Books

LITERARY FICTION | FICTION

Will's Wake

by Timothy Dreszer

Under redwoods older than empires, 11-year-old Shree’s dreams are sinking fast. Power is down, food has run out, and a river of mud has erased the only road of escape. Shree is alone with her father, who is hiding the worst of a growing storm. As the rains fall and a chorus of voices torments him, whispers begin urging Tony to kill his daughter. Wendy and Shree first bonded over the pain of dysfunctional families. Yet when Shree runs away from her angry, lying mother and disappears with her mythical father, Wendy is left alone to face her tormentors. Can a mysterious envelope from far away shield her from her abusive brother or the venom of her classmates? Part descent into psychosis, part ode to friendship, Will’s Wake is a coming-of-age novel that asks if two children can untangle emotions to rescue each other when those they should look up to fall short.

Blues Jam

by Stephen Rice

Attention all music lovers! Prepare to be swept away by the powerful and emotional story of Sarah, a determined young woman on a journey to become a blues drummer. Set in the vibrant neighborhoods of Saint Paul, Sarah's story unfolds as she battles with personal struggles and pursues her dream. But, as she finds solace and inspiration in the blues classics, she must also navigate a complex web of relationships with her family and friends, marked by unexpected triumphs and tragedies. Will Sarah overcome the challenges and achieve her dreams, or will addiction and loss consume her? Fans of music and heartfelt stories will find it impossible to put this book down. If you enjoyed "The Music Shop" by Rachel Joyce, then you'll love "Blues Jam".

Tourist

by Timothy Strong

Fresh out of a mental hospital, Jake returns to Lake Placid as the 1980 Winter Olympics ignite the town. Haunted by his friend’s death and the stigma of illness and poverty, he reconnects with former love Laurie. As USA faces USSR on the ice, Jake must choose despair—or peace within.

The Garden House

by Linda Mahkovec

Feeling unfulfilled at age fifty, Miranda decides to broaden her life by renting out the artist’s studio in her garden. She is pleased with the quiet tenant, but soon begins to doubt his purpose for being there. Should she trust her growing suspicions and confront him? Or is she completely mistaken?

A Hundred Magical Reasons

by Laura DeNooyer

Most fairy tales have happy endings, but is it too late for this one? After all, Mrs. Charlotte Rose Gordon is eighty-eight. This disgruntled town recluse has grown weary of fighting the dragons of her past—including the desire to clear her husband’s name of a 1918 crime. Dragons of a different kind pursue Carrie Kruisselbrink. In 1980, during the summer of her private rebellion, Carrie defies parental expectations and pursues her café dream. While waiting for funding, she takes a job with Mrs. Gordon. As Mrs. Gordon unfolds the story of her oppressive childhood and delightful friendship with The Wonderful Wizard of Oz author, L. Frank Baum, Carrie never expects to encounter her own fears and soul-searching. In this modern-day fairy tale that weaves between 1980 and the early 1900s, Mr. Baum’s influence impacts each woman’s personal quests on a hero’s journey neither anticipates.

Estate: To my once darling child

by J. Andrew Shelley

Every family has its ghosts. For Timothy they come alive when he becomes executor of his Mom’s estate, the one she insisted would be “easy and kinda fund to manage.” Arriving in Atherton, North Carolina, it becomes clear that the gifts from the grave will not inspire last-minute love among Matt, Ethan, Janice, and Holly. Instead, the Last Will and Testament might fracture the family he has left. Estate is a novel of transitions: between generations, from love to resentment and back again, from a murky past toward a brighter future. Reality fiction at its best. Kirkus Reviews declares the award-winning Estate a GET IT! and “...oddly enjoyable… Shelley proves himself to be an exceptional novelist…”

Waiting for His Return: A Novel

by Efrat Israeli

Nearly two years have passed since soldier Hagai Gottlieb was taken captive. As the third year of his absence begins, his family clings to a hope that grows more fragile with each passing day. Inspired by the real-life case, Waiting for His Return gains new resonance in the wake of October 7, when countless families once again found themselves waiting for their loved ones to return from captivity. (Check price before downloading as free giveaway may end before midnight U.S. time.)

Vested Interests

by Lise Spence-Parsons

Vested Interests is a compelling collection of short stories that peels back the layers of human desire, ambition, and hidden motive. Moving between quiet betrayals and high-stakes gambles, Lise Spence-Parsons examines the choices people make when personal gain is at stake. These stories explore power, loyalty, and self-preservation, revealing how easily moral lines can blur when interests collide. With sharp observation and emotional nuance, each narrative captures a moment of reckoning—when intention meets consequence. Thoughtful, unsettling, and deeply engaging, this collection invites readers to consider how far they might go when their own vested interests are on the line.

