‘We Were Dreamers’ is Simu Liu’s new memoir; now available everywhere. Photo: google
Simu Liuis an actor and writer best known for his work on Marvel Studios’ Shang Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings, in five seasons of the beloved family sitcom Kim’s Convenience, and for manifesting his dreams into existence with a Tweet. He wishes he had tweeted for something a bit better – like world peace, or for his parents to finally say “I love you.” His new book “We Were Dreamers” is more than a celebrity memoir – it is a story about growing up between cultures, finding your family, and becoming the master of your own extraordinary circumstance. (Barnes and Noble, 2022)
“We Were Dreamers”– The star of Marvel’s first Asian superhero film, Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings, tells his own origin story of being a Chinese immigrant, his battles with cultural stereotypes and his own identity, becoming a TV star, and landing the role of a lifetime. In this honest, inspiring and relatable memoir, newly-minted superhero Simu Liu chronicles his family’s journey from China to the bright lights of Hollywood with razor-sharp wit and humor.
Simu’s parents left him in the care of his grandparents, then brought him to Canada when he was four. Life as a Canuck, however, is not all that it was cracked up to be; Simu’s new guardians lack the gentle touch of his grandparents, resulting in harsh words and hurt feelings. His parents, on the other hand, find their new son emotionally distant and difficult to relate to – although they are related by blood, they are separated by culture, language, and values.
As Simu grows up, he plays the part of the pious child flawlessly – he gets straight As, crushes national math competitions and makes his parents proud. But as time passes, he grows increasingly disillusioned with the path that has been laid out for him. Less than a year out of college, at the tender age of 22, his life hits rock bottom when he is laid off from his first job as an accountant. Left to his own devices, and with nothing left to lose, Simu embarks on a journey that will take him far outside of his comfort zone into the world of show business. Through a swath of rejection and comical mishaps, Simu’s determination to carve out a path for himself leads him to not only succeed as an actor, but also to open the door to reconciling with his parents.
‘Lilith and the Psychopath’ by Johnny Malapert is available on Kindle through amazon. Courtesy photo, used with permission.
You should be warned that the book you are considering was written by a renegade; a social misfit who has been ostracized by contemporary polite society. Johnny Malapert started out as a high school gang banger. He went on to work in the trades (construction, contracting, transportation) and later the professions (law, finance, education). He also enthusiastically joined many social groups (athletic, religious, charitable) and traveled extensively around the world, especially Western Europe. Although he found these endeavors initially exciting, and educational in a piratical way, and was usually quite good at the activity, none was personally fulfilling and each became boring as time went on. He is now a defrocked university professor working to debunk the social prejudice of “personality disorders,” as defined by psychology. (Johnny Malapert, 2022)
The common public perception of psychopath as evil and despicable is prejudicial and unjustified. His personal passion is to challenge the pervasive, mindless discrimination against psychopathy and help these often abused, but resilient and intrepid, men live freely in society. His proclamation: that the pseudoscience of psychology is wrong and the modern psychopathic man has the potential to achieve an elevated, satisfying, fulfilling, and often socially beneficial, way of life within the norms of modern Western society. If for any reason you think you may be a psychopath, his book ‘Lilith and the Psychopath,’could change your life—for the better. Alternatively, if you are not a psychopath, this book will give you a better understanding of psychopathy and allow you to accept these maligned individuals into society, like any other law abiding citizen. It is a fantastic story based on a hodgepodge conglomeration of places, people, events and ideas that the author has experienced over the years.
