was that of the Ancient Future.
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The Noble Rebellion
Price range: $3.99 through $18.99Freshman Congressman Max Noble gave up his career as a magazine publisher to pursue a life of public service. A botched assassination attempt may have changed his mind. Excused from the arrogant President Cole’s State of the Union address to a joint session of Congress, Max’s life is spared the murderous rage of a terrorist who declares himself the new “Sultan.” Armed with the United States’ military facilities, Sultan begins to govern the former democracy under Sharia law in a Taliban-like manner as the “Islamic States of America.” Despite having no legitimate claim to the presidency under the Constitution, Max is determined to do what he must to restore freedom to the nation.
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Something To Crow About
Price range: $3.99 through $18.99This story is about a young crow who worries about his diminutive size and wishes he might be larger and prouder. Moe the Crow, feeling puny and tiny, turns to his mother. She gives him
the family history tracing Moe to a time when his ancestors ruled the earth as dinosaurs. The story changes Moe’s perspective making him believe that life’s best is what lies ahead. The book gives young people a perspective of how dinosaurs evolved and a new way they can look at the birds around them. This book provides entertaining rhyme, colorful pictures, a scientific story, and a reminder of the bond between parents and their young. -
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The Devil In The Cave
Price range: $3.99 through $17.99When a World War II Veteran, Archibald Arthur, a United States Serviceman retired from active military duty in November 1943 after a grueling experience fighting the Japanese in the Aleutian Islands off the coast of Alaska, he must battle to rebuild his civilian life and emerge from the ashes. The Post Traumatic Stress-Disorder was intense, but finding a job at the Anchorage Hotel in Downtown Alaska provided a safe haven for him to revitalize and start over. But when he met a vacationing young lady from Zagreb, Croatia at the Hotel, his world was turned upside down after a beautiful picnic with her in the foot of the Alaskan Mountains.
The Devil that must have killed her in the woods was too powerful, but he must face him to avenge her demise and, in the process, discovering it was far more complicated than he had previously imagined. It took years of living in the mountain foot, surviving bitter winters and learning for him to discover that the battle that he must fight was not only carnal, but spiritual as well. Deep inside the cave with his loyal dog, Gossiper, they came face to face with the Devil and that marked a new beginning for them both……
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SICQ: Spanish Edition
Price range: $3.99 through $17.99El Presidente y el Vice Presidente son elegidos de dos partidos diferentes. Son viejos amigos, pero se desarrolla un conflicto cuando se descubre la posibilidad de un contacto extraterrestre real. Una multitud de personajes se infunden en la relación entre los dos.
A medida que se confirma progresivamente el contacto con extraterrestres, el cisma político deja de ser un problema. Los efectos sobre la humanidad pasan a primer plano. Aceptar la verdad provoca disensión y desconfianza. En última instancia, se realizan las eleEl Presidente y el Vice Presidente son elegidos de dos partidos diferentes. Son viejos amigos, pero se desarrolla un conflicto cuando se descubre la posibilidad de un contacto extraterrestre real. Una multitud de personajes se infunden en la relación entre los dos.
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Field of Oleander
Price range: $3.99 through $17.99When Raymond Karr is approached by a murderous gang to become a drug smuggler bringing narcotics from Africa, he immediately rejects the proposition. A straight-shooting immigrant, he abhors besmirching his family’s honor. But his deep-seated passion to attend George Washington Medical School is unmatched by his dismal financial capability, causing him to vacillate as his better instinct struggles with his ambition.
Eventually, through a series of coincidences and inertia, despite the re-occurrence of an eerie dream in a field of Oleander, he is swept along the road to criminality. After a tempestuous affair with a beautiful Latina whom he determines to impress into a permanent relationship, it’s game on.
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The Call From Within
Price range: $3.99 through $17.99The plight of animals has been neglected for too long. This fact, simply obvious, and according to the many devoted witnesses to animal cruelty, inspires the desire for an existence of peace, having found some answers through time with people who care, bringing to life the Laws to assist.
