Bio
Midwest Journal Press publishes popular new authors in most genres. Visit https://livesensical.com/book-series/fiction/ to see their latest releases.Genres
Blurbs
An entertaining, diverse set of stories with a nice hint of satire and intriguing perspectives!
This book cover and title certainly caught my attention. I love a unique mystery and this one fits the bill!
Love reading short stories and trying new authors!
I love the concept of the story. And the uniqueness of a world created out of the ordinary terrorist act. Cannot wait for others to read it.
Looking forward to reading this
What an intriguing premise!
Great to see some new short fiction!
Such a beautiful cover and amazing story!
This sounds really interesting!
This looks fun.
Free Book Giveaways
A Pandemic Survivors Omnibus
Pandemics have a way of showing up over and over.
All throughout our history. And there is no good time for them to appear.
And so writers have imagined all the different outcomes and what-if's to explore all the things that could happen, that might happen.
In these works, we see our options, the many possible decisions we can make. No matter if it's in distant history, in a foreign land, across town, or down the street.
These stories were written about the survivors. Some are gruesome, some just unsettling. Some modern, some classic. While its said that fiction is used to educate as well as entertain - here's hoping your choices in "real life" are less deadly than the one's you read about here...
Over 400 pages, 118,000 words.
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Two Ghosts Salvation - Section 05 - Preview
Preview copy only.
In the days when people were owned by the land, two young girls found their power by becoming ghosts, then spirit guides.
This is their origin-story...
Their Dad had to raise them by himself, as Mother died shortly after birthing them. But as a spirit, she remained on Earth to watch over them. Sal and Jude could see her, and knew their Dad could feel her presence.
Efforts to enter the forest, to exploit its abundant wild game, have all been turned away by supernatural events. Unexplained by locals except that it's "haunted."
The father of these two girls has been teaching them to care for the land and its creatures to maintain harmony and balance.
While their spirit mother has been teaching them other skills beyond human understanding, but easily grasped by the
Rise & Fall of President Frump by R. L. Saunders
Only a Frump could be elected in this modern age. Because no one trusted a man to get anything right anymore. The first female president fit the model, and this reporter was putting the pieces together on how she got elected.
She simply put a new approach to classic poltical ploys. The right gal at the rigth time.
All wasn't smooth sailing though...
With Bonus Short Stories:
The Integrity Implosions - A simple electronic circuit was developed that would detect anyone lying or skirting the truth by giving them the runs. And then it's circuit was released to the Internet and soon was mass produced to put into gag gifts. Of course, when these found their way to Congress...
The Chardonnay Conspiracy - Mrs. C_ was effectively limited to walking her woods and drinking Chardonnay while...
New Voices Vol. 005 Preview - Anthology by Marpel, Brower, Kruze, Saunders
PREVIEW: A collection of short stories from new voices - the breaking edge cross-currents of mystery, fantasy, science fiction, and romance.
Worlds new or perhaps re-visited - but only you will know if this is the stuff of dreams - or nightmares.
- Wolves that talk to nearly-extinct humans through their minds.
- Witches that not only represent the five elements, but also the five principles that can defeat all magic.
- Goddesses who have to work together to defeat a priestess who has mastered social media, and is threatening to use it to zombify the world.
- How an angel regained her lost wings by finding her true self.
- A female mechanical genius escapes her failure by learning the finer points of marketing (and its key single core basic.)
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A Romance Reader from New Voices
Being able to escape into the wonderful world of romance is always a pleasure.
This set of six short stories are an amusing way to find yourself into new worlds, with new lovers working out their difficulties and eventually end up with their happily-ever-after result.
Some are ghosts, some introspective writers, some CIA-government types, a couple of futurists, some socially disadvantaged, and a young couple with hidden abilities.
All in contemporary settings (for the most part) and perhaps something you can relate to (well, we can always want some superpowers, anyway.)
Lose yourself in these worlds and become young at heart again with these short reads to fit into any schedule...
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SF/Fantasy Reader by New Voices
New voices bring new ideas and new worlds to you in these six short stories of Science Fiction/Fantasy.
That's what they are good at. Figuring out things that are completely different from the same old repeating plots and characters. Finding new "what if's" that have never been asked before.
Whether you like dystopian stories of what happens after the world ends, or the sudden appearance of fairy tale creatures in our current worlds, you'll find a lot to keep you fascinated by these new authors.
As well, you may find a bit of fine satire and hidden social commentary, something both genres have always been good at.
Regardless, these short reads will fit into your busy schedule - about a week of good entertainment for the odd hours and minutes.
