Mystery and Suspense

Date Published: 05-04-2026

Publisher: Mission Point Press

A henpecked husband learns that “till death do us part”
isn’t the end of the story when his dead wife returns.

A newly retired couple uncovers a pestilent secret buried beneath their dream
home.

A young woman retreats to the countryside to discover herself, only to stumble
upon an unsolved tragedy calling out for justice.

Voices Carry Here is a collection of short stories steeped in mystery,
suspense, and the supernatural. Set against the beauty of Michigan’s
Upper Peninsula, these tales will reveal secrets just beneath the surface of
tranquil lakes, cries for help echoing from shadowed campgrounds, and
small-town characters experiencing extraordinary circumstances.

Blending chills with warmth, author Gail Galotta’s flair for
supernatural suspense is tempered with touches of humor, romance, and
nostalgia.

Excerpt from “The Pestilence House”

We moved into our newly constructed home in early June. The first nightmare occurred just two weeks later.

I awoke to the sound of heavy breathing. Thinking at first that it was Ken, I swept my arm across to his side, but it was vacant. I quickly realized that something else was present in the room, something that was steadily approaching the bed. I lay there paralyzed, my back to the presence that hovered above me for a moment and then lowered toward my head. I could feel the subtle waves of labored breaths against the nape of my neck. I tried to scream, but terror froze my vocal cords. Is this a dream? It must be a dream! Where is Ken! Then, another sound invaded my ears—a guttural noise, like that of an animal. A racoon? A coyote? I jerked my head around and opened my mouth to fend off the beast with a mighty shout. Instead, my lips encountered the extended tongue of a different creature. His distorted face—with its bulbous nose and bulging eyes—scarcely seemed human. His skin was dappled with bruises and only thinly veiled the skeletal frame beneath. Suddenly, the tongue retracted, and the jaw extended in an effort to speak—or bite. I screamed. A bloodcurdling scream that vanquished the intruder and sent my very human husband rushing upstairs.

Ken turned on the light and sat next to me on the bed while I attempted an explanation of…I wasn’t sure what. He suggested that my nightmare may have been prompted by something I heard from the movie he had been watching. My trembling eased as he continued. “Sometimes I wake up and think someone’s at our door. You know, like when our dog used to hear a doorbell on TV.”

The reference made me smile. “I didn’t bark, did I?”

Although Ken’s theory seemed plausible, I wasn’t totally convinced. Especially after I suffered a similar experience a few nights later.
Our cocker spaniel had been gone for several years, but when I felt the mattress yield to the weight of something at my feet, my first thought was of that beloved pet, and I instinctively adjusted my position to accommodate her. Then my eyes flashed open. Something was moving slowly along my body. I could feel the light depressions on the blanket, like footsteps in the snow. This time I didn’t scream. My breaths quivered as something pressed gently on my back and then my shoulder. I lay still, waiting to throw off the…squirrel? Rat? But when a whisper approached my ear, I bolted upright. Whatever noise I made alarmed Ken. This time the television was off, and the only ambient sound that could have possibly inspired my dream was
the rhythmic breathing of my husband, who had been asleep next to me in bed.

About the Author

She’s always been drawn to the mystical pull of water, which often
shapes the settings of her stories. An award-winning writer and former English
teacher, she lives in Vulcan, Michigan, overlooking the same lake that
inspired her earliest work. When asked what inspires her latest fiction, she
offers only a cryptic smile.

Website

Goodreads

https://mybook.to/VoicesCarryHere

Amazon

Bookshop

Riptide MC, Books 6

Date Published: June 6, 2026

Publisher: ChangelingPress

Wynter — Scary Guy lived up to his name, threatening to rape me and sell me
as a whore. Not happening. I reached for the hidden blade at my ankle just as
a tattooed biker wearing a Riptide MC cut stepped in to save me. The dude knew
how to handle an asshole like Scary Guy without breaking a sweat. Gorgeous as
he is, this biker isn’t just eye candy. I find myself kissing him in the
middle of a crowd of nerds and superheroes. I have a thing for tough guys with
tattoos. My head tells me to run, but I want more. I want him.

Shadow — I noticed her the second she slipped in front of us, alert and
watchful like she expected trouble just for existing. When some ape starts
pawing her, I step in. Nobody manhandles a woman in front of me. I pretend she
belongs to me, and she plays right along. I’m willing to do more than
just talk tough if the bastard won’t back off. When he proves how stupid
he is, attacking her in the parking lot, I’ve got the excuse I needed to
beat some sense into him. Wynter’s mine, whether she knows it or not.
Trouble’s not finished with her, and neither am I.

Wynter

I glanced over my shoulder. He was still there.

I’d dubbed him Scary Guy.

I tried to convince myself I was just being paranoid and the guy just happened
to be headed in the same direction as me. I’d never seen him before; I
was sure of that. You didn’t forget a face like his with a jagged scar
down the side of his cheek and a spider web with a skull in the center
tattooed on his neck. There was no reason for him to be fixated on me.

I certainly wasn’t the kind of woman men liked to fantasize over. I was
short, wiry, and dressed as a Browncoat, one of the characters out of my
favorite sci-fi series. I didn’t have a spectacular rack or an hourglass
figure and my hair hung in a single braid down my back, the only way I’d
found to keep it from exploding into a messy tangle.

I assessed him out of the corner of my eye. He was big and solid, although at
this distance it was hard to tell if that bulk was muscles or a beer belly. He
had on some kind of dark costume with a black cape that fell to mid-thigh.
This was a comic book convention, so his outfit wasn’t all that strange.
I had no idea who he thought he looked like. I swear ninety percent of the
people here wore capes of some type. It could be anybody or nobody.

He looked dangerous, though, the kind of guy you avoid being caught alone
with. Unfortunately, I was well acquainted with the type. I grew up in the
projects, daughter of a junkie too deep into her addictions to care about me.
Self-preservation meant I’d developed a sixth sense when it came to
creeps like this a long time ago.

