Bøger udgivet af All Things That Matter Press

Shades of Luz is a modern day Don Quixote, a picaresque rich in characters searching for love and meaning in an otherwise manic-paced world. Grad School dropout Benny Fluke goes from stuffed animal peddler to thumb-wrestling champ. He is a monkey trainer, philosopher, wine snob, and a strip club connoisseur. Above and beyond all that he is a romantic at heart and is desperate to win the love of Luz the hot-blooded, ambitious beauty who keeps boomeranging into his life. Something from Luz's past inextricably bonds them together and Benny will not stop until she is his. Their delightful repartee is crisp, witty, and sumptuously engaging.

A collection of short stories that deal with life, death, the esoteric, human nature, the mundane and the world-at-large. Hugh Fox at his finest, and perhaps his last.

This psychological detective novel explores the once largely unacknowledged-not only soldiers get post-traumatic stress disorder: that child abuse whether it is overt or covert incest, is a time bomb. Lily's Odyssey unfolds with the inevitability, impact, and resolution of an ancient Greek play. The dialogue rings true, the journey conveyed with moods and half-tones, to portray fragmented Midwestern characters with poignancy. From child to grandmother, Lily's voyage is told with lyricism, humor, and irony through a poet's voice to distill American life in religion, marriage, and family. A contemporary odyssey without maps by a woman short listed for the 2009 Eric Hoffer Award for Best New Writing, a National Federation of State Poetry Societies Award Winner.

Jack Scanlon, at the threshold of his sixtieth year, finds himself in an uncomfortable recliner in the corridor of Day Surgery at a local hospital, hooked up to an IV tube. He is receiving three units of blood, a process that will take the better part of eight hours. He has all but convinced himself that he is a terminal case, a victim of colon cancer. If a drowning man is capable of witnessing the sum of his entire life before his eyes at the instant before he goes under for the last time, Jack Scanlon has the luxury of witnessing his at his leisure, and in chronological order. His meditations focus largely on his early childhood, adolescence, and young adulthood, which covers roughly the years 1944 through 1961, with a few brief detours into more recent history, a history that involves the deaths of his younger half-brother Keith, and his mother, as well as a short description of his own recent medical struggles.

Mary Flanagan, caught between her sense of religion and obligation on one hand and her very human desire for love and life on the other, is in emotional limbo. When she meets Arnie Berger, who becomes both her lover and philosophic guide, Mary's world seems to be transformed. Changes also come for Mary's children, who have been trapped in their own dilemmas. Sean, a quadriplegic, is looking for a fulfilled life. Mary's daughter, Kathleen must cope with infertility and anger in her search for happiness. The lives of all three Flanagans are turned upside down by happiness and tragedy.

20 short stories in the tradition of The Twilight Zone and Alfred Hitchcock. Dreams, Nightmares, schemes, past lives, war, high-rolling and mayhem...tales that will have you on the edge of your seat.

"I can't take it anymore. Love, L" writes Paul Embry's wife of less than a year on the envelope of an electric bill. Thus begins the late summer and fall of Paul Embry's discontent as he struggles to come to grips with the ambivalence he feels about his marriage that this act of his young wife generates in him. In phone conversations with her, later, Paul learns that she has fled to San Francisco, California; he comes to discover that her motive is to catalyze a change in their lives, to induce him to pull up roots from the town where he was born and lived all his life, to begin a new life in a new city, far from the stultifying influence of the depressed New Hampshire mill town where they had married and were living.

Davy doesn't let Down Syndrome stop him from living a normal life but when one of his hikes in the mountains brings him too close to a subterranean creature, ulasiga, the mind controlling creature uses Davy's love of children to send him on a mission. The ulasiga projects the dark underground as a safe haven for abused children. It uses this to send Davy out to bring him this endless supply of food. Justin knows another beating is coming, he can hear it in his drunken mother's voice. His decision to go with the nice man to a safe place may have come too late. Even if he escapes the whipping, he may end up as dinner for the dark creature.