‘Lilith and the Psychopath’ – The modern, healthy psychopath, referred to by some as ‘psychosapien,’ is not the stereotypical, mindless, and often violent criminal sensationalized in folklore and the media. He is more typically intelligent with a character matrix that makes him exceptionally suited to function successfully in today’s multifaceted social environment. He is hard-wired against the often personally enslaving and destructive social pressures of conformity, doublethink, self-doubt, docility, and guilt. He is adventurous, self-confident, and often charming; an aggressive calculating risk-taker who is willing to challenge the status quo. He is the guy you want to be with in a fight and, if he is on the other side, the guy that causes you to give up and go home. The psychosapien is a gift of social evolution to his friends, family, kingship, and to free-minded people everywhere. He is a curse on the mindless, communalist demagogues that populate the upper echelons of every society throughout all of history, spouting exaggerated political promises and mindless slogans to dishonestly solicit loyalty, support, and compliance from the duped masses of underlings. The modern psychosapien has thrown off the shackles of social stereotyping and prejudice that have marked him as a mentally ill societal misfit, and has emerged as an authentic, happy, healthy, self-actualized individual.
Who is Johnny Picaro? If you ask his brother, the prison psychiatrist, and the beach psychologist, Johnny is an incorrigible psychopath, sociopath, or both. Hiscollege psychology professor agrees but adds that he is also the epitome of a healthy psychopath: a psychosapien. His sister sees him as an anti-Christian heathen; his dad confesses Johnny’s delinquent childhood behavior kept them from bonding but he still is very proud of the successful businessman Johnny became. His ex-fiancée who dumped him as a convicted felon and the superior court judge both agree he will always be a loser, but his surfing buddies acknowledge him as the leader of the pack and as tough as a junkyard dog. The soup kitchen nun sees Johnny as a shifty, social chameleon but also as a charming, resourceful, compassionate guy. The enslaved Ukrainian orphan girl knows him as the hero who helped when no one else would. The ruthless Barrio 13 drug honcho and his autistic brother hate Johnny and see him as an impediment to their business model who they intend to brutalize again and then eliminate. His wealthy, aging social-lite employer recognizes him as the tough, smart fighter she clearly needs right now. His renegade girlfriend sees Johnny as the perfect mate who is highly intelligent, self-confident, and energetic; a fearless risk taker who ignores arbitrary authority. What would Johnny say? “Kinda stupid question to ask someone. Who cares what other people think?”
‘James Patterson by James Patterson’ is the author’s new memoir, available now. Photo: amazon
James Patterson is the world’s bestselling author best known for the Alex Cross, the Women’s Murder Club, Michael Bennett, Maximum Ride, Middle School, and Ali Cross series along with such acclaimed works of narrative nonfiction as “Walk in My Combat Boots,” “E.R. Nurses,” and his autobiography, “James Patterson by James Patterson.” Bill Clinton (“The President Is Missing”) and Dolly Parton (“Run, Rose, Run”) are among his notable literary collaborators. For his prodigious imagination and championship of literacy in America, Patterson was awarded the 2019 National Humanities Medal. His new book “James Patterson by James Patterson”is the most anticipated memoir of the year and is available everywhere starting today. (amazon, 2022)
“James Patterson by James Patterson” – How did a boy from small-town New York become the world’s most successful writer? How does he do it? He has always wanted to write the kind of novel that people would read and reread so many times that the binding breaks and the book literally falls apart. As he says, “I’m still working on that one.”
Did you know?
On the morning he was born, he nearly died.
His dad grew up in the Pogey– the Newburgh, New York, poorhouse.
He worked at a mental hospital in Massachusetts, where he met the singer James Taylor and the poet Robert Lowell.
While he toiled in advertising hell, James wrote the ad jingle line “I’m a Toys ‘R’ Us Kid.”
He once watched James Baldwin and Norman Mailer square off to trade punches at a party.
He has only been in love twice. Both times are amazing.
Dolly Parton once sang “Happy Birthday” to James over the phone. She calls him J.J., for Jimmy James.
These stories and more are in James Patterson’s new memoir.
