Girlfriending by Christopher T. Werkman is a lovely collection of intriguing short stories. I have never read a collection with so many diverse settings, characters and situations. Each story, whether one page long or several, transports you into its universe effortlessly. I was hooked from...

In Book of Names by Rain Oxford, brothers Nathan and Luca find themselves yanked from their easy-going existence and thrown into the midst of a strange alien world where Egyptian myths are alive and magic works. Foundling Nathan also discovers that he may have a...

Atmospheric, spiritual, and discerningly human, Psalms from the Heart by Barbara Lennon is a splendid collection of poems that capture the outpouring of the soul, the different seasons of her life, the joy and the pain of her humanity, and her ultimate hope. In this...

When it comes to memoirs, there’s one thing writers need to remember: people love happy endings, especially when the writer’s life has been filled with struggle and heartache, as was Jessica Aiken-Hall’s life in The Monster That Ate My Mommy. That monster nearly finished off...

In The Diary of St. Blair by E.W.Skinner, Blair is a teenager who has been blessed with certain abilities. She is able to communicate with supernatural beings. Archangel Michael pays her frequent visits and urges her to write about the divine visions that appear to...

Compose Your Soul: How to Turn Your Daily Chaos into Calm Control by Angela Nuttle is an uplifting and insightful read about composing one's soul, which requires deep reflection, brutal honesty, and the willingness to accept that we have unique DNA. It works differently for...

Orville Mouse and the Puzzle of the Last Metaphonium by Tom Hoffman is an expertly written fantasy novel. It’s the fourth in a series about the Metaphysical Adventurer (a.k.a. world-hopping) Orville Wellington Mouse. Orville is a shaper, meaning he’s magically gifted, and when a highly...

A man's grisly death ignites his chess teacher's suspicions and, like a bulldog, he won't let up until he finds the truth in the exciting murder mystery Even Dead Men Play Chess by Michael Weitz. Ray is a chess aficionado and about once a month,...

The Very Cross Bun, by J.R. Poulter, is a young children’s illustrated story about a piece of bread—a bun—that comes alive, has feelings (angry ones at that), and decides to run away before he is thrown out. He takes a high-speed journey on his own,...

IA: Union, Book 3 is a paranormal science fiction/coming of age novel for young adults, written by John Darryl Winston. While the author does give sufficient background information to enable this book to be read on its own, I would advise working through this series...

Brandon Makes Jiǎo Zi (餃子) by Eugenia Chu is an illustrated children’s story that mixes American and Chinese cultures, bringing not only traditions together, but also the two languages. Brandon’s parents live in the United States, but the boy’s grandmother lives in China, and she...

Two Journeys Home is a historical fiction story by Kevin O’Connell. In 1767, widowed Eileen O’Connell returns to Derrynane, Ireland after spending over five years in Austria. She acquired European traits and customs considered presumptuous by a few relatives and locals. Eileen meets Lieutenant O’Leary...

Jack Bennett is a private investigator. He really doesn’t like Christmas and all the fuss people go to, trying to make it a special time of the year. So, when he’s sent to Christmas Town on assignment, Jack is overwhelmed with Christmas everywhere he goes,...

The Tiara Mystery by Karen Meyer is a children’s historical novel set in 1880s Dayton, Ohio. Young Claire Russell is heartbroken by the possible eviction of her family from their lovely home, which serves as a small boarding-house. With the assistance of dashing Orville Wright,...

Magic has almost disappeared from our world, due to the influence of first the industrial revolution, and then the technological revolution, but unknown to most of us mere mortals, magic creatures - werewolves, shifters, vampires, witches, and Fae - still live amongst us. Eleanor Morgan...

No Tougher Duty, No Greater Honor: A Memoir of a Mortuary Affairs Marine by GySgt L. Christian Bussler (Ret.) is a clever military non-fiction story of a Mortuary Affairs Marine. We meet the protagonist in 2002, employed as a postal letter carrier in Springfield, Ohio....

Away with the Fairies by Jenny Twist is a sweet short story about a young girl who goes on an adventure in which they learn just how strong a family is. The story begins with June and Lucy, both of whom are sisters. Lucy suffers...

At the opening of the novella Doppelganger by Jenny Twist, we find our heroine, Christine, sitting in a bath and about to start on her third bottle of wine. Taking yet another handful of pills along with the booze, she is rather disappointed that it...

Flipside by Jenny Twist is a fun, contemporary romance about two star-crossed British lovers, but with a distinctly characteristic twist that is part science fiction, part fantasy, and part mystery-thriller, all rolled into one story that will keep you guessing until the very end. The...

Uncle Vernon by Jenny Twist is a haunting short tale reminiscent of classic ghost stories. The main character, Alison, spends a few nights in her boyfriend Gary's family home, where she encounters a ghoulish man after whom the book is named: Uncle Vernon. Having lost...