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Ham & Chaz by C. C. Brower & J. R. Kruze
Finding out you're immortal as a teenager can set your world on fire.
But finding out at the same time that just getting angry could kill everyone around you can dampen that pretty quickly.
Who wants to live forever if you can't get close enough to someone that they can piss you off and live to see the next sunrise with you?
Meaning - it was time to take a road trip to sort things out.
When my uncle offered a summer gig cooking out of his food truck for a big-city contract, I jumped at it.
But when he stopped to pick up another helper down the road, I was bummed. She was a looker, a great cook, but I didn't know if I could trust myself with her - in every way...
(Short story - 26 pages.)
A Mystery Reader by New Voices
Cozy, Detective, or Amateur Sleuth - contemporary or fantasy - these six short stories will keep you guessing right up to their quick end.
Mysteries come in many forms, and in many locations. Here we have contemporary, dystopian, and paranormal venues so you can immerse yourself from the first sentence in each of these short stories.
- A ghost who has to arrange her own scene-reenactment just to find out how she died.
- How a writer helps a woman find out why she is so sad all the time - from a diner bar stool.
- A private investigator assigned to find out the secret of nurses who can cure the incurable - but then becomes a patient when he breaks quarantine to save another's life.
- A detective who is ordered not to solve a perfect death...
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The Case of the Sunken Spirit by S. H. Marpel
To rescue a 12,000 year old ghost, you have to learn to breathe water.
Our next mystery to solve was the toughest yet. We thought ourselves prepared to deal with being submerged several hundred feet below the surface.
My question was how to communicate with something who was older than all civilization as we knew it. What did it have in common with our modern culture? How to talk through an energy shield built to withstand the pressures of that depth?
I didn't have long to wait after we arrived.
Because something pulled me out of that shield and wanted to talk with me right now - deep underwater, ready or not...
(Contains cliffhanger ending...)
Mind Timing by R. L. Saunders
Can the future be saved by returning a woman to affect the present?
Peter was a perfect gentleman. When he showed up at an all-woman's club unannounced, the defenses came up. Mari met him, surrounded by women like herself who battled criminal men daily. There was no longer any need for physical sex, the war between sexes had already been won.
Yet here was a white male in a three-piece suit asking for her help to save humankind.
This one man, who says he is from an alternate universe, wants to recruit a specific martial arts expert. With the idea of saving their future by altering our present. Two people taking the balance of future lives into their own hands.
Surprisingly, this is a romance in the making. And a story about enabling religion to save humankind...
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When the Cities Died, I Danced by C. C. Brower
A couple of days after the cities died, I was there. Dancing.
Whether it was appropriate or not, there was no one around to care.
I had things to celebrate and this was my way.
Because I and my family were still alive. And perhaps it was a wake for those who weren't.
It wasn't a sad occasion, but joyous.
...That was my reason for dancing. I was thankful. Grateful. To be alive. To have my family. To be able to enjoy this earth.
Bonus Stories Included: When Vacation Plans Revise, The Caretaker, Return to Earth
The Training: Tess by S. H. Marpel
Tesseracts fold time and space. I inherited the ability to both find and control them.
Unlimited access to all universes. Sort of.
Yea, freaky. I know too well how freaky.
So I spent my life on the move - through many times, and many spaces. Forgetting where and when I'd been wasn't an option. My salvation was mastering the trick of retracing my path. To find my original home, to find the love I'd lived so long without.
It wasn't just missing a normal childhood.
If I didn't figure out how to get my life back under control, I'd just be growing older.
Alone.
Without any home or family or lover to ever call my own.
(Contains cliffhanger ending...)
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Synco (TM) by R. L. Saunders & J. R. Kruze
Of course it was a normal day. SNAFU - as usual.
But no one noticed, as usual.
The world felt more and more programmed. Or pre-programmed. Life had become a video game, a matrix-spawn. All around me thought this was normal
But no one considered that I would simply revolt.
Because I found out a secret. By visiting an old used book store. One where they somehow made a living selling used books over and over. There were no monitors there, no TV. Smartphones stayed in pockets, preferably off. This store even had a local jammer installed just to make sure people didn't interrupt other people.
That day, I found a secret. Written in print on an actual piece of paper.
It started a revolution. It pulled me out of "sync" - and so I was hunted...
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Witch Mystery: Beth by S. H. Marpel
Fighting off a rampaging troll in the woods just to rescue her milk cow wasn't the first thing on her list today.
Neither was finding a male wood nymph who needed her help.