Concern for our “pets”, and the problem of the “Crisis of Cruelty” is engaging all of us to help animals now exclaiming their woes for those who can hear such pain; and this time it is relevant to all people who have animal companions and/or concern for wildlife. And “Deborah” (The prophetess) is one who faces such ethical issues, and guides animal choices that exist precisely on the divide between species and the problem of The Animal that she studies.
Eager to see it unfold here through story, seeking the tools we need to succeed, the pen being one such implement, “Deborah” is the person who brings it all to bear, on life and love we share our gifts, precise and sure to find that place that we always seek, in peaceful gestures that exist within us.
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In The Presence of Wolves: The Adventures of Ranger Jacob Clarke
Price range: $3.99 through $17.99Erick Nason was born and grew up in Glens Falls, New York, spending much of his childhood in the Lake George region and the Adirondack Mountains. He served in the United States Army, serving with the 2nd Ranger Battalion and the 10th Special Forces Group for twenty years. While in the service, he received a Bachelor’s of Arts Degree in World Military History and a Master’s of Art Degree in Military Studies: The American Revolution, both from the American Military University. He retired from the Army in 2005, went to work for TATE Incorporated as an instructor, specializing in personnel recovery, and earned a Doctorate in Education, specializing in military history from Walden University. He previously published his autobiography From Desert Storm to Iraqi Freedom: One Soldier’s Story. For a hobby, he has been a living historian and reenactor since 1987. Nason lives with his wife Karin and daughter Samantha in Virginia.
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The Riverndish
Price range: $8.99 through $16.99The Riverndish is a beautiful, magnificent creature from the planet Valarious. It ‘s mystical power grants everyone’s special wishes while it keeps it’s planet magically hidden. This story takes you on a journey of how one special wish took a little longer to reach it’s destination and how hard the Riverndish worked to make sure it came true.
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The Last Western
Price range: $9.99 through $16.99CIVIL WAR, 1861-1865, origin of today’s political, economic and social conflicts and the 19th Century national transformation from farm to factory, town to city, pioneer to wage slave Bible to Darwin, honor to profit. The story of this historic pivot set in Colorado 1882. Strong characters in a vortex of political corruption, genocide, drugs (Merck, the start of big pharma, founded in 1827 to produce morphine and later cocaine; Union army purchased 10 million morphine tablets for field hospitals and more than 200,000 addicts returned home after the war), gun violence (endemic after 650,000 fratricide in the Civil War), abortion, homosexuality and abiding hope. Not to be missed!
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La Tarte, La Tarte, Et Oh Cette Odeur
Price range: $3.99 through $16.99La maman de Cindy adore cuisiner de DÉLICIEUX gâteaux, pâtisseries et autres desserts ! Mais un jour, maman en a assez de faire toute la cuisine et le nettoyage elle-même, et elle arrête complètement de cuisiner. Votre famille s’ennuie de la merveilleuse odeur de votre pâtisserie. Mais comment peuvent-ils vous montrer à quel point ils sont reconnaissants? Et maman va préparer sa tarte aux pommes spéciale pour l’anniversaire de Cindy ? Le gâteau, le gâteau ! enseigne aux enfants l’importance de montrer leur appréciation pour les choses merveilleuses que leurs parents font chaque jour, et le plaisir de participer et d’aider !
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Janine: Tale of an Abandoned Wife and Mother
Price range: $3.99 through $15.99Janine is left homeless and penniless when her husband deserts her. She is left to explain all his thefts and misdeeds as she loses her friends and status. All the while, she must protect her children as she builds a new life. When Janine discovers a way to recover some of her money, she resorts to wits and stealth. Many women are caught unawares by the deeds of their spouses. Not everyone is as eventually fortunate or brave as Janine.
Mark Eric Johansen is a retired bus mechanic. He began seriously writing when he had time to devote to retelling the events he had heard and seen. He is working on a chronicle of forty years in a diverse, racist, bewildering work environment. Mark and his wife have always lived in the Chicagoland area.
Janine is Mark’s first completed fiction piece.
