About Featured Book: Mountain Mens' Curvy Obsession by Kai Lesy She doesn’t remember us… But her body does. It started with a blizzard. One wrong turn. One crash into the icy dark. Then—I wake up in a secluded mountain lodge… Surrounded by three men I don’t recognize....
From My Soul to Yours by Christian Howard This collection of poems, written in 1971 during a decade-long mystical journey, captures the soul’s dialogue with the divine. Deeply influenced by the teachings of Paramahansa Yogananda and the Self-Realization Fellowship,...
It’s summer, and I’m stretched out on a windowsill in my bedroom with the sunlight warming the fur on my back. It’s quiet except for the drone of traffic on the Henry Hudson Parkway and the occasional whir of a helicopter flying along the river.
I once shared this bedroom with my friend Gato-Hamen, the High Priest of Amun-Ra. He and I had fled ancient Egypt on his magic boat. It was only supposed to carry us to a foreign land, but it took us through time as well as space here to Elena’s house in twenty-first century New York City.
Elena’s late father had been a renowned Egyptologist, and she immediately recognized us as ancient Egyptians. She was surprised we were speaking English. We explained that the prayer which had launched the magic boat also gave us the power to speak the language wherever we arrived.
She was also surprised that I, a cat, could talk and walk like a man. That would be explained later. Overjoyed at the prospect of excitement in her life, she invited us to stay with her.
Now the High Priest shares her bedroom, and I share this one with their child, who’s the reincarnation of the Pharaoh I loved thousands of years ago. He’s on the floor, playing contentedly with his building blocks. It’s hard to believe he’s already a year old.
Elena is reading and keeping an eye on him. “Wrappa-Hamen, are you recharging?” she asks, as she always does when she sees me basking in the sun. “You lazy old cat!”
“Lazy, yes. Old, not yet,” I reply, too drowsy to say more.
About Featured Book: The Tempests of Time, Ages of Malice, Book IV by Lloyd Jeffries Ages of Malice Series Sale April 14 - May 14 @ $0.99ea. Time Turns Deadly. A mind-bending thriller with spiritual stakes. The world unravels in chaos, and for Emery Merrick and Rhyme...
Smart Production Systems by Semyon Meerkov This book is intended to offer a solution to this problem by making production systems smart—i.e., capable of self-diagnosis and autonomous design of continuous improvement projects—leading to the desired and rigorously...
Water is filling my ears.
“Useless beast. I should cut . . . tail. Drowning’s too good . . . you . . .”
Egyptians revere cats, but there are exceptions.
A week ago the brute snatched me from the streets, put me in a sack, and brought me on board to protect the load of grain he’s taking down the Nile to Waset.
Cats hunt rats, but there are exceptions.
Which the brute realized this morning. He picked me up by the scruff of my neck and threw me over the side.
If I never see a boat again it will be too soon . . .
I swim toward the river bank. Exhausted, I lie on the shore and let my fur dry in the warmth of the sun. Now that I’m free, I intend to resume roaming from village to village, seeing new things, meeting new cats, tasting new foods. But first I’ll eat the perch I caught during my swim.
I’m licking the smell of fish off my paws and face when I spot a pyramid in the far distance. I’ve heard a lot about them, but I’ve never seen one before.
I can’t take my eyes off it. It seems to be beckoning me.
It’s my destiny to go there!
Tail on high and a heart full of expectation, I begin walking.
Summer, 1277, deep in the rain forest of the Chivit Continent
It wasn’t my best day.
I tore through the curtain of cobwebs like they weren’t even there, then bolted for the doorway. The doors were still open, but the wood I had jammed between them and their doorframe wasn’t going to last long. A pathetic groan echoed through the ante-chamber around me, followed by the staccato sound of wood splintering.
Correction, those wooden braces weren’t going to last another few seconds. I ran faster.
Stone dust was like a fogbank. My clothes and hair were stiff with it and seeing past it felt like a bad joke. Specifically, on me. Gulping down air, I lengthened my stride, sprinting like a madwoman for the only way I knew out.