I gave my head a mental shake. This may not be Dragon Con in Atlanta, but
there were still several thousand people here. He couldn’t just drag me
off to a dark room, even if he wanted to, so why did his stare send shivers of
apprehension down my spine?

As if he could sense my attention, the asshole grinned at me and licked his
lips. Yikes! If I had any doubt that he was focused on me, it fled right then
and there.

“Excuse me.” I shouldered my way between a young woman dressed as
Batwoman and a couple dressed as Shrek and his bride. Zigzagging back and
forth, I headed for the doorway. Maybe I could lose the creep in the crowd.

“Hey, watch it!” A Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle glared up at me
when I accidentally stood on her foot. This section of the event was crowded,
waiting for some promised celebrities to appear. I mumbled an apology and
continued to wade my way through the crowd, trying to recall the map
they’d handed me when I got here. The place was a warren of smaller
rooms radiating off a central hall. I should be able to find a spot to hide.

A quick glance behind me showed Scary Guy was following me. My heart rate
increased as adrenaline flooded my system. I had too much at stake right now
to be caught in an altercation with anyone.

The crowd parted in front of the jerk with no effort from him. I got it. One
glare from that face and no one wanted the kind of trouble it promised. I
still didn’t understand why he’d singled me out. Just my bad luck?
I felt like a rabbit being stalked by a coyote, looking for a hole to vanish
into. I just needed to get out of his line of sight long enough to dart into
one of those smaller side rooms and disappear.

It seemed like forever before I finally reached the doorway and plunged out
into the main hall. The crowds were thinner here, and I took advantage of the
opportunity to dash across to the far side and slide into the Marvel Comics
section.

Not surprisingly, the room was crowded, people packed in shoulder to shoulder.
For once my lack of height played to my advantage. Anyone scanning the area
from the entranceway would have a hard time seeing me when most of the
gathering towered over top of me. Making my way to the center of the room, I
turned to scan the area behind me.

Nothing.

Scary Guy was nowhere in sight. I let out a ragged breath and put a hand up to
my chest. I could feel my heart racing beneath my fingertips. So much for
being a brave member of the Resistance. All it took was one creepy guy to send
me scurrying for cover. He hadn’t even been that close to me, let alone
within touching distance.

I inhaled deeply, trying to remember the meditation class I’d once
attended. I needed to calm down. It’s not like this was the first time I
found myself running from the hint of danger. As a kid, my life had been
chaotic at best. My mother might have been a junkie who cared more about her
next fix than me, but in order to stay out of the foster care system,
I’d had to make sure she stayed alive.

Sometimes that meant doing things that could get me thrown into juvie, like
pick-pocketing for rent money. It was more luck than skill that I never got
caught. I became an expert at shoplifting and begging long before I hit double
digits. I had a plan, and I clung to it like a drowning man clinging to a life
raft. All I had to do was make it to sixteen without drawing the attention of
Child Protective Services, and I could split. Free from the threat of foster
care, I could do anything I wanted.

A simple plan, but a workable one.

Then my mom got pregnant again.

I have no idea who Star’s father is, and I doubt Mom did either. She was
at that point in her addiction where she would sleep with anyone for a fix so
there were lots of candidates to choose from, and none of them had names.

My little sister was born on a hot July day, in the back of a dealer’s
van, and I was instantly smitten. Somehow Child Protective Services
didn’t get wind of the birth, or they were too overworked to care about
one more kid who wouldn’t amount to much. Mom brought the baby home, and
I took over, making sure Star was fed and clothed and stayed alive.

I already knew how her life would go if I didn’t stick around, so
it’s not like I had a choice. Star blinked up at me with those big blue
eyes, and my...]]> Mon, 01 Jun 2026 12:00:37 +0200 https://api.follow.it/track-rss-story-click/v3/b_NPwv2xBJ4LhMs5Mv27SxKylwdMW3JA?utm_source=follow.it https://api.follow.it/track-rss-story-click/v3/b_NPwv2xBJ409OM-V-lAPYN3fZ3Joimp?utm_source=follow.it

Teens & Young Adult, Self-Help, Stress Management

Date Published: May 31, 2026

Publisher: Growth Mindset Publishing

School is stressful, your social life is stressful, and the thought of the future is stressful.

Sometimes it seems as though everything is stressful.

If you’re feeling the pressure from every direction, you’re not alone.

Whether they admit it or not, most teens feel this. In fact, research has found that 83% consider school a major source of stress… and that’s before we even get to social media or your relationships with friends and family.

Since everyone’s dealing with it, you might have thought this is just something you have to live with, but did you know that there are things you can do to fortify yourself so that all the stress, anxiety, and overwhelm can roll off your shoulders like water off a duck’s back?

There are a ton of coping strategies that take no more than a few minutes to perform that will make a really big difference in how you handle it all.

Better yet, you can develop the skills that will make it easier to navigate relationships and social situations so that your anxiety doesn’t get so high in the first place.

You’re about to discover it all in this practical and engaging guide, and you’re bound to start noticing the difference immediately.

Inside, you’ll discover:

• Exactly what stress is, why it happens, and how to catch it early
• ·Simple coping strategies for fast relief in any situation that has your heart racing or your mind swirling
• How to stay present (and why this will make such a big difference)
• What “the white bear effect” is, how it’s affecting your emotions, and what you can do to make all your big feelings easier to handle
• How to rewrite your inner voice, bounce back stronger, and build an inner strength that will carry you through life
• The art of healthy communication (with practical advice for dealing with conflict, setting boundaries, and much more)
• The secret to staying organized without burning out (take the stress out of deadlines and overload)
• Your complete social life survival guide: Make your interactions easier and less overwhelming both on and offline
• What to do when you’re worried that your stress or anxiety is becoming too intense for you to handle on your own
• Fun and practical activities to help you put your new skills into practice right away
• And much more.

If you’ve been told to “just relax” or to stay positive more times than you care to remember, you might doubt that there’s much you can do to make life less stressful and overwhelming. You might even have started to worry that you’re the only one who feels like this.

But how are you meant to relax or stay positive when you don’t know what you need to do to get there?

