When June Haunts May The Haunting of Pinedale High #10 by Celaine Charles Genre: Cozy YA Paranormal Ghost Story

 

 

One visible spirit.

Two phantom thieves.

Three courageous friends.

When June Haunts May

The Haunting of Pinedale High #10

by Celaine Charles

Genre: Cozy YA Paranormal Ghost Story

June Brookes has haunted the library at Pinedale High for decades, without attention. Until one day, new sophomore, May Blakely, notices. Could this be June’s chance to cross over to the hereafter? If only she knew what needed to be finished from her old life.

Angsty May prefers solitude. Her deadbeat dad may have ditched her in this small town, but she has no interest befriending this strange girl, or the cute boy across the street.

June’s hereafter hustle goes haywire when two phantom soldiers plot to hijack her passage to peace, at the expense of hurting fellow students. June saves May’s life, igniting their joint efforts to protect the school. Can May help June to her happily ever afterlife?

  

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“Have you ever seen her in a class?”

What was he getting at? “We don’t have any classes together. But I don’t have any classes with you either.”

“Okay, so how about the fact that she was cold as ice when I touched her shoulder?”

The chills she’d sensed from June had felt like relief in the blazing sun, but she had noticed them. “What are you saying?”

Reid pulled her underneath a yellowing oak in an empty yard. Ignoring her look of annoyance, he glanced over his shoulders before whispering low and close to her ear. “Did you know Pinedale High is haunted?”

First the woods and now the whole school? May stepped back, hands up in feigned surrender. “Okay-okay, I get it. Prank the new kid. You know, I’m sorry I even thought about checking in on you. I don’t have time for this.” She about-faced and strode down the sidewalk without him.

“Wait, what? I’m not pranking you.” He caught up in only a few strides, his long legs veering her off to the side. “Please, hear me out.”

May’s mind flipped through any example of a high school boy wanting her to hear him out. This had to be a trick. “No, you listen to me. I’ve been the new girl far too many times than I care to count. And I get it. I’m easy prey…perhaps even a challenge.” She thumped him in his too-close-to-her chest. “But I’m not playing.”

“I think June’s a ghost. I’m not kidding or pranking you. And I need you to listen.”

Flashes of her strange interactions with her new friend…if she could even call her that…flickered through May’s mind. They’d only known each other for a couple of days, but she had sensed something off.

She turned away from him, trying to put everything together. Bouts of June’s chilliness, yes. But earlier, it had been strange how fast she’d flown down the spectator stands. Before that, she struggled to push open the main school doors.

May had attributed June’s glossy hollow eyes to the lighting, but maybe it was because of something else. She closed her own eyes for clarity, kicking her foot into the grass. Maybe allergies?

She tucked her hair behind her ear, running the strands between her fingers as more details registered. June’s peculiar way of speaking was odd, and her clothes that first day, like a blast from the past. She was still wearing her penny loafers…with pennies inside.

May dropped her backpack, shook her head at Reid, who was waiting for her to process. But her brain wasn’t cooperating. “Ghosts?” The word spat off her tongue like she’d swallowed a flick of her cat’s tail.

“I know I sound insane. I’m not. I promise.” He glimpsed her with creamy brown eyes. They were the color of Great-Grandma’s sweet tea, and she was overheating inside and out, ready for a tall glass.

“Is this why you’ve been crying at the pond during lunch?”

“What?” His face scrunched, cheeks burning past the eighty-degree temperature outside to a brighter shade of full-blown embarrassment. “No. I mean—I’m not crying at the pond. What are you talking about?”

“What are you talking about?”

They stood at an impasse, shock etching along both their eyebrows and drawn lips. Her mind raced for something to say, and if she had to guess, he was in the same boat.

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Celaine Charles lives in the enchanted Pacific Northwest, teaching elementary school by day and writing by the stars at night. She’s an award-winning, multi-genre author who balances her dual life creating poetry, fantasy, and contemporary romance shorts, while blogging about her journey on Steps in Between. In addition, she’s embarking on the world of children’s picture books.

She’s published collections of poetry through Egret Lake Books and Palmetto Publishing Group, and fiction through The Wild Rose Press and Eliza Storm Books.

Celaine is a member of the Pacific Northwest Writers Association, Storyteller Academy, Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators, and reads poetry regularly with the Museum of Northwest Art, Writing’s on the Wall series.

