Other Women


Evelyn Lau - 1995
    An older married man.  Their haunted relationship evolves in a floating melange of restaurants and hotel rooms against the looming backdrop of their separate, anonymous cities.  Although erotically charged, the affair is never consummated - yet the love Fiona feels intensifies into an obsession that continues to possess her long after Raymond leaves her.  Along the way, at receptions and restaurant tables, at dinner parties and on trips, Fiona meets other men and women in relationships that are coming together or falling apart-friendships, marriages, love affairs - each offering their own version of love's nature.  And, throughout, Raymond's wife Helen holds a central place.  For Fiona, Helen herself is "the other woman" - mysterious, enviable and untouchable.

Good for Nothing


Brandon S. Graham - 2017
    But at its heart is a very serious point. It is about the tsunami of destruction that has hit Middle America since the financial crisis." --Daily Mail Flip Mellis believes his recent past would be best described as: a man with his feet planted on terra firma. As a husband and father, he was a consistent breadwinner. As a business professional, he was a go-getter. For twenty years, he did all that was expected of him, if not much more. But a job loss in his middle years, in the midst of a national economic crisis, has knocked Flip squarely on his big, soft ass, where he has been wallowing for nearly a year. Over the course of one hectic week, replete with a cast of colorful characters, Flip is forced by circumstances of his own invention to finally get his life headed in the right direction. Like a pudgy, irritable toddler, he carefully tests his balance and lurches forward, stumbling around absurd obstacles and grasping for any solid purchase. Ultimately a spark of human resilience locked deep within his core begins to spread. The question becomes: will Flip's best efforts be enough to lead him safely to redemption or will they merely lead to a futile, purely graceless, and quixotic crash?

I Still Think about You


Arpit Vageria - 2016
    But her passion for investigative journalism scares him no end. She is calling while reporting from a crime scene and promising to switch to anchoring when he hears a gunshot. Will she be able to fulfil her promise?Dhruv can do anything to please Vratika, for he seems bound to her for life. They have been going steady for a while and he feels she brings smiles and light to his life like no other. Can one misunderstanding in a moment of anger finish it all?For Aamir, little Dhruv is the best gift life has given him. More than just brothers, they are the beginning and end of their family. After years, struggles and pain are slowly fading away in the face of happier times. But one phone call changes their entire life. Life throws Aamir and Dhruv in a vortex of pain, loss and guilt. While Dhruv wanders for redemption, he meets Sachi. She reads his heart, soothes his soul and brings him face to face with his real self. I Still Think About You is a story of love, brotherhood, passion, dedication, pain and the depths to which a heart can go to win back lost love.

A History of Stone and Steel


Christopher Fisher - 2013
    Driven by pain, a nightmare about work boots, and a sense of impending doom, Paul soon finds himself losing control over his words and actions, to disastrous and comical effect. In order to save his marriage, avenge his sister, and preserve his sanity, he must face the memory of the summer when he was twenty-one, when a tragic steel plant accident sent his life spinning off course. But in the process, Paul begins to suspect that the history he has written in his head may not be as accurate as he once believed.

Halsey Street


Naima Coster - 2018
    She’s accepted that her future won’t be what she’d dreamed, but now, as gentrification has completely reshaped her old neighborhood, even her past is unrecognizable. Old haunts have been razed, and wealthy white strangers have replaced every familiar face in Bed-Stuy. Even her mother, Mirella, has abandoned the family to reclaim her roots in the Dominican Republic. That took courage. It’s also unforgivable.When Penelope moves into the attic apartment of the affluent Harpers, she thinks she’s found a semblance of family—and maybe even love. But her world is upended again when she receives a postcard from Mirella asking for reconciliation. As old wounds are reopened, and secrets revealed, a journey across an ocean of sacrifice and self-discovery begins.An engrossing debut, Halsey Street shifts between the perspectives of these two captivating, troubled women. Mirella has one last chance to win back the heart of the daughter she’d lost long before leaving New York, and for Penelope, it’s time to break free of the hold of the past and start navigating her own life.

The Gatekeepers


Jen Lancaster - 2017
    No one talks about the fact that the brilliant, talented kids in this town have a terrible history of throwing themselves in front of commuter trains, and that there's rampant opioid abuse that often leads to heroin usage.Meet Simone, the bohemian transfer student from London, who is thrust into the strange new reality of the American high school; Mallory, the hyper-competitive queen bee; and Stephen, the first generation genius who struggles with crippling self-doubt. Each one is shocked when lovable football player Braden takes his own life and the tragedy becomes a suicide cluster. With so many students facing their own demons, can they find a way to save each other—as well as themselves?Inspired by the true events that happened in the author’s home town.