You absolutely have what it takes to handle whatever life throws at you and bounce back from stress, worry, and fear as though you barely felt it at all. All you need are the right strategies—and you’re about to get your hands on all of them.

Ready to armor yourself for life? Get your copy today!!

About the Author

In his books, Chad explains money, investing, and life skills in clear, practical steps that teens can understand and apply. He avoids jargon and lengthy lectures, instead offering real-world guidance to help readers build confidence, make informed decisions, and plan for their future, whether by saving, investing, or developing long-term thinking.

Chad distinguishes himself by making financial education empowering, practical, and engaging. His writing encourages teens to take responsibility for their decisions, build strong habits, and believe in their ability to succeed regardless of their background.

Chad’s books have become trusted guides for teens and families who want more than just information; they want action, growth, and a better future. If you are ready to build confidence, take control, and create opportunities your future self will appreciate, Chad K. Smith is poised to guide the way. Take the next step today by downloading a free chapter from his latest book or scheduling a family meeting tonight to set financial goals together. This simple action could be the start of your journey towards financial empowerment.

Amazon

Date Published: May 1, 2026

Retired archaeologist Phyllis Doran is enjoying the quiet beauty of the
Arizona desert, until a mysterious crossword puzzle leads her to a trail of
hidden clues. As curiosity pulls her deeper into the puzzle, Phyllis discovers
that some secrets are buried for a reason… and solving this one may
take all her wit and courage.

 M. J. Coss is the author of the Phyllis Doran Mystery series, beginning with
Across and Down in the Desert. Blending puzzle-driven storytelling with richly
detailed settings, his work explores the intersection of history, language,
and human resilience.

Set against the striking backdrop of the American Southwest, his mysteries
follow retired field archaeologist Phyllis Doran as she uncovers buried
secrets that refuse to stay hidden. With a love of wordplay and layered clues,
Coss crafts stories where every answer leads to a deeper question, and every
puzzle carries real consequences.

He is also the author of the Grady the Groundhog’s Maplewood Tales
series for young readers (also available on Amazon), written under the name
C.A. Coss.

Coss lives in Northeast Ohio with his family, where he continues to write
stories that celebrate curiosity, perseverance, and the thrill of discovery.

Contact Link

BookBuzz

Purchase Link

Amazon

Adventures in Thailand

Date Published: 06-23-2026

Publisher: Mission Point Press

Illustrated by: Megan Heller

Join them on an adventure to faraway lands-by crate, van, car, conveyor belt,
and airplane-as they discover the sights and sounds of a tropical new world.
Along the way, they meet friendly Thai people, encounter a wise dog, and gaze
in wonder at the golden Buddhas and temple cats standing guard. With a few
bumps in the road-marked by meows, tail twitches, and new surprises-they
journey onward until, at last, they arrive at their new home.

Goodreads

IG: @the.tutoring.hub, @teacher.lauren.ud

Facebook: Lauren Isaacson and The-Tutoring-Hub (page)

TikTok: @the.tutoring.hub_

Website

https://mybook.to/TalesofSidneyandJojo

Amazon

Bookshop

The Truth Behind One of This Nation’s Biggest False Arrest &
Imprisonment Scandals

Date Published: September 11, 2025

1. It is alarming that anyone can be indicted by a grand jury and arrested
solely based on the government’s allegations that exclude the accused and
their counsel from being present or even aware of the accusations.

2. The FBI and U.S. Attorney built their alleged fraud case without ever doing
a single required Medicare audit in their five-year investigation.

3. Once arrested, the five other defendants with the same exact charges were
immediately released on bond the same day. While I was denied bail and
imprisoned for three-and-a-half years awaiting trial—a violation of the
6th Amendment of the U.S. Constitution, the right to a speedy trial.

4. Also, the two defendants who accepted a PLEA DEAL in exchange for leniency
never spent a single night in prison despite their admission of guilt. I chose
to go to trial and was unanimously acquitted by a 12-member jury on all 54
counts, yet still I spent 1301 days in prison.

Introduction

Imagine dedicating your life and career to helping others only to have the nation you served for half a century subvert the beautiful career you built as the government uses you like a pawn in some cruel high-stakes game. Then imagine this rogue nation isn’t some foreign, developing country. This nation is the United States, which is supposed to be the greatest nation in the world. USA v Raj is a story of wrongful imprisonment, federal government corruption, and a broken judicial system that strives to turn innocent people into convicted criminals. This is also an innocent man’s story of gratitude, steadfast faith, and endurance to persevere until the end of a war waged against him. The pages within recount a grueling season of my life marked by trials, tribulations, and, ultimately, triumphs. 

How can an innocent person be falsely arrested, imprisoned, and attacked for over three-and-a-half years in the United States of all places, the land of the free and the oldest democracy in the world? While the 6th Amendment of our revered Constitution mandates a speedy trial, I am here to tell you how I was denied this basic right without cause. No innocent person should spend a single day in jail, awaiting their fair trial. Yet here I found myself: an innocent man arrested and incarcerated for three years, six months, and twenty-four days without a single option for bail while my trial loomed overhead like a storm cloud looking for a landscape to release its full fury. Such an overreach of the judicial system was criminal. Yet, more criminal than this was knowingly dragging me through a mockery of a trial where fairness and ethics were checked at the door. Through battle after battle leading up to trial, the daily challenges I faced tested my faith, inner strength, and resolve to persevere amidst torment and manipulation. The war my own government waged against me was a devastating storm that ripped through everything I had built, leaving mass destruction in its wake. Yet, through the swirling tempest of lawsuits, betrayals, false accusations, and frozen assets, I held steadfast. The turmoil may have worn me down, but it also kindled my determination to see righteousness and truth prevail. I relied on this indomitable fire within to keep me warm each one of those 1,301 days I spent locked away in a cold, dark cell. The light from my inner fire helped me remain focused on what I knew to be the truth and my predestined freedom. My daily resolve was to get through what felt like frozen time one day at a time while I refused to let that frigid jail cell build a permanent home inside my heart. 