The journey we are on is a difficult one, even more so for those from a broken family. Follow one boy as he searches for the two desires we all have in common: to be accepted by others, and to be truly happy. Life continues through the good and the bad, and each and every person you meet along the way leaves pieces behind, like a jigsaw puzzle, for you to piece together as you grow and learn. And as you put those pieces together, you hopefully become a better person for it. We are indeed all connected, and everything you do really does matter and will always affect someone else in one way or another.

Peace-loving Thor Gunderson has to make a choice when A Panini for Your Thoughts, the Fascist-themed Italian restaurant where he works, devises an incendiary plan to eliminate its competition. Should he swallow his pacifism, trust in his jingoistic boss, Alan, and stand behind his restaurant-nation? Should he dredge up the fortitude to speak his convictions to Alan's nefarious "business associates"? Or should he run off with the German homosexual who has offered him two million dollars in exchange for his assistance in tracking down a set of pilfered Tintoretto paintings? When Thor falls in love with a new hire, Ms. Barbara Hackbush, whose internet doctor has diagnosed her with a troubling array of expensive "ailments," he makes up his mind: He will join the German on his "adventure-quest," make millions, and return to save Ms. Barbara from penury. However, as Thor is double-crossed by those he trusts the most, he begins to understand that blissful naivete is the surest path to ruin.

"Are you telling me she's gone?" The doctor nodded yes. On October 29, 2007, my world came to an end when Debbie, my only child, died. I tried to tell the doctor about the car's turn signals going off automatically at the exact moment of her passing, about the voice I heard telling me to check the time on the dashboard clock. I tried to tell him I had just met my first angel ... but he was looking at me like he was going to send me someplace very quiet and very dark. So I shut up, went home, and prayed for help. ANGEL TRACKS is the story of a mother's journey through grief and despair, a story of being pulled out of that dark hole by God and his angels. It's a story of recovery, of truth ... a story about angels and what they'll do for you ... if only you ask them.

"THERE'S MORE TO THIS WORLD THAN FLESH AND BONE." Set in the mysterious space between the everyday world and an existence just beyond reach, "Oddities & Entities" traces a path through the supernatural, the paranormal, and the speculative. With moments of horror, dark humor, and philosophical transcendence, these tales explore a definition of life beyond the fragile vessel of the human body.

THE YEAR IS 2208 AND THE WORLD IS IN NEED OF A SAVIOR. Two centuries have passed since global economies collapsed with little hope of resurrection. Jake Henderson wanders the former State of Texas foraging for food, and witnesses the murder of a young woman. The ten-year-old girl traveling with her is traumatized and left speechless, orphaned by the violent act. From that day, she begins changing Jake's life in ways he could never have imagined. Annabelle, as he chooses to call her, is descended from failed genetically manufactured prototypes of the early Twenty-first Century. The delicate-appearing child is anything but, and is destined to become the salvation of a world out of control.

This is EveryWoman's book - every age, every experience. You will laugh, cry and learn through this fascinating, honest and courageous journey to one woman's truth - but you won't put it down. Dancing on Mars is a feast, not an appetizer. Like a memorable meal, Dancing on Mars is deeply satisfying and leaves you wanting to experience it all over again. A lively mix of memoir and exploration of love, relationship, and lifestyle. There's even a handful of original poems.

In the confusion of a pre-dawn encounter with enemy troops, four men are killed by friendly fire; the most devastating and haunting killed in action their loved ones can experience. But the war dead have a message and, through repeated visitations, they are determined to deliver it. What if the war dead have something to tell us? What if, after making the ultimate sacrifice, their mission is incomplete? Why are the dead not resting in peace?

A loving family's struggle with developmental disabilities and a dysfunctional education system. As I drove down the thruway the day of the appointment, I did all that I could to distract myself from any sense of reality. Derek and I sang silly songs ... My son was the most precious thing in my universe and that was how it was going to stay. I began counting all of our visits to doctors during the past five years, trying to come to terms with Derek's disabilities. We'd trusted the opinions of doctors all these years. It only took ten minutes to come up with a diagnosis of Cerebral Palsy. Driving home, I started to cry. Derek reached over, patted my arm, and said, "It's okay, Mommy." I looked at him, shook my head, and said, "I know, Derek, everything fine." "What was she talking about? What do I have now?" I thought for a minute and said, "Derek, as far as I'm concerned you suffer from what we will call the ABCDEFG disorder from now on." "What?" "Let's face it kiddo. It doesn't matter what it is. CP, ADHD, ADD, or PDD, you're a good person. We both know that you're smarter than everyone thinks and this doctor says you're moving on."

