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Saturday, April 11, 2026

Lila’s Journey

Historical Fiction

Date Published: 05-19-2024

Publisher: Mustard Seed Press

It’s 1866 on the Santa Fe Trail. Sixteen-year-old Lila Bonner is forced to make a life-changing decision that leaves her frightened and alone. With help from a kindhearted stranger, Lila reaches Council Grove, Kansas, where she hopes to build a new life. Fortified with determination, and tapping into a strength she didn't know she had, Lila deals with basic survival, Indian unrest, and an epidemic. As she develops into a wise, capable young woman, an unspeakably evil plot threatens her life as well as a blossoming romance. Her fate hangs in the balance between the person who betrayed her, the man she loves, and the woman she's become.

Excerpt from Lila’s Journey

She kept up a brisk pace through the wooded path as the sun peaked in and out of the clouds, shifting the shadows of the trees. Some of the trees had shed their leaves, but the mighty oaks still clung to theirs, and they rattled in the breeze. She kept her arms under her cloak for warmth but slowed momentarily when the sound of the rattling changed. She did a quick turnaround but saw nothing. “Must have been some critter scampering about,” she said, and picked up her pace again.

It happened so fast it scarcely registered.

Large hands overpowered her and grabbed her from behind, one covered her mouth, the other circled her waist. A surge of adrenaline triggered a painful heartbeat in her chest. She screamed through the clamped hand, but the sound was choked off. Lila struggled to free her arms from inside her cloak while she wildly kicked backwards. The harder she fought, the fiercer the grip. Lila raised her leg and shot it backwards again, this time hitting a shin. A rough voice cursed in her ear.

She was lifted off her feet and shoved against a tree, snapping the side of her head against the trunk. Pain shot through her head. Dazed, she made a feeble attempt to grab the arms. A hand slapped hard against her face. Spots danced before her eyes with the disappearing daylight, then nothing.

When Lila came out of the fog of unconsciousness, she found herself in darkness. She was blindfolded. She was on a horse with someone sitting behind her, someone with unspeakable body odor whose breath reeked of whiskey. What was happening? Who has done this? She had a throbbing headache, made worse with each step of the horse over the uneven ground.

Reaching for her head, she realized her hands were bound together. Why am I tied up? This makes no sense. She was a captive and there was nothing she could do to give herself any advantage. The realization sent her into a frenzy of fear, and tears swelled under her blindfold. Dear God, what am I to do?

Now fully awake, her heart pounded as she tried to clear her head. She had no idea how long she’d been unconscious, no idea where she was, no idea who sat behind her in the saddle. She shuddered to think who her captor was and what he had in mind.

About the Author

Award winning author Jane Coletti Perry’s second novel, Lila’s Journey, will be released summer 2024. Her short story “Lila’s Song” won Women Writing the West LAURA Award (2021) and is the prequel to Lila’s Journey. Her previous historical fiction novel, Marcello’s Promise (2019), was inspired by her family’s immigrant story. She loves nothing more than digging into history and discovering unique stories unless it’s bringing those stories to life through writing. An English major, Perry graduated from Iowa State University and participates in writer’s workshops, conferences, and local writing groups.

When she’s not writing, Jane is singing in a choir, exercising in some fashion, or soaking up nature from a shady spot in the yard with a good book. She and her husband live in Kansas and have two children and six grandchildren. She treasures time spent with their far-flung family and still entertains the fantasy of appearing on Dancing with the Stars for Grandmas, although the clock is ticking. . .

Jane is a member of Women Writing the West, Western Writers of America, and Wyoming Writers, Inc.

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A Waltz Across Time

Historical Fiction with Speculative elements

Date Published: January 7, 2026

Publisher: Mindstir Media

A WALTZ ACROSS TIME spans 500 years of New Mexico's history, inspired by family ancestral records and lore; interweaving a contemporary ghost story, bibliomystery and romance with fictionalized accounts of ordinary people navigating extraordinary times.

Lucinda, a clairvoyant Santa Fe bookstore owner, promises the ghost of a one-eyed Marine she will return his family's 500-year-old Spanish Bible to his descendant and rightful heir, using clues stashed within its pages to guide her search.

Each clue opens a window to the lives and loves of Franciscans and Indigenous peoples, Spanish-Mexican colonials, mixed-race settlers creating adobe homesteads and fighting slavery with the Union Army, forbidden lovers eloping amidst a hail of bullets, midnight fugitives being quietly fed, and WWII soldiers prevailing over devastating injuries. But Lucinda's search for the Bible's heir goes dark with the plight of a Marine who lost an eye at Okinawa and imagined a raven-haired angel just before his world, too, went dark. How can she trace the thread of his life to the present day and keep her promise without losing sight of her own hopes and dreams?

