A Life Through Books

Imagine a simple, science-backed plan that helps you build strength, boost your energy, and improve your mood every single day-no matter your age. "Built to Last" is your complete blueprint for transforming both body and mind, making it easy to overcome fitness challenges and truly thrive.

Inside this book, you'll find:

Can you tell us a little about the process of getting this book published? 

How did you come up with the idea and how did you start? A book is always a multi-layered construct but in its most basic form it can be boiled down to a relatively simple answer to a question. “Built To Last” is no exception. Its seed rose from many conversations I have had with a close friend and training partner over two years and it’s the answer to the question: “Why is it so hard to get fit?”. Because of the background conversations the book’s start was made before I even started thinking about writing it. Once I decided to write it the question was: is there a structure to it  that makes sense? Evidently there is and once I had that the rest fell into place.   

 

What surprised you most about getting your book published? 

The response I had from those who read the initial treatment. They found themselves relating to it through their own experiences and that was a strong signal to me that I actually had something strong here.

 

 

Tell us a little about what you do when you aren’t writing. 

Writing is an all-consuming task. When I am not writing I am researching, thinking about writing or reading about writing (because the craft itself constantly evolves). But when I do none of those things I am usually training. I have been a martial artist since I was 13 and I still put in anywhere between 14 – 18 hours of training every week.

 

 

As a published author, what would you say was the most pivotal point of your writing life? 

Realizing that the books I write have a direct, measurable impact on people’s lives. I still remember the thrill I felt when during the global financial crisis of 2008 I received an email from a dentist who said that my book had saved his business. It’s immensely gratifying but at the same time it makes you realize that you have a very real responsibility to those who trust your book. Each time I write a book I do everything I absolutely can to make sure that it is as useful as possible and as accessible as possible.

 

 

Where do you get your best ideas and why do you think that is? 

I get my best ideas by talking to people. It’s no accident. Every time we talk to someone we access a database. Depending on the interaction we become privy to a segment of the world and a point of view we don’t already have and that helps broaden our horizons, enrich our knowledge and deepen our understanding. I am naturally very reserved so extensive socializing and connecting with others, even remotely and asynchronously, takes me out of my comfort zone. I do it because it’s a humbling experience and it helps me feel connected to the world.

 

 

What is the toughest criticism given to you as an author? 

It was a compliment by a reader who read “The Sniper Mind” – my neuroscience-backed book on critical decision-making under pressure and wrote an extensive, glowing review of it. She said “it’s not an easy read”. I spent an enormous amount of time and energy trying to make it as accessible as possible and I took it on board. I have since tried even harder to simplify the way I explain complex subjects and ideas without dumbing them down.

 

 

What has been your best accomplishment as a writer? 

Because of my books I’ve been to 19 countries around the globe as a keynote speaker, presenting to audiences from many different backgrounds. I think of myself as that kid still, from Brisbane, who surfed on the weekends and dreamed of a world out there that was so much bigger and fulfilling than what I was experiencing at the time. The fact that I have had these experiences is staggering to me and at times it feels almost like a dream.  

 

 

How many unpublished and half-finished books do you have? 

To date I have written 19 books. The number of books which I have got only to that initial treatment where 40,000 – 50,000 words explore and explain the topic is easily double that. Plus there have been those instances where I started a book as a way of exploring the subject and realized that either there was not enough material o make it to the end or that there was no way to say something that has already been said, differently to justify a book. So, maybe, at a guess; 50 – 60.

 

David Amerland is a Chemical Engineer with an MSc. in quantum dynamics in laminar flow processes. He converted his knowledge of science and understanding of mathematics into a business writing career that's helped him demystify, for his readers, the complexity of subjects such as search engine optimization (SEO), search marketing, social media, decision-making, communication and personal development. The diversity of the subjects is held together by the underlying fundamentals governing human behavior and the way they are expressed online and offline. A lifelong martial arts practitioner, David Amerland is found punching and kicking sparring dummies and punch bags when he's not behind his keyboard.

Each tale is precisely 100 words and leaves a long-lasting chilling effect. Some will make you question the security of the world around you, and what's more terrifying than that?

Featuring drabbles by the following authors: Bernardo Villela, K.J. Watson, David J. Vowell, Joshua Ginsberg, A.L. Smith, Petina Strohmer, Zari Hunt, Paul Burgess, Diana Parrilla, Angel Zapata, Vanessa Bane, Marc Sorondo, Jacek Wilkos, Arvee Fantilagan, Jodie Francis, Alex Azar, Andreas Flögel, Jade Kalb, Andrew Buckner, Ken Whitson, Jãnis Bogužs, Andrea Tillmanns, C.L. Hart, S.F.J. Painter, Monica Wenzel, Dragan Ivanović, and J.E. Feldman.