Imagining More and Other Stories

by Panayotis Cacoyannis

Brand new release! A kaleidoscope of flawed, searching characters, among them actors, writers, troubled artists, strive to make sense of themselves, their relationships, and their place in the world. "The sheer narrative daring in the title story, where Cacoyannis strips away the facade of a romance to expose its calculated origins, is superb." -- San Francisco Book Review. "Acts of cruelty or betrayal coexist with moments of profound insight or aesthetic clarity." -- Kirkus Reviews

The States

by Norah Woodsey

From the award-winning author of The Control Problem, The States is a speculative reimagining of Jane Austen’s Persuasion, a story of love, obligation, and second chances. Tildy Sullivan is the middle child in an elite yet fading Manhattan family. Her quiet practicality hides her longing for childhood summers in western Ireland. She also carries a secret regret. After her mother’s death, she was persuaded to abandon Ireland and the love of the local boy, Aiden. When Tildy volunteers for a lucid dreaming experiment, it gives her all she wants – a life lived for her family during the day and a secret, perfect Ireland of her own at night. Will she face reality, or succumb to the ease of her dreams?

Six Good Endings

by Joe Roubicek

“Six Good Endings” is a collection of short stories that explore the human spirit in both the physical and spiritual universe. Growing up around Long Island, Roubicek’s love of the sea comes through in his writing. From memoir to fiction, the author takes you on a journey that includes ghosts in his childhood home and first kisses. You’ll delight in meeting a nostalgic sea cow and a chatty seagull. A few tales will tug at your heart. The author has pulled together six of his favorite stories that are sure to please.

Skirting the Issues

by Lise Spence-Parsons

Skirting the Issues is a sharp and perceptive collection of short stories that delves into the unspoken tensions of everyday life. With insight, wit, and emotional honesty, Lise Spence-Parsons explores relationships, identity, aging, and the quiet compromises people make to avoid uncomfortable truths. These stories linger in moments of hesitation and half-spoken thoughts, where what is left unsaid often matters most. By circling the edges of difficult conversations rather than confronting them head-on, the characters reveal their vulnerabilities, desires, and contradictions. Thought-provoking and deeply human, this collection invites readers to recognize themselves in the spaces between action and avoidance.

Your Tomorrow Was Today

by Oyindamola Dosunmu

A woman’s evocative chronicle of modern womanhood, navigating love, family, and the radical desire to remain child-free in a patriarchal world. Karen has spent years building an independent life in the city, far from her fractured family, leaving no room for love—until she receives news of her mother’s sudden death. The devastating news unravels her carefully curated life as Karen grapples with painful memories and the sister she left behind a decade ago. As grief, memories, and long-buried resentment reemerge, Karen’s troubles have only she’s pregnant, her secret affair with a younger colleague is exposed, and Omo is gravely ill. In the face of cultural expectations surrounding love, duty, and motherhood, Karen finds solace in The Women’s Group—a circle of fierce, resilient women who challenge her to confront the truth:forgiveness isn’t always mutual, and love can take unexpected forms.

This book contains scenes of: sexual violence

The Shorts

by Lise Spence-Parsons

The Shorts is a collection of seventeen short stories that explore the shifting edges of contemporary life, where the familiar often turns unsettling. Blending realism with speculative and futuristic elements, Lise Spence-Parsons examines themes of ambition, morality, memory, and human connection. From ghostly encounters and imagined epidemics to intimate portrayals of dementia, gentrification, and self-interest, each story invites readers to question the choices people make and the consequences that follow. Thoughtful, darkly observant, and quietly provocative, the stories stand alone while forming a cohesive reflection on modern society, offering readers new perspectives on experiences they may not have previously considered.

Words to Think. Or to Sing.

by Intensia .

An award-winning collection of lyrical fragments featuring approachable, minimalistic lines. These rare early glimpses invite readers into an intimate first look at sonorous art as it begins to breathe. For those who enjoy heartfelt pop music, modern poetry, and creative journeys. A moment for reflection, inspiration, and connection.