‘Breach’ is the new novel by Kelly Sokol. Photo: amazon
Kelly Sokol is the author of “Breach” and “The Unprotected,” which was featured on NPR and named one of Book Riot’s 100 Must-Read Books of Pregnancy, Childbirth and Motherhood. She is a Pushcart Prize-nominated author and MFA creative writing graduate. Her work has appeared in Alpinist, UltraRunning Magazine, The Manifest-Station, Connotation Press, and more. She teaches creative writing at The Muse Writers Center. Her new book “Breach” is an unflinching and timely gaze into the marriage of an enlisted special operator and his wife.
“Breach” – Marleigh Mulcahy grew up in a boxing gym, the daughter of hard-drinking parents who did not keep a stable roof over her head. In the cinder-block Box-n-Go, amidst the sweat and funk, she meets Explosive Ordnance Disposal specialist Jace Holt, a highly and expensively trained bomb diffuser with three successful deployments behind him. With a heady mix of hope, carelessness, and a ridiculous amount of courage, they begin a family. When Jace returns to active duty, a roadside bomb resurrects ghosts from the couple’s past and threatens the life they have built. The following is an excerpt from “Breach.”
As Marleigh pulled into the parking lot, she saw two cars and a crotch rocket parked outside the gym, but no stragglers. Plenty of the guys walked or ran over from the neighborhood, so she never knew how many people were there until she got inside. It was already ten o’clock, so she would only have to wait a half an hour before turning off the lights and locking up.
The gym’s heady, humid smell had been almost welcomed when she entered. She always knew where she stood here. It was a small cement box, but she garnered something like respect when she walked in. It hadn’t been earned; she knew that. Her grandfather’s creation and dedication was a shadow she stepped into and tried to lengthen. But plenty of people enjoyed a security in the world that they did nothing to create. Fancy Graham, for example. Marleigh had to put up with his bullshit—he was a customer for a couple of hours. That girlfriend let him treat her like that, like they both deserved it. And for what?
The only people inside were Terry and the new guy, Jace. Back again. She tried not to stare. He was shirtless and had his shorts gathered high on his muscular thighs, crouched in fighting stance.
His gloves were up, protecting his face. They were in the ring sparring. Terry had him moving through a complicated routine and seemed to make the guy drop lower each time to avoid being clocked in the side of the face with the sparring pad. Terry saw Marleigh first and gave her a quick nod, then got back to business. As Jace stepped, jabbed, crossed, and ducked to make contact with and then avoid Terry’s swing, he saw her. He stood, losing his boxer’s stance—the crouched ready position, weight on the toes, knees bent.
“Marleigh!” he said, his voice deep and masculine, but with a child’s excitement. Terry’s mitt whacked him across the side of his face and split the corner of his lip. She winced. Jace grinned at her like she was a marvel, not some tired waitress covered in shrimp peels. She studied him, too, she couldn’t help herself. His compact muscle on such a tall body, those perfect Chiclet teeth. The curve and bounce of his hamstring, undoubtedly her favorite part of the male body. Remembering that Lynetha told her Jace was EOD, Marleigh wondered what would happen if he hurt his fingers boxing. It was a rookie mistake to clench your fists inside your gloves. Can you disarm bombs with broken fingers? A bomb tech. That meant there was a brain inside that stupidly perfect body. She didn’t really care. She was just happy for any distraction from the shitty night, and how she’d been treated. No one respected waitresses or bartenders, one reason she wouldn’t be one for much longer. It felt good to have someone so happy to see her.
“One more go, Terry. I’ve got this.” They moved through the maneuvers again. Jace was focused and quick. He landed a punch over one of Terry’s mitts.
Marleigh tilted her nose down and sniffed herself, suddenly self-conscious of her dirty T-shirt and shorts, knowing she carried a greasy, shellfish stink, wondering if Jace could smell it. Marleigh picked up one of the cleaning caddies and headed to the bathroom like she was going to restock the toilet paper and clean up for the night. She planned on doing that, of course, but she also wanted to see the damage the night had inflicted upon her. The bathroom wasn’t so bad. No one made it that far to puke, so she almost never had to clean that up. The trainers had to dump and spray the buckets.
