Böcker utgivna av Black Rose Writing

Love a good adventure story-one with sweet old dogs and flawed, yet lovable humans? Hate the idea of factory farming and animal abuse? If so, you're gonna love Clucked! Clucked takes the reader, its bereaved Spam-loving protagonist, and one elderly rat terrier on a wild voyage from Corpus Christi Bay to the Sea Islands.What do you do when you have nothing left to lose? You say goodbye to everything and everyone you'd ever known, pack up your worldly belongings (and an old half-blind dog), cast off your lines and set sail in your tiny sailboat to anywhere else.Two years ago, Matt lost his wife to an asleep-at-the-wheel truck driver for the corrupt Clawson Chicken Corporation, and most of his savings to a court battle with the aforementioned fowl magnate. Trusting that the ocean will heal his battered psyche, Matt heads out from Corpus Christi Bay in a vintage sloop, trying to out sail bad memories and find a path forward.As he winds his way east beyond the Gulf, he has adventures (and misadventures), meets a quirky cast of characters, and is dogged at every turn by reminders of the reach of the greedy chicken king, Colonel Clyde Clawson. A close encounter with a coral reef nearly wrecks his boat, a mishap that draws him away from his loosely-charted journey, up the intracoastal waterway, to Bullfrog's Boatyard, and ultimately into the heart of Gullah Geechee country.Here, Matt meets a beguiling linguistic anthropologist and learns the terrible truth about the Colonel, his secret lab, and his cannibalistic coterie (the Circle of Tantalus). With environmental abuse running rampant and factory farming taking on a whole new meaning, it will be up to Matt and friends, both old and new, to bring down the greedy Clawson corporation, find justice for its victims and along the way, save a musical dog, and a whole bunch of chickens.

Harold Kushner and his roommate of thirty years, Murray Schwartz, are average senior citizens facing down their mortality in a trailer park in Land O' Lakes, Florida. Two self-professed "best Jewish bowlers ever" wind up contestants in the first-ever Great Mongolian Bowling League Tournament in the U.S.A. The rivalry becomes a high-stakes roll-off as Harold approaches "perfection" (defined in the bowling world as three 300-score games in a row) despite a fix set by the alley's mobster-owners. As the reporters and camera crews swarm to cover his amazing feat, Harold finds himself in a life review spanning back to his Bar Mitzvah and a past incarnation as a Mongolian warrior in the era of Genghis Khan, as he ponders profound questions we all ask as we near the end of our lives: Did my life have meaning? Did I fulfill my potential? Was I a good person?Can Harold roll perfection to help his new Mongolian friends and live to tell the tale? The uncanny action unfolds in this beautiful comedy illuminating that although we come from worlds far apart, we share a common humanity. The outcome will impact millions... and strike you right in the heart.

"A suspenseful, spine-tingly, tale of things that go bump, crash, and slash in the night and in the mind. A five-star page-turner!" -Patti Liszkay, author of The Equal and Opposite Reactions TrilogyMiranda Sheppard experiences a series of unexplainable phenomenon since her car accident. While unconscious and struggling for life, she sees a vision of a post- apocalyptic world.While she wafts in and out of consciousness recovering from her injuries, a tall stranger hovers over her hospital bed. All are dismissed, thinking that the accident and her physical difficulties are responsible for these visions, until the stranger from the hospital attacks her in her house... or so she thinks.When she awakens in the hospital and describes the physical events of the attack, there is no physical evidence. Is she hallucinating?Fearing she is losing her mind, she finally succumbs and agrees to see a specialist in memory recovery, Dr. Jack Gallagher. Together, they work to discover the source of the visions that haunt her since the accident.

Vampires and Viajante have tolerated each other's existence for centuries, but not without exceptions. When Mara was six, her Viajante family was murdered by vampires without provocation. Not only did her future change, so did she, a secret hidden even from her own people.No longer a child, and no longer confined to Sanctuary, Mara's headed into vampire territory in search of answers behind the attack, and to the mysterious prophesy she's been linked to. She expected danger, and quite possibly getting her butt kicked a time or two before avenging her family. The last thing she expected: an alliance with a powerful and sexy vampire bent on making her his own.Can Mara and her new family unravel the mystery and bring the truth to light, or will those responsible for the death of her family, and the attempts to silence her, remain forever in shadow?Extinguishing Shadows is a paranormal fantasy that questions everything you think you might know about enemies and friends. Heather Beal spins a beautiful web of magic layered with intrigue and surprise into a breathtakingly high-stakes story that will leave you wondering, just how deep does the darkness go?