However, those dark forces sure worked hard to destroy me and everything I had spent a lifetime building. The truth is, when the government needs a sacrificial lamb to further one of the nation’s biggest opioid crisis reforms, no law-abiding citizen is above becoming the poster child for their propaganda campaign. On a cold, overcast day in December 2018, my five partners and I were arrested and charged with excessive narcotic prescribing with the conveniently added charge of Medicare billing fraud that is typically included in these cases. Without regard for our multi-clinic size and number of patients we served, the federal government scrutinized our practice according to raw data that completely distorted what happened at our three Macomb County, Michigan clinics: The Pain Center USA in Warren and Eastpointe and Interventional Pain Center in Warren. With over 25,000 patients as opposed to the usual practice with a 1,000 or less patients, our clinics comprised the largest interventional pain management practice in the United States. This said, the facts were exactly the opposite of the federal government’s claims, which were blatantly obvious from the start and eventually proven in trial with a jury acquittal. Yet, at every step along those three years, six months, and twenty-four days, the very government agencies meant to uphold justice and keep its citizens saf...]]> Thu, 28 May 2026 12:00:38 +0200 https://api.follow.it/track-rss-story-click/v3/b_NPwv2xBJ7QxnPP3O_jnR5s4_5OQ23U?utm_source=follow.it https://api.follow.it/track-rss-story-click/v3/b_NPwv2xBJ7QxnPP3O_jnS_HkpBIiqSE?utm_source=follow.it

Date Published: 06-30-2026

Publisher: Mission Point Press

A former lawyer who once helped the FBI convict her own husband for fraud, Ann
Audrey has settled into a reclusive life, until her longtime friend Flynn
Reynolds asks for help. His elderly aunts are convinced that another nephew
was murdered by his wife, Kathryn, whose second husband is now also dead. Ann
Audrey is skeptical. Still, she owes Flynn, and there are some odd questions.
Complicating matters is Kathryn’s latest mother-in-law, a woman who rose
from an impoverished background into Atlanta’s upper circles and
recognizes a kindred spirit in her dead son’s ambitious widow. She
doesn’t believe Kathryn is a murderer—but she has heard rumors,
and she wants them stopped.

Set in Atlanta in January 2000, as the city buzzes with anticipation for the
upcoming Super Bowl, Ann Audrey searches for the black widow through the
city’s frenetic bar scene, private clubs, high-rise offices, and beloved
local institutions like Mary Mac’s Tea Room and The Varsity. With help
from Flynn and her friend Theo, along with the return of sexy detective Mike
Bristol, she pieces together a twisting story of social climbing, carefully
managed appearances, marriage, and murder. As the Super Bowl kickoff draws
near, the case reaches a climax when an ice storm shuts down Atlanta’s
roads and power, leaving secrets and murderers with nowhere to hide.

 Following her mother’s lead, Mississippi native Winnie Simpson was an
avid murder mystery reader beginning in the third grade, starting with Nancy
Drew and moving through the classics of British, American, and international
crime. Winnie studied music at Duke University, later receiving an MFA in
Music at SUNY Buffalo, where she worked as an arts administrator before
throwing it all over in order to make a decent living. After finishing law
school at Emory University, she became a partner in a large firm in Atlanta
where her practice focused mainly on securities litigation. Retiring early,
Winnie relocated to Northern Michigan where she lives in a renovated
nineteenth-century building that served as a former Michigan state asylum. For
more than a decade, she has taken writing classes and participated in writing
groups. She is fond of opera, hiking, cycling, and Duke basketball, most
seasons.

Website

Goodreads

Facebook

Instagram

https://mybook.to/DeathandtheSocialClimb

Amazon

Historical Gay Romance

Date Published: May 29, 2026

Publisher: Changeling Press

Dona Nobis Pacem. God Grant Us Peace.

Voiceless Donnell and defrocked priest Nathan are outcasts and strangers at
the turn of the century. Despite his handicap, Donnell has made a life for
himself as a businessman and owner of a saloon. His heart goes out to those
whom life has dealt an unhappy hand. When Nathan arrives in this former
gold-rush town, horsewhipped and ill to the point of collapse, Donnell is the
only one to offer help.

Barely ordained before being accused of unnatural desires, Nathan has been
sent to travel a faux road to Damascus as penance. He did not expect to
survive the trek, and longed for the peace he might find when his body gave up
the fight.

He never expected to meet someone like Donnell. Despite his lack of voice,
Donnell is the teacher Nathan has hungered for all his life, and the lover he
never dared seek out. Triumphing over a lifetime’s worth of threatened
damnation will not be easy to overcome, but Donnell’s not giving up. The
passion they share is what both men have always craved, but never found. When
they’re discovered, standing together is the only thing that will save them
both.

EXCERPT

In a fit of optimism, some enterprising settler twenty-odd years ago had named
this patch of land “Shady Grove.” The name hadn’t stuck longer than the first
summer, arid heat scorching the life out of anything the daft fellow had tried
to plant, and carrying away his wife and children.

After that, or so the story went, the settler had cursed his homestead with
the new name of “Hell.”

When gold was found not far west in a puny stream, the name changed yet again
to “El Dorado.” Though that lasted no longer than the rush of miners who
picked, panned and mined away most of the precious metal.

When the gold was mostly gone and civilization caught up with the roughneck
men who’d blazed through in search of riches, there came bankers, lawyers and
doctors, along with their pretty wives and dainty daughters. Amongst
themselves, they’d formed a quaint city council, elected a mayor, nominated a
marshal, and rechristened this hole in the ground as “Nazareth.”

Those whose tongues weren’t corseted by the niceties observed in polite
society still called the former boomtown “Hell.”

As for Donnell, he called it home, and had since the day he was born, a silent
infant who’d opened his mouth to wail, but made almost no sound, not then and
rarely ever afterward. The best he could manage was a sort of scale of
breathing — a whistle, a shush, a sigh. He’d never spoken a proper word. At
least his hearing was top-notch.

