In Episode One of the series, we learn about Michael Vengeance, a.k.a. “The Black Jester.” Michael’s expert skills in Mixed Martial Arts, Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, knives, and Chinese throwing stars elevate him to the most lethal member of the team. Subject to violent mood swings due to his identity disorder, the other Jesters struggle to keep him in check while they enact their duties.The Kings of New Orleans are viciously fighting for control of the city, sending the crime rate skyrocketing. Among them, a benevolent doctor called the French Quarter King uses his resources to employ colorful Jesters to achieve his mission. Having groomed them from scared boys into strong, confident, dangerous men, their talents in mortal combat, law enforcement, and political leadership serve their King well. As victims of a horrific crime committed while Hurricane Katrina raged against the city, the Jesters didn’t realize their fates would be sealed on that chaotic August day in 2005. Now, over 10 years later, their King’s operation is in full swing.In Episode One of the series, we learn about Michael Vengeance, a.k.a. “The Black Jester.” Michael’s expert skills in Mixed Martial Arts, Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, knives, and Chinese throwing stars elevate him to the most lethal member of the team. Subject to violent mood swings due to his identity disorder, the other Jesters struggle to keep him in check while they enact their duties.The Black Jester becomes the police’s main suspect in the murders of dozens of shady businessmen in the city. On the run and scared, a young woman named Rose White finds herself caught up with the vigilante and entangled in the perilous power struggle within the city. The Black Jester’s instinct to protect the young woman may cause her more harm than good as he struggles to reconcile his personalities.To the misfortune of the Jesters, one man catches a glimpse of their operation. Detective Ron Jenkins of the New Orleans Police Department is able to tie Rose to the aggressively hunted vigilante. He must determine her role in the situation in hopes he can find out who the Black Jester is before the body count reaches epic proportions.

For fifty years fear of the vanishing red house in the Jersey Barrens had warped the lives of Ellen and Pete Yocum.Old Pete swore that the house moved from place to place and that screams heard within it put a hex on anyone who ventured near.Meg Yarrow, raised by the Yocums since childhood, experienced the same terror until Nathan, the new farmhand, arrived. One day they started on a search for the red house in the Oxhead woods, only to encounter violent danger—whether due to natural or supernatural causes, they could not tell.How they found the house and unraveled its eerie secret forms the powerful climax of this outstanding mystery novel.

A short story about love and ambition.'Hold On' won first prize in the Federation of BC Writers Literary Writes competition.They are the light against the darkness. The steel against the necromancy of the Druj. And they use demons to hunt demons…. Nazafareen lives for revenge. A girl of the isolated Four-Legs Clan, all she knows about the King's elite Water Dogs is that they bind wicked creatures called daevas to protect the empire from the Undead. But when scouts arrive to recruit young people with the gift, she leaps at the chance to join their ranks. To hunt the monsters that killed her sister. Scarred by grief, she's willing to pay any price, even if it requires linking with a daeva named Darius. Human in body, he's possessed of a terrifying power, one that Nazafareen controls. But the golden cuffs that join them have an unwanted side effect. Each experiences the other's emotions, and human and daeva start to grow dangerously close. As they pursue a deadly foe across the arid waste of the Great Salt Plain to the glittering capital of Persepolae, unearthing the secrets of Darius's past along the way, Nazafareen is forced to question his slavery—and her own loyalty to the empire. But with an ancient evil stirring in the north, and a young conqueror sweeping in from the west, the fate of an entire civilization may be at stake…Praise for The Midnight Sea"A spellbinding fantasy with some moral weight and a meatier narrative than usual, one likely to leave readers quite satisfied... Ross conjures an epic of demons and daevas, family, loss, and the turmoil of a kingdom in peril."-Kirkus Reviews"An addictive, action-packed, glorious page-turner!" -Am Kinda Busy Reading"For a world of shifting alliances and trusts, fully realized and multi-faceted characters, and a fantasy that takes place in a little touched upon setting in young adult literature, The Midnight Sea delivers on all fronts and starts off a new series of romance, magic, and a well-written and captivating story." -Bibliobibuli YA"GUARD YOUR HEART. For in The Midnight Sea, Kat Ross delivers a riveting fantasy of unparalleled proportions that stole a piece of mine." -Flylef Reviews"I really hate the word ‘epic’ because, let’s face it, it’s so overused and it’s lost its true meaning, but this book deserves that word." -Book Reader Chronicles"The Midnight Sea has everything I enjoy in a fantasy and more. I highly recommend it for readers who love elemental magic, kick-ass heroines and a captivating story." -Cover2Cover Reviews"Kat Ross creates a rich fantasy world, full of new and scary creatures, lots of magical powers, and an intricately woven plot that is sure to keep you on the edge of your seat until the very last page." -Book Briefs