Praise for A Waltz Across Time

"Complete perfection word by word. Your interpersonal dialogue among the characters seems so real as to almost have been recorded on tape as it occurred. This book has great pathos, as well as hopefulness." - Reg Olson

"... a historical novel blended with adventure, romance, mystery, suspense, and a paranormal touch ... Jiron interweaves two stories: a modern-day romance and the history of New Mexico from the fifteenth to the twentieth century...Through well-researched historical exposition and cinematic depictions...The prose effortlessly shifts between historical times and the contemporary era. " - K.Mbuya (Readers' Favorite)

About the Author

I am a Midwesterner from America’s corn belt, but have lived in 7 states (18 different cities) and Austria. As a travel agent and tour operator, I got my first chance to do creative writing in the form of travel brochures for places I'd never been:). Eleven years with Hughes AirWest/Republic/Northwest airlines were fun because aircraft had actual legroom back then (!) and I also worked as a recruiter. But after too many "dumb stewardess" jokes, I earned my Ph.D. in Clinical Neuropsychology and worked with neurodivergent individuals of all ages in many settings (clinical and educational) for 20 years, which involved writing detailed clinical assessment results and treatment programs. All of that culminated in my first published book, "Brainstorming: Using Neuropsychology in the Schools." Anthony Girard at Western Psychological Services taught me the priceless value of a good editor:).

But the most fun career I ever had was running elementary school libraries for 6 years! I redesigned the physical setup to display kids' book covers facing out at their eye level, and developed a curriculum that allowed for coaching cognitive and social skills through read-aloud. After six years, students' scores on standardized reading tests improved significantly, and I keep a basket of Thank You cards from parents who said Library was their child's "favorite class."

During those years, writing time was scarce, but I enjoyed a one-month writers' retreat at Vermont Studio Center in 2014, where I drafted a family drama/speculative fiction then titled "The Well," which won the 2015 Chanticleer Paranormal Award, and was a Finalist for the 2015 Indie Book Award (since then updated and retitled, "Voices from the Well.")

After retiring in 2017, I was able to garner enough concentrated time to work on the five stories that had been cavorting in my head for years. A Waltz Across Time was one of those books. I also authored a spiritually-oriented self-help book, "Living the Real Tree of Life," and collaborated on two plant medicine books with a 2-tour Iraq war veteran turned ayahuasca healer, Drew Bankey.

On a more personal level, due to a mild spinal curvature, I started doing yoga at age 16 and have practiced several different styles, but focused on Kundalini yoga for the past 40 years. I've taught that practice in a variety of settings, including churches, recreation centers, and a maximum security prison. My husband and I currently reside in wondrous New Mexico, where the skies are a panorama every moment.

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Friday, April 10, 2026

To Die For

Young Adult

Date Published: April 10th 2026

Publisher: Acorn Publishing

To Die For is a harrowing look into the life of a narcissist who refuses to take accountability for the damage she inflicts.

High school senior Dei Fields appears completely harmless, but she has a keen instinct for manipulation. When she first sets eyes on hot star athlete Mika St. John, she’s determined to have him … and Dei always gets what she wants. There are only three obstacles: Mika’s friends, his family, and his girlfriend. But Dei isn’t afraid to destroy relationships to satisfy her fantasies.

In a matter of weeks, she love-bombs Mika into thinking he has found his soulmate, but when Dei’s plans go awry, everything changes—including her identity. Will Dei get what she wants this time? Or will she finally get what she deserves?

About the Author

Audrey Steidl is the award-winning author of the romantic thriller The Fallen. Her passion for storytelling began at an early age when she wrote scripts and performed them with her neighborhood friends in full costume and makeup. This love blossomed into a career as an actress and as a producer for cable television.

Now, when she’s not writing page-turners, Audrey is a hotel travel executive, a pilates fiend, and a lover of travel and art. A long-time San Diego resident, she shares her home with her husband Jamie and their mischievous Pomeranian Loki. Her latest novel, To Die For, is inspired by those who have the courage to walk away from narcissists and emotionally abusive relationships.

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Thursday, April 9, 2026

Flight of the Valkyrie

Science Fiction, Techno-thriller

Date Published: 03/01/2026

Book 1 of the Asatru Saga

Onboard the International Space Station, Naval Astronaut Claire McFadden is enjoying another routine mission in space when an unexpected explosion cripples the station. With one of her crewmates dead and the station quickly losing altitude, she struggles to bring it under control and buy the crew time until rescue hopefully can come. Unfortunately, NASA does not have a manned spacecraft to reach them, and the other international space agencies cannot or will not help, leaving the crew stranded.

With the station coming dangerously close to a fiery reentry, her old love and fellow former Navy pilot, Steve Paige, offers a radical and risky solution. The company he works for as a test pilot is developing a next-generation spacecraft, the Valkyrie. However, Steve is conflicted about his motive for volunteering for the mission. Is it duty to fellow astronauts or lingering emotions for Claire?