Music was Donnell’s voice instead, tickled out through the ivories of the old
upright piano he’d paid a considerable sum in gold dust to have shipped from
Chicago. Within the safe haven of Treighton’s saloon, Donnell had placed that
piano facing the street, where he’d have a fine view through the mosquito
netting over the window when he played.

He could arrange Treighton’s however he wanted, no questions asked. Owner’s
rules and that owner would be him.

Music wasn’t his only skill. He was a favored son of Lady Luck, and the cards
danced to his tune. Those who thought a mute man was simple, and an easy cheat
at faro, often found themselves losing big.

He’d given up the game after winning Treighton’s, though. No sense in pushing
his luck too far.

A man who’d call himself satisfied with his lot in life, Donnell caressed the
piano keys, a jingling tune flowing smooth and sweet as quality whiskey under
his mastery of the music. He let the corner of his mouth quirk upward with dry
humor. Many were they who’d claimed the son of a whore, muteness aside, would
never make anything of his life. They’d been wrong, too.

Did they accept his good fortune with grace? Hell, no. The “proper” folks of
Nazareth scorned him still, and always would. Too good for the likes of him
and his saloon.

Thank God for sinners, eh?

* * *

A sudden clamor rose from the dusty, uneven street outside, usually quiet and
deadly dull during the morning hours while laborers and leftover miners
toiled, polite society occupied themselves with polite works, and gamblers
slept off their night’s fun. Attention captured, Donnell peered through the
mosquito netting over his window.

Soon enough, the source of the commotion came into view. Donnell raised one
eyebrow, intrigued. A tall, lean man, far too thin for his height. He was
dressed in the tattered remnants of a once-respectable shirt, now missing its
collar and cuffs, and formerly sturdy denim trousers, with no hat on his head
nor shoes on his feet nor a coat on his back. Bleached-out hair stringy from
lack of washing and long enough to be caught up in a queue hung over his face
and tangled across his eyes.

Donnell leaned forward, instantly captivated. He’d never seen the equal of
those eyes, their color distinct even at this distance. Aqua blue, the shade
of summer skies, dulled by hunger and pain, but no less remarkable.

In point of fact, were he to be cleaned up and provided with a few good
healthy meals, Donnell guessed this young man would easily steal anyone’s
heart away. Not least of all his.

Not that anyone knew about his preferences. It was safer that way. He came in
for scant questioning about his lack of female companionship, as most thought
if his tongue didn’t work then neither would his cock.

Donnell abandoned those thoughts and focused on the beautiful — yes,
beautiful — young man instead, a far more pleasant diversion. He’d no stubble
on his cheeks or chin, both badly sunburned. Young, then. Tall and gangly
enough that at a guess Donnell would have put him in his late teens, no more
than twenty, not so far Donnell’s junior.

A man could make quite a lot of himself in twenty years plus change. He could
raise himself a fine establishment like Donnell’s, or he could end up
staggering filthy and starving down a dusty, badlands street with children and
bad-tempered dogs jeering him every barefooted step of the way.

Donnell frowned when the young man staggered, swaying alarmingly before
righting himself. That didn’t seem to be clumsiness, but rather weariness.
Perhaps illness?

“Drunk,” Bettina sniffed, peering past Donnell. She might work in a saloon,
but she had no patience with men who behaved badly when they’d had too much of
the grape and grain. She didn’t scold like the holy men, no, she tore strips
off their hides and nailed them to the wall, and they loved her for it.

Barely hearing her, Donnell continued to track the man’s progress. Seeming to
ign...]]> Wed, 27 May 2026 12:00:24 +0200 https://api.follow.it/track-rss-story-click/v3/b_NPwv2xBJ5BfuIk2sHB9Z7XZWGWhlJv?utm_source=follow.it https://api.follow.it/track-rss-story-click/v3/b_NPwv2xBJ5BfuIk2sHB9SfMM2zWgO-P?utm_source=follow.it

Children’s Fantasy Adventure, Educational Fiction / Learning
Adventure,

Date Published: February 27, 2026

In this imaginative and heartwarming picture book, Tilly and the Wisdom
Trials introduces young readers to a world hidden beneath the prairie – a
place where learning is a magical adventure and knowledge is the key to
unlocking ancient secrets.

Tilly, a clever and kind-hearted young badger, discovers a mossy wooden gate
hidden among vines and roots, setting her on an unexpected path: the legendary
Wisdom Trials. With her loyal companions, the Brainy Bunch, she journeys
through a series of challenges that test more than just book smarts. From
riddle gates and logic tunnels to kindness puzzles and courage quests, each
trial demands wit, empathy, and commitment.

Written in lyrical rhyme and brimming with wonder, Tilly and the Wisdom Trials
is the first book in the Critter Quest Academy Collection – a series that
blends adventure, problem-solving, and joyful learning in an underground world
of whimsical crifters. Ideal for fans of The Questioneers and The Tale of
Despereaux, this story celebrates curiosity, resilience, and the magic of a
mind set on discovery.

QUOTES

• “Down in Prairie City, we learn letters, and numbers, and lore. We build tunnels of truth and kindness galore.”
• “But to find Prairie City, you must pass one more gate. After the Trial of the Worm Train, before it’s too late!”
• “The gate creaked open with a glittering glow, and tunnels of wonder lit up below.”
• “3 moles, each bring 2 balls to answer the call. How many balls do we have in all?”
• Such is the path into the journey of the wise. Where hearts stay humble and truth never dies

About the Author

David Tra is a computer scientist, educational game developer, and
children’s author who creates story-driven learning experiences that
blend games, books, and curiosity. He is the creator of Critter Quest Academy,
an interactive educational platform and book series that turns problem-solving
into adventure.

David previously developed the educational math games El Mathador and Treasure
Math, helping students build confidence through play. He is also the author of
The Star of Shanraz, a novel for teen readers. His latest work focuses on the
Prairie City Adventures and Critter Quest Academy books, beginning with Tilly
and the Wisdom Trials, the featured launch title that introduces young readers
to a whimsical underground world where questions, puzzles, and curiosity guide
the journey.