Major league baseball superstar Hal Logan is chosen by space aliens to deliver a message to save the human race from extinction... if they heed it.Hal Logan is a promising high school baseball center fielder nicknamed the "Golden Boy," and he has accepted a sizable bonus to play for the New York Mets after he graduates. Coming home from the last graduation party, the Jeep he was riding with his three athlete friends gets involved in a horrific accident resulting in the deaths of two of them and leaving Hal, and his best friend, Billy Jenkins, with crippling injuries. While surviving the accident, neither Hal nor Billy will ever play sports again.Five years later, Hal is a college graduate planning to teach high school science, when an alien spacecraft crashes and begins to burn in the yard of his grandparents' mountain home. Hal rescues the pilot who is a teen-aged alien from our galaxy. He is rewarded by being totally cured of the burns suffered in the rescue and of his previous crippling injuries, allowing him to pursue his dream once more.Fourteen years later, the aliens return and ask the now-famous baseball superstar Hal Logan to deliver a message to the world that will save mankind from its impending destruction from climate change and overpopulation-if they heed it.

"Deliciously engaging, sensual prose. Krueger has crafted a tale of romance, mystery and adventure. Don't miss this five-star read!" -Bill Schweitzer, author of Doves in a TempestA reclusive woman becomes obsessed with her charismatic kidnapper and abandons her privileged life to help him flee to Mexico with stolen millions. But her plans for their happy ending are threatened by his firm commitment to another woman.Adrienne meets Gabriel at a cocktail party and feels an instant primal attraction. The second time she sees him, Gabriel is in her garden and Adrienne thinks he has come to seduce her. But he's there to steal three million cash from her husband's closet and Gabriel is taking Adrienne with him. She should be afraid, but street-survivor Adrienne thrills to the rush. Betrayed by her husband's secrets, she turns from hostage to accomplice to obsessed with the man who abducted her.Gabriel's vow to another woman is simply one more obstacle for Adrienne to overcome.From the suburbs of San Francisco across the hostile badlands of Mexico, Adrienne's bumbling husband and equally incompetent friend are in semi-hot pursuit, people die, and the lines between good guys and bad guys cease to exist. Adrienne will risk everything to reach the paradise Gabriel has promised, and she is determined to get the happy ending she deserves.

"One of the year's best psychological thrillers." -Best ThrillersChaffee County Search & Rescue is known for finding lost people in the Rocky Mountain backcountry. But they've never lost one of their own before.Cam Torrens, author of Stable, has written another psychological thriller that will have readers racing to answer the question...what happened to Kristee Li?Veteran pilot Tyler Zahn is finally recovering from the tragedies that cost him his family and drove him from the Air Force, when his best friend, Kristee Li, disappears on a remote search and rescue mission. A massive effort to find her fails. No clues. No body. Kristee is presumed dead.A fellow team member claims the disappearance is no accident and Zahn begins to question what really happened in the mountains. Who would have wanted Kristee dead? More importantly...why? Plagued with grief, Zahn probes for answers while slowly slipping into the familiar depression he's worked so hard to escape.False Summit proves when it comes to money, sexuality, and cultural norms, the truth is in short supply.

Set in modern-day Tokyo, The Butterfly Café tells the story of American Jessie Yamada. When her emotionally-abusive husband suddenly dies in a traffic accident, she is overcome with guilt because while making plans to leave him, she had often thought how much easier it would be for her if he were dead. Those feelings quickly shift to shock and anger after discovering her entire marriage had been built upon secrets and lies. Jessie unexpectedly inherits a dilapidated café full of cats, where with the help of old friends and quirky neighbors, she constructs a new life for herself and her daughter. But just when things finally seem to be going right, a twist of fate forces her to make a decision that will have a far-reaching impact on herself and all the people she loves.The Butterfly Café explores issues such as friendship, family, and love. It shows how second chances at happiness can be found in unexpected ways.

