A Life Through Books

Business Nonfiction

Date Published: December 1, 2025

Publisher: MindStir Media

At some point, every leader, entrepreneur, and professional reaches a crossroads. A career shift. A business disruption. A personal wake-up call. When what was working no longer fits who you are becoming, the question isn’t if change is coming—it’s how you respond.

In Shifting Gears in the Crossroads, veteran CEO, turnaround expert, and servant leader Darryl Heffline shares a powerful, faith-anchored roadmap for navigating life’s most pivotal transitions with clarity, courage, and purpose.

Drawing on more than 40 years of entrepreneurial and intrapreneurial leadership, Heffline shows how planned or unexpected disruptions can become defining moments of transformation—if you know how to shift gears.

● Reposition – Let go of what no longer serves you

● Rebuild – Strengthen your foundation with intention

● Re-Emerge – Step forward with renewed clarity and confidence

● Realize – Align your life, leadership, and calling

1. Recognize the Need for Change
2. Assess the Current State
3. Identify the Future State
4. Map One or Two Viable Paths Forward
5. Make the Right Choice and Commit with Conviction

You’ll also gain access to downloadable tools and models designed to help you move beyond surface-level change into lasting transformation.

● Entrepreneurs launching, scaling, or exiting a business

● Early- to mid-career professionals seeking meaning and direction

● Faith-driven leaders navigating uncertainty with purpose

About the Author

Over the course of his career, he has raised more than $7 million in capital, secured $125 million in annualized contracts, and delivered over $100 million in measurable enterprise value through strategic leadership, operational excellence, and innovation. His work includes turning a struggling $6 million product line into a $60 million business, ultimately scaling toward $150 million in revenue with double-digit EBITDA performance in under three years.

An award-winning business plan writer, Darryl brings his real-world experience to readers through his debut book, Shifting Gears in the Crossroads, with future sequels planned.

Beyond business, Darryl is deeply committed to faith, family, and mentorship. He is a devoted husband of thirty years, father of two, and grandfather of two. A lay minister, wedding officiant, small-group leader, and coach, he has served in more than 35 ministry leadership roles across six states, including Elder, Worship Leader, Teacher, and Mentor.

Together with his wife Dana—an accomplished musician, worship leader, and ministry partner—Darryl continues to invest in discipleship, leadership development, and purpose-driven living. Whether in the boardroom, the church, or the classroom, his mission remains the same: to help others navigate change, discover calling, and lead with integrity.

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Cowboys of Sunrise Ridge, Book 2

Contemporary Western Romance, Small Town Romance

Date Published: January 29, 2026

She’s stubborn. He’s infuriating. And neither of them has ever backed down from a challenge.

Now they’ve got to team up—or tear the whole town apart trying.

Autumn Hood spent her whole life tangling with Pete Wolfe.

Her neighbor, her childhood rival, and her personal headache in scuffed-up boots and a cocky grin.

Pete Wolfe finds Autumn Hood stubborn, sharp-tongued, and always three seconds away from hurling a horseshoe at his head. But there’s something about the way she challenges him that attracts him to the cowgirl next door.

And the longer they butt heads, the more the tension sizzles into something they can’t ignore. Something’s starting to change between them. Something special. Something risky.

Love wasn't part of the plan… but trouble sure is.

 Niki Mitchell writes children’s books along with contemporary, paranormal. fantasy, and historical time-travel romance. Married for over thirty years and a romantic at heart, she enjoys writing about strong female characters in unusual settings. When she isn’t playing with her cats, she enjoys reading, taking walks, water aerobics, photography, and traveling.

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The Eden Vault, Book One

Epic Fantasy

Date Published: September 12, 2025

Publisher: MindStir Media

For centuries, the Kingdom of Valkalor has ruled through terror, harnessing prehistoric creatures to crush rivals and expand its dominion. Bound beneath the reign of the ruthless King Gadrion, the realm teeters on the edge of total war. When a new external threat emerges—one powerful enough to destroy the fragile balance restraining Gadrion’s ambition—the king seizes his moment.

But his plans begin to unravel when his daughters, Kendra and Cerelia, uncover the horrifying truth behind their father’s designs.

Forced into exile and hunted across savage lands, the sisters must navigate a brutal world of political intrigue, assassins, mercenaries, and carnivorous saurians. Their only hope lies in the Eden Vault—a legendary and ancient chamber rumored to wield power over creation itself.

As rival kingdoms march toward genocide and war threatens to consume the known world, impossible choices loom:

● Will uniting their father’s enemies ignite an even greater catastrophe?

