When Silence Shatters by Mahitab Mahmoud is a collection of original short stories, all of which, in their own way, lean into societal pressures and personal agency in Egyptian life. In Stained, Mariam intervenes when a teenage girl is harassed, confronting public scrutiny and social...

Who Do You Help? by Randy Knoewman is a stunning tale about making a difference. Mr. and Mrs. Jones won the lottery, but all the money in the world couldn’t help Mrs. Jones, and her parting words to her husband were that he should use...

Wayward: The Valley War by Antonio Journie is book one in the Wayward Series. Journie holds readers’ attention with great one-liners, equally dark and compelling characters, and heavy moments that add depth and symmetry to the story. I finished reading Wayward in a few days...

What Is Unseen: Texas Porch Stories by J. Andrew Rice tells the story of Kyle Luman, a corporate lawyer who loses his wife, Victoria, to cancer. Lost in depression and alcoholism, he decides to go back to his hometown, Three Oaks, Texas, with his two...

In What Love Leaves Behind by Marian L. Thomas, Storm enters the world as her mother takes her last breath. Etta Harris, longing to be a mother, hopes to adopt Storm and provide her with the chance at a better life. Etta envisions building a...

It’s 1872 in Limestone Cove, Tennessee. Twelve-year-old Ezekiel Gouge watches his Uncle Zeke make sour mash whiskey, and despite his father’s protests, dreams of one day operating a legal whiskey still. Over the course of 67 years, Ezekial marries Panthia, has 13 children with her,...

When a Phoenix Rose Nevermore is the second book in the Cycles of the Phoenix series by C.A. Nicholas. This standalone book is an anthology featuring interconnected stories, poems, and comedy sketches. Dahlia Noelle has battled with anxiety and depression for most of her twenty-three...

In When Things Go Missing by Deborah J Brasket, Fran leaves home and travels to the farthest reaches of South America, leaving her family to manage life in her absence. Kay, an archaeology student, remains devoted to her mother but finds it difficult to trust...

Whiz Kid by Joel Burcat and David S. Burcat is a historical novel that transports readers to 1950s Philadelphia, blending baseball with the complexities of personal and societal challenges. The story centers on Ben Green, a young Navy veteran and aspiring writer, as he navigates...

What Wakes the Heart by Karen A. Wyle continues the Cowbird Creek series and is also a historical romance set in Nebraska during the years following the Civil War. Readers are introduced to a young teacher, Susannah, who’s carrying the weight of her past, and...