Bøger udgivet af Four Cats Publishing

William "Buck" Storm is the tyrannical patriarch of his family and a brutal coal mine owner, whose war time experiences have deeply flawed him. He respects nothing and no one. Jesse Kamin is the passionate son of a coal miner killed in an Ohio mine explosion and raised by a mother full of hate. Violence and anarchy in the United Mine Workers drive him to the government. By chance, he is pitted against Storm. Black Damp Century is their story of strife, loyalty, and fury, as told with a backdrop of the historical events of the Twentieth Century, beginning with the bloody battle at Blair Mountain in West Virginia. These violent clashes deeply mar the coal operators, the miners, and the government for generations. The miners' world holds multiple forms of black damp, which threatens to suck the oxygen from the lives of all involved.

BOOMERANG LIES is a disquieting story of how just a few lies can unravel a normal, respected family. These lies lead to financial ruin, upheaval, and a prison sentence, leaving a homeless family to cope with a dangerous new life of poverty and fear. Chris Cunningham, now a divorced mother of three, is forced from a wealthy suburb to a harrowing life in subsidized hopelessness. But as the truth plays out, fortunes change, and undiscovered mysteries, including lies told to the police, develop surprising outcomes of their own.

"Keys to the Cages" recounts the frightful story of a fire at the Ohio State Penitentiary in Columbus on Easter Monday 1930. First fire responders wait in open-air trucks outside a locked gate. Cries of men bolted behind steel bars are heard widely amidst creeping flames and black smoke, while individual cell door keys hang on guard room hooks, undisturbed. It is the change of shift. Guards debate the wisdom of releasing any keys to unlock the cells. The fire attracts thousands of Columbus people, who stand around prison gates while tragedies unfold inside. This is also an account of inmate Theophilus Kabel of Dayton, institutionalized at an early age into a life devoid of personal decision-making. He is emancipated into a world full of uncharted freedom, yet his attempt to fit into society fails; he is soon arrested and forced hopelessly into this deadly prison setting. His story gives voice to men logged only as statistics in the annals of America's deadliest prison fire. Three hundred and twenty-two die that night. None on death row.

Anthology of Tragedies & Triumphs is a moving collection of short stories, memoirs, and poems written by 17 seniors, nearly all in their 70s. It describes the simple, but often unexpected, "implications of growing old." The authors are from southwestern Ohio and meet at the University of Dayton's Lifelong Learning Institute. Stories are about an inscrutable bag lady, the dark side of "actually getting your wish," the crush of dealing with personal losses and family imbroglios. There is a story of a foundling who grew up to transform a whole village, a journey to "the other side," and the loving anguish of losing someone dear long, long ago. There is even a short golf lesson. Some excellent poetry opens up new ways of experiencing the years and embracing the positive. The book makes a useful, enjoyable guide to aging with happiness and foresight. At any age, your next Triumph is just around the corner.

A Peacock Speaks is a delightful collection of memoirs and short stories from the curious pen of Don Peacock. In 22 short tales of unexpected events, he captivates you with some very unusual observations. He explores subjects as wide as bird behavior, human nature, boating, male-female relationships, cats, and the fine art of "grandfathering." Ever the purveyor of the surprising ending, Peacock pulls you into speculative fiction from which you will need time to recover.

Imagine if your grandmother owned a candy store! Or if your cousin, mother, sister, fellow parishioner, neighbor, or friend had an excellent sweet shop in an old bank building with a special vault filled with chocolate and your favorite books. It's a Sweet Thing is a 33-year history of Judith Craig Fryman's fun adventure in owning such a candy store beginning in 1985 in Brookville, Ohio. Her simple mission as owner of the Candy Break was to provide wholesome, handmade treats to everyone in town and to interesting customers from far-off places. The impact of her efforts was more far-reaching and enriching than you might first expect. Over the years, she has offered free ice cream cones to kids who could recite Bible verses, gave boxes of candy on Valentine's Day to local volunteers, and provided a gathering place of old fashioned hospitality. Her story involves, first of all, her faith and her family-both essential ingredients in her success. It also chronicles a lovely town in southwestern Ohio and an array of unforgettable friends who visited the store, some facing tragedy but most enjoying life in a memorable and very "sweet" way. If you're fond of candy, family, and other forms of simple happiness, you'll love this book about how one little candy store came to life and in turn enlivened a community.