"An author who knows the horror genre very well. Suspenseful and gripping right up to the chilling finale!" -William Jack Sibley, author of Here We Go Loop de LoopCrime reporter John Blackwood is looking for answers to the biggest story of all time-a mystery older than creation itself. But making this deadline won't be easy, especially if a murderous cult tied to Judas Iscariot and a trio of ravenous vampiric sisters can stop himIt all begins with an ancient grimoire hidden centuries ago in the wilds of Spanish Texas by a secret order of Catholic warrior-priests to keep the tome's deadly secrets from falling into the wrong hands.Unearthed in modern times, the forces of evil will let nothing stand in their way to possess the book and restore an insane, renegade angel to power. As a new ice age borne of the dark arts threatens to engulf the planet, Blackwood is running out of time to save mankind from enslavement... or worse.Can a mere mortal outwit sinister beings beyond comprehension while preventing the apocalypse?Daughters Drear by Thomas Edwards is a bone-chilling tale of horror you won't be able to put down.

In 1855, a terrible massacre in Pine Valley drives the native people into exile. From their hiding place in the mountains, they dream of one day returning home.Their stories enrapture Lucy Shoseegan, a young girl whose mother was killed in the massacre. She envisions their dream and longs to make it a reality. The settlers and townspeople inhabiting the region carry such a dream, as well. But it is a long and painful road nearly lost to the selfish desires of Edenville's youth.It is May 1967 and Jim Hart has died. Sylvia Sumner's father was murdered and she leaves town. The newspaper office shuts down and Tucker Stewart's own father dies. Faced with the tumultuous change these series of events present, comes the opportunity to dream anew. It's time for Tucker to cooperate with his friends in realizing all their dreams. Yet the past casts a shadow across their lives, creating a passionate tale of betrayal and loss that will, ultimately, lead them home.

Book fanatic, Peter, opens a used bookstore with aims of literary grandeur but soon finds himself in a mire of bad choices, unreliable characters, and struggling with mental illness.

"If you are a fan of Jim Butcher and the Dresden Files, you will enjoy Mark Everett Stone's work." -Fantasy Book ReviewHe has had many names, Frank Vickers, Fred Vaughn, Vince Fredricks, but this ancient immortal is better known as the monster who inspired Mary Shelly. Struggling to atone for past sins, he is forced by the Vatican to locate the infamous Book of Ur, an artifact so powerful it could usher in the Apocalypse.With agents Carter and Branch at his side, he takes on the great evils of the world in the quest to find the book while ruminating on a past filled with strife and sorrow.Can a man who considers himself a monster summon the wherewithal to work with those who despise him to find the book, or will he have to go through the body count of a long and bloody history?

He refused to have his face covered and, from the gallows, swore he would rise on the flames of hell to have his vengeance.It's a scorching July afternoon, and police officer Mike Havlicek is called to an incident near the statue in Jacobi Park. He's expecting to find a couple of kids fighting, but the park's groundskeeper is insane for no apparent reason, and ambulance med techs are holding him down.Mike unravels the mystery and finds himself steeped in the paranormal.Major Harlen Jacobi, the man in the statue, is about to escape from his place on the granite pedestal to unleash hell on the city of Cedar Creek, and Mike is the only person who can stop him.

"A riveting journey through an unthinkable turn in American history. To the Manor Born is bold, it's honest, and you can't put it down." -Dr. Mario Dell'Olio, author of Letters from ItalyThe Modern Day. The Confederate States of America stretches from Richmond to Los Angeles, locked in perennial struggle with its Cold War rival, the United States. Slavery is legal. Those who endure it fight in fierce pursuit of liberty.As these dueling nations face off, two enslaved Americans - Atticus and Clara Brooke - emerge as courageous leaders at Rosewood Manor, a sweeping plantation in the foothills of Virginia. There, we also meet Franklin and Cathryn Brooke, the Confederacy's highest-ranking general and his northern-born bride; their daughter Liza, who harbors deep questions but fears the consequences of revolution; and Dale Birch and Kevin Donleau, two dashing Virginians vying for her heart, all while torn between the dreaded Confederate Guard and the underground Resistance.In this extraordinary feat of alternate history, author Matthew Speiser conjures an all-too-believable world where the Civil War never ended. To the Manor Born propels readers from manicured plantations, to slave quarters burning with the thirst for freedom, to the front lines of both battle and love. In examining this tale of what might have been, this book holds up a mirror to what is.