Elba Kramer: The True Autobiography of a Pathological Liar

by Steve Goldsmith

Elba Kramer is an autobiographical novel about growing up behind a mask. Told with humor, anger, and hard-earned tenderness, it traces a fractured youth lived on and around a succession of U.S. military bases—places that felt temporary, anonymous, and quietly unforgiving. Dodging truth, bending memory, and learning how to survive, the story moves toward a breaking point: dropping out, becoming a father, and escaping into the military for real. Written under a pseudonym because the truth demanded it, this is a memoir built on a paradox: sometimes you have to lie about your name to tell the truth about your life. Every exaggeration hides a secret. Every truth has teeth.

The End of the Storm

by Michael Laor

A Swedish painter trying to reinvent herself amid a troubled marriage meets, by chance, an avid hiker who cannot resist the call of the journey. An unexpected rapport forms between them as they help one another confront their inner conflicts — until a powerful, unforeseen event changes everything. This is a story of self-discovery and the risks we take to become who we truly are.

Mancala Moon

by Asa Bowers

Micah Thorne is adrift in grief, haunted by a family history he can’t escape. When a mysterious forest begins calling him, he steps into shadows alive with cryptic guidance, subtle forces, and visions that will test his courage, insight, and heart. Every choice matters, every step draws him closer to redemption—and to a profound truth about legacy, loss, and the power to change. Mancala Moon is a literary fantasy and visionary fiction novel that blends magical realism, mythic storytelling, symbolic journeys, and introspective adventure. Fans of spiritual fantasy, symbolic fiction, and transformative, emotionally resonant stories will be captivated by Micah’s quietly life-changing journey.

Paris Moments

by D. C. Hobson

Paris Moments is a collection of interconnected short stories set in the cafés, streets, apartments, and late-night corners of Paris. Each story captures a quiet turning point — a moment of hesitation or emotional honesty — experienced by people navigating relationships, memory, regret, and possibility. Some characters are visiting Paris for the first time; others believe they already know it well. As conversations unfold over shared meals and rain-slicked walks, small decisions begin to matter more than expected. Written with warmth and restraint, Paris Moments presents Paris as a catalyst — a place where people briefly see themselves more clearly, and are changed in subtle but lasting ways.

The Book of Joseph: A Journey from Purgatory to Armageddon

by David Gallant

Joseph awakens in Purgatory—a desolate land of dust, darkness, and fading memory. Desperately searching for the wife and children he left behind, he must piece together the fragments of his life while witnessing the final, cosmic battle of Armageddon. Written in a haunting, lyrical style reminiscent of Dante and C.S. Lewis, this is a visionary tale of regret, redemption, salvation, and a love that survives the end of history.

Engaging and Heartfelt Short Stories for Seniors

by Pepper Desert-Rose

Large Print Book Perfect For Quiet Afternoons, Bedtime Reading & Morning Coffee Moments What's Inside: 30+ Timeless, Cinematic Short Stories For Seniors. Engaging And Heartfelt Short Stories For Seniors Is Written In A Warm, Cinematic Style Where Each Tale Unfolds Like A Quiet Movie. Seniors Will Meet Characters Who Feel Familiar, Comforting, And Deeply Human. People They’ll Wish They Could Sit Down With For Tea.

Devil's Lake

by Angela Merlo

When Alison walks into Devil’s Lake one quiet June morning, she doesn’t plan to return. But when she survives and meets a mysterious stranger, the peace he offers could cost her soul. Devil’s Lake is a haunting psychological thriller about trauma, temptation, and the fight to find hope in the darkness.

Damian and Ted

by A. A.

A darkly comic, vignette-driven novel about two working-class men navigating work, family, and friendship in the town of Needlepoint. Fathers, husbands, and hard workers, Damian and Ted move through long shifts and longer days under the weight of debt and the threat of eviction, finding relief in good food even as they collide with missing pets, questionable hot sauce, explosive diarrhea, and a psycho clown at the door. Told one moment at a time, the novel builds a relentless portrait of blue-collar life where loyalty is constant, money is never enough, and the ordinary has a habit of turning dangerous.

And So We Dream

by Linda Mahkovec

Small town, big dreams. A poignant coming-of-age story about three beautiful teenaged sisters and the young boy who comes to spend the summer with them. And So We Dream is about stepping into a world of beauty, wonder, longing, and, ultimately, transformation.

The New Gatsby: From Gettysburg to Raleigh : “A Novel of Power, Lost Love, and the City that Forgets”

by B. Scott

In 2039 Raleigh, the future gleams while history breathes beneath it. Evan Hibbing is pulled into Broaster Knightshade's world, where desire, power, and memory blur. A lyrical, modern reflection on Gatsby's dream -- and the cost of chasing what's lost.