A Life Through Books

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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Literary Fiction, Family Fiction

Date Published: October 13, 2026

Michael also struggles with a mother suffering from dementia, who insists he is the grown-up version of a brother who died in infancy. When the Kafkaesque Bureau of Preschool Special Education threatens to make their son repeat kindergarten, the family must confront how they are living and decide which therapies—everything from Mel Finkelstein’s sensory reintegration sessions to pediatric neurologist visits—are worth the emotional toll.

“Everyone should read this miracle of a book. Carol LaHines is a fearless writer. With brutal honesty, laugh-aloud-humor, faultless dialogue, understanding, and ultimately with great empathy and compassion, she portrays all our misguided efforts to control our bodies, our children, and our lives.” —Sheila Kohler, author of award-winning novels including Bluebird, Cracks, and Becoming Jane Eyre

About the Author

 Carol LaHines’ debut novel, Someday Everything Will All Make Sense, was a finalist for the Nilsen Prize for a First Novel and an American Fiction Award. Her second novel, The Vixen Amber Halloway (Regal House 2024) was a gold medal winner in the Foreword Indies awards, a finalist for an American Fiction Award and the Pencraft Award, and a Shelf Unbound notable indie, and was featured on NPR and C-SPAN. Her fiction has appeared in literary journals including Fence, Hayden’s Ferry Review, Denver Quarterly, Cimarron Review, The Literary Review, The Laurel Review, North Dakota Quarterly, South Dakota Review, The South Carolina Review, The Chattahoochee Review, Sycamore Review, Permafrost, redivider, Literary Orphans, and Literal Latte. She is a Pushcart Prize nominee and the recipient of the Lamar York Prize for Fiction. Her short stories and novellas have also been finalists for the Mary McCarthy Prize in Short Fiction from Sarabande Books, the David Nathan Meyerson fiction prize, the New Letters short story award, and the Disquiet Literary Prize, among others.

Ms. LaHines’ eldest son Dylan was born with Pierre-Robin sequence. His condition, which can lead to breathing obstruction and is potentially fatal, went undiagnosed and was compounded by other egregious medical errors, as a result of which Dylan was medically challenged and severely disabled, at least as defined by society. Having navigated these labyrinthine, Kafka-esque corridors herself, she was moved to write this book as a testament to him and all the other families like hers who have coped with an indifferent medical bureaucracy. Miracle Grow is also laced with the satire, acerbic commentary, absurdist subplots, and the tragic-comic sensibility Ms. LaHines is known for.

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Date Published: October 13, 2026

A special spin-off book where characters have their own stories but end up at The Beach House Hotel in Florida with Ann and Rhonda. A chance to stay connected to the series in a different way.

She enjoyed her childhood and young-adult years in Elmira, New York, and now makes her home in Boise, Idaho, with her husband and their adorable dachshunds, Wally and Kacy, and other members of her family.

While growing up, she loved the idea of writing stories from a young age. Books were always present, being read, ready to go back to the library, or about to be discovered. All in her family shared information from the books in general conversation, giving them a wealth of knowledge and vivid imaginations.

Ms. Keim loves to hear from her readers and appreciates their enthusiasm for her stories.

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Mystery / Thriller

Date Published: 10-10-2026

Publisher: First Legacy Publishing

The community comes first – no matter what.

 

For ten years, the Utopia Tower experiment has been a resounding success. Conceived by a tech billionaire, the state-of-the-art apartment complex offers a life-changing opportunity: rent-free living for residents who adhere to the "Five Pillars of Harmony" and maintain the building's pristine reputation. It is a tight-knit community where neighbors look out for one another, ensuring that nothing endangers their sanctuary and their right to continue living there.