 

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The Art of War

  

Rewritten and Modernized for Psychological Combat 

Self-help, Psychology

Date Published: April 9, 2026

Manipulation has become a method of warfare. Gaslighting, triangulation, and psychological pressure are now tools of control. This book teaches how to recognize them and remain composed under attack. Written in the style of Sun Tzu’s original work, this book carries the discipline of ancient strategy into the unseen arena of psychological conflict. War has changed its form, not its nature. It no longer arrives only with force, but with influence, distortion, and control. Shuai-jan Change preserves the structure of the original Art of War while directing its essence toward these modern forms of conflict. This work is grounded in lived experience as well as study. Having endured emotional and psychological abuse, the author chose not to be defined by it. Through discipline and deliberate effort, that experience was transformed into survivorship and self-command. Strategy is not used to dominate, but to prevent defeat before it occurs. The aim is to recognize manipulation without surrendering principle, and to maintain control where others seek to take it. This is not a book of open war. It is a practical guide for those who encounter manipulation without warning and intend to remain steady, aware, and unbroken.

 

Also by Shuai-jan Change

The Art of War: Two Traditions: The Original Text by Sun Tzu and a Modern Rendering for Psychological Combat

 

Manipulation has become a method of warfare. Gaslighting, triangulation, and psychological pressure are now tools of control. This volume teaches how to recognize them and remain composed under attack. This edition presents The Art of War in two forms. The first is the original text attributed to Sun Tzu, translated by Lionel Giles and preserved in its classical structure. The second is a modern rendering by Shuai-jan Change, written in the same disciplined style and directed toward the realities of contemporary psychological conflict. War has changed its form, not its nature. It no longer arrives only with force, but with influence, distortion, and control. These days, the adversary advances with toxic thinking, employing tactics such as gaslighting, triangulation, love bombing, character assassination, and calculated victimhood. The modern rendering is grounded in lived experience as well as study. Having endured emotional and psychological abuse, the author chose not to be defined by it. Through discipline and deliberate effort, that experience was transformed into survivorship and self-command. Across both works, the principles of strategy remain constant, but the terrain has shifted. The structure is preserved. The discipline remains. The interpretation adapts. These are not books of aggression. They are studies in recognition, restraint, and self-command. To understand strategy in one age is to recognize it in all others.

 

https://www.amazon.com/Art-War-Traditions-Rendering-Psychological-ebook/dp/B0GX2HWPQN

 

About the Author

My name is Shuai-jan Change. I am the author of The Art of War: Rewritten and Modernized for Psychological Combat, a contemporary rendering of Sun Tzu’s classic focused on the unseen arenas of manipulation, coercion, and mental conflict.

Drawing from the style and structure of the original text, this work reframes ancient strategies for use in modern environments, where conflict unfolds not only through open confrontation but through distortion, pressure, and control of perception. This work is not written from theory alone. It is informed by lived experience. Having endured psychological and emotional abuse, I undertook a process of inner discipline to avoid adopting the same patterns of distortion, blame, and control. The objective was not to remain a victim; it was to avoid becoming what was opposed, to establish self-command, and to transform victimhood into survivorship. These writings are intended for those who seek to maintain composure under pressure, recognize manipulative tactics, and preserve their peace of mind without surrendering principle. The objective is not domination, but self-command. My literary work centers on psychological combat as it unfolds across professional, personal, and digital arenas, offering a disciplined approach to strategy, boundaries, and internal stability in an age of dysfunction and constant chaos.

 

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Trust Issues

 

Why Traditional Estate Planning Has Failed Us and What To Do About It

Nonfiction, Self-Help

Date Published: December 9, 2025

Publisher: Elite Online Publishing

What do the ultra-wealthy know about protecting their fortunes that most people never learn?

In Trust Issues, veteran estate planning attorney Rick Durfee pulls back the curtain on the legal tools and legacy strategies the affluent quietly use to safeguard their assets, slash taxes, and keep wealth in the family for generations, with control, clarity, and confidence.

This isn’t theory. It’s a field-tested playbook built from decades of helping high-net-worth individuals, business owners, and family offices create dynasty plans that actually work in the real world.

Whether you're a successful entrepreneur, investor, or professional advisor, you’ll discover how to:

• Use trusts to avoid probate and dictate how wealth is used, even long after you’re gone.
• Set up business entities (like LLCs and FLPs) that shield assets from lawsuits and creditors.
• Build a dynasty trust designed to preserve family wealth for 100+ years.
• Legally minimize estate and gift taxes.
• Sidestep the most common (and costly) estate planning mistakes.
• Empower your children and grandchildren with wealth, without fueling entitlement or dependency.