She looked in the mirror and dabbed beneath her eyes to clean up the smudge of mascara, holding a wet paper towels to her cheeks to pull the flush from her skin. She clucked at herself. If anyone but Jace was out there, she wouldn’t have given herself a second look before heading home and washing off the day in the shower. Her white T-shirt was short and tight, the Thirsty Camel logo stretched across her left breast, and the hem grazed her belly button. Her black shorts were high-waisted with a minimal inseam, highlighting her tiny waist and perky ass. The uniform didn’t leave much to the imagination.
The round bell sounded, muffled through the bathroom wall. Terry didn’t dawdle at the end of the night. “You gotta work on your foot speed and keeping tight. You’re too tall and goofy to be a boxer.” Terry was just like her grandfather. No bullshit. No puffing up a boxer so that he’d keep showing up and paying and training just to keep getting his ass kicked in the ring. That was for the big money gyms. Marleigh could hear in his voice that he liked Jace and could see something in him. She didn’t want to hear that.
She could get this bathroom clean and just wait him out. They’d be leaving soon, and then she could vent the night’s bullshit on the heavy bag. Nothing could squash her libido quite like cleaning the can. He’d realize he wasn’t really that interested and leave her alone. She gave the bathroom the most thorough cleaning ever, but as she slipped the plastic gloves off and threw them in the trash outside the bathroom door, Terry and Jace were still there, bent over a table. Both turned to look at her. Jace smiled that smile again.
“Don’t tell the other guys,” Terry said, before tearing off a piece of paper and handing it to Jace. He nodded at Marleigh, “And don’t tell boss lady I’m giving you workouts outside the gym, neither.” Marleigh cocked an eyebrow at them. Terry rarely did that.
“Just make sure you’re paid up, new guy.” She wiped down the ropes on the far side of the gym from them. Then she moved to the first heavy bag.
“Don’t stand around staring,” she said, keeping her back to Jace as she cleaned. “We’re closed. Y’all get out of here.”
“Don’t have to tell me twice,” Terry said. “See ya Monday.”
Jace walked to the ring and pulled wipes out of the plastic canister. “I made this mess. Can I help you clean it?” She should tell him no. Terry would walk out and they would be alone. She wasn’t afraid of the new guy. He stood there, shirtless and still breathy and sweaty, two Clorox wipes dangling from his hands.
“Sure. Wipe down the weight benches and racks and I’ll finish over here. And how ’bout putting on a shirt first? You keep sweating on everything and I have to keep wiping it down.” Clothed and across the room. Yes, that was definitely best.
“Yes, ma’am,” he said with a mock salute. “I brought a friend with me, a different guy. He didn’t make it all the way through the workout, but he’ll be back.”
“Do you want an award? And what’s with the note you left?”
“Nah.” He wiped the benches as well as the sweat puddles on the floor around them. “Where have you been? What’ve you been up to?” She remembered when her grandfather lived with her, how he’d come home from the gym all keyed up, how he wanted to hear about her day, and how she would stay up too late to tell him because no other adult had asked. Pops stayed with Marleigh each of the three times her parents tried to quit drinking. They weren’t interested in sitting in meetings surrounded by a bunch of drunks. “What good will that do?” they asked. Each time, they took off for a cabin in the woods, away from Ocean View, the beach, and all its temptations. Each time, Marleigh hoped her biggest hope, it swelled inside her so big it hurt, that they would really do it and come back to her sober and reliable and normal. That they would come home and at least like her again. After the third time, Marleigh realized hope was just a tease. It only let her down and made her feel worse. But she always had Pops.
Jace moved quickly, from station to station, flinging used Clorox wipes like basketballs into the trashcans.
She recognized that same Pops energy in Jace. “I’m like that after working late,” she said. “Tired but wired.”
“That’s it,” he said.
