Jessie's Coffee Shop

Time often slows and frequently even stops in the small town of Cottage Park, Iowa. In fact, time is best measured not by the hands of a clock but by the innings of a baseball game. Praying and playing baseball are two of the town's primary activities. Actually, they are one in the same in a town where baseball is a religion. Still, time does eventually flow on. Much like the Des Moines River just outside Cottage Park, time leads to the site of the 1974 Iowa high school baseball tournament. Cottage Park's Holy Trinity High School has never won the Finals, as they are known. The team's three elderly coaches vow to at last anoint themselves Finals champions before they retire in their final season. For the players, the road to the Finals is a confirmation by fire--a rite of passage before they must face adulthood looming before them. Fathers, sons, and the holy ghosts of baseball join together in the quest for the Finals. Along this journey, young and old alike ultimately learn you must sacrifice before you can

Known for its lavish hotels and casinos, beautiful showgirls and sumptuous buffets, Las Vegas is home to an abundance of wedding chapels. Follow Rosemary, the wedding organizer, and Buster, her dachshund with a nose for matrimony, as they guide you through the fictional stories of The Chapel of Eternal Love. Witness a Harley-riding love affair and a May-December romance. Meet a widow and widower who encounter each other at a cemetery and an Iraqi veteran and his anti-war activist bride. Walk down the aisle with two lost souls who find hope and a couple with differing religious backgrounds finding faith. Share the poignant, moving and occasionally humorous tales of the young and old, first-time sweethearts and long-lost loves. Discover the joys, sorrows and journeys that led each of them to The Chapel of Eternal Love.

Nate is caught between two dangerously hot vampires who can compel people to do whatever they want and a ruthless necromancer who wants Nate for all the wrong reasons—and that’s only the start of his problems.Escort Nate prides himself on two things: his ability to please his clients and his normality – living in the monster capital of the world, ordinary is rare. Hunter, a darkly charming vampire with more charisma than is good for him, decides Nate is just what he needs. Nate’s sympathetic nature and skill in the bedroom are put to the ultimate test. But Hunter wants Nate for someone else – his brother, Ben. Nate is immediately attracted by the control with which Ben holds his sensitive nature in force. Too afraid of becoming a monster to allow himself to feel, Ben struggles to resist Nate’s generosity of emotion. As a vindictive necromancer makes Ben his target of revenge, Nate discovers that making people feel good doesn’t compare to making Ben feel. As Nate’s normal world crumbles around him, and he desp

Barnabus’s nephew is behaving oddly. Calling upon Doctor Humphrey for assistance has not been particularly helpful, because the good doctor’s diagnosis of demonic possession is clearly preposterous. Even the demon currently ensconced on the front room couch agrees it’s preposterous. But then, how else to explain the portal to another world through which his nephew and Humphrey have just now disappeared? Barnabus knows their only chance of rescue is for Barnabus J. Wildebear himself to step up and go through that portal. Thus begins an existential romp across space and time, trampling on Barnabus’ assumptions about causality, freewill, identity, good and evil. Can Barnabus save his nephew—and incidentally, all of humanity? Joe Mahoney works full-time for the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, where he’s helped make many radio shows over the years, including Writers and Company, Quirks and Quarks, and Q. He’s produced documentaries on science fiction for The Arts Tonight and The Current. He produced Six Impossi

Welcome to The Coffee Shop, on the menu today, we have an extended conversation about writing. A panel of five writers gathered around our favorite table addressed “Whats Really Wise in Conventional Writing Wisdom,” with advice gleaned from years of experience writing and marketing their work. Many of their lessons apply to new writers and multi-book authors alike.Joining us are:- Emily Carpenter (http://emilycarpenterauthor.com/), Amazon best-selling author of threesuspense novels: BURYING THE HONEYSUCKLE GIRLS, THE WEIGHT OF LIESand the upcoming EVERY SINGLE SECRET, which is coming out May 1, 2018.- Ellie Jordan (http://elliedecker.com/), writer and actress, who has developed screenplaysand appears in numerous films and TV shows, including THE WALKING DEAD.- JD Jordan (http://www.o-jd.com/), the author of the sci-fi Western CALAMITY, whichhe is now developing for television in collaboration with a production company.- Chris Negron (https://chrisnegron.com/), whose short fiction has appeared in a dozenonlin