Then I was through. Past the stone dust, thick cobwebs, and pale-skinned, giggling, scrambling nightmares with too many arms. Little things that were all too eager for me to sit and stay awhile. I threw myself forward into the wall of heat and humidity that was part and parcel of Anestri’for, the ‘Great Jungle’ on Chivit.
Landing on my hands and knees, I drank in the smell of wet grass and foliage. The feel of damp earth was a delight. Best of all? The sound of the stone doors slamming shut on the writhing mass of bodies with too many arms trying to follow me. They weren’t giggling as the doors shut in their face, but snarling.
I hauled my aching body into a sitting position, then placed a dust-covered satchel in front of me. Thunder rolled around in the clouds overhead. I glanced up.
“Hourly thunderstorm. Right on time. At least it’s not a magic storm.”
“Good job, Tela.” I congratulated myself. “Alive, limbs in one piece, and you found it.”
Shaking my head, I reached for the flap on the bag to check the condition of my find. The last thing I needed was to get it back to Ishnanor in a thousand pieces. I didn’t manage to open the bag. A yell to my right gave me better things to think about.
A man dressed in mercenary leathers, and a belted tunic had shoved his way out of the underbrush. Dirty, mud-stained, he leered at me like a prize or fresh caught prey. I shot daggers back at him with a glare. Sad to say, he didn’t seem impressed.
“Here!” he bellowed. “She’s here! Tell Vargas! I’ve found the Windtracer! She’s got the relic!”
“Hells!”
I was on my feet and past a stand of briza-taeda ferns to my right before the mercenary took another step. Shouts filled the Anestri’for jungle air behind me. I ran faster.
Everyday Leadership for People-Pleasing Introverts by Melissa Jenner The Introverted Leader’s Guide to People-Pleasing is a powerful playbook for anyone who leads with empathy but struggles with burnout, overcommitment, and self-doubt. Designed especially for...
Lifestyle Lawyer Revolution: Live a Life You Love (Without Leaving the Law) by Laura Cowan Lifestyle Lawyer Revolution is a call to arms for attorneys ready to redefine success, reclaim their time, and build a thriving practice without sacrificing their lives. Burned...
It’s summer, and I’m stretched out on a windowsill in my bedroom with the sunlight warming the fur on my back. It’s quiet except for the drone of traffic on the Henry Hudson Parkway and the occasional whir of a helicopter flying along the river.
I once shared this bedroom with my friend Gato-Hamen, the High Priest of Amun-Ra. He and I had fled ancient Egypt on his magic boat. It was only supposed to carry us to a foreign land, but it took us through time as well as space here to Elena’s house in twenty-first century New York City.
Elena’s late father had been a renowned Egyptologist, and she immediately recognized us as ancient Egyptians. She was surprised we were speaking English. We explained that the prayer which had launched the magic boat also gave us the power to speak the language wherever we arrived.
She was also surprised that I, a cat, could talk and walk like a man. That would be explained later. Overjoyed at the prospect of excitement in her life, she invited us to stay with her.
Now the High Priest shares her bedroom, and I share this one with their child, who’s the reincarnation of the Pharaoh I loved thousands of years ago. He’s on the floor, playing contentedly with his building blocks. It’s hard to believe he’s already a year old.
Elena is reading and keeping an eye on him. “Wrappa-Hamen, are you recharging?” she asks, as she always does when she sees me basking in the sun. “You lazy old cat!”
“Lazy, yes. Old, not yet,” I reply, too drowsy to say more.
When I first met the Pharaoh, he was sixteen, and I was a stray tomcat. I’d wandered into in a looted tomb and was kicked by the Vizier, his uncle. I spat a cat amulet at him, hitting him on the forehead. He accused me of trying to kill him. The High Priest arrived and tried to reason with him.
