A Life Through Books

Book 1 of The Northern Crusader Chronicles

Historical Adventure

Date Published: 28th November 2024 (book/ebook) Audiobook: Approx. February 2026

Publisher: The Book Guild

Narrator: Kerry Hutchinson

Run Time: 12 hours and 2 minutes

1242: Wounded at the Battle on the Ice, English knight Richard Fitz Simon becomes a prisoner of Prince Alexander Nevsky of Novgorod. Intrigued by his captive, Alexander orders his scholar to record Richard’s life story.

Richard’s chronicle begins in 1203, when betrayal shatters his training for knighthood and forces him to flee England. In Lübeck, he finds work with a ruthless salt merchant and becomes entangled in an illicit affair – until scandal and violence drive him onward once more.

Seeking purpose, Richard joins the Livonian Brothers of the Sword, a militant order bent on bringing Christendom to the pagan Baltic. In the harsh outpost of Riga, he faces not only enemy tribes beyond the walls, but suspicion, ambition, and betrayal within – while grappling with doubts that threaten his faith.

When a vast pagan army threatens to overwhelm the commandery, Richard must choose what kind of man – and believer – he will become.

Sword Brethren is Book One of The Northern Crusader Chronicles, a gritty, historically grounded series focused on realism, moral ambiguity, and the brutal realities of medieval warfare.

 About the Author

The Northern Crusader Chronicles is a gritty, historically grounded series focused on realism, moral ambiguity, and the brutal realities of medieval warfare.

Written for readers who value authenticity and atmosphere over romanticised adventure, the novel explores a largely forgotten crusading frontier, culminating in the first of many confrontations in a harsh wilderness of forest and swamp.

Readers who enjoy the historical detail of authors such as Bernard Cornwell, Conn Iggulden, or Ben Kane may find familiar ground here.

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(Hades Abyss MC 16)

Date Published: October 23, 2026

Publisher: Changeling Press

Maren -- Treating a gunshot wound could cost me my license -- and career. I did it anyway. Saving a biker’s life was supposed to be one reckless decision. I never expected Patch -- the quiet, controlled man who brought him to me -- to become someone I could depend on. Then I discover someone has been using the veterinary clinic where I work for an illegal operation, putting everything I’ve worked for -- and possibly my life -- at risk. Patch says he’ll handle it. I’m beginning to understand exactly what that promise means. And I’m not sure I want to walk away.

Patch -- For twenty years, I’ve made sure my brothers come home alive. Then Freak takes a bullet, our doctor is gone, and my only option is a vet tech with steady hands and enough courage to risk everything to save him. Maren should have walked away from us afterward. Instead, I keep finding reasons to see her. Protect her. Make her problems mine. And when I discover someone has been using her clinic for something dangerous, there’s no question what happens next.

No one touches what’s mine.

Maren

The overheads in reception were already off. I’d hit the switch twenty minutes ago, same as every night. The front desk phone sat on the counter playing something low and instrumental that I’d stopped hearing half an hour back. The lobby chairs were pushed in. The magazines were stacked. The credit card terminal had been wiped down and the drawer emptied into the safe. Every surface clean. Every light off except the surgical suite.

I hauled the mop bucket through the door with one hand on the handle and the other braced against the frame. The wheels caught on the threshold. I lifted and rolled and it cleared. The bucket sloshed. Bleach and hot water at a ratio I could smell without measuring. Three parts to one. Maybe two and a half. My nose knew better than my measuring cup.

Stitch was asleep on the procedure table. Full extension. Orange belly up, three legs splayed, the missing left hind an absence so familiar I’d stopped noticing the shape of it. His one good ear was folded back against the vinyl. He didn’t open his eyes when I came in. He knew the sound of the wheels. He’d been sleeping there for six years in direct violation of every health code Gerry had ever been cited for and never fixed.

The latch on the supply cabinet needed a thumb on the bottom edge. I found it without looking. The cabinet swung open. I grabbed the bottle of disinfectant spray, set it on the counter, and closed the door with my hip. The spray bottle went into my left scrub pocket. Right pocket held a roll of gauze and a pair of shears.