The Names of Things


John Colman Wood - 2012
    But wanting to be with him, she endured the trip, only to fall desperately ill years later with a disease that leaves her husband with more questions than answers. When the anthropologist discovers a deception that shatters his grief and guilt, he begins to reevaluate his love for his wife as well as his friendship with one of the nomads he studied. He returns to Africa to make sense of what happened, traveling into the far reaches of the Chalbi Desert, where he must sift through the layers of his memories and reconcile them with what he now knows. Set in a windswept wilderness menaced by hyenas and lions, The Names of Things weaves together the stories of an anthropologist's journey into the desert, his firsthand accounts of the nomads' death rituals, and his struggle to find the names of things for which no words exist. Anthropologist John Colman Wood's debut novel is an exquisite, haunting exploration of the meaning of love and the rituals of grief.

Thanksgiving, 1942


Alan Simon - 2012
    Despite the stars (literally and figuratively) in Charlene’s eyes, her mother has different ideas about her daughter’s future…leading to the inevitable clash of wills as the first Thanksgiving of World War II unfolds.Meanwhile, Charlene’s two older brothers, Jonathan and Joseph, have traveled home to Pittsburgh all the way from Arizona for a brief holiday furlough from their Army Air Forces training... and for what all family members realize will be the boys’ last Thanksgiving at home for a long while. For Jonathan, this Thanksgiving furlough presents a monumental predicament: what he should do when he encounters Francine Donner, his would-be fiancé. Jonathan had just started proposing to her the previous Christmas Eve when Francine blurted out a shameful secret that halted the proposal…but what will happen eleven months later when Jonathan and Francine come together again?Irene Coleman is determined to make this Thanksgiving as joyous as possible for everyone who will gather around her table and share the festivities, despite the wartime circumstances and how difficult a year 1942 has been at war and also the home front…and even as the days leading up to the holiday itself unfold very differently than she had envisioned.Come join Jonathan, Joseph, Charlene, Irene and Gerald, and the other members of the Coleman family during the days leading up to the first Thanksgiving of World War II in this sequel to The First Christmas of the War.

Incredible Bodies


Ian McGuire - 2006
    In this sordid and hilarious tale of whopping academic grants, sleeping on the job, sexual confusion and consenting adults, terrifying departmental secretaries, surprise impregnations and alcoholic lecturers we might conclude that most people are just not cut out for university life.

Badge Of Evil


Craig Horowitz - 2015
    Badge of Evil is the first novel in a bold new thriller series from the writing team of private investigator Bill Stanton and award-winning journalist Craig Horowitz.All eyes are on New York City’s police commissioner Lawrence Brock after his hands-on role in a raid on a potential terrorist cell that turns into a blazing shootout. There’s even talk that he may be headed to Washington to take over Homeland Security.Investigative journalist A. J. Ross wants to expose the ruthless opportunist behind Brock’s heroic image. Freewheeling private investigator Frank Bishop is hired by the family of the lone surviving suspect, desperate to prove the young man’s innocence. A. J. and Bishop hate each other at first sight, but they’ll need to learn to work together quickly if they want to take down the commissioner—because Lawrence Brock will do anything to ensure the dark secrets of his past remain hidden.Badge of Evil introduces a dynamic new voice in thriller fiction, in the spirit of such bestselling authors as Harlan Coben and David Baldacci. It is a novel of our times and for our times—an all too familiar story of corruption and abuse at the highest levels, and how the lust for power can drive men to commit the most shocking acts.

The Sisters Sweet


Elizabeth Weiss - 2021
    I would have to make my own. All Harriet Szász has ever known is life onstage with her sister, Josie. As "The Sisters Sweet," they pose as conjoined twins in a vaudeville act conceived of by their ambitious parents, who were once themselves theatrical stars. But after Josie exposes the family's fraud and runs away to Hollywood, Harriet must learn to live out of the spotlight—and her sister's shadow. Striving to keep her struggling family afloat, she molds herself into the perfect daughter. As Josie's star rises in California, the Szászes fall on hard times and Harriet begins to form her first relationships outside her family. She must decide whether to honor her mother, her father, or the self she's only beginning to get to know. Full of long-simmering tensions, buried secrets, questionable saviors, and broken promises, this is a story about how much we are beholden to others and what we owe ourselves. Layered and intimate, The Sisters Sweet heralds the arrival of an accomplished new voice in fiction.

