Jeffrey L. Carrier | Fiction — Thriller

Jeffrey L. Carrier's Coal Dust on Purple Asters is a collection of three interconnected stories set in the coal fields of Eastern Kentucky. In ''Rain on Chinquapin Holler,'' Vergie Hicks endures her husband's infidelity until a devastating flood prompts a sacrifice that might save the children. “A Sprig of Purple Asters” follows May Owens during the Depression, who burns her cabin to escape her criminal brothers. But the outcome delivers the opposite of her expectations, a redemption she never saw coming. “Red Snow in the Kentucky Woods” reveals a decades-old family secret when grandson Cory tracks down his missing uncle, James Herald, who fled a mining destiny after accidentally killing his...

D.J. Paolini | Romance - Historical

D.J. Paolini's The Paladin of Rimini is a compelling multi-generational saga spanning from 1982 to 2017. Angelina Fabrizzi is a woman burdened by severe family abuse and financial ruin. After her mother, Isabella, was forced into marriage and died from cancer, Angelina suffered through an abusive union with Giovanni until her godmother, Valentina, a fierce former carabinieri, finally intervened. In 2017, widowed and in heavy debt, Angelina meets Benjamin LaRocca, an American travel writer, on a train to Rimini. Benjamin becomes her tenant, and their shared kindness quickly blossoms into romance. As Valentina protects them from the past, she must reckon with her secrets as well. While Angelin...

Ron Morris | Thriller

In a Country with No Name by Ron Morris follows Bert Mars, a young English teacher in Bangkok who abandons his teaching job for what he believes is a glamorous opportunity with CLB, a television network owned by Thai tycoon Chiang. Transferred to an unnamed neighboring country, Bert becomes entangled in a conspiracy to overthrow Prime Minister Thaw Kai after a business dispute over broadcasting rights. Recruited into Chiang’s inner circle, Bert helps install communications equipment for a coup attempt. Will he and his friends succeed in this daring mussion to overthrow a government or will this insane adventure become his undoing? The answers are surprising.  Ron Morris delivers a comp...

Matthew Fults | Fiction - Thriller- Conspiracy

Nikolai's Secret (The Ukraine Stories) by Matthew Fults is a Cold War thriller narrated by Nikolai Kovalenko, a Ukrainian electronics technician employed by the KGB-affiliated surveillance division of the Soviet Ministry of Communications. Spanning 1965 to 1983, the story traces Nikolai’s career from army conscription in Leningrad to a classified facility in Brovary, Ukraine, where he discovers a tape recording of a conversation between East German Stasi agent Dieter Werner and co-conspirators plotting regime change in Poland. When his supervisor is found murdered, shot in the head in his home, and Werner begins hunting for the recording, Nikolai must walk carefully. Nikolai now possesses a...

AJ Streator | Poetry - General

AJ Streator’s From the Shallow End to the Deep End is a gorgeous collection of ninety-five sonnets that capture the author’s experiences, psyche, and autobiographical journey through varying shades of life. Structured clearly into three sections—The Shallow End, Middle of the Pool, and The Deep End—the collection features themes ranging from nostalgic childhood memories and family bonds to the painful experiences of divorce, mental health struggles, and aging. The poems are a reflective ledger, examining the author's intimate relationships with his mother, father, siblings, and children, while exploring resilience, faith, and redemption. Rather than adhering strictly to traditional romantic...

Alisa Jean | Romance

Matthew (A Los Angeles Quakes Hockey Series, Book 3) by Alisa Jean is just as tantalizing as the first two books in the series. This entry introduces another unique, compelling hero, a character as genuinely flawed and lovable as those in the other books. Meet Matthew Holt, a Hockey player for the L.A. Quakes team and a man who will do anything for his team. He spares no energy when he plays and can even get brutal if that is what it takes to defend the team and teammates. Then something bad happens: he is traded to a team thousands of miles from home, away from friends and family. And he doesn’t like that. Now his anger has only one outlet—the hockey pitch. But something else is happening:...

