Searching for Lincoln's Ghost


Barbara J. Dzikowski - 2011
    After losing both parents in a car accident and being raised by a grandmother obsessed with death, Andi is struggling with an unusual quest for a girl her age-- to determine whether there is life after death.It is 1966, and Castalia, Indiana, like most cities of that time, is grappling with social and cultural change. Meanwhile, rumors have long swirled around Castalia's Lincoln Elementary School. Over its long history, the school has produced two sixth graders who claim to have seen Lincoln's ghost in the school's auditorium. When Andi prays on her dead mother's rosary to be the next to encounter Lincoln's ghost in order to confirm the existence of an after-life, a complex chain of events is set into motion, including the appearance of John Malone, a new boy at school who harbors an explosive secret, and mysterious moaning emanating from behind the dark stage after school. While Andi desperately seeks answers to life's most difficult questions, an unlikely new friend emerges--a mystical bait shop owner named Ezra.Searching for Lincoln's Ghost is a story about coming-of-age during the tumultuous 1960s, exploring such disturbing topics as personal isolation, fear and depression, bullying, social and racial intolerance. Peppered with Lincoln folklore and history, it is a timeless tale of the power of love, empathy, and how the actions of one person can profoundly impact another.

Justifiable Deceit


Mikael Carlson - 2020
    A year later, he has become the country’s leading gun control activist and a media darling.When Ethan teams up with a powerful senator to push an extreme gun measure through Congress, a divided America watches the political fireworks in Washington. As both sides of the debate mobilize for an epic showdown, the public is about to discover that everything they know about the massacre that launched this movement may be wrong.Journalist Tierra Campos and FBI Special Agent Victoria Larsen begin questioning the official investigation into the shooting and find themselves caught in the political crossfire. Despite public condemnation, covert activities, and physical violence meant to stop them, they remain undaunted in their quest – but at what price? With their careers threatened and livelihoods at stake, they must race to unlock the secrets behind this horrible mass shooting before the truth disappears forever. Amidst the maelstrom of political agendas, personal vendettas, and brash cover-ups, the push to uncover the real motives behind the tragedy will have devastating consequences. When the dust settles, a shocked nation must make a fateful judgment: do the ends justify the means in politics, or is there no such thing as Justifiable Deceit?

Twenty Years Later


Charlie DonleaCharlie Donlea - 2021
    But TWENTY YEARS LATER, to understand the present, you need to listen to the past… Avery Mason, host of American Events, knows the subjects that grab a TV audience’s attention. Her latest story—a murder mystery laced with kinky sex, tragedy, and betrayal—is guaranteed to be ratings gold. New DNA technology has allowed the New York medical examiner’s office to make its first successful identification of a 9/11 victim in years. The twist: the victim, Victoria Ford, had been accused of the gruesome murder of her married lover. In a chilling last phone call to her sister, Victori Emma Kind has waited twenty years to put her sister to rest, but closure won’t be complete until she can clear Victoria’s name. Alone she’s had no luck, but she’s convinced that Avery’s connections and fame will help. Avery, hoping to negotiate a more lucrative network contract, goes into investigative overdrive. Victoria had been having an affair with a successful novelist, found hanging from the balcony of his Catskills mansion. The rope, the bedroom, and the entire crime scene was covered in Victoria’s DNA. But the twisted puzzle of Victoria’s private life just the beginning. And what Avery doesn't realize is that there are other players in the game who are interested in Avery’s own secret past—one she has kept hidden from both the network executives and her television audience. A secret she thought was dead and buried . . . Accused of a brutal murder, Victoria Ford made a final chilling call from the North Tower on the morning of 9/11. Twenty years ago, no one listened. Today, you will.

Loving Tiara: Memoir


Tiffani Goff - 2019
    At forty-five years old, my life’s mission was complete. If I died tomorrow, I would be proud of the life I lived.” - Loving Tiara Loving Tiara is a compelling memoir that will encompass your every thought, break your heart, fill you with hope, and leave you with a sense of awe. When Tiffani married the love of her life, Lou, after graduating from college, she assumed she would continue to live the affluent life she had always known, having grown up in Newport Beach, California. She never imagined she would soon be stalked by creditors, driving a car on the repossession list and forced to worry about providing basic necessities for her family, such as buying diapers and groceries. This increasingly desperate situation forced her to decide to return home to her parents with her baby and husband. After getting their life back on track, and with Tiffani in her final year of law school, they decided to have another baby. At eight months old, however, they discovered that their new daughter Tiara had Tuberous Sclerosis, a rare genetic disorder resulting in intractable epilepsy, developmental delay, chronic hospital admissions, and uncontrollable violent behaviors. So how did Tiffani cope with her new reality? She chose to fight. She challenged the doctors, battled the insurance companies, and refused to give up caring for Tiara even when her own life was at risk. The author’s story of unconditional love, unimaginable challenges, and, ultimately, triumph, is a compelling one, which will take hold of your heart and not let go. This memoir will, hopefully, inspire you to tackle fear, encourage you never to give up, and remind you always to trust your gut instincts.