“What does EOD really mean?”
“It means Ever On Duty or long-ass time in the Navy.”
Most squids she knew planned on four years and out, found the simplest duty they could.
“I’m like a really expensive one-man roadside cleanup crew.
Except instead of cigarette butts and beer cans, I get rid of bombs. Explosive ordnance disposal.”
“No wonder you’re good at this.” She shrugged at the mop and bucket. “And instead of highways, you clean up—”
“Desert markets, Humvee corridors, jungle shit. You name it.”
He wasn’t what Marleigh had expected. “Don’t you need all of your fingers for that? What if you break one boxing?”
“So long as I can control my robot, I’ll be fine. Anyway, it’s a miracle I still have ten.”
She mopped the last corner of the floor, letting that thought sink in. “You’re not going to worry about me now, are you?”
“Hardly.”
Gym clean up took less than fifteen minutes with the two of them. She clicked the sign to closed and put the CLOSED SUNDAY placard in the window. “We’re closed tomorrow, so don’t try and show up.”
He stepped closer. She could feel the heat coming through his T-shirt. He reached out as if to sweep a sweaty curl across her forehead. “I like it best when the gym’s closed.”
She bobbed just out of his reach. He wasn’t allowed to touch her. Not yet.
“Ah, are you training with Terry, too?”
“Wouldn’t you like to know.”
That little pinch, down low, when Jace got too close. She hadn’t had a boyfriend in a while. The guys she knew were all lazily okay with falling in step with the same life as their parents, living in the same neighborhood. Same shit, different day. Her responsibilities in the gym most of them could tolerate, if not respect, as it was a family business and all that. But school and her other jobs were like luxuries and annoyances to them. They distracted her from them. Her family someday would be a real family. A mom and a dad, a checking account with a balance at the end of the month, and kids they loved.
Marleigh never dated boxers. She saw how the boxers treated their girlfriends when they showed up at the gym. Sometimes, in high school, those girls would corner Marleigh to find out who else their boyfriends were seeing. Marleigh never told, so the guys looked out for her. More than a couple of the girls accused her of sleeping with their guys. Marleigh just wanted out, as none of these boys or girls was going anywhere.
“Since we’re both wide awake, go out with me. Let’s do something.”
Marleigh ducked out from underneath his arm. “We’re both disgusting. And no way in hell I’m going back to the Camel.” She straightened up the front desk. Jace cleaned up the rolls of pre-wrap, and sprayed Lysol into used gloves.
Her mother often taunted her for not having a boyfriend. Jackie would think Marleigh wasn’t good enough for Jace. “I was winning contests when I was your age,” she’d say. “You shouldn’t waste your youth.”
Wet T-shirt contests. “Nice, Mom,” Marleigh’d say. Her mother wore her hair way too long, down past mid-back. And Jackie cut her own bangs. From far away, she looked almost pretty and almost young. But her face up close was wrinkles and broken capillaries, like she was constantly blushing. She was a walking scam.
“You’re nothing special,” she’d told Marleigh over and over. “If someone asks, you’d better say yes.”
At first, the girls in high school called her a slut for hanging out with the boxers. Then a dyke when she got serious about sports. The hours of jumping rope and heavy bag work built her endurance. She was a strong soccer midfielder. She wasn’t sure it would take her anywhere past high school, but it got her out of the house and the gym. Instead of sleeping around, Marleigh figured out how to make herself feel all tingly and hot. Some of the girls did it on long bus rides in the dark. She made the few guys she slept with come on her belly, though she’d never be able to get pregnant anyway, according to her mother. “Trash in, trash out,” her mother said. “Simple as that.” Enough with Jackie’s crazy; maybe Marleigh just needed to scratch an itch. Maybe Jace was leaving town soon and that would take care of that.
“Ya ain’t gotta go home, but get up out of here,” Marleigh said. Jace had sprayed and resprayed the gloves. “I need to lock up.”
