GL Smit
$17.95 – Purchase a print copy online.
“Truth with a twist is funnier than fiction.”
GL Smit’s stories are often poignant, always wry, and they walk the fine line between memoir and fiction with humility and wit.
Picnic in Venice
Konnie Ellis
$17.95 – Purchase a print copy online.
Italy! A century ago, E.M. Forster’s heroine in his novel A Room with a View faints dead away when she witnesses a gangland killing in Florence’s Piazza della Signoria. But slowly the vivid otherness of Italy teaches this outwardly conventional English girl to trust her own passionate heart.
Red Bricks
Love and treachery in the old southwest
by Anne Muccino
$17.95 – buy a print copy online
Red Bricks, the debut novel by Kansas City writer, Anne Muccino, is set in the desert southwest circa 1930. JT Swain is just seventeen when he loses everything that matters to him, his father and the ranch he grew up on. The young man sets out on horseback to find the connectedness suddenly gone from his life. He meets Dalia Jackson, the fifteen-year-old, half-Nahua Indian, half-white daughter of a wealthy New Mexico rancher, and quickly discovers that the rebellious young woman sees her place in the world as equal to that of any man. Strangely drawn to Dalia, when JT learns that she has disappeared, he sets out to find her, challenging the law when he must, tracking her into the barrios of Juárez, Mexico, where he witnesses firsthand the cruelty of human trafficking.
In prose reminiscent of Cormac McCarthy, at once savage and tender, Red Bricks by Anne Muccino offers no easy outs, instead asking us to contemplate the paradoxical nature of loss and redemption, of the razor’s edge between life and death. Muccino’s stunning debut explores both what it means to be harmed beyond recognition and what it means, finally, to recognize one’s own strength. This is a riveting and deeply moving novel, one of the best I’ve read in a long while. Anne Muccino is a talent to be reckoned with.
—Abigail Dewitt, author of
News of Our Loved Ones
Anne Muccino’s debut novel is a literary gem. It is rich in detail and remarkably authentic. Catch up on your sleep. The time and place in Red Bricks are so vivid, with characters so real, so poignant, you will not want to put this book down. This is a beautiful, moving, absorbing experience, destined to become a classic.
—Dawn Shamp, author of
On Account of Conspicuous Women
Amazon reviews—
From Georgesreview: Work of Art! Triumphant debut into the literary world for Anne Muccino. Her character building is engrossing from beginning to end. A wonderful story of ones love for another and what the main character will do in his pursuit for justice and happiness, all in superb literary flair. Ms. Muccino is a talented author and I cannot wait for her next novel.
Deborah Cook says: Inspiring Novel. In a superb debut novel, Anne Muccino tells an endearing story of a young man suffering tragedy and loss as he battles his own inner turmoil. As he travels through locales described in vibrant and realistic detail, his character artfully unfolds and triumphs through courage and love. A compelling work of literature well worth reading.
Eileen Farley: Red Bricks was amazing! Great book! Loved the storyline and characters! Looking forward to reading more books from Anne Muccino.
From Amazon Customer: Excellent read. I received this moving book as a Christmas gift, and what a gift it is, indeed. The story kept me engrossed and the characters stayed with me long after I finished the last page. I immediately lent it to my sister whose response after reading it was to recommend it to her writing group. I can only hope this is the first of many such novels by Anne Muccino.
Sailing Master, Book Two: The Long Passage
Lee Henschel Jr.
Courage & Desire in the Age of Revolution
When Admiral Nelson defeats the French fleet at the Battle of the Nile Owen Harriet attains the rank of midshipman.
Shortly thereafter his ship deploys to French Indochina, but at George Town he falls prey to a shameless trollop.
Upon arriving in the Mekong his squadron proceeds to destroy the French depot at Long Vinh. But during the operation a French privateer takes Owen prisoner. He risks all to escape and, after two years in the East, finally embarks for home.
In an ironic conclusion HMS Eleanor engages the frigate, Hommage, in unrestrained battle, only to learn the Treaty of Amiens was signed with the French on the very day they encountered Hommage.
As a result, their sacrifice means nothing, and must remain classified in order to preserve the fragile peace.
Amazon Reviews—
Paul Bennett says: Fascinating seaworthy tale. Conflict. Love. Commitment & Betrayal . . . all abound in this intrepid novel of the sea set in the Golden Age of Sail. The looming shadow of the Napoleonic War dims the waning glow of the Enlightenment, yet Owen Harriet’s heartfelt narrative provides insight into the human condition. And an overarching question emerges . . . is this chronicle simply the story of a man, or of an entire age? From the opening broadside at the Battle of the Nile to the ironic conclusion off Ushant, Owen continues to come of age, maintaining a steadfast relationship with his beloved mentor, Ignatius Comet Lau, HMS Eleanor’s esteemed Sailing Master. Deep within French Indochina. Lost on the Mekong River. Owen befriends an inscrutable boy monk, only to fall prey to a demonic French privateer. A powerful enigma continues to haunt Owen and he begins to understand. A premonition of unknown origin? An Oracle? Or a remnant calling from his own childhood imagination.