Saving Worms After the Rain: A Central Pennsylvania Novel of History and Mystery


Paul C. Nelson - 2018
    A young autistic man with psychic powers is called upon to help solve a missing persons case in the small mountain town of Renfro, PA. The story includes gangsters, moonshiners and a touch of autism. This story is also filled with quirky characters, common to this region of the country. Another vital character in the story is the setting, a deeply wooded river valley. This book may push you a bit outside of your comfort zone.

The Peninsula


Michael Burns - 2018
    Navy Lieutenant James Truman and his crew are back in action in an adventure even more dangerous than their first. Sailing into the waters off the Korean Peninsula, after all negotiations for denuclearization have failed, the Nemesis is tasked with giving support to a covert SEAL operation to assassinate Kim Jong-un.

Assault and Buttercream (Lexy Baker Cozy Mystery Series Book 16)


Leighann Dobbs - 2022
    

Exposé


Paul Ilett - 2014
    If you've ever wanted to see one of the tabloid papers brought down, then this is the novel for you. Just brilliant." ☆☆☆☆☆ Sarah Woodall, GoodreadsTabloid journalist Valerie Pierce is hiding a secret of her own, and it's about to be exposed. Valerie Pierce has led a charmed life. For decades she has enjoyed the rewards of being a top newspaper journalist and columnist. Influential, wealthy and connected, Valerie can make or break careers with just a few choice words.But superstar actor Adam Jaymes has had enough of seeing his private life splashed all over the pages of Valerie's newspaper, The Daily Ear. Now married to one of the world's wealthiest men, he finally has the resources to take his revenge. Adam is launching a deliciously mischievous plot to turn the tables on Valerie and her tabloid colleagues, by investigating their private lives - and exposing their secrets for all to see.Exposé is a sensational thriller dripping with black humour. If you like characters you love to hate, sizzling satire, and hilarious surprises, then you’ll adore Paul Ilett’s addictive, page-turning satirical thriller.“Brilliantly observed and devilishly demanding. Exposé is a can’t-put-it-down riot. A triumph." ☆☆☆☆ Jake Hook, TheGayUK“Great writing. A fantastic debut novel from a former journalist” ☆☆☆☆ Jenny Green, The Sun

The Car Thief


Vicki ReedVicki Reed - 2020
    All that's standing in his way are two thousand miles and the child welfare and juvenile justice systems. When he pays a heavy price for a youthful lapse in judgment, who might come to his rescue?Henry, the public defender assigned to the case? Bonnie, the feisty, resourceful justice official? Or Sam, the veteran correctional officer who wants a quiet, orderly existence—or so he thinks?This suspenseful tale of loss and redemption reveals serious flaws in the criminal justice system and the power of kindness, friendship, and love in healing life's deepest wounds." . . . reveals the strengths that can emerge when adults within the system step up to guide youth through hard times and trauma . . . I highly recommend this book for adults and young adults alike."— Marcy Mistrett, CEO, Campaign for Youth Justice, Washington, DC"This book will grab you and hold you till its satisfying ending."— Richard Ross, Author of Juvenile in Justice and creator of Juvenile-in-Justice"An important read, weaving information about our justice system with a narrative that's hard to put down."— Naomi Smoot Evans, Executive Director, Coalition for Juvenile Justice, Washington, D.C.Vicki Reed, after earning her bachelor's degree in Law Enforcement and master's degree in Criminal Justice, immersed herself in a successful decades-long career in juvenile justice. A sought-after speaker, she is currently executive director of the Kentucky Juvenile Justice Initiative in Lexington, where she lives with her husband and son.

Eden


W.A. Schwartz - 2020
    In present-day California she struggles to care for her teenage daughter and manage the considerable stressors of her own complicated life. She is stunned to receive a call from the sheriff in Eden.Construction crews working on the site of her childhood home have made a hideous discovery. They have unearthed the decades-old remains of a girl, strands of hair and clothing still attached to the bones. Evelyn is devastated by the phone call. The Eden coroner informs her officials there suspect the remains may be those of her sister.Evelyn, who has mentally reduced her childhood to a series of blotchy Images and fragmented memories, fears something sinister may await her in Eden. Perhaps something she is unable to remember. She has no desire to return. Her fragile internal world is suddenly threatened with collapse by this discovery and the pressure to return home to help identify the remains.The discovery of the body sets in motion a series of events leading inevitably to the uncovering of secrets dating back multiple generations; terrible events that may involve the entire town of Eden. As Evelyn pursues the answers to the mysteries presented she finds her sanity, her life, and the life of her daughter threatened. She must face truths about her mother, Gwen, and her father as well as the rest of her family. Ultimately she must peel back the layers of her own consciousness, face her memories, and delve deeper into painful questions about her sister, and finally herself.Eden is a complex novel. Set against a background thick and sensuous with Southern beauty and imagery-the the live oak and Spanish moss and cypress swamps play roles nearly as big as the characters themselves-the book explores the devastating nature of secrets When played as a silent conspiracy between generations and yet the ultimate power of love to overcome.