“Sorry, yeah. I’ll get my stuff. But once you lock up, walk with me?”
“What?”
“I haven’t been on the beach at night yet. Show me?” He held up
two fingers. “Scouts honor, I won’t pull any shit.”
She shook her head.
“You’re right, I was never a Scout. But you don’t have to worry about me.”
‘The War Back Home’ is Alex Cage’s new novel. Photo: amazon
Alex Cage is an action adventure thriller author. His books blend his interest in martial arts, adventure, travel, and knowledge with exploration and high-octane action. Cage enjoys action adventure and thriller stories with fantasy and sci-fi sprinkled in. He has always wanted to create his own stories but spent many years thinking about it before actually putting his stories on paper. Currently living in North Carolina, he enjoys reading, writing, and practicing martial arts. In his new book “The War Back Home,” Clarence Tucker realizes his greatest fight is right where he left it. It is available in eBook and print formats. (amazon, 2022)
“The War Back Home” – For years, elite soldier and trained killer Clarence Tucker fought in wars abroad, thinking he was outrunning his past. But his dark secrets are waiting to consume him. Back home, Tucker reconnects with his family, ready to live the simple life. As he adjusts to civilian life, deals with family issues, takes in strangers in need, and falls for a woman, he discovers everyone around him has their own secrets. One in particular, may get them all killed. With a deadly threat lurking in the shadows, and the everyday difficulties life brings, Tucker must call upon his combat skills, as well as some newly developed soft skills or someone he loves will pay the ultimate price.
‘From The Potato to Star Trek and Beyond’ will be out June 21, 2022. Photo: amazon
In new books to read news today: an upcoming memoir by a retired aerospace engineer and inventor with 19 patents.
Chester L. Richards recently turned 80. With a number of odd close encounters with the grim reaper under his belt, he has always boldly gone where few have dared. Chester’s mantra — view all that comes your way, the good, the terrifying and the ugly, as a series of adventures —took shape early. After narrowly escaping mortal injury from The Great Potato as a lad a few years later in college, Chester and friend Judy Burns co-authored a spec script for Star Trek on a lark. The story they were brought in to write, The Tholian Web, became one of the original series’ most popular episodes. “From The Potato to Star Trek and Beyond: Memoirs of a Rocket Scientist” will be released on June 21, 2022. Author and Star Trek contributor Chester L. Richards tells his life’s adventures as a rocket scientist, screenwriter, musician, and world traveler in this action-packed memoir. Drawing inspiration from his late wife Sarah, Chester is baring all in his debut book release. (Chester L. Richards, 2022)
A veteran writer advised the young man, “You should write. Write your passions.” But I have nothing to say, Chester thought. That was the moment he decided the real message was to fill his life with adventures. And he did — adventures in surfing, learning and performing music, traveling to exotic places for river rafting, and his work as a rocket scientist. It was the loss of Sarah, the love of his life, which caused Chester to write his first book of stories. At the house in Thousand Oaks they once shared, the hair-raising adventures Sarah loved continued to occur, though, as the author says, he no longer has much hair. A man of grand adventures, Chester relates why taking the plunge into voluntary adventures is so enriching — they will change you forever, and sculpt your life’s story.
“From The Potato To Star Trek and Beyond” reveals his passion, his most exciting journeys, and brushes with death. Chester believes one must view all that comes your way – the good, the terrifying, and the ugly – as a series of adventures. He shares an almost fatal encounter with a potato (yes, a potato), his experience as co-writer of one of the most iconic episodes of the original Star Trek, several wild African adventures, and more.
Says Steve Pastis (author, and writer/editor of The Good Life publication for seniors): “I would highly recommend From the Potato to Star Trek and Beyond. The book is informative, even educational, but author Chester Richards maintains a friendly, conversational tone throughout. The stories were a definite surprise. Who knew that this mild-mannered, soft-spoken gentleman I’ve known for years had so many harrowing adventures, and was so accomplished in the scientific community? If there is a lesson to be learned from these pages, it’s that everyone should get to know the people in their lives on a deep level, especially the mild-mannered, soft-spoken ones.”