Forty Years in a Day


Mona Rodriguez - 2013
     The story begins in Italy, 1900. After years of torment and neglect, Victoria and her four small children immigrate to Hell's Kitchen, New York, to escape her alcoholic, abusive husband. On the day they leave, he tragically dies, but she does not learn of his death for several years—a secret that puts many lives on hold. Quickly, they realize America's streets are not paved with gold, and the limits of human faith and stamina are tested time and time again. Poverty, illness, death, kidnapping, and the reign of organized crime are just some of the crosses they bear. Victoria's eldest son, Vincenzo, is the sole surviving member of the family and shares a gut-wrenching account of their lives with his daughter during a visit to Ellis Island on his ninetieth birthday. He explains how the lives of he and his siblings have been secretly intertwined with an infamous Irish mob boss and ends his unsettling disclosure with a monumental request that leaves Clare speechless. Forty Years in a Day is layered with the struggles and successes of each family member and defines the character of an era. Follow the Montanaro family through several decades, and stand in the shoes of a past generation.____________________"Told by two with the eye and instinct of keen storytellers who know exactly when to divulge, when to pause and hold onto secrets and twists. Readers will be exhausted and inspired from the journey, and wouldn't have it any other way!"-The Review"You will have a hard time putting this book down. It is amazing! This emotional story is told beautifully, with vivid descriptions, and it’s full of hope and full of dreamers. Read this book" -Overstuffed Princess Reviews"The narrative, setting of the scenes, the tone, characters, dialogue, were all wonderful. All of these drew me into the story from the first page to the last. I was a part of the story!" -Impressions in Ink Reviews"I loved the way the authors were able to create such a vivid recount of those times and create a story which is so multi-dimensional with many characters and views."-A Life Through Books Reviews"The writing is so good, the characters jump off the page and feel so real. This is a wonderful, yet intensely emotional story." -Must Read Faster Reviews"Wow, these authors really did an amazing job of bringing the 1900’s to life through one family and several generations." -My Reading Addiction Reviews"The imagery and detail really took me back to the time (1900's). [I] really did find myself connected to the characters and everything that happened to them." -Texas Book Nook Reviews"With a surprise twist added to the mix, Forty Years in a Day is an unforgettable book and a testimony to the perseverance of the human spirit." -The True Book Addict Reviews"This book is easy to read in that the writing is beautiful and the story plot interesting." -Shut Up and Read Review"I loved the story. I loved the tone and the way it sounded just like someone telling their family story to their children. It is a lovely book. I especially enjoyed how the Epilogue tied up loose ends and even revealed a few family secrets." -A Book Geek Reviews"A moving family saga with an incredible and entirely unexpected twist, Forty Years in a Day is a pleasantly emotional story. The format may have left me wanting, but the plot is one of those most creative I’ve ever encountered, debut or otherwise." -Flashlight Commentary Reviews"A good read that shows, once again, that we are all the same, all have our hidden family secrets and all have to go through life dealing with them." -Bookpleasures Reviews"The authors depict the daily existence within the confines of poverty and menial job opportunities quite well. The forty-year time period is depicted with excellent word-imagery, and with sensitivity to the family situations of assimilation and identity." -Book Diva Reviews and News"Forty Years In A Day so brilliantly illuminates the hardships and tribulations of a family coming to America in the 1900's. " -Laura Terry, author of Intertwined"The stunning array of characters that parade through the twists and turns of several generations is amazing. " -Patrick O’Sheen, author of Dreamer

East of Mecca


Sheila Flaherty - 2013
    Driven by financial desperation, Sarah and Max Hayes are seduced by promises of a glamorous expatriate lifestyle in Saudi Arabia. Sarah surrenders her career when Max accepts a prestigious job with Ocmara Oil Company and they relocate their family to the shores of the Persian Gulf. Locked inside the heavily-guarded Ocmara compound, Sarah becomes invisible within the fundamentalist Islamic Kingdom. Gradually, she is drawn into a clandestine, illicit friendship with Yasmeen, a Saudi woman. Together they find freedom beneath the veils and behind the walls of the Saudi women’s quarters—until inconceivable events force Sarah to make life-or-death decisions. Told with riveting authenticity and exquisite detail, East of Mecca explores the abuse of absolute power with an elegant balance of cultural nuance and moral inquiry. Long after you have turned the last page, you will be haunted by the vivid characters and powerful scenes illuminating this tour de force.

Eagle Woman: A Saga of Early California II


Marian Sepulveda - 2017
    A fateful one in the history of the indigenous tribes of America. Yuma warrior, Night Wolf, is investigating reports of sheep ravaging Indian land. When he rescues a young white woman being attacked by one of the herders, he takes her to the Kumeyaay medicine woman known as Eagle Woman to treat her injuries. Strangely, she is not afraid, is even drawn to this handsome warrior. The Saga continues as Abigail Cassidy Butterfield, now living on a ranch in the San Diego back country with her family. Though this book is a sequel to Where Eagles Dance, it also stands alone. As Abby continues her fight to help the local tribes retain their land, she becomes an Indian Agent to help survey and mark the reservations. She and her family personally deliver the survey records to President Ulysses S. Grant in Washington D.C. On the return to California with the granted reservations, danger stalks them all along the way. For Abby, it will take all her medicine powers to save her people and combat the threat to her family. Enjoy the drama, the romance and a few light hearted incidents along the way.

Some People Deserve To Die


Colin Knight - 2013
    Riven by guilt and remorse he runs, but he can’t outrun his conscience. For twenty years, Alan tries to silence his conscience with alcohol and drugs as fate and chance propel him in to the dangerous world of smugglers, nationalists, guerrillas, and mercenaries.Battling alcohol and drug abuse, Alan dodges death and betrayal as life erodes his humanity and transforms him into a merciless killer until, used up and spent, he returns home. Destitute and dysfunctional, a street scuffle brings him eye-to-eye with the men responsible for his heinous crime. Harnessing skills and cruelty learned through a crime and violence-laden life Alan seeks justice for himself and his victim. But when justice has been served, Alan discovers the devastating truth about his crime, his family and himself.