Posts in category: Blog

Category:  Adult Fiction

First Place:  Pigs in Paradise by Roger Maxson

Second Place:  Three for the Money by William LeRoy

Third Place:  The Joy Divisions by Scott Dimovitz

Category:  Adult Non-Fiction

First Place:  Black, White, and Gray All Over by Frederick Douglass Reynolds

Second Place:  Consciousness is All There Is by Dr. Tony Nader

Third Place:  Saint Bloodbath by Frederick Douglass Reynolds

Category:  Children’s Books

First Place:  Tommy Rocket and the Goober Patrol by Thomas Kuhn

Second Place:  Stella and Shell by L.S. Lentz

Third Place:  SiP by Marius Trevelean

Category:  Historical (Fiction and Non-Fiction)

First Place:  The Joy Divisions by Scott Dimovitz

Second Place:  On the Run by William Shaw

Third Place:  Return to Pamplona by Peter J. Meehan

Category:  Humor/Satire

First Place:  Pigs in Paradise by Roger Maxson

Second Place:  Tommy Rocket and the Goober Patrol by Thomas Kuhn

Third Place:  Three for the Money by William LeRoy

Category:  Mystery/Thriller/Horror/Suspense

First Place:  Cargo Hold 4 by Lonnie Busch

Second Place:  The Goatman by Wallace Martin

Third Place:  The American Martyr by Richard W. Kelly

Category:  Science Fiction

First Place:  Tommy Rocket and the Goober Patrol by Thomas Kuhn

Second Place:  Cargo Hold 4 by Lonnie Busch

Third Place:  Project  Ubermensch by Lonnie Busch

Category:  Young Adult

First Place:  The Goatman by Wallace Martin

Second Place:  On the Run by William Shaw

Third Place:  Broken Pencils by J.R. Rice

For More Information

A young boy witnesses a kidnapping in a homeless encampment and flees for his life.

Single mom and private investigator Cameron Chandler works for Penny-wise Investigations, a discount detective agency located in a dying suburban shopping mall in Seattle. Cameron is exiting a mall restroom when she encounters a frightened boy and makes a snap decision to help by hiding him in the women’s restroom. When she learns that he was running from two men who he saw kidnap a woman from her tent in a homeless encampment, she and her partner Yuri become determined to find the woman and protect the boy.

Challenged by investigations that venture into a complex world of camaraderie and hardships where no one is safe, Cameron finds solace in her quirky but supportive family, her partner’s trivia rants, her dog’s obsession with stuffed endangered species toys, and a handsome detective who may or may not be interested in more than a professional relationship.

Although Unicorns Can Be Deadly is a humorous mystery, the plot has a serious theme related to the homeless problem in Seattle. As I explain in the Acknowledgments, I have a personal interest in the issue having worked as a strategic planning consultant for a consortium of concerned groups and companies trying to improve ways to provide resources and housing to the homeless.

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In this book I am dealing with issues such as: How do we deal with challenges in life?  How can we grow from our experiences?  Can these questions be asked at the national, as well as personal levels?  And how can we communicate meaningfully across cultural divides?
My manuscript tackles themes of failure, redemption, growth, and maturation.  It contains a positive and optimistic conclusion – which nonetheless has a hook to it.  These themes are explored along two, related tracks – one is key character personal development, and the other is a fictitious African country’s halting and tentative evolution from autocracy towards democracy.  This manuscript also deals with issues that are relevant for contemporary US politics and society.

I would place this manuscript in the (cross-cultural) literary fiction genre; I have been very influenced by writers such as Graham Greene (The Quiet American, Our Man in Havana) and William Boyd (An Ice Cream War, A Good Man in Africa).  The title of the manuscript is Wisdom and the Baobab Tree, which comes from a West African proverb “Wisdom is like a Baobab Tree; no one individual can embrace it.”  This refers to an underlying theme of this manuscript; that whether to achieve either individual or collective self-fulfillment, one needs to be able to collaborate with others.

Adam Edwards is a young, intelligent, and well-meaning but somewhat naïve American who finds himself thrust into a maelstrom of intrigue, violence, competing relationships and political crisis in Kombonia.  He arrives in-country as Kombonian President Simon Mushi is seeking to oversee and manage the potentially most democratic election in the country’s history.  Adam directs a project funded by the U.S. government to help ensure legitimate elections with a Kombonian civil society group.  He also embarks upon an ill-fated relationship with a Kombonian journalist who has her own agenda.  Events build up to climax; Adam has important decisions to make.

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On her 16th birthday, Kassia is condemned to death—twice.

Already battling a fatal disease, Kassia Madison somehow survives an apocalypse that kills billions. Only a tiny percentage of people are immune to the strange red mist—but not all of them are human.

Alone, Kassia searches for her family in a dying New York filled with extraordinary dangers. After she meets a dynamic resistance leader fighting for humanity’s future, she faces a devastating choice.

Meanwhile, in the shadows, someone not fully human has taken a special interest in Kassia. Raised as an emotionless Outrider, this hybrid records the destruction of civilization in New York. As he coolly observes Kassia’s desperation and courage, he decides to turn her struggle to stay alive into a scientific experiment.