● Can the Vault stop the coming war—or unleash a force far worse?

● And who is truly manipulating events from the shadows of Valkalor’s rise?

Perfect for readers who love:

● Epic fantasy with political intrigue

● Dark fantasy with moral complexity

● Monster and dinosaur-driven worlds

● Strong heroine-led narratives

● High-action, cinematic storytelling

An avid reader from childhood, Dan’s imagination was ignited early by novels that fused science, history, and suspense—sparking a lifelong fascination with worldbuilding and high-stakes storytelling. He completed his first novel-length story at age eleven and dreamed of crafting sweeping epics that explored power, discovery, and the cost of ambition.

Life eventually pulled him away from writing as he pursued a career and raised a family, but during the COVID pandemic—amid isolation and personal transition—Dan returned to the page after nearly two decades away. What began as an experiment quickly reignited his creative drive, evolving into The Eden Vault Series, a sprawling saga shaped by years of lived experience and deep research.

Dan is the author of Eternal Dominion, the flagship novel of the series, along with three prequel anthologies—Spectra, Cinderr, and Azemar—with the sequel, Fallen Crescents, currently in progress. His stories draw heavily from history, politics, paleontology, anthropology, and emerging scientific concepts, woven into dark, character-driven fantasy worlds.

A self-described “pantser,” Dan writes without rigid outlines, allowing characters to steer the narrative in unexpected directions. He often says he knows how the saga will end—but not always how the characters will get there.

By day, Dan balances a full-time career and raising two incredible kids. By night, he continues building the world of Valkalor, driven by a passion for storytelling and a deep appreciation for the readers who step into his worlds.

When he’s not writing, Dan enjoys traveling, following professional sports, and escaping into Colorado’s outdoors.

Readers can explore more about The Eden Vault Series, upcoming releases, and exclusive content at danielhardez.com, and connect with him on Facebook, TikTok, Instagram, and beyond.

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Spectra

Cinderr

Azemar

Literary Fiction

Date Published: April 16th

Publisher: Acorn Publishing

Their city is teetering on the brink of collapse, and the mayor’s answer is a gleaming new auto mall at the valley’s edge. For Townsend, it’s the death of everything a city should be. Struggling to regain his passion and forced to choose between compliance and conviction, he must risk his career to fight for a more hopeful and verdant future.

Excerpt

Stop the Bleeding

At the civic center, Townsend rides his bike through the parking court, past rows of cars arrayed between the building’s stucco wings. He locks his bike and slips his helmet off, and his phone begins to vibrate. He takes the phone from his pocket and looks at the screen. Dad. The vibrations persist.

Townsend doesn’t want to answer. He knows the call will be difficult. Everything with Dad has become difficult. He swipes the screen with his thumb.

“Hey, Pop. How’re you doing?” He braces himself.

“Townsend? Townsend? It’s me, Dad. Are you there?”

“Hi, Dad. Yeah, I’m here. Everything okay? I’m about to go into a meeting—”

“I can’t find your mother. Is she there with you?”

Ugh. “Dad, mom’s been dead for thirty-five years—”

“She was here this morning. She woke me. She was here . . .”

“Pop, we’ve talked about this. Sometimes you see her in your dreams. It’s okay. It’s nice that you see her.”

“Well, I just thought she might be with you, and—”

Townsend glances toward the building. A gathering is pressed at the entrance, troubled by something he can’t see.

“Dad, I have to go into this meeting now. But I’ll call you when it’s over, all right?”

“I can’t find her, TomTom. I can’t find her. She was here, and we were—”

A woman’s voice intrudes on the call. “Mr. Meadows, it’s Dorthea Wickem. Your father woke this morning very confused. More than usual. We’re taking good care of him, but he’d like to see you when you’re able.”

“Of course, of course. I’ll be there this afternoon. And thank you.” Townsend ends the call with a long, guilt-ridden sigh. He glances toward the entrance. Something isn’t right, but the sun is in his face, well above the valley’s rim, hot and dry. He grabs his water bottle and takes a swig. He pours the rest over his head, letting the water trickle down his face and back. A moment of tepid relief. He closes his eyes and considers the opportunity, to ditch the meeting and see his dad. The meeting will be difficult. Time with his dad will be difficult.

He mops himself with his shirt and makes his way toward the entrance, where gawkers press close to stare at a grim warning scrawled in red paint across the automatic doors, which slide open and shut, open and shut, pulling the words apart and pushing them together.