A profession that has made him a confirmed bachelor - A teacher who spends her nights dreaming of Mr. Right. Passions soar and desires burn hot, yet each is afraid to surrender to love. The first book in the saga. 5 Men - 5 full length books. Together, the hero and heroine overcome their inner conflicts to achieve love completely unaware there is a more dangerous peril—one man’s revenge.

About the Author

Andrea Jones is the author of the Hook & Jill Saga, an award-winning series of Neverland novels for adult readers.

Making a baby is one of life’s most precious and natural acts. But sometimes, despite our deepest wishes and most sincere prayers, the body has other plans.

Publisher: ‎MindStir Media

From nostalgic reflections of childhood to the joys and chaos of raising a blended family, each story is delivered with authenticity, warmth, and a dose of wit. You’ll meet the characters that color her world—family, friends, neighbors—and perhaps even see glimpses of your own life in the process.

Perfect for busy readers or those who prefer bite-sized inspiration, this collection can be picked up and enjoyed one story at a time. Whether you're looking for laughter, a little life wisdom, or a moment of connection, these stories will remind you to slow down, reflect, and most of all—enjoy the ride.

This book is a love letter to the simple moments that shape us—and a tribute to those we carry in our hearts forever.

My name is Jennifer Lague. I’m currently the owner of a tie dye company in Southern NH called New England Tie Dye. I’m been married to my husband for 26 years and we have 5 children between the two of us and 4 grandchildren.

As a child I was forced to do book reports for elementary school school which sort of ruined my interest in reading for fun. As an adult, I don’t take the time to read and when I do, it has to be short stories or something that really grabs my attention. When my children were a little older, I started writing a weekly article for my local newspaper. Each week was a different topic, typically something that may have happened that week or from a memory that was sparked. I was given permission by my editor of the paper to reclaim ownership of my articles so I put them all together and decided to publish them as a book.

My book is a compilation of true short stories about myself, my family and friends.

One of my favorite articles was about a rose that grew in our yard. I’ll leave it at that for the reader to enjoy.

My mom recently passed on Mother’s Day and I really wish she could have held a copy of this book in her hands. She loved to read and inspired several of my articles. I hope some of the articles will remind the readers of their own lives as well.

 

Jennifer Vaughan Lague is an entrepreneur and storyteller based in Southern New Hampshire. As the owner of New England Tie Dye, she combines creative expression with a strong sense of community, building a business that brings color and connection to people’s lives. A loving wife, with a blended family of five adult children and four grandchildren, Jennifer draws inspiration from the joyful, chaotic, and unforgettable moments that come with raising a blended family.

Though her journey as a writer began with a local newspaper column, her stories quickly won hearts for their relatability, humor, and emotional resonance. With Enjoying the Ride and the Short Stories Along the Way, she shares a collection of those columns—true stories that remind us that life’s ordinary moments are often the most extraordinary.

When she’s not writing or working, you’ll find her near the beach or at the dojo—her favorite places to find peace, inspiration, and perspective as both a martial artist and a lifelong learner.

Book 3 in the 21 Tattoos Series

I began by researching everything related to the process of publishing my book. I also went to writer conferences and joined writers’ clubs and associations. I joined Toastmasters for three years to develop my ability to speak intelligently and fluently with confidence. I practiced my elevator pitch. When I met my publisher, the first question was “So what is your book about?” I was prepared. I answered with confidence. I had the answers to all her questions. I had thought about, written about, and spoken about my book. My first pitch was a home run. The idea of 21 Tattoos had been with me most of my life. I recall an advertisement for the Outer Limits on TV for "The Illustrated Man" by Ray Bradbury. The music was a shrill thriller, and it stayed with me. I never saw the show but the impact was with me. As time went on and tattoos became more popular, I would see people starting to adorn their bodies with tattoos. I kept asking the question, “What would make someone do that to themselves?” That took me on a deep dive into the psychology behind tattoos and their meanings. I incorporated that into a story about a man, a plastic surgeon, whose business is beauty, waking up covered head to toe in tattoos, and a book was born.

Once it was published, it made me feel like I was truly an author. It granted me the sense of legitimacy

My husband and I enjoy traveling. I enjoy spending time with my family and friends, as well as working for our family business. I am a member of ACFW and serve as the treasurer of our local chapter. I serve on the board of the local Newcomers Club and occasionally write articles for a local magazine.

My first book signing. It solidified my position as an author.

My inspiration comes from life. I'm analytical by nature—certified in Life Coaching, actually. When something captures my attention, I find myself digging through every layer, examining it from all angles until its true nature reveals itself to me. These revelations inevitably find their way into my writing.

Your book doesn’t sound very interesting to me. I don’t want to read about tattoos. I explain to them that the book is ultimately about recovering from trauma and self-discovery, not tattoos.