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The Angels of Opi
Price range: $3.99 through $15.99Seven Boys Held Captive for 11 years! When Daniel Ciarletta and his father, Pete, boarded a boat in 1947 bound for Italy, to visit Pete’s ailing father, they could not have known what awaited them. Everything changed for Daniel and the Ciarletta family. Daniel was abducted and taken to Opi, a rural mountain community that had survived for centuries by sheep herding until 1943, when retreating German soldiers seized all the boys and able-bodied young men as work prisoners. Daniel soon became a work prisoner as part of a devious plan by the citizens of Opi-including the local priest who had evidentially lost his “moral compass”- to abduct young foreigners to take the place of the men they had lost. With no idea of where he was or why, and unable to speak Italian, Daniel began working in the fields and plotting his possible escape. Meanwhile, back in America, the once happy and loving Ciarletta family began to slowly disintegrate under the burden of conflict, anger and guilt caused by Daniel’s mysterious disappearance.
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Impossible Beginnings: A Love Story
Price range: $3.99 through $15.99Merry Morehouse, a city girl carrying a life-crushing secret, is betrayed by a woman she believes to be her best friend. This friend backs out of a planned camping trip to the mountains at the last minute. Although she has never camped out before, Merry is set on being a big girl and decides to make the trip alone. Lost at night in these mountains with few people, she decides to go home. Turning around, Merry crashes vehicles with a man who recently lost his beloved wife to cancer.
Doc Adams, a disabled combat vet in danger of being fired from his job, who holds no romantic interest in another woman after losing his much-loved wife, becomes the crash victim. He lives alone on this desolate mountain that becomes the crash scene. Merry accepts his offer to sleep at his home but panics when he pulls off on the dirt road leading to this isolated place. Their vastly different beliefs quickly become the foundations for arguments concerning God, guns, law enforcement, and news media reports. Overloaded with fear and difficult memories from her teen years, Merry is terrified of what he might do to her. Her choices for the night narrow with no place to stay, no vehicle, no way to protect herself, and a cell phone that won’t work in these mountains.
After this rough start, they work to get along with each other, and Merry struggles to become accustomed to mountain life. False accusations take them to court where the charges are dropped. They get married. Merry’s father, a big-shot lawyer, causes problems during their wedding and is ushered out. He shows up at the reception and tries to take his family home. Shots are fired, and total bedlam ensues. -
The Other Wife
Price range: $3.99 through $15.99Janice Bordeaux is an American woman from New Orleans, who lives and works in Chicago. WANDA ARRINGTON AKOREDE Janice and her cousin Melinda share an apartment. They are both young and ready for love and marriage. Janice finds her true love when she meets a Nigerian name Olufemi (Femi) Adegoke, who is completing his Ph.D. at the University of Chicago. Janice is employed at the University as an Administrative Assistant. They meet at an Africa party and romance blossoms. They become engaged and get married despite their cultural differences. Olufemi is from an upper class Nigerian family. He has lots of money and takes Janice on an extended honeymoon in Europe. They plan to settle in Nigeria afterwards. It is upon their arrival in Nigeria, that the other side of Femi is revealed. He kept from her the fact that he was already married. You see in their culture, it is legal to have more than one wife. But for Janice, this was culture shock! Devastated and distraught, Janice tries to live in their culture, rather than return home. Her love for Femi is very strong and she hopes that one day he will come to his senses and see that she is all the woman that he needs. But being faced with a very strong and male dominated country and living in a strange and sometimes overwhelming country, she finds it difficult to deal with her husband’s infidelity. She feels cheated. He should have told her about his other wife, and she
would never have married him. Omolola (Lola) is Oulfemi’s Nigerian wife. She waits two long years for him to complete his education and return home to her. She had not bargained on him marrying an American woman and bringing her home. She had planned to have a family and enjoy the fruits of his success upon his return to Nigeria. Instead she was forced to share him with Janice. Omolola knew that her husband has taken another wife before they arrived in Nigeria. It was part of their culture for a man to have more than one wife. Several of her relatives were actively living in polygamy. They tried to live together, each woman sharing their husband equally. But Lola was not satisfied with their arrangement and schemes to have Olufemi to herself. She uses any means at her disposal including juju (witchcraft). While Janice who is innocent in this is losing the battle to maintain her marriage. Consequently, Janice catches Olufemi and Lola in bed together and decides that she had had enough of their culture and polygamy and leaves for America. But she takes with her their unborn child; she is several months pregnant. So the tie is binding. -
The Pie, The Pie and Oh That Smell!: Korean Edition
Price range: $3.99 through $15.99신디의 엄마는 파이, 케이크, 그리고 다른 맛있는 디저트 굽는 걸 좋아해요! 그런데 어느 날, 그녀의 어머니는 혼자 굽고 청소하는 일에 너무 지쳐서 요리를 아예 그만두었습니다. 그녀의 가족은 그녀가 굽는 냄새를 그리워한다. 하지만 그들이 그녀에게 얼마나 감사하는지 어떻게 보여줄 수 있습니까? 그리고 그녀의 엄마는 Cindy의 생일을 위해 특별한 사과 파이를 굽을까요? 파이, 파이! 이는 아이들에게 부모가 매일 하는 훌륭한 일에 대해 감사를 표하는 것의 중요성뿐만 아니라 참여하고 돕는 기쁨을 가르칩니다!