"Buckle up and put on your tinfoil hat for this journey, it's a masterfully-written five-star adventure full of fun, fear, and unexpected twists." -Bill Schweitzer, Doves in a TempestSimon Elliot, a police officer, witnesses the kidnapping of three siblings from their unconscious parents.With no memory of how their children were taken, and their oldest son found dead in a crop circle in England, the family begs Simon to go abroad and continue his investigation.In England, Simon believes he is being watched. When acquaintances die while helping with his investigation, he knows he has the attention of the kidnappers. While Simon's investigation expands, mysterious men dressed in black hoodies intervene, trying to hide their ancient secrets.As more children's bodies appear in crop circles, Simon learns other missing children are alive and communicating with their parents, not in his dimension however, but through a veil, as if looking through a dirty window. The visits give the parents peace, Simon the motivation to find out why those families are targeted, and how the remaining children can communicate with their parents.After confronting one hooded man, Simon learns where the missing children are held. He rushes to their location, intending to rescue the children and reveal the hooded group's many secrets. Will his police skills be enough to safely return the children and expose the kidnappers' ancient secrets?

"An enthralling look at murder and the ensuing police investigation, The Dusty Road to Homicide is written with a gripping authenticity, possible only from someone on the inside of law enforcement. Impossible to set aside!" -Chris Amato, author of Peace River VillageDusty Sampson's parents split up when he was four years old. Dusty's mother tries to provide as much love and guidance as she can, but at the same time, she has to work long hours just to pay the bills and put a roof over their head.Left to his own devices, Dusty eventually gets into drugs and alcohol. When his mother has had enough, he finds himself kicked out of her house, and forced to float from couch to couch. Consistently unemployed and out of money, Dusty decides to rob a restaurant for some quick cash but shoots two people in cold blood on the way out.Sergeant Steve "Mac" MacIntosh and his team of investigators follow the trail that they hope will lead to the killer. But they soon realize that time is of the essence when they read the killer's Facebook messages and discover that he has plans to rob another restaurant the next night.This is the second book in The Thin Blue Line Series, but can be read as a stand-alone novel.

"This novel is hard to put down. Honest salesman coupled with corrupt dealers make The Sopranos look like child's play." -Heritage Florida Jewish NewsCan Eddy Ackerman, a thirty-five-year-old professed loser, liquidate his shortfalls while trying to find success helping failing business owners transition to a new life through liquidation sales?Eddy inherits a retail furniture store from his deceased father. On the day his business goes belly up, his wife walks out on him and cleans out their bank account.He goes to work for what appears to be a reputable liquidation company, but it's more than it appears to be. He gets caught up in the criminal world and finds himself in a life-or-death struggle to survive. Can his father's past connection to his new boss teach him the true meaning of success, or will it get him killed?Eddy's journey illuminates failure and liquidation as integral parts of our lives. And like the Phoenix, we rise from the ashes, hopefully in one piece and better for it.

"Fans of Brandon Sanderson's Mistborn series, if you're looking for the next great series to enjoy, look no further. Jeff Konkol's Rebirth of the Fallen series has everything we love in great fantasy." -Carrie Newberry, author of Pick Your Teeth With My BonesIn the face of an uncontrollable demonic plague that dissolves flesh, twisting its victims into horrific monsters, Achillion walls off a section of his city, condemning thousands to death. Beyond that wall, an ancient evil feasts, festers, and grows.Left with little choice, the heroes must face their fears and master the intricate spells that have burned them in the past. Both friends and foes join forces in a desperate battle against the twisted shambling horde marching against them.But old rivalries die hard, and in the heat of battle, will strength and honor be enough to overcome deception and betrayal, and if so, at what cost?