The sink handle stuck. I jiggled it left, then right, then left again. The water came on cold. I filled Stitch’s ceramic dish to the rim and set it on the floor beside the table leg. He still didn’t move. The water would be there when he woke up. It always was.

The clinic was mine in this hour.

Gerry had left at four-thirty, after sorting out where his keys were. He’d said something about a dinner with his sister in town.

Tessa had clocked out at six sharp, her scrubs swapped for jeans and a sweatshirt. The building settled around me after hours. The fluorescent hum. The faint tick of the hot water heater through the wall. The smell of bleach and fur and the underlying note of something chemical that never quite aired out.

I moved through it without thinking. My hands knew where everything lived. The suture drawer was three inches left of the anesthetic cabinet. The saline bags hung on the far wall hook behind the scale. The crash cart sat where it had sat for six years, its contents arranged by size rather than use because that was how I’d found it and how I’d kept it. I could reach any of it in the dark. I had, twice, during power outages.

The supply levels ran in my head instead of on the clipboard. Two cases of 4-0 suture. Three boxes of exam gloves, large. One case of saline, half-empty. The drug drawer was locked. The key lived on the ring with the keys for the back door and the crash cart.

The lead technician credential hung on the wall behind the front desk.

Framed. My name in block letters. Maren Hale, CVT, Lead Technician. Six years in that frame. Six years in this building, working for a man who left at four-thirty. I could have moved. There were clinics in Springfield paying fifteen thousand more for the same credential. There were teaching hospitals in St. Louis that would have taken my hours and my recommendation letters and put me in a lab coat with somebody else’s name on the door.

I hadn’t moved.

There was a specialty credential I’d been eighty hours short of for two years. Emergency and critical care. The hours were free but getting them was another matter. Not to mention the exam fee, and the two days off work that ‘d need.

My grandmother’s memory care facility cost thirty-two hundred a month. The number hadn’t changed in two years. It wouldn’t change until she died. I wrote the check. Every time. What came after the check was mine. Usually about eight hundred dollars. Sometimes less. Enough for my bills and the occasional pair of scrubs when the elbows wore through.

I wasn’t unhappy.

I had a job I was good at. I had hands that didn’t shake. I had a cat on a procedure table who trusted me enough to sleep through a mop bucket three feet from his head. I had a grandmother who sometimes remembered my name when I visited on Sundays.

The mop handle was warm from my grip. I leaned it against the wall and sprayed the counter with disinfectant. The mist settled. I wiped it down with a paper towel I’d folded twice. The surface came up. No streaks. No residue. I tossed the towel and reached for the light switch.

The surgical suite went dark. Just the exit sign above the door throwing a dull red glow across the floor. Stitch had shifted in his sleep. One paw now draped over the edge of the table. His breathing was slow. Even. He slept like a man who knew exactly where he was.

I stood in the dark for a second. Let the quiet settle. The phone in reception had stopped playing. The building hummed. Somewhere out in the lot, a car passed on the county road. Headlights swept the front window and were gone.

This was enough. For right now, in this hour, with the floors clean and the supplies counted and the cat asleep on the table he wasn’t supposed to be on, it was exactly enough.

About the Author

Harley Wylde is an accomplished author known for her captivating MC Romances. With an unwavering commitment to sensual storytelling, Wylde immerses her readers in an exciting world of fierce men and irresistible women. Her works exude passion, danger, and gritty realism, while still managing to end on a satisfying note each time.

When not crafting her tales, Wylde spends her time brainstorming new plotlines, indulging in a hot cup of Starbucks, or delving into a good book. She has a particular affinity for supernatural horror literature and movies. Visit Wylde's website to learn more about her works and upcoming events, and don't forget to sign up for her newsletter to receive exclusive discounts and other exciting perks.

Author on Facebook, Instagram, & TikTok: @harleywylde

Publisher on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and TikTok: @changelingpress

Pre-Order Today

Date Published: 12-05-2018

Publisher: TCK Publishing

Hogan Duran was a good man once. He was a cop, forced to resign in disgrace after he couldn't save his partner from a bullet. Now Hogan lives on the fraying edges of society, serving cruel masters and scavenging trash dumps just to survive.

