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The        
The Apostle and the Tribune
A novel by Cornell L. Fitch
It is 58 A.D., the fourth year of the reign of Nero as Emperor of the Roman Empire. The Mediterranean world is experiencing a period during which there are no challengers to the power of mighty Rome, a period to be known as the "Pax Romana." It has been barely twenty years since Jesus of Nazareth was crucified, and the form of religious practice that emanated from his significance is a tiny, word of mouth dogma spread by intenerate preachers who call themselves Apostles. Foremost amongst these is a man named Paul.
Paul, a man afflicted with a troublesome personal compulsion, returns to Judea after many years of absence. He finds a land in turmoil, its Jewish inhabitants beset by fractiousness and ruled over by an unpopular king, Agrippa II, who lives openly in an incestuous relationship with his own sister, Bernice. The province in which Judea exists is ruled by a greedy, ambitious Roman Governor, Antonius Felix. A small but determined group of nationalists, often bonding with local thugs and bandits, wage guerilla warfare against an occupying Roman Legion grown surly and cruel by the boredom and frustration of garrison duty, in addition to the tactics of the rebels.
The Apostle is arrested on false charges and crosses the path of a Roman Tribune, Antonius Lysias, a man beset with anxieties about his place in life, after his approaching mandatory retirement, and his relationship with his slave/concubine Atrusha, who sincerely loves her master. While in custody, Paul evangelizes the two sufficiently to interest both in Christianity. As Paul is sent to the provincial capital to have his fate decided by Governor Felix, Tribune Lysias is ordered to suppress rebellion in the Lake Galilee region and Atrusha, who cannot go with him, finds accommodations near the fort with a group of Christians.
In the Galilee region, Lysias conducts a brutal campaign of repression against rebels and their sympathizers while simultaneously carrying out a personal inquiry of fact regarding the nature of Jesus, who lived and preached in the region. He also comes to grips with his feelings for the woman he had thought of only as his slave.
Read More about Cornell Fitch and The Apostle and the Tribune or visit the author's website at www.cornellfitch.com.
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Get A Whiff Of This
Non-fiction by Connie Pitts
Get A Whiff Of This is a book which will educate unsuspecting consumers of the deleterious effects that perfumes (fragrances) cause to human health and our environment. Perfumes, colognes, and many other scented products contain an abundance of harmful chemicals, many of which are listed on the EPA's Hazardous Waste List. They also include numerous carcinogenic chemicals, neurotoxins, respiratory irritants, solvents, aldehydes, hundreds of untested and unregulated petrochemicals, phthalates (which can act as hormone disrupters), narcotics, and much more.
Fragrance chemicals are in most personal care products, such as hairsprays, shampoos and conditioners, hair gels, body lotions, sunscreens, scented deodorants, and laundry products. Most shopping centers and grocery stores are filled with scented plug-ins, candles, potpourri, and alleged air fresheners. They are ubiquitous within our society, making them nearly impossible to avoid. Millions of people are disabled and housebound from repeated exposures to these products, which are falsely advertised.
Get A Whiff Of This is a must read for anyone who would like to breathe fresh air.
Read More about Connie Pitts and Get A Whiff Of This.
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Noonday Flower
A novel by Carla C. Ohse
Noonday Flower is an engaging story of race, community, and love. The novel covers the lifetime of the narrator, Maggie, a teacher who sparks controversy when she decides to teach a black child in a small Michigan community where old ideas and prejudices remain an unchanging reality. The year is 1937, and the story begins with Marla Jean, Noonday's mother, in the throws of childbirth.
The story continues by first looking back to retell Marla Jean's short life in Idlewild, a black resort, then moving forward with the life of her daughter, Noonday, in a neighboring white community. When Noonday is denied attendance to the one-room school, Maggie is determined to help her get an education. Bob "Bookie" Brenner, Maggie's pupil and neighbor, meets Noonday, and the three become allies, embarking on a life-long journey of learning, friendship, and love.
Although Noonday Flower is a poignant love story, its underlying themes regarding equality and education are highly relevant to these times. For all to be educated is vital in a responsible democracy. Unfortunately, prejudice continues to rear its ugly head even today. These crucial issues are woven into a novel rich with historical facts detailing Idlewild's place of prominence in America's Black History.
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A Run by the River
A novel by Joseph Vitucci
John Meyer would never get to run with Steve Prefontaine. The legendary distance runner died in a tragic car accident before John was born. Yet, Pre's legacy always inspired him. John earned a running scholarship to Stradford University, one of the elite Division I cross country schools. There, he would be teammates with the runner every major sports media called the next Pre. More importantly, it gave John the chance to put behind a troubled past and start a new life.
But past relationships come back to haunt, and a bronzed god roommate, a gorgeous brunette, and the pressures to succeed plunge John to psychological depths he never dreamt possible. No one seems to be able to help—no one, except for a mysterious, shirtless runner on campus, who seems oddly familiar...
A Run by the River will take you through amazing twists and turns, the mind of a runner, the schemes of a seemingly perfect roommate, and fast-paced running—all that bring the story to its crash course finish. For John, things will never be the same again.
Read more about Joseph Vitucci and A Run by the River.
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The Secrets of Darlene Dalton
A novel by Randle Haley
Under the hot lights at Philly's police headquarters, Darlene Dalton, an ingénue paralegal, is being interrogated for the murder of David L. Nusbaum, the attorney for whom she'd toiled . . . and lusted. Complicating matters are the facts that Nusbaum was married and White, while Darlene is African American and afflicted. Just two months earlier, the fresh-faced, eager young woman successfully interviewed for a paralegal job at Nusbaum's down-at-the-heels solo law practice. So how did such a promising start end so terribly?
A tale of power and submission; fear and facades; sadness and self-loathing. Rich in character and setting, The Secrets of Darlene Dalton is a not-so-typical legal whodunit sure to challenge and thrill.
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