When small-time bookie Chuck Holiday tries to collect from one last deadbeat gambler before he closes his business forever, his retirement plans are chewed up by a couple of disobedient pit bulls. Instead of going straight and taking advantage of an offer to play professional basketball overseas, Chuck ends up indirectly involved in the bloody death of an Irish crime boss's nephew. In this inventive crime thriller, Chuck and his palm-reader girlfriend navigate San Francisco's seedy underbelly and pull their own scam on the mob boss and a couple of ruthless Chinatown gangsters, who also have an interest in the dead Irishman.

Nothing's free. Especially success. Everyone has to pay the price some time. For Mitchell Treadwell, that time is now. Mitchell is president of an international conglomerate. He has a gorgeous house in the affluent suburbs, a loving wife and kids who adore him. Then one day his son goes missing, snatched off a street corner that's been the location of several recent abductions. Mitchell has a pretty good idea who's responsible, but by revealing what he knows to the police, he may inadvertently put everything he has in jeopardy. Now, Mitchell must hunt down his son's abductor and save his boy's life, all while keeping the police at arm's length. Commuters is a neo-noir thriller that explores how a good man, motivated by his love for and devotion to his family, can do unconscionable things while dealing with the internal strife his actions create.

When teacher Roberta Allen, walked into her middle school principal's office, she encountered sisters Valentina and Selena Diaz, who were to be removed from their mother's home once again by the Department of Families. The girls, after suffering years of physical and emotional abuse at the hands of their mother and sexual abuse by their mother's male friends, are soon to be placed in the care of newly approved foster parents, Roberta and Hal Allen. The Allens must learn how to cope with the state bureaucracy even as Valentina, the younger sister, bonds with her new "Mom" and "Dad." This is her story of persistence, love and survival as she bravely confronts the people who had brought harm to her in the past.

"... an international team of researchers...has finally come to the conclusion that the cat is the manliest pet." This gem of wisdom, and many, many others, are embedded in the search of one man - and his cat - for the Truth. Join them as they travel from "healer" to "healer" in their quest for wholeness.

"What goes around, comes around." Truer words were never spoken, as evidenced by the complex interactions and fates of the characters in "The Turn of The Karmic Wheel." When the residents of Raleigh begin to hear music and voices that aren't "there", and to receive frightening messages from no discernable source, it soon becomes apparent that changes must - and will - be made: to their everyday lives, to their relationships, to their bodies, and, most importantly, to their souls.

In 1968, a naïve 19 year old Midwestern girl marries an older Pakistani man and moves to Lahore where she lives as a Muslim wife for almost two years. She did not realize that her new husband married her to gain American citizenship and return to the United States. Her life in Pakistan is adventure-filled: shopping bazaars, dancing girls, an Islamic red light district, historical Moghul architecture, and social turmoil. Over time thes Pakistani real life experience reveals how Muslims control and mistreat their women. The danger of fanatic Shiite religious practices and exciting travel are all balanced with her status as a blond American woman in a foreign land at the mercy of her Muslim husband. This true story unveils an informed observation of Muslim women's status in Pakistani society. The Punjabi's Wife is a book that asserts itself as a true American odyssey, a brave young woman's adventure story and lessons for western women contemplating relationships with a Muslim man.

Alexander Brogan, New York Philharmonic violinist and Julliard instructor, could not have imagined that his fiancée Charlotte would be murdered at Lincoln Center, nor could he have fathomed abandoning his elite Manhattan lifestyle and retreating to a small town in upstate, New York. Determined to fade away into a quiet, isolated existence as a high school music teacher, he encounters a wily ten-year-old violin prodigy named Kelly, whom he vainly tries to ignore. But through the arm-twisting antics of her straight-shooting, Louisiana-born grandmother, he agrees to teach the child. Ultimately, the experience forces him not only to rediscover his passion for the violin and music, but also to realize that love may very well linger in a heart that only Kelly's beautiful Aunt Grace can open

In The Wheel's Final Turn, the sequel to The Turn of The Karmic Wheel, Angela, Euclid, and Karman once again find themselves thrust front and center into the battle between good and evil. One man finds pleasure in torturing animals; another fights the demons of past hate crimes. From the governor's mansion to the highly competitive beauty industry to the hidden closets of memory, no one is safe from the grasp of the darkness that wants to take over the world. Can the forces of Light find the inner strength to save humanity, or will the world fall eternal victim to evil as the karmic wheel makes its final turn?

