After waking up in a daze in Phoenix, Tom’s life spirals out of control as he puts the troubled pieces back together. Stampeding through his own fresh shot at life, making rash decisions, and falling in lust, all while maintaining a very unhealthy buzz, Tom is a compelling and surprisingly relatable protagonist. While Tom is clearly still in crisis, with plenty of toxic […]
Elle Fox is a relatable and charming protagonist whose past and troubled present are slowly revealed through dual storylines set five years apart. Recounting a painful loss on one side and an unexpected reunion on the other, the execution is excellent, when it could be muddled or lose momentum. Bouncing between timelines is an ambitious choice, but it gives this story a great sense of dimension and emotional impact.
Kraft is also unafraid of dark […]
Family values, joys, and crises form the framework for Overboard Opportunities, an engaging saga by debut novelist Andy Simko.
The Hutchfields – Grampa, Granma, and their daughter Emily, her husband Mike, and their two children Jacob and PJ – are close-knit and hardworking, but each one has small secrets and big plans. Their adventures begin when Grampa is building a sidewalk, helped clumsily by Jacob, who is most adept, it seems, at asking questions and arguing about the answers. But Jacob, if not a cement expert, is a baseball whiz and proud of it, and Grampa is supportive of […]
Chris Crutcher is navigating a messy divorce, fighting for custody, and trying to do what’s right for his autistic son, Tommy, who wants to be with his beloved chimpanzees at the San Francisco Zoo. The chimps are very special to Tommy – he finds them to be kindred spirits, and they help alleviate his pain. Even though they are unable to communicate, the relationship between Tommy and the chimps is brought to life tenderly with great sympathy and emotion.
Told […]
Author M. Funk dives deep into religion, power, love and deception with The Book of True Believer: A Tale of Awakening, a fearless and unforgettable novel that speaks to the fundamental flaws of human nature, exposing them with sharp and rare insight.
On the verge of leaving the world of faith healing forever, the enigmatic Jeremiah Promise is rejuvenated by the unexpected support of True Believer, a woman he had miraculously healed years earlier. Reinvigorated in his faith, and believing that their meeting was the sign he’d long been waiting for, he easily convinces her to join him on […]
In this generation-spanning exploration of hurt and healing, readers are carried along on a coming-of-age narrative of five devoted young men that stretches across decades. Though the author clearly states this to be a work of fiction, there are a multitude of intimate moments between characters, and expressions of raw emotion, that will feel profoundly visceral. Delving into triggering subjects like abandonment, sexual abuse, domestic violence, and […]
James S. Bergquist delivers a devastating novel of tragedy, deceit, and resilience with Beyond the Rainbow, a heartbreaking tale of perseverance.
After discovering a terrible secret about his troubled ex-partner and young daughter, Ethan does his best to move forward in the relationship and mend some very dangerous wounds. However, he also wields the dark secret like a weapon, or at least a looming threat, and consequently has his life ripped away by a cruel lie. Following the dramatic, stage-setting opening chapters is an in-depth peek at the criminal justice system, as well as the circuitous, time-intensive nature of […]
Following on the heels of this series’ first installment, readers once again find Robin Walker in the surprisingly dramatic muddle of mid-90s life in New York City. Despite the traditionally quiet atmosphere of a library, Robin’s world is packed with opinionated and argumentative peers who add color, conflict, and energy to this character-driven workplace drama. Managing the emotional exhaustion of his declining grandfather, navigating the patchwork alliances and fleeting loyalties among his colleagues, and even testing the waters of […]