Antonio, a young lawyer, moves into the tower to care for his grandmother, eager to join this idyllic social experiment. But the veneer of perfection cracks when two young men—both considered bad apples and threats to the community's serenity—die in unusual circumstances within a single month. Despite warnings to leave well enough alone, Antonio suspects a connection and digs deeper. He discovers that, in a building designed for total harmony, asking the wrong questions can make you the next problem to be handled. Is there a killer hiding among the residents? Is the billionaire founder protecting his investment? Or is the truth far more terrifying?

In an environment where preservation of the collective is the prime directive, how far will the community go to protect itself?

 

Perfect for fans of Black Mirror, Blake Crouch, and high-concept tech mysteries.

 

About the Author

 

 Kevin G. Chapman is an attorney specializing in labor and employment law and an independent author. His seven -book (so far) Mike Stoneman Thriller series, includes Lethal Voyage, Winner of the 2012 Kindle Book Award, and Fatal Infraction, the #1 Police Procedural of the year (CLUE Blue Ribbon Award). Kevin's stand-alone mystery/suspense/romance, Dead Winner was the winner of the CLUE Blue Ribbon for best suspense/thriller, and Kevin's most recent stand-alone mystery, The Other Murder, was the Grand Prize Winner of the 2024 CLUE Award (best over-all mystery/suspense/thriller). Kevin has also written a serious political drama, A Legacy of One (2016). Kevin is a resident of Central New Jersey and is a graduate of Columbia College and Boston University School of Law. Readers can contact Kevin via his website at www.KevinGChapman.com.

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Historical Fiction

Date Published: 09-23-2026

Publisher: Echoes Publishing

At the turn of the century, twenty-three-year-old Paul Tietjens is a gifted classical pianist with dreams of greatness and a non-refundable ticket to Europe to study with the master composers of his time.

But when the bank calls in the debt on his family’s Missouri farm, Paul forgoes his dream to save them from financial ruin. Desperate to find a new road to success, he moves to up-and-coming Chicago, where he persuades author L. Frank Baum to collaborate on a comic opera of The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, setting the stage for the defining cultural touchstone that we know today.

Paul embarks on his opera with high hopes, but scandal threatens his soaring ambition when he falls in love with his best friend’s beautiful but married sister, and his fears grow as the Wizard of Oz demands not only his talent but his soul.

Inspired by Paul’s 1901 diary, The Lark follows Paul as he journeys from the theaters of Chicago to the streets of Manhattan, from his family’s Missouri farm to the beaches of Michigan, fighting to hang onto the chance of a lifetime, his integrity, and the woman he loves.

From Chapter 27 of The Lark by Laura C. Rader

After lunch, I sat at the parlor piano and ran through some of the songs for The Wizard of Oz, replaying each moment with Katherine in my mind as my fingers played the keys. She sat nearby, silently reading Persuasion, our glances meeting now and again as Daisy played with Lina and Vita in between sorting through the boarding house accounts. I mulled over the sanctity of marriage, the frailties of the heart, and the ominous predictions of the palm reader. My fate was surely sealed, and I only prayed I hadn’t somehow thrown Katherine’s completely off course.

In addition to The Lark, Laura C. Rader is the award-winning author of the historical novel Hatfield 1677, based on the lives of her ancestors in Hatfield, Massachusetts, in the seventeenth century.

When she isn’t writing, you can find her researching history for her books and her family tree and spending time with family, friends, and pets.

A native of southern California, she now lives north of Raleigh, North Carolina.

Please go to www.lcrwriter.com for more info on her books or to subscribe to her newsletter.

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Spiritual, Meditation

Date Published: September 22, 2026

Publisher: Serapis Bey Publishing

Experience a transformative journey of resonance. Pairing 99 activation cards with eight hours of unique vocal soundscapes, this book guides you to remember your innate truth. Discover the power of sound to restore balance, align with the Earth’s natural frequency, and return to a state of wholeness, truth, and love. Immerse yourself in these galactic keys and awaken the voice within your soul.