Meeting wonderful, caring, and generous people who are so willing to support my writing. I have found a community of kindred spirits whose encouragement has sustained my creative journey beyond what I could have achieved alone.

Right now, I have three. But I have outlines for many, many more. Whenever I have an idea for a book, I name it and create a quick outline, so I always have material to start new projects.

Book 3 in the 21 Tattoos Series

River -- My life got derailed by a sneaky old woman in an assisted living home. The cloak-and-dagger story she frames is both unnerving and exciting. I thought Mrs. Walsh was living in her past, some heartbreaking episode of dementia… until I found the package she sent me looking for in a library in Vancouver. Next thing I know, I’m on a wild ride with two ridiculously handsome brothers -- Mrs. Walsh’s grandsons. I’ve spent my life feeling like the background character, but now I’m the star of the show. I’m a little scared, but I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t intrigued.

Crush -- The moment I see River, I know my life is about to change. She’s got that “sweet and innocent” thing that makes me wonder how I’m going to resist her. Or if I even want to. I know I’m a pawn in one of my grandmother’s games, and I’m OK with playing along. But what am I supposed to do when I want a woman my brother also wants? Something about River makes the risk worth taking, even knowing this arrangement could blow up in my face.

Byte -- River’s beautiful, courageous, slightly crazy… and the woman I want for my own. However she’s got just as tight a hold on my brother Crush as she does on me, and no one comes between me and my brother. Our grandmother’s a master strategist, but I don’t think her plans include the three of us getting stuck in a tiny cabin on the side of a mountain… or does it?

 

River

The public library in Vancouver, Washington looked like a cross between an urban mall and the Roman Coliseum. With more overdue notices and fewer gladiators. I had no idea why I was here. It’s not like I actually expected to find anything. I just couldn’t seem to resist the thought of an adventure.

At exactly four in the afternoon, I stepped through the revolving glass doors and tried to look inconspicuous. Not an easy feat, considering the purpose was to retrieve a mystery envelope for a possibly ex-CIA spymaster or some shit from behind an old, out-of-date encyclopedia, like the world’s nerdiest drop point. And maybe I was lost in my own fanciful musings. I had to smile. I was kind of having fun. It was like an adventure!

It wasn’t raining, for once, but the air still had the clinging, wet asphalt smell that was oddly comforting. I thought I should be nervous or something, but it was too much fun to think about to be nervous. I’d been assigned a quest by a cryptic, possibly delusional fairy godmother with a Parkinson’s tremor and a talent for psychological warfare. The thought made me stifle a giggle.

I drifted through the main floor, past the help desk and the “Local Authors” display, straight to the elevator. Behind me, a kid in a Spiderman backpack trailed his mom toward the children’s section, skipping along and looking excited. I definitely felt the same way.

The elevator doors closed on a guy in a T-shirt with a faded band logo and I rode in silence to the third floor. According to Mrs. Walsh, the reference section was tucked back behind geography, a quiet warren of study carrels and shelves no one under sixty ever browsed. I’d scoped it online the night before. I’m not dumb.

Mrs. Walsh had been explicit. “The 1986 World Atlas, behind the second row, center shelf. Not the 1992 edition. Only the ‘86.” If she’d specified a Dewey Decimal code, I might have laughed, but her face had been stone cold when she said it. Like there’d be real consequences for screwing this up, and not just “forgetting to refill the saltshakers in the dining room” level consequences.

When I found the book, I couldn’t suppress a little thrill zinging through me. I remembered the library in the group home I’d spent the most time in during my childhood had mystery series that I loved to read. Nancy Drew and Trixie Belden were my absolute favorites. I could see both amateur sleuths in my exact place.

The cover was two shades of dark maroon, sun faded at the edges, and heavier than I’d expected. I was careful as I pulled out the book, but my hands were actually trembling. There was no one else in the aisle, unless you counted the porcelain bust of some stern-faced man from a couple hundred years ago glaring from the endcap.

Just behind where the book had been, affixed to the back of the shelf with two strips of black tape, was a little metal box. Like an Altoid tin but with no writing on it, and bigger. My pulse thumped and I had to take a deep breath to keep from giggling in excitement. What the hell was going on? I probably should be alarmed instead of thrilled. There were so many questions I had a feeling I was going to have a hard time finding answers for, but I knew there was no way I wasn’t going to let this whole adventure play out on its own.

I slid the box free, tucked it in my back pocket, and hurried down the aisle, around the corner, and into the bathroom. Once safely inside a stall with the door locked, I slid the tin from my pocket and popped it open. I lifted off the top and tucked the lid into the base and braced myself for… what? A flash drive? A bloodstained thumb? Uranium? You know, just for kicks.