Visit www.puddlestory.weebly.com for more.Birch loves her garden. Her sanctuary is the nearby forest. She understands that solid connections can be made over meals, and adventures can happen at any moment, especially when there are cats involved. Come, listen to the Trees with her.Puddle is a tale for the curious, the lover of plants, and the healer inside each of us. It is for those of us who notice the little details, such as reflections upon tranquil water. Here is a story that celebrates the power of stories, and knows that solid connections can be made over meals, especially woodland-foraged meals.Birch loves her garden. Her sanctuary is the nearby forest. She understands that adventures can happen at any moment, especially when there are cats involved. When she witnesses a boy crawl from a puddle that wouldn't cover a toad, she suspends her disbelief in order to see his side of the tale.Get your feet wet with Birch and Puddle as they travel to worlds by way of the reflections upon puddles. Prowl with Caht, the cat who spells its name with an h, and arrange necessary... encounters.. with Nimupara, the Watcher of Worlds. Dance all night with the Trees, as they share their stories and their secrets. And listen to the land.Join the fireside for conversations concerning science and magic (which is often science that has not been explained yet). Review facts, and wonder about wonderful perhapses. Celebrate life, love, joy, health, healing, and the nonjudgmental approach to life that is common among trees.

A cross country train trip proves to be the most dangerous trip Rachel Payne has ever taken. Plagued by nightmares and unable to eat or sleep, she begins to feel like she's losing her mind. Then, she and six other passengers become trapped in a train car by a sadistic, demon-possessed young man. Rachel is faced with betrayal and death as the demon threatens to murder them all.33 year-old Rachel Payne is on her way to start a life new. Divorced, childless, and penniless, Rachel has nothing to show for her life, and nothing to lose. The life she has been living never felt right to her. She went to college, got a job, got married, had a house and cars, tried to have children but couldn't. While she tried to fit the mold of a “normal” woman in society, she always felt there was something else out there, waiting for her.The 51 hour train route from Chicago to San Francisco proves to be the most dangerous trip she’s ever taken. Plagued by nightmares and unable to eat or sleep, she begins to feel like she's losing her mind. Then, she and six other passengers become trapped in a train car by a sadistic, demon-possessed young man. Rachel is faced with betrayal and death as the demon exposes the passengers' deadly sins and threatens to murder them all. Armed with only an innate ability to identify the demon for what it is, Rachel endures the first of many horrors that will inevitably consume her life.

Literary fantasy meets thriller in this, the first part of a trilogy about a magical world in imbalance, and a band of heroes' quest to save it from doom.Norien, the Ever-Shifting Sphere molded at the beginning of Creation, the protean matter out of which all worlds evolved, is in grave peril. The Three Runes, also known as the Eyes of the Gods, that had been ruling over the universe and keeping Norien’s three primeval realms in balance, have been stolen – though no one knows by whom, nor where they might be hidden. But in their sudden absence, the distant birthplace of the cosmos beings to spiral into chaos. Lurien, the Sphere of Untouch, is rendered mysteriously barren; Feerien, the Sphere of Toil, writhes in turmoil, as the twin dangers of an army of anthropophagic Scavengers and the advent of the dreaded Seventh Moon threaten its very existence; and Ienar Lin, the Mad Sphere, where all the knowledge of things past and future storm through in a never-ending flux, is beleaguered by dreams and visions of an imminent, colossal doom. Thus, a motley company gathered from Norien’s disquieted realms by chance or fate, take it upon themselves to retrieve the missing Runes – even if they are nowhere to be found, then this Nowhere must be found, be it at the other side of the black yawning vastness of existence. A dark, evocative narrative, The Runes of Norien is the first part in a trilogy of novels combining fantasy and horror with a literary, sinister playfulness.

A short story about friendship.This story received an Honourable Mention in 'The Fiddlehead' magazine's Short story contest."....(Linares del Arroyo) is a story prepared to take risks. When they pay off the reader is rewarded with a sensual and evocative meditation on youth and the passage of time." Gerard Beirne, author of 'Eskimo in the net'He must find the ghost train, he must discover what happened to his father, and so he returns to the site night after night trying to get a glimpse of the train. One night he finally encounters the train and he finally enters the train. Once inside he finds he will never leave his father again.

The Stone House looked as fine, and its gardens as gay with flowers, as when the members of the household were to be at home for a season, for it always seemed at those times as if the blossoming plants did their best, because sure of loving admiration.

A simple, easy read about a poor girl whose parents die in a fire in which she is the only witness of. It's quite moving! I aimed it at 10 year olds, I (the author) am 10 and I think I would like to read it, as would my friends. because her parents die, the girl in the story has to stay at her Aunt's house. It's quite a short story of 7 short chapters and 7000 words.Detective Franklin Monroe isn't easily disturbed by much and always finds the thread of logic in every case. He is certainly less prone to superstition than his partner, Hugo. When they follow up on a lead from an aging DCS case after an elderly caregiver dies, they don't expect much based on her mental condition. Her final days were spent raving of demonic activity. But inside the home, every inch of her dilapidated house challenges Franklin's unshakeable faith in the empiric. As they discover room after room filled with bodies, the detectives are compelled to investigate and discover answers for two questions. What happened to Kayla Adams? And what kind of hell was unleashed inside the old Woodson mansion? Father of the Esurient Child was originally published in Fear & Trembling Mag (Feb 2008) and was revised/expanded into a novelette in 2016

In 1866 the American minister at Rio de Janeiro turned from the reality of a few incongruous and trouble-breeding Kentucky colonels, slouched-hatted and frock-coated, wandering through the unfamiliar streets of the great South American capital, and saw a nightmare.