“From The Potato to Star Trek and Beyond: Memoirs of a Rocket Scientist” by Chester L. Richards is available for pre-order on Amazon
Publisher: Pawpress ISBN: 978-1880882306 Pages: 334 Available in Paperback, Hardcopy and Ebook
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‘The Caterpillar who dreamed of flying!’ is a new children’s book. Photo: amazon
There is a new children’s book out now titled “The Caterpillar Who Dreamed Of Flying!” It is written by Posh and illustrated by Nafisa Arshad and available on Kindle and paperback.
“The Caterpillar Who Dreamed of Flying!” – An enchanting forest full of beautiful tall trees, gushing rivers, and lovely lakes. Bright green foliage everywhere you look. Brilliant colored flowers everywhere. For what else could you wish? Ahhh! You and I might be perfectly happy in such an exotic place but not our little friend. Meet Melvin a beautiful caterpillar who lived with his many siblings among the milk thistle bushes. Melvin would have the greatest time chomping on the delicious green leaves and playing with his insect friends. Among the shady trees, on the many branches. Melvin would explore his beautiful surroundings. Every day, he would make new friends and discover something new and wonderful until one day he suddenly saw a most lovely sight that left him in awe. Melvin saw some beautiful creatures, brilliantly colored, flying among the trees! Who were these fascinating beings? Were they fairies? Were they elves? A wonderful surprise awaits you, dear Reader! (amazon, 2022)
‘The Berry Story’ by Yannick Atambona will be released soon. Photo: Yannick Atamboa, used with permission.
Yannick Atambonais the author of “The Berry Story,” a polyglot, Certified Interpreter, Translator, and teacher who has traveled the world to learn about different cultures and languages. He started writing when he was a kid. When he had an idea or a story to tell, he would always start by writing it on paper and then read it to his friends and family. He used to write poems for his friends and he also wrote a book about his mother that unfortunately, got lost during his globetrotting. This affected him so because he poured everything he felt and knew in that book about the woman who gave him life. He has always been fascinated by the power of words and storytelling, by how they can shape a person’s personality or mindset. He writes for a broad audience and does not confine his inspiration and writings to a single genre or demographic of readers, so he effortlessly transitions from fiction to nonfiction. As a result, he is equally at ease writing for children, young adults, and adults. “The Berry Story” is part of a series and he hopes that it will help kids to accept and embrace who they are and give those who are victims or witnesses to bullying the courage to stand up to it. It will be available in paperback, hardcover, as an audio book, and a coloring book. A release date and availability details to follow. (Yannick Atambona, 2022)
“The Berry Story” – Brandon the blackberry is no less than a unique and extra caring kid. What makes him sensitive is the remarks and taunts directed at him by some kids. Brandon is regularly bullied by those he wants to befriend and this situation crushes him and creates confusion in his mind. He spends time figuring out how to make friends and be accepted. He tries to befriend other kids but ultimately receives rejection instead of love and acceptance. He keeps his hopes high as he sees that everybody is not evil and his greatest wish, to become better than others, is not, however, shattered.
The author believes that readers will be motivated to thrive through life regardless of difficulties and learn to find strength within themselves in uncertain times, but mainly how to stand up to bullying and rejection. The story delivers a strong message that anyone who is a victim of bullying can always stand up against it but remain kind.
He understands that storytelling is compelling, especially when we can see ourselves and the people we can relate to within the story. His primary wish is to inspire through his writings, provide hope and encouragement to the reader, and cultivate empathy by creating relatable characters that foster hope. He uses fictional or real-life social events to tell stories and describe social and cultural interactions, occasionally with improvisation, theatrics, or embellishment. He infuses his stories with what he learned and saw while globetrotting, incorporating diverse cultures, each of which has its own set of tales and narratives shared for entertainment, education, cultural preservation, or instilling moral values. He coined the term “books with substance” because he believes that every book should teach a lesson; this is what he refers to as a book’s substance. He writes to share a piece of his soul with the world.