Nope. Inside the little box was a small phone. Not an old-ass flip phone like I expected, but a sleek, dark rectangle with no brand, already powered up. There was one unread message notification on the screen. In the box, there was a folded sheet of plain white paper and a sealed envelope. The paper was blank except for a single line written in bold Sharpie.

Remember the words. Do not write them down.

Yeah. I remembered.

I opened the envelope and stared at what looked like a find-a-word puzzle, only with no words listed to circle. Also, not all the symbols on the page were numbers or letters. Some were mathematical symbols or hieroglyphs. Yeah. That was hopeless. A small stack of one-hundred-dollar bills tucked inside another folded piece of paper looked at me like an accusation, like I was doing something naughty. I’d be lying to myself if I didn’t get a little thrill with the thought. The second paper had a number written on it. No dashes or spaces and it was too many digits for a phone number. Right. So much for written instructions. I stuffed the paper back in the envelope and tucked it inside my bra. Why? Because I’d always wanted to do that! It was like I was really smuggling something out of the library like a real spy. I giggled. So not telling Maggie about that.

I left the bathroom and, just in case, I put the metal box behind a row of obsolete encyclopedias a few shelves over, figuring that if I was being tailed by hostile librarians they’d have to earn their stripes.

She hadn’t really given me any instructions past finding the box and its contents but I was starting to get a bit of an eerie feeling. Not like I was in danger, exactly, but like maybe I should take Mrs. Walsh at face value until proven definitively otherwise. So, instead of sticking around, I went back to my apartment before I opened the message on that phone.

Call the contact listed in this phone. Use the video option.

I tried to remember if I’d actually committed to doing this, or if I was just being swept along by Mrs. Walsh’s gravitational pull. The only people who had ever really wanted something from me either needed a bath or a ride to physical therapy, not a covert op involving classified code words and burner phones.

But the truth was, I had nothing better to do. Literally nothing. My next shift wasn’t for three days. I didn’t own a car, so I either Ubered or bused everywhere. No long-term friends, no family, no one to say “don’t do it.” And what if it was real? What if Mrs. Walsh had once been the spook she said she was? Was this some kind of generational torch-passing, or did she just want a patsy for plausible deniability? I mean, given the whole no family, no friends situation I certainly fit the profile in either case.

I stared at the phone. The contact hovered, daring me to press “call.” Before I could think better of it, I did.

The phone rang once, then again. I thought it would go to voicemail, but on the third ring the screen flickered to life with the video call I’d just initiated.

For half a second, I almost dropped the phone. The screen showed two men in a small, windowless room. The older of the two had a full face that was deeply tanned and rough with more than a few days’ growth of dark beard. He wore a black long-sleeved shirt rolled to the elbows, his arms crossed on the tabletop like he was expecting a confession. The other man was maybe five or ten years younger than the larger man, with short, dark hair and glacial blue eyes. Neither looked amused and both looked more than a little confused.

“Who is this?” The big one asked. “Where did you get this phone?”

 

About the Author

Marteeka Karland is an international bestselling author who leads a double life as an erotic romance author by evening and a semi-domesticated housewife by day. Known for her down and dirty MC romances, Marteeka takes pleasure in spinning tales of tenacious, protective heroes and spirited, vulnerable heroines. She staunchly advocates that every character deserves a blissful ending, even, sometimes, the villains in her narratives. Her writings are speckled with intense, raw elements resulting in page-turning delight entwined with seductive escapades leading up to gratifying conclusions that elicit a sigh from her readers.

Away from the pen, Marteeka finds joy in baking and supporting her husband with their gardening activities. The late summer season is set aside for preserving the delightful harvest that springs from their combined efforts (which is mostly his efforts, but you can count it). To stay updated with Marteeka's latest adventures and forthcoming books, make sure to visit her website. Don't forget to register for her newsletter which will pepper you with a potpourri of Teeka's beloved recipes, book suggestions, autograph events, and a plethora of interesting tidbits.

 

Author Links

Author on Instagram & TikTok: @marteekakarland

Author on Facebook

 

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

 

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In 1970s and '80s Detroit, the city wrestles with an unending economic downturn, increasing violence, and white exodus to the suburbs. Amid all of this is twentysomething Mary who is just trying to grapple with her identity in a world filled with uncertainty.

Maureen Aitken’s short-story collection, The Patron Saint of Lost Girls, received a Kirkus star, the Nilsen Prize, and the Foreword Review INDIE Gold Prize for General Fiction. It will be reissued in September, 2025 by Wayne State University Press. Her stories have earned a Minnesota State Arts Board’s Artist Initiative Grant, a Loft Mentor Award, an award from Ireland’s Fish Short Story Prize, and two Pushcart Prize nominations. It was also nominated for a Minnesota Book Award. Her stories have been published in Prairie Schooner and New Letters, among others. This is her second story featured in The Missouri Review’s Blast section.