Oliver Libby | Non-Fiction - Government/Politics

Strong Floor, No Ceiling: A Bold Plan to Rebuild the American Dream—for Everyone by Oliver Libby offers a radically moderate blueprint for a fractured nation. Entrepreneur and policy innovator Oliver B. Libby urges us to move beyond division with a pragmatic vision rooted in both tradition and innovation, equity and growth. Libby’s “Strong Floor” approach ensures every American has access to healthcare, education, and opportunity—while his “No Ceiling” philosophy champions the limitless ambitions that drive progress. Inside, you’ll find actionable strategies to restore trust in institutions and elections, a new model for bipartisan cooperation, and a call to civic renewal. Learn how capital...

Alan J. Hesse | Children-Educational

It was supposed to be an easy, delightful journey to return Penguin to Antarctica, but Captain Polo and her clever sidekick, Penguin, are drawn into perils they never anticipated. Tex Greedyman is a ruthless oil tycoon with devastating plans for the Amazon, and from the rainforest's heart to Rio’s enchanting streets, Captain Polo and Penguin are on a whirlwind adventure packed with action and discovery. They'll scale Sugar Loaf Mountain's cable car, dodge a furious bull at a southern cattle auction, and uncover nature-based climate solutions in the Atlantic Forest. Along the way, they confront pressing environmental crises while discovering inspiring community-driven innovations. Will they m...

Peter D. Banko | Non-Fiction - Business/Finance

Peter D. Banko’s The Necessary Goodbye is a candid leadership manual that reframes termination not as a managerial failure but as an essential, albeit underutilized, tool for organizational health. The author shares his experience that spans two decades as a CEO handling financial turnaround, and argues that firing—whether termed “freeing up futures” or “involuntary separation”—is often the most compassionate act a leader can undertake. Yet, this experience can come with a sense of guilt for many leaders. In this book, he teaches leaders how to be not only professional when handling this aspect of business, but also how to do it with compassion and in a way that benefits everyone....

Carol B Allen | Science Fiction & Fantasy

One If is a well-written science fiction by Carol B. Allen, which presents a compelling and imaginative story about three teenagers, Parker, Edison, and Henley, who are unexpectedly kidnapped and transported to the mysterious world of Spyridon after encountering a seemingly ordinary hummingbird. As they navigate this ethereal realm, they discover a planet facing an environmental catastrophe, with its avian society fighting for survival. The planet brims with political intrigue, threats of war, and ecological disaster. The teens are tasked with helping Spyridon’s inhabitants address environmental stewardship issues. They must face many challenges, but falling in love only makes matters w...

Colin Dodds | Fiction - Literary

The Reign of the Anti-Santas by Colin Dodds is a unique and audacious Christmas tale that takes readers on a rollercoaster ride through a world where the holiday spirit collides head-on with corporate greed, scandal, and societal change. The story is narrated by Elvin, an elf with a front-row seat to the evolution and devolution of Christmas. Elvin's journey begins when he unwittingly accompanies Santa Claus on a Christmas Eve trip, setting the stage for a decades-long adventure filled with intrigue and danger. Dodds creates a narrative that includes Santa's secret affairs, the PR scandal that catapults Rudolph to fame, and the encroachment of humanity on the North Pole. What makes this book...

Laurel Colless | Children - Adventure

Knights Unite is the fourth book in the Peter Blue Series by Laurel Colless, and it follows Riva du Lac, who is determined to uphold her promise to avoid detentions at Spiral Hall. But a sea cleanup reveals Shem, a mythical fish boy, and a surprise honor from the Spiral Knights forces her to choose between rules and friendship. Meanwhile, Peter Blue has a vision of a water-dwelling monster. Can their unlikely alliance save the knights—and the world? Laurel Colless captures the delicate balance of environmental activism and adolescent adventure through the eyes of Riva, the determined twelve-year-old protagonist. The character development is both nuanced and engaging, particularly in Riva’s j...