What didn't help was his attitude of being "Nature's gift to women", but his broken leg meant he was going to perish out there when the next troll came along.
Come to think of it, maybe that troll was after him, and not her Bessie-cow?
Regardless, she just couldn't leave him out there. And in spite of his attitude, he was kind of cute, pointy ears and all.
If only she didn't have to now fend off her farm from other very real fairy-tale creatures, like goblins and witches, and of course, more trolls...
(Warning: contains cliffhanger...)
When the Crow Calls by C. C. Brower
Sue had been though a world of pain already.
Surviving re-entry to this planet in a powerless escape pod. Learning to speak with telepathic canines that had become the dominant sentient beings on Earth. Finding she could shape-shift and create very real illusions.
She brought the end to a civil war between their pack and those nearby. Peace on Earth - at least this little part.
By learning only a tiny bit of the special skills she was capable of.
That tiny bit might save the rest of the world as well - if she could learn to master what she didn't know.
To learn a secret she could use to get what she most wanted.
All she wanted to do was rescue her family - only 240 thousand miles away.
(Contains multiple cliffhangers - first in series.)
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The Case of a Cruising Phantom by S. H. Marpel
I knew exactly why I was still here. To haunt whoever had pushed me overboard.
My only problem was finding them. And if they weren't still alive, they had relatives.
Meanwhile, I kept amused by haunting the ship's passengers and crew. And the cruise line didn't have a problem with it. Their "haunted cruises" were a big hit. Full capacity for this old boat and its evening dinner cruises out beyond the harbor.
"Misstep Mary" they called me. Even had a faded photo of me blown up and cut out so passengers could take photos with me "haunting" them. Because they ruled my death accidental. But would I still be here if it was?
So I arranged for the Ghost Hunters to show up and solve this. Otherwise, there was no peaceful 'going into the light'. Getting revenge might be all I get...
Escape by J. R. Kruze
Hunted by evil, her only escape was to find the light, but her broken wings couldn't carry her to safety.
Why this tiny, suffering pixie was hunted by a monster troll seemed to be a simple urge - he needed to feed off her energy to keep living.
Only a few hours to daylight, when the troll had to sleep to avoid the burning rays of sunlight, or being found by Truth-Seekers and forever imprisoned in stone. After the sun rose, she could heal herself by bathing in sunlight and escape forever.
But why was this troll out of his territory and why was he hunting her? Not just his hunger, that much was certain.
The troll needed food, but she had a secret message to deliver.
And that one message could prevent humans and fairies from losing a coming troll war...
The Integrity Implosions by R. L. Saunders
It all started when politicians and out-spoken celebrities and sports figures started being exposed for the stinkers they are.
It all started with a science grant that created a hypocrisy scanner. Tested on terrorists, it made them disappear. Tested on only the "sometimes" hypocritical, it made them evacuate their bowels. (To say it nicely.)
As the effect on military higher-ups was also disastrous, certain contractors got their research finances cancelled - so they took the circuit and made it a free download as a "gag" gift. Small enough to put in pens and give it away - or send to someone as a "gift."
The results changed Washington and sports teams. But only those who were hypocritical. Integrity got new respect.
Claim Your Copy Now - And see how it all happened....
Loveday Brooke, Lady Detective by C. L. Pirkis
One of the first woman detectives - in the times of Sherlock Holmes.
In the days of Doyle's "Sherlock Holmes" there were also feminine characters who solved crime in their own fashion. Such were the cases of Loveday Brooke.
This collection of seven short stories are along the line of Doyle's, where most of Holmes adventures were rarely in novel-length stories.
Loveday Brooke was a private detective who operated in London. She had been an upper class lady until hard times left her penniless and without many friends. She found employment with Ebenezer Dyer, the chief of a well-known detective agency in Lynch Court, Fleet Street. Although her new profession of investigating crimes further distanced her from high society...
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Vacation Amok by C. C. Brower
Some vacation. Not like I'd planned - or the brochures.
Now I'm in a space suit after some sort of freak accident. Lucky I knew how to get in one, and one was nearby. First time for everything.
But now, I had just so much air, and a huge gap to jump. Because the explosion left a big hole behind. Guess there's a first time for more than one thing...
Excerpt:
No power. Little air.
Deep space, off the trade routes.
Helluva way to start a vacation.
The explosion had happened in hyperspace. It threw us out of “warp” and we appeared in normal space several parsecs from where we could be found.
My problem was more immediate though. Power and Air existed on the other half of the ship.
Separated from me by a big hole that explosion had left...
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