As NASA and the U.S. State Department scramble for a solution, Claire investigates what caused the improbable accident. She learns of a sinister plot to use the ISS as a retaliatory weapon aimed at Washington, D.C. This compels her to try to piece together who and how the station was sabotaged before it is too late.

The people behind the attack will stop at nothing to keep the identity of the culprit a secret. Even if someone can save her and the crew, Claire is the only one who knows what really happened, making her the target of an international assassin. The stakes are high as all parties understand that the incident could spark World War III.

About the Author

Curtis Smith blends his expertise in physics, engineering, and robotics to craft science fiction novels grounded in reality, inviting readers into a world where technology meets imagination. This hub fosters vibrant discussions among readers and writers alike, celebrating the art of storytelling rooted in true science.

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Wednesday, April 8, 2026

Unbroken: Life Outside the Lines

Trauma Memoir

Date Published: February 10, 2026

Publisher: Unbroken

“Unbroken: Life Outside the Lines” plunges you into Adriene Caldwell’s childhood—a world of grinding poverty, mental illness, and violence—then lifts you back out on a fierce up‑draft of resilience. Page after page, she peels back the polite veneer of society to reveal the systemic betrayals that let children like her slip through every safety net, yet she never relinquishes the fragile ember of hope that keeps her alive. Her voice is unflinchingly honest—at turns raw, lyrical, and darkly humorous—as she chronicles the horrors she endured and the instinct that urged her to fight for her little brother, and for herself, when no one else would. By the final chapter, you will understand why she can say, without irony, “We are not defined by our damage… We are Unbroken,” and you will close the book convinced that survival, in her hands, is its own quietly triumphant art form.

About the Author

Adriene Caldwell is an author and advocate from Houston, Texas. Her memoir, Unbroken: Life Outside the Lines, traces the quiet aftermath of childhood trauma and the long arc of healing. Through writing, talks, and UnbrokenCaldwell.com, she champions hope, resilience, and storytelling as tools for recovery.

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Tuesday, April 7, 2026

A Cowboy’s Dilemma

Western Historical Fiction

Date Published: 08-19-2025

Publisher: Artemesia Publishing, LLC

As the Kelly Can Saga continues, Charlie and his wife, Susan, must deal with continued conflict as they attempt to grow their fledgling Kelly Oil Company. Like many other oilmen, Charlie and his partner, Hank Thomas, want to acquire oil and mineral rights to the Osage Nation’s land in northern Oklahoma. This leads them to confrontations with an adversary from their recent past. Susan’s life is imperiled by those evil characters. How will her cowboy come to her rescue and deal with dangerous direct threats on their lives? Charlie rapidly steps up to the challenge as any past Top Hand at the world-famous Miller’s 101 Ranch would.

About the Author

E. Joe Brown is an award-winning author of novels, short stories, and memoirs. His current projects include a series of historical fiction novels set in his native Oklahoma. Publication of the first book in the series is scheduled for August 2022. His memoir ‘Mickey and Me’ about meeting his hero, Mickey Mantle, is now featured in the National Baseball Hall of Fame. Joe currently serves as President of New Mexico Westerners, an Advisor to the SWW Board of Directors, and is a member of Western Writers of America and Military Writers Society of America.

He supports his love of music and performance through active membership in the International Western Music Association. He served on the organization’s board of directors for three years. In 2013, Governor Susanna Martinez appointed him a New Mexico Music Commissioner.

Veterans Portrait Project, Military, USAF

Photo Courtesy of
Stacy Pearsall's
Veterans Portrait Project

Joe concluded his lifetime military and civil service careers upon retirement on June 30, 2010. An exciting multi-faceted career of firsts included leading the USAF Range Instrumentation Team to aid the original NASA Space Shuttle program. His team helped create the Shuttle Worldwide Network and supported the first six missions of Space Shuttle Columbia. As the Air Force Flight Test Center Project Manager, he guided the design, construction, and implementation of the Benefield Anechoic Facility on Edwards AFB. The facility tests state-of-the-art electronic warfare systems in a secure environment. His final assignment was in direct support of the two-star Major General at Edwards AFB where he advised on strategic planning to assure future readiness to test USAF and Department of Defense weapons systems.

An alumnus of the Oklahoma State University College of Engineering, Joe continued his engineering education during both his military and civil service careers. He completed coursework at the University of Colorado, Georgia Institute of Technology, George Washington University, University of Tennessee, Chapman University, and the University of California at Los Angeles. He later completed a BS in Business Management at Phoenix University and the Executive MBA program with a Strategic Planning emphasis from Webster University.

Joe has been married to his wife Linda for over fifty years, and their sons have given them five beautiful grandchildren.

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