The Long Passage continues the development of young Owen Harriet, now a Midshipman aboard HMS Eleanor. The author has delivered a seaworthy tale that not only entertains, but is also rather instructive about life in the British Navy, and especially instructive on navigating the vastness of an ocean. Another aspect of the narrative that I enjoyed was the descriptive talent of the author. From the reed beds of The Mekong to the inquisitiveness of a blue whale, the reader is immersed in the scenery, and flinching from the sound and fury of a cannon volley. Owen grows up a lot on this journey through his innate intelligence and by his experiences, some of which are rather harrowing, and I look forward to reading more of his adventures. I highly recommend both books of The Sailing Master series. 5 stars
Glass Eater
Dan Coffey
Playwright, director and actor, Dan Coffey known for his work with Duck’s Breath Mystery Theater and portraying memorable characters like Dr. Science. Dan lives in Chiang Mai, Thailand.
Glass Eater is a wild, satiric hybrid, a book Hunter S. Thompson and Kurt Vonnegut might have collaborated on—set design by Graham Greene and Paul Theroux, special effects by Malcom Lowry.
Move over, Kurt Vonnegut! Dan Coffey’s wicked humor strikes again! The Glass Eater is about a burned-out con man knocking around the third world with some CIA types on his tail. Reduced to betting he can eat ashtrays for a living, our heart goes out to him when his Russian wife runs off with Dick Cheney. We discover Dick Nixon still lives—sort of—in a lab north of San Diego. Of course he’s still in touch with Henry Kissinger. And of course Condi Rice and Hillary have become pals in Coffey-world. In the end the Glass Eater uses his talents to save the world—maybe. Or will the world be saved by a man who builds glass towers? And whose side is Jesus on, anyway? You’ll find out reading The Glass Eater—sort of. —Terence A. Harkin, author of The Big Buddha Bicycle Race
Rumor has it that Dick Cheney has read the book and said: Don’t buy this book. And if you do, don’t read it!
Rejoyce says: The preeminent strength of Dan Coffey’s Glass Eater is voice. The main narrative is told in the baffled, idiomatic voice of the eponymous character who stumbles through Candide-like adventures, while plying his sideshow act to foot the bills. He is one of the MFA boat people, an economic refugee living outside the belly of the beast. Coffey, a graduate of the esteemed Iowa Writers Workshop, has a firm command of voice and much of this too-short, picaresque book is hilarious. Interspersed with the main story are secret memos by a cryogenically frozen Nixon, Bush Jr. and, you guessed it, The Donald. These are merely polemical. I wish the author had explored the deeper implications of the title, how it eats at the gut, how the price of the ticket may be too high. A short, fast, entertaining read, but might have been a minor classic.
Michael Morical: A Joyful Ride through Expat-dom. This book paints a hilarious portrait of a low-to-no-budget expat who eats glass for a living. Along the way, Coffey ties in bits by Richard Nixon (in an introduction written by Tricky Dick after his alleged death), Donald Trump, Henry Kissinger and other high-flying government flunkies. As funny as it is, Coffey makes serious points, so serious that Dick Cheney warns, in a blurb for the novel, “Don’t buy this book. If you do, don’t read it!” The author looks at expats who are scraping the bottom of the barrel, attracting as much attention to themselves as they can. The characters are rich. Through it all, Coffey maintains a uniquely entertaining perspective of life and politics. This is a joy to read and leaves me wanting more, a quality that I appreciate in a novel of any length. It is the perfect tonic for the times in which we live–laughter in the new dark age. Besides, you can learn how to eat glass, a valuable skill for digital nomads, expats or anyone who seeks to learn a trade in the world of brick and mortar.
From B.Leary: Move over, Kurt Vonnegut! Dan Coffey’s wicked humor strikes again! The Glass Eater is about a burned-out con man knocking around the third world with some CIA types on his tail. Reduced to betting he can eat ashtrays for a living, our heart goes out to him when his Russian wife runs off with Dick Cheney. We find out Nixon still lives—sort of—in a lab north of San Diego. Of course he’s still in touch with Henry Kissinger. And of course Condi Rice and Hillary have become pals in Coffey-world. In the end the Glass Eater uses his talents to save the world—maybe. Or will the world be saved by a man who builds glass towers? And whose side is Jesus on, anyway? You’ll find out reading The Glass Eater—sort of.