A Dancer's Guide to Africa


Terez Mertes Rose - 2018
    Vowing to restart as far from home as possible, she accepts a two-year teaching position with the Peace Corps in Africa. It’s a role she’s sure she can perform. But in no time, Fiona realizes she’s traded her problems in Omaha for bigger ones in Gabon, a country as beautiful as it is filled with contradictions. Emotionally derailed by Christophe, a charismatic and privileged Gabonese man who can teach her to let go of her inhibitions but can’t commit to anything more, threatened by an overly familiar student with a menacing fixation on her, and drawn into the compelling but potentially dangerous local dance ceremonies, Fiona finds herself at increasing risk. And when matters come to a shocking head, she must reach inside herself, find her dancer’s power, and fight back. Blending humor and pathos, A DANCER’S GUIDE TO AFRICA takes the reader along on a suspense-laden, sensual journey through Africa’s complex beauty, mystery and mysticism.

Broken Genius


Drew Murray - 2020
    To assuage his guilt, Will pursues a career in the FBI Cyber Division. Now, Special Agent Will Parker is called to investigate a murder scene at a Comic Con event in the Midwest, where the victim has ties to a radioactive quantum computer that Will was working on before he left his gig as CEO. Working with smart local homicide detective Dana Lopez and FBI stuffed-shirt Thomas Decker, Will discovers the victim was holding an auction for the computer on the Dark Web—and the bidding is still live. With bidders including a legendary Chinese hacker, Russian criminals sent by the Kremlin, and a corporate executive desperate to escape a scandal, Will once again finds a life in his hands when the victim’s daughter is taken hostage. A trail of blood and high-tech breadcrumbs leads Will deeper into mystery, danger, and a race against time to keep unlimited power out of the wrong hands.

The Simple Soul of Susan


Noel Branham - 2017
    Will she still cling to the simple, small-town life she has always cherished, or will she chart a new path by overcoming this unforeseen trial?Calder Hurtz hopes to escape his dumpy Texas town for a promising career and life away from the dusty dirt roads...and even farther away from his family’s tragic loss. In his escape, he intends to leave behind his simple childhood ideals of family and love, but perhaps he will learn that redefining one’s identity isn’t that simple after all.Can two hospitalizations, two confessions of love, and one betrayal bring two simple souls together?Compulsively readable, The Simple Soul of Susan is an engaging, soul-endearing romance and a mesmerizing debut.“I don’t remember ever smiling so much while reading a book.”-Melanie, Paperback Darling“...a literary gem that must be experienced.” -Nicole, Christian Fiction Girl

The Museum of Forgotten Memories


Anstey Harris - 2020
    Cate and Richard felt an immediate and undeniable spark, but Richard also felt the weight of the world more deeply than most. As the three matured, he receded further and further into darkness until he disappeared altogether. Now, four years after Richard’s passing, Cate is let go from her teaching job and can’t pay the rent on the London flat she shares with her and Richard’s son, Leo. She packs the two of them up and ventures to Richard’s grandfather’s old Victorian museum in the small town of Crouch-on-Sea, where the dusty staff quarters await her. Despite growing pains and a grouchy caretaker, Cate falls in love with the quirky taxidermy exhibits and sprawling grounds and makes it her mission to revive them. When the museum is faced with closure because of a lack of visitors, Cate stages a grand reopening, but threats from both inside and outside the museum derail her plans and send her spiraling into self-doubt. As Cate becomes more invested in Hatters, she must finally confront the reality of Richard’s death—and the role she played in it—in order to reimagine her future. Perfect for fans of Evvie Drake Starts Over, The Museum of Forgotten Memories masterfully weaves life with death, past with present, and grief with hope.

Born by the River: The true story of a young girl growing up along the Mississippi River during the summer of 1963


Jenness Clark - 2016
     Born by the River is Clark’s account of her nine-month trip around the river to visit extended family, all connected by marriage but markedly different in culture, class, and traditions—circumstances certain to provoke discord. A coming-of-age story set in a time and place deeply divided, Clark’s memoir explores her family’s past, referencing the area’s history from 1820 to 1964. The region acts as a conflicted backdrop, threatening the hopes, the dreams, and the American way of life for the author’s family. Alternating in viewpoint between the reflections of the adult Clark as she looks back on life and her stirring impressions during the time of her river journey, Born by the River is an inspirational memoir lifted from family destruction and the prejudices of a socially divided region.