Then it happened. I suddenly had human powers! I stood upright, walked over to the Vizier, and debated with him. The Pharaoh entered the tomb to hear me wise-cracking and laughed for the first time since his parents’ death. He took me to live with him at court, and we became inseparable.
A year later the Vizier poisoned him and accused me of the murder. He was going to put me to death when the High Priest rescued me. We fled Egypt on the magic boat and ended up in Elena’s living room . . .
Jim is the author of nine award-winning novels, three novelettes, and thousands of magazine and news articles. He now lives in a valley surrounded by mountains in the Southern Appalachians. He was previously an award-winning journalist at several national newspapers and a communications director at Clemson University.
Jim grew up on the shores of western Florida where he spent much of his childhood swimming in shark-infested waters long before the movie “Jaws” put a scare into everyone. At the time, he probably was too skinny to attract a bull shark’s attention. About ten other boys Jim’s age lived on his same street, and they hung out morning, noon and night playing the usual sports that young boys love — football, baseball, “kill the carrier,” etc. — but as a group they also played fantastical games that contained magic, monsters and superheroes. It was in this setting that Jim’s imagination was born and nurtured.
About Featured Book: Sexting My Ex's Dad by Liz Archer What’s the best way to get over your ex? By drunk sexting his dad… And getting under him. In my defense, I thought I was texting my friend. If I knew my ex’s dad was on the other side, reading every single word, I...
Christ Follower, husband, father, entrepreneur, lawyer, 4th-degree black belt, and nationally certified instructor.
Affiliated with the American Taekwondo Association, chef, and local media personality.
Creator of MissouriTrafficTickets.com (the world’s first online legal service, launched on 9/6/2002), EvictionsQuick.com, MyMissouriLLC.com, and Simple-Trust.com.
Municipal judge for over 20 years and former prosecutor.
About Featured Book: The Executive’s Secret by Andrew M. Semple The Executive's Secret Secrets at Every Turn: A Life Shrouded in Duality On the surface, Alex Banner lives the life of a successful business executive, a man who juggles family obligations with the...
About Featured Book: The Ultimate Frame by Andrew M. Semple Buried Truths and Deadly Secrets A cryptic email, a chilling discovery, and a life crumbling before his eyes—John Roberts never imagined how quickly everything he knew could unravel. He stumbled into the...
About Featured Book: How I Accidentally Turned My Kids Into Financially Entitled Monsters by Andrew Lendnal Transform Your Parenting Tactics for Financially Mindful Kids Are you worried that your child's understanding of money might be shaping into a problematic...
Sheldon D. Newton is a resident of the Bahamas. He is an author, pastor, international speaker, and a Senior Lecturer at Berea Theological University. He has written over forty books, which include three novels; Thrown Away, Genna’s Fight & Genna’s Ghost. He loves writing, reading, and sharing principles which enable people to live lives of purpose and fulfillment.
About Featured Book: Vegas Daddies by Liz Archer What happens in Vegas stays in Vegas… Until you wake up married to three dangerous silver fox bikers. My fiancé dumped me during my bachelorette party. So when three hot bikers offer to make me forget, I did what anyone...
Rebecca Hartman is an author and former landscape architect with a BS from Ohio State University. Her debut book, Stepping Stones to Harmony: A Caregiver’s Guide to Home Organization, Downsizing, and Moving (December 2024), draws from her personal experience balancing care for her aging mother while homeschooling her son. The book, along with its companion workbook, applies her design expertise to help overwhelmed caregivers create more manageable home environments. It is available through major retailers, including Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Apple Books, and Kobo.
Robert Ambros was born in Passaic, New Jersey in 1959. His first novel, The Brief Sun, was based on his parents’ WWII experiences in Siberian labor camps and won the 10th annual Writer’s Digest International Book Award for best genre fiction. His second historical novel, When Eagles Die, explored the effects of posttraumatic stress disorder on future generations. This was followed by a murder mystery in a WWII setting, Griffith Stadium. He lives in Central Florida.