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The Pie, The Pie and Oh That Smell!: Japanese Edition
Price range: $3.99 through $15.99シンディのお母さんは、パイ、ケーキ、その他のおいしいデザートを焼くのが大好きです。 しかしある日、お母さんは自分でパンを焼いたり片付けたりすることにうんざりして、まったく料理をしなくなってしまいました。 彼女の家族は、彼女が焼く素晴らしい匂いを懐かしんでいます。 しかし、どうやって彼女に感謝の気持ちを示すことができるでしょうか? そしてお母さんはシンディの誕生日に特別なアップルパイを焼いてくれるでしょうか？ パイ、パイ！ は、両親が毎日してくれている素晴らしいことに感謝の気持ちを示すことの大切さと、協力して手伝うことの楽しさを子供たちに教えます。
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The Pie, The Pie and Oh That Smell!: Italian Edition
Price range: $3.99 through $15.99La mamma di Cindy adora preparare torte, torte e altri dessert DELIZIOSI! Ma un giorno, la mamma si stanca di cucinare e pulire da sola e smette del tutto di cucinare. Alla sua famiglia manca il meraviglioso profumo dei suoi dolci. Ma come possono dimostrarle quanto sono grati? E la mamma preparerà la sua torta di mele speciale per il compleanno di Cindy? La torta, la torta! insegna ai bambini l’importanza di mostrare il loro apprezzamento per le cose meravigliose che i loro genitori fanno ogni giorno e il divertimento di contribuire e dare una mano!
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The Pie, The Pie and Oh That Smell!: German Edition
Price range: $3.99 through $15.99Cindys Mutter liebt es, Torten, Kuchen und andere KÖSTLICHE Desserts zu backen! Doch eines Tages wird Mama es leid, das ganze Backen und Aufräumen selbst zu erledigen, und sie hört ganz auf zu kochen. Ihre Familie vermisst den wunderbaren Duft ihres Backens. Aber wie können sie ihr zeigen, wie dankbar sie sind? Und wird Mama zu Cindys Geburtstag ihren besonderen Apfelkuchen backen? Der Kuchen, der Kuchen! vermittelt Kindern, wie wichtig es ist, ihre Wertschätzung für die wunderbaren Dinge zu zeigen, die ihre Eltern jeden Tag tun – und wie viel Spaß es macht, mitzuhelfen!
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The Pie, The Pie and Oh That Smell!: Arabic Edition
Price range: $3.99 through $15.99تحب والدة سيندي خبز الفطائر والكعك والحلويات اللذيذة الأخرى! ولكن في أحد الأيام، سئمت أمي من القيام بكل أعمال الخبز والتنظيف بنفسها، وتوقفت عن الطهي تمامًا. تفتقد عائلتها رائحة خبزها الرائعة. ولكن كيف يمكنهم أن يظهروا لها مدى امتنانهم؟ وهل ستخبز أمي فطيرة التفاح الخاصة بها في عيد ميلاد سيندي؟ الفطيرة، الفطيرة! يعلم الأطفال أهمية إظهار تقديرهم للأشياء الرائعة التي يفعلها آباؤهم كل يوم – ومتعة المشاركة والمساعدة!