Nick Reese wakes from a 3-year coma to find the world he once knew is gone. An ancient virus has infected two-thirds of the world's population, turning humans into either incredibly intelligent super-humans or large and indestructible animalistic creatures. For the survivors there is no government, no antidote, and no safety. With the help of a beautiful hematologist named Faith and a man they call the Commander, Nick must survive long enough to discover the origin of the virus and learn how his blood could hold the key to a cure. But he has to do it while being hunted by the infected. And failure means the extinction of the human race.

What starts as a search for a decorative Buddha statuette leads one woman on a spiritual journey that will change everything.Marla lives the good life in Los Angeles—house, pool, her own business helping Cupid find love for LA’s most discriminating singles. Her handsome and ardent hubby Adolfo performs at an exclusive steak house in Beverly Hills. He tends to scoff at Marla’s green juice, vegan diet, yoga, and daily affirmations and can be a teensy bit of a control freak.A discarded Buddha statuette that Adolfo suddenly can’t live without sends Marla searching through New Age boutiques along with her skeptical friend Julie. They are soon schooled by a charismatic “Goddess,” delving ever deeper into self-realization, conversations with angels, pendulums, candle “Magick,” Reiki, crystal healing, and more. Attend a Hindu Bajan? Sure. Orgasmic Meditation? (Wait, what…?) Maybe not that one.Growing in her spirituality, yet exceedingly frustrated with some of her persnickety clientele—aging men who see themselves as

To save his family-and the free world-Red Harmon is back in the line of fire . . .A sinister enemy is stalking elite military operator Red Harmon and his loved ones. Turning the hunter into his prey, Red uncovers a plot that spans nations and draws him into the remote snow-covered ravines of North Korea. His objective: penetrate the darkest prisons of this mysterious nation to restore national security-and save all he holds dear.Caught in the danger . . .Red's not the only one who's been living with secrets. His wife Lori is a lot more than the typical suburban soccer mom she appears to be, and she's stumbled onto something massive. The future of world peace depends on them-and on an enemy soldier with a powerful personal agenda. If Red's mission fails, the balance of superpowers may never recover . . .

Lee St. John confesses, “In my defense, I was left unsupervised.” She may not show restraint but you have to give her credit, at least she knows herself. A mayhem confessor, St. John’s SHE’S A KEEPER! series is a tell-all about mothers, husbands, boyfriends, children, friends, jobs, families, students, acquaintances, and HERSELF! No one is off-limits. Lee finds her mementos of high-jinx in her closet, attic, basement, and her former classroom. These keepsakes explode into stories she shouldn’t tell, but does. A rogue Southern Belle, she was brought up to behave better but she just can’t help herself. Bless her heart.Females in her generation will understand when she shares and reminisces about these reminders found inSHE’S A KEEPER! ~ Confessions from a Southern Girl’s ClosetSHE’S A KEEPER! ~ Anecdotes from a Southern Girl’s AtticSHE’S A KEEPER! ~Bombshells from a Southern Girl’s BasementSHE’S A KEEPER! ~ Compositions from a Southern Girl’s Classroom - This book is written by teachers, for teachers, abou

A princess with nothing left to lose is a dangerous thing.Princess Elyra Ballantyne has lost everything important to her—her father, her position, her freedom, and the one she loves. As rebellion festers beneath the city walls, and corruption spreads throughout the palace, she’s left with two choices: accept Minister General Pantone’s rule or rise up, learn to fight, and take back her countryAmanda J. Clay is a writing YA and Adult fiction from Dallas, TX. A Northern California native, she had a fantastic time studying English and Journalism in the foothills of the beautiful Sierra Nevadas and then a very serious time slaving away for a Master’s degree in sunny Southern California. When she’s not staring at a computer screen, she spends most of her spare time on some new fitness addiction and plotting world adventures.