Fall arrives in the miserable seaside town of Gloomsbury, Massachusetts like a fresh corpse-cold, gray, devoid of life.After vanquishing an undead Victorian monster with his best friend Jeni Myers over summer break, the last thing Thomas Creeper wants is another supernatural mystery to solve. There are caskets that need polishing at his family's funeral home, and all that new homeschooling work his mother keeps piling on. But Thomas has a big secret: he's a Fixer, a detective for the dead, and his powers are just beginning to sharpen.When corpses start washing up on Gloomsbury's shores, dyed head to toe in strange purple ink, Thomas realizes he might be the only person alive who can stop the killer's reign of terror. And he won't be alone. After the most important person in his life bails on him, a new core of allies-both living and undead-arrive on the scene, showing Thomas Creeper that there is one force greater than terror: friendship.Dive into the series Booklist hails as "marvelously macabre" and follow the clues along with Thomas as past and present, horror and humor collide on the page, brought to life from the wild and unsettling mind of J.R. Potter.

"P. L. Jonas delivers a sweet love story wrapped in intrigue and mystery that will keep you on the edge of your seat in this page-turning romantic suspense." -Kari Wirth, author of Under the Dogwood TreeFor fans of classic romances, comes Hall of Deception, a suspenseful romance set in post-WWII, Plymouth, MA. In 1953, Dee Danes, an orphan raised by her spiteful cousin, is inexperienced in love and desperately wants to fit in. She takes a job tutoring a little girl at a mansion, secretly fantasizing about romance with the owner, just like her beloved heroine Jane Eyre.The strikingly handsome and wealthy owner of Rothmorton Hall, Hugh Roth, appears to enjoy embarrassing her and Dee worries she's made a terrible mistake. Mystery surrounds the other staff and Hugh, particularly the ex-wife everyone is forbidden to discuss.Shocking truths about Hugh are exposed and Dee struggles to accept the lies and deceptions questioning the man he truly is. When frightening attempts on Hugh's life and other strange incidents occur, Dee fears for the lives of those she's come to care for-and perhaps even her own.

"To Hunt a Holy Man brings to mind the likes of Graham Greene and Brian Moore. Readers will be moved by the depth of characterization and plot which is as intriguing as it is important." -Ron Felber, bestselling author of A Man of Indeterminate ValueLeaving the raw battlefields of Vietnam, To Hunt a Holy Man, cuts across the rich cultural landscape of Buddhist Thailand. Its characters are enmeshed in war-born adventure, danger, sexual encounters, and spiritual quests. Both Hunter and Holy Man have everything to win-but someone has to lose.The Holy Man is a US Army Catholic priest who flees Vietnam. Longing to complete his spiritual journey, he disappears into Thai Buddhist monastic life. The Hunter is a God-hating, lone-wolf antihero. His plan to claim his trophy is thwarted by an alluring Thai policewoman, and a jolting religious experience. He is staggered, but is he redeemed? Or will he claim his prize and bring the priest back to Vietnam in shackles?Much more than just a hunt, Fletcher skillfully presents the reader with an exotic and fascinating spiritual journey through Southeast Asia. He shows that, 50 years on, there are still powerful lessons to be learned from that infamous war.To Hunt a Holy Man uses edgy language and noir images, but any flinching by the fainthearted will be salved by the story's redemptive ending. Buy this book. A compelling read, it will beat with the spiritual yearnings of your heart.

"Final Lullaby is a courageous, poetic exploration of a controversial and emotionally-charged topic. At turns uncomfortable and celebratory, artistic and thought provoking, this is an important novel." -Brian Kaufman, author of Sins in Blue"Many of us are one bad death away from becoming a right-to-die activist."Angela Alexander, a New England bookshop owner and support talk-line volunteer, is dedicated to listening to people without her own filter getting in the way. Though her life is full and satisfying, she faces the ultimate dilemma after her husband Tucker - an exuberant bird photographer and blues musician - is harmed by medical malpractice during a routine hernia repair. Left in intractable pain, he struggles to focus on any shred of quality of life. When Tucker expresses the desire to end his life before he loses full autonomy, Angela has to decide to support him in that decision, or not.