‘Hidden Pictures’ will be released on May 10, 2022. Photo: amazon
Jason Rekulakis the author of “Hidden Pictures” and “The Impossible Fortress,” a finalist for an Edgar Award. For many years he was the publisher at Quirk Books, an indie press headquartered in Philadelphia, where he ghost-wrote many odd books that may or may not surface on this page, depending on the metadata. Today, Jason is an active member of Writer’s Guild East and Mystery Writers of America. “Hidden Pictures” is a supernatural thriller about a woman working as a nanny for a young boy with strange and disturbing secrets. It will be released on Tuesday May 9, 2022. (amazon, 2022)
“Hidden Pictures”– Fresh out of rehab, Mallory Quinn takes a job as a babysitter for Ted and Caroline Maxwell. She is to look after their five-year-old son, Teddy. Mallory immediately loves it. She has her own living space, goes out for nightly runs, and has the stability she craves. She sincerely bonds with Teddy, a sweet, shy boy who is never without his sketchbook and pencil. His drawings are the usual fare: trees, rabbits, balloons. One day, he draws something different: a man in a forest, dragging a woman’s lifeless body.
Then, Teddy’s artwork becomes increasingly sinister, and his stick figures quickly evolve into lifelike sketches well beyond the ability of any five-year-old. Mallory begins to wonder if these are glimpses of a long-unsolved murder, perhaps relayed by a supernatural force. Knowing just how crazy it all sounds, Mallory nevertheless sets out to decipher the images and save Teddy before it is too late.
‘The Memory Librarian’ is a collection of stories featuring Yohanca Delgado, Eve L. Ewing, Alaya Dawn Johnson, Danny Lore, and Sheree Renee Thomas. Photo: amazon
Janelle Monáeis widely celebrated as an American singer/songwriter, actress, producer, fashion icon, and futurist whose globally successful career spans over a decade. With her highly theatrical and stylized concept albums, she has garnered eight Grammy nominations and has developed her own label imprint, Wondaland Arts Society. Monáe has also earned great success as an actor, starring in critically acclaimed films including Moonlight, Hidden Figures, Harriet, The Glorias, and the 2020 horror film Antebellum. She will star in the highly anticipated sequel Knives Out 2. “The Memory Librarian: And Other Stories of Dirty Computer,” her debut book, brings to the written page the Afrofuturistic world of one of her critically acclaimed albums, exploring how different threads of liberation – queerness, race, gender plurality, and love- become tangled with future possibilities of memory and time in a totalitarian landscape and what the costs might be when trying to unravel and weave them into freedoms. (amazon, 2022)
“The Memory Librarian”– Whoever controls our memories controls the future. Janelle Monáe and an incredible array of talented collaborating creators have written a collection of tales comprising the bold vision and powerful themes that have made Monáe such a compelling and celebrated storyteller. Dirty Computer introduced a world in which thoughts—as a means of self-conception—could be controlled or erased by a select few. Whether human, A.I., or other, your life and sentience was dictated by those who had convinced themselves they had the right to decide your fate. That was until Jane 57821 decided to remember and break free.
Expanding from that mythos, these stories fully explore what it is like to live in such a totalitarian existence and what it takes to get out of it. Building off the traditions of speculative writers such as Octavia Butler, Ted Chiang, Becky Chambers, and Nnedi Okorafor—and filled with the artistic genius and powerful themes that have made Monáe a worldwide icon in the first place—”The Memory Librarian” serves readers tales grounded in the human trials of identity expression, technology, and love, but also reaching through to the worlds of memory and time within, and the stakes and power that exists there.
