My Dad's Beard by Zanib Mian is a delightfully charming story about a little boy's observation of beards. The little boy's dad has a prickly black beard. His uncle's and grandfather's beards are different. The beard tickles him when his dad kisses him. The beard...

Zanib Mian and Bill Bolton have written an absolutely adorable story in Oddsockosaurus. Most preschool and young elementary age children love dinosaurs. Mian and Bolton will draw in parents and young readers quickly and easily with the colorful, playful, and funny images within Oddsockosaurus. The...

For a collection of stories that stray delightfully off the beaten track of cookie cutter characters and plot lines without any roadside surprises, you can do a lot worse than venturing around inside Unpredictable Worlds: Stories by Jessica Knauss. While the stories are widely divergent,...

Life is too short. Nothing is promised. Live life to the fullest each day. No one could have told the Purcell sisters, Dana and Lisa, that one of them would die at a young age. This is what happened in No More Tears by Tina...

Jet Girrl and Mr. Bizarro: Surviving Natural Disaster by Nowell Berg chronicles the flooding that occurred in the hometown of Jet Girrl and Mr. Bizarro. Jet Girrl is an air hostess by profession. Her beau depends on Jet Girrl for support. Unfortunately, when Jet Girrl...

Bartender Tales by Amber Moore is wonderfully written story that begins with Wesley Lake looking for a full time bartending position. After checking out one bar called The Last Stop, which seems to be offering what he is looking for, Wes calls the owner. The...

Many people have trouble seeing who they really are until some type of reflection exposes their weaknesses and limitations. In Dark Glass by David Skynner, the characters find their reflections in shiny surfaces in the heart of a supposedly haunted property and come to look...

It Must Have Been You is a children's picture book written by Zanib Mian and illustrated by Fatima Mian. It's the story of a young girl who just keeps on getting into trouble. She's bored and hungry, so first she tries to reach the pie...

A man used to always being in control, Fred was very much disturbed by the unknown or by what he could not manipulate and/or control. The root cause of his latest troubles lay in four coded pages he had recently discovered in a book written...

Power Shift: From Fossil Energy to Dynamic Solar Power by Robert Arthur Stayton is a very relevant book in today’s world. Power Shift presents a historical perspective on traditional energy sources and the use of fossil fuels and carbons and their effects. It talks about...

General Houston's Little Spy: A Texas Revolution Story is a young adult historical fiction novel written by Cara Skinner. Samantha Russell was born in 1819. Her parents had a large family and Samantha was the middle child. They had a good life working the family...

What a fun read! Those were the words that came to mind when I finished reading Famous Penultimate Words by Roberta Pearce. The book starts with the protagonist, Adelyn “Adie” Wilding, being surprisingly shot and dying. Thankfully for her, and for me as the reader,...

Ain't No Grave by S.A. Softley tells the tale of a man facing a changed world after a virus outbreak. The story begins as he is on a plane, on a flight to see his mother. While on the plane, the man next to him...

What a fun read! I just finished Epic Zero: Tales of a Not-So-Super 6th Grader by author R.L. Ullman, and I have to say, I loved it! The story follows young Elliot Harkness, whose entire family belongs to the Freedom Force, the world’s greatest superhero...

In a brand new novel by debut author Mara Powers, Shadows of Atlantis: Awakening, readers will be taken along on an absolutely epic journey to amazing Atlantis, focus of stories both old and new. The Atlantis of author Powers’ work is a beautiful paradise, one...

L.E. Fraser's Skully, Perdition Games blends paranormal and psychological horrors to craft a chilling tale that grips from start to finish. Gabrielle LeBlanc is a strange housewife with a mysterious past. When she disappears and all evidence points to her murder, Samantha McNamara and Reece...

Omega Plague: Collapse by P.R. Principe is first and foremost about Bruno Ricasso. Ricasso is a guy's guy, a cop, a carabiniere, a man who wants to defend people, help them, and, most importantly, to keep them safe. When everyone in the world begins to...

In Just a Few Inches by debut novelist Tara St. Pierre, the author takes a unique path to bring to light the very serious issues of body image, self-esteem and teenage relationships. Our protagonist, Carrie Roberts, is a pretty average teenage girl. But she wants...

Broken Dreams by Cassidy K. O'Connor is an emotional young adult coming of age story about the possibility of reclaiming second chances. Isabelle and her twin brother Ian are excited to finally graduate high school. Isabelle wants to dance at Julliard and Ian has soccer...

Everblue: Mer Tales #1 by Brenda Pandos is a young adult fantasy about the intersecting lives of humans and mermaids. Seventeen-year-old Ashlyn spends her time swimming with her best friend Tatiana, and crushing on Tatiana's twin brother Finley. Unbeknownst to Ashlyn, Finley and his family...