After years of war between Montelair and Septa, the two thrones are united by family. Victor's nephew, Morgan, is sharing the throne with the last heir of the royal line, Jacob. He and Lenore decide to travel o Montelair with their newborn daughters to help broker peace.But peace among their own people is harder to achieve. The city is tormented by a terrorist who calls himself The Tinker. He and his group of anarchists plant bombs through the city and call for the death of the new kings from every street corner.Meanwhile in Calistar, Sultiana and Devon are marching to war with Kussier. The ancient hatred between the two countries is sprung anew when Sultiana is declared heir to the Calistar throne.Waiting at the border, though, is a much darker enemy. A force from legend threatens to consume both countries, and possibly the world. I'm a speculative fiction writer. That means I write about dragons, ghosts, and space. Sometimes about ghosts of dragons in space. I write a fantasy series called Woven and a Scien

A World Apart blurbBen Griers is the darling of Corinth Georgia’s Police Department—intelligent, handsome, and hardworking. Thanks to his beautiful wife and clever daughter, Ben’s family is the envy of the town. Yet desperate unhappiness is hiding just below the surface.When Donnie Saunders, a deadbeat redneck with a temper, is brought to the Corinth PD as a suspect in a hit-and-run, Ben finds himself surprisingly intrigued by the man. He quickly establishes Donnie’s innocence but can’t shake the feeling that Donnie is hiding something. When they unexpectedly encounter each other again at an AA meeting in Atlanta, sparks begin to fly.With his marriage on the verge of collapse, Ben is grateful for the other man’s affection. But he is soon struggling to help an increasingly vulnerable Donnie, while at the same time having to deal with the upheaval in his own life. Ben eventually realizes that they cannot achieve happiness together unless they confront their darkest secrets.Mel Gough bioMel was born in Germany,

A work of magical realism, the Cursed Hat tells the story of Jewish hatmakers threatened by a veil-wearing Nazi known as the “stealer of faces” who must use the god Hermes’ fabled hat to teleport out of Germany during Kristallnacht. They won’t be safer in America, however, until they break the curse that has trapped them in the hat business for sixteen centuries. Set against the backdrop of the Jazz Age, Nazi Germany, and World War II Detroit, the novel is a fantastical family saga about the fluidity of tradition, faith, and identity.Catherine Bell, author of Rush of Shadows (winner of the Washington Writers’ Publishing House 2014 Fiction Prize), called the story “[i]ncredible, overwhelming, compelling.” Terence Hawkins, author of American Neolithic (named one of the Best Indie Books of 2014 by Kirkus Reviews), says, “This is an amazing debut novel—wildly imaginative, powerfully written, funny, and deeply humane.”When not wearing my fiction writer hat, I practice consumer protection law in Washington, D.C. Re

For 20 years, wealthy socialite Eva Dennehy has borne the guilt of murdering her first husband Charlie, who was planning to leave her for his mistress.When Eva is offered the opportunity to travel back in time, and undo her crime as penance, she accepts – what does she have to lose? Back in her old life with Charlie, her passion for him surpassed only by her torment at his infidelity, she is more determined than ever to prevent him from leaving her.But her plan plunges her into a world of crime and depravity, and she soon discovers she has even more to lose this time around. Robin Storey is an indie author from the beautiful Sunshine Coast in Queensland, Australia. She is the author of 6 books so far, most in the crime/suspense genre, with many more to come. She is a certified book nerd and is useful to have on your team on trivia nights for literary questions, but not much else. When she is not writing or reading, she loves hiking (she did the Camino de Santiago in 2016) and chilling out at the beach.