Durfee’s approach is ethical, practical, and grounded in a simple belief: wealth should serve your family’s deepest values, not just their lifestyle.

If you’re serious about protecting what you’ve built, Trust Issues is your roadmap to a lasting legacy, on your terms.

 

 

About the Author

 

Rick Durfee is the founder and senior attorney at Durfee Law Group PLLC, based in Mesa, Arizona. Practicing law since 1988, Rick is nationally recognized for his expertise in estate planning, asset protection, and multi-generational wealth preservation. His firm serves clients across the United States, helping families “Live Well, Leave a Legacy™” through comprehensive and enduring legal strategies.

A frequent speaker at national events and author of Trust Issues: Why Traditional Estate Planning is Failing and What to Do About It, Rick combines deep legal knowledge with a family-centered philosophy rooted in his background as a former professor of world religions. He and his wife are the proud parents of eight children and seventeen grandchildren.

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Nightflower of Comanche Mound

  

Mystery, Suspense

Date Published: 06-17-2024

Publisher: Adventure & Quest, LLC

Her sixteenth birthday looming, Seattle urbanite Charley Kensey recklessly invites herself to her Pap’s West Texas sheep ranch—a man she’s never met, a man her mother has always distanced her from. If her dad were still around, he could’ve stopped her. Her mom can’t.

Pap is a hard and difficult man, and the Llano Estacado—the Texas Staked Plains—is every bit as hostile. Charley would turn right around and go home except for the mysterious horse that shows up on the ranch. Things quickly spiral out of control when Pap vows to shoot the blind animal she believes came to the ranch to be hers. Now she can’t leave—who’s going to stand in the way of Pap’s bullet?

Against his orders, Charley turns to local veterinarian Dr. Ben for information about the horse, but his harmless reminiscing over her mom dismantles everything Charley thought she knew of her family when he portrays a mother she doesn’t even recognize, and innocently exposes the secret that split her family apart. Charley is the only clueless party: “Everybody in this little town of Quitaque knows your mother’s business,” affirms veterinarian summer assistant, cowboy-crush Brett Littleton. Except for Brett, the summer would be lost.

When Pap’s savage anger turns violent, Charley and her horse bolt for the open plains and flee for the very place she’s been warned not to go.

 

Nightflower of Comanche Mound is a contemporary action-adventure thriller steeped in conflict, tension, and family dysfunction between three generations.

 

2025 Western Writers of America Spur Finalist – Young Adult Novel

2022 Writers League of Texas Manuscript Finalist – Young Adult Action-Adventure Thriller

 

Excerpt

The plane touched down in Lubbock a little after three in the afternoon. Jet engines shut down immediately so I felt the scorching afternoon heat before I ever stepped onto the Staked Plains. The passengers had all filed off, but I sat rigid in the upright seat, a cynical thought sweeping over me, not for the first time: I’d made a colossal mistake.

The flight attendant was eye-balling me. I checked my hair in a mirror, dotted on faint-pink lipstick Mom had warned me against bringing. Drawing a deep breath, I held it in, thinking it would help settle my jitters. Time to get this show on the road. Pap will be waiting. Or he won’t. Either way, I had nobody to blame but myself.

* * *

I spotted him through the glass barrier, hands clasped casually over an ample belly. We locked eyes as I rolled through the revolving door. Did he have a picture of me? My grip tightened on the cheap ten-dollar flute Mom had given me to practice; she was proud I took an interest in music, and wanted me to keep my lips stuck to a version of flute that was less to lose. It suddenly felt more a lifeline than a companion.

It’s not true that all people shrink when they get old. Pap stood straight and tall under a light-colored, broad-brimmed hat that rested low on his forehead just above white, bushy brows. Deep grooves ran around his mouth and down a chin he hadn’t bothered to shave.

I didn’t exactly expect a warm snuggle from him—Mom had prepared me for that. Still, deep down I couldn’t help thinking she might be wrong. I had imagined I would run and throw my arms around him and all my doubts would fly away when he pulled me into a tight squeeze.

Instead, we squared off and studied one another, eyes never wavering.

I stuck out my hand. “I’m Charley.”

Weight lifted from my shoulder as he took hold of my backpack. “Heck of a name for a girl.” With a quick nod to the long cement aisle, he said, “Go that way.”

I’d like to think he held out hope that he’d passed inspection, as did I.