A brave teen recounts her debilitating struggle with obsessive-compulsive disorder—and brings readers through every painful step as she finds her way to the other side—in this powerful and inspiring memoir.Until sophomore year of high school, fifteen-year-old Allison Britz lived a comfortable life in an idyllic town. She was a dedicated student with tons of extracurricular activities, friends, and loving parents at home. But after awakening from a vivid nightmare in which she was diagnosed with brain cancer, she was convinced the dream had been a warning. Allison believed that she must do something to stop the cancer in her dream from becoming a reality. It started with avoiding sidewalk cracks and quickly grew to counting steps as loudly as possible. Over the following weeks, her brain listed more dangers and fixes. She had to avoid hair dryers, calculators, cell phones, computers, anything green, bananas, oatmeal, and most of her own clothing....

From Publishers WeeklyStarred Review. This powerful story of a mother trying to cope with her daughter's bipolar disorder reads at times like a heightened procedural. Keri, the owner of an upscale L.A. resale clothing shop, is hopeful as daughter Trina celebrates her 18th birthday and begins a successful-seeming new treatment. But as Trina relapses into mania, both their worlds spiral out of control. An ex-husband who refuses to believe their daughter is really sick, the stigmas of mental illness in the black community, a byzantine medico-insurance system—all make Keri increasingly desperate as Trina deteriorates (requiring, repeatedly, a "72 hour hold" in the hospital against her will). The ins and outs of working the mental health system take up a lot of space, but Moore Campbell is terrific at describing the different emotional gradations produced by each new circle of hell. There's a lesbian subplot, and a radical (and expensive) group that offers treatment off the grid may hold promise. The author of a well-reviewed children's book on how to cope with a parent's mental illness, Moore Campbell (What You Owe Me) is on familiar ground; she gives Keri's actions and decisions compelling depth and detail, and makes Trina's illness palpable. While this feels at times like a mission-driven book, it draws on all of Moore Campbell's nuance and style. Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. From Scientific AmericanHell, being black is hard enough.... Please don't add crazy. So writes Bebe Moore Campbell in her compelling new novel that confronts two taboo subjects in the African American community: mental disorder and homosexuality. The book is named for the three-day maximum period that a mentally ill adult can be legally held in a public health facility if she demonstrates a danger to herself or others. The novel tells the story of Keri Whitmore, a successful black businesswoman struggling to care for a teenage daughter with bipolar disorder, which causes radical mood swings between mania and depression. The fictional prose is not meant to offer an inside look at brain disease. Rather it presents a brutally honest and devastating account of a mother's love and the desperate degree to which she will go to rescue her child from mental illness. In doing so, Campbell exposes the woeful inadequacies of our current public health care system in treating such patients and introduces the novel's greatest value: its insight into the challenges faced by people who must care for such loved ones. Nevertheless, this noble effort is undermined when Campbell invokes slavery to convey the horrors of mental illness. Though poignant, the comparison seems forced, relying on overwrought passages about whipping posts and slave auctions. The metaphor clouds the novel's purpose, especially since the author seems to decide, by the end, that the best way to deal with a family member's brain disease is through acceptance rather than emancipation. The same cannot be said of slavery. Campbell also draws parallels between brain disorders and homosexuality to suggest that both issues must be dealt with more openly. Her point that both are unfairly stigmatized is overshadowed by the unsavory implication that being gay is a malady somehow akin to mental illness. The novel offers important lessons to family members about caring for the self and seeking the support of others. And yet Campbell's main character is overly ambitious, much like the book itself. Keri seems more like a wonder-mom with an endless supply of time, energy and patience than a desperate mother on the brink of collapse. She not only cares for her manic daughter but runs her thriving business, strokes the ego of her workaholic exhusband, counsels her boyfriend's gay son and advises a drug-addicted ex-prostitute. Then again, Campbell has taken on ambitious aims, which she accomplishes with some success despite the novel's distractions. Jeanne Hamming

Depression & Other Magic Tricks is the debut book by Sabrina Benaim, one of the most-viewed performance poets of all time, whose poem "Explaining My Depression to My Mother" has become a cultural phenomenon with over 50,000,000 views. Depression & Other Magic Tricks explores themes of mental health, love, and family. It is a documentation of struggle and triumph, a celebration of daily life and of living. Benaim's wit, empathy, and gift for language produce a work of endless wonder.