Elsewhere, the other hybrid Outriders are already planning their next move. Brutal and relentless, they are intent on eradicating the remaining human survivors … including Kassia.

Girl on Fire is the 1st book in the Girl on Fire series. Packed with pulse-pounding action, compelling characters, and a slow-burn romance, this thrilling 4-book series will grip you from start to finish.

For fans of The 5th Wave and Hunger Games.

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Overview:
Weaving together romance with political intrigue, this enlightening mystery immerses the reader in an entertaining lover’s quest.

Synopsis:
A decade after the Spanish Civil War, a visitor is captivated by the country’s romantic allure. Richard falls for a Basque intern, who challenges his naïve perspective of Spain’s veiled turmoil. When Terese disappears, he desperately attempts to find her.
Years later, a discovery compels him to return. Forcing him to question their past relationship, Richard’s journey takes him beyond the grip of Franco’s conflicted legacy to discover the truth behind his lover’s disappearance.

Background:
Activists flocked to Spain to support democracy in 1936, at the start of the Spanish Civil War: the confrontation between fascism (Franco’s Nationalists) and democracy. The best analogy today is Ukraine after Putin’s invasion.

Return to Pamplona opens in 1949, during Franco’s subsequent dictatorship. The novel’s heartfelt story follows a lover’s quest as Franco’s conflicted legacy extends into the 21st century, revealing his regime disposed of thousands of dissenters. These ‘disappeared’ are still being discovered by loved ones. Is there any hope for reconciliation in Spain?

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SLEEPING DOGS DON’T LIE . . . Not forever. Eventually they wake, they bark, they bite. In this collection of William LeRoy short stories.P.I. Maximo Morgan a/k/a The fat man is confronted by three aroused “canines” from bygone days, each carrying a dug-up bone still to be picked.

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This novel is a poignant exploration of love, identity, and the courage to reclaim one’s body and soul. It’s a story of two people who, despite their scars, find a way to merge and un-merge, discovering a new form of identity and a redefined sense of ‘we’ in a world that has often been unkind.

Two individuals find themselves drawn together by their shared experiences of pain and rejection. She, with her scoliosis, and he, with his facial disfigurement, have endured not only the physical challenges of their conditions but also the cruelty of a society that judges them harshly.
Their journey begins in a room, where their bodies, marked by scars and imperfections, lie entwined. Each touch reveals a new layer of their struggles, as they navigate the emotional and physical landscapes of their lives. Despite the odds, they are determined to forge a relationship built on understanding and acceptance.

As they undergo a series of grueling medical procedures, they uncover a devastating truth: the very professionals meant to heal them have instead exacerbated their problems. This revelation propels them into a profound exploration of their identities, challenging the societal labels that have confined them.

They embark on a transformative journey, learning to touch and be touched without fear, gradually moving from tentative caresses to a deep connection. Their intimacy becomes a sanctuary, a place where they can reconstruct their bodies and redefine their relationship.
In the outside world, they continue to face rejection and scrutiny, but within their shared space, they find a new sense of self. Their bond transcends physical appearance, creating a ‘third body’—a symbol of their unity and defiance against societal norms.

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After a heart-wrenching argument with Sully leaves their relationship on the rocks, Kit makes a series of impulsive decisions, landing herself in more trouble than she ever imagined. Overwhelmed and desperate for a fresh start, she escapes to New York, determined to leave her Los Angeles life behind. 

But running away isn’t easy. Surrounded by painful reminders of her past, Kit is forced to confront her feelings for Sully and her lingering heartache. When he unexpectedly shows up in New York, everything changes.

As Sully headlines sold-out arenas, Kit is pulled into a whirlwind of changes at Diamond Records, including a handsome new boss. But things get even more complicated when Dom, Sully’s nemesis, enters the picture. The undeniable chemistry between Kit and Dom ignites a fire that challenges everything she thought she knew. With her heart caught in a heated love triangle, Kit is torn between the passion she still feels for Sully and the dangerous allure of Dom.

With temptation and jealousy on the rise, Kit must decide who is truly worthy of her heart. With multi-platinum success on the horizon, Kit and Sully’s connection will be tested like never before. Will their love survive the ultimate betrayal, or will it crumble under the weight of stardom and desire?

Platinum Promises–Where love defies the odds, but temptation has its own price.

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In the final segment of the trilogy, the author reveals the rest of his story—before, between, and after the events of his previous books. This far-ranging, entertaining account begins with a Minnesota childhood, amid a not- so -ordinary family with its fun, its struggles, and its surprises. Picking up the tale after RW’s first military tour of duty, he returns home to find new conflicts as he rejoins his family and begins a family of his own. And finally, the journey continues through the adventures, joys, and sorrows that inevitably find our hero as he walks the path of a retired naval commander. With love lost, love found, and the blessings of family, discover the power of a cup half full on an extraordinary life—and the conclusion of a saga that began Because Mom Asked.

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