 

About the Author

Katlyn Bates writes contemporary fiction for young adults. Her debut novel, Nightflower of Comanche Mound was named a 2025 Spur Finalist by Western Writers of America (WWA) in the Juvenile-Young Adult Fiction category. The recognition, along with multiple 5-Star book reviews from Readers’ Favorite, encouraged her to dust off old stuff she wrote just for fun, and look at them with fresh eyes.

Drawn to action and adventure that is grounded in real life, Katlyn finds inspiration in the wildness of the world around us. “Nature doesn’t care what we think. It’s wild and ferocious and unpredictable—a good reminder not to take ourselves too seriously. The downright ridiculous seems to call for a twist of humor. What I can’t see, I can imagine.”

Juggling family, work, and life, over the years Katlyn grasped whatever time she had available for a writing class when she could—poetry, creative, a bit of journalism. What she discovered was that stories come from deep within us…a moment. A memory. An experience or impression or dream. Only when they surface, can you add texture and color.

A late-bloomer by her own description, Katlyn’s writing kicked off when she joined Society of Children’s Book Writers & Illustrators (SCBWI), a community of like-minded people who selflessly share, uplift, and guide, one meeting at a time. “There’s so much to learn, just for the listening. Other writers energize me, challenge me to ‘say it better’. Everyone has a natural style, and it always amazes me how many ways there are to tell a story. From SCBWI to the Writers’ League of Texas (WLT)—where Nightflower of Comanche Mound was a 2022 Thriller/Action-Adventure Finalist in the Manuscript Contest—on to Western Writers of America and Women Writing the West (WWW), Katlyn has found that it’s networks of writers that encourage her “No matter what stage of writing skill, anyone, at any age, with a yearning to write should seek out others who love what you love. Don’t wait.”

A native Texan, Katlyn Bates lives near Dallas, TX, outside a small town that—like so many inter-connected communities, is quickly becoming absorbed by the sprawl. “As for me, it’s open skies and nature and landscape that frame a plot, and lend power to a story.”

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Bloomers on Pikes Peak

  

Children's Historical

Date Published: 10-21-2024

Publisher: Solander Press

The mountain stood tall, daring anyone to conquer its peak.

Julia Archibald Holmes was not one to back down from a challenge, especially when it meant fighting for justice. Her journey to the top of Pikes Peak was just the beginning of her many adventures. In the mid-1800s, amidst the rugged terrain of the Rocky Mountains, Julia Archibald Holmes set out to make a name for herself. Her life was a series of daring escapades, all in the name of justice. Her involvement in the Underground Railroad, a perilous journey fraught with risk, was a testament to her unwavering commitment. Her later advocacy for Women’s voting rights was a continuation of this fearless spirit.

However, as Julia's diary reveals, her journey was not without its challenges. From facing dangerous obstacles to overcoming personal setbacks, her unwavering commitment to justice would be tested. Julia’s story provides a powerful message of determination, courage, and resilience that will leave a lasting impact on readers.

 

Bloomers on Pikes Peak won a Will Rogers Medallion Award and was the finalist for the Women Writing the West Willa Award.

 

 

About the Author

Clarissa Willis is an award-winning author, consultant, and professional developmental specialist. She provides workshops, keynote addresses, and customized professional development both nationally and internationally. She writes early childhood curricula, teacher resource books, and books for children.

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Cain’s Chameleon

  

Historical Fiction Mystery Thriller

Date Published: 01-26-2026

Publisher: Bearss Lair Books

If the newspaper reported your death and no one questioned it, 

would you correct the mistake… or take the lifeline?

Dan Driscoll is consumed by gambling debt, cornered by bookies and loan sharks, forced to bet on one last scheme. When things turn violent and two people are shot, his best friend, Stan Neumann, swallows what he suspects. He can’t risk divulging a closely-held family secret.

Then a body washes up on the Lake Michigan shoreline, and the lake gives Dan what the bookies never would: a way out. Authorities call it an accident and list him as the drowning victim. For Dan, it’s an escape route delivered in black ink.

He becomes a ghost, an imposter, a chameleon. But lies don’t stay buried.

As America is pulled into World War II, Stan enlists, choosing duty on his terms before the draft can rewrite his life. In Pearl Harbor, one chance encounter dredges up a name he thought was long buried.

War changes everything, but it doesn’t erase unfinished business. And when the truth demands to be heard, how long can a stolen life stay buried before the past comes to collect?

Excerpt

Lucy wasn’t smiling like she used to when she folded her letter, slipped it into the envelope, sealed it with a kiss, and applied the three-cent stamp. Even the spring in her step lacked the zeal she typically exhibited during her walk to the post office. The words on the paper were true to her commitment. They spoke of the news from the home front, stories that helped Stan’s morale, and made sure her underlying message was being proud, supportive, and encouraging. The words wandering around in Lucy’s thoughts, however, were in stark contrast to this messaging.