"Jett is no frozen victim: she's a fighter, a detective, and when it counts the most, a trailblazer..." -J.R. Potter, award-winning teen mystery author of Thomas Creeper and the Gloomsbury SecretAll Jett Jamison wants is a little peace and quiet.What could be worse than living in a tiny house in the tiny town of Wisteria with twin brothers who believe they're superheroes? Answer: the voices in Jett's head. They buzz with bits of a bad memory, and they're getting louder every day. A friend recommends a book sure to unscramble her confusion, but it's disappeared, and nobody wants to talk about it. Enraged, Jett and her friends rally up a team to fight the censorship, even enlisting her clever pet bunny, Felix, one-eared Grey Cat, and the ghosts of a few authors known for shaking things up.They plan a peaceful protest, but it backfires big time, and the town goes berserk. Now Jett realizes that peace isn't always quiet, and she'll need to heal herself before she can restore calm to Wisteria.

"Vivid, powerful, and impressive." -Jewish Chronicle"Riveting and well-crafted." -The Jerusalem ReportImagine coming of age surrounded by terror and militancy. Tamar, Nour, and Rivki all live in Jerusalem, and all are on the cusp of adulthood, but in a city of tribal culture and an intractable conflict, it is almost inconceivable they will ever meet, let alone become friends. Then, one night, during yet another cycle of violence, their paths cross just as a terrorist decides to carry out an attack on the light rail train.Parallel Lines explores the devastating emotional and physical toll of war, ethnic conflict, and religious codes on young people growing up in the holy city. This fictional account of Jerusalem's unholy conflict captures the pain and angst from all sides through the eyes of three unlikely heroines.

"Haris Orkin has renewed not-so-secret agent John Flynn's license to thrill in this delightful mash-up of James Bond and Maxwell Smart in another charming, thrilling and amusing page-turner that makes me sad for the rest." -Mark A. Altman, author of Nobody Does It Better: The Complete Oral History of James BondHornitos State Mental Hospital houses the worst of the worst. Those convicted of violent criminal behavior and judged not guilty by reason of insanity. Mass murderers, serial killers, mad bombers, arsonists, terrorists, and now... James Flynn. Still convinced he's an international super spy, Flynn finds himself in the most dangerous predicament of his life.He faces off with old enemies, new enemies, and psycho killers who just want to watch the world burn. He also meets a fierce and beautiful woman who might be even more dangerous and delusional than he is.Together they walk a tightrope between objective reality and clinical insanity and, with the help of Flynn's reluctant sidekick, Sancho, uncover a mad plot to bring on Armageddon.

Maxy Award Winner - Romance & Women's FictionThree men. Two timelines. One wish.Haunted by her choices, including marrying an abusive con man, thirty-five-year-old Elizabeth has been unable to speak for two years. She is further devastated when she learns an old boyfriend has died. Nothing in her life is right.That night, Elizabeth wishes for a mulligan. When she wakes, to her surprise, it is no longer 2022, but 2017. Though thrilled to have a chance to fix mistakes, the past is not perfect. She has a stalker and is still voiceless. Just like before, her boyfriend slips into a mysterious coma, so she enlists his brother Christopher's aid to determine the cause. In their investigation, he becomes her staunchest ally and her unexpected soulmate.Elizabeth's stalker threatens her happiness, as do those who wish secrets to remain buried. If she can't reclaim her voice, her former boyfriend will fade away in a coma and her stalker may claim her life.Don't miss The Wish, which mixes the mundane with a hint of magic-a romantic and thrilling ride for anyone who imagines they could transform regret into their best decision.

Born into a world of privilege and power, Mary Tudor expected to live the life of every other European Princess during the Renaissance.She knew it was her duty to marry well, and provide sons and heirs to her future husband, while remaining in the political shadows of a world dominated by ruthless men.Her father's desperate need for a male heir and his willingness to send everybody who got in his way to their deaths, meant that Mary had very little hope of obtaining the English Crown.But a series of traumatic events nobody could see coming would propel Mary on a life-long journey to claim what so many believe to be rightfully hers: The Throne of England.