Across the Potomac River from Washington D.C. lies this nation's sacred of grounds, Arlington National Cemetery, where some of our nation's finest form as far back as the Revolutionary War are buried. Over 310,000 men and women call Arlington their final resting place - from Presidents, honored statesmen, explorers, and literary figures to the common soldier and sailor along with 3,800 former slaves. Their stories beg to be heard- stories of courage against insurmountable odds, of love of brother and country, and of sacrifice. Stories of hope, faith and dreams on choices made during adversity.In this often heart-wrenching, often inspirational anthology, see how these noble souls , whether generals or slaves, influenced the world in which they lived . Their stories are still with us, bidding us to think of life, not death... a life to which , in their youth, they lent the passion and joy of spring.A Native Californian , Ron MacDonald had been an accomplished and published photographer for over 20 years. While

Single mom Kate Michaels wants nothing more than to continue providing ahappy, stable life for her daughter, Chelsea. Until, after thirteen years, theimminent return of her college sweetheart tilts Kate’s world on its axis. Thethought of seeing Travis Cooper again sets her pulse racing—and not onlybecause he reignites the flames that once burned too hot for them. What willhappen when he discovers her secret?A realistic dream involving his recently deceased Army buddy sends Travison a journey back to Kentucky looking for answers that have gnawed at himsince his college sweetheart, Katie, sent him packing. The military-preciseconfrontation he’d planned evaporates as soon as he lays eyes on her. Will hefind it in his heart to forgive and understand?Can the spirits of his buddy and her father right some wrongs and help Kateand Travis overcome the past when the truth that could make everythingright is the same one that could destroy everything they hold dear?

"You have unknowingly been helping private investigators and others track your every move. This is your "How NOT To" manual helping you take back your privacy. Judi Sheeks, a private investigator for over two decades, shares some of her real life cases and lets you know just how she tracked down people all over the globe - and how they inadvertently helped her find them. A quick, easy and revealing read with some important lessons on how to stay safe in this digital age."Judi Sheeks is one of the most sought after and prolific private investigators in the country. She's been honing her craft for over two decades. Her success rate in "finding the unfindable" is unmatched. In this book, she chronicles some of her toughest, most interesting and sometimes amusing, cases. It’s also a modern cautionary tale on the risks and dangers of the Internet and how it’s a menace to your personal privacy.Judi is on Twitter (@Judianna), and blogs at JudiannaBlog.com and my pieces have appeared in The Federalist, New Americana

ASTER FINLAY AND THE GREAT ELAN by Karen Ann WirtzAfter living the nomadic lifestyle of a military child, Aster Finlay’s father retires and her family settles down into a more “normal” life; however, when Aster discovers she can communicate with animals, she realizes her life is going to be anything but normal.Karen Ann Wirtz -For as long as she can remember Karen Ann Wirtz has loved to tell stories. Her third-grade teacher, Mary Matuzak, inspired her and believed in her talent for writing a good story. Karen has always loved to write poetry and short stories for the fun and entertainment of those close to her. Now she is excited to share her stories with more readers. When she’s not wrapped up in her imagination; she enjoys spending time with her husband, three wonderful children, and two rescue dogs in Medina, Ohio.

Janet Wright left tiny Graylee, Georgia at five, when her mother fled a destructive marriage. Now forty and reinventing herself after a failed engagement, Janet returns as the sole inheritor of her recently murdered father’s valuable estate. Life should be easy, but she can’t resist pulling at the threads of the apparently open-and-shut case. Before long, she finds herself tangled in Graylee’s web of secrets, lies, and scandals—and in fear for her own life.George Weinstein is the author of the historical novel and book club favorite Hardscrabble Road; the novel of forgotten U.S. history The Five Destinies of Carlos Moreno; the contemporary romance The Caretaker; and the mystery Aftermath, as well as the children's adventure novel Jake and the Tiger Flight. His work also has been published in the Atlanta press and in regional and national anthologies, including A Cup of Comfort for Writers. George is the former President of the Atlanta Writers Club and has helped over two thousand writers on their quest for pu