Contact Links

Website

“X”

Bluesky

TikTok

Instagram

Facebook

Pinterest

Purchase Links

Amazon

Barnes and Noble

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Mystery and Suspense

Date Published: 05-04-2026

Publisher: Mission Point Press

Do you hear the voices? Listen if you dare . . . You’ll get both
the heebies and the jeebies in this unsettling new title.

A henpecked husband learns that “till death do us part”
isn’t the end of the story when his dead wife returns.

A newly retired couple uncovers a pestilent secret buried beneath their dream
home.

A young woman retreats to the countryside to discover herself, only to stumble
upon an unsolved tragedy calling out for justice.

Voices Carry Here is a collection of short stories steeped in mystery,
suspense, and the supernatural. Set against the beauty of Michigan’s
Upper Peninsula, these tales will reveal secrets just beneath the surface of
tranquil lakes, cries for help echoing from shadowed campgrounds, and
small-town characters experiencing extraordinary circumstances.

Blending chills with warmth, author Gail Galotta’s flair for
supernatural suspense is tempered with touches of humor, romance, and
nostalgia.

About the Author

Gail Galotta was raised in Chicago with childhood summers in
Michigan’s Upper Peninsula.

She’s always been drawn to the mystical pull of water, which often
shapes the settings of her stories. An award-winning writer and former English
teacher, she lives in Vulcan, Michigan, overlooking the same lake that
inspired her earliest work. When asked what inspires her latest fiction, she
offers only a cryptic smile.

Contact Links

Website

Goodreads

Purchase Links

https://mybook.to/VoicesCarryHere

Amazon

Bookshop

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Historical Fiction with Speculative elements

Date Published: January 7, 2026

Publisher: Mindstir Media

A WALTZ ACROSS TIME spans 500 years of New Mexico’s history, inspired by
family ancestral records and lore; interweaving a contemporary ghost story,
bibliomystery and romance with fictionalized accounts of ordinary people
navigating extraordinary times.

Lucinda, a clairvoyant Santa Fe bookstore owner, promises the ghost of a
one-eyed Marine she will return his family’s 500-year-old Spanish Bible to his
descendant and rightful heir, using clues stashed within its pages to guide
her search.

Each clue opens a window to the lives and loves of Franciscans and Indigenous
peoples, Spanish-Mexican colonials, mixed-race settlers creating adobe
homesteads and fighting slavery with the Union Army, forbidden lovers eloping
amidst a hail of bullets, midnight fugitives being quietly fed, and WWII
soldiers prevailing over devastating injuries. But Lucinda’s search for the
Bible’s heir goes dark with the plight of a Marine who lost an eye at Okinawa
and imagined a raven-haired angel just before his world, too, went dark. How
can she trace the thread of his life to the present day and keep her promise
without losing sight of her own hopes and dreams?

Praise for A Waltz Across Time

“Complete perfection word by word. Your interpersonal dialogue among the
characters seems so real as to almost have been recorded on tape as it
occurred. This book has great pathos, as well as hopefulness.” – Reg Olson

​

“… a historical novel blended with adventure, romance, mystery, suspense,
and a paranormal touch … Jiron interweaves two stories: a modern-day romance
and the history of New Mexico from the fifteenth to the twentieth
century…Through well-researched historical exposition and cinematic
depictions…The prose effortlessly shifts between historical times and the
contemporary era. ” – K.Mbuya (Readers’ Favorite)

EXCERPT

(1861 Fort Craig, NM): “Lt. Ned Beale, already a legend in his own time, was leading the first camel caravan for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers’ 35 th Parallel railroad survey through northern Arizona. The camels were proposed by then U.S. Secretary of War (now the turncoat President of the Confederacy), Jefferson Davis, who thought camels were superior pack animals in desert terrain. 

Lt. Beale headed the caravan in his bright red wagon, followed by 24 camels carrying 700 pounds apiece, twice the weight of what most mules could withstand. 

Beale proudly boasted his camels could pack 800 pounds and travel up to 75 miles without water. He described them as gentle, affectionate animals. But the packers and muleskinners described them as stinky-breathed and cantankerous. Worse still, camels scared the horses and mules, causing whole pack trains to stampede. 

And they ignored commands in English. “It takes a special camel driver to manage them,” Beale insisted. “Right. One who speaks A-rab,” said the muleskinners. Hadji Ali was one of the six Arab camel drivers, whose strange-sounding name the Americans quickly streamlined to Hi Jolly.

Lt. Beale, Hi Jolly and the other camel drivers were lining up the camels near the fort’s corrals, to the uproar of panicking horses and mules. The whole spectacle was quickly surrounded by a raucous crowd shouting loud jeers and guffaws. “Move those beasts back outside the sally port!” shouted the stable master, frantically waving at the camel drivers to turn the animals around.

In the confusion, Aidan slammed into one of the smelly giants. The animal glared down its nose at him through half-closed eyes and spat a wad of green gunk onto his shirt.

Disgusted, he raced to the laundry, pulling his shirt over his head, and ran headlong into someone in his path. Someone who smelled like cinnamon and sugar. When he pulled his head free from the tangled shirt, that cinnamon-scented someone regarded him almost as haughtily as the camel. But her sky blue eyes twinkled and chestnut tendrils of her hair blew free of her braid and teased around her rosy cheeks.

“Need help getting dressed, soldier?”

About the Author 

I am a Midwesterner from America’s corn belt, but have lived in 7 states
(18 different cities) and Austria. As a travel agent and tour operator, I got
my first chance to do creative writing in the form of travel brochures for
places I’d never been:). Eleven years with Hughes AirWest/Republic/Northwest
airlines were fun because aircraft had actual legroom back then (!) and I also
worked as a recruiter. But after too many “dumb stewardess” jokes, I earned my
Ph.D. in Clinical Neuropsychology and worked with neurodivergent individuals
of all ages in many settings (clinical and educational) for 20 years, which
involved writing detailed clinical assessment results and treatment programs.
All of that culminated in my first published book, “Brainstorming: Using
Neuropsychology in the Schools.” Anthony Girard at Western Psychological
Services taught me the priceless value of a good editor:).