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Connections
Price range: $3.99 through $15.99Contrary to the dazzling wealth, glitz and glamour portrayed in the media, the Upper East Side of Manhattan is not only glass penthouses, hedge fund managers, and $500 dinners. There are also ordinary side streets where hard-working singles rent, where roommates split expenses, where elderly women live orderly lives. For many of them, home means a loving animal, the steadfast presence that shares a life, hears a secret, heals a hurt, claims the heart.
That’s how it is for long-term resident Rosa Bassetti. There is no better friend than Princess, her arthritic Poodle. Rosa’s neighbor, Eileen Hargan, feels the same about Fibber McGee, her little Boston Terrier. Strangers at first, the two senior citizens become friends as they meet while walking their dogs, come sun, rain, or snow.
Their peaceful routine is shattered when Eileen receives an anonymous note demanding money, threatening to kidnap or hurt her dog if she doesn’t pay. A dangerous criminal? Cruel prankster? Rosa is determined to find out.
Played out against Manhattan’s aging brownstones, tree-lined streets and pre-war buildings, CONNECTIONS brings together an intriguing cast of New Yorkers-a same-sex couple, a tough social worker finding love, a troubled boy, a lonely office manager-who all come together through their love for animals, and join forces against a terrifying menace.
Author Jackie Wein writes with warmth, subtle wit, and intimate knowledge of the powerful bonds we share with our four-legged families. Sometimes, it is our beloved pets that help us to get through life’s difficult experiences. But, as CONNECTIONS never lets us forget, the ultimate connection is with each other.
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The Lost Horse
Price range: $3.99 through $15.99Jenny Longworth’s recent marriage to widower David Perry is tested on multiple fronts. Despite her efforts to adapt to living in Europe, she experiences increasing bouts of homesickness.
Beyond the continuing challenge of adjusting to a new country and a new language, Jenny must define her role as stepmother to two young adults. Jenny suspects David’s son Marc has a drug addiction, but David defends Marc’s behavior as a “passing phase.” When his daughter Delphine gets into financial difficulty, David’s protective instincts run counter to Jenny’s views on accountability.
As David and Jenny struggle to negotiate their differences, their challenge is heightened by David’s retirement and financial pressures of their own, leading them to consider repatriating to the US. In this sequel to Judge Not, author Lee Lowry completes her trilogy of mid-life love and second marriage with an intimate account of the give and take essential to a healthy relationship.
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The Sinai Artifact
Price range: $3.99 through $15.99The murder of an antiquities curator at the Smithsonian Institution brings FBI agent, Ted Lansing to the prestigious Washington museum. He again steps into an all-consuming case that takes him from the comforts of his new life to the barren, mountainous terrain of the Sinai Peninsula in search of the killer and an elusive piece of granite, The Sinai Artifact.
The curator’s death and subsequent recovery of the priceless artifact becomes a race across the globe, first to Rome and ultimately to the Middle East, all with deadly consequences. What secrets do the objects hold, and how many innocent victims must die in search of the greatest archeological discovery of all time? Or is the oddly shaped stone something else entirely?
From Lansing’s initial discovery that his prime suspect is not who she first appeared to be, to a cast of conspiratorial characters, the case takes Lansing
halfway around the world.
One time German Stasi agent, Hans Richter, now in the employ of Russia’s clandestine service, orders the murder of an elderly Vatican priest who comes too close to the artifact’s true secret, but it is only the start of Richter’s murderous quest for the priceless stone.
Roadblocks to Richter’s pursuit of the treasure, and Lansing’s relentless hunt to uncover the secret buried in the Sinai, are thwarted by a formidable adversary of Richter, linguist, and expert in biblical languages, Russian archaeologist Irina Kazakov. But for which side is she working?
What are the Russian’s hiding, keeping from the world? Why is the Catholic Church so interested in recovering the oddly shaped stone? Does the centuries old monastery of Santa Katerina and its complement of Greek Orthodox priests hold answer?