Abortion, politics, and religion come head-to-head! The Accident is a gripping novel presenting current controversial political and moral conflicts. The husband of a woman who loses her unborn child wants the politician responsible for her loss to pay the full price; jail time. An activist lawyer vies for higher office and commits all of his family's savings into the campaign. Does he best represent his constituents' agenda or his own self-importance? He is the hands-down favorite and is supported by a national organization. When what has become an all too common moral character flaw surfaces, should it prevent him from fulfilling this goal? Will this case ensure his success? A Catholic Bishop is challenged by the hierarchy to withdraw his support of the accused on moral grounds, what choice does he have? When the laws of society and moral precepts of religious teachings collide in a court room, only one can prevail. Which will a jury decide? Which will you decide? "The Accident truly rivals the great Grisham books for action packed pages and a real life story that will touch all of your emotions. It will make you think about the Life issues facing society and truly challenge you and your convictions." Armand Brunelle III

Haiku is a poetic form and a type of poetry from the Japanese culture. Haiku combines form, content, and language in a meaningful, yet compact form. Haiku poets write about everyday things. Many themes include nature, feelings, or experiences. Usually they use simple words and grammar. The most common form for Haiku is three short lines. The first line usually contains five (5) syllables. Haiku doesn't rhyme. A Haiku must paint a mental image in the reader's mind. This is the challenge of Haiku - to put the poem's meaning and imagery in the reader's mind in ONLY 17 SYLLABLES over just three (3) lines of poetry!

What do an overweight stripper, the CIA, corruption in New York City, the Israeli Mossad, ancient Inca civilization, terrorism, political intrigue, mad dashes across America, and a waste-case of a teenager have in common? They are the ingredients of this action-packed crime and coming-of-age novel. Much of this story is based on true events, perhaps too true to be believed. Guaranteed to make you think and probably to shudder as you relive 9/11. "In his book Times To Try The Soul Of Man, Kenneth Weene paints a vivid portrait of the peripatetic freelance journalist peering from the outskirts of mass corruption at an American horror show." (Anthony Flacco - NY Times best selling author)

Where The Fenceline Runs offers a view of life from a father's perspective. It's a book about shaping thoughts, memories, passions, obsessions, dreams, secrets, and sorrows from life into words. If you want to read refreshing poetry that is magical, moving, and new, this book contains it. The music and language of poetry is reflected in each page in traditional, experimental, and open forms, all centered in the beauty of New Mexico. Each poem is painted on the desert of life.

After the sudden end to her collaboration with composer Alessandro Stradella, Donatella moves from Genoa to join her parents in a small village in Oxfordshire, England. The gift of a sonnet, 'stolen' music, inexpressible secrets, and an irrepressible spirit have stowed away on her journey. Haunted by whispers and visions, angels and demons, will she rise out of grief and aimlessness? Her father's friendship with the residents of Wroxton Abbey, who are important figures in the court of Charles II, offers new possibilities, especially as music and its masters including the 'divine' Henry Purcell have not finished with her yet.

Larissa and Ethan's marriage has combined their families. Now they must cope with one of the most difficult assignments given a parent: stand aside and allow their rapidly coming-of-age children the freedom to forge their own destinies. Larissa's son Mac, now a full-fledged doctor, plans to marry Amity Terrill and return from Philadelphia to Fairvale to practice medicine in his hometown. Ethan's daughter Charity has loved Mac since she was five years old. Unable to accept his intention to marry Amity, Charity leaves home to teach school in far off Wyoming Territory. Through drought, blizzards, and an encounter with a rattlesnake, Charity learns that, unlike the snake's ability to slough its skin, she cannot shed the pieces of her past, her present ... or her heart.