But after four years of poverty, Hogan finally gets a chance to get back on his feet. He's invited to join the National Security Council, the powerful paramilitary organization responsible for protecting the rich and powerful from the more unsavory elements of society. All he needs to do is pass their deadly entrance exam, and he'll be rewarded with wealth and opportunity beyond his wildest dreams.

But this ex-cop's path to redemption won't be easy. The NSC are hiding something, and as Hogan descends deeper into their world, he starts to uncover the terrible truth about how the powerful in this new world maintain their power...and just how far they will go to protect their secrets.

In a world gone wrong, can one man make a difference, or will he die trying?

Kill Code is the first novel in an exciting new dystopian science fiction series from the mind of award-winning author, screenwriter, and director Clive Fleury.

About the Author

 Clive Fleury is an award-winning writer of novels and screenplays, including most recently the murder mystery detective novel "All Or None". He is also a TV/Film writer, director, and producer who has worked for major broadcasters and studios on a wide variety of successful drama and documentary projects, worldwide. He has written and directed four feature films, one of which, "Big City Blues," starred Giancarlo Esposito, the late Burt Reynolds, and Balthazar Getty. His most recent film, "Sons of Summer," is a surfing movie set on the Gold Coast of Australia and stars Temuera Morrison and Isabel Lucas. Clive currently spends his time between Florida and Sydney, Australia.

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The Magical Run of the College Team That Lost Its School

Date Published: 11-17-2026

Publisher: Mission Point Press

Excerpt

The rise and ultimate fall of Birmingham-Southern College, a small liberal arts school on a hilltop in Birmingham, has a history that mirrors the fortunes and struggles of the United States since the mid-nineteenth century. In 1859, Alabama Southern University opened its doors in Greensboro but nearly closed them two years later when most of its all-male student body left to fight in the Civil War. By 1866, the student body had dwindled to twenty-eight. The school quickly rebounded, however, and in 1889, the graduating class numbered 289 students, including the first woman graduate.

In 1898, another Methodist school, Birmingham College, was established less than a hundred miles away. The new college was perched on a hill near the western edge of the rapidly growing city of Birmingham. After the Civil War, the two cities were a study in contrasts. While Greensboro was still largely dependent on cotton, Birmingham had made the smart move to steel, and its booming economy led to its nickname: “The Magic City.” By 1918, it was clear that two Methodist colleges this close together would be unsustainable. The answer: merge the two and call the new school Birmingham-Southern College.

The merger solved an immediate problem, and BSC thrived—for a while—but faced a devastating enrollment drop during World War I. The college hung on during the Great Depression but lost most of its male students and faculty during World War II. Two decades later, the Civil Rights Era brought new challenges. BSC became an early supporter of the movement, enrolling its first Black students in 1965, and continued to embrace diversity as a core part of its mission.

About the Author

 Brian Nelson is a lifelong baseball fan, former player, and dedicated coach whose love for the game spans generations. A pitcher at the University of California, Santa Barbara in the 1980s, he later coached his three sons and their teammates through Little League, high school, and college. Drawing inspiration from a deeply literary family—especially his grandfather and mother—Nelson brings an analyst's brain, a storyteller’s heart, and impressive baseball knowledge to his writing. After a multi-decade career in finance, he has returned to his earliest passion to tell this story. This is his first book.

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Children's Book

Date Published: March 30, 2026

Publisher: Trela Mela Press

Little Branko lives high above Dragonville in Zmajograd, a city of dragons controlled by rules - the Dragons’ Code. Under this code, dragons cannot put out fires and dragons cannot be friends with humans. But Branko has never understood why. Unlike the other dragons, he does not want to start fires—he wants to put them out.

When Branko questions the Dragons’ Code in school, he is told to “learn” and not “think”. When he persists, he is banished from his community. Determined to follow his heart, he travels to the human town below and dreams of becoming a firefighter. But the humans are afraid of him, too. Caught between two worlds that refuse to accept him, Branko must decide whether to give up—or keep believing that kindness can change everything.

When a dangerous wildfire threatens the forest shared by humans and dragons, Branko finally gets his chance to prove that courage is not about following old rules. It is about doing what is right.

Branko: Smokejumper Extraordinaire is a heartwarming children’s picture book about friendship, bravery, community, environmental responsibility, and the importance of questioning division. With themes of inclusion, cooperation, wildfire awareness, and respect for firefighters, this inspiring story encourages young readers to look beyond fear, challenge unfair rules, and discover the extraordinary power of helping others.