 

About the Author

Carmen Belle White is a visionary composer and artist who crafts unique, otherworldly soundscapes designed to transport listeners to realms of awakening. By weaving her voice with over eight hours of original, recorded vocal sound activations—each approximately four-and-a-half minutes in length—she guides her audience into spaces of deep remembrance. Her work serves as a bridge, translating the vast, timeless frequencies of the universe into healing resonances for the human soul.

A Book of Cosmic Frequencies: The Galactic Sound Keys is the culmination of this transformative project. Designed to be experienced alongside a set of 99 cosmic activation cards, this book provides a profound way to articulate the sense that when we become "nothing," we become everything. Each of the 99 cards is paired with a specific vocal sound activation, exploring a vast spectrum of cosmic themes—from anchoring grounding Earth-based frequencies to traversing ethereal, celestial realms. Through this journey, Carmen integrates the interplay of voice and sound within each frequency, inviting you to engage with these powerful keys to discover your own unique resonance and inner potential.

Carmen’s unique relationship with sound stems from childhood experiences that heightened her sensitivity to high-pitched frequencies. This allowed her to "tune in" to the Earth’s natural hum—a constant, grounding surround sound that defines her music. This deep connection to resonance has taken her across the globe, from the sacred waters of Southern France to the recording of her debut album, forever seeking locations that hold ancient, sacred memories.

Today, Carmen offers this extensive body of work as a practical tool for your own journey. She invites you to explore these sound activations, starting with the card corresponding to your date of birth, to uncover your innate truth. Her mission is to help us remember our own voices, restore balance with the Earth, and return to a state of wholeness, truth, and love.

We are all waking up to a resonance that requires no words—only the willingness to listen. To explore the full collection of sound activations and resources, please visit the author's website.

 

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Date Published: 09-15-2026

Publisher: Oculus Print

ZOMBIE ZOO is Book 1 in a five-book middle grade adventure series for readers ages 8-13, blending paranormal mystery, zombies, unlikely friendship, and STEAM-powered problem-solving.

To find a cure, Felix must team up with Ninja, a shadow-dwelling orphan who trusts her instincts and never backs down. Intense and razor-sharp, she notices what others overlook and lives up to her name as the island's most mysterious sleuth. With their eccentric mentor Doc Brunne compromised and the town's water supply contaminated by a glowing bioluminescent substance, the two mismatched investigators must combine scientific observation with sharp intuition to stop the outbreak before their island home is devoured.

Featuring diverse protagonists, quirky humor, spooky-but-fun scares, and strong female and male leads. ZOMBIE ZOO is ideal for reluctant readers and fans of Max Brallier's The Last Kids on Earth, B.B. Alston's Amari and the Night Brothers, and Goosebumps. Comprehensive educator resources-including discussion guides, vocabulary lists, STEAM extension activities, and printable maps-support classroom use, library programming, book clubs, and make this title ideal for cross-curricular lessons bridging ELA, STEAM, and SEL.

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Fantasy

Date Published: September 14, 2026

A year after defeating the evil wizard army, the elves of Edira prosper, yet Luma, the Daughter of Starlight, senses something is amiss. Shadows move where light should reign, and ominous whispers fill her mind, hinting that this hard-won peace may be more fragile than anyone realizes.

Soon, attacks by a vicious darkness confirm her fears, and Edira is not the only world under threat. Malicath, home of the wizards, faces the same darkness, which drains and corrupts magic, including Luma’s own powerful starlight.

Faced with a shared enemy, Luma and the elves form a tenuous alliance with the wizards. Together, they search for the Unseen Star, an ancient magical relic capable of restoring balance to both their worlds. But as the darkness grows stronger and time runs out, Luma realizes that all magic demands a price—and this one may be more than she can pay.

Return to the magical world of Edira in this sequel to the multi-award-winning fantasy, Daughter of Starlight.