But the most fun career I ever had was running elementary school libraries for
6 years! I redesigned the physical setup to display kids’ book covers facing
out at their eye level, and developed a curriculum that allowed for coaching
cognitive and social skills through read-aloud. After six years, students’
scores on standardized reading tests improved significantly, and I keep a
basket of Thank You cards from parents who said Library was their child’s
“favorite class.”

During those years, writing time was scarce, but I enjoyed a one-month
writers’ retreat at Vermont Studio Center in 2014, where I drafted a family
drama/speculative fiction then titled “The Well,” which won the 2015
Chanticleer Paranormal Award, and was a Finalist for the 2015 Indie Book Award
(since then updated and retitled, “Voices f...]]> Tue, 26 May 2026 12:00:02 +0200 https://api.follow.it/track-rss-story-click/v3/b_NPwv2xBJ7AA7pWYJNMzV62ZFRs2unL?utm_source=follow.it https://api.follow.it/track-rss-story-click/v3/b_NPwv2xBJ6oqkhLMF8YtOWeFEuPCrFf?utm_source=follow.it

Action Adventure Romance, Capture Fantasy

Date Published: May 29, 2026

Publisher: Changeling Press

Rowan has a bounty on her head. Will her lovers get to her before a
bounty hunter can collect the reward?

Rebellious slave Rowan is heading for the walled city of Iseky to find her
lovers Ky and Chin Lau. She also need to discover who wiped her memories and
why. Soldier of fortune Kepel Dev is forced to hunt her by any means
necessary.

When Ky rushes to Iseky to try to find Rowan, he meets the flirtatious Hetta
along the way. Meanwhile Chin Lau has escaped the Skolls and their new leader,
Tamin Gutra, but on his way to find Rowan he falls into the hands of
cannibals.

Little do they know slave master Ganwe din Kopese holds the key to all their
futures.

 

EXCERPT

Ganwe din Kopese, known variously as Gan or Kop or Din the Slave Master,
surfaced from a pleasant dream soon after sunrise. He’d been led into
the desert by a troupe of naked slaves to an idyllic oasis where they
frolicked in the sparkling water, the sun gleaming off their flawless skin.
Under a swaying palm, strenuous digging uncovered a huge wooden chest of great
antiquity. They’d opened it, lifting the creaking lid to expose a
veritable king’s ransom. Excitedly they scooped up the glistening gems
— diamonds, rubies, sapphires — and gaily tossed them into the air so they
fell upon his head like the gentlest of summer rain.

Ganwe din Kopese awoke not only with a contented smile, but also a mighty
erection. He surveyed the prominent tent in the silk sheet and grunted in
self-admiration. “Seesee!” he bellowed.

A moment later his wife, third and youngest bearer of that majestic title, ran
full tilt into his room, the folds of her transparent nightdress flowing about
her petite body like a desert whirlwind.

“See to that, will you,” he said casually.

Seesee eagerly lifted the sheet, exposing his firm muscular body, and dove in.
For a few moments he luxuriated in her warm, wet mouth. “Litu,” he
then shouted. “I’m starving!”

From somewhere below — the kitchen he hoped — came an unintelligible reply
from the second bearer of that esteemed title of wife. Gan imagined she was
instructing the slaves in the preparation of some delicacy or other. Litu, he
knew, kept a diligent eye on the latest culinary fashions shed like confetti
by their betters up north. In the adjoining room a baby wailed, and was soon
comforted by Didoy, the first bearer of the revered title of wife, who hummed
a soothing rhyme from her childhood.

The house of Kopese had awakened.

Gan lay back, enjoying Seesee’s skills, noting that her technique had
improved since Didoy’s lesson in the Quad: the art of pleasing a man
with lips, tongue, throat, and fingers. She had finally mastered the timing of
the twist of the shaft as she withdrew her mouth from his swollen organ before
plunging downward so that her dainty nose was bent against his hard, muscular
stomach. She held there for a count of five before slowly withdrawing. As she
drew her mouth away, she wrapped her dainty fingers around his shaft to apply
the screwing action that gave him an inordinate amount of pleasure. He sighed
with satisfaction as the dream of buried jewels faded like a summer mist.

Litu, wearing a flimsy robe shaded in jade, entered with a tray. The smell of
freshly baked bread, melting ocyx butter, strips of seasoned meat, and her
sweet perfume caressed his nostrils. Balancing the tray expertly on one hand,
she used the other to put an extra pillow under Gan’s raised head and
shoulders. Then she swept off the sheet, positioned the tray on his flat
belly. Seesee adjusted her position so she could tongue his ball sac while
Litu knelt beside him to take on the shaft and head duties while he ate.

Gan watched appreciatively as his second wife opened her small, bow-shaped
mouth as wide as she could to take in the thick head of his cock. He thought
of it as the dome of a massive mushroom, and was secretly pleased that it
posed a constant challenge to Litu, who eagerly strove to fit it all in. He
took a generous bite of his bread, sending ocyx butter dribbling from the
corner of his mouth. He almost bit his tongue when Seesee suddenly sucked one
of his balls deep into her mouth.

“Easy, Seesee. Easy.”

“My apologies, husband,” she slurred after popping the delicate
egg from between her generous lips. A shiny thread of saliva hung between her
mouth and his tight scrotum, and with a giggle she slurped it up as she
resumed her wifely duty.

Gan smiled contentedly. What a perfect household I have built, he thought.
Three perfect gems, for that was how he often thought of his wives, to cater
to my every urge.

He finished his breakfast with a cup of warm wine flavoured with huj, an
expensive spice he imported from the Northern Reach. The slaves from that
region carried the bales of the crushed seeds on their heads as they trudged
their way to the Auction House.

That reminded him of this day’s tasks: the bidding for docile but
intelligent slaves who could be taught. The House of Kopese was known across
the world for the quality of his bedroom and household slaves. “Only the
best from Kopese,” was his watchword, and all the prestigious houses of
the city came to him. He excelled in teaching the art of pleasing men and
women of refinement, and his slaves were keenly sought after, garnering top
prices.