Perfect for children who love stories about dragons, firefighters, friendship, nature, and unlikely heroes, this meaningful book is ideal for family reading, classrooms, libraries, and conversations about courage, compassion, and caring for our planet.

Great for readers interested in:

A beautifully imaginative tale for young readers who believe even the smallest voice can spark big change.

About the Author

Born in Belgrade, raised in Belgrade and Sydney, and shaped by formative years in New York City, Alexandra brings a global perspective to her work. Her writing often features unlikely characters—from mushrooms and fax machines to thunder, lightning, flowers, Beeps, Honks, and dragons—who discover that difference does not have to mean division.

Her debut children’s book, Branko: Smokejumper Extraordinaire, introduces young readers to a brave little dragon who challenges tradition, reaches across fear, and helps unite humans and dragons in the face of an unprecedented and fierce wildfire. Inspired by themes of friendship, environmental responsibility, community, and courage, the story reflects Alexandra’s belief in the importance of compassion, cooperation, and protecting the world we share.

Beyond children’s literature, Alexandra’s creative work spans genres and platforms, including Gravity FM, a deep dive podcast exploring planetary health and human rights, the satirical Degenerate Carrot cartoons, and impactful storytelling through Apocryphal Pictures. She is also a practicing attorney at Cittone Demers & Arneri LLP, where she maintains a robust human rights practice, and serves as President of the Global Witness Foundation.

Alexandra lives in San Francisco with her family. When she is not writing, practicing law, producing stories, or advocating for human rights, she enjoys painting, yoga, and creating imaginative tales about the courage it takes to reach across what divides us.

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Date Published: September 7, 202

Freddy is a spirited rescue dog with a big personality and an even bigger heart. Though he can be stubborn, bossy, and sometimes a bit of a troublemaker, his playful nature and determination shine through—even as he faces serious medical challenges, including multiple surgeries.

Through three foster homes and nearly three years of waiting, Freddy’s journey is filled with ups and downs, laughter and tears, and the unwavering hope of belonging. His story offers a meaningful look at the realities of fostering, the patience it requires, and the profound impact of love and care.

This inspiring and emotional story reminds readers that every animal deserves a chance—and that sometimes the most challenging journeys lead to the most rewarding endings.

About the Author

Now based in Rhode Island, she shares her home with her husband and their dog, Nera.

Ms. Donato enjoys word puzzles, black-and-white movies, anything Beatles-related, being active in her church, practicing the frame drum, and hosting doggy playdates with Nera.

Her love of animals and deep appreciation for poetry and storytelling come together in her writing, where she highlights meaningful, real-life experiences with warmth and authenticity.

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A Collection Inspired by True Stories of the Jewish Immigrant Experience

Publisher: Acorn Publishing

Almost There offers an intimate, emotionally resonant portrait of the Jewish immigrant experience in early twentieth-century America. This collection of linked short stories follows individuals who faced the uncertainty of a new land, summoned the courage to navigate unfamiliar cultures, and endured the antisemitism that shaped their world.

While fictionalized, these narratives were inspired by interviews with Americans who shared memories of their immigrant ancestors. Their stories unfold against the backdrop of sweeping historical events, such as the Great Depression, World War II, the Holocaust, and the founding of the State of Israel.

Poignant and powerful, Almost There illuminates a pivotal chapter in American history and speaks to the timeless search for belonging, identity, and home.

 

About the Author

 

 Award-winning writer Jean Seager graduated from the University of California, Berkeley, and received two graduate degrees from San Diego State University. Her writing has appeared in the

literary publications Mikrokosmos and The Long Story. In 2018, her story “The Award” won second place in the San Diego Public Library’s short story contest.

A granddaughter of Jewish immigrants who came to America from eastern Europe in the early twentieth century, Jean was fascinated by her mother’s stories of growing up as a second-generation immigrant in Tennessee’s tobacco country. The Jewish immigrant experience continued to intrigue her and became the catalyst for her writing.

Jean is a native Californian and long-time resident of Coronado, a suburb of San Diego, where she lives with her husband Bill.

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