Stop the bleeding—motherfuckers!

A woman turns to him with a pained look. “What does it mean?”

Townsend stares at her, searching for an answer. He has no idea. “It means somebody’s angry, and they wanted us to know.”

About the Author

Nicholas Deitch is a writer, architect, and advocate for social justice whose fiction explores the intersection of cities, history, and human resilience. His passion for storytelling began when a colleague recognized the emotional depth of his nonfiction work. Since then, he has honed his craft, publishing short stories in Litro Magazine, Club Plum, and Santa Barbara Literary Journal. His short story “Grace Eternal” won Best Fiction at the Santa Barbara Writers Conference (2019).

Death and Life in the City of Dreams, his debut novel, is deeply influenced by his experiences in nonprofit leadership and the design of inclusive communities and urban places.

Originally from Los Angeles, he now lives in Ventura, California, with his wife and creative partner Diana.

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Nonfiction

Date Published: 08-28-2025

Publisher: Tellwell

Operation Cast Lead ensued as a mechanism to decide the fate and resolution of this question. The author was conflicted as her tendency to humiliate herself in her fantasies interfered with how she interpreted the story and how she responded to it while Operation Cast Lead unfolded, a war that took place between Hamas and IDF at the climax of the story of Sonny and Kate.

What was the truth of this connection? Why has Gaza been held hostage to this story ever since? What’s the way forward for Israelis and Palestinians? What’s the way forward for humanity?

The book argues that Operation Cast Lead was a design, and attempts to place the case within the current framework of international law while acknowledging that there are fundamental flaws in this framework and that there should be transformation at the foundation of international law for humanity to have a breakthrough and realize true freedom.

This book reveals a secret about history. A secret that would explain why the conflict in the Middle East has not met its resolution. As well as the conflict at the core of humanity.

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Date Published: November 8, 2023

 

 What if the biggest obstacle to your success isn’t your circumstances—but your mindset?

Readers from all walks of life have experienced profound transformation, including:

“I read this book on a four-hour flight and landed as a completely different person.”

 

Historical Fiction | Race & Identity | Women’s Stories | 1930s America

Date Published: September 19, 2025

Publisher: MindStir Media

Pamela appears to be a privileged young white socialite, newly married and expecting her first child. But beneath the polished surface lies a restless, unsettled woman struggling against the suffocating expectations placed upon her. As her pregnancy advances, Pamela becomes fixated on one thing: finding Miss Minnie, the Black midwife who delivered her at home in 1911.

Her request ignites fierce resistance. Both families condemn the idea, and Pamela’s husband, Frank, fearing scandal and loss of control, tightens his grip—bringing in relatives to monitor her movements and even hiring surveillance to ensure she never makes contact with the midwife. Determined and increasingly reckless, Pamela secretly pressures her Black maid to help locate Miss Minnie, setting in motion a chain of events neither family can contain.

What begins as a quiet domestic drama escalates into a volatile confrontation with race, power, and truth. As long-buried histories surface, the search for a midwife becomes a catalyst for racial tension, betrayal, and violence—raising the chilling question: will this birth end in life… or murder?

Long Lost Midwife starts with measured restraint and builds relentlessly toward a tempestuous, unforgettable conclusion. It is a haunting exploration of white blindness, Black resilience, and the fragile illusions that sustain privilege in early 20th-century America.

● Thought-provoking historical fiction

● Novels examining race, class, and gender

● Character-driven stories set in pre-Civil Rights America

● Books that begin quietly and end with devastating force

During the final ten years of a professional career, Smith moderated the Plymouth Writers Group, a MeetUp-based genre writing collective composed of engineers, doctors, legal professionals, technical writers, and MFA graduates. Within this collaborative environment, Smith completed first drafts of three novels, with two additional works developed independently.

Smith holds a degree in History from St. John’s University in Collegeville, Minnesota, an academic foundation that profoundly shapes the thematic and contextual grounding of the work. Historical setting, for Smith, is never decorative—it is the backbone of character behavior and moral conflict.

Another significant creative influence comes from many years singing in Sonomento, a Minneapolis-based operatic choir active until 2024. Immersion in opera introduced Smith to the disciplined exactness of musical phrasing and libretto, where text is fluid, expressive, and shaped by emotional register. That sense of linguistic “plasticity” carries directly into Smith’s prose style.

Long Lost Midwife reflects these influences in a novel that begins with restraint and builds toward controlled chaos—examining race, power, and identity in 1930s America with precision, tension, and historical depth.

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