About the Author

Molly is passionate about crafting meaningful moments and heartfelt narratives in fantasy-adventure stories brimming with magic and mystery. An unapologetic language nerd, she earned a degree in English and Communication, laying a strong foundation for her writing career. Not stopping there, Molly pursued a second degree in American Sign Language (ASL) Interpreting. As an avid runner, Molly often gets her best story ideas while running and remains outraged that those ideas do not then present themselves, fully formed, on the page. When she’s not running, writing, or interpreting, Molly can often be found taking an excessive number of photos of her dog, Bungee, and her two cats, Rose and Clover. Molly lives in the beautiful St. Croix River Valley of Minnesota with her husband and two sons, who bring her joy every day.

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Date Published: 09-10-2026

It would be the last moment of my life I’d ever feel safe again.

The trauma of what happened that night will never leave me—and it was only the beginning. For the last nineteen years, I’ve been trapped in a nightmare of blocked numbers, violated restraining orders, and the compulsion to scan every face in every crowd, waiting for the day when his will be among them.

But I've also spent the time preparing. My home has become a fortress, with reinforced doors, perimeter cameras, and a safe room in the cellar. I've even taught my seven-year-old daughter how to call for help. When I finally have to face Peter Harlow again, I’ll be ready.

Or so I thought.

Because on the night of a furious snowstorm, a terrified stranger arrives at my gate. Emily is barefoot, bruised, and desperate for help—claiming her husband just tried to kill her.

To let her in from the storm would mean breaking every rule I've made to protect myself and my daughter—but could I live with myself if I didn’t?

But what follows is everything I've lived in fear of for all these years. First, the lights go out. Then, the internet dies. Next, the phone line goes dead—and finally, I find myself trapped inside my own safe room, watching through a camera feed as the man who stole my life for two decades walks the halls of my home, playing happy families with my little girl.

I built this fortress to keep him out. Now, it’s the only thing keeping me from protecting my child.

The Safe Room is a heart-stopping psychological thriller by bestselling author Sarah A. Denzil, the "mistress of twists." Essential reading for fans of Alice Feeney, Freida McFadden, and Caroline Kepnes.

Sarah lives in Yorkshire with her husband and cats, enjoying the scenic countryside and rather unpredictable weather. She loves to write moody, psychological fiction with plenty of twists and turns.

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Historical Fiction

Date Published: September 9, 2026

Before Vicky could truly understand herself, there was a story she needed to understand in her Great Aunt Elizabeth.

 

Queens, 1984. Dr. Elizabeth Khayat—Palestinian-American, former pilot and pioneering physician—is recently widowed and fiercely private about her past. When her rebellious teenage grandniece, Vicky, is sent to spend the summer with her, the two clash immediately. Vicky is consumed by romance and rebellion; Elizabeth has built her life on discipline and hard-won independence. But Elizabeth’s guarded presence conceals a wartime history in World War II France—where, as a young doctor learning to fly, she formed a dangerous alliance with a German-Jewish colleague and became entangled with the French Resistance. Survival demanded impossible choices, and not all of them can remain buried.

As Vicky’s own reckless relationship begins to spiral, long hidden truth threatens to surface—forcing both women to confront who they are.

 

Discovering Elizabeth is a dual-timeline novel about legacy, sacrifice and the complicated inheritance between generations of women.

 

About the Author

 

Alexandra Khayat Dahl is a fourth-generation American whose family’s origins are from the Levant region of the Middle East. Raised in Washington, DC and educated in Catholic schools, she went on to attend an international university that set the course for a life defined by global experience. She spent the majority of her adult years in Europe, where living across cultures sharpened her perspective and strengthened her voice. A mother of four adult children, she returned to the United States during the COVID-19 pandemic with a renewed commitment to preserving the stories that shape generations.

Inspired by the true life of her great aunt and godmother—a fearless doctor, aviator, supporter of the French resistance and a trailblazer who defied an arranged marriage to marry for love— Alexandra celebrates a legacy of courage, conviction, and uncompromising independence.

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