Ever since Stan was assigned to the navy radar training school, Lucy had become more and more unsure in her belief that things would be okay. His work as an Aviation Machinists Mate stateside meant he was safe. And Minneapolis was relatively close to home. Being trained as a radarman for shipboard duties meant it was more likely he would be sent overseas into a combat zone. This caused a higher level of worry. Like everything else this war has put in short supply, her ration of optimism was slowly being depleted, and the resources for replenishing that reservoir were becoming scarce.

Her quandary was not letting Stan know about this foreboding, even though he was normally her most trusted sounding board. She tried to talk about this with her sister Millie. But Millie’s approach to these heartfelt struggles was to fix them, make them go away, or advise Lucy, “Try not to think about it.” This was not the type of support Lucy needed.

During her alone time, sitting staring out the window, the overwhelming emotion that prevailed over all others was that she really missed her husband. She now knew what being heartbroken felt like.

 

 

 While author Mark Bearss was setting the stage for his retirement, concerned co-workers would ask, “What are you going to do when you’re not working?” He found this question rather curious. It should have been posed, “What are you going to do first?” Mark knew that if travel was involved, he had had enough of commercial flights after 28 years of teaching for the medical device industry. Mark yearned for road trips – to visit those places he only saw from 38,000 feet. Little did he know that wish journeyed down an unexpected fork in the road. He would become an author.

While conducting genealogy research, Mark discovered archived de-classified military documents that revealed the name of a U.S. Navy destroyer his father served aboard during WWII. The reason this was a poignant discovery was because, while growing up in Grand Rapids, Michigan, his father made no mention of this. Apart from being a U.S. Naval Reserve flight instructor, he knew his father served aboard the carrier USS ESSEX. But in what capacity? That, too, was not revealed. More discoveries materialized the further he dug. In fact, there was a lot more his father didn’t mention. This wasn’t unusual. Many WWII veterans didn’t talk about what happened back then.

Because of the pandemic, the National Archives in St. Louis was closed and rendered Lt. Bearss’ military records unavailable. Thus began a project that challenged Mark’s research endeavors for over two years and about 5,000 miles on the road. The biographical sketch was sorted from creative Internet search strings, history books, navy publications, and networking with journalists, librarians, archivists, bloggers, aviation enthusiasts, museum and historical society curators, navy veterans, relatives, and more. One online resource that was instrumental in tracking his father’s journey was the weekly newspaper published in the county where his parents grew up: The Oceana Herald. It included a Local News section where family members and organizations could submit a short blurb about a relative’s visit, a social gathering, or – where a son or husband was currently stationed.

This project culminated in 2022 with Mark’s first publication titled, Undisclosed Stories Discovered: Honoring the World War II Military Journey of Lt. Joseph Ward Bearss, USNR. When asked what was one of the highlights surrounding this story, he described the road trips to seek out and discover places where his father lived, trained and was stationed during the war. What prompted him to write this as a biography took place during a meeting with the curator of the World War II Home Front Museum on St. Simons Island, Georgia. St. Simons Naval Air Station was the site for the U.S. Naval Radar Training Station, where Lt. Bearss was trained in shipboard radar operations, enemy interception, and Fighter Direction. While the museum had ample archived materials about the facility, it had very little documented about the servicemembers who trained there.

Only 250 copies were printed. Mark went back on the road in his Class-B motorhome and personally donated those copies to family members, friends and relatives, the librarians, archivists, researchers, museums, curators, historical societies, newspapers, The American Heritage Center, VFW Posts, airport FBOs, and other assorted WWII enthusiasts in 12 states who helped in his endeavors. It was a two-fold reward. Not only did his father’s story finally become told, Mark experienced the pleasure of meeting all these wonderful people who were his resources, advisors, collaborators, and consultants. Up until that point, they were only names in an email contact list.

You’re probably asking, “How is all this relevant to Mark’s new novel, Cain’s Chameleon?” It was the research from The Oceana Herald that planted the seed for this story. While perusing its issues, Mark stumbled on two articles that piqued his curiosity. The first reported an attempted murder in a home close to his family’s summer cottage on Lake Michigan. The second reported a drowning victim that washed up on the beach right where Mark and his friends used to play. Just two more stories never divulged while growing up. He wondered, Were these two events related? Then Mark decided — he would make them related.

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