“Enough, Seesee, Litu. Enough, I say. I need all my stamina
today.” He laughed at his unintended rhyme.

His two wives, however, pouted. Though they knew the demands of his day and
evening, they didn’t like being denied their morning coupling.

“Don’t look at me like that. It’s not the end of the
world.”

“It is,” Seesee said. “It’s been a whole week.”

“Has it?”

“You know it has. My cunny is aching. It’s wet all the
time.” She screwed up her face. “You don’t love me as much
as Litu.”

“Now, don’t be like that. I love you all the same. Didoy, Litu,
and Seesee. All the same.”

“But you’ve had Litu three times in the last four nights.”

“I wish you wouldn’t keep count,” Litu said.
“It’s not my fault –”

“Litu. Stop it!” Gan snapped. “Just this minute I was
congratulating myself on such a harmonious household, and you go and spoil it
by bickering.”

“I’m sorry, husband.”

“Now, Seesee. Remind me when I come home that it is your turn.
Happy?” She smiled at Litu triumphantly. Shaking his head good-naturedly
he chucked his pretty wife under her chin. “Now, is my bath
ready?”

“I’d just ordered the heating of the water when you called,”
Seesee said.

“Then go. See that it is ready for me.”

She stuck out her tongue at Litu and launched herself off the bed. After
she’d skipped from the room, Gan took Litu’s hand and drew her to
him for a kiss. She licked the ocyx butter from his chin.

“How old is she? Remind...]]> Mon, 25 May 2026 12:00:51 +0200 https://api.follow.it/track-rss-story-click/v3/b_NPwv2xBJ6oqkhLMF8YtOWeFEuPCrFf?utm_source=follow.it https://api.follow.it/track-rss-story-click/v3/b_NPwv2xBJ5TfGx9oIVgpPxN7_7_VsB8?utm_source=follow.it

Contemporary Romance, Rom-Com, Women’s Fiction

Date Published: April 29, 2026

Maya Lin never wanted to become the headline.

As the architect behind HeartSpark’s revolutionary dating algorithm, she
built her career on one belief: love could be understood through data,
patterns, and predictability. But after a viral breakup puts both her
reputation and her company under public scrutiny, Maya finds herself forced
into the spotlight she spent years avoiding.

Enter Eli Torres — sharp-tongued podcast host, relentless skeptic, and
one of HeartSpark’s loudest critics.

When public backlash pushes them into an uneasy collaboration, their clashing
beliefs ignite a tension neither of them can explain away. Maya trusts logic.
Eli believes love is chaos. But the more time they spend challenging each
other, the harder it becomes to ignore the connection growing between them.

Now Maya must decide whether love is something that can truly be
calculated… or something that has to be felt.

About the Author

Anh Sphabmixay is a Colorado-based author who writes heartfelt stories
centered on connection, kindness, and the beauty found in everyday moments.
Inspired by her loving family—including her imaginative daughter and
beloved Yorkie, Abbie—Anh creates stories that celebrate emotion,
wonder, and human connection.

As a devoted wife and mother, she believes storytelling has the power to bring
people together and leave a lasting impact on readers of all ages. When
she’s not writing, Anh enjoys experimenting in the kitchen, capturing
memories with her daughter and dog, and finding inspiration in life’s
simple joys.

Purchase Link

Amazon

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Frontier & Pioneer Western Fiction; US Historical Fiction;
Action/Adventure

Date Published: March 20, 2026

With all the swagger of a classic western, a legendary buffalo claims his
rightful place among the genre’s most iconic heroes.

Meet Rathuun. Born in an idyllic canyon, tragedy strikes on his first day. A
grizzly bear scatters the herd, devours his twin, and leaves him to shiver and
die. But the buffalo calf with a white spot on his chin survives.

The plains are changing fast. Wagons roll west in endless streams. Telegraph
wires stretch across the horizon. Locomotives scream down polished rails,
slicing through the earth. Extinction

seems imminent when everyone wants to kill the biggest buffalo on the prairie.
Native people shoot arrows and drive herds over cliffs. Hide hunters slaughter
millions. An obsessed buffalo assassin is determined to wipe them all out and
change the world forever. There’s an army of barking rifles, and they’re all
pointed at Rathuun.

Will the hunters take Rathuun’s head and leave his carcass to rot on the
prairie?

This sweeping epic thunders across the American West, taking listeners
to unforgettable western landmarks. If you like classic westerns, thrilling
action, and high-stakes historical adventures, grab your copy by the horns.

Welcome to the prairie!

About the Author

David Fitz-Gerald writes frontier and pioneer western fiction from the
wilds of western Vermont—about as far west as you can get without
slipping into New York.

Though he’s never wrangled beeves to market, Dave was a top hand on his
grandfather’s dude ranch in the Adirondack Mountains… before he
turned ten. He’s lived most of his life on dirt roads. Whenever he gets
the chance, he travels west to recharge his spirit on the windswept prairies.

He’s an Adirondack 46’er which means that he’s hiked to the
top of every mountain in the park. In 2018, Dave completed the 1960s fitness
craze by hiking 50 miles in one day. That’s one heck of a long walk, but
not nearly as grueling as the iconic trails that he chases in his fiction.

Even after all these years, Dave still has his head in the clouds like Ken
from MY FRIEND FLICKA, and a quiet, self-reliant spirit like Sam from THE
TRUMPET OF THE SWAN. That blend of wonder, heart, and spirit runs through the
characters he portrays. His editor states he is “exceptionally good at
creating real moments between characters”—and readers seem to
agree.

Dave’s breakthrough series, Ghosts Along the Oregon Trail won
Chanticleer’s Grand Prize for Book Series. He’s now the author of
nearly twenty novels and counting, and as long as there’s coffee in the
kitchen, Dave will be plotting one adventurous story after another.

Contact Links

Website

Facebook

Goodreads

Bookbub

 

Purchase Link